It was only a little past seven, though the night had fallen, many supermarkets were still open. That mischievous ghost girl had me buy a bizarre assortment of items: glutinous rice, red string, incense sticks, a mirror, white liquor, and even a shovel. I had no clue what these were for, and every time I asked, she just told me to follow her instructions.
When I returned to the dorm, I found it eerily empty. Liu Bin wasn't back, and neither were Kong Mingfei or Lei Chen. Since Li Dezhi's incident, the entire floor had suddenly become more "studious," with everyone heading to night classes.
The floor was pitch black, not a single light on. The darkness unsettled me, especially as I passed Li Dezhi's old dorm room. My legs felt weak. Who knew if there was still some lingering "negative energy" in that place?
I hurried into my own room and double-locked the door, silently praying that Feng Lan wouldn't suddenly appear. Deep down, I knew this flimsy door was about as useful against a ghost as a paper umbrella in a storm.
That little ghost girl, Yanzi, mocked me for being a coward before directing me on how to handle the supplies. She had me pour the white liquor over the glutinous rice in a lunchbox, the strong aroma of the 68-proof liquor filling the room and making my mouth water. Then she taught me how to weave the red string into a net—a process so intricate it looked more like crafting a fishing net. My attempts were a mess.
"Men are truly useless at this!" she scolded mercilessly. After much struggle, I managed to cobble together a somewhat passable red string net, only for her to demand I take it apart and practice again in the woods later.
"You're messing with me, aren't you?" I groaned. With my memory, I'd forget the pattern within minutes.
Next, she began teaching me Taoist hand seals and the Five Ghost Steps. "These are far more important than the red string," she said solemnly. "Without peachwood swords or talismans, these techniques are your only weapons against the ghost fetus."
"Wait, hold up—did you just say I have to face the ghost fetus?" I almost choked on my own spit.
"Of course. Who else?" she sighed, her tone uncharacteristically serious. "I'm trapped in my cocoon; my ability to help you is limited. But your pure yang constitution, combined with these techniques, should be enough to suppress the ghost fetus. Plus, the glutinous rice wine soaked into the coffin ground will wash away its murderous aura. After that, it'll be as harmless as a toothless snake. Nothing to worry about."
Her reassurances calmed me slightly, though the thought of facing a ghost fetus alone still made my skin crawl.
"One more thing," she added, "I can only transfer about ten percent of my spiritual energy to you. I'll help in emergencies, but you can't rely on me entirely. If I exhaust my energy, we're both doomed."
"Wow, this is what you call 'changing my luck,' huh? Feels like my bad luck's only gotten worse," I muttered with a bitter laugh.
Ignoring my complaints, she continued drilling me on the hand seals and Five Ghost Steps. Time flew by, and soon it was past nine. Hearing footsteps in the hallway as students returned to their rooms, I packed everything according to her instructions and snuck downstairs.
The woods in the southwest corner of campus were my destination. By night, this area felt like a separate world—deathly silent and suffused with an oppressive chill that clung to my skin like icy water. The trees cast warped, ghostly shadows that made my hair stand on end.
"Don't panic," Yanzi's voice echoed in my mind. "Feng Lan caused a ruckus all night; she won't show up before midnight."
"What if she decides to show up early?" I asked nervously.
"She won't. I'm the expert here!" she snapped.
Summoning my courage, I ventured deeper into the woods until Yanzi guided me to a suitable spot. She then had me recreate the red string net. As I worked, an unsettling feeling crept over me, like unseen eyes were watching from the darkness.
"Focus!" she barked when she noticed my distracted gaze.
"Just trying to lighten the mood," I muttered. "By the way, I let out a fart earlier. You feel that too?"
"You disgusting—ugh! Stop grossing me out!" she yelled.
"Gotcha! Just kidding," I chuckled. Oddly enough, the silly exchange helped calm my nerves.
After finishing the red string net, I placed it in the four cardinal directions as instructed, lit the incense, and poured the rice wine evenly across the soil within the net. The final step involved the protective mirror. Grimacing, I pricked my finger and used the blood to write the character "敕" (command) on the back of the mirror. The sharp pain made me curse Yanzi under my breath.
"Don't forget to kowtow nine times! Otherwise, the gods won't answer," she reminded me sternly.
Reluctantly, I knelt and banged my head against the ground nine times, my forehead sore by the end of it. That's when she suddenly burst into laughter.
"Ha! Fooled you again! You didn't need to do that at all!"
"You little—!" I fumed. Before I could finish, she cut me off.
"Enough. Focus up. Feng Lan's body and the ghost fetus are buried directly beneath you. Stay sharp, and don't mess this up!"
Her words froze me in place. The ghost fetus is right below me?! Why didn't you say that earlier?
I stared at the red string net, barely daring to breathe. All traces of humor vanished from my mind as I realized the gravity of what lay ahead.