Chapter Sixty-Six: Seeking Ghosts

As the story goes, the two found their souls light as swallows, and Zhang Song and Fang Yong soon arrived at the small grove where they once played hide-and-seek. The dawn was just breaking, casting a dim glow that allowed them to see the surroundings clearly.

Gradually, Zhang Song and Fang Yong walked deeper into the grove. Suddenly, shadows flickered among the trees before them. Something seemed to be hiding in the grass, or perhaps something was following them. In the distance, a figure flashed by, and behind them, a white-clad shape swayed, hunched over.

“So many dead here—what could this place have been?” Zhang Song gazed at the strange, shifting shadows around the grove; even a fool would know what these things were.

“Stop talking. Let’s hurry forward!”

Zhang Song and Fang Yong pressed on. Suddenly, a red hand reached out from behind and slapped Zhang Song’s shoulder.

“Why did you tap my shoulder?” Zhang Song asked, puzzled, glancing at Fang Yong.

“Who hit your shoulder?” Fang Yong replied, equally confused.

Then, at last, they realized there was a female ghost in red behind them, staring at them.

“Could it be…!” Zhang Song slowly turned his head and recognized the ghost as the woman he’d questioned at the crossroads days before. He had accidentally smashed his bowl of pork trotters, leaving the ghost without food; she must have been holding a grudge ever since.

The ghost seemed to recognize Zhang Song as well. Her pupils widened, blood tears filled her eyes, foul saliva dripped from her mouth, and she lunged straight at Zhang Song.

“Ghost!” Zhang Song could no longer suppress his fear and fled in terror, with the female ghost hot on his heels.

“Zhang Song, Zhang Song!” Fang Yong watched Zhang Song disappear into the distance and sighed, “Well, I’ll search on my own.”

In the silent grove, Fang Yong walked and shouted Lin Xue’s name. Occasionally, strange figures passed by, but after all he’d experienced, his courage had grown and he ignored them.

Gradually, time slipped by; in his soul-state, Fang Yong’s strength waned, and soon he sank to the ground, frustrated. “The whole grove is so big—where could she be hiding?”

He hung his head in resignation, when suddenly a pair of white, delicate feet appeared before him. Hesitant, he looked up and saw a girl in white watching him.

Her face was familiar, and in a flash Fang Yong remembered: she was the girl he’d helped by the construction site days ago.

“Are you a ghost?” Fang Yong sat up in fright and nervously retreated.

“Don’t be afraid. I know you’re here to find your friend. Thank you for that day. Though you were a step too late, if you’d come sooner, perhaps you could have saved me.”

“You only helped my soul escape, but my body was already behind you, buried under the steel bars after a loud crash. I could never return to it—what people call death.”

“But don’t worry. The underworld’s envoys have arranged for my reincarnation. You’re a good person, and though you couldn’t save me, I want to repay you.”

Her voice was gentle and refined, nothing like the face of a vengeful ghost.

“Oh, no need to thank me!” Fang Yong steadied himself. “It was the right thing to do.”

“You must know, you’ve provoked two little ghosts. The first came from your ghost-seeking game—serves you right. The second was angered when your friend urinated on it while relieving himself.”

“Little ghosts hold grudges even more than big ones, so the second joined the hide-and-seek game. Both are keeping your friend hidden, making it hard for you to find them.”

“What should I do now?” Fang Yong looked at the girl, feeling comforted to encounter such a gentle soul amid danger.

“Head southeast. There’s a large locust tree. Beneath it hides a toy belonging to one of the little ghosts. Find that toy, and the ghost will come to you. That way, only one little ghost will still be hiding your friend, making your search easier.”

After speaking, the girl’s form gradually faded. “I must go now. Be careful!”

Fang Yong watched her fade away. “So kind souls are white—so enchanting.”

“What are you waiting for? Go save your friend!” she reminded him.

“Alright!” Fang Yong dared not delay and hurried southeast toward the locust tree as instructed.

Meanwhile, Zhang Song kept running, the female ghost relentlessly chasing him. In the next moment, Zhang Song’s soul was too exhausted; he gave up and plopped down on the ground. “That’s it, I can’t run anymore. Kill me if you want, do as you please.”

He closed his eyes, resigned to his fate.

“Your pork trotters were delicious. I could smell their aroma, but they got mixed up with the shattered bowl—I couldn’t eat them!” The female ghost in red, upon catching Zhang Song, stopped, surprisingly calm. “I loved pork trotters when I was alive. Could you offer them when you pay respects next time? I have nothing to give you, but I can tell you where your friend is. Is that alright?”

“Wh—what!” Zhang Song slowly opened his eyes, surprised to find that the ghost’s relentless pursuit was over such a simple matter.

“So you just wanted pork trotters! You should have said so. I’ll buy you as many as you want! You scared me half to death!” Zhang Song stood up. The ghost’s face was deathly pale, half mangled as if run over by a car.

“You said it, don’t lie to me!” The ghost covered half her face with her hair, clearly self-conscious.

“What’s the point? Ghosts don’t care about looks. Living people are terrified all the same!” Zhang Song replied casually.

“You…!” The female ghost seemed about to get angry, but recalling the tantalizing pork trotters Zhang Song had once offered at the crossroads, she swallowed her resentment. “Forget it. There’s a friend of mine in this grove who slit her wrists over young love. Her soul saw your friend and the little ghost blocking her.”

“Just head northwest, and you’ll find them. That’s all—don’t forget my pork trotters!”

“Alright, no problem. Farewell!”