Rachel Lan tightly wrapped herself around Jenny Wu, leaving her unable to move. Inside the room, chaotic air currents swirled, blowing up flyers, quilts, and other objects.
I tilted my head back, stuffed my nostrils with tissue, and smiled with my mouth open.
"You two, wake up."
Rachel Lan shouted, then walked over and slapped Lily Qian and Claire Zhang on their foreheads. The two of them snapped awake.
After a while, the wind subsided and everything became calm. The Wraith possessing Jenny Wu stopped moving.
"What can you do to me? It's daytime now. Heh, if you want me out, forget it."
The malevolent ghost spoke arrogantly, then burst out laughing.
"Just wait until tonight. You’ll regret it."
"Say something! Be reasonable! Why did you possess this woman?" Lily Qian said angrily.
I sighed. As expected, the Wraith burst out laughing.
"Why should I? Wraiths don't need to reason with humans. Hmph, your Ghost Burial Squad should go after those truly harmful spirits. I'm just possessing this woman's body—I won't hurt her. But don't cut off my source of income, or I'll show no mercy."
Suddenly, I heard a piercing scream.
"Stop!" Rachel Lan shouted.
I quickly got up and ran over. A knife was floating in the air, pressed against Jenny Wu’s neck.
Rachel Lan pulled out the Soul-Calling Gourd, her expression dark. "Just go back. Don’t bother me again, or whatever happens to this woman isn’t my concern."
Rachel Lan glared angrily at the Wraith, wanting desperately to rush forward.
"Sigh, you’re from the underworld—I know that. Put away your Soul-Calling Gourd, or don’t blame me for what happens next." Rachel Lan performed the Soul Realignment Ritual, gently pressing Jenny Wu's head.
In an instant, Lily Qian screamed. The floating knife sliced Jenny Wu’s neck, and blood gushed out.
"Don’t go too far."
I stood at the doorway, roaring in anger, clenching my fists.
"Who do you think you are, kid? Just an ordinary human, and you dare challenge me."
Suddenly, I saw the malevolent ghost that had been possessing Jenny Wu—a man, pale-faced and covered in blood. The ghost seemed to notice my change as well, his eyes widening in shock.
"If you know what's good for you, come out now, or I'll destroy you myself."
My ghost network had already wrapped around the Wraith and entered Jenny Wu’s body, entangling him. He stared at me in terror.
With a bang, the floating knife dropped to the floor.
"You are..."
The malevolent ghost was now afraid. I smiled.
"I am Ethan Zhang. Come out, and don’t make me say it a third time."
"Ethan, you’re amazing!"
Qian Ling shouted happily. Then, with a whoosh, the malevolent ghost left Jenny Wu’s body. Instantly, I turned into a cloud of black mist and grabbed the ghost by the neck. I had found his ghost soul—one squeeze and I could kill him.
"Tell me, why did you possess this woman?"
Rachel Lan, Lily Qian, and Claire Zhang began tidying up the room, straightening the bed, and then placed Jenny Wu on it.
With a splatter, I saw Jenny Wu spit out a lot of black liquid, then started vomiting uncontrollably. The stench quickly filled the room.
"Her soul is misaligned. You two, hold down her arms and legs."
"Her soul is misaligned. You two, hold down her arms and legs."
After Jenny Wu finished vomiting, Lily Qian held down her arms, Claire Zhang pinned her legs, and Rachel Lan took out the Soul-Calling Gourd, chanting.
"Soul Realignment Ritual..."
"No, I really didn't mean to hurt her. I just possessed her for fun, that's all. There's nothing else."
"That's the third time."
As I spoke, suddenly, with a swish, the malevolent ghost’s arms were severed by my killing aura. He screamed, struggling as I tightened my grip on his neck.
"Ethan, you’re so cruel."
Qian Ling shouted again.
"Listen, Xiaoling. If you ever encounter a malevolent ghost threatening human lives, don’t show mercy."
Rachel Lan spoke while I stared at the Wraith before me.
"What’s this source of income? If you don’t talk, next time it won’t just be your arms—I’ll devour your ghost soul."
"What’s this source of income? If you don’t talk, next time it won’t just be your arms—I’ll devour your Wraith soul."
As I spoke, a giant mouth appeared on my shoulder—a Tong Ghost, its jaws creaking and moving constantly.
He owed money, was driven to despair by loan sharks, and eventually committed suicide, becoming a malevolent ghost. He wanted revenge, but he was weak and the loan sharks were so vicious that even ghosts wouldn’t go near them. So he could only watch, powerless.
In the end, he never got his revenge. The loan sharks were caught by the police and sent to prison, leaving him even more helpless. As a ghost, he lost his purpose and wandered, hungry and dejected.
Later, someone told him that if he agreed to possess this woman, he’d receive daily offerings and plenty of ghost money. So he accepted.
"When did this happen?" I asked immediately.
"Just a month ago."
"Who was that person?"
"I don’t know," the malevolent ghost answered firmly. He explained that he’d been restrained by someone, who after speaking to him, led him to the woman, released him, and then disappeared. Still, every day he received large amounts of ghost money burned for him from the living world.
"What are you doing? How come you don’t even know where your wife’s clothes are?"
Lily Qian complained as George Guo frantically searched.
"Sorry, sorry, I just forgot for a moment."
At that moment, I sensed something was off. Why were there only women’s clothes in the bedroom, and no men’s?
We decided to leave. Rachel Lan gave George Guo some instructions about what to watch out for, and we planned to head to the next location. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong in this house. I let the Wraith go, and he agreed to move into my apartment building.
"Qingyuan, what’s wrong?"
I shook my head. After warning George Guo not to spread word about us, we left. George Guo smiled as he saw us out, but as the door closed, I caught a glimpse of a sinister grin at the corner of his mouth.
"Is that guy really this girl’s husband?"
I couldn’t help but ask as we reached the elevator. Rachel Lan fell deep into thought. Suddenly, her expression changed.
"Something’s wrong. Qingyuan, let’s go back."
I nodded, and we all rushed to George Guo’s door. We knocked, but got no response. Without hesitation, I raised my Killing Aura Sword and slammed the door open. Instantly, I was stunned. In the living room, Jenny Wu lay dead, her neck twisted to one side, while George Guo stood by the window with a wicked smile.
"Too slow, Zhang Qingyuan."
"Don’t come in, you two!"
Rachel Lan shouted. Furious, I turned into a cloud of mist and charged at George Guo. Suddenly, I sensed something was wrong. With a bang, I was punched out of the black mist. At that moment, George Guo took out a black mask inscribed with 'Son of Immortality' in white and put it on.
"Ethan Zhang, you can’t even see through something this simple. You can’t beat me, and you want to challenge the Immortality Society? Don’t make me laugh. This is the last warning from the Immortality Society. You..."
"Fuck you!" I roared. Instantly, the area around Guo Yong froze. My ghost soul had just taken a solid hit; now my ghost energy was leaking, and I felt completely disoriented.
With a whoosh, George Guo vanished from the window. I could sense he was heading for Rachel Lan.
"Wailing Ghost!"
I shouted, turned, and swung my Killing Aura Sword at George Guo. The Tong Ghost shielded Rachel Lan as George Guo threw a punch.
"Let me show you, Zhang Qingyuan, how I can shatter your ghost soul with a single punch."
"Keep dreaming, kid. I’m not just any ghost soul. Ha! Your hand—I’ll take it."
As George Guo threw his punch, the Tong Ghost opened its mouth. My Killing Aura Sword swung down, but George Guo ducked. I raised my hand, intending to freeze him completely, but he dodged nimbly, clutching his now mangled, missing arm. With a bang, he jumped straight from the eighth floor.
Angry, I spread my wings, ready to chase after him.
"Don’t chase him, Ethan!"
Suddenly, Rachel Lan shouted. I stopped immediately, my rage causing killing aura to spill from my body. With a slap, I struck myself.
The more tense the situation, the more I needed to stay calm. I absolutely couldn’t rush after him. If another member of the Immortality Society showed up behind me, I didn’t dare imagine what would happen next.
Lily Qian and Claire Zhang seemed terrified. Rachel Lan told them to wait at the door, then found a bedsheet to cover Jenny Wu. I was filled with guilt—I had noticed the signs.
There were no traces of a man in this house, and Guo Yong didn’t even know where his wife’s clothes were kept.
"Qingyuan, don’t overthink it. We’re both responsible."
"It’s my fault."
I said, walking to the window. Down below, I could vaguely see a huge pit, as if something heavy had crashed down and smashed the ground.