When Qian Luo followed Yin Tong to the ground floor of the construction site, she didn’t find it particularly intimidating, just a bit dim. Yin Tong pointed out the location of the accident: “As you can see, this central atrium is massive. You can overlook it from the second and third floors. There were supposed to be guardrails, but because it’s under construction, they hadn’t been installed yet when the incident happened.”
Qian Luo asked, puzzled, “Why would a famous actress come here in the first place?”
“That, I have no way of knowing,” Yin Tong replied. “I’m counting on you to find out.” She added, “If you have no further questions, I’ll take my leave. Please remember to leave early once you’ve finished looking around.”
Qian Luo nodded. “Understood.”
After saying goodbye, Yin Tong returned to the main building. Since the two structures were connected, she instructed the security guard: “There’s someone still in the back building who hasn’t come out yet. Remember not to lock the door.”
Seeing it was the Zhou family’s chief manager, the guard replied instantly, “Of course, of course. Don’t you worry.”
By now, it was late, and employees were steadily trickling out for the day.
What Yin Tong didn’t know was that the secretary had just come out after a severe scolding. The manager, unable to vent his rage at Zhou Hailing or Qian Luo, had dumped all his frustration onto her. “She’s a clueless rookie! Why didn’t you explain everything? Do I have to teach you your job? Am I supposed to personally train every new typist? What did I hire you for? To pour coffee?”
As the secretary emerged, she happened to hear Yin Tong telling the guard not to lock the back building.
The back building… where the crime scene is? A cold smile touched the secretary’s lips.
It feels good to drag everyone down with you, doesn’t it? Fine. Let’s see how you feel after spending a night in a place where someone died. Maybe then you’ll realize what you’ve done.
She smiled sweetly and, as she walked past, quietly turned the key, locking the only exit from the outside.
…
2.
Qian Luo spent a long time walking up and down the building. She decided that jumping from here would require immense courage; the concrete floor below looked painfully hard even from a distance.
Qian Luo’s spiritual sensitivity was extraordinarily high—the only one in the ghost-tamer lineage who could actually communicate with spirits. Others could only reach the stage of “seeing,” never “hearing.” This was why they usually communicated through “Black Cats,” who were seen as god-like mediums. Night was one such spirit cat, revered and supported by the entire sect.
Thinking of this, Qian Luo actually started to miss the girl. Even if Night was fierce and about as far from “cute” as one could get, Qian Luo really wanted to talk to her right now.
She decided to swallow her pride and call her to discuss the “History of Dried Fish Development,” but when she reached into her pocket, she realized she hadn’t brought her phone.
Qian Luo: …Well, I guess the universe doesn’t want us to make up.
Just then, a sudden blast of cold wind whistled past her back.
Instead of being scared, Qian Luo felt a surge of excitement. Someone died here—a beautiful woman at that. Maybe I can find a gorgeous ghost to flirt with?
She brightened up, searching the shadows. “Hey! Don’t be scared. I didn’t bring any ritual tools, I won’t hurt you… Come out and play?”
Silence followed.
After wandering for a while without finding so much as a shadow, she began to feel disappointed. She turned to head back, dejected that she wouldn’t be having a “ghostly encounter” today.
But as she walked toward the door, a white blur caught the corner of her eye. Heart racing, she looked up.
A young girl in a white nightgown was running frantically from behind a pillar. She was slightly out of breath, her cheeks flushed with a tempting rosy hue.
She leaned against a pillar, panting, and suddenly noticed Qian Luo. Her beautiful, deer-like eyes lifted, shimmering with an amber light that was breathtakingly lovely.
The girl was about to speak when her face paled in terror. “Watch out!”
Qian Luo snapped to attention. She felt a sharp, foul wind approaching from behind. Every muscle in her body tensed as she spun around, her hand instinctively reaching for the sword at her waist—
But as she completed the turn, her heart skipped a beat.
She had just met a girl as beautiful as an immortal, and now she was facing a creature from the depths of hell! The female ghost lunging at her reeked of blood. Her skull was fractured, her eyes full of malice, as she pounced through the air.
Unlike the “soul” she had just seen, this one had become a Vengeful Spirit due to her deep resentment.
For a ghost-tamer, a Vengeful Spirit is a target that must be neutralized!
Qian Luo saw the ghost’s arrogant charge and smirked. You dare sneak up on me? Do you even know who I am? I am the closed-door disciple of the great ghost-tamer sect—
Her hand reached her waist… and then patted her left side… then her right…
She… had… forgotten… her… tools!
Who carries a peach-wood sword to an office job?!
The ghost was already upon her. Behind her, the soul of the beautiful girl let out a scream of terror. Qian Luo leaped backward, narrowly avoiding the swipe.
I can’t lose face in front of a beauty!
In a flash, Qian Luo assessed the situation. This Vengeful Spirit was consumed by malice and was hunting its own kind to increase its power. The little beauty behind her was just a soul—no resentment, no combat power—and had become prey.
Normally, subduing a fresh ghost like this would take minutes, but without her tools, what could she do? She wasn’t too worried about herself, but it would be a tragedy if the little beauty got eaten!
Qian Luo skipped over to the girl’s side. “Don’t be afraid, I’ll protect—”
Before she could finish, the girl shoved her hard. In that split second, the ghost’s claws raked through the air exactly where Qian Luo had been standing.
Qian Luo stumbled away, calling out, “Th-thanks for that!”
The girl was clever, using the terrain to evade the ghost’s attacks. She turned her pure, beautiful eyes toward Qian Luo and shouted, “Quick, get out of here! It can’t leave this place!”
Qian Luo noticed the ghost was ignoring her and focusing entirely on the girl. “Come with me!”
The girl darted between the pillars. “The sun hasn’t set yet; I can’t leave…”
Only then did Qian Luo notice a thin sliver of the setting sun’s afterglow peeking through a window not covered by plastic sheeting, casting a long shadow on the floor.
The girl seemed to know the layout well; knowing the spirit couldn’t phase through walls yet, she used the pillars to play a deadly game of hide-and-seek. “Go, quickly! She gets stronger once night falls…”
Qian Luo looked for a way out but yelled back, “What about you?”
The girl bit her crimson lip. “I’m already… dead anyway…”
“Nonsense!” Qian Luo roared. “If she eats you, your soul will be extinguished! You’ll lose your chance at reincarnation!”
The girl turned her delicate face to look at her stubbornly. “Then what else can I do?”
Qian Luo knew that a frenzied spirit has poor perception; it could only hear fragments of their conversation. She suddenly remembered she had small talismans in her bag. “Hold on just a bit longer! I’m going to get something to stop her!”
She sprinted across the debris toward the main door. At her speed, she could grab her bag and the talismans in just a few minutes.
She grabbed the door handle and twisted.
It was like it had been welded shut. No matter how much strength she used, it wouldn’t budge.
Qian Luo froze. She threw her weight into it, twisting with all her might.
The door was locked firmly from the outside. This wasn’t something that could be opened from the inside by force.
In that moment, Qian Luo understood.
They were trapped.
She turned to look at that single ray of evening light. Time was running out. Once the sun sank completely below the horizon and the tide of darkness rushed in—
They would both likely become the next victims of this vengeful thing.