Chapter Eighty-Four: The Girl's Night Stroll

“Wan’er, do you want me to stitch up your wound? It’s in a sensitive spot, so I’m worried it might get infected.” I had to ask for her permission, considering the location.

Shangguan Wan’er frowned, a hint of embarrassment crossing her face. The wound was at the top of her thigh, not exactly a place one would feel comfortable exposing. Thankfully, my mind was entirely occupied with Wang Ying at the moment; in the past, I probably wouldn’t have been able to restrain myself.

“Brother, maybe you should help me,” Wan’er said after a moment’s hesitation, lifting her skirt.

Her legs were pale and delicate, gleaming under the light. She wore the tiny underwear I had bought her before, so small that even the faintest traces of downy hair were visible. Despite my efforts to avert my gaze, I accidentally caught a glimpse.

“Brother, you promised to help me. Don’t look!” Wan’er glared at me in mock anger. Even though it wasn’t intentional, I’d been caught.

“I…” I was at a loss for words. Reason told me to keep my eyes averted, but I’d still seen something I shouldn’t have. Since I regarded her as a sister, I needed to act accordingly.

Anxiously, I fetched needle and thread, then carefully stitched up the wound on Shangguan Wan’er’s thigh and applied some of my own blood as a salve. Only then did I consider the task complete.

“Brother, will this really work?” Wan’er asked, looking at her once beautiful thigh now marred by stitches, her face full of grievance.

“It should be fine. By tomorrow morning, you’ll be healed.” I spoke with a fair amount of confidence, having experience with this sort of thing.

Wan’er frowned. “Alright then. If it’s not better tomorrow, I’ll hold you responsible.” With that, she lay down on the sofa. Girls always care about their looks—even as ghosts, that never changes.

Wan’er lay down, and I lay beside her, my gaze fixed on Wang Ying, who now had the blood amber in her possession. I couldn’t fathom where she had gone. I had to find her. I couldn’t live without her.

The next morning, I woke up groggy and immediately looked for Wang Ying. She was in the same state as before. A wave of unspeakable sadness washed over me. It had already been two days—was it possible Wang Ying would never come back?

After eating the breakfast Wan’er had prepared, I went to Wei Qi’s house. He was with Yingzi, the two of them being all affectionate, which left me feeling even more out of sorts. I explained my situation, hoping Wei Qi would help me search for Wang Ying’s soul. But he hesitated, saying it would be difficult. We’d already tried summoning her spirit, and even Shangguan Wan’er, Xuan Li, and the other little ghosts had helped look. If she could be easily found, they would have succeeded by now. It seemed unlikely we’d find her.

Wei Qi’s words left me deeply discouraged. I wasn’t afraid that Wang Ying’s soul might have scattered—as long as I could bring her back, it would be enough. I still had a drop of my blood essence; that alone could restore her soul. Even if she became a human-ghost hybrid, I would accept it. At this point, I no longer hoped for her resurrection—if only she could stand beside me, talk with me, that would be enough.

“Da Chuan, let’s take things slowly. There’s no use getting anxious. It all depends on fate—if it’s meant to be, you’ll be reunited. Come out with me and clear your head. There’s a family in Forty Mile Town who claims their house is haunted, and they’ve asked me to come resolve it. Why not join me? No point moping at home.” Wei Qi slung his arm around my shoulders.

I was anxious, but I couldn’t refuse. So I went with Wei Qi to Forty Mile Town.

Though officially a town, Forty Mile felt more like a small city, bustling with prosperity. After a call from Wei Qi, a red Audi A4 pulled up to collect us—clearly a wealthy household.

The car stopped in front of a two-story house that screamed “new money.” Out stepped a woman in her forties, her makeup garish and overdone—a classic nouveau riche from the countryside.

She didn’t invite us inside, but instead had us sit beneath the Chinese scholar tree at the entrance. She began to explain her situation: her husband was away, and she lived with her fifteen-year-old daughter. Lately, her daughter had grown thinner and started wandering at night, sometimes even sneaking out barefoot.

Hearing this, both Wei Qi and I found it odd. Wei Qi wondered if it was sleepwalking, but the woman insisted it wasn’t. She’d had her daughter checked at the hospital several times, but the doctors found nothing wrong—she was certain her child was possessed. She went on, saying that just last night, she saw her daughter sneak out again and, unable to stop her, had followed. The girl ended up sitting in the graveyard for half the night before finally returning home on her own.

Possession?

Based on her description, both Wei Qi and I suspected the girl was possessed—there was no other explanation for such behavior. But why would a ghost target a fifteen-year-old girl? And what was she doing in the graveyard?

We followed the woman into her home and immediately sensed a chill in the air—not overwhelming, but enough to suggest something evil was present.

Inside, the woman busied herself making tea and bringing water, then called upstairs, “Yueyue, we have guests! Come down and visit.”

She called four or five times, but the upstairs remained silent. The woman sighed, “She hides in her room all day, never comes out. I have to bring her meals up myself—she’s like a cat during the day, but at night, she comes alive, like a different person.”

Since Yueyue wouldn’t come down, Wei Qi and I suggested we go up and check on her.

Upstairs, the chill was much more pronounced—a sign that ghosts had likely visited this house more than once, perhaps even lingering here.

The woman gently knocked on the bedroom door. “Yueyue, open up!”

No matter how much she knocked, there was no response. Wei Qi and I exchanged glances, then looked at the woman. “Ma’am, is your daughter alright?”

She sighed and shook her head. “This is normal. She often won’t open the door, no matter how many times I call.” She knocked again. “Yueyue, open up!”

Suddenly, the door swung open, and a girl dressed in black peered out. She was thin, not very tall. Her black pajamas clung to a body that hadn’t fully developed, and her hair fell over her face, almost completely covering it. Only a faint outline of delicate features could be seen.

At first glance, she looked even more like a ghost than Wang Ying or Shangguan Wan’er.

“What do you want? Can’t a person get some sleep around here? What are you doing?” the girl snapped, her thin face sharp as a blade. Dark circles ringed her eyes—clear signs of possession.

Ordinarily, having a ghost possess you shortens your lifespan. If this continued, I doubted she’d live out the year.

“Yueyue, these are your big brothers. Why don’t you join us for lunch?” her mother coaxed.

“I’m not interested,” the girl replied and slammed the door.

The woman threw up her hands. “That’s how it is. What should I do? I’ve already called her father—he’ll try to come home tonight. I’m at my wit’s end.”

Downstairs, Wei Qi said the girl had definitely been possessed and that it was urgent to take action. In her current state, things could get very dangerous if we didn’t intervene.

The woman asked what the dangers were. Wei Qi explained that if it was a female ghost, it would be easier to handle, but if it was a male ghost, things could get much worse. Generally, girls either have weak constitutions or are entering puberty—when they first begin menstruating, their bodies are in flux, their minds confused, sleep restless. This is the most vulnerable time for possession.

If it’s a female ghost, it might just be for fun or to use the girl’s body for revenge. But if it’s a male ghost, the motives could be far more sinister. Wei Qi didn’t spell it out, but I understood. Fortunately, when I glanced at Yueyue’s lower abdomen earlier, I didn’t see any signs of physical violation.

“So what should we do?” The woman was frightened by Wei Qi’s explanation.

“It’s hard to say right now. We’ll have to observe your daughter’s behavior tonight. Wei Qi and I will stay here and keep an eye on her.”

“Alright, whatever you need, just let me know,” the woman said.

“Just buy some incense and paper offerings—nothing else. We’ve brought all our ritual tools,” said Wei Qi, shaking the cloud-walking staff in his hand. Ever since he’d gotten this artifact, his confidence had grown tremendously.

Knowing we’d spend the night here, I felt a bit reluctant. I couldn’t stop worrying about Wang Ying—I wanted to go home and check on her. Still, with Shangguan Wan’er there to keep her company, I felt reassured.