"Sorry, Monk. I know you’re all so busy, and yet I..."
"No problem, haha. Today I actually have a bit of free time. Those guys are about to go crazy, haha."
Hearing this, I couldn’t help but laugh, genuinely happy.
"Mason Yu, how have you been lately?"
"Ah, same old, same old. That kid... ah, forget it, whatever."
Dalton Fang told me that most of the residents moved out after the murder years ago. The old apartment is now decrepit, basically waiting to be torn down.
But over the years, nothing particularly strange happened. Still, I remember clearly—back then, I brought my cousin into that crime scene, and we really saw the female ghost. For days after, I kept seeing her following me.
After that, it was all a blur. Thinking it over, I just wanted to get there quickly, find the female ghost, and figure out a way to help her.
Around 3 a.m., we arrived at the old district in the north of the city. Many buildings had been rebuilt—hardly looked like the old neighborhood anymore. Dalton Fang and I searched for the address on our phones, and then Dalton drove slowly down the street, following the GPS voice prompts.
Finally, memories resurfaced. The mottled walls, the green moss growing thick in the corners, cracks visible in places. A few windows were open, with green vines crawling over the sills.
Demolition had already begun in the area. After we got out of the car, we walked toward the pitch-black entrance. There wasn’t much to feel—just a chill in the air, but no sign of ghosts yet.
The hallway was littered with debris. Inside, dust and the stench of mold filled the air, and the floor was blanketed in thick layers of dust.
I remembered the number from my dream—Room 216. We found the staircase and headed up to the second floor. But just then, Samantha Simons’ expression changed, and the moment I stepped onto the second floor, I felt it too.
It was the chill—a heavy, oppressive cold filling the entire second floor. The amount of it was overwhelming; a normal person would get sick just staying here for a while.
"Amitabha."
Dalton Fang spoke, taking out a string of prayer beads.
"Such strong Yin energy. I didn’t expect this."
I could feel a cold tingle on my skin, even a burning sensation. Dalton Fang started coughing, then suddenly made a Buddhist hand gesture, pulled open his shirt, and traced something on his chest with his finger.
"It’s a protective Buddhist spell," Dalton Fang said, chuckling.
"I’m not like you two."
I started coughing violently. As a human, I couldn’t handle this much Yin energy at all. Suddenly, with a thought, my shadow sprang up, opened its mouth, and in an instant, I saw all the swirling black energy sucked right into it.
"Don’t be so creepy, Qingyuan. What the hell is that? You seem to be drifting further and further from being human."
Dalton Fang grinned and patted my shoulder, glanced at my shadow, then squinted his eyes.
"If anything happens to you, I’ll take good care of Rachel Lan for you."
"Get lost. Don’t even think about it."
I shot back playfully, not missing a beat.
You’ll die before I do!
We arrived. The three of us stood at the door to Room 216. There was something strange inside. I planned to release the Specter Web, but just then, Dalton Fang clapped his hands.
"The killer should be in here. Let me beat that bastard up first."
Dalton Fang said, and we stepped back a bit. He raised his foot, ready to kick the door. There were footprints inside the room.
Suddenly—bang! A hand covered in pus and blackened skin shot out from the wooden door, veins bulging, and grabbed Dalton Fang by the throat, yanking him into the room with a crash.
"Monk!" I shouted, and in an instant, I turned into a cloud of black mist and slipped into the room across from 216.
A sizzling sound filled the air as Dalton Fang screamed. Before us stood a filthy, wild-haired figure in tattered clothes—eyes inhuman, body covered with massive, oozing boils.
The broken boils leaked fluid that splashed onto Dalton Fang’s skin, burning like acid, filling the air with the stench of scorched flesh.
With a swift motion, the hand gripping Dalton Fang was cleanly severed—petals of cherry blossom fluttered by. It was Samantha Simons. I reformed into human shape. The wild-haired figure howled, glaring at me. Only then did I see that half his face was gone, as if eaten away by something. He bolted out of the room in a panic.
"Are you alright?"
I looked at Dalton Fang—where the fluid had splashed, his skin broke out in swollen lumps like chickenpox. Dalton Fang shook his head. I turned, furious, but Samantha Simons was gone, apparently chasing after the revenant.
I watched Dalton Fang trembling all over, clearly in trouble. I quickly pulled out my phone and dialed Chief Stone.
"Qingyuan, Qing—"
"What’s wrong?" I asked, seeing Dalton Fang shivering and looking miserable. The lumps on his skin had turned into pustules, then heated up and burst open with a wet pop.
"Shit, Monk, hang in there!"
I shouted. Dalton Fang was still trembling, clinging to my hand.
"I... I... don’t tell the others about this. It’s so embarrassing."
"Come on, now’s not the time. Stay with me!"
Suddenly, I heard a scream of agony.
"Qingyuan, don’t kill that guy. Restrain him—I’ve already contacted nearby squad members. Wei Ouyang and Mason Yu are handling something else, and medics are coming by helicopter. They’ll be here in about ten minutes."
I nodded and hung up on Chief Stone.
"Watch him."
As I spoke, my shadow darted out. I decided to handle things myself. The sound just now came from the third floor. When I got up there, I saw a room open and Samantha Simons standing at the door. I hurried over and looked inside.
It was the filthy, wild-haired man, crouched in the corner clutching his hand, but his eyes were wild with excitement as he stared at Samantha Simons, mumbling incoherently.
"Woman... woman... haha, woman..."
As I stepped in, I recognized that look in his eyes. I’d seen it in my dream—it was the man who assaulted me in the warehouse, the killer. I clenched my fists and approached, step by step.
Suddenly, he leapt up, lunging at my throat with his remaining hand. The pus splattered onto my body, sizzling. I felt a wave of searing pain, gritting my teeth.
"What are you? Speak!"
I glared at the man, but suddenly he let out a shriek and squeezed my neck with a crushing force.
I looked down. Huge welts were rising on my chest, the pain like fire, like knives and needles all at once. I couldn’t help but scream.
"Young Master Qingyuan, you’d better be careful."
But just then, something unbelievable happened—my body resisted the pain, and the welts gradually subsided, leaving only red marks behind.
Suddenly, I heard a ripping sound and looked down to see my stomach pierced by something. In a flash, Samantha Simons floated over. I raised my hand and shook my head.
Stunned, I saw that the filthy man’s own stomach had split open, and a club-like thing covered in spikes was jutting out. I screamed—after all, I was still human.
The thunderous sound of helicopter blades filled the air. I knew rescue had arrived, but Dalton Fang’s condition was dire.
With a rush, my shadow returned. I turned to mist and wrapped around the man before me. He howled madly, his murderous aura churning.
"Young Master Qingyuan, let me handle this. If you’re not careful, he’ll die."
I quickly let go. As I released him, I saw the man’s skin splitting open, pus spraying everywhere. Suddenly, Samantha Simons floated in front of him, her eyes flashing green. The man instantly calmed, staring blankly ahead.
A military transport helicopter landed on the rooftop, packed with equipment and medical staff. Samantha Simons took Dalton Fang up to the roof. Dalton Fang convulsed and shivered, frothing at the mouth, his body covered in boils that burst only to form more.
"Give him a sedative first, or the pain will kill him."
A doctor shouted. After the sedative was administered, Dalton Fang finally passed out. The medical staff quickly donned protective suits and began their tests.
Soon after, a Ghost Burial Squad van pulled up. Wei Ouyang, Mason Yu, and several squad members got out. They called for a reinforced glass box to transport the man back to headquarters.
I was deeply worried about Dalton Fang. Suddenly, I remembered that some of the fluid had splashed onto me too, but nothing happened—at first there was a reaction, but I rushed over to a masked doctor for an examination.