Song Qian gripped the flashlight that gave off a faint glow as she raced down the stairs. She hadn’t even paused to consider how terrifying the Ghost Mother she was about to face truly was.
Ji Wuxin and the Ghost Mother had battled their way down to the first floor, shattered furniture lying in splintered pieces across the ground.
“How strange. You’re not human, yet there’s hardly any Ghost Qi on you,” the Ghost Mother remarked. She squatted in front of Ji Wuxin and lifted her chin, scrutinizing her face closely.
Ji Wuxin wrenched her head away with force, dodging the hand. Unsuppressed fury flickered in her eyes.
“Ji Wuxin!”
Ji Wuxin’s position lay directly facing the staircase mouth. Spotting her, Song Qian hurried over and fumbled frantically in the innermost pocket of her clothes for the talisman paper Lin Qing had given her earlier.
“Stay away from her!” Song Qian shook the talisman paper threateningly at the Ghost Mother, her stance radiating a willingness to go down together with her.
Ji Wuxin clearly hadn’t expected Song Qian to boldly rush over alone like this.
She silently tugged at the clothing on her shoulder to cover the wound. Though she didn’t bleed, the gash was still glaringly obvious.
Not long ago, she’d boasted about throwing the Ghost Mother out—yet in the end, she was the one who’d been tossed. Ji Wuxin had never endured such humiliation; she’d never lost a fight!
The very thought fueled her rage. A ghost from this remote backwater was so insidious, resorting to sneak attacks instead of facing her head-on! Ji Wuxin utterly despised such cowardly tactics.
The Ghost Mother slowly rose to her feet. The face of the Ghost Infant emerged on her abdomen, and the Ghost Mother gently stroked its head. “Good girl, Xingxing. Do you like this big sister?”
The Ghost Infant gazed at Song Qian and revealed a smile. To Song Qian’s horror, she glimpsed endless greed in those hollow eye sockets.
“If you like this big sister, then Mommy will kill her so she can stay with you forever. Just like sweet Sister Tiantian.”
Song Qian swallowed hard in fear, seizing on the information and asking in a trembling voice, “Lu Tiantian was killed by you!?”
The Ghost Mother raised a hand to her mouth. Her sunken eyes gleamed with eerie green light as her tongue licked her cracked lips, as if savoring some exquisite delicacy. “That little girl… her soul was so sweet.”
Song Qian’s mind went blank. What did that mean? Had she devoured Lu Tiantian’s ghost soul?
“You’re disgusting,” Ji Wuxin spat. She pushed herself up from the ground with one hand, her gaze icy as she stared at the Ghost Mother. “The Ghost Circle forbids devouring one’s own kind.”
The Ghost Mother lowered her eyes, her expression wooden. “Ghost Circle? What’s that? I have no need to mingle with other ghosts.”
As expected, a wild ghost from the wilderness! Ji Wuxin resolved never to visit such a godforsaken place again—not a single proper ghost in sight, and the only one so ignorant! Sneaky tactics! An uncultured brute!
“A delicate ghost like you is unlucky to run into me here today. Your flavor must be far superior to that little girl’s.” As the Ghost Mother spoke, she reached out toward Ji Wuxin, her fingers curling slightly. In an instant, the still-prone Ji Wuxin was seized in her grasp.
As Ji Wuxin flew toward her, Song Qian lunged forward as well. Clutching the yellow talisman paper, she slammed her hand forcefully onto the Ghost Mother.
The yellow talisman paper’s power wasn’t great, but it scorched the Ghost Infant grinning on the Ghost Mother’s abdomen. The paper lodged directly into the Ghost Infant’s mouth.
“Waaaah! Waaaah! Waaaah!!!” The Ghost Infant wailed in agony, tearing at the air. The Ghost Mother startled, released Ji Wuxin, and hurriedly dug the Ghost Infant out from her belly.
“Xingxing! Xingxing, what’s wrong?”
The Ghost Infant continued howling with its mouth agape, half a yellow talisman paper still protruding, smoke billowing from within.
Seizing the moment, Song Qian reached out and yanked Ji Wuxin toward her—truly yanked, as Ji Wuxin’s back scraped across the floor for several feet.
Fortunately, Ji Wuxin weighed next to nothing. Song Qian scooped her up and bolted back upstairs.
Ji Wuxin felt weak. She raised a hand, only for it to drop limply again. “She… she played dirty. I can beat her.”
Song Qian clicked her tongue irritably. “If you can’t beat her, you can’t beat her. I’m not mocking you.
“Why show off? Now I had to risk my life to drag you back.”
Ji Wuxin: “…”
Song Qian was far chattier than usual, mostly scolding Ji Wuxin. Finally unable to take it, Ji Wuxin raised a hand to cover her mouth.
“Don’t…” Ji Wuxin felt the softness of her palm quivering nonstop. Song Qian’s arms around her trembled too. She was terrified.
Jiang Yi had been waiting at the door early on. Seeing Song Qian return with her, he quickly asked, “Do you have any more of those talismans from before? They seem effective against the Ghost Mother. Every moment they buy us counts.”
After laying Ji Wuxin on the bed, Song Qian immediately pulled out every piece of yellow talisman paper she had and handed them to him.
Jiang Yi took the talisman paper and hurried to the door. With lightning speed, he arranged a talisman array on the floor, placing a copper coin at its center.
The moment the array was complete, a ferocious gale howled outside the window. Raindrops the size of soybeans battered the fragile glass relentlessly.
The Ghost Mother was furious.
“Song Sensen, come here.”
Song Qian’s first reaction was that she’d misheard. Who here would call her by her childhood nickname?
“Song Sensen…”
Someone really was calling her. Song Qian looked toward Yuan Yuan, who shook her head and pointed to the side.
Following her gesture, Song Qian saw no one but that stubborn ghost who’d gotten a beating. Ji Wuxin was beckoning to her.
Song Qian approached. Before she could ask how she knew her nickname, her neck was suddenly yanked down. Ji Wuxin charged straight at her.
Song Qian instinctively squeezed her eyes shut. The pull on her neck vanished in an instant. When she opened her eyes, Ji Wuxin was gone.
The jade pendant hanging at her chest swayed twice, cool against her skin—like the chill of Ji Wuxin’s body.
“I told you so,” Lin Sheng whispered into Yuan Yuan’s ear.
That ghost truly resided in the jade. Yuan Yuan had seen her with her own eyes dart into the jade Song Qian wore.
“But she doesn’t seem malicious toward Qianqian,” Yuan Yuan said. After observing for so long, she’d seen no intent from the female ghost to harm Qianqian. On the contrary, she’d shielded her several times.
Lin Sheng gripped her hand tightly. “You can’t think like that. A ghost is still a ghost. Lingering around humans drains their vital energy. Humans and ghosts must stay apart.”
“She’s weak right now. If we take that jade, it’ll be for Qianqian’s own good.” Seeing her still hesitate, Lin Sheng pressed on. “If I’m not mistaken, Qianqian was always falling ill lately, looking pale, and avoiding going out.”
“…Yes.” Yuan Yuan had to admit Song Qian had been off lately.
Her gaze swept over. Song Qian was stroking the jade pendant, the flashlight beam illuminating the scrape on her face from the fall.
Yuan Yuan considered Song Qian her best friend. They’d known each other for years—high school, then university. She couldn’t stand by and watch her mix with those ghosts.
“I’ll help you.”
The Ghost Mother had reached the door. The talisman array flickered with faint golden light, forming a transparent rune wall across it.
Jiang Yi’s eyes locked on the array. The outermost talisman papers were starting to burn, cracks appearing in the transparent golden wall.
“Damn Lin Qing, why hasn’t he shown up yet!”
“Ahh, why did I even come on this team-building trip? Gaming in my dorm was fine!” Xu Yan clutched his head, muttering complaints from the corner.
“Heavenly Lord, Buddha, Guanyin!” Xu Yan dropped to his knees devoutly, hands clasped as he mumbled toward the window. “This disciple offers twenty years of singledom—no, a lifetime of it—in exchange for a hero to save my wretched life!
“Please, please, please…”
The talisman papers burned faster and faster until only the copper coin lay on the floor.
Boom!
As the transparent golden wall shattered, the room’s windows exploded inward, shards of glass flying everywhere. Xu Yan leaped to his feet in fright.
A figure perched on the window ledge, staring down at the Ghost Mother at the door.
“Damn,” Jiang Yi muttered under his breath, exhaling in relief. “You finally made it.”
Xu Yan stared in shock at the young man on the window. He held a peachwood sword and sundry other items.
Had Buddha truly answered?
After his shock, Xu Yan hurriedly murmured toward the dark outside. “Buddha, I was joking! Don’t make it a lifetime of singledom!”
Lin Qing jumped down from the window. Facing the Ghost Mother radiating black qi, his expression turned grave. “I think you recognize this sword. Otherwise, you wouldn’t just stand there staring when you see me.”
A low growl rumbled from the Ghost Mother’s throat. “Stinking Taoist! You think wielding that sword lets you suppress me like you did over a dozen years ago?”
Lin Qing narrowed his eyes. “You can try.”
“Over a dozen years ago, he spared you out of pity for your child’s tragic life before birth, hoping your resentment would fade after time so he could guide you into reincarnation. Instead, you grew even more depraved, nurturing your child into a Ghost Infant.”
“How do you know that?” The Ghost Mother hadn’t expected this sudden young man to unearth her past.
“What is that old Taoist to you?”
Lin Qing replied, “He’s my Master.”
“Master? Hahaha—” The Ghost Mother burst into laughter upon hearing this. Once she had laughed her fill, her eyes turned icy cold as she fixed her gaze on him. “Your master couldn’t even disperse me. What makes you think you’re more powerful than him?”
Lin Qing pressed his two fingers together and ran them along the wooden sword. The talisman paper at the tip disintegrated into motes of golden light that wrapped around the blade.
“You’re right. I’m not as capable as Master, but I’ve practiced the Subduing Ghosts Style he taught me every single day.”
Lin Qing’s gaze sharpened in an instant. With a flick of his wrist, he thrust the sword tip straight at the Ghost Mother. The razor-sharp golden sword qi split apart before her like a multiplying phantom, forming hundreds of tiny golden swords.
The Ghost Mother’s expression twisted. She spat a furious curse. “Bullshit! You’re no disciple of his. He doesn’t know that move!”
Off to the side, Jiang Yi let out an impressed whistle. “Holy crap, where’d he pick up a technique that badass?”
“You’ve never seen it before?” Judging from their easy banter and familiarity, Song Qian had assumed the two men had known each other for years.
“Nope.”
Lin Qing pressed the Ghost Mother relentlessly, forcing her into a steady retreat. With a true expert on the scene, the others in the house lost their fear. They lined up along the second-floor railing, peering down to watch.
Yuan Yuan stood right beside Song Qian, her eyes locked on the jade pendant nestled against her chest.
At this range, all it would take was one quick grab.
Qianqian, you can’t stay with that ghost. She’ll only bring you harm.
Yuan Yuan kept steeling herself inwardly, but still she couldn’t bring herself to make a move against Song Qian.
Lin Sheng watched from nearby, growing more frantic by the second. In her haste, she accidentally stepped hard on Xu Yan’s foot beside her.
“Ow! What the hell? That hurt!”
Song Qian turned at the sound, facing Yuan Yuan directly while her attention fixed on Xu Yan. “What happened?”
Seeing such a golden opportunity slipping away unused, Lin Sheng gritted her teeth. She feigned a stumble, shoving Yuan Yuan forward into Song Qian’s arms in one smooth motion.
Earlier, Lin Sheng had slipped Yuan Yuan a razor-sharp little knife, perfect for slicing through the cord holding the jade.
Forced flat against Song Qian, Yuan Yuan felt her heart pounding wildly. Complaints tumbled from her lips even as her hand deftly severed the cord and plucked the jade free.
The whole mishap, from topple to recovery, lasted only a few seconds. Song Qian noticed nothing amiss and kept asking if everyone was all right.
Yuan Yuan gave her a quick smile and shook her head. Behind her back, her hand passed the jade to the waiting Lin Sheng.
Lin Sheng snatched it up and moved to stuff it into her bag.
But a hand shot out of nowhere, intercepting her midway.
“What are you doing?”
