Maoshan Academy of Dark Secret Techniques

Not sure how long it had been or how long he had been unconscious, Chen Yu gradually opened his eyes, his head still feeling fuzzy.

“You’re finally awake! You’ve been out for almost three days; I was worried sick!” It turned out to be the girl beside him; he didn’t expect her to care.

Three days? “Have I really been asleep that long? How did you even find me?” Chen Yu scratched his head, genuinely puzzled.

“Aren’t you the one who gave me your phone? I was worried you might be in danger. You said you would be back by two in the morning, so when you didn’t show up, I called the police. But the more I waited, the more anxious I got, so I called them at one-thirty. By the time we got to the school, we saw you running desperately towards the entrance. We thought you were injured! And just as we arrived, you passed out. Why were you running anyway?” The girl seemed very curious. Did Chen Yu really encounter a ghost?

Chen Yu thought to himself that they were all ordinary people; even if he had been killed at that moment, they wouldn’t realize it was the ghost baby’s doing. Fortunately, there had been many people around, and their Yang energy was strong, which frightened the ghost baby away. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have escaped such a disaster.

“It’s nothing; I might have just been hallucinating.”

Reflecting on everything that had happened at school, Chen Yu realized how perilously close he had been to death. It seemed the ghost baby was indeed a vicious evil ghost, which implied that the good ghost was… that must be right.

“By the way, do you know anything about the noodle shop across the street? I’ve always felt something strange about it.”

“The noodle shop across the street? Why are you asking about that?”

That noodle shop used to have great business, but ever since the owner got married, it has been struggling. Occasionally, outsiders would stop by to eat, but locals wouldn’t go there because they felt sick after eating there. I’ve never been myself, and I advise you not to go either.”

What Chen Yu was thinking about was how he had nearly been killed by the ghost baby last night at school. Perhaps the female ghost at the noodle shop was a good ghost, but how could he approach her? The information he could gather from the girl was evidently limited, and without knowing the situation of the other party, he couldn’t approach rashly. If something like the ghost baby happened again, he wouldn’t be so fortunate.

He decided to ask her in a different way, “I think that noodle shop is pretty good; I went there once, and the food was delicious. By the way, do you know the owner? I’d really like to meet him.”

“I only know where the owner lives, but I’m not familiar with him.”

“How about this, can you take me there? I’d like to meet the owner, if that’s okay with you?”

“Alright, since you’re awake, I can take you whenever you want to go.”

“Right now, I’m fine.” Chen Yu didn’t want to waste any more time; each passing day only added to his fear of the ghost baby.

“Okay then.” The girl said this and left without hesitation.

“Please wait for me at the hotel. I need to step out to buy something first.” Chen Yu must go to the noodle shop to confirm whether the female ghost was there. If she was with the boss, it would be difficult to gather any information if he accidentally encountered her.

Chen Yu pretended to be a customer and entered the noodle shop, and indeed found the female ghost inside the restaurant. The place still bore the same eerie atmosphere as before, yet there had been no reports of anyone disappearing or dying. Chen Yu took a couple of bites before hastily leaving. It was now the perfect time to talk to the boss, so he took the girl and headed towards the boss’s house.

The boss’s house was nearby; it wasn’t long before they arrived. It was a simple apartment building, and the boss lived on the second floor. Chen Yu and the girl walked up, finding a big, bright “喜” character on the door, indicating that the boss and the female ghost had recently gotten married.

“Knock, knock, knock”

“Is anyone home? Is this the home of the noodle shop owner?”

Chen Yu heard light footsteps, and the door creaked open. A man in his thirties stood there, wearing black casual pants and a white T-shirt, giving off a friendly neighbor vibe. But upon closer inspection, it was clear that his Yang energy was quite weak.

“Who are you? What do you need?”

Chen Yu glanced around the house, noting that he was alone, and said, “May I come in to talk?”

The middle-aged man sized up Chen Yu and the girl hesitantly before finally opening the door. “Please, come in.”

Once in the living room, Chen Yu and the girl casually sat on the sofa, and the man brought over two glasses of cola.

Chen Yu didn’t want to beat around the bush and got straight to the point, regardless of whether the girl would be surprised. “Hello, actually, I’m a Taoist, or you could call me a Maoshan Master. My surname is Chen. Let me be honest with you: I’m here because of your wife. I believe there’s something wrong with her.”

“Um…” The middle-aged man fell silent for a moment, with a hint of anger in his brow. “That’s nonsense; my wife treats me very well. If that’s all you’ve come to say, please leave.”

“Boss, don’t get upset. It’s possible that I’m mistaken. Let me ask you this: Have you noticed any strange occurrences around you? Have friends or family members started to distance themselves, or is your business struggling?”

The boss thought for a moment. “Since I married her, my friends rarely come to see me. My parents only said they didn’t want to interfere with our private life and moved to my brother’s place, but they still call often, so there’s nothing wrong; perhaps you’re mistaken.”

“You mentioned that your friends have gradually distanced themselves…”

“Yeah, my close friends rarely contact me anymore. I’ve invited them to dinner, but due to various reasons, it never happens. Nevertheless, my wife is truly wonderful; what does that have to do with her?”