The Unremarkable Little Taoist Master

Then he pulled me outside and we arrived at the entrance of the hospital. The burly police officer took a cigarette from his pocket and casually handed one to me.

I skillfully took the cigarette from his hand, lit it, and took a deep drag to ease my fraying nerves.

The burly police officer lit his own cigarette as well.

“Are you scared?” he asked. Well, it makes sense; after all, anyone would be afraid in a situation like this.

I gave a helpless smile and shook my head, saying, “Is there something you’re not telling me? What exactly is going on?”

The burly police officer fell silent upon hearing my words.

He tossed aside his cigarette and stared at me coldly.

“Do you believe in ghosts?”

I looked up, a little frightened as I met his gaze.

It was as if the burly police officer didn’t see my expression at all.

He continued, “We’ve actually been aware of the daoist temple you passed by. However, for certain reasons, we can’t help them.”

After hearing his words, I felt a surge of anger welling up inside me.

“Is that your excuse for letting this happen? Do you even know how many people will die for no reason?”

I was furious, even grabbing the burly police officer by the collar.

Surprisingly, he didn’t say anything in response, nor did he defend himself.

He broke free from my grasp and turned to leave.

In the end, I could only walk away helplessly, getting into my car and speeding madly down the empty road like a madman.

The car gradually came to a stop. I stared blankly at the winding road outside, feeling a deep sadness well up inside me.

No one knows how much pain I felt when I saw Ren Yue, and no one knows what I’ve been through over the years. The pressure within me has driven me a little mad and made me increasingly weak.

I took a deep breath, slowly retrieved a small Jade Buddha from my chest, and gently kissed it between my palms.

Memories flooded back to when my parents placed the Jade Buddha in my hands; they were so young back then.

I slowly calmed my racing thoughts and gathered my emotions, then the burly police officer drove me home.

After some time on the road, we finally arrived at the entrance of my neighborhood. The burly police officer parked the car and led me inside.

Before long, he opened the door to the apartment, and I saw a small note on the table.

Curiously, I picked it up and discovered it was a message from Ren Yue.

The note read, “I have left. Let’s not miss each other at the daoist temple in seven days.”

I shook my head, forcing myself not to think about the Daoist temple.

I plopped down onto the sofa, sipping the strong tea the burly police officer had made for me, taking one sip after another as I recalled every detail of the entire situation.

I hoped to find the clues I had overlooked so that I could deduce what kind of monster the killer really was, and prepare myself ahead of time.

After contemplating for a long time, I replayed everything I had seen recently in my mind, and suddenly realized I seemed to have missed a crucial detail.

The man who had disposed of the body at the daoist temple appeared to have a mysterious tattoo.

An involuntary chill ran down my spine. I quickly grabbed a pen and paper from the table and started sketching rapidly.

It was dark that day, and I had felt a bit scared, so I could only recall a rough outline of the tattoo.

Soon, a blood-red cross appeared on the paper, and I nodded in satisfaction.

I suddenly remembered the killer’s brutal methods and deranged actions, filling me with rage. Someone like that needed to realize the errors of their ways.

I took the drawing and shared this clue with the burly police officer.

He, too, was filled with anger. He said he would investigate the origin of the tattoo.

At the same time, he recommended an old daoist priest to me, saying he might have a way to help.

With a sigh, I set aside the clue and followed the directions given by the burly police officer, arriving at a dilapidated little shop.

Standing at the entrance, I kept replaying the entire timeline of events in my mind.

Lost in my thoughts, the squeak of the door opening jolted me back to reality.

I looked up at the person who walked out-a sleazy old man in a daoist robe, but his appearance did nothing to hide his questionable demeanor. I stared at him in confusion.

There was nothing about him that resembled a wise person; he looked like a complete fraud.

I couldn’t help but question the burly police officer’s judgment in recommending this guy.

The sleazy old daoist suddenly met my gaze and chuckled twice.

“You probably won’t last more than a month,” he said.

Upon hearing the old daoist’s words, I felt my heart sink and began cursing silently.

How dare this old man say something like that?

The old daoist seemed to sense my thoughts and smirked.

“At midnight tonight, a female ghost will appear at the chemical plant in Xicheng District. You need to guide her for reincarnation. If you fail, not even a celestial being can save you.”

With that, the old daoist casually turned and shut the door, leaving me standing there dumbfounded.

“What? Is this for real?” I thought, feeling a wave of bitterness wash over me. If I heard him correctly, this old man was sending me to help a female ghost pass on?

I was afraid that if I didn’t succeed in guiding her, it might be me who was sent on to the next life.

Frustrated, I banged on the door, hoping the old man might show me something worthwhile.

Unfortunately, he seemed to be deaf to my pleas, ignoring my persistent knocking with no response at all.

As each second ticked by, a sense of looming dread settled in my chest.

Was I really expected to help a female ghost pass on? The thought filled me with bitterness.

When midnight arrived, I sat quietly in my car, lit a cigarette, and took a deep drag. Looking at the vast expanse of the chemical plant, I felt a chill run down my spine.

The desolate state of the factory told me it must have been shuttered for years due to poor management; it looked incredibly abandoned.

Weeds had overgrown the property, and glancing at my watch showed it was already nearing 11:50 PM. I gritted my teeth and exited the car, making my way toward the chemical plant.

I surveyed my surroundings as I walked slowly inside the dilapidated building. To say I wasn’t scared would be a lie; I was already feeling unnerved as I approached the entrance.

As I reached one of the abandoned workshops, a sudden cold wind blew past me, causing the hairs on my neck to stand on end.

I peered inside, and the sight nearly made my heart leap out of my chest.