I Am Not a Master - Novelbike

To avoid further complications, Bi Heng made a quick decision, turned the car around, and sped off. Even if it meant taking a longer route, it was better than confronting those ghosts head-on. However, to the ghosts, this seemed more like a helpless act under threat, which completely ruled out any chance of them seeking help again, making them feel even more sympathetic.

“That Long-haired Woman is really something, she looks terrifying, and her methods are even more so!”

“Yeah, I noticed she was staggering when she walked, and did you see? Her face was as pale as a corpse, looking like she could fall over with a single push, yet she managed to command those two big men to obey her.”

“Does she have some special tricks? She really hurt me when she hit me.”

“Luckily, we didn’t run into her…”

“Yeah, yeah!”

After hearing this, the ghosts suddenly felt extremely fortunate, and looking at Bi Heng and Jiang Long, they felt even more pity for them. As they watched the off-road vehicle turn around and leave, they sympathetically stretched out their arms and waved from afar, wishing them a safe journey, goodbye.

They looked particularly sincere.

But with a roar, the off-road vehicle sped up and disappeared in an instant.

……

Only when the ghosts in the rearview mirror grew smaller and eventually vanished into the night did Bi Heng and Jiang Long finally breathe a sigh of relief.

From now on, they never wanted to see anyone waving at them again.

Jiang Long wiped his face: “Tonight was really thrilling, I never thought there really were… those things? If we told anyone, they probably wouldn’t believe us.” The window was shrouded in thick fog and darkness, and he avoided directly saying the word, fearing it might attract something strange.

Bi Heng, thinking about how this dog had watched him suffer, was furious and just laughed without responding. Not wanting to be left out, Jiang Long turned to look at the Long-haired Woman, whose face was pale but showed satisfaction. She immediately turned her head to look at him, her head rotating ninety degrees to face him directly, her pitch-black eyes staring at him with a grin, as if she was about to open her mouth wide and bite his neck off-this sudden eye contact scared him so much his legs went weak and he almost wet himself.

But then the Long-haired Woman’s face broke into her signature benevolent smile: “What’s the matter, is there something you need?”

Jiang Long: “…”

Jiang Long: “Cough, n-no, nothing.” He felt ashamed of his cowardly bladder.

The Long-haired Woman was very considerate: “Oh, alright.”

Bi Heng: “Heh.”

Jiang Long had never encountered such a terrifying girl before. She didn’t need to do anything-just standing there was enough to create a horrifying effect. A single glance from her could make you think she was about to devour a child. This innate aura was truly unmatched. If she entered the entertainment industry, wouldn’t she easily claim the throne as the queen of horror films?

Although Jiang Long found the Long-haired Woman terrifying, the fact that she was human tempered his fear somewhat. At the same time, he grew more curious and asked, “It’s the middle of the night, and we’re in the middle of nowhere. Why are you walking alone on the road?”

The Long-haired Woman stopped smiling and replied with a hint of sadness, “Because I was in a hurry to get home. I didn’t expect it to be so cold outside-I was frozen stiff. Toward the end, I couldn’t even lift my legs anymore. Luckily, some kind souls took pity on me and carried me to the roadside. That’s how I was able to find someone to help. I really have to thank you for giving me a ride. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have known what to do.”

Jiang Long glanced at her somewhat outdated outfit and felt a pang of sympathy. “It’s dangerous at night. You really shouldn’t rush around like this in the future. What if something happened?”

The Long-haired Woman nodded with a trace of lingering fear. Yes, something almost did happen. She hadn’t expected that being struck by lightning and turned into a human would make her so vulnerable to the cold. She had nearly frozen into a block of ice. Back when she was a ghost, she never had to endure such hardships. She wasn’t afraid of the cold and could float wherever she wanted in an instant. Now, not only was she terrified of the cold, but she also had to use her legs to get anywhere, which exhausted her. The journey had been both freezing and exhausting-it was truly indescribable.

She couldn’t understand why the heavens seemed to have it out for her. All she had done was devour one Malevolent Ghost, and then bam-several bolts of heaven thunder came crashing down on her head. She thought she was going to be obliterated and that would be the end of her. But instead, she woke up as a young girl.

When she regained consciousness, she was in the mountains, dressed in tattered clothes, with only a hundred yuan and a few hard biscuits in her pocket. Her body also bore some wounds, as if the original owner of the body had fallen and never gotten up again, leaving it for her to take over.

Since then, her life had been nothing but hardship.

Jiang Long noticed the Long-haired Woman’s head drooping listlessly, her pale face mostly obscured by her long, straight black hair, leaving only a faint shadow. The melancholic look made Jiang Long hiss softly. It was a shame this girl wasn’t starring in horror films.

Bi Heng glanced in the rearview mirror, and his heart skipped a beat, though he wasn’t as panicked as before. He asked, “Did you also notice something off about those people earlier?”

The Long-haired Woman raised her head, and for some reason, even though she hadn’t said anything yet, Jiang Long and Bi Heng seemed to catch a fleeting glimpse of envy in her eyes.

…Why would she envy a few ghosts?

No, they must have been mistaken. After all, they had just mistaken her for a ghost earlier…

“Screech-”

Suddenly, the off-road vehicle slammed to a halt, abruptly cutting off Jiang Long and Bi Heng’s thoughts. Even though they were wearing seatbelts, the inertia still sent them lurching forward. As for the Long-haired Woman in the back seat, caught completely off guard, she was thrown against the front seat before bouncing back…

Jiang Long groaned, “Heng-Ge, why didn’t you warn us before slamming on the brakes? I could’ve at least… prepared myself…” His complaint trailed off as he noticed the flickering headlights ahead and the familiar figures standing by the roadside-the same people who had asked them to settle a dispute not long ago.

After driving for what felt like ages, they had somehow circled back to the original accident scene.

The only difference now was the presence of a few additional people: police officers and medical personnel.

The two male drivers were standing by the police, arguing heatedly. But gradually, they began to realize something was wrong. No matter what they said, the police didn’t respond at all. It wasn’t until bodies were carried out of the cars, and doctors and nurses rushed forward…

Resuscitation, then a shake of the head. Resuscitation, another shake of the head. Resuscitation, yet another shake of the head.

The argument turned into confusion and bewilderment. Had they… all died?

Bi Heng and Jiang Long exchanged glances, their teeth chattering and goosebumps rising all over their bodies.

Bi Heng turned to the Long-haired Woman, who was swaying her head as if feeling a bit dizzy, and asked in a tense voice, “Do you know what’s going on with them?”

The Long-haired Woman looked out the window and said in a distant tone, “They’re just newly formed spirits. They died so suddenly, and the shock was so great, that they haven’t realized they’re dead yet.” She turned to Bi Heng, “But now they know.”

Bi Heng: “…”

She added considerately, “These new spirits are quite dim-witted and pose no threat. Don’t worry, they won’t come after you.”

…That didn’t make them feel any better. In fact, it made them even more scared.

However, they were now certain that the Long-haired Woman was no ordinary person.

Jiang Long hugged his arms and curled up in his seat. “Heng-Ge, why is tonight so creepy? Let’s get out of here, quick. I’m feeling really uneasy.”

Bi Heng also wanted to leave, but he had already lost count of how many times they’d ended up going in circles tonight. Who knew what might happen if they drove off again? At least the ghosts ahead were familiar faces. Now that they knew the spirits posed no threat, it might be better to stay put and figure out a solution. If they rushed forward recklessly, they might run into something even stranger, and that would be a disaster.

Besides, Bi Heng thought that since the Long-haired Woman understood what was going on with those ghosts, she might be able to help them get out of this mess.

Or… he glanced at the police officers ahead. They had shadows under their feet, which pretty much confirmed they were human. If all else failed, he could always ask the officers for a ride. After all, police officers were said to radiate an aura of righteousness that could scare off any sinister entities. As long as they could get out of this cursed place, he wouldn’t even mind abandoning the car.

Of course, he preferred to solve the problem once and for all. Otherwise, what would they do if they encountered something like this again?

He turned to the back seat and asked, “My name is Bi Heng. What’s yours?”

The Long-haired Woman replied, “Hello, my name is Gu Feiyin.”

Jiang Long was utterly shocked. Gu Feiyin? That name was way too normal! It didn’t match her otherworldly, eerie aura at all.

Over by the ambulance, the bodies had already been loaded, leaving only the police officers to investigate the scene. The ghosts, after weeping, had no choice but to accept their fate and followed the bodies away. As they left, they noticed Bi Heng and Jiang Long parked not far off. Their faces were even paler than when they’d first met, and they cast no shadows. When they turned around, the massive wounds and bloodstains on their backs became visible. The two male drivers even waved at Bi Heng and Jiang Long, as if bidding farewell-or perhaps it was some kind of prank. But when they caught sight of the head poking out from the back seat-a head with long hair, a face so pale it seemed blurred, and a pair of pitch-black eyes-the head grinned and waved back. Though the gesture seemed friendly, it sent a shiver down their spines, and they scrambled onto the ambulance and sped off.

Bi Heng and Jiang Long felt a chill in the air and instinctively pressed themselves against the car doors. “Why… why did you wave at them?” Jiang Long stammered.

Gu Feiyin tilted her head, her dark eyes fixed on Jiang Long. “Isn’t that just basic courtesy? Is there a problem?”

Bi Heng quickly interjected, “No, no problem. It’s Jiang Long who has the problem. Don’t mind him.”

Jiang Long: “…” What was his problem? The Long-haired Woman was the real issue here! He much preferred to refer to her as the Long-haired Woman-the name Gu Feiyin, so human and ordinary, just didn’t suit her at all.

The Long-haired Woman indeed didn’t pay any further attention to Jiang Long’s words. She rummaged around in her stiff cotton jacket and pulled out a greasy paper package. Jiang Long watched with curiosity. “What’s that?”

“A pancake. Do you want some?”

Jiang Long stared as the Long-haired Woman carefully unwrapped the package and held out a rock-hard object she called a pancake. It looked like it had already been half-eaten and appeared to be made of flour.

Jiang Long waved his hands frantically. “No, no, I’m good. You go ahead.”

Bi Heng also glanced over, though his mind was mostly preoccupied with what they should do next.

Gu Feiyin said, “Alright, I’m really quite hungry.”

Jiang Long hesitated. “That pancake looks really hard. Can you even eat it?”

“I can manage. I just need to put some effort into it.” She grinned at Jiang Long, who was staring at the pancake with a conflicted expression. “I’ve got strong teeth, heh.”

Jiang Long gulped. “…”

Bi Heng also fell silent. “…”

After a moment, Bi Heng spoke up. “Miss Gu, do you know why we’re in this situation? No matter how much I drive, we always end up back in the same place. We’ve already been here before.”

“I think I might know a little,” she said, taking a bite of the pancake. But the pancake was indeed very hard. Before, she could manage to bite through it with some effort, but now, even with the strength she used to deal with Malevolent Ghosts, it seemed impossible. Still, she was too hungry to give up. So she mustered more force and finally managed to bite off a piece, though it hurt a little and there was a faint metallic taste in her mouth.

She blinked her pitch-black eyes, chewing slowly, and then-to her surprise-spat out a tooth!

Jiang Long: “…”

Bi Heng, who had been patiently waiting to ask more questions, also froze: “…”

She continued chewing the hard pancake, initially planning to swallow the tooth. But seeing the horrified expressions on Bi Heng and Jiang Long’s faces, she decided against it. She felt a pang of sadness. Who knew that humans weren’t just afraid of the cold, hunger, and walking-even their teeth were this fragile?