Frank Niu once said that back then, many people at school were playing the game. But Frank Niu was scared—he claimed he'd seen a ghost before and was too afraid to join. Still, Felix Zhou was eager to give it a try.
One night in seventh grade, after evening self-study, Frank Niu was heading home when a passerby handed him two ballpoint pens. The person told him that if he used the pens to draw a little figure, he could see ghosts. He even explained the rules of the game in detail.
But Frank Niu didn't mention it to Felix Zhou. The two of them eventually played the 'I Know Where You Are' game once, but saw nothing. It turned out they'd gotten both the method and the procedure wrong.
After Felix Zhou kept complaining, Frank Niu finally gave in, used the ballpoint pen to draw the figure, and played along with Felix Zhou.
Justin Huang said this game was basically like playing hide-and-seek with ghosts. Later, right in front of Frank Niu, Felix Zhou vanished, and Frank Niu saw a ghost—one that was there, grinning at him nonstop.
"Sigh, that kid Frank, really... He might've fooled you two, but he can't fool me. He did well in school, but after graduating, he insisted on returning to Linland County."
"Why?"
"I bet he's still trying to find that friend of his. When he joined the Ghost Burial Squad, I talked to him. He said, 'If they're alive, I want to see them; if they're dead, I want to see the body.'"
Damn, then why doesn't he deal with what's happening here?
Justin Huang laughed over the phone.
"Don't worry about him. That kid's been through a few things—he's not going to die so easily. If you manage to find the den of those local ghosts and take them out, that's your job. When you get back, there's a bonus waiting for you. Just remember to bring the receipts, and I'll reimburse you."
We waited until seven, when daylight broke, and then set out.
"Justin Huang, I'm a little worried. How about we split up later? You go to Mandy Lou's place, just in case..."
Justin Huang let out a sound, took off his sunglasses, and glared at me.
"If you want to go, you go. I'm not going."
After breakfast, I drove and dropped Justin Huang off at the entrance to the police station. He got out of the car.
"You really want me to go?"
I smiled and said.
"Go ahead."
I sighed, decisively turned the car around, and headed for the school.
While I was driving, I remembered what Shi Jian said—bring back the receipts so he could reimburse me. Luckily, I still had the toll and gas receipts. I reached out to grab them, but suddenly slammed on the brakes.
Everything felt damp—the car, the seat next to me, even the little compartment for receipts and change was filled with water.
Horns blared behind me, so I had to keep driving. After entering the school, it was just after eight. I parked in the faculty lot, got out, and looked around—the ground beneath the car was soaked.
Lately, I've been running into water everywhere, but I can't actually feel it—it's maddening.
I walked into the staff office. Mandy Lou was inside, looking over some test papers.
"Ms. Lou, do you have a moment?"
"Officer Zhang, I have two classes coming up. Wait for me in my dorm."
Mandy handed me the keys. I took them awkwardly. I wasn't here for anything else—I wanted to ask about Justin Huang again. I couldn't believe she'd forgotten.
Feeling uneasy, I went to Mandy Lou's place. Inside, I sat down at the computer and turned it on.
I planned to browse the internet, just to check if there was any news about Linland County lately.
I browsed some sites at random—nothing. I pulled up the Linland County police website, but there was nothing about any missing persons.
Such a big incident, and now it seemed completely quiet. Outside, the sky was gloomy; inside, the room was dim. I went to turn on the light, but after a few presses, the power went out.
I turned around—the computer screen went dark. Judging by the sky, it looked like rain was coming.
The wind outside was strong. The window banged loudly. I rushed to the kitchen and shut it.
Just then, with a gurgle and a hiss, water burst from the faucet, splashing all over me. I hurried over, trying to block the spray.
A chill ran down my spine. I whipped around, and though I didn't scream, a hand gripped my throat. In front of me, a jet of water—an unnaturally pale, swollen hand stretched out from the water, clutching my neck tightly.
A muffled sobbing sound—the ghost was wrapped in water, its swollen, bluish face and rolled-back eyes staring at me.
"Stay out of it, or else..."
I didn't wait for the ghost to finish. My Deathbane Aura surged out, forming a small knife. In a flash, I slashed at it.
With a splash, water sprayed everywhere. The flow hit the ground. I gasped, Deathbane Aura radiating from me as I scanned the room.
Black Deathbane Aura streamed from my feet, spreading in all directions.
"It's useless. I'm not really here—you can't kill me. Ha ha..."
Wild laughter echoed through the room.
"If you've got the guts, come out!"
I shouted.
"Don't interfere anymore. Just twenty more people—once we reach a hundred, nothing else will happen. It's a thankless job, so you'd better stay out of it."
"Bullshit! Get out here! Where's Frank Niu?"
A sinister laugh grew louder. The room turned chaotic—pages fluttered, teacups toppled, and water on the floor bubbled.
"If you leave it alone, we'll give them back. Otherwise, don't blame us for what happens next."
I searched desperately for the ghost's trace. I could feel the chill, but had no idea where it was.
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I kept watching the water on the floor. Suddenly, its color changed—something dark started to rise up.
With a cry, a head emerged—the same ghost from before, mouth gaping wide. My reflexes kicked in, and Deathbane Aura shot out from all directions, stabbing at the ghost.
But liquid sprayed from the ghost's mouth, splashing toward me. I dodged to the side. With a sizzle, I glanced back—the cutting board was scorched, as if corroded by something.
With a splash, the ghost was struck by Deathbane Aura and burst into water.
"Heh, going against us won't end well. But if you leave, we'll hand over a nice sum of money. How about it?"
Suddenly, I spun around, raised the Deathbane Aura Blade, and hacked at the water pipe. A shrill scream echoed as black smoke billowed. A hand appeared, severed, dropping into the sink and instantly turning to ashes.
The water on the floor vanished instantly, and the chaos in the room disappeared.
I was dazed again—this unreal feeling came from the window behind me. After all that commotion, the window hadn't made a sound. Only now did I see it had been blown open by the wind.
When I closed the window earlier, I hadn't latched it properly. That's when the ghost struck. Now, it was probably gone.
Behind me, the cutting board was pitch black—no joke. If Mandy Lou hadn't told me what happened, I'd be in trouble now, splashed by that liquid.
But now I've completely enraged those ghosts. Even though Old Justin said Frank Niu would be fine, I can't help but worry.
With a click, the door opened. Mandy Lou walked in, expressionless.
"Ms. Lou, you're back? Sorry about earlier..."
"Officer Zhang, I'm a bit tired. I want to sleep for a while."
She passed by me and went straight to the bedroom, closing the door. I stared, sensing something was off. I stood at the door and knocked.
For a long time, Mandy didn't respond. Thinking of her strange look just now, I panicked—was she possessed?
"Ms. Lou, open the door! Open up!" I shouted, then kicked the door open.
A strong wind blew in. Mandy Lou was crouched on the bedroom window, her face twisted into a bizarre smile as she stared at me.
"I told you—stay out of it, heh." With that, the possessed Mandy Lou jumped out.
I yelled and chased after her. Looking down, Mandy was fine—she ran off quickly. I rushed out of the building, but she was already gone.
Frantically, I pulled out my phone and called Justin Huang, but his phone was off.
With no other choice, I called the police station and asked, but they told me Justin had already left.
I hurried to the police station, heading straight to the detective squad office. The officer who'd questioned Niu Quanfai that night was there, sorting files. I approached and asked.
"Officer Zhang, your colleague rushed out just now—seemed urgent."
Back in the car, I slammed the steering wheel in frustration. I don't know any Taoist arts—no way to track ghosts. Now Mandy Lou, Justin Huang, and Frank Niu are all missing.
"Damn..."
I scratched my head, racking my brain for a way to find them. I'm not too worried about Justin, but what about the other two?
"Surveillance—there's still surveillance." I hurried back to the police station, hoping to check the footage. But at lunch, Justin didn't show up on the cameras—except for when he left, running fast.