Chapter 13

As Gu Feiyin got off work, she passed by a barbecue stall, proudly pulling out her six yuan bonus from her red envelope to buy two skewers of lamb. The lamb was sizzling with oil, fragrant with cumin and chili powder, and sprinkled with a few green onions-it was mouthwateringly delicious. Every night, she would pass by, craving it, and now she could finally indulge in two skewers at once!

In the past, she wouldn’t have dared to spend like this, but now that life seemed promising, she allowed herself this small luxury. She ate one skewer while walking and saved the other for a late-night snack. After all, wasn’t it trendy to have midnight snacks these days? Now she could join in on the trend.

A good job really made a difference, elevating her standard of living significantly.

Munching on her skewer, she headed to the hospital for a dinner of two meats and one vegetable. Life couldn’t be better.

The shop owner still gave her a few extra pieces of meat. She grinned, “Thanks.”

The owner forced a smile back. The young girl’s face seemed even stiffer than before, her smile somewhat twisted, adding to her eerie aura. However, having interacted with her for a while, the owner sensed that she wasn’t a bad person-perhaps just a bit introverted and expressionless? She hadn’t seen her with any family or friends, which was quite pitiful.

Gu Feiyin took her box lunch to the hospital and found a spot to eat. The Red-Dressed Ghost popped her head out of the wall, saying, “Tao Lizhi went crazy this morning, telling the doctor that ghosts had eaten his body. He almost got sent to a mental hospital. Now he’s the talk of the entire hospital. It’s hilarious.”

Gu Feiyin replied, “I didn’t expect someone as ordinary as Tao Lizhi to have such keen perception, actually sensing a ghost trying to eat him. He must be prepared to catch that ghost soon.”

The Red-Dressed Ghost was puzzled. Wasn’t the ghost Tao Lizhi mentioned supposed to be you?

Just then, a scream echoed from nearby.

The Red-Dressed Ghost looked in the direction of the sound. “It sounds like Tao Lizhi?” She sensed something heavy and oppressive, instinctively making her want to hide.

Gu Feiyin also found the scream familiar. “It seems like him. Let’s go check it out.”

Gu Feiyin, holding her box lunch, headed over. The Red-Dressed Ghost hesitated but followed, seeing Gu Feiyin unaffected.

The closed door was eerily silent, as if the scream had been an illusion. The unsettling quiet made one feel uneasy. The Red-Dressed Ghost stopped, suggesting they should assess the situation first. But before she could say more, Gu Feiyin had already pushed open the hospital room door with her box lunch in hand.

The Red-Dressed Ghost was speechless.

Following her in, she saw a nurse lying on the floor, and the room was pitch black. Despite being a ghost, she felt a chill rising from her feet. Suddenly, the room filled with tangible black mist, wrapping around her, trying to consume her soul!

This was bad!

“Gu Feiyin!”

Gu Feiyin stepped past the doctor by the bed, looking at Tao Lizhi struggling desperately. His face was pale, drenched in cold sweat, trying hard to escape his predicament but powerless.

He weakly opened his eyes, seeing a long-haired woman standing by the bed, looking down at him with eyes as cold as a dead sea, making him instinctively want to flee.

She was surrounded by black mist, which tried to invade her body but hesitated to get too close.

Gu Feiyin glanced down, suddenly pulling a jade pendant from his neck-a family heirloom from his grandfather. He wanted to speak, to ask her to return it, offering her money, lots of it, but he was too weak to even open his mouth…

In his despair, he saw a wisp of black mist escape from the jade, accompanied by a sinister voice: “You damned fool, ruining my plans time and again. You’re courting death!”

The black mist slowly formed a human shape.

Tao Lizhi was terrified. How could his necklace harbor such a thing? He nearly fainted from fright!

He watched as the long-haired woman hurriedly set down her… box lunch? She tried to cover the escaping black mist with her hands-he guessed it was the spirit behind the voice. But no matter how she tried, the mist slipped through her fingers like air, impossible to grasp.

The voice grew triumphant: “You’re all going to die!”

In his terror, Tao Lizhi saw the long-haired woman grow impatient, suddenly stuffing the mist into her mouth! The escaping black mist was forced back in bit by bit… He watched in horror as she chewed, then suddenly spat out fragments of the jade, stained with a bit of blood.

Tao Lizhi’s eyes widened!

Gu Feiyin was nearly scared to death herself. She licked her tongue around her mouth, relieved to find only her tongue was bruised and her teeth intact. Even though her job was stable now, earning money was easy-just lying in a coffin for a hundred days would cover the cost of a dental crown. But avoiding unnecessary expenses was always better, especially when life was finally improving.

She grinned with relief, “Phew.” Luckily, her teeth were still there.

Tao Lizhi felt the long-haired woman’s smile was both eerie and satisfied, and when she grinned, he saw her mouth full of blood!

She wiped her mouth and let out a burp.

His legs twitched, and he finally fainted.

The Red-Dressed Ghost felt the black mist binding her suddenly dissipate. She hurried to Gu Feiyin’s side, carefully avoiding the doctor on the floor. “What just happened?”

Gu Feiyin wiped her mouth, saying, “A ghost was trying to consume Tao Lizhi’s Fortune to cultivate, but I ate it. No wonder it was so delicious and never-ending. It was hiding in Tao Lizhi’s necklace, a Ghost Cultivator that feeds on Fortune. Delicious.”

The Red-Dressed Ghost was puzzled. “Oh, what did you bite into?”

Gu Feiyin held the shattered jade in her hands, cautiously saying, “I didn’t mean to.”

The Red-Dressed Ghost said, “Oh, that’s something from the Tao Family’s old man. He gave it to Tao Lizhi when he came of age. It’s worth a few million, I hear.”

Gu Feiyin’s hands shook, her face turning pale!

A few million? What kind of wealthy person wears millions around their neck? That’s enviable!

How long would she have to work to earn that back?

The Red-Dressed Ghost seemed oblivious to Gu Feiyin’s paling face, curiously asking, “Can you really eat Fortune?”

Gu Feiyin weakly replied, “Yes, ghosts can consume human Fortune, which is like stealing from the universe’s Fortune. But it’s dangerous and puts you on the wanted list. If caught by a Yin Messenger, it’s a fate worse than death. Most ghosts wouldn’t dare.”

Everyone has Fortune, but it varies in amount. Some have a little, while others shine brightly. Those with great Fortune often performed great deeds in past lives, earning the universe’s favor. Ghosts can cultivate by killing, but killing those with great Fortune is even more taboo, though it greatly boosts their power. This method is fast but risky, as one might be struck down by the universe at any time.

The Red-Dressed Ghost looked enlightened. She’d been a ghost for a while but had focused on tormenting Zhao Xing, so she wasn’t familiar with these things. She didn’t expect this black-haired girl to know so much.

“Are you a Taoist?”

“Of course not! I’m definitely not!”

Taoists are terrifying, and their peachwood swords, Talismans, and coins are even scarier. How could she be one of those awful Taoists?

Gu Feiyin almost fled, clutching her box lunch and leaving without looking back. Millions-how could she afford to compensate for that?

She left quickly, without hesitation, even taking her box lunch to finish later.

Life had just started to improve, and now she faced this mess?

…Well, she’s a ghost. Ghosts don’t have human morals. Tao Lizhi wouldn’t know she broke it. If it came to light, she’d just blame the ghost that harmed him. No evidence, no problem.

She was so clever!

The doctor and nurse slowly regained consciousness, getting up with shocked expressions, looking at each other, unsure of what had happened. They only remembered shivering with cold before passing out…

They had rushed over hearing Tao Lizhi had a sudden fever, not expecting to faint themselves. But upon waking, they found Tao Lizhi’s condition had stabilized, his cold body warming up.

So what had just happened?

Thinking of Tao Lizhi’s constant claims of ghosts and their mysterious fainting, they shivered collectively, feeling a chill down their spines.

Tao Lizhi awoke two hours later, seeing his worried mother by his bedside and his anxious father nearby.

He closed his eyes, still not fully recovered.

Tao Mom, seeing her son awake, was overjoyed, thanking heaven and their ancestors for protection.

What did this have to do with ancestors?

Tao Mom happily held the shattered jade pieces, the family heirloom from his grandfather. “See, you’re safe because the jade protected you! It must have broken to shield you from harm!”

Even the skeptical Tao Dad nodded in agreement. “Once you’re discharged, we’ll burn incense for our ancestors.”

Tao Lizhi recalled the scene before losing consciousness. Wasn’t it the long-haired woman who broke it?!