After hanging up the phone, Grandpa's words echoed in my mind. Though he'd been occasionally confused in his old age, his warning felt deliberate. "Don't trust anyone." Could Grandpa somehow be aware of the strange events happening around me?
I relayed what I'd learned from my teacher to Lin Zhao, confirming that this case was indeed the work of supernatural forces and beyond the capability of the police. I advised him to let it go.
For the next few days, I stayed dutifully at the crematorium, working my shifts on time. The fear I once felt while wheeling bodies in the dead of night had long since faded. Where once I would have been paralyzed by the smallest sound, now I worked with calm determination.
"Hey, Brother Yu, want some late-night snacks?"
Yu Yishan, the new hire after Zhang Ge left, was a kind man in his 40s. Looking at him reminded me of my early days here, back when I couldn't handle anything and spent days vomiting after my first cremation.
Predictably, Yu pulled a grimace. "Snacks? After seeing this stuff? I've barely been able to eat for days. Even now, I'm doing better, but eating while working here? No way."
"Just teasing you—don't take it seriously. This is the last one for tonight. Once it's done, we're off."
Leaving him to finish the task of handling the ashes, I moved aside to prepare for the final steps. Tonight's drizzle tapped softly against the windows, its sound both soothing and unsettling. Rainy nights like this were nothing new, yet tonight, I felt restless, unable to find my usual calm.
A cheerful melody suddenly rang out—it was my phone. Embarrassed, I gestured to Yu and stepped into the hallway to answer.
Before I could even ask why someone was calling me so late, the voice on the other end shouted: "Help! Help!"
I recognized Lin Zhao's panicked voice. "Lin Zhao? What's going on? Where are you?"
"I'm at Lin Xia's house!" he cried. "Lin Xia's spirit is back—no, her vengeful ghost is back! She's trying to kill her parents! You have to come here now—I can't handle this on my own!"
The line erupted into a cacophony of noise before cutting off.
I didn't wait to hear more. Shouting for Yu to finish up without me, I dashed out of the crematorium. At the gate, the old caretaker, Grandpa Sun, called after me.
"Hey, kid! Skipping work isn't enough for you? Now you're leaving early too?"
"Grandpa Sun, I'll explain later—I have an emergency!" I waved him off and jumped into the first taxi I could hail, giving Lin Xia's address.
Halfway there, I realized I hadn't grabbed any protective items from my dorm. With no time to go back, I instructed the driver to take a detour to a nearby antique shop. There, I bought a few essential tools before speeding toward Lin Xia's house.
The taxi ride, filled with urgent demands and a driver stomping on the gas, took over half an hour. By the time I arrived, the house was radiating an oppressive aura of malevolent energy.
I banged on the door. "Lin Zhao! Are you in there? Open the door!"
There was no response, only silence. The door remained locked despite my desperate pounding. Panic rising, I remembered something my teacher had once said: "When a vengeful spirit strikes, a barrier will often form around the house."
I took out a talisman I'd purchased, bit my finger, and let the blood soak into the yellow paper. Pressing it to the door, I shouted: "Break!"
The barrier shattered, and the door swung open as if it had never been locked.
Inside, the house was pitch black. I called out for Lin Zhao, but as soon as I stepped in, a cold hand grabbed my ankle. Reacting instinctively, I kicked out.
"Ahhh—!" A scream of pain cut through the darkness, and I realized it was Lin Zhao. I quickly found him sprawled on the floor and bent down to help him.
"Lin Zhao, are you—"
Before I could finish, a cold hand wrapped around my throat. Lin Zhao's face loomed close, but his eyes were unnaturally white, with only faint traces of pupils visible.
"It's your fault. It's all your fault!" A little girl's voice, sharp and full of rage, came from his mouth. "You let me die. You let me suffer. Now you'll all pay—I'll drag you all down with me!"
Lin Zhao was possessed by Lin Xia.
"Lin Xia," I said, struggling against her grip, "your parents didn't abandon you. They didn't even know you were in danger. If they'd heard anything, they would have saved you without hesitation."
"They're liars!" she shrieked. "They let me die. I'm their daughter, and they just stood by and did nothing. I'll make them pay!"
Her voice was thick with unreasoning hatred. I realized that reason would get me nowhere—Lin Xia had fully transformed into a vengeful spirit. Taking advantage of a brief opening, I grabbed Lin Zhao's pinky and bent it back sharply.
According to the Yin-Yang Codex, when someone is possessed, bending their pinky can force the spirit out of their body.
I tried several times, but Lin Xia's grip only tightened. Desperate, I gathered all my strength and bent the finger hard.
"Ahhh—!" Two screams rang out simultaneously. Lin Zhao collapsed, and Lin Xia's spectral form emerged. Before she could recover, I grabbed a copper coin sword soaked in dog's blood and thrust it into her.
Her form flickered, and the oppressive energy filling the room began to dissipate. Lin Xia's spirit dissolved into nothingness.
When I was certain the spirit was gone, I turned on the lights. Lin Zhao was unconscious on the floor. Groaning, I dragged him to the couch and pinched his philtrum until he stirred.
The moment he woke, he sat bolt upright, accidentally hitting my chin in the process. Pain shot through my jaw as I glared at him.
"Where's the ghost? Where is it?" he shouted, looking around wildly.
"By the time you notice the ghost, you'll already be dead!" I snapped, rubbing my chin as I moved to the other side of the room.
Finally noticing me, Lin Zhao looked confused. "Huh? Cunxi? What are you doing here?"
I exploded. "What am I doing here? You called me in the middle of the night begging me to save you!"