By the time I got back to the apartment block, it was already 10 p.m. I looked around, but there was no sign of Old Ray.
Left with no choice, I asked the ghosts in the courtyard and even those behind the building to help search. I noticed that the number of ghosts living behind my building had grown—there were at least five or six thousand now.
To my surprise, the driver was a woman with shoulder-length hair, a round, cute face, and a gentle air. She wore a sheer dress with black straps peeking out, smiling softly as she glanced between her phone and me. I walked up to her window.
Rufina Howard said this, and I just smiled, admitting I didn't really know either.
Rachel said, bursting out in laughter as she left. I finally breathed a sigh of relief. Instantly, Rufina Howard lost it, stomping furiously around the bed before finally sitting down.
Before we left, Vincent Swallow warned me: if we ever ran into a zombie with a gleaming silver-white glow, it was best not to fight—just run.
I didn’t really get what he meant, and Rufina Howard only half-understood as well.
After dinner in the hotel cafeteria, Rufina Howard and I went back to our room to get some sleep. By ten, Rufina was already out cold. I showered, quietly climbed into the bed next to hers, and quickly drifted off.
As soon as he came over, Old Ray ran up beside Rufina Howard, sniffing around.
"Another creep."
Hulu Village has existed since ancient times—named for its gourd-like shape seen from above. But long ago, it was called Zombie Village. Legend said every villager was a zombie, not a human. Anyone who entered never came back.
Now, thanks to its legends, the place is a tourist hotspot. There’s no trace of zombies, but the local culture is steeped in zombie folklore and draws plenty of visitors. It's still a village, but it's surprisingly prosperous.
Old Ray muttered. I looked at him and sighed, then glanced at the female dog still nearby.
"Oh, girls shouldn't be so fierce. And with that kind of development, you'll never find a husband."
"Hey, what's the big deal? Don't forget, I'm a dog now. Just like you humans, I have needs that have to be met, right?"
I shot Old Ray a disdainful look and shook my head.
We planned to go straight to the airport. L City is just south of N City, about five hours away in a mountainous region. Hugh Thompson had already helped us get the plane tickets—our flight was at 6 a.m. tomorrow. All we had to do was wait near the parking lot until morning.
All the way there, Old Ray kept complaining about Rufina Howard kicking him in the nose earlier.
"Last night, I dreamed of you—naked. You looked very masculine."
I nearly choked in shock. The car screeched to a halt. Without a seatbelt, my head slammed into the window.
"Enough, Old Ray. She's just a kid. And you—you're way too old for this."
"Don't stoop to a child's level."
"Little girl, fighting and brawling isn't what women do. What we do is learn how to win a man's heart, you know? Judging by you, let big sis teach you."
A lot of people nearby watched us like we were a joke. I could only sigh helplessly.
"Stop eating, Old Ray."
"It's delicious. I haven't had anything this good in ages."
"Aren't you going back to the apartment building?"
"Why go back? Out here, even if I'm eating garbage, I'm still happy."
I had no words, and could only sigh quietly.
"Why not come to my place tonight? Hanging out with a kid isn't much fun. Come over—we adults know how to have a good time."
Around eleven, we finally arrived in L City. As soon as I stepped out of the airport, I spotted a black van—I recognized it instantly. It belonged to the Ghost Burial Squad.
The two of us and one dog quickly walked over.
To my surprise, the driver was a woman with shoulder-length hair, a slightly round face, and a cute look. She wore a sheer dress with black straps showing, looking gentle and quiet, and smiled as she glanced at her phone and then at me. I walked up to the window.
"You must be Ethan Zhang. Just call me Rachel—nice to meet you."
I responded and reached out my hand, but then, unexpectedly, Rachel placed one hand gently on my cheek and stroked it softly.
Startled, I blinked and quickly stepped back. Just then, Rachel opened the car door, got out, and, catching me off guard, ran her hands over me a few times.
"What are you doing, Miss Rachel?"
"Heh, pretty sturdy, Ethan Zhang. I've heard you're tough. Are you strong down below too?"
I stared at Rachel in shock, shivering. Was this really a girl?
"Another pervert."
Rufina Howard muttered beside me, but just then, Rachel shoved me aside, crouched in front of Rufina, and suddenly grabbed at her chest. Rufina screamed, and I saw a flash of blue light burst around her body.
"Damn woman, I'll show you!"
Rufina Howard pulled out a long white talisman, muttering as she swung it hard at Rachel. I rushed over to stop her, but with a bang, the talisman hit me in the stomach. Instantly, it felt like my guts twisted up, the pain was excruciating.
"Oh my, girls shouldn't be so fierce. And with poor development, you'll never get married at this rate."
I clutched my stomach while Rachel giggled behind me. Rufina Howard was furious, on the verge of exploding.
"Enough, all of you! Cut it out!"
I shouted, seeing crowds gathering around to watch.
"What are you staring at? Never seen a woman fight over a man before?"
Even though my stomach hurt, I stared wide-eyed at Rachel. A female thug—I'd just met a female thug.
It wasn't until after noon, around four in the afternoon, that I finally felt better. We stayed in a hotel room, and Old Ray, once again, had no choice but to wander outside because pets weren't allowed in the hotel.
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Rufina Howard glared fiercely at Rachel, who just smiled as if nothing had happened.
"Little girl, fighting isn't something women should do. What women should do is learn how to capture a man's heart, understand? Judging by your look, let big sis teach you."
"Ethan, can I give her a good beating?"
Rufina Howard pointed at Rachel. I looked at them awkwardly and sighed, then said seriously:
"Alright, Miss Rachel, I hope you realize we're here on serious business, not for fun. So please, stop messing around."
Rachel stood up, sashayed over, and put a hand on my shoulder. I quickly brushed it off.
"The investigation is done. Let's just rest for the night."
I nodded. Rachel leaned in again and winked at me. I smiled awkwardly.
"Why not come to my place tonight? What's fun about hanging out with a little girl? Come to my place—we adults can have a lot more fun, you know."
My face flushed with embarrassment, and I shook my head firmly.
"You're not allowed to go, Ethan Zhang."
Rufina Howard rushed over and grabbed me tightly. Suddenly, I felt a surge of frustration.
"Alright, Ethan Zhang, enough joking around. I'll pick you up here at 8 a.m. tomorrow."
Rachel said, laughing as she left. I breathed a sigh of relief. Immediately, Rufina Howard exploded, stomping around the bed in anger. After a while, she finally sat down.
"I really want to beat her up. Ethan, please—next time she acts like that, let me at her."
"That wouldn't be good. Come on, maybe she's just joking with us."
After eating in the hotel cafeteria, Rufina Howard and I went back to our room to sleep early. By ten, Rufina was already sound asleep. I took a shower and quietly climbed into the bed next to hers, falling asleep quickly.
We got up at seven the next morning, had breakfast, and saw Rachel waving to us from a white SUV. We walked over to her.
Once in the car, Rufina Howard sat in the back while I took the front passenger seat. This morning, Rachel didn't seem to be joking around. She spoke seriously.
Hulu Village has existed since ancient times—its name comes from its gourd-like shape when seen from above. But long ago, it wasn't called that. It was known as Zombie Village, and legend had it that all the villagers were zombies, not humans. Anyone who went there never returned.
Nowadays, it's a tourist destination because of those legends. There aren't any signs of zombies, but the area has embraced zombie folklore as a local culture, attracting many visitors. Despite being a village, it's quite prosperous.
"Really no zombies?" I asked. Rachel shook her head.
"Nope. I've been with the Ghost Burial Squad here for eight years and haven't heard of any zombie sightings."
I puzzled over it, but figured I'd have to see for myself to know if there were any zombies.
"By the way, Ethan Zhang, I had a dream last night—and you were in it," Rachel said, leaning closer.
I stared in surprise at the moving car.
"Eyes on the road."
"Last night, I dreamed of you—naked. Very manly."
I nearly spat out blood in shock. The car screeched to a halt. I wasn't wearing a seatbelt, so my head slammed into the window.
"Did you forget about me?"
Old Ray suddenly dashed into the middle of the road. I shot Rachel a fierce glare.
"If you keep joking around, I'm not getting involved. When that girl in the back loses her temper, you'll be in trouble."