Chapter 31

Gao Cai, Jiang Wei, He Qiang, Han Lin, and the others underwent thorough examinations at the hospital. All of them had sustained injuries-mostly superficial wounds that would heal with time. However, the physical pain was not the most pressing issue. What truly weighed on their minds was the night’s events, which had completely upended their understanding of the world, leaving them mentally shaken.

The psychological impact was especially severe for Han Lin, Sun Yiyi, and Zhao Xing. The girls were deeply traumatized, their nerves frayed to the point where even the slightest noise or movement would send them into fits of panic, tears streaming down their faces. Zhao Xing, in particular, seemed the most affected.

Earlier, Zhao Xing had been possessed by the Malevolent Ghost, losing control of her body and becoming a mindless puppet bent on attacking others. While she appeared unaware of her actions, she retained a horrifying awareness of the pain inflicted upon her and the harm she caused. She knew she was injuring her companions, but she was powerless to stop herself. She wanted to halt her actions, but her body refused to obey, leaving her to helplessly witness her own attacks and the retaliation against her.

The experience was utterly terrifying-so much so that she vowed never to endure such a nightmare again.

He Qiang shared similar sentiments. He had always prided himself on his strength and unwavering resolve, believing nothing could shake him. But when faced with a truly formidable adversary, he was forced to confront his own insignificance and helplessness. The sensation of being controlled was profoundly unsettling.

Jiang Wei broke the silence. “You really remember everything you did? Does that mean you also remember us beating you up?”

The group had gathered in a single hospital room, the doctors and nurses having left after treating their injuries. None of them felt ready to leave just yet; the night’s bizarre occurrences were too fresh, too unsettling to simply walk away from.

In the adjacent room, others were recovering from similar injuries. Most had superficial wounds, but two individuals had suffered broken limbs. Their fractures had worsened because, while under the ghost’s control, they had continued to exert themselves, aggravating their injuries. They would need an extended hospital stay.

Li Cheng frowned. “But why didn’t you stop when we called out to you? We thought you had completely lost consciousness.”

He Qiang glanced at Jiang Wei, his expression bitter. “I wanted to stop, but I couldn’t. It felt like my body wasn’t mine anymore. My consciousness was trapped inside, forced to watch as my body became a puppet that only knew how to attack. That feeling of being utterly powerless… Do you understand what I mean?”

Jiang Wei nodded, his gaze drifting downward. “I get it. Sun Yiyi’s kick to your gut wasn’t exactly gentle. Honestly, I didn’t believe in this kind of supernatural stuff before tonight. Part of me thought it might be some elaborate prank you guys were pulling…” He paused, wincing at the memory. “But after that kick, I had no doubts left. That kind of pain is something you can’t fake. You should be grateful it wasn’t me kicking you. If I had, you’d be singing soprano right now.”

He Qiang’s face paled slightly, but he managed a weak laugh. “I guess I owe you a thank-you for holding back.” In truth, he was deeply grateful to Jiang Wei and the others. Despite the dire circumstances, they hadn’t gone all out to harm him. Instead, they had focused on defending themselves and trying to snap him out of it. He even remembered seeing Jiang Wei cry-a rare sight for someone who rarely showed vulnerability. If Jiang Wei had broken down, it must have been out of sheer despair and frustration.

Jiang Wei chuckled, though the motion tugged at the wound on his lip, making him grimace. He clapped He Qiang on the shoulder, eliciting a faint smile from his companion. Despite the horrors they had faced, surviving the ordeal was something to be thankful for.

Gao Cai sat silently, his head bowed, lost in thought.

Suddenly, He Qiang spoke up. “By the way, I’ve been meaning to ask. I remember climbing the stairs, and then everything went black. When I woke up, you were all lying on the ground. What happened? Was it really the Long-haired Woman who saved us? And where is she now? Why haven’t we seen her?”

Gao Cai finally lifted his head, exchanging glances with Jiang Wei and Li Cheng. Jiang Wei answered, “If I had to guess, it was indeed the Long-haired Woman who saved us. As for where she went… we have no idea.”

He Qiang frowned. “What?”

Li Cheng shrugged. “We were all scared out of our minds and passed out.”

He Qiang stared at them, speechless.

Jiang Wei turned to Gao Cai, teasing him. “Li Cheng and I passed out together. But you-you’ve got guts, man. Not only did you face her directly, but you managed to hold out longer than the rest of us before fainting.”

Gao Cai said nothing, his expression unreadable.

…

A group of Daoists and uniformed men suddenly appeared at the hospital, led by the police chief. They made their way unerringly to the room where Gao Cai, Jiang Wei, and the others were recovering.

Gao Cai wasn’t surprised. The events they had encountered were far too extraordinary not to attract attention. What did surprise him was how quickly these people had arrived.

The chief greeted them with a smile. “We’re not here to trouble you. We just want to understand what happened in the Theater and how you were rescued. Please share everything you know.”

Gao Cai replied, “Shouldn’t there be security footage from the Theater? Have you reviewed it?”

The chief shook his head. “The footage from the moment you entered the Theater is completely black. There’s no visible image, only darkness and some fragmented sounds-mostly shouting. Tonight’s events clearly went beyond the realm of human understanding. But don’t worry; these gentlemen are from the Special Unit. They’re here to help you and gather information.”

“No footage?”

“None.”

Gao Cai and the others exchanged uneasy glances, a chill running down their spines. No footage meant no evidence. If the Long-haired Woman hadn’t intervened and dealt with the ghost, the outside world might have assumed they had killed each other. They could have been branded as murderers, bearing the blame for their colleagues’ deaths.

The thought was horrifying, leaving them pale and shaken.

Zhang Daoist, one of the Daoists present, carefully examined the men in the room. Their bodies bore numerous injuries, and traces of the ghost’s Yin energy lingered on them. While this residual energy would dissipate naturally with sunlight exposure, those who had been possessed-like He Qiang-would remain physically weakened for some time. The human body wasn’t built to endure the Resentment Energy of a Malevolent Ghost. Normally, such energy would require high-grade talismans and rituals to be purged.

But curiously, He Qiang and the others who had been possessed showed no signs of lingering Resentment Energy. Someone had already taken care of it.

On the way here, Zhang Daoist had been briefed by the chief about the general events of the night, including the mysterious Long-haired Woman who had saved them. Could she have been the one to cleanse their bodies? If so, who was she? A figure this powerful would surely have made waves in the Daoist community, yet Zhang Daoist had never heard of her.

“Don’t worry; it’s all over now,” Zhang Daoist reassured them. “Though tonight was harrowing, you were fortunate to escape unharmed. Not only were you rescued, but the master who saved you also removed the Resentment Energy from your bodies. With some rest, you’ll be fine. However, we do need to understand what happened in the Theater to prevent similar incidents in the future.”

Gao Cai, Jiang Wei, He Qiang, and Li Cheng exchanged glances, a faint smile of relief spreading across their faces. Though she had been terrifying, the Long-haired Woman had proven herself to be a savior.

Gao Cai said, “If you manage to find her, please let me know. I’d like to thank her personally.”

Zhang Daoist nodded. “If the opportunity arises.”

Gao Cai hesitated before asking, “Do you all know that ghosts exist? Does the government… know about this?”

Zhang Daoist replied, “The world is full of mysteries, and we’ve only scratched the surface. There are things even we can’t explain. If such knowledge were made public, it could cause unnecessary panic. We hope you’ll keep this confidential. Sometimes, ignorance is bliss.”

Gao Cai fell silent. If he hadn’t experienced it himself, he would never have believed in the existence of ghosts. He nodded slowly. “I understand.”

Jiang Wei, He Qiang, and the others also nodded in agreement. None of them wanted to bear the responsibility of causing widespread fear and chaos.

They recounted their experiences in the Theater in detail, especially the appearance of the Long-haired Woman. As they spoke, their expressions grew uneasy.

Jiang Wei admitted, “When I first saw her, I thought she was the mastermind behind all this. I was convinced I was done for.”

Li Cheng nodded. “Same here…”

Gao Cai sighed. “It was her aura-it was overwhelming. I watched her deal with the ghost, but I was so scared I passed out. As I lost consciousness, I thought my life was over. I never expected to wake up.”

When he had fainted, he had truly believed they were all doomed. With bodies strewn around him, he had succumbed to fear and despair. Waking up had felt like a miracle. And when the others began regaining consciousness one by one, he realized the Long-haired Woman wasn’t their enemy. She had saved them by eliminating the true threat.

Jiang Wei shuddered. “Thank goodness I was too scared to say anything rude to her. She looked like someone you wouldn’t want to cross. If I’d offended her and she decided not to deal with the ghost, we’d all be dead. I’m so glad I couldn’t even form words at the time!”

The others stared at Jiang Wei, bemused. Being too terrified to speak didn’t exactly seem like a badge of honor.

Zhang Daoist looked puzzled. “Wait, are you saying she… ate the ghost? The master ate it? Are you sure you didn’t misinterpret what you saw?”

“Eat a ghost? Humans can’t eat ghosts.”

“Exactly. I’ve heard of ghosts consuming other ghosts, but humans eating ghosts? That’s unheard of. Are you certain?”

Jiang Wei scratched his head, and Li Cheng looked equally uncertain. In truth, they weren’t entirely sure. The Long-haired Woman had turned her back to them, and all they had heard were crunching sounds. They had instinctively assumed she was eating the ghost, but could it have been something else?

“Well, we didn’t see it directly. She had her back to us…”

Zhang Daoist nodded knowingly. “That makes more sense. She must have used some special technique to subdue the ghost.”

Gao Cai glanced at Jiang Wei and then at Zhang Daoist. For some reason, he still leaned toward believing Jiang Wei’s version. “Master, what was that ghost’s origin? Why did it target us? Did we provoke it, or was it acting on a whim?”

Gao Cai’s question immediately caught the attention of Jiang Wei, He Qiang, and the others. If they had inadvertently provoked the ghost, they needed to know what to avoid in the future. But if the ghost had acted randomly…

“Yeah, we’d like to know too. What’s the story behind that Malevolent Ghost?”

Zhang Daoist pondered for a moment and said, “My master’s notes mentioned a particularly malevolent type of Ghost Cultivator. They delight in murder and feast on blood. Before they kill and seize souls, they first control human bodies, forcing them to slaughter each other until most are dead. Then they reveal themselves to kill the last survivors and consume their souls to aid their cultivation. Such ghosts are extremely vicious. Even if we encounter them, we dare not act rashly without absolute confidence. Moreover, today’s events were so sudden that ordinary people couldn’t possibly anticipate this. By the time they realize something is wrong and seek us out, most of the people in the theater would likely be dead!”

“Wow! This thing is so vicious?”

“Indeed, extremely vicious. My master nearly exhausted his cultivation to subdue a Malevolent Ghost and took two years to recover. Had we been a bit later, you all would have been in grave danger.”

Upon hearing this, Gao Cai, Jiang Wei, He Qiang, and the others felt a deep sense of gratitude towards the Long-haired Woman. Her towering image as their savior almost overshadowed her sinister appearance. Yet, as they thought about it, they couldn’t shake the memory of that crisp crunching sound…

Meanwhile, other staff members from the show, who had fainted early, didn’t witness the Long-haired Woman’s fierce side. They only heard from Gao Cai and Jiang Wei that they were saved by a mysterious Long-haired Woman, and they expressed immense gratitude, saying, “This great benefactor is truly a beautiful, kind, and adorable fairy sister!” This left Gao Cai and Jiang Wei feeling conflicted, unsure whether to shatter their dream, but that’s a story for another time.

The director said, “So, the Long-haired Woman… the master’s cultivation must be very high, otherwise the Malevolent Ghost wouldn’t have been unable to retaliate against her.”

Zhang Daoist replied, “Indeed, if given the chance, I would love to meet her and learn a thing or two.”

…

Meanwhile, at the hospital, things were still bustling. On the other side, Gu Feiyin received a thousand yuan compensation from the show’s team. Yuan Gaoming expressed deep apologies for knocking out her denture, hoping she would be forgiving of his roughness, as her denture had been lost and couldn’t be found. She would have to buy a new one…

Gu Feiyin had only hoped to retrieve her denture, but unexpectedly received a thousand yuan in compensation! A thousand yuan was half a month’s salary for her, enough to buy three sets of dentures!

This generous guest was indeed lavish and generous. So she could spend three hundred yuan to buy a new denture and secretly save the remaining seven hundred yuan…

What a great idea.

Gu Feiyin left work with a smile, the pain of losing her denture vanished. Passing by a hot pot restaurant, she even considered indulging in a meal, as the hot pot smelled so good. But she quickly came to her senses, knowing the restaurant’s prices-each dish costing ten to twenty yuan, totaling two to three hundred yuan for a meal, which she couldn’t afford.

Still, she had earned seven hundred yuan today and planned to buy a bowl of Hot Pot Noodles at a barbecue stall. Eating Hot Pot Noodles was akin to having hot pot, and the aroma was similar. The Hot Pot Noodles here were particularly fragrant, and every time she passed by, she heard people ordering “Boss, a bowl of Hot Pot Noodles,” which she envied, wondering when she could eat it too. Unexpectedly, now she could say, “Boss, a bowl of Hot Pot Noodles!” and felt quite grand!

The Hot Pot Noodles were delicious; the sweet potato noodles were delicate, and the wide noodles were chewy. Cooked with the boss’s special base, with various seasonings, a bit of chili oil, and sprinkled with minced garlic, scallions, and cilantro, it was so flavorful she could drink the broth!

Having money felt great. Tomorrow… tomorrow she would save money, and the day after, she could have Tea Eggs for breakfast again.

Thanks to the generous Yuan Gaoming, she would always remember him.

She pulled out a crisp stack of hundred-yuan bills from her bag, handed one to the Boss Lady, who nervously returned ninety-two yuan in change.

Gu Feiyin pocketed the money, planning to return next month because it was so delicious. Even after finishing the soup, she felt it wasn’t enough, though she had just eaten a Malevolent Ghost…

She planned her bright future while walking home with a peculiar, twisted gait.

A Young Man with Yellow Hair, sitting at the barbecue stall, watched the disabled woman walk away. He adjusted his spiky hair, downed the last sip of beer, called for the bill, and followed the disabled woman’s direction.

He had lost several thousand yuan in recent gambling, leaving him broke and desperate for money. He couldn’t believe his luck in encountering a fat sheep; he had seen clearly that the woman had at least a thousand yuan. A thousand yuan would let him live lavishly for a few days.

Although the fat sheep seemed eerie and frightening, she was still a disabled woman, a woman with little strength. In his hands, she would only beg for mercy. The Young Man with Yellow Hair spat and quickened his pace to catch up.

He was fast and soon caught up with the disabled woman wobbling ahead. Though there were streetlights, for some reason, he shivered looking at the Long-haired Woman walking under the dim lights. He felt a bit scared… but having committed crimes before, he quickly shook off the fear.

He forced himself to calm down, dismissing the fear. There were no cameras here; he could grab the money and run. A disabled person couldn’t possibly catch him, and even if she reported to the police, what could they do? With this thought, he felt less afraid. Seeing an empty, dark section of the road, perfect for committing a crime, he donned his hood, strode up behind the Long-haired Woman, and pulled out a small knife, reaching for her!

Just as he acted, the Long-haired Woman, who had been walking obliviously, suddenly turned around, staring at him with eerie eyes: “What are you doing?”

The Young Man with Yellow Hair was startled, brandishing the knife at her, threateningly saying, “Robbery! Hand over all the money in your bag, or I’ll kill you!”

Long-haired Woman: “…”

Young Man with Yellow Hair: “Quickly, give me all the money you have. I saw it earlier; don’t try any tricks. If you don’t want to die, obey!”

Gu Feiyin hadn’t expected to be robbed, let alone have her money taken! She wasn’t afraid of ghosts, but she feared evil people. She was so fragile now, easily knocked down, with only two not-so-helpful little ghosts by her side. One finger could topple her, not to mention the sharp knife. If injured, she’d have to pay for treatment herself…

But handing over the money was like asking for her life. She couldn’t possibly give it up, not even if threatened.

She couldn’t take risks lightly.

The Young Man with Yellow Hair felt the woman’s gaze growing more terrifying. She stood silently, her eyes devoid of warmth, as if looking at a corpse. He hesitated, unsure if she was just a simple disabled person.

Just as he was uncertain, the Long-haired Woman suddenly shrugged, her arms seemingly lifted by something, and then her feet left the ground. Her entire body floated away, drifting further and further…

Her sinister eyes remained fixed on him, like a soul-reaping ghost, and he even smelled a hint of blood.

“…???!!!”

The Young Man with Yellow Hair felt his scalp tingle, screamed, and turned to run: “Ghost! There’s a ghost! Help-”

Terrified, he even fell, eating dirt, but he didn’t care, not daring to spit it out, scrambling away as fast as he could. His screams echoed far away.

Residents heard the noise, puzzled for a moment, but didn’t pay much attention. Old Man Wang opened the window and saw a notorious local hooligan, a gambling addict, running away screaming, not daring to look back. That hooligan was well-known in the area, always hanging out with his gang, and now he had encountered a ghost like him.

Old Man Wang shivered, quickly returning inside with his grandson, telling his wife, son, and daughter-in-law watching TV, “Did you hear? Someone outside is shouting; they also saw a ghost!”

Wife: “…”

Son: “…”

Daughter-in-law: “…Dad, come watch TV.”

Old Man Wang: “…”

He clenched his fist, feeling a sense of isolation, as if he alone understood the truth, realizing sometimes knowing too much wasn’t a good thing.

…

Gu Feiyin was carried home by Neighbor Miss and Old Lady, only feeling safe once she reached the unfinished building. She said with lingering fear, “That was close, almost got robbed. The human world is too dangerous; first kidnapping, now robbery. Luckily, I ran fast, or I’d have been robbed, haha.”

Neighbor Miss and Old Lady rolled their eyes at her, their gray eyes expressing a complex sentiment.

Gu Feiyin glanced back several times, ensuring the robber wasn’t following before relaxing. Life was too difficult; she couldn’t afford to relax for a moment.

“Let’s go report to the police. I hate those who rob money. Do they know how hard I work to earn it? And they still try to steal.” Gu Feiyin said, “I’ll hide the money first, then we’ll report!”

She climbed to the fifth floor, hid the nine hundred and ninety-two yuan at the bottom of the coffin, pressing it down securely, ensuring it was safe before heading out again.

Neighbor Miss: “…”

Old Lady: “…”

After reporting to the police, Gu Feiyin returned to the unfinished building past midnight, washed briefly in the nearby restroom, and lay down in the coffin to sleep. Tonight had been exhausting, first dealing with an outsider ghost at work, then facing a robbery. The world was truly dangerous; surviving was due to her luck.

But just as she lay down, the Red-Dressed Ghost came over. No matter how many times she saw the coffin, she couldn’t accept it. Though she was a ghost sleeping in a coffin, watching someone else sleep in one was still shocking.

She looked at the eerie coffin, not daring to disturb the Long Black Straight Hair, fearing she might be eaten if she woke her up, which would be a loss. She turned to find Jumping Sister and Old Lady, complaining, “All because that Malevolent Ghost caused such a commotion, so many Taoists suddenly came to the hospital, and even the Special Unit is investigating. I wanted to watch the excitement, but now I don’t dare; I had to hide.”

Neighbor Miss stood by the window, shedding bloody tears, uninterested in her chatter. Old Lady floated in the darkness with a broom, both unusually quiet, neither jumping nor sweeping, seemingly wary of something.

The Red-Dressed Ghost sighed, missing her gossiping friends.

“I’ll stay here tonight, avoiding trouble.”

The next morning, Gu Feiyin woke up early as usual, resting her head on the coffin board while scribbling small advertisements. Her job kept her busy, leaving her little time to write, so she had to squeeze it in whenever she could. Over the past few days, she had managed to write about a hundred ads, which she planned to post soon. In fact, she figured she could write and post them simultaneously to save time.

Oh, and she still needed to buy a new denture. It was really affecting her work.

As she wrote, the Red-Dressed Ghost chattered on about the gossip from the hospital last night. Apparently, most of the “Winner Takes All” crew had undergone medical checkups, including the hosts. Han Lin, Zhao Xing, and Sun Yiyi, in particular, had been crying non-stop, their emotions unstable until they were finally sedated and allowed some rest. Two people had broken limbs, and several others were bruised and battered, their faces almost unrecognizable.

“That ghost was terrifying,” the Red-Dressed Ghost said. “To manipulate so many people into fighting each other? If it were any stronger, it could’ve taken over the world.”

Gu Feiyin, still focused on her writing, replied, “The more lives it takes, the more karmic debt it accumulates. Eventually, it’ll spiral into madness and face its own downfall.”

“…Downfall as in being eaten by you?”

“Hehe.”

“…”

Skipping breakfast again, Gu Feiyin passed by the steamed bun shop, taking a few deep breaths to savor the aroma. She had eaten so much last night, including the Hot Pot Noodles she’d been craving for ages. Eating out again today would just be too indulgent.

She didn’t linger and hurried to work. However, she noticed that her coworkers were unusually subdued, all talking about the incident during last night’s recording. They speculated about what had happened at the Theater, discussed how several celebrities had been injured, and wondered about the future of the show.

Gu Feiyin thought about the kind boss who had managed to get her 1,000 yuan in compensation. The production team seemed reasonable enough; they probably wouldn’t blame the amusement park. After all, it was the Malevolent Ghost’s doing, not the park’s fault.

Lying in her coffin, her thoughts began to wander. She started worrying about her job security, but her musings were interrupted when the kind boss himself knocked on her coffin board, saying someone wanted to see her.

Surprised, she asked, “Me? Who wants to see me?”

The kind boss took a deep breath, avoiding looking directly into the coffin. With his back turned, he said, “Just come. You’ll find out.”

For some reason, he felt the haunted house had become even colder, as if it were exuding a chilling ghostly aura.

Gu Feiyin quickly climbed out of her coffin, wobbling slightly due to her unsteady legs, and followed him to his office.

…

Ma Ao couldn’t believe it. He couldn’t believe that the terrifying Long-haired Woman from last night was actually human. But the production team insisted, showing him video evidence and laughing at his disbelief. Their certainty made him question his own memory.

Determined to uncover the truth, he decided to investigate in person, even though it took a lot of courage to return to the amusement park-a place he had no desire to visit for a fourth time.

As he sat nervously in the office, the door creaked open. Through the gap, he saw half of a pale, bluish face. A pair of dark, soulless eyes stared at him, carrying an aura of bloodlust.

His legs gave out, and he slid off the sofa onto the floor. His lips trembled as he stammered, “Y-you, y-you…”

She pushed the door open fully, dragging her right leg as she entered, and shut the door with a loud click.

Ma Ao froze. He looked up at the Long-haired Woman as she slowly approached him. Her eerie appearance was exactly as he remembered. What was she planning to do to him?

Gu Feiyin tilted her head, puzzled by why this guest seemed to enjoy sitting on the floor. Her long hair obscured most of her face as she spoke in a low, somber voice, “May I ask why you’re looking for me?”

Ma Ao stared blankly for a moment. She… she spoke? She spoke like a normal person? Could it really be her? Could she really be human?

His emotions were a whirlwind of relief and despair. Tears welled up in his eyes as he berated himself for being such a “Little Coward Ma.” How could he have been so terrified of a “person”? But wait-if she was human, then who was the Long-haired Woman he had seen floating above the ground last night?

“D-do you… do you have any special abilities?” he stammered.

Gu Feiyin tilted her head further, genuinely confused. “Special abilities? I don’t think I have any. I mean, I don’t have a degree or any qualifications. It was hard enough to land this stable job at the haunted house. What kind of special abilities could I possibly have?”

Her words didn’t reassure Ma Ao. In fact, her gaze seemed to grow even darker, her eyes filled with a chilling intensity that made him shiver. He regretted asking such a direct question. If she did have special abilities, she wouldn’t reveal them to a stranger. She might even kill him to keep her secret-just like the way she was looking at him now.

She must be some kind of master, hiding her talents while working in the haunted house. By asking such a blunt question, he had likely crossed a line.

“I-I was just joking! Please don’t take it seriously!” he blurted out.

“Oh, okay,” she replied calmly.

“…”

Ma Ao left the haunted house with wobbly legs and trembling hands. Even though he now believed she was human, he couldn’t shake the fear she instilled in him. She was terrifying.

Still, if she was human, should he… No, no, that idea was far too dangerous.

…

Gu Feiyin left work an hour early that afternoon to go to the hospital and buy a new denture. Despite having the 1,000 yuan compensation from the kind boss, she still felt a pang of heartache at the thought of spending 300 yuan on the denture. It was painful.

She glanced at the food stalls on her way home and licked her lips. Not today. Tomorrow she could splurge on a box lunch. Tonight, she planned to go out and post her advertisements.

Of course, she was careful to avoid any Taoists or Monks, not daring to linger outside for too long. Some of them were incredibly powerful-like that handsome Monk she had encountered before. She remembered a particularly strong Malevolent Ghost that had once terrorized her mountain. It had devoured all the little ghosts in the area, leaving them crying and begging to move elsewhere.

She had been tempted to eat that ghost herself, thinking it must taste amazing. But it was so powerful that their fight lasted three days and three nights. She even lost a leg in the process! Still, she managed to take a few bites out of it, and the taste was indeed exceptional-rich with Resentment Energy and wonderfully chewy.

But before she could finish her meal, the handsome Monk arrived. He didn’t even lift a finger; he simply chanted a few mantras, and the Malevolent Ghost was obliterated, leaving no chance for resistance. She was so terrified that she hid in a pit for weeks, too scared to cause any trouble. She didn’t want to end up like that ghost.

And those Taoists were no better. Armed with peachwood swords and Yellow talisman paper, they could strike her with excruciating pain. She couldn’t even eat the talismans-they gave her a stomachache. She had no choice but to avoid them.

If they discovered she was a ghost inhabiting a human body, they would hunt her down without hesitation.

Back at the unfinished building, she packed her advertisements and glue into her bag. To be safe, she hid the 10 yuan in her coffin and left her denture there as well. She didn’t need it at night, and she was afraid of losing it-it was too expensive to replace.

When the sky grew darker, she planned to head out and post her ads. The human world was too dangerous; the pit was much safer.

…

Tao Lizhi had been discharged from the hospital for several days. His health had improved significantly, and he was back to normal. He had even checked in with the friends who had accompanied him to the unfinished building. They had all fallen ill too, but it was just minor colds. A few IV drips and some rest had them back on their feet.

Initially, they had suspected the ghosts in the unfinished building of causing their illness. But in hindsight, it seemed more likely that spending a freezing night on the cold ground had made them sick. It wasn’t the ghosts’ doing.

Tao Lizhi’s father had secretly consulted his grandfather, and together they had hired a master to investigate. They wanted to determine if someone was behind the incidents. So far, they had no answers.

Despite everything, Tao Lizhi couldn’t stop thinking about the ghosts who had saved him. They looked terrifying, but they had saved his life. That made them good ghosts in his book. He wanted to thank them personally.

So, one evening, he packed his school bag and headed out. He even stopped by a funeral supply shop to buy incense, candles, Paper Money, and Gold Ingots. He wasn’t sure what ghosts needed, so he just bought a bit of everything. Better to be overprepared than underprepared.

When he arrived at the unfinished building, he hesitated. The pitch-black interior was too intimidating.

Maybe he could just burn the offerings at the entrance?

…

Gu Feiyin waited until after nine o’clock to leave. By then, the sky was fully dark, and the streets were mostly empty. With the Old Lady and Neighbor Miss carrying her things, she floated down from the fifth floor to save time and effort.

What she didn’t expect was to find Tao Lizhi hiding outside the entrance, staring at her with wide eyes.

Gu Feiyin: “…”

Neighbor Miss: “…”

Old Lady: “…”

Gu Feiyin: “Hello?”

Tao Lizhi: “Ahhh-!!!”

With a scream, he collapsed to the ground, his bag spilling Paper Money and Gold Ingots everywhere.

Gu Feiyin: “…”

Neighbor Miss: “…”

Old Lady: “…”

…

Tao Lizhi remained unconscious for the entire night. When he finally woke up, he felt like he was trapped. Walls surrounded him on all sides, and he couldn’t even roll over. He struggled for a while before realizing what had happened.

He had come to thank the ghosts, but he had fainted! Right, he had fainted. And then… and then what?

His heart pounded as he opened his eyes, only to discover why he couldn’t move.

He was lying in a coffin. The wooden boards surrounded him on all sides, and the coffin lid had been pulled back slightly. Standing outside the coffin was the Long-haired Woman, her dark eyes staring down at him with an eerie intensity.

“…”