Chapter 28

Unlike the hot summer wind, this gust swirled, carrying a chill, lifting the paper money I had scattered on the ground to comfort the deceased, making the night seem inexplicably desolate and mysterious.

My body moved slightly, instinctively wanting to get closer to Old Zhou because I could feel that this wind was caused by a heavy presence of yin energy, not a natural breeze. But in the end, I just took a puff of my cigarette, standing still, because I saw a vague figure approaching Old Zhou not far away.

This figure looked rather 'ethereal,' lacking the solidity of a real person. Just a glance told me that with Old Zhou's call, something had heard and responded. Whether it was the real deal or not, I couldn't be sure due to the distance.

After all, the yin energy here was so heavy that I had already determined there was more than one ghost. The reason I didn't move was that I feared if it was the real deal, my rash actions might startle it.

My spiritual senses were not outstanding, and my Heavenly Eye was unreliable. I could 'see' now because I used a unique breathing technique from my master to suppress my yang energy, more thoroughly than when I investigated in Zhang Yang's house. I was almost in a state where my soul was half out of my body.

In this state, I could freely release my spiritual energy. Even someone with no spiritual senses could see the unusual 'scenery' in the dark night.

Compared to me, who saw the figure from a distance, Old Zhou, as an ordinary person, didn't notice anything. In the cold, swirling wind, he just shivered and continued to call out the name of the female ghost.

I wasn't sure if time could wear down one's courage, but his voice grew smaller, and he looked at me more often. I pretended not to see him, not wanting to give him the impression that he could back out at any time. I had to make him understand that I was also helpless and he had to face it.

This wind, with its 'howling' sound, seemed particularly eerie in the summer night with the moon. I even saw a security guard in the lit security room peek out the window fearfully, then quickly retreat and slam the window shut.

It seemed he was also scared by the abnormality, but who would bother to investigate in such a night? The position where Old Zhou and I were was conveniently in his blind spot. I could see him, but he couldn't see us.

"Fortune favors the brave, saving us the trouble." I muttered to myself, trying to ease my own tension. I realized the yin energy was too abnormal, and the scale of this eerie presence felt suppressed. I wondered what would happen if the source of the suppression loosened and it erupted completely?

This judgment wasn't just a guess or based on feelings; it was based on details. With each of Old Zhou's calls, the wind grew stronger, like a pre-storm gale. The unsecured windows of the old teaching building rattled in the wind.

If the yin energy had been this heavy from the start, this wouldn't have happened.

I frowned, hoping it wouldn't. I didn't want to cause trouble; I just wanted to solve Old Zhou's problem. Deep down, I lacked confidence. I had no one to compare myself to, no idea of my own abilities. My previous experiences off the mountain were with my master and senior brother.

I thought they were much more capable than me. Many things didn't require my intervention, and often, I didn't even understand what was happening before they had already resolved it.

If the yin energy here erupted and the real source appeared, could I handle it? Thinking about this, my palms grew sweaty, and I realized how naive I had been. I wanted to be part of the so-called 'world of the living,' but what did I have to offer?

In such a oppressive and stressful environment, my thoughts were chaotic, but they were quickly drawn to Old Zhou's low cry.

At this moment, I saw the figure that was previously at a distance was now less than 5 meters away from Old Zhou. Old Zhou, who had been calling out "Zhao Ying, Zhao Ying," finally saw it. Caught off guard, he couldn't help but cry out and sit on the ground, but instinctively covered his mouth.

Not bad! This was my evaluation of Old Zhou. If a coward were here, they would have wet their pants, but at least they would have screamed.

I had warned him not to shout, as it could attract unrelated ordinary people, making things complicated. How complicated, I didn't need to explain; Old Zhou understood.

Remembering to cover his mouth showed he hadn't lost his wits. The ethereal figure clearly wasn't human.

I squinted and carefully examined the figure, confirming it was Zhao Ying. Although I didn't want to recall it, I had seen her body in the morgue. That night's memory was unpleasant, but her blood-curdling cry was unforgettable.

"You came." Zhao Ying stood in front of Old Zhou, who was terrified, and she spoke first.

Since I was in a half-out-of-body state, I could naturally hear her. Zhao Ying didn't seem to notice me, or at least didn't avoid me.

"Ah, I, ah, came." Zhao Ying didn't try to scare them; at least the image she presented to Old Zhou and me was very normal. She was a girl in ordinary casual clothes, pale but pretty, with a strong student vibe. No wonder Old Zhou had said the corpse was beautiful, and it was a pity she died so young.

But the living and the dead are separated. Ghosts, though they communicate through thoughts, sound like normal speech to those who can hear them. Without a physical body, their voices are not very 'pleasant,' ethereal and filled with a strange quality, enough to scare many people just by the sound.

Suddenly seeing a ghost and hearing its voice, Old Zhou was certainly afraid, but I admired his better-than-expected performance. At least he had the courage to respond.

The hardest part is the beginning. As long as Old Zhou dared to speak first, it shouldn't be a problem afterward. The rest was just a matter of negotiation. Thinking this, I relaxed slightly and shifted my attention away from Old Zhou.

Instead, I was deeply worried about the gathering yin energy. As it grew stronger, I had no way to deal with it.

Moreover, the strong wind seemed to have intensified. A cloud covered the moon, making the night even darker.

"You help me find him, you must help me find him, please." I hadn't paid much attention to Old Zhou's conversation with the female ghost earlier, focusing on the yin energy. Now, with the cloud covering the moon, the yin energy stabilized, and I noticed their conversation again.

I wasn't sure what had been said before, but the female ghost seemed quite agitated. As she spoke, I saw black energy rising around her, clearly indicating her suppressed resentment.

At this moment, I straightened slightly, ready to act if anything went wrong, even though I had set up an array for Old Zhou, I was still worried.

"Miss, I'm not unwilling to help. As I said, I don't have the ability. I don't understand why you came to me," Old Zhou tried to explain to the female ghost.

"Because you were the first to come to the morgue that day, and you saw what I saw, the image I wanted to convey," the female ghost said, seeing that Old Zhou hadn't completely refused. She showed him a side profile, but her eyes were filled with hope.

I also felt sorry for Old Zhou, who had the misfortune to be the first to enter the morgue after the incident and, due to his low fortune, encountered a ghost wall, seeing the image of the person who had harmed Zhao Ying.

It must have been. According to the image Zhao Ying conveyed, the hand that left the blood print on the wall and a pair of men's feet.

"Ah, miss, seeing it doesn't mean I have the ability. Actually, people believe in being buried in peace. I sympathize with your plight, being defiled without cause. But if your life is over, why not reincarnate well? Why let hate delay you? I can try to get your body and give you a proper burial. I know I owe you a life, and every year I..." I found that Old Zhou had the potential to be a spiritual medium. After easing some of his tension, his words were quite convincing.

But at this moment, Zhao Ying seemed extremely agitated, her body surrounded by black energy (which Old Zhou couldn't see). She suddenly shouted, "You're lying to me, you're lying to me. If you don't have the ability, how did you summon me before? How did you know to call me out in this place on this night? You don't want to help me, you're lying. You must help me find him, find him."

It seemed the female ghost had misunderstood Old Zhou. I instinctively moved closer, thinking I had to intervene in this matter.

At this moment, I heard a sound of something breaking, and my heart sank to the bottom.