Chapter 42

Ke Minmin had fainted, and Lu Jiangfei, Yuan Lu, and the others were so weak in the knees they could barely walk. From what had just happened, the formidable little girl they had feared was easily defeated by the Long-haired Woman within ten minutes. They were alive only because the little girl wanted to play games. But the Long-haired Woman was different; she had killed the little girl without uttering a second word. Once they were in her hands, they feared they wouldn’t last even a tenth as long as the little girl had.

This time, they were truly doomed!

Just when they were in utter despair, the Long-haired Woman glanced at the fallen Ke Minmin and with a slight gesture of her hand, the Dolls floating mid-air charged towards them! Lu Jiangfei and the others were horrified, instinctively covering their heads. Tian Lang broke into a cold sweat and even fell on his buttocks, staring with wide, frightened eyes.

They watched as the Dolls landed, lifting the unconscious Ke Minmin into the air…

Lu Jiangfei: “……”

Yuan Lu: “……”

Song Wei: “……”

Tian Lang: “……”

They were all stunned, swallowing hard and nervously watching the eerily calm Long-haired Woman. Her pale face filled them with dread and fear.

The Long-haired Woman curled her lips slightly and coldly said, “Don’t run away, follow me.”

Her demeanor suggested that if they dared to resist, she could take their lives instantly.

Lu Jiangfei and the others exchanged uncertain glances but dared not resist, submitting to the Long-haired Woman’s intimidating presence.

They supported each other and followed the Long-haired Woman into the dense forest, not knowing where they were going or daring to object. Whenever they tried to speak, the Long-haired Woman would fix them with her chilling stare, silencing them immediately, fearful of provoking her and becoming the next victim.

As the Long-haired Woman floated ahead, holding the little girl in one hand and a severed arm in the other, she occasionally took a bite from the arm, savoring it as though it were a chicken foot. This sight made their hair stand on end and deepened their despair.

Oh heavens, were they destined to be doomed?

Yuan Lu whispered to Lu Jiangfei, “What should we do now?”

Lu Jiangfei shook his head, not knowing what to say. Yuan Lu added, “Maybe this is also an opportunity. If we find a chance, we should… run!”

His voice trailed off, but his meaning was clear-they had to find a chance to escape!

Tian Lang grimly said, “I’m afraid for Minmin…”

Song Wei glanced at Ke Minmin, floating mid-air and held by the Dolls, his eyes filled with helpless despair. There was nothing they could do; Ke Minmin was captured, and no one could save her unless a more powerful ghost appeared, giving them another chance to escape. But given how powerful the Long-haired Woman was, finding someone more powerful seemed unlikely.

Song Wei said, “Jiang Fei, we have no other options now. It’s a critical moment. If we hesitate any longer, we’ll really…”

Lu Jiangfei gave a bitter smile and spoke solemnly, “I understand your concerns. As soon as we get a chance, we run. We split up and run, and don’t look back. If even one of us escapes, we can tell the world about our ordeal, hoping someone will come to rescue us. It’s better than dying in some obscure place, trapped forever, our spirits manipulated.”

After discussing their plan, they decided to wait for an opportunity to escape, hoping that at least one of them could get away and share their story, perhaps even freeing their souls rather than falling victim without a trace, forever manipulated by others.

They walked on, and after a while, Lu Jiangfei suddenly asked, “Do you know where we are going?”

The Long-haired Woman turned around, her eyes sinister as she looked down at them, “I’m taking you to see your friends, just ahead.”

…Friends? Lu Jiangfei, Yuan Lu, and the others were puzzled, as they had no friends here, the only one being Yu Yandan who was already dead!

Lu Jiangfei, Yuan Lu, Song Wei, and Tian Lang exchanged glances. They had to find a chance to escape now. The place they were being led to might very well be their next graveyard. They slowed their pace without a word…

…

Ma Ao was nearly exhausted from climbing the mountain because the path was incredibly difficult, with no clear path and weeds reaching up to his chest. Every step was a torment, and the Dolls hanging from the trees watching him were unnerving.

After enduring two attacks by the Dolls, Master Gu was also too tired to walk and had simply tied the Dolls around herself and floated away, leaving him utterly terrified. Fortunately, Master Gu, kind-hearted as she was, had left him a Doll so he wouldn’t get lost…

Now, he was leading the Doll through the pitch-dark woods, not daring to look back or up for fear of seeing the Dolls hanging from the trees staring at him, sending shivers down his spine.

At that moment, he somewhat envied Master Gu, who could float away with the Dolls. A master indeed-different from ordinary people even in the way they moved.

Panting, he trudged through the weeds up the mountain, not knowing how long he had climbed when he finally saw a figure floating ahead. Shining his flashlight towards it, he saw Master Gu floating mid-air, and it seemed there was someone else with her, visible only by their flowing long hair. Could it be that he had found someone?

Elated, he hurried forward!

But before he could get close, he saw Master Gu swaying in mid-air, waving her arms, her voice sounding even more sinister than before: “Where are you going? Come back, come back…”

Ma Ao was momentarily confused by her words and shouted, “Master Gu, Master Gu, who ran away? Did you find Lu Jiangfei and the others?”

Gu Feiyin turned to look at Ma Ao rushing through the weeds, then back at the four figures frantically running away. She wondered why they had run away all of a sudden. It seemed that the little companions had really driven them mad.

Gu Feiyin said, “I found your friends. They were just behind me. I was planning to find you first and then go down the mountain together, but they suddenly ran away again. They might still be disoriented from fear.”

She lifted the little girl she was holding to show Ma Ao, “See, maybe she’s causing trouble.”

The little girl, barely alive, rolled her eyes weakly.

Ma Ao: “……” He hadn’t noticed before that Master Gu was holding a little girl, let alone one with half her head missing. The girl looked listless, giving him a chilly glance that tightened his chest. He quickly averted his gaze, stepping back unconsciously. At that moment, he realized what he had thought was a stick in Master Gu’s hand was actually an arm…?

He shook his head, forcing himself to calm down. Master Gu’s explanation made sense, after all. Being tormented by ghosts for days and still being alive was no small feat. It was normal for their spirits to be disturbed. He couldn’t afford to think too much and randomly chose a direction to follow, shouting as he ran, “Lu Jiangfei, Lu Jiangfei, Yuan Lu, Song Wei, Tian Lang, Yu Yandan, Minmin-I’m here, Master Gu and I have come to save you! Where are you?”

Lu Jiangfei ran desperately, as did Yuan Lu, Song Wei, and Tian Lang, not daring to look back, pushing forward as hard as they could. Though they thought they were running at full speed, they were actually quite slow. Despite running for so long, they could still see the Long-haired Woman floating mid-air behind them…

At that moment, they heard a man’s voice loudly calling their names, saying he had come to save them. It was Ma Ao’s voice!

Lu Jiangfei was the first to snap out of it. Stopping, he turned and saw Ma Ao waving a flashlight, shouting their names, and saying loudly, “It’s Ma Ao, stop running, it’s too dangerous in the woods, come back!”

Lu Jiangfei had survived the Dolls’ attacks thanks to the Talismans Ma Ao had given him. He had always remembered Ma Ao’s advice and warnings. He had not believed, and that disbelief had led him into this peril.

Was Ma Ao really here now? For a moment, he couldn’t believe it.

Yuan Lu, Tian Lang, and Song Wei, although not as close to Ma Ao as Lu Jiangfei, had also dined privately with him. Hearing him now, shouting that he had come to rescue them, was utterly shocking. It was like finding an oasis in a desert journey, seeing hope when they thought they were doomed. For a moment, they thought they were hallucinating due to blood loss, but Ma Ao’s voice was so clear, telling them he really was here…

They stood in disbelief for a moment, then became overwhelmed with emotion, tears welling up as they rushed towards where Ma Ao was.

Lu Jiangfei quickly walked towards the light of the flashlight until he truly saw Ma Ao. Ma Ao, seeing the filthy, barely human figure of Lu Jiangfei, paused, suppressing his excitement and snorted, “You stinky kid, I told you not to come, now look what’s happened, you deserve it.”

Lu Jiangfei smiled bitterly, his voice hoarse, “I was wrong, I should have listened to you.”

He should have maintained a respectful fear of the unknown, for it is the unknown that is truly frightening.

By then, Yuan Lu, Tian Lang, and Song Wei had also returned, looking just as bad, barely able to stand without leaning on trees. Seeing Ma Ao, they were both shocked and delighted, so overwhelmed they couldn’t speak, tears falling freely.

Lu Jiangfei hadn’t forgotten they weren’t yet safe, calming down, he asked, “Ma Ao, you said you came with Master Gu, where is she?”

“Yeah, where is Master Gu?”

“It’s very dangerous here; we must leave immediately, or we’ll all die!”

“Right, right, did only you and Master Gu come? Are there no others?”

Ma Ao also became nervous, “No, it’s just Master Gu and I. What’s wrong? Are there still powerful ghosts here?”

Lu Jiangfei, Yuan Lu, Tian Lang, and Song Wei nodded gravely, “Yes, very powerful, extraordinarily so…”

Just as they were about to explain to Ma Ao how terrifying the ghost was, the Long-haired Woman silently appeared behind him. No one knew when she had arrived. She stood behind Ma Ao, her gloomy eyes staring down at them, as if she could open her bloody mouth and bite off Ma Ao’s head at any moment!

Lu Jiangfei was stunned, Yuan Lu shrank back, Tian Lang clenched his fists, and Song Wei held his breath… Their minds were in chaos, filled with thoughts of what to do next. What should they do now?

The Long-haired Woman smiled, “So, here you are.”

Lu Jiangfei: “…”

Tian Lang: “…”

Song Wei: “…”

Yuan Lu: “…”

Ma Ao turned around and was startled to see Master Gu floating behind him. From his angle, it was easy to make eye contact with the Little Girl she was holding by the neck. Her blood-filled eyes were unsettling, causing him to stumble back a few steps, nearly falling over.

To Lu Jiangfei and Yuan Lu, Ma Ao’s reaction seemed even more hopeless. If Ma Ao was this scared, and the master was nowhere to be found, weren’t they doomed?

As they were contemplating how to escape, Ma Ao turned back and introduced her solemnly, “This is Master Gu, the master I brought to save you. We really have to thank her for finding you. The search and rescue team down the mountain had no solutions.”

The despairing Lu Jiangfei, Yuan Lu, Tian Lang, and Song Wei: “…???!!!”

…What?! This Long-haired Woman was here to save them?!

The Long-haired Woman grinned, looking eerily friendly, “Hehe, no need to thank me.”

Lu Jiangfei: “……………”

Yuan Lu: “………………”

Tian Lang: “………………”

Song Wei: “………………”

Overwhelmed by a mix of shock and joy, Lu Jiangfei finally couldn’t handle the emotional rollercoaster. His legs gave out, and he fainted.

Before Ma Ao could panic, he saw Yuan Lu, Tian Lang, and Song Wei follow suit, rolling their eyes and collapsing to the ground.

Ke Minmin, who had been floating in the air, suddenly saw a Doll standing next to her head. Realizing she was floating, she rolled her eyes and fainted again.

Ma Ao: “…?!”

He looked back at Master Gu, who was gnawing on an arm. It seemed quite delicious.

??? He felt like fainting too.

…

Lu Jiangfei, Yuan Lu, Song Wei, Tian Lang, and Ke Minmin were taken to the village clinic for treatment. The news that five of the ten missing people had been found quickly spread through the town. The Daoists and police rushed to the clinic, shocked to see the five lying in bed.

They had been working tirelessly, expending a lot of resources without finding anyone, and the pressure from above was mounting. They had assumed the worst, but now, against all odds, some had returned alive?

“How are they? Are they okay?”

The old doctor said, “They’ve all lost a lot of blood and are severely dehydrated. They survived on dew and tree bark, so their bodies are quite damaged, especially their stomachs. Fortunately, they returned just in time. With proper care, they should recover. They’ve taken their medicine and are sleeping now. You can ask them questions tomorrow.”

A police officer asked, “Did they mention where the other five are?”

The old doctor shook his head, “They said they’re dead.”

“…”

Everyone present understood. If only five returned, the fate of the other five was likely grim.

The search and rescue team leader asked, “Do you know where they were found? How did they get back?”

The doctor replied, “A man named Ma Ao carried them back. He was with a Long-haired Girl. I was quite startled when I saw them.”

“Ma Ao? Long-haired Girl? Are they new guests in the village?”

The police didn’t know Ma Ao and the Long-haired Girl, but the Daoists did, as they were neighbors. They had scolded Ma Ao and the strange Long-haired Woman for bringing back a Doll, something even they wouldn’t dare to do. Now, they were proven wrong.

“I don’t think Ma Ao, an ordinary person with no cultivation, could have done it.”

“Could it be the Long-haired Girl? She seemed mysterious and powerful.”

“Don’t be fooled by appearances. We mustn’t deceive ourselves.”

“You’re right. Where are Ma Ao and the Long-haired Girl now? I have some questions for them.”

“They went back to rest after things settled down.”

At this point, everyone wanted to know how the five were rescued.

…

Ma Ao was starving. He had carried Lu Jiangfei and the others to the clinic, fearing the Dolls would scare the doctor if they carried them in. After ensuring they were being treated, he returned to the inn and bought two cups of instant noodles.

Gu Feiyin, despite having eaten the Little Girl and an arm on the way back, was eyeing Ma Ao’s noodles. The aroma of the seasoning packets and boiling water made her mouth water.

After a few minutes of waiting, the noodles were ready. Gu Feiyin enjoyed her first taste of instant noodles, savoring the broth and the chewy noodles. She was so pleased that she decided to celebrate with more noodles after selling the Little Girl and Dolls.

She had counted earlier-there were fifty-five Dolls. If each sold for ten yuan, she would have over five hundred yuan. Last time, she sold thirteen for seventy-eight yuan, averaging six yuan each. She felt six yuan was too low; ten yuan was fair. She planned to sell the larger ones for thirty yuan and the smaller ones for twenty, totaling over a thousand yuan. Combined with the two million in her bag, she was set.

She dreamed of buying hot pot, barbecue, hot pot noodles, and beef noodles. She even thought of treating Jumping Sister and the Old Lady to some candles as snacks.

This trip was worth it. She planned to catch more Dolls and call Zhang Daoist to see if he wanted to buy them.

As she was planning, the police and Daoists arrived. Ma Ao was preparing his second cup of beef noodles and asked if Master Gu wanted another. Gu Feiyin, feeling content, declined.

The police knocked on the door, entering with a large group. Ma Ao was startled, nearly spilling his noodles. “What’s going on?”

Gu Feiyin turned to see the police and Daoists, who were taken aback by her cold stare.

Daoist Wang stepped forward, “Sorry to disturb you. We heard you rescued those five people and wanted to ask where you found them.”

Team Leader Li added, “We need to understand what happened to the missing people. The other five are still missing. Any information could help us find them. We hope you can assist us.”

Ma Ao, understanding their intent, looked to Master Gu, as only she could answer.

Gu Feiyin recalled, “The other five are dead.”

Team Leader Li was shocked, “Dead? How did they die? Are they beyond saving?”

Gu Feiyin replied, “Killed by Dolls. When I arrived, they were already dead, their bodies impaled on tree stumps, drained of blood.”

Daoist Wang grew serious, “Were the Dolls really killing people? We’ve suspected it but haven’t caught them. Where did you find them?”

Ma Ao said, “In the Doll Forest. There were many strange Dolls hanging there.”

“Where is the Doll Forest?”

“…I’m not sure. The Dolls led us there.” Ma Ao looked at Master Gu, who said, “Do you want to go to the Doll Forest? I can have the Dolls guide you.”

Daoist Wang and Team Leader Li were puzzled. How could Dolls lead the way?

Until they followed Miss Long Hair upstairs and pushed open the door to her room, they were met with a sight of dolls everywhere. Some were floating mid-air, others lay on the ground, their large, pitch-black eyes spinning around-far more terrifying than the ones hanging from the trees outside!

Even Captain Li, a tough man, couldn’t help but turn pale at the sight, and the Daoists’ hands trembled. “How… how can there be so many dolls?!”

Many? Gu Feiyin didn’t think so. She explained, “These are the ones I’ve caught. These few ran into my room while I was sleeping, trying to steal my bed. So I captured them; these others attacked me in the Doll Forest, and I caught them; the rest helped gang up on me when I was fighting with the kids, and I caught them too.”

Finally, she dragged out a little girl from under the bed, not only with a missing arm but also with a large piece of her head missing that hadn’t healed properly. The girl hung her head, her fierce eyes glaring at them, looking defiant yet incredibly weak, barely maintaining her human form…

Daoist Wang and the others: “……”

Captain Li and his men: “……”

Daoist Wang, being a ghost catcher, wasn’t surprised. Captain Li had encountered various paranormal activities before, otherwise, he wouldn’t have been assigned to this search and rescue mission. However, he had never dealt with catching ghosts like catching dolls…

Upon seeing the little girl, Daoist Wang knew she was no ordinary spirit. “Were the ten missing people caused by this Little Ghost?”

Gu Feiyin confirmed, “Yes, it was her.”

Captain Li urgently asked, “Did she also kill the other five?”

Gu Feiyin nodded, “Even if she didn’t do it herself, she was behind it, more or less.”

The little girl, head hanging, disdainfully said, “It’s their own fault for touching my dolls and saying they were ugly. Letting them die at the hands of dolls was letting them off easy.”

Gu Feiyin smacked her on the head, and the little girl shrank back, not daring to say another word.

Daoist Wang: “……”

Captain Li: “……”

Ma Ao: “……”

Gu Feiyin handed over a doll she had tied up with a piece of yarn to Captain Li, who awkwardly accepted it, feeling as if he was holding a balloon rather than a ghostly doll. “Th-thank you.”

Gu Feiyin said, “No need to thank me. Just follow the doll, and it will lead you to the bodies.”

Captain Li: “……” Okay.

After thanking her, Captain Li led a team up the mountain at night, while Daoist Wang asked the Daoists to follow, prepared for any emergency. However, Daoist Wang stayed behind, gravely asking, “How do you plan to deal with these dolls?”

Gu Feiyin looked at him, “Do you want these dolls?”

Daoist Wang responded, “They are deeply sinful and must be punished.”

Gu Feiyin’s eyes lit up, sensing an opportunity right there, “Small ones for twenty, large ones for thirty. Do you want them?”

Daoist Wang: “……???”

Gu Feiyin, pointing at the dolls scattered on the floor, earnestly said, “These kids are now residing in the dolls’ bodies. They can appear in any doll but can’t leave their bodies. It’s hard for me to take all these dolls back, so if you want, I can give you a 10% discount. How about it?”

Daoist Wang: “……..”

…

In the end, 55 Little Ghosts were sold to Daoist Wang and Master Gu for a total of 1,098.9 yuan. Both parties were very pleased with the deal. Ma Ao had just registered Gu Feiyin on WeChat¹, and Daoist Wang transferred the money there, even adding her phone number. Gu Feiyin sincerely hoped for future cooperation, leaving Daoist Wang somewhat speechless.

The little girl watched as she was sold for thirty yuan. Even though her spirit form was unstable, the shock was too much for her, prompting her to scream in a last attempt at defiance. After being punched twice by Gu Feiyin, she finally calmed down.

Daoist Wang looked at the little girl and asked, “Why did you kill them? They had done you no wrong. Why torment them like this?”

The little girl smirked sinisterly, “Killing them aids my cultivation, as simple as you needing food to eat. Why complicate things?”

She had been a ghost in the sea since her older sister pushed her into the water and drowned her a hundred years ago. Since then, she had always seen her parents bring her sister to the beach, never allowing her sister to enter the water. She thought if her sister entered the water, she could pull her down too.

Later, she noticed her sister often came to the beach, not to repent but to throw her favorite dolls into the sea.

She picked up the dolls, possessing the bodies and drifting ashore with the waves. That was her first time on land as a ghost, but by then, her sister had grown up and was about to be married. One night, she possessed her sister’s doll and confronted her-why did she want to kill her? Weren’t they sisters?

Frightened, her sister ran and fell into a pond in front of the house. She pulled her sister under the water, trapping her in her favorite doll.

Only dolls were obedient and harmless to her.

Since then, she had killed many who disliked her dolls, trapping them inside the dolls. She thought she would have countless dolls, but she was thwarted by the Long-haired Woman in just a few blows, leaving her almost soulless and unable to fight back.

Seeing the little girl’s stubborn ignorance, Daoist Wang didn’t bother further. He pulled the yarn, leading the little girl back, followed by fifty-four dolls, floating grandly into his bedroom.

With so many ghosts, transcending them one by one was a daunting task. When his fellow Daoists returned, they would have to ask the Yin Messenger to personally come and collect the souls.

Such malevolent spirits were a headache even for the Underworld. Captured and sent to the Underworld, the celestial cultivators would be credited for their deeds by the Underworld authorities. Master Gu catching ghosts, they transcending them; everything was meticulously recorded, assessing their merits for future rewards.

For a spirit like the little girl, suffering for a thousand years was inevitable before she could be reincarnated, not as a human but as domesticated animals, at the mercy of slaughter.

It was surprising but true-Master Gu, appearing cold and detached, was actually quite compassionate.

…

The next morning, the Search and Rescue Team finally brought down five bodies from the mountain, while the Daoists conducted a ritual to send the vengeful spirits from the Doll Forest to the Underworld, shocking the villagers who came out to witness the unusual scene.

Meanwhile, having slept through the night, Lu Jiangfei, Yuan Lu, and others had finally woken up.

Seeing themselves back in human society, their wounds bandaged, and the thick, sweet porridge in front of them, tears welled up in their eyes, overwhelmed by emotion. Even Lu Jiangfei, who had held back his tears, couldn’t help but tear up, not to mention Ke Minmin, who sobbed uncontrollably, her voice hoarse. If not for her sore throat, her cries would have been heard throughout the village.

No one tried to stop her from crying. Now that they were safe, it was best to let out the pent-up emotions.

Ma Ao, hearing that Lu Jiangfei and the others had awakened, rushed over. Seeing his friend lying in bed, he chuckled and thumped Lu Jiangfei: “I told you not to come, now you see, regretting it already. You should have listened to the old saying, suffering is right in front of you.”

Lu Jiangfei replied, “Yes, yes, I won’t argue with you anymore.”

Ma Ao touched his nose, “Well, a lesson learned the hard way. Just don’t mess around next time.”

Lu Jiangfei laughed, gulping down two bowls of porridge and several glasses of water, although the doctor advised him to drink less since they hadn’t eaten properly for so long, and eating too much all at once could be harmful.

Lu Jiangfei said, “I never thought I could survive…”

Yuan Lu added, “Yeah, I really didn’t think we could make it.”

Song Wei commented, “It was Jiang Fei’s idea that saved us. If we had really played a game where one person died each time, probably all of us would be dead by now.”

Tian Lang reflected, “Indeed, it’s good to be alive.”

Ma Ao stated, “It’s all thanks to Master Gu. If it weren’t for her, you’d likely have had little chance of survival.”

Lu Jiangfei, recalling Master Gu and the scene of her munching on a severed arm, shuddered, though he was also grateful to her. If not for her, they probably would have all died.

Gratitude aside, there was still fear.

Yuan Lu and Song Wei felt similarly. Having encountered the little girl, now everything seemed frightening.

“By the way, where is Master Gu? We’d like to thank her personally.”

“…”

“What’s wrong? Did Master Gu leave after saving us?”

“…” Ma Ao’s expression twisted slightly, “No, she didn’t leave. She went up the mountain.”

“Up the mountain?”

“Yes, to catch more dolls.”

Lu Jiangfei, Yuan Lu, Tian Lang, and Song Wei were shocked, their expressions changing dramatically: “…catch, catch more dolls?”

“Selling them, twenty yuan each.”

“…???”

…

Gu Feiyin made two thousand yuan from selling dolls, almost a month’s salary for her, and she was thrilled. However, she only took two days off since her flight had been delayed by a day, so she planned to return to work the next day.

During this time, she also visited the clinic to check on the injured children. The children’s complexions were still pale, and they seemed unwell, having been terrified by the little girl. Now, they stammered and sweated coldly, looking rather pitiable.

Lu Jiangfei and Yuan Lu were truly afraid to speak. Although they had managed to come up with strategies against the little girl, their minds turned to mush in front of the formidable Miss Long Hair, Master Gu.

Moreover, for some reason, Lu Jiangfei felt he could see a resemblance between Master Gu and the little girl-an evil, mischievous kind of evil.

Ma Ao, witnessing this scene, couldn’t help but laugh. He had been the same, but after following Master Gu and encountering the Face Ghost, and even sharing a meal at the same table after being led through the Doll Forest by a doll, he was no longer as frightened.

Some people might look scary, but they are actually good at heart, like that little girl who looked clean and angelic but was actually a devil.

The image of those five bodies still haunted his mind.

So, Master Gu really wasn’t that scary; at least, she had truly saved many lives.

Ma Ao chuckled, “Master, how about we have boiled pork slices for lunch? Add a duck blood and vermicelli soup, a shredded pork with garlic sauce, and a seaweed egg drop soup?”

Gu Feiyin’s eyes lit up, “Sure, let’s go back and have lunch.”

Ma Ao nodded, unable to suppress a sneaky grin.

Look.

…

The next day, Gu Feiyin left Wawa Island early, taking a ferry to City B and then a connecting flight back to City A. Ma Ao stayed behind to look after the patients and wouldn’t return just yet.

Her return flight was smooth, and she even ran into the same chief steward who seemed to have recovered. He warmly chatted with her, offering her plenty of beverages and food. She ate so much that she felt she wouldn’t need to eat for the rest of the day. The chief steward, with teary eyes, thanked her, “Master, thank you for saving us.”

Gu Feiyin waved it off; it was nothing, especially since she had received a gratitude gift.

Thinking of the over two million in her pocket, her eyes twinkled with joy, but as soon as she stepped out of the airport, her smile faded.

Because her stomach hurt? No, it was probably a phantom limb pain-she didn’t have a stomach to feel the pain.

Footnote:

1. 1. WeChat(微信): WeChat is a popular Chinese multi-purpose messaging and social media app similar to WhatsApp or Messenger.