The situation was obviously suspicious. A dead body would stink in this heat, let alone a living person. The landlady wouldn't let me look closer, perhaps fearing her daughter under the blanket was scantily clad. If the blanket got kicked off, I might see something inappropriate.
After closing the door firmly, the landlady didn't even offer me a seat. She plopped down on an old-fashioned brown leather sofa, her face clouded with worry. Lighting a cigarette, she took two deep drags and sighed heavily.
The cheeky ghost girl instantly assessed the problem and whispered to me, "That girl has a malicious spirit attached to her. I can't discern what it is while I'm stuck in this cocoon, but it doesn't seem like a ghost. It's more likely some kind of entity, perhaps a timid spirit that hides in dark places. That's why it gets scared easily. This entity has strong yin energy, which is why the girl feels cold even in this scorching weather."
Not a ghost but a spirit—basically a demon. My world keeps getting wilder. Now there are demons too. I wonder if it's a bone demon, a spider demon, or, hopefully, a fox demon—those are my favorite!
"Forget what it is. Just tell me how to get rid of it," I muttered, covering my mouth.
"You think it's like shooing a fly away? Banishing spirits is like traditional Chinese medicine: you need observation, inquiry, diagnosis, and precision. First, find out where she's been recently, then examine her spiritual acupoints up close. Finally, use the 'Heaven's Eye Seal' to trace the energy and identify the entity. Only then can we deal with it." The ghost girl gave me a mini-lecture.
Not long ago, she had taught me all her secret hand seals and techniques. The "Heaven's Eye Seal," also known as the "Ghost Eye Technique," was particularly effective for detecting possessed entities. But in this case, the landlady would never let me uncover her underdressed daughter and touch her.
"I've hired a few exorcists and shamans, but none could figure out what's wrong with Moxi," the landlady sighed, blowing out a puff of smoke. "Someone recommended Mr. Ding, but he charges exorbitantly—2,000 just for a consultation, and a full treatment costs 20,000 to 30,000. I can't afford that."
Mr. Ding must be a famous exorcist in town. The more renowned the master, the steeper the fees. Even with the money, you'd still need to wait days to get an appointment.
I felt sorry for the old lady. For the wealthy, 20,000 to 30,000 was nothing, but for ordinary folks like us, it was a fortune. Her income depended on cleaning jobs and rental payments. Her rebellious daughter's expenses probably drained all her earnings. She likely didn't even have 2,000 to spare now.
I sighed inwardly and said, "Ma'am, there's no need to waste money. I think I can help Moxi."
She gave me a skeptical smile. "Those exorcists and shamans said the same thing. In the end, they were all scared off by Moxi."
They couldn't compare to me! With my budding spiritual skills and my ghostly strategist, I wasn't invincible but could surely handle minor spirits or demons.
"Let me give it a shot. At least—" I began, but a sharp scream from Moxi's room cut me off. A series of crashes followed.
The landlady's cigarette trembled in her hand, and her fearful eyes widened. "She's awake…"
"Don't worry. Let me take a look," I said, standing up.
She grabbed my arm anxiously. "Young man, don't act brave. You might get scared to death!"
I gently freed myself and reassured her, "It'll be fine, ma'am. Trust me."
Seeing my determination, she nodded reluctantly and cautiously opened the door a crack. Peeking inside, she froze in shock. I leaned over her shoulder to see for myself. The bed was empty. As she opened the door wider, there was no sign of her daughter anywhere in the room.
We both looked up simultaneously—and froze in terror.
A pale, slender figure was crawling along the ceiling like a lizard. It was Moxi, wearing nothing but underwear and a bra. Her limbs clung firmly to the smooth ceiling, and her long hair hung down, obscuring her face, except for two eerie, flickering black eyes peeking through.
The landlady clutched her chest and collapsed to the floor, speechless with fright.
I quickly caught her, cold sweat dripping down my back. What the hell was this? It looked just as creepy as that ghost fetus!
Noticing me, Moxi recoiled in fear. In a flash, she scurried across the ceiling to the opposite corner, slid down the wall, and hid behind the bed. Her speed was unnervingly fast, sending shivers down my spine.
"Don't be afraid. It's timid. As long as you don't provoke it, it won't attack. Let's observe for now," the ghost girl advised.
I held the trembling landlady with one arm and steadied my pounding heart with the other. From behind the bed, Moxi's head slowly emerged, cautiously peeking to see if I was still there. Our eyes met, and we both screamed.
It wasn't cowardice on my part. Her face wasn't the sweet, innocent face she used to have. Instead, it was grotesquely veined with root-like patterns, purple and black tendrils bulging under her skin. Even in broad daylight, the sight was spine-chilling.
Moxi immediately ducked back behind the bed, followed by crashing sounds as she scurried frantically around the room, colliding with walls and furniture.
The landlady quickly shut the door and helped me back to the sofa. Panting heavily, she asked, "Are you okay?"
What a joke! My legs felt like jelly.
"I'm fine," I said, feigning confidence.
The ghost girl spoke again, "The entity on her seems to be a tree spirit. Ask the landlady if her daughter recently visited any forests or mountains."
I turned to the landlady. "Has Moxi been anywhere recently, like a forest?"
The landlady stared at me for a long moment, puzzled by how I was still alive. After a pause, she retrieved a pink backpack from the sofa, pulled out a camera, and said, "Moxi went to Henan with her classmates a few days ago. Here are some photos she took. See for yourself."
I flipped through the recent pictures on the camera. Despite the sunny scenes, a chill crept up my spine. Then, one particular image shocked me.
It was Xiaoxiang. I'd recognize her anywhere, even in the afterlife.
In the photo, she was in a dark, eerie environment, covered in blood. Her outstretched hand reached for something in the shadows—a faintly visible wooden object, its peeling paint exuding an aura of death. Near her fingertips, a strange circular symbol on the ground caught my eye. It resembled the paper money used in funeral rites.