The Mystical Feng Shui Files - Chapter 15 - A Ghost on Every Floor

Upon reaching the normal university, I navigated through a maze of turns to arrive at an old building.

Hu Tieming was at the stairwell chatting with some people. As soon as he saw me, he stood up immediately, “You’re here?”

I nodded and walked over to him, “Teacher Hu!”

Hu Tieming smiled and told the neighbors around him, “This is one of my students! Come on, let’s head home!”

I exchanged smiles with the neighbors and followed Hu Tieming into the stairwell.

The building was indeed old, with the iron gate at the entrance wide open, held ajar by a brick.

The concrete stairs were worn, with only the center polished smooth from countless footsteps.

“I live on the third floor,” Hu Tieming said as he climbed the stairs. “These buildings were the first teacher accommodations. Those who could afford it have already moved out and bought their own places. Only those of us who have lived here for a long time and are used to it have stayed.”

I noticed that the people sitting at the entrance were mostly elderly, with Hu Tieming being relatively younger.

While he talked, my eyes kept scanning the surroundings.

The stairwell was cluttered with various items, leaving a narrow path for people to pass through. It was easy to accidentally kick over a nearby pickle jar.

“The structure of these old buildings isn’t as good as the newer ones. There’s no designated storage space, so everything ends up in the stairwell,” Hu Tieming explained.

At the corner of the second floor, a shadow stood there, appearing to be about the height of a ten-year-old.

I stared at it for a moment, and suddenly, a young boy’s face lifted up, his hollow eyes looking at me, his mouth murmuring, “I’m sorry, let me go home… I’m sorry…”

I averted my gaze and continued up the stairs.

On the second floor, there were three apartments on each side, with shoes scattered messily at the doors. In front of the middle apartment on the left, a woman in a white nightgown stood facing the door, completely still.

I noticed her bare feet, as if she were cold, her body covered in a thin layer of frost, with a faint chill emanating around her.

On the third floor, an old lady stood at the entrance of an apartment, her eyes completely white, staring in the direction of the stairwell.

I took a deep breath. This old building had only three floors, yet it seemed to have its fair share of issues.

One ghost per floor, the yin energy was strong, no wonder Hu Tieming was having such bad luck.

Hu Tieming opened the door to the right, facing south. The blue paint on the door was peeling, and it was covered with various small advertisements.

“Come in! The place is a bit small,” Hu Tieming said as he turned on the light, revealing a modest two-bedroom apartment.

Next to the entrance was a wooden door leading to the bathroom, and a simple kitchen was situated by the north-facing window.

The living room was small, accommodating only a dining table and a shoe cabinet. Hu Tieming led me into the room on the left, “Come in and sit, it’s too cramped outside.”

I stood at the doorway, taking a moment to survey the entire apartment before entering.

The room wasn’t large, with a double bed, a wardrobe, and a desk by the window with a computer on it, next to a bookshelf.

There were many things, but the place was tidy.

Hu Tieming noticed my hesitation and seemed a bit uneasy. He glanced back, “Um, you’re Master Wu’s disciple, called…”

“Jiang Ziwu. Just call me Ziwu.”

“Oh, Master Jiang,” Hu Tieming chuckled. “Is there something wrong?”

“I can’t tell for now. Oh, what’s this?” I suddenly noticed a doll in his bookshelf. It was next to a black pen holder, so I hadn’t seen it before.

The doll was about three heads tall, with a black and red base color. A thick malevolent aura surrounded it, blending with the pen holder. It wasn’t obvious unless you looked closely.

“Where did you get this?” I moved to the bookshelf. “Did you buy this doll?”

“Oh, that!” Hu Tieming laughed. “No, it was a gift from a student! You know, I have many students, year after year. Some remember me and often send gifts. This was from a class president of the current batch. Her family isn’t well-off, so she makes crafts to sell at night markets. I paid attention to her, and she gave me this about half a month ago.”

I nodded and picked up the doll, examining it. There was a small hole at the bottom, and I could vaguely see something inside.

Seeing my intention to take it out, Hu Tieming seemed a bit nervous. He took a crochet hook from a drawer.

“Master Jiang, she said there’s a protective talisman inside. Is there a problem?” He handed me the hook. “It’s my wife’s. She’s on vacation with our son now.”

I used the hook to pull out the contents. It was a small piece of yellow silk cloth with a talisman drawn on it, with some blackish-brown stains on the edges.

“Isn’t this a protective talisman?”

I shook my head. “It’s just scribbles.”

“Oh!” Hu Tieming hadn’t expected that.

“This is a bloodstain!” I showed him the blackish-brown spot. The strong malevolent aura was emanating from there.

“Maybe it got smeared accidentally?” Hu Tieming seemed unsure.

I handed it to him. “Just burn it. The doll itself is fine.”

“Alright, I’ll do that now!” Hu Tieming took the silk cloth to the kitchen, and I heard the gas stove being turned on.

Taking advantage of the moment, I looked around again. To be honest, there was nothing wrong with Hu Tieming’s home.

Even the three in the hallway didn’t seem to affect him much. His home was bright and clean, with plenty of sunlight during the day, and no places that attracted negative energy.

So the problem wasn’t with his home.

I stepped out of the room and saw Hu Tieming burning the yellow cloth on the gas stove.

“Master Jiang, please have a seat!” He pulled out a chair as soon as he saw me.

I waved my hand and pointed to the adjacent room. “Can I take a look in there?”

“Of course, of course!”

I pushed open the door to find it equally tidy. The walls were covered with various game posters, and the desk was piled with figurines, clearly a boy’s room.

After looking around, I was once again certain that there was nothing wrong with Hu Tieming’s home.

“Teacher Hu!” I stepped out of the room. “The issue isn’t in your home. Could you take me to the place you frequent the most?”

Hu Tieming hesitated, a somewhat awkward smile on his face. “To be honest, Master Jiang, I’m a teacher. The places I visit the most are home and school. You know how it is for us teachers; we have to keep it under wraps when we consult a feng shui master. If people find out, I’m afraid…”

“I understand!” I quickly interjected. “Didn’t you just say I’m your student? You can tell others the same, or say I’m a relative’s kid who’s about to start college, and you’re showing me around.”

Hu Tieming’s eyes lit up. “Look at that, I’m supposed to be the teacher, yet you’re the quick thinker. Let’s go! It’s not too late, there are still people strolling around the school.”

I followed him out, waiting as he locked the door. I glanced back at the elderly lady standing at the other end, still watching the stairwell.

“Teacher Hu, did someone pass away on this floor?”

“Hmm? Yes, how did you know?” Hu Tieming pocketed his keys.

“It’s nothing!” I said, following him downstairs. “On the second floor, the middle apartment on the left-there was a woman who passed away in the winter, right?”

“Yes, yes! That was quite a strange incident,” Hu Tieming whispered. “During winter, the couple had a fight. The husband left, and the wife went after him but forgot her keys. It was the middle of the night, and she didn’t knock on any neighbors’ doors. She just waited at the door for her husband to return. He didn’t come back all night, and it wasn’t until early the next morning that someone found her frozen at the doorstep.”

“And what about a young boy, around ten years old?” I asked further.