With a sharp clank, I heard iron chains rattling. A sickly green light flashed before my eyes, and for a split second, I saw someone in a red and blue uniform walk past.
With a bang, my room door slammed shut. The chill in the air vanished, and the faint breeze stopped. I kept tearing open the paper wrappers, tossing stack after stack of spirit money into the brazier. The light from the brazier grew brighter, and the millstone began spinning faster and faster.
Judge of the Underworld, I beg you—please take away the ghost haunting me.
I muttered my plea, bowing again and again as I burned more spirit money. I’d already burned through two whole boxes. It was just past 1 a.m.—three hours to go. I saw a glimmer of hope, so I hurriedly stood up and grabbed another big stack from the opened box.
Just as I kept burning the spirit money, thinking I might make it through the night, the millstone suddenly stopped spinning. I stared at it in shock. It looked as if two people were pushing it in opposite directions, jamming it, twisting it back and forth.
I didn’t stop. I kept burning the spirit money.
"Let me play with it!"
A deep, slightly playful voice came from in front of me. I looked up—it was the ghost from the cemetery, floating cross-legged in midair, one hand gripping the millstone.
"Brother, what’s wrong? You think hiring a ghost messenger will save you? Think again. Besides me, there’s no one in this world who can save you. You’d better think carefully."
"Roger Lee, please, let me go. I’m begging you." My voice was trembling, on the verge of breaking down.
Then, with a sudden whoosh, the ghost shot upward, laughing wildly as he sank into the ceiling. Just when I thought he was gone, his head poked out, upside down, from the ceiling.
"Don’t believe me? Try it yourself, brother. When you beg me for help, I’ll save you. Hahaha..."
The millstone started spinning steadily again, and I finally relaxed a bit. I resumed burning spirit money. Though I was drowsy, I forced my eyes open, quickly grabbing both the strong coffee and tea on the table and taking a sip of each. I knew I absolutely couldn’t fall asleep.
The millstone kept spinning, but then I noticed the offerings of food in front of me slowly vanishing into thin air. Of the eighty-one stacked eggs, only a bit more than half remained. The meats looked as if someone had taken a bite out of each piece.
"Roger Lee, it’s me, Ethan! It’s me, Ethan..."
A rough, booming voice rang out. I was terrified.
"Yes, yes, I’ll find it right away!" I put down the spirit money and started rummaging frantically through boxes and drawers. I’d forgotten the one thing Mrs. Blake told me to prepare—I’d bought everything except wine.
I hardly ever drink, so there was no wine in my house.
What should I do? I froze on the spot. The millstone began to slow down, so I rushed to the brazier and kept burning spirit money. But no matter how much I burned, the millstone spun slower and slower, almost stopping altogether.
No sooner had I finished speaking than, with a creak, my room door opened again. A wave of cold air swept in. I broke out in a cold sweat, and finally, the millstone stopped spinning.
"Help! Help!" I shouted.
With a snap, the window slammed shut. The seven incense sticks went out, and no matter how much spirit money I fed the brazier, the flames began to die.
The room was plunged into darkness.
"Qingyuan, let’s go." A gloomy voice sounded, and an icy hand landed on my shoulder.
I jumped up, instinct driving me. Without thinking, I ran to the window. I just wanted to jump straight from the fourth floor—even if I ended up crippled, I’d rather that than spend another second in this room.
With a swift motion, I yanked the window open. In that instant, Nathan Li’s head appeared at the window, mouth wide open, lunging to bite me.
I screamed, eyes squeezed shut. When I opened them again, I was suddenly in the middle of a bustling street, packed with people. I looked around—it was the snack street near our company, where I loved to eat with coworkers after working late.
I breathed a sigh of relief, feeling much better inside. I didn’t know what had happened, but I’d escaped. I planned to sit down at a food stall and grab something to eat.
After walking a short distance, I arrived at my favorite spot, Yiguoxian. I saw several coworkers there—Roger Lee was among them. Smiling, I walked over and slapped him on the shoulder.
"Roger Lee."
Strangely, they kept eating, but Roger Lee glanced around with a puzzled look before continuing his meal.
I kept calling out several times, but it was as if I were invisible to them. I shouted loudly, then slapped Roger Lee on the shoulder—my hand passed straight through his body. I waved my hand through him again, staring blankly at everything around me.
I screamed desperately, but no one could hear me. Crying, I knelt in front of Roger Lee.
"Roger Lee, it’s me, Ethan! It’s me, Ethan..."
It was only then that I realized my body was gradually becoming transparent. I didn’t know what was happening, but I ran frantically down the street, trying to block people with my hands—only to pass right through them.
I didn’t feel tired at all. After running for ages, my body felt light. As I kept running, I began to float—I just wanted to rush home and take a look.
It was already past 4 a.m. When I passed a bank, I saw the time. I ran to my front door, reached out to open it, but my hand went straight through the door.
With a whoosh, I passed through the wall. The floor was littered with scraps of paper. Then I saw someone lying by the window. I walked over—it was me, eyes wide open, foam at my mouth, collapsed on the ground.
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I crouched down, trying to touch my own body, but my hand just passed through. I broke down, sobbing and shouting.
"Get up! Help! Help! I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die."
Moonlight streamed in. My eyes were lifeless as I stared at my own body lying on the ground. I had no idea what would happen next. Helpless, I remembered what that ghost said—only he could save me.
And Mrs. Blake and Mr. Cooper—I seemed to see a glimmer of hope again. Mr. Cooper had said he’d come to my house the next morning. I squatted beside my body.
The feeling was strange. I couldn’t feel cold or hunger. I couldn’t feel anything when I touched objects.
By the next morning, I was still squatting beside my body. Oddly, I started to feel a bit cold, and my stomach even felt vaguely hungry.
With a creak, the door was pushed open. I stood up, as if seeing hope.
"Mrs. Blake, save me!" I rushed forward. Mr. Cooper supported Mrs. Blake as they entered, but they acted as if I didn’t exist—I passed straight through their bodies.
I tried desperately to get their attention, waving and shouting, but it was no use. They walked straight toward my body.
"Sigh, this child couldn’t escape his fate after all, could he?"
"Mrs. Blake, I’ll call the police first. After they’re done, we’ll help him pass on properly."
I was extremely anxious inside. They really couldn’t see me. I kept darting through their bodies. Just then, I jumped up and touched the big pin hanging from the ceiling.
"Wait..." Mrs. Blake called out, then crouched beside my body, feeling around.
"Mr. Cooper, get out the compass." Mr. Cooper took a compass from his pocket.
"Qingyuan, if you’re here, shake the pin as hard as you can." I quickly reached up, jumping and slapping the only thing I could touch—the pin.
At that moment, Mr. Cooper seemed to understand. He took out some talisman paper and scattered it around my body, then began to remove my shirt.
"Ethan, listen carefully. When someone dies and their soul leaves the body, there’s still a little yang energy left. Even those of us who deal with ghosts and spirits can’t see it on the first day."
"Mrs. Blake, there might still be hope. His Soul Lock hasn’t completely broken yet." (Soul Lock: a metaphysical bond that keeps the soul attached to the body, even after death.)