There was no fear left in my heart. The ghost before me, though I'd witnessed his terror last night, seemed rather easy to talk to—and, more importantly, he bore me no ill will.
"Come on, brother, sit down. Let's talk things over, there's always room for negotiation."
He pulled me over and sat me down at the table.
"Big brother, please let me go. From now on, every holiday, I'll bring you good food and drink, make offerings for you..."
"Sigh, brother, it's not about letting you go or not. I just want to work with you. Besides, those two people—they died wrongfully. They must have come looking for you today, right?"
I nodded, my eyes blank as I looked at him.
"Brother, if you're willing to work with me, I'll help you deal with those two. I'll make sure they can't even remain as ghosts."
Hope flickered in my heart when I heard that. But then I thought again—what stood before me was something far scarier than a tiger. In the end, I knew things wouldn't end well for me. The thought made me shake my head.
The ghost stood up, grinning wickedly as he looked at me. His body floated off the ground and drifted eerily toward the window.
"Brother, don't count on that couple to save you. You're marked by the Sevenfold Curse—when the time comes, don't say I didn't warn you!"
The lights in the room flickered on as the ghost left. I let out a sigh of relief. Tomorrow morning, I planned to seek out that old couple. With that thought, I went to bed.
Whenever I thought of Lily Wu, I felt not only guilt but also fear. I really didn't mean for any of this to happen. With those thoughts swirling, I closed my eyes.
Half-awake, I felt a chill sweep over me. With a creak, the door opened and I jolted awake.
"Ethan, come here."
Lily Wu's voice came from the doorway. I faced the wall, drenched in sweat, my back cold as ice. She kept calling my name, her voice drawing closer and closer.
I knew she was right behind me. I squeezed my eyes shut, silently chanting 'Namo Amitabha.'
"What's wrong, Ethan? Weren't you the one who loved me most? I don't blame you."
Hearing Lily Wu say that, I opened my eyes, heart aching. Slowly, I turned my head. She was behind me—her face pale, but otherwise normal. In the moonlight, she looked beautiful.
"Lily... I..."
Gently, Lily Wu placed her finger on my lips and climbed onto me, her hands roaming across my chest. Tears streamed down my face. No matter what she'd done, deep down, I still loved her.
"Ethan, why not come down and join me? I know I wronged you when I was alive, but now, after death, we can leave everything behind and be husband and wife forever. Isn't that good?"
I stared blankly at Lily Wu. She led the way, and I followed her off the bed. I didn't know what was happening—it was as if I were bewitched, trailing her step by step out of the room.
The night wind tousled my hair—it was already late, and tonight, there was no moon. I stood at the edge of the rooftop.
"Alright, Ethan, jump down. If you do, we can be together."
Strangely, I didn't feel afraid inside. I vaguely saw someone standing below, and felt two hands pushing against my back.
I turned around—Nathan Li and Lily Wu, both with ghostly pale faces and exaggerated grins, urging me to jump.
"Wait," I called out softly.
"What's wrong, Ethan? Afraid now? Both of us died unjustly." Nathan Li said, shoving me hard.
My body tipped forward, my mind buzzing—I snapped back to my senses, twisting desperately to the right and collapsing at the edge of the rooftop. Looking down, it was dizzyingly high.
Terror swept over me again. Staring at the two who'd turned into ghosts, I backed away step by step, mouth open in horror.
"Please, let me go! I still have my parents—if I die, what will happen to them?"
Nathan Li and Lily Wu both laughed, their voices shrill and haunting. The wind howled louder. With a sickening thud, Nathan Li's head slipped from his body and rolled between my legs.
"Ethan, you have parents—but don't we? Look at Lily, her mother is all she has."
I screamed as Nathan Li bit into my thigh. Lily Wu's face was mangled, flesh torn and bloody, one eye missing, blood dripping down her cheeks. She lunged at me, trying to shove me off the edge.
I shrieked and struggled. I didn't want to die—I'm a coward, I just want to live, not end like this.
"Help! Somebody help!" I screamed, watching my body inch closer and closer to the edge. My hands clung desperately to the rooftop's safety net, my feet dangling in the air.
A hand, bones exposed and skin peeled back, pressed down on mine.
"Ethan, don't you want to be with me?"
I turned my head. In that instant, I let go. What I saw was Lily Wu's smile—and suddenly, I was back in college, on our first date, seeing her innocent, carefree face.
My grip loosened, and I plunged from the rooftop toward the ground. Memories flashed before my eyes like a spinning lantern.
"Brother, what's got you so down? Don't do this."
I stopped. A voice echoed in my ear—it was the ghost from the cemetery. Suddenly, I screamed. My lifeless body surged with blood, convulsing uncontrollably, foam spilling from my mouth.
"Don't give up, brother. Heh, what's wrong? Not going to thank me?"
My floating body slowly descended to the ground alongside the ghost. As soon as I landed, I wet myself, limbs weak, collapsing on the ground.
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"Come out! Why hide? If you want this kid's soul, you don't have to go about it like this."
The ghost called out to the empty space ahead. Instantly, I saw the air twist, and a figure appeared—a person wearing a bamboo hat, a wide black cloak, and a veil over their face.
As soon as they appeared, the figure took a martial stance, hands moving through the air in a mysterious pattern.
"Big Dipper Bind."
A burst of light flared—seven orbs, like the stars of the Big Dipper, joined together and moved toward the ghost beside me.
The moment the ghost was touched by the Big Dipper orbs, black smoke billowed out. The seven shining stars, like ropes, bound him tightly.
"Heavenly Seal."
The figure shouted and rushed over, pulling out several rods and quickly stabbing them into the ground around me and the ghost. A yellow glowing circle appeared on the ground. The ghost's body turned pitch black, as if charred.
"Brother, let me borrow your body for a moment."
As he spoke, the ghost vanished. My mind went blank, then I shot upright, my body moving like an arrow through the glowing barrier, hands braced on the ground as I stood up.
I had no idea what was happening—everything before me was beyond my comprehension.
Raising my hands, I saw the trash cans in the nearby neighborhood begin to shake. Suddenly, they all flew toward the figure, smashing into him. He dodged quickly, but the trash cans seemed to have eyes, chasing after him.
My hands kept moving, as if I were controlling the trash cans myself.
But in the end, the figure couldn't dodge—he was struck. Suddenly, I flew through the air, one hand clamping down on his throat, the other punching his chest hard.
"Go back and tell the Ghost Syndicate—this kid is mine. If you try to interfere again, don't blame me for what happens."
After I said that, my consciousness faded, my mind clouded. Step by step, I walked toward the apartment building, feeling as if my body wasn't my own—someone else was inside.
Back home, I collapsed onto my bed, my body feeling light as air.
"Brother, now you see how useful I am, right? Remember, you're marked by the Sevenfold Curse—don't ever expect a peaceful life. But if you listen to me, everything will be fine. Hahaha..."
Half-asleep, I nodded and drifted off.