Back at Miles Mao's dormitory, he was already asleep. Inside, a steel wire cot had been set up just for me. I tiptoed in, washed up in the bathroom, and then went to bed.
The gloom that had lingered in my heart was swept away. Tonight meant a lot to me. Tomorrow, I planned to talk to Lily Qian and Claire Zhang about some things that had happened recently. I suspected Claire Zhang was especially concerned about the photo studio incident.
Only we and the official members of the Ghost Burial Squad knew about these matters; no one else did. I had seen Claire Zhang alone both today and yesterday, not mingling with others. Lily Qian, on the other hand, had quickly adapted to the Ghost Burial Squad's atmosphere, chatting and laughing with many official members, as if she had found her place.
Lily Qian was born on the Ghost Festival, specifically at the hour when the gates to the spirit world are wide open. So, she’s been able to see ghosts since childhood. My teacher, James Qian, had told me stories about her—how, as a child, Lily Qian would often say strange things.
The most vivid memory I have was during college, at Mr. Qian’s house for dinner. That evening, as I was leaving, I saw Lily Qian coming up the stairs, but she stood perfectly still and said, “Move aside.” At first, I thought she was talking to me, but thinking back, she must have been talking to a ghost, since we were still quite far apart. Later, after she noticed me, she chatted with me briefly before heading home.
Lily Qian and Claire Zhang, though about the same age, were completely different—almost like two separate beings.
Gradually, I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.
The next morning at eight, I got up and followed Miles Mao to the cafeteria. After breakfast, I noticed the Ghost Burial Squad was basically on break these days, letting the trainees rest as much as possible. Soon, they’d face a one-month internship, mostly dealing with cases triggered by ghosts. Many leads had already been confirmed, but the problems remained unsolved.
I didn’t see Rachel Lan around. After asking, I learned she was in the underground archives, looking into some things.
I made myself a bowl of noodles and looked around, spotting Lily Qian and Claire Zhang sitting together at a table. I walked over to join them.
"Lily, Claire."
I called out, and Lily Qian smiled.
"Qingyuan, I heard from everyone—you’re amazing."
Lily Qian said happily, while Claire Zhang just kept her head down, eating.
"There’s some progress regarding your father’s case."
As soon as I finished speaking, Claire Zhang looked up at me, eager to know more. I briefly told them about the photo studio incident.
"Qingyuan, are we going to investigate this case on our next outing?"
"That’s right. So when we’re out there, don’t ever act alone."
I looked at Claire Zhang, unsure how to explain further. Lily Qian gave a reassuring smile.
"Qingyuan, that older sister told us the same thing last night. But we’re not kids anymore, are we, Claire?"
Lily Qian spoke, grinning at Claire Zhang. Claire nodded.
"Lily, what did you tell your dad?"
I continued asking. Lily Qian put down her chopsticks and smiled.
"I’ve seen a lot of ghosts before. The last time was the scariest. I used to be terrified, but after a few months here, I’ve met so many people—most of them can see ghosts, too. I’m not afraid anymore. I’m really happy that I can talk about ghosts openly here."
I smiled. Lily Qian and Claire Zhang weren’t official trainees yet; they still had a lot to learn. Most Ghost Burial Squad trainees had studied for two or three years, but these two had only been here for a few months. Since the Squad was about to start their internship, Old Eccentric wanted me to take them along for some experience.
"Lily, ghosts aren’t as simple as you think. When we’re out there, you two must never act on your own, understood?"
I reminded them again, especially Claire Zhang. In her current state, she was full of hatred for the ghost that killed her father, and I was worried.
"Mr. Zhang Qingyuan, you don’t have to worry so much about me. I just want to know who killed my father."
Claire Zhang looked at me with a mournful expression. Earlier, when I mentioned the photo studio, I hadn’t told her about the Blue Wraith—just gave her a general idea. She seemed to sense that I was hiding something from her.
"I can’t really teach you much. The only purpose this time is to show you what a ghost truly is."
I began to explain. Lily Qian seemed excited, but Claire Zhang remained withdrawn. I told them a few interesting stories—like my first trip to the Underworld—and Lily Qian laughed happily.
I looked at Claire Zhang, knowing she had a knot in her heart. Her father’s death was something she could never let go of.
I wanted badly to comfort Claire Zhang, but I just didn’t know what to say.
"The day after tomorrow, at 7:05 a.m., in a certain hospital."
At that moment, Lan Yin walked over and said something out of the blue. The three of us looked at him, confused.
"Little girl, your father has already been reincarnated. At the time I just mentioned, if you want, you can go and see the newborn baby—that child is your father."
As soon as Lan Yin finished speaking, Claire Zhang immediately stood up, looking agitated.
"Life and death are fated. Even though your father died by external force, at least he won’t suffer the torment of reincarnation. He can be at peace in his next life. Before that child is born, it’s your last chance to see your father. If you want, go see him yourself."
Lan Yin smiled, left those words, and walked away. Claire Zhang hesitated, and I stood up.
"Let’s go together the day after tomorrow. I’ll find out which hospital it is later."
After hearing all this, a spark returned to Lily Qian’s eyes. I felt I’d found a breakthrough.
Then I headed straight to the underground archives. Sure enough, I found Rachel Lan there, frowning as she searched for something. I walked over.
"Rachel, you’ve been here almost every day—what are you looking for?"
"Aren’t we supposed to be looking for clues about the photo studio? And that guy in the prison, plus what happened to your classmate Zheng Jun after you came back. I want to see if there are any records of similar cases in the North District—maybe we’ll find something."
"Thank you, Rachel. Let’s search together."
Rachel Lan and I spent the whole afternoon going through records, but found no cases closely linked to what we’re facing—except for a cold case from ten years ago: three men, all decapitated, and not a single clue since.
The murders happened in the old district of North City, three nights in a row. Each man was decapitated. When the Ghost Burial Squad investigated, they sensed it was the work of a ghost, but found no common link among the victims. I stared at the word "unsolved" stamped on the file.
One detail in the case was especially strange: during autopsies, tadpole eggs were found in the stomachs of all three men.
That detail made me think of the monster locked up in the prison, which now seemed almost frog-like. According to Hugh Thompson, it had been kept in a straitjacket since being locked up, never released. I hadn’t expected such a drastic transformation in just one month.
At dinnertime, Rachel Lan and I left the archive room.
"Qingyuan, let’s ask Lan Yin which hospital Claire Zhang’s father is in."
I nodded. We found Lan Yin chatting and bragging with a few Ghost Burial Squad members. We pulled him aside and asked.
"How do you know about this?" I asked.
"Zhang Qingyuan, that girl Claire Zhang was born on a lucky date. Her fate matches yours perfectly—she’ll bring you good fortune."
I let out a sound, staring at Lan Yin.
"Can you be serious? Which hospital was her father born in?"
"Sigh, normally I wouldn’t tell you this. Tonight, I’ll go out and see if I can find out. I only know the girl’s father’s birth date, so I could figure out when he’d be reincarnated. That’s a privilege of the Ten Guides."
That night, Rachel Lan planned to visit Lily Qian and Claire Zhang’s dorm to talk with them. After all, Rachel was very knowledgeable about ghosts. I was heading to the training ground with Hugh Thompson.
Hugh Thompson had gone ahead earlier. By now it was past ten at night. When I arrived, I saw him standing on a track, setting up something—and a device that looked like a camera. I had no idea what he was planning.
"Hugh, what are you doing?"
"You’ll see soon enough, Qingyuan. Here, tie this little ball to yourself."
I made a sound, looking at Hugh Thompson. He handed me a small black ball with red cords at both ends. After tying it to myself, I felt the power of a spell inside.
After a while, Hugh Thompson finally finished setting up. He had me stand on a spot marked with white lines on the track. That camera-like device was placed several hundred meters away.
Hugh Thompson walked over and spoke.
"Qingyuan, it’s 340 meters in a straight line from here to there."
I made a sound, even more confused about what Hugh Thompson was up to.
"Hugh, what’s this for?"