The only window was shut, and even with the lights on, the messy little apartment felt dim and gloomy.
The stench of rot grew more pronounced.
"I understand. I'll do my best," Lulu said, sitting on the small couch piled with clothes, her mask and sunglasses discarded. Her scarred face was full of fear, and her body trembled.
Lu Fei used the remaining cinnabar to write a character in the center of Tiger's left palm.
"Boss, is this a charm?" Tiger asked, intrigued as he looked at his palm.
"No, it's a character that can repel ghosts. It's pronounced 'jian.' The saying goes, 'When a man dies, he turns into a ghost and inspires fear in people. But when a ghost dies, it becomes a 'nian,' and even ghosts fear it.' If you encounter any ghostly disturbance, you can use this character to strike it," Lu Fei instructed. "Be careful not to smudge it."
"Got it, got it!" Tiger clutched his right hand protectively over his left, as if it were a prized possession.
With this ghost-repelling character, he felt as though he had a protective amulet, and his confidence surged.
"Shopkeeper Lu, I want one too," Lulu said, stretching out her pale hand.
"Writing this character consumes mental energy, and I can only manage one at a time. Besides, you've fed your blood to the Sister Spirit; the character wouldn't work for you," Lu Fei replied.
"You both have protection, so wouldn't that make me even more vulnerable?" Lulu asked anxiously.
If the exorcism failed, Lu Fei would lose a business opportunity, but she stood to lose her life.
"I've already agreed to take on the Sister Brand, so I'll guarantee your safety. If you don't believe me, we can leave now, and I won't charge you a penny," Lu Fei said, looking unconcerned.
"No, Shopkeeper Lu, I didn't mean it that way. I'm just terrified," Lulu quickly shook her head.
Lu Fei was the only person willing to help her.
"Why are you scared? If the boss says he'll keep you safe, he will," Tiger reassured her.
"Right, I trust you both! So, should we just wait for the Sister Spirit to appear?" Lulu forced a smile, but her scarred face made it look anything but pleasant.
"Just act as you normally would. Leave the rest to us," Lu Fei replied, gesturing to Tiger as they each took a position in different corners of the room, quietly watching the Sister Brand.
"Normally…" Lulu let out a bitter smile. "At this hour, I'd usually be preparing for my live stream. But my account's been banned…"
She went to her computer desk, turned on her computer, and looked at her now-banned account with its million followers, feeling a deep sense of bitterness.
She had sacrificed so much to become a top influencer.
But in this industry, there were always fresh faces emerging.
To maintain her status, she had reluctantly purchased a Sister Brand.
Who could have guessed that not only would it fail to turn things around, but it would ruin her entirely?
Even if she survived this ordeal, would there still be a future for her in live streaming?
Lulu touched the scars on her face, her gaze drifting towards the urn on the altar.
Time passed, minute by minute.
Night fell.
The influencer apartment was noisy, with music playing, people talking loudly, and footsteps echoing in the hallway.
The louder it was outside, the eerier the silence inside the apartment felt.
Lu Fei crouched in the corner, observing Lulu closely.
With three experiences handling supernatural cases, he now felt much more at ease.
Lulu sat motionless in front of her computer, staring blankly at the screen. If not for the slight rise and fall of her chest, she might have been mistaken for a corpse with open eyes.
The soft glow from the computer screen illuminated her face, but her pupils were pitch-black, absorbing no light.
Suddenly.
The corners of her mouth slowly lifted into a chilling grin.
"Is it happening?"
This smile was identical to the one she had in the restroom at the mall. Tiger's nerves shot up, and he instinctively raised his left hand with the ghost-repelling character in front of him.
"Hehe."
Lulu chuckled, reaching for the cosmetics on the altar, and began applying makeup in front of the mirror.
She painted her face ghostly white, applied the brightest red lipstick, and heavily blushed her cheeks, resembling a ritual doll.
A corpse's makeup!
She painted and laughed in satisfaction, then slowly turned, her black eyes scanning the room.
"Am I beautiful?" she asked softly, striking an awkward pose.
The voice was not Lulu's.
Lu Fei gripped the willow whip, ready to strike.
"Am I pretty?"
Lulu posed the question to the empty air. When no one answered, her expression darkened.
"Not beautiful enough! I'm still not beautiful enough! There's too much flesh on me; my face isn't small enough…"
Her face twisted in anger as she grabbed a razor from the table and slashed at her own face.
Pa!
The sound of the whip cracking echoed through the dim room.
Seeing Lulu about to harm herself again, Lu Fei immediately struck, wrapping the willow whip around her hand holding the razor.
"Ah—"
A shriek filled the room, as wisps of black smoke rose from Lulu's arm.
The willow whip was powerful against spirits, reaching directly into their essence. Even a spirit possessing a person couldn't evade it.
Seeing how effective it was, Lu Fei pressed his advantage and struck again.
Lulu's body moved in a sudden, unnatural way, dodging at an impossible angle.
"Filthy wretch! Why are you helping this filthy wretch!" she screamed in rage. "Die! All of you should die!"
Her eyes began to bleed, and the scars on her face and body wriggled, blood seeping out, making her look even more horrifying.
Tiger felt his scalp tingle, but he stepped out of his corner, joining Lu Fei in surrounding Lulu from both sides.
The two cautiously advanced towards Lulu.
A guttural, raspy sound emanated from Lulu's throat, and she lunged wildly at them.
Lu Fei immediately swung the whip.
Pa!
A flash of fear crossed Lulu's eyes, and her body, weightless and floating, twisted to dodge the strike. Her hands reached out toward Tiger.
Her bloody, corpse-like face was horrifying to behold.
Tiger's heart pounded, and he frantically thrust out his left hand with the ghost-repelling character.
Peng!
An unseen force collided with Lulu, sending her flying backward and knocking over the couch.
"Holy cow, this is strong!" Tiger exclaimed, his confidence soaring as he realized how powerful the character was.
He and Lu Fei approached Lulu quickly.
Her face twisted with hatred, and instead of fighting back, she darted toward the door, attempting to escape. But as soon as she touched the ash boundary, she recoiled in pain, tumbling back.
Pa!
Before she could react, Lu Fei's whip struck again.
"Ah—"
Her piercing screams filled the small room, but strangely, it was two distinct female voices crying out.
"What's going on? Could there be two spirits?" Lu Fei was taken aback.
"Boss, even if there are two, no problem! One for each of us!" Tiger, eager to prove himself, unleashed another powerful strike.
Lulu desperately dodged, her body gliding as she retreated into the bathroom.
Suddenly.
With a sharp "pa," the apartment lights went out.
The room was plunged into darkness.