After staring into the darkness for a solid twenty minutes, the ghostly girl finally instructed me to light the candles and three sticks of incense. Then she had me form the "Nine-Colored Lotus Seal" with my hands—something I had just learned tonight—while muttering a mantra. Whatever those words were, I promptly forgot them after saying them.
The flickering candlelight cast shifting shadows of the trees around me, amplifying the eerie atmosphere. The scent of the burning incense, mingling with the damp night air, evoked memories of funeral rites—those distinct minglings of candle wax, liquor, and burning paper offerings. It sent chills straight to my core.
Speaking of funerals, back in my hometown, traditional wake tents were still a common sight. Although cremation is now the norm, families often encase the ashes in coffins and adhere to elaborate rituals. I vividly remembered staying up to keep vigil during my grandparents' wake. And now, surrounded by four flickering candles, it felt like I was back in one of those tents again, facing the same hair-raising chills of a "soul-calling" night.
"Damn it," I muttered to myself. Why am I recalling this at a time like this?
Suddenly, a faint, eerie sound emanated from beneath the ground covered by the red rope net—a noise somewhere between the chirping of insects and the labored breathing of an infant. The sheer creepiness of the sound in the silent woods made my skin crawl.
"The rice wine is working. The ghost fetus is being purified, shedding its malevolent energy like molting skin," the ghost girl said with apparent satisfaction.
That revelation widened my eyes, my heart pounding against my chest. A sudden worry struck me. "But won't Feng Lan react to this and come for us?"
The ghost girl chuckled coldly. "She's in no condition to. You think those four candles are just for ambiance? They're the 'Four Spirit Flames,' designed to suppress vengeful spirits. And the red rope net? That's a 'Deadlock Burial Trap,' capable of sealing any malevolent spirit. Feng Lan's corpse and her ghostly essence are trapped beneath it. Whether she likes it or not, she and that ghost fetus will both endure this purification."
That explanation gave me some solace. But the thought of breaking into the burial site and facing the ghost fetus still left me shivering. "Wait… breaking into it? Are we actually digging into the ground?"
"Of course! How else are we going to finish them off? Their bodies need to be burned to ash to stop them from harming anyone."
"But you said earlier that breaking the burial ground was a big no-no!"
"You really don't pay attention, do you? Didn't I say you'd have to fight the ghost fetus? How else would you do that without breaking the ground?"
I felt a surge of frustration. How had I not realized this sooner? "Fine, I'll just fight some crickets or something instead," I mumbled sarcastically.
Realizing there was no way out, I focused on the patch of earth, trying to brace myself. Meanwhile, the ghost girl, oblivious to my rising anxiety, started humming a tune. Seriously? Who gets cheerful at a time like this? Worse, the song was "Farewell, My Friend."
"Can you not hum that song? It feels like you're sending me straight to the gates of hell."
"Fine," she teased. "How about a funeral dirge instead?"
I nearly collapsed on the spot. "You know what? Stick to 'Farewell, My Friend.' That's less ominous."
She burst out laughing, switching to a peppy tune: "Peach Blossoms Blooming." Somehow, the upbeat lyrics—"I'm waiting for your return"—managed to calm my nerves slightly.
Lost in thought, I was jolted back to the present by an abrupt change in the sound from beneath the ground. The faint noises had grown louder, more intense, and the soil itself began to tremble. My heart sank. Is the ghost fetus trying to claw its way out?
"Don't panic," she reassured me. "That little monster is in agony right now. Without Feng Lan holding it back, it would've crawled out already. Stay focused."
I wiped the cold sweat off my forehead, but just as I started to relax, a chilling voice pierced the silence: "Why are you hurting my child and me? Why?"
It was Feng Lan.
My heart raced as I stared at the trembling ground, my body frozen in terror.
"Ignore her," the ghost girl instructed firmly. "She's weaker than the fetus right now. Soon, she won't even have the strength to whimper."
Feng Lan fell silent after her haunting plea. The soil's movements intensified, with the candles trembling on the verge of tipping over.
"Time's up," the ghost girl announced. "Start by forming the 'Thunder Seal' and walking the Five Ghost Steps. Circle the area nine times while chanting the mantra."
"What mantra? You never taught me that!" I protested.
"Just repeat after me. Hurry!"
Following her lead, I clasped my hands into the Thunder Seal, awkwardly stepping through the Five Ghost Steps as I chanted: "The heavens above, the earth below, I summon the five ghost soldiers to my aid. With iron chains and hooks, bind their souls to my will…"
After nine rotations and recitations, the soil's tremors subsided, leaving the ground eerily still.
"Good job," she praised. "You've got potential for Taoist techniques. Now grab the shovel and start digging."
Trembling, I picked up the small spade I'd brought along. Per her instructions, I lifted the net and began digging into the still-damp earth.
The deeper I dug, the more my hands shook, sweat mixing with the dirt. After reaching about two feet, the soil turned a deep reddish-brown—eerily resembling bloodstains.
"Relax," she said calmly. "The soil is just soaked with the ghost fetus' accumulated energy. It's normal."
Normal for you, I thought bitterly. You're a ghost. I'm just a guy who'd rather be anywhere else right now.
With a deep breath, I forced myself to keep digging. At about three feet deep, my spade hit something soft. Brushing aside the soil, I revealed a piece of red fabric. My heart nearly stopped. Feng Lan's dress?
Beside the fabric, a small, withered finger jutted out from the earth—its sharp, claw-like nail pointing straight at me.