Chapter 45

Gu Feiyin had a fairly decent night, not only enjoying crawfish but also roasted sweet potatoes. The crawfish, cleaned by the Water Ghost, were roasted and dipped in sauce, while the sweet potatoes were buried under the embers. They were almost ready when their rich aroma wafted through the air. Splitting one open revealed its white skin and red heart, emitting both a delicious scent and steam. Biting into it, it was both sweet and glutinous.

The next morning, she had the same for breakfast, and just one was filling enough.

However, getting to work was another issue. She had already taken a day off yesterday and couldn’t afford another day off. Although it was quiet under the overpass, she worried about potential mishaps. Leaving her coffin so openly was not ideal, so she had the Water Ghost dig a hole to temporarily bury the coffin until she could retrieve it after work, hoping by then she would have finalized the rental of her new place.

The Water Ghost, after being assigned to catch fish and shrimp, now had a new task – digging? He was truly at his wits’ end with Gu Feiyin, having never encountered such an oddity in his more than twenty years as a ghost. He felt tethered; wherever he wanted to go, a tug from Gu Feiyin’s fishing rod would pull him right back. There was no escape.

Particularly in the morning, he overheard Gu Feiyin munching on sweet potatoes and muttering, “This Water Ghost is quite skilled at catching fish and shrimp. Just catching a fish nets over ten to twenty yuan each. Isn’t selling them for fifteen a bit of a loss?”

He instantly had a bad feeling. What did she mean by this? Selling a ghost? To turn him into a puppet or food for other ghosts? He was well aware that ghosts consuming other ghosts for cultivation was not unheard of.

Was his capture of fish really only worth fifteen yuan?

Enraged and heartbroken, the Water Ghost glared at Gu Feiyin.

Caught off guard by his stare, Gu Feiyin, chewing on sweet potatoes, asked, “Is the hole ready?”

Water Ghost: “No!”

“Then hurry up. I need to get to work.”

“…”

The Water Ghost, looking down at his muddy hands, glared at Gu Feiyin and suddenly knelt down, pleading, “Please, big sister, don’t sell me. I’ve been a Water Ghost for over twenty years. Though I’ve tried to harm people a few times, I’ve always failed… I haven’t harmed a single person! Just yesterday, I finally got tough and tried to use a kid as a scapegoat, but you ended up saving him. Considering I have the intent but never succeeded, my crimes aren’t punishable by death. Please don’t sell me!”

Neighbor Miss, looking at the scene unfold, couldn’t help feeling a bit gleeful.

Old Lady, sweeping nonstop, seemed to sweep even more vigorously.

Gu Feiyin responded, “You don’t want to be sold?”

The Water Ghost shook his head vehemently. Who would willingly want to be sold?

Tears streaming down his face, Gu Feiyin genuinely felt a bit sorry for him; the fish and shrimp were delicious, and she had enjoyed the chili-dipped crawfish and roasted fish. She looked forward to trying shrimps with minced garlic and various carp dishes.

Without the Water Ghost, where would she find such a convenient fishing net? Maybe she could keep him a bit longer.

After some thought, she found a workaround. Since the Water Ghost would eventually be sold at the same price, keeping him for a few more days wouldn’t cost her anything. She decided, “Alright, then you stay and help me catch fish.”

Choking back tears, the Water Ghost wasn’t sure whether to feel happy or sad.

Gu Feiyin: “I’ll sell you once I’ve had my fill.”

Water Ghost: “…” She truly was a devil!

The Water Ghost managed to secure his stay, tasked with both digging and fishing, a pitiful existence devoid of any rights.

Once the hole was ready and the coffin buried, covered casually with some weeds and kindling to camouflage it, Gu Feiyin went to her job at the haunted house. Before leaving, she reminded Neighbor Miss and Old Lady to keep an eye on her coffin and tightened the Water Ghost’s rope, punching him twice to ensure he couldn’t escape, then headed to work with peace of mind.

The battered Water Ghost thought, “…”

That morning, the Middle-aged Female Ghost finally made her way over, arriving rather hastily. “Sorry, I was tied up with my son’s issues yesterday and couldn’t make it. I went to my friend’s place this morning. The house hasn’t been rented out because of a previous murder case. Those who know the details are reluctant to spend money on a haunted house. Those unaware leave within days, claiming the house is haunted. After several such incidents, the house has remained vacant, even though it’s available at a loss.”

“The house is just across the street from the unfinished building you used to live in and close to your workplace. It’s an old house from decades ago. Recently, there’s been talk of demolishing it because of the ghost stories. Most residents have moved out, leaving only a few old men and women from out of town attracted by the low rent. Young people are unwilling to live there.”

“If you don’t mind, you could call my friend. Since it’s a haunted house, the rent is quite affordable. You could rent a room for about three to four hundred a month?”

Gu Feiyin certainly didn’t mind that it was a haunted house; having a place to live was good enough. Although three to four hundred a month was quite expensive, she had to rent it. Although she didn’t mind sleeping under the overpass, she had a coffin full of belongings to worry about. It would be too risky to leave it outside. If it got stolen, the loss would be too great, and she would be devastated.

“Thank you. The house sounds great, and I’ll take it. Do you have your friend’s phone number? I’ll give her a call.” She touched her neck where her phone hung, grateful for the convenience of having a mobile phone. When she was a ghost, she had to shout to communicate, although she didn’t mind raising her voice.

Plus, the phone allowed her to play the stacking block game, which was incredibly fun.

…

The landlord, a young lady named Luo, was shocked when Gu Feiyin contacted her about renting the house. She couldn’t believe someone actually wanted to rent it. The rental ad had been posted for a year without a single inquiry. The few who did check it out quickly left. Now, finally, someone wanted to rent it. How could she not be thrilled?

Moreover, she was a victim too. How could she have anticipated a murder taking place in her house?

About two years ago, she had rented the house to a mother and son duo and a young woman in her twenties. They shared the place, each paying five hundred a month, and everything had been fine until the mother’s gambling, drinking husband committed a heinous act one night. Not only did the mother and son perish, but the young woman also didn’t survive.

The man fled after the murder and hadn’t been caught since. It was a premeditated crime, and he hadn’t reappeared. This, along with the ghost stories, deterred people from renting the house, fearing the murderer might return for revenge.

Since the ghost rumors began, the residents of the four-story building had gradually moved out, leaving only a few elderly tenants attracted by the low rent. Young people refused to live there.

Now, someone dared to rent her house? How could she not be surprised?

“Are you sure you want to rent it? You know there was a murder there, right?”

“I know. I’ve heard about it,” Gu Feiyin replied. “It’s okay. I’m not afraid.”

Aunt Luo didn’t expect this young woman, who sounded so calm, to be so brave. Knowing the place was haunted and still willing to move in, she must be in a tough financial situation. After all, there are no real ghosts in this world; it’s all psychological. Since she wanted to rent, Aunt Luo couldn’t refuse. She decided to replace the lock with a more robust one and add a safety chain inside for extra security.

She wasn’t sure if the television, which had been sitting unused for years, still worked, and the fridge might not run either. She might need to buy a second-hand mini-fridge to replace it.

“The bed, cabinets, and sofa are all included. The place has electricity, fiber optics, and natural gas. You’ll be responsible for the utility bills. Is there anything else you need?”

Gu Feiyin immediately asked, “Hehe, can it be cheaper?”

Aunt Luo: “…”

Aunt Luo said, “How about three hundred a month, with a deposit of three months’ rent up front?”

Gu Feiyin counted on her fingers. Three hundred was affordable, not too expensive for her to breathe. She quickly agreed.

Aunt Luo explained, “However, I’m currently on vacation with my son and daughter-in-law. We won’t be back until tomorrow, and I’ll need to clean the place up. If you’re in a hurry, you can move in the day after tomorrow at the latest.”

So, Gu Feiyin would still need to sleep under the overpass tonight and the following night.

After finalizing the arrangement with Little Friend Luo, Gu Feiyin felt relieved to have a place to stay. She wouldn’t need to lug her coffin around anymore. Once she had a stove, she could buy some pots and pans to start cooking. She wouldn’t have to worry about her phone running out of battery at night, and she could have the Water Ghost catch fish and shrimp for her daily, saving a significant amount of money.

She carefully calculated her expenses: rent would be twelve hundred, utilities three hundred, and cooking supplies including a frying pan, rice cooker, and dishes would cost another three hundred. Seasonings and other necessities would add another hundred, totaling nearly a month’s salary.

Fortunately, having the Water Ghost catch fish saved her money. If only he could also hunt wild boars, chickens, and gather wild fruits in the mountains, she could save even more.

…

After work, Gu Feiyin stopped by the hospital gate for a box lunch, then curled up under the overpass to play with her phone. The Water Ghost was tied to a tree, barely alive as he hovered over the river. He made sure to show off his day’s catch to the dreadful Gu Feiyin because the freshest fish tasted the best. He couldn’t bring all the fish and shrimp up, so he herded them to the overpass side, ensuring the evil Gu Feiyin could eat whenever she wanted.

After eating her box lunch, Gu Feiyin wasn’t hungry for anything else, so she had the Water Ghost catch some scallops and oysters to keep for later. If she got hungry at night, she’d roast them to eat. She had bought a grill rack and lots of garlic that day. After having spicy grilled food yesterday, she planned to have garlic-flavored seafood tonight.

It was still not completely dark, and the chilly wind was quite cold, so she simply crawled into her coffin to play the stacking block game on her phone and check for any messages on her posts.

The coffin was still buried in the hole, too cumbersome to move out, and being hidden made it less visible from the outside, ensuring safety.

Tao Lizhi arrived at the unfinished building with his small backpack, only to find it cordoned off! Not only was it cordoned off, but the ground was covered with Talismans and Black Dog Blood, all sorts of things to ward off evil.

Moreover, there were five, six, seven, or eight Taoists performing rituals, chanting urgently. Outside, a crowd had gathered to watch the spectacle. Tao Lizhi was stunned-could it be that the Three Ghosts living here had been discovered and were now being hunted?

“Hey, kid, what are you doing here? Don’t listen to those folks trying to do some haunted house adventure. This unfinished building is really spooky! I heard the Foreman found a coffin inside and then called Taoists to perform rituals to ward off evil. But those ghosts weren’t afraid at all; they carried the coffin and flew around, really powerful, even injuring the Taoist. I heard he’s still lying at home now, saying he intruded on these wandering ghosts’ home and got revenge!”

“Wait, if they can injure a Taoist, aren’t they really powerful?”

“Yeah, yeah, I heard it too. Last night was really noisy. My cat and dog were barking all night, wouldn’t calm down. I opened the window, saw no one outside, but they kept barking… You know, cats and dogs can see certain things, scared me to death!”

“I’m telling you, I saw it myself. Three Taoists and some guys in black ran away screaming, faces pale as ghosts, scared me to death!”

“Wait, is it really that spooky? Are there really ghosts living here? That’s terrifying! Better let the Taoists scatter those ghosts’ souls, so they don’t come out and harm people!”

“What ghosts? How can there be ghosts in this world?” Old Man Wang couldn’t take it anymore. “Besides, even if there were ghosts living here, they haven’t caused any trouble. If they were really evil ghosts, would you still be alive? You’re just making things up, spreading rumors!”

Someone couldn’t take it anymore: “Old Man Wang, didn’t you invite Taoists to exorcise ghosts before? Why are you talking about us now?”

“Yeah, Old Man Wang, you used to carry a peachwood sword every day, saying you wanted to exorcise and catch ghosts. Weren’t you the one who believed in these things the most?”

Old Man Wang blushed thinking about his past actions, angrily puffing his beard, “Didn’t you say I was practicing feudal superstitions? Now you’re doing it yourselves?” He pulled Tao Lizhi over, “Kid, you’re a student, tell them logically, is there really such a thing as ghosts in this world?”

Tao Lizhi: “… There’s no such thing as ghosts, Uncle and Auntie, you should trust science. There are no ghosts in this world.”

Old Man Wang: “See, there’s no ghosts here. Those Taoists are just messing around, performing rituals for nothing. Everyone should leave!”

Of course, Old Man Wang’s words carried little weight, and no one listened.

Tao Lizhi, being young, also wasn’t taken seriously. The onlookers continued to watch the spectacle.

Tao Lizhi was actually quite anxious. Although he feared ghosts, there were evil ghosts causing trouble in the world, just like there were bad people. Evil ghosts kill, and bad people kill too. He didn’t want the Three Ghosts to be captured.

He stood downstairs for over an hour, until it was almost dark, and had to leave when his family called to hurry him home. He carefully searched around the unfinished building but didn’t see Miss Long Hair, Jumping Sister, or Old Lady. They must have escaped, but where to? Were they hurt? Would he have a chance to see them again? He had bought a backpack full of incense, candles, and Paper Money, but didn’t know if he’d have the chance to deliver them.

He sighed, carrying his backpack as he headed home.

“Tao Lizhi, stop right there!”

A familiar voice suddenly called from behind. He turned around to see Shan Feng, the bully leader from Second Middle School, along with five or six others, wearing their school uniforms in a sloppy manner, cigarettes in hand, clearly up to no good.

He had no real grudge with Shan Feng before, just the rivalry between First and Second Middle School, always wanting to be the top dog in the area. Plus, Tao Lizhi disliked Shan Feng because he often collected protection fees, extorting money from classmates to fund his eating, drinking, and gaming habits, which Tao Lizhi found despicable, so he avoided interacting with Shan Feng.

Shan Feng challenged him to a fight, and Tao Lizhi would have accepted before, ready to beat him up. But now things were different; he had stepped into the “unknown mysteries” and had no energy for such nonsense. Besides, he was worried about where Miss Long Hair, Jumping Sister, and Old Lady had gone.

Tao Lizhi glanced at them, lazily asking, “What do you want?”

Shan Feng snorted, raising his hand, “I want to challenge you to a fight. Tomorrow after school, by the river overpass, don’t be late. Whoever doesn’t show is a coward, and from now on, must bow and greet me as the big brother! What’s wrong, are you scared?”

Tao Lizhi rolled his eyes, “Not interested. You guys play by yourselves; I can’t be bothered.”

Shan Feng: “If you’re a man, don’t say you can’t. Or are you really scared?”

Shan Feng’s followers jeered, “I think you’re just a coward! Heard you went to a haunted house and got scared half to death, spent half a month in the hospital. And you dare call yourself the boss of First Middle School?”

“Yeah, it’s hilarious, getting scared by nonexistent ghosts and ending up in the hospital. Are you scared of our boss now too?”

“If you’re scared, just say it. Recognize our boss as your boss, how about it?”

Tao Lizhi couldn’t stand their faces, scoffing coldly, “Fine, I’ll come. Do you think I’m afraid of you? Just don’t beg for mercy when the time comes.”

“Deal, whoever doesn’t show is a coward!”

“Deal!”

…

That night, Old Man Wang secretly carried a broom and lighter, heading out. He wanted to sweep away all those Talismans. These people were too much, shouting to kill ghosts without understanding the situation. Besides, he heard the rumors; they were carrying the coffin away, not intending to harm anyone.

Xiao Wang woke up to find his dad holding a broom, ready to go out, and was shocked, “Dad, where are you going at this hour?”

Old Man Wang saw his son awake, perfect, he could help sweep the Talismans.

Xiao Wang: “…”

What could he do? His old man seemed to be getting worse, but what could he do? He could only follow along.

The father and son went out stealthily, and there were quite a few Talismans scattered around, blown by the wind, covering the whole street. They worked hard for most of the night, gathering them together, even pulling down the ones stuck to the walls, ready to burn them.

Xiao Wang really didn’t understand why they were doing this in the middle of the night, “Dad, there really are no ghosts in this world, don’t be superstitious.”

Old Man Wang quickly covered his mouth, “What nonsense are you saying?” He then bowed to the surroundings, “Sorry, the kid is ignorant, please don’t mind.”

The cold wind blew, flipping the Talismans, as if someone was responding to Old Man Wang.

Xiao Wang: “…”

Old Man Wang poked Xiao Wang’s forehead, “Just do the right thing with me, don’t say what shouldn’t be said!”

Xiao Wang didn’t know what to say anymore, as he felt a chill down his spine, creepy.

He buried himself in work, burning the Talismans until only ashes remained, blown away by the cold wind. Then he helped his old man back home.

The old man whispered in his ear again, “We survived, thanks to them, thanks to them… Remember…”

The father and son walked away, leaving the unfinished building standing quietly in the dark.

…

The next day after school, Tao Lizhi brought seven brothers to the overpass for the showdown. Shan Feng brought quite a few people too, about thirteen or fourteen, all holding weapons, gathered in a group, with Shan Feng leading, cigarette in hand, looking very imposing.

Tao Lizhi approached with his people, arms crossed, looking at him.

Shan Feng took a drag from his cigarette, “Well, rich kid, didn’t expect you to actually come. Fine, since you keep your word, I’ll go easy on you later, save you some face.”

Tao Lizhi: “That’s hard to say, we’ll see who’s crying for mercy.”

Shan Feng sneered, tossing his cigarette to the ground and stomping on it, grabbing a stick and charging forward, shouting, “Watch me beat you till you cry for mercy!”

Tao Lizhi spat, raising his fists and charging in!

He had trained in Taekwondo, and every summer was sent to military training by his parents, so he was physically strong. Shan Feng was similar; his family owned a martial arts school, and he grew up in the dojo. That’s how he became the boss, always speaking with his fists. Now, the two clashed, naturally fighting fiercely, evenly matched, unable to determine a winner for a while.

First and Second Middle School students began cheering, shouting “Hit him! Hit him!”

Excited, both sides couldn’t help but puff their chests, looking at each other with disdain, “What, want to fight? Come on!”

“Come on, who’s afraid of you?”

But Shan Feng and Tao Lizhi were still fighting, and they couldn’t start yet, until Shan Feng was flipped over by Tao Lizhi with a shoulder throw, losing face, angrily shouting, “Get them!”

Tao Lizhi, handsome and youthful, coldly laughed, showing some immature bravado, “You lost, losing is losing. Remember to call me big brother, bow and greet when you see me, give way.”

Shan Feng clutched his stomach, struggling to get up, shouting, “What are you standing around for, get them!”

Shan Feng’s followers snapped out of it, waving sticks and charging forward. Tao Lizhi’s group wasn’t easy to deal with, naturally defending themselves, especially since Tao Lizhi had beaten Shan Feng, boosting their morale. Most of them had trained in the military together, so facing ten against twenty, they didn’t fall behind at all.

The quiet overpass suddenly became lively, noisy and chaotic.

Gu Feiyin was still playing her block-stacking game, hearing the commotion outside but not paying much attention. It was an overpass, people coming and going, perfectly normal. She continued playing for a while, but then it got really noisy outside. She thought she heard her makeshift stove being kicked over, and the Water Ghost shouting, “They’re fighting, they’re fighting! Oh my stove, I spent all day building it!”

Now Gu Feiyin couldn’t ignore it. She wanted to eat supper, but how without the stove?

She was worried when she suddenly felt a thud on the coffin board, as if something had fallen…

Over there, about twenty people were fighting fiercely, punching and kicking, faces flushed, neither side backing down.

Tao Lizhi relentlessly pushed Shan Feng back, finding an opening to kick him in the stomach. Staggering backwards, Shan Feng stepped into a pit, losing his footing and standing unsteadily. In a panic, he glanced down and saw a rectangular pit lined with dry grass, unsure of its purpose.

Eventually, he couldn’t hold himself up any longer and fell into the pit with a thud.

Surprisingly, falling into the pit didn’t hurt; it felt like landing on a hollow wooden board, as evidenced by the hollow sound it made. Instinctively, he grabbed at the dry grass and discovered a wooden board beneath it.

At that moment, Shan Feng was too shaken to question why there was a wooden board in the pit. He was trembling with anger; Tao Lizhi, who looked like a pretty boy, turned out to be a formidable opponent. How could he not match him? He couldn’t believe it, especially in front of his subordinates who had witnessed everything. How could he face them now? How could he command respect? His pride and reputation were shattered, and the more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Shan Feng wished he could literally grind Tao Lizhi under his feet and reestablish his dominance.

As his anger seethed, he suddenly heard a rustling noise from beneath the board. Startled, he looked closer and saw a small crack in front of the board, about as wide as two hands, dark and eerie. He crawled forward and peered down through the crack-only to see a woman lying inside the dark wooden space, her eyes pitch-black and expressionless. She stared blankly at him, her lips curling into a sinister, chilling smile.

Shan Feng turned pale with fright!

His hands weakened, and he nearly fell in.

He let out a sharp scream and desperately scooted backwards, kicking the dry grass around him. As the grass was kicked away, he finally saw what lay beneath him-a coffin!

Was this coffin occupied by a laughing corpse? A female ghost?

Shan Feng scrambled out of the pit in a mix of rolling and crawling, frantically shouting to anyone who would listen, “There’s a ghost, a ghost in the pit! There’s a female ghost sleeping there!”

The fight had been intense, and suddenly Shan Feng’s panic-stricken declaration about a ghost had everyone looking at each other in confusion, wondering what he was up to.

“Feng-Ge, what are you talking about? It’s just a dirt pit; there’s no ghost.”

“Yeah, Feng-Ge, what nonsense are you spouting? How could there be ghosts? Are you hallucinating?”

“You lost the fight, that’s all; we didn’t say anything. We would have respected you if you had won, but now you’re claiming there’s a ghost? If you’re afraid of losing face, you don’t have to go this far.”

“Ha, still Feng-Ge? From now on, you should call Tao Lizhi ‘Big Brother.’ Can you even bear to call him ‘brother’?”

Shan Feng fell face-first as he climbed out of the pit, his legs too weak to stand. As people mocked him, he didn’t even have the energy to get angry but simply repeated, “There’s a ghost in the pit, really! I saw it, a female ghost!”

The fear in his eyes was genuine, and he was sweating profusely. He didn’t seem to be lying.

Tao Lizhi also looked curiously towards the pit.

While everyone was still puzzled, suddenly a coffin board stood upright in the pit, startling everyone and sending chills down their spines.

Shan Feng, stunned, pointed weakly at the coffin board and stammered, “Look, look, look, there really is…”

Before he could finish, a head with long hair emerged from the pit. The woman’s head was covered with bits of dry grass, and she stiffly shook her head, her scattered black hair falling across her face. She tilted her head, her chilling gaze fixed on them, her expressionless face and dark eyes hidden under her hair exuding a sinister aura. The air seemed to carry a nauseating scent of blood…

Shan Feng and everyone else at the scene were so petrified that they couldn’t utter a word, forgetting to react for a moment!

Suddenly, the eerie Long-haired Woman began to climb out of the pit, her dark, long hair swaying. As she climbed, she gave them a venomous smile, her voice eerily cold, “Are you here to play?”

Shan Feng felt a chill shoot up his spine and screamed, turning to run without looking back. He ran as fast as he could, fearing that if he slowed down, the female ghost might catch and devour him. Not just him, everyone at the scene was too terrified to stay any longer. Some even fell face-first as they ran, too panicked to care about the pain, scrambling to their feet and continuing to run, wishing they could teleport away!

Only when they had run a considerable distance, gasping for breath, did they stop, looking at each other’s pale faces, swallowing hard, and exclaiming in horror, “Holy shit, what was that?”

“Was that a ghost? That female ghost was horrifying!”

“Did she not follow us? So terrifying, I almost peed myself!”

“Let’s get out of here, this place is cursed! I’ve heard rumors about ghosts on Fumin Road, even about coffins in the sky, but I never thought it was true! I’m never coming back here!”

“I’m so scared, what if she keeps following us because she saw us? Are we going to die?”

“Shut up, what are you talking about?”

“Aren’t ghost stories written like this? A group of people accidentally encounter a ghost, and then the ghost hunts them down, killing them one by one, leaving no survivors…”

Their words made everyone shiver even more, feeling increasingly uneasy, as if turning around would reveal the Long-haired Woman staring at them coldly.

At that moment, no one remembered the gang fight anymore. They probably didn’t even want to mention the word “overpass” ever again.

…

Gu Feiyin had just climbed out of the coffin, and the kids had almost all run off, leaving only one she recognized, “Are you here to play by the river too?”

Tao Lizhi: “…”

He swallowed hard, just as the upright coffin board slammed shut again.

Tao Lizhi: “…”

And Miss Long Hair was now slowly approaching him, her long hair still tangled with grass. She brushed off the grass and stared straight at him.

Although Tao Lizhi and Miss Long Hair were old acquaintances, he was still quite frightened. He had almost run away with the others, only stopping after two steps when he realized that this was the Miss Long Hair he had been looking for. He had even lain in that coffin himself. Although he was scared, seeing Shan Feng and his childhood friends scared to the point of wetting themselves brought him a bit of joy.

“Um, I came here to play with some classmates.”

Playing here? Gu Feiyin earnestly responded, “Actually, there’s nothing fun under this overpass.”

She glanced at her stove, which had indeed been disturbed. She looked back at the Water Ghost holding the coffin board, who immediately understood her need and eagerly came over to fix the stove. However, the Water Ghost had barely taken a few steps before pausing, wondering why he was so obedient.

Catching fish and shrimp was one thing, but lifting and closing coffins was another. At least Long Black Straight Hair had told him to do it before, but why did he understand so quickly now without her saying anything? Had he really become that submissive?

For a moment, the Water Ghost was again sinister.

Tao Lizhi hugged his arms and looked around, “I went looking for you at the unfinished building yesterday, but I didn’t see you. I saw many Taoists there exorcising ghosts, and I thought I might never see you again. Are you living here now? Should I come here to find you from now on?”

Gu Feiyin plucked another piece of dry grass from her blanket, remnants from the kid who had kicked it all over her. She would need to clean it up later. She said helplessly, “Yeah, we can’t live in the unfinished building anymore; it’s too dangerous, and we can’t go back. We can’t stay here permanently either, but it’s okay, I’ve found a place inside, and we can move in tomorrow. If you want to find us, just come there.”

Tao Lizhi exclaimed that it couldn’t be better! He remembered his father mentioning wanting to invite a Master to check their old house but decided not to bring it up. His grandfather had placed many ghost-banishing and demon-defeating items in the old house. Although he didn’t see what was special about them, the few ghosts had run away so quickly when they saw the Taoists, even running with their coffins, that they must be quite afraid of these items.

Thinking of the incense, candles, and Paper Money still at home, he finally had a place to send them.

Gu Feiyin asked, “Are you hungry? Want something to eat?”

Tao Lizhi: “?”

Just as he was puzzled, he saw a Crawfish float out of the river and hover in front of Miss Long Hair.

He seemed to see a line bobbing up and down, quickly diving back into the river. Miss Long Hair tugged at the fishing rod, and another shrimp flew out.

Tao Lizhi: “…”

No, I’m not hungry.