My body was unbearably weak and cold. I was painfully aware that my consciousness had been transferred into this dead shell, while my original ghost soul was likely being protected by Old Tom’s ritual.
This street was different from the place where I’d discarded the Cat Crystal Pendant. Step by step, I staggered to the mouth of the alley. The security here looked terrible.
Suddenly, I screamed in agony and collapsed onto the freezing pavement. My abdomen was soaked in blood—stabbed by a knife, no doubt. My entire body was covered in wounds of varying severity.
Damn.
Shock flooded my heart. I instantly realized that this body’s original consciousness had died long ago. Only because my mind had entered it was it able to survive.
Blood pooled in my mouth as I coughed. My whole body felt icy; my limbs twitched uncontrollably. I was dying—that was my first thought. But as I looked down the street, not a single person cared. They passed me by, treating me like garbage.
I felt my body gradually losing all sensation.
If this continued, I’d die. That was the only thing I knew for sure. There wasn’t a shred of strength left in me. Gasping for breath, I raised my hand, hoping for help. But most people here looked like thugs, surviving by preying on the weak.
Then, I saw a man suddenly stop, excitement flashing in his eyes. He kicked me aside, and I spat out a mouthful of blood. He entered the alley and picked up the Cat Crystal Pendant lying nearby.
Heh, found something good. Not bad.
I looked gratefully at the woman before me, but strangely, I couldn’t make a sound. My throat wouldn’t work, and my hands felt odd—none of my fingers would move.
I drifted back into unconsciousness. Lost in nightmares, I woke with a start, gasping for breath, unable to make a sound.
"You’re awake."
A voice reached my ears as I gasped for air and turned my head. Instantly, my eyes widened and I swallowed hard. The woman before me had a delicate nose and a gentle, beautiful face, with a playful charm in her cheeks.
I opened my mouth wide, trying to call out, "Miss Moyu, Miss Moyu," but no sound came. After a while, Moyu stood up and walked toward me.
"You know me?"
I nodded urgently.
"A lot of people around here know me," Moyu said.
Moyu sat down on the sofa, looking exhausted as she kept watch over me. I glanced around—this seemed to be a small clinic. A boy of about ten rushed in, glaring at me and pointing his finger.
"Listen up, you filthy beggar. When you’re better, even if you’re crippled, you’ll be able to move. You’d better help wash dishes and wipe tables, got it?"
"Xiao Le, don't be so rude."
Moyu shot Xiao Le a glare, and he pouted.
"Sis, you always bring back these trash. If you’re not annoyed, I am," Xiao Le grumbled as he left.
Xiao Le left. Outside was a busy pharmacy, with customers coming in nonstop. Moyu stretched and came over to check on me.
"Your wound is healing well. Are you mute? Heh, are you dizzy from hunger, or did you steal something?"
I said nothing, feeling a pang inside. I looked at my hands—both sets of fingers were useless, as if crushed by a car. They were blackened, mangled, and numb.
"You have hands and feet. Next time, don’t do this. People in this area aren’t kind. Eat."
Moyu brought over a bowl of plain congee and gently fed me, spoonful by spoonful. Strangely, I didn’t see Liu Qi. Back when Lan Yin tried everything to save them, she failed. I never thought I’d meet Miss Moyu in this world. There was so much I wanted to tell her—about Lan Yin, about everything.
After a while, my body felt much better. I rested some more while Moyu went back to work. The place had three floors, and the customers who came for medicine looked rough, but strangely, they all seemed to respect Moyu.
By the third day, I could barely get out of bed and walk. I sat in a comfortable chair in the backyard, soaking up the sun. I was filthy and still stank. Xiao Le pinched his nose and wiped my body with a warm towel.
"You’re better now. When you’re well, don’t slack off. Sis only took you in because she felt sorry for you."
From what I remembered, Miss Moyu was always kind-hearted—a truly good woman. Even now, Lan Yin still thought of her. I knew for sure that Lan Yin loved Miss Moyu. There were times, after Lan Yin got drunk, he’d mention her in his ramblings.
But I hadn’t seen Miss Moyu’s husband, Liu Qi, which surprised me.
Seven or eight days passed, and I recovered quickly. I could walk around the backyard. Xiao Le fed me every day. My hands were crippled. At first, it was unbearable, but I was getting used to it.
When Miss Moyu was away, Xiao Le didn’t want to feed me. I’d just lower my head and eat straight from the bowl. I didn’t blame Xiao Le. He seemed cold, but deep down, he was kind.
After half a month, my wound started to heal. During that time, I had no way to contact the Black Fang. Maybe something went wrong with the spell, or maybe there was a mistake—either way, I couldn’t feel any power at all.
"What’s wrong, Xiao Le? Why the long face?"
"Sis, there are lots of guys on the street who like you. Why don’t you pick one and get married?"
Moyu gently patted Xiao Le’s head.
"Small in size, but clever as a ghost."
"I'm not that young anymore, Sis. People in this world never change. If you count it, I'm at least a few hundred years old."
I gave a knowing smile.
"What are you smiling at, you dumb mute?"
Moyu grabbed Xiao Le’s face angrily.
After the meal, I followed Moyu, only able to make faint sounds. It took a while before she noticed.
"Do you have something to say to me?"
I nodded quickly, mouthing the words for paper and pen. When Moyu understood, she brought me a sheet of paper. I gripped the pen in my mouth and started to write.
The writing came out crooked, barely legible, and the pen kept slipping from my mouth. After many tries, I finally managed to write the name 'Lan Yin.'
The moment Moyu saw those two characters, her emotions surged. Tears welled up in her eyes as she picked up the paper and looked at me, her hands trembling.
"You know Lan Yin?"
I nodded.
"So, are you from the underworld?"
I quickly shook my head. Moyu set the paper down, and I wrote the word 'friend,' struggling with every letter.
"I see."
Moyu fell silent, lost in thought as if memories from long ago were flooding back. She sat quietly for hours, while I kept struggling to write with the pen in my mouth.
I managed to write, crookedly, 'Where is Liu Qi?' on the paper.
Moyu picked up the paper, read it for a while, then smiled calmly.
"It's nothing, just something from a long time ago. I wouldn’t have remembered if you hadn’t brought it up."
Seeing my surprised expression, Moyu burst out laughing.
"In this world, there may be love as strong as mountains and vows as deep as the sea, but sadly, that wasn’t the case for me and Liu Qi. When he first came here, things were fine. But as he got richer, he started taking concubines. I kicked him out, that’s all."
I was stunned, staring at Moyu. She was laughing happily, without a trace of sadness.
"Coming to this world might be Heaven’s way of compensating me. I’ve been truly happy these years—never felt this free before."
I quickly shook my head. Moyu set the paper down, and I wrote the word 'friend,' struggling with every letter.
"I see."
Moyu fell silent, lost in thought as if memories from long ago were flooding back. She sat quietly for hours, while I kept struggling to write with the pen in my mouth.
I managed to write, crookedly, 'Where is Liu Qi?' on the paper.
Moyu picked up the paper, read it for a while, then smiled calmly.
"It's nothing, just something from a long time ago. I wouldn’t have remembered if you hadn’t brought it up."
Seeing my surprised expression, Moyu burst out laughing.
"In this world, there may be love as strong as mountains and vows as deep as the sea, but sadly, that wasn’t the case for me and Liu Qi. When he first came here, things were fine. But as he got richer, he started taking concubines. I kicked him out, that’s all."
I was stunned, staring at Moyu. She was laughing happily, without a trace of sadness.
"Coming to this world might be Heaven’s way of compensating me. I’ve been truly happy these years—never felt this free before."