Chapter Thirteen: The Spirit of the Contract Scroll

Half an hour later!

Fang You hailed a cab and arrived straight at No. 32, Qingshui Street, just as mentioned in the phone call.

This was a street lined with buildings of an old-fashioned style, reminiscent of the retro architecture of the 1980s, with a certain air of a bygone era’s dance hall.

Following the house numbers, Fang You stopped in front of No. 32.

“Hello, is anyone there?” Fang You knocked politely. A moment later, the door creaked open, and a pair of small eyes peered out. “Are you Fang You, the young Taoist from the other day?”

“Yes, that’s me!” Fang You replied.

Before he could finish, the person inside darted out and threw her arms around him. “I know what the problem is now! I’m so scared, I don’t know what to do!”

Fang You recognized the woman—it was Lin Xue, the student from before. At this moment, Lin Xue clung to him so tightly it was hard for him to breathe.

“Please, let go first. Miss, if you’ve already found out what’s causing—”

Suddenly, Fang You sensed something was off. Lin Xue’s body was utterly cold, just like a corpse drained of life.

Worse yet, her grip was growing even tighter, with the strength more akin to that of a grown man.

“Damn it...!” Fang You felt as if his bones were about to snap. Despite being an adult man himself, he couldn’t break free. In his panic, he bit his tongue, and spat a mouthful of blood onto Lin Xue.

The tip of the tongue is the seat of a person’s strongest life force; blood from this spot is especially potent, able to harm any spirit or demon.

As soon as the blood landed on Lin Xue, white smoke billowed from her body and she shrieked, recoiling.

“Damn Taoist, meddlesome fool! They were willing, and I only came to reclaim what is rightfully mine!”

At this, Lin Xue’s voice suddenly turned rough and harsh, like that of a grown man.

In a flash, Fang You understood: Lin Xue had been possessed by a ghost.

There are three lanterns on a person: one on the crown of the head and two on the shoulders. When a person feels fear, the flames of these lanterns weaken. The more terrified you are in the face of ghosts, the weaker your aura becomes, making you no match for them. In Lin Xue’s case, all three lanterns had been extinguished; her body was cold, no longer alive in essence, nearing true death.

Realizing this, Fang You wasted no time. He raised his peachwood sword, pressed a talisman to the blade, and thrust it toward Lin Xue.

“Stupid Taoist, mind your own business!” Lin Xue snarled, leaping onto the wall.

But Fang You pointed the sword, talisman alight, at Lin Xue: “Mao Mountain Spirit-Banishing Order—Fire Pardon!”

A tongue of fire raced along the talisman and, as the sword struck out, shot straight at Lin Xue on the wall.

“You can’t change anything!” Lin Xue screamed, falling from the wall to the ground. A pitch-black spirit burst out of her body.

It was the soul of a man.

“They belonged to me all along...” the dark spirit muttered as it sank into the earth.

“Lin Xue, are you all right?” Fang You rushed over and caught her.

“Quick... quick...” Lin Xue mumbled weakly. “I know why we’ve been haunted by this evil ghost!”

“Some time ago, a family saw my photography. They said they admired it, and at first, we got along well. But one day, their son died unexpectedly, and my classmate Lin Qiu and I attended his funeral.

There, the family made a strange request. They wanted effigies of a boy and a girl, modeled after me and Lin Qiu, to be burned for their deceased son. They said he had liked us in life and hoped it would comfort him in the afterlife.

We refused at first, but they offered a generous reward, and grieving for their loss, we relented. I took photos of myself and Lin Qiu and sent them as references. That must have been when it all began...”

At these words, everything became clear to Fang You. “You’ve been bound by a spirit contract. In ancient times, when someone of status died, the household would have their servants’ likenesses made into paper figures to be burned with the deceased. It meant the servants would continue to serve in the afterlife.

And from what you said, you agreed because of the reward. So the spirit has every reason to claim your souls, to serve the dead below.”

As Lin Xue finished speaking, she collapsed, unconscious.

“Oh no!” Fang You checked her—her breath was shallow, face ashen. Her soul was clearly incomplete. The dark male ghost must have taken a fragment of her soul before leaving. If he didn’t recover it soon, at best she would be left an imbecile, at worst her soul would scatter and she would die.

He gently laid Lin Xue on the bed.

“The most urgent thing now is to find that ghost and negotiate for the return of Lin Xue’s soul. If this drags on, she won’t last much longer. But after that battle, the ghost isn’t likely to show itself again. What now?”

“The Tung Pine Grove—the man’s grave is in the Tung Pine Grove!”

A faint voice sounded behind Fang You.

He turned to see a delicate-looking young woman, her face gentle but her body covered in wounds, her clothes torn nearly to rags.

“And you are?” Fang You asked, regarding the fragile, injured spirit who looked like a college student.

“I’m Lin Qiu, Lin Xue’s good friend. He trapped me in his grave. This is the second time I’ve managed to escape. Please, help us!” The battered spirit pleaded, “I can sense you’re a capable Taoist. Please save me. I don’t want to be trapped there forever. I’d rather be annihilated than spend another moment in that place!”

Fang You felt deep respect for Lin Qiu’s indomitable spirit—she was the very image of a chaste and resolute woman.

“I am Fang You, last disciple of Mao Mountain. I will see this through—rest assured, I will save you from this torment!”