The clang of bells rang out once more. From the rooftop came a booming countdown. Suddenly, I drifted across the street, and in an instant, I felt the surge of vibrant Yang energy and the waves of noisy commotion all around me.
"Hey, what's going on? I thought ghosts couldn't come over here!"
Just as I drifted onto the street, a guy with glasses asked in confusion.
I didn't think much of it and darted into an alley, where I saw a rather frail young man. He was stunned for a moment as he saw me, and in that instant, I entered his body.
Possession consumes very little Ghost Aura for spirits, and most importantly, unless someone is skilled in Taoist arts, it's almost impossible to detect a ghost possessing them.
After leaving the alley, I was greeted by a tall, thin man.
"Hey, Mr. Woods, why are you so late? Come on, let's go eat."
Without another word, the tall man dragged me straight into a restaurant across the street. I gave an awkward smile and said I had something to take care of, which was why I was late. He seemed to be in a hurry and pulled me straight up to a private room on the second floor, right by the window—exactly the spot I wanted.
The countdown for Coexistence should be almost over. I kept my eyes fixed on the window, and sure enough, a man in all white, looking completely nondescript, rushed in. It was Coexistence, exactly as I'd seen before. I realized where I had lost.
Coexistence must have, in just three hours, recruited several equally inconspicuous ghosts. Then, through some kind of deal, got them to help. He used ghostly items to mask his Yang energy, and when I launched my surprise attack, he had more than ten ghosts come out at once. The first ghost I saw looked just like him, and I fell right into his trap, losing the first round.
The second round is absolutely critical. If I lose, I'm finished.
"Hey, Mr. Woods, what's wrong with you today? You seem totally out of it."
"By the way, has that guy in white ever been here before?"
I asked, and the tall, thin man looked at me strangely.
"Mr. Woods, are you even listening to what I'm saying?"
He asked urgently, continuing to talk nonstop, but my eyes stayed fixed on Coexistence. He was wandering the street, but I had no time to pay attention to the tall guy—I stood up immediately.
"Sorry, something came up today, it's a bit of a hassle. I won't eat, I'll leave first."
Before the tall guy could stop me, I went straight downstairs and followed after Coexistence. I couldn't afford to lose track of him, and I had to watch his every move. I had no idea what method he'd use to find me—this was crucial. As long as I followed him secretly and made it through these 24 hours, I'd be safe.
Thinking it through, for Coexistence to catch me, he'd have to expose my ghostly form. As long as I stay possessed within a living person, it's like permanent hiding—if he recognizes me and I escape, then possess someone else, he still hasn't truly caught me.
"This method feels a bit like cheating."