The layout of Tengda Plaza is apparently the same all over the world.
The first and second floors are for shopping, the third floor has restaurants and a cinema, and in the middle of each floor is a wide open atrium, with escalators connecting each level through the center, leaving anyone with a fear of heights feeling completely unsafe.
“Just three months ago, a girl fell from the escalator. It was a terrible death,” Xiaoyue recalled. “Everyone suspects that the Resentful Ghost causing trouble this time is actually the Soul of that girl.”
“Which escalator did she fall from?”
“This one.”
Xiaoyue pointed right in front of me.
The bloodstains had long since been cleaned up, and the escalator was running as usual, with no barricade around it.
“These escalators have open sides and the handrails are really low. If a tall person loses their balance even a little, they could fall straight down. But people are so used to it, nobody seems to care,” Xiaoyue shrugged.
“But if youโre careful, you shouldnโt fall. How did that girl end up falling?”
“The surveillance footage was strangeโฆ She looked like she was pushed, but at the time, she was the only one on the escalator. There was no one else. Itโs very creepy.”
I see.
Looks like there really are a lot of ghosts.
“Qingyun Sect, search the third floor! Yuzhen Sect, search the second floor! Qianji Sect, search the first floor! Hurry! Find her Haunted Object!”
The Daoists dashed off, scattering in all directions.
But I wasnโt in any hurry.
“When dealing with Ling Entities with deep obsessions, itโs better to guide than to block, and better to lead than to force. I suppose as a Psychiatrist, you understand this even better than I do.”
Xiaoyue pondered, “โฆHow do we lead it? Itโs too aggressive.”
“Itโs aggressive because we canโt communicate. We donโt understand what itโs trying to express. But if we could understand, things would be much simpler.”
“Hmm?”
“If you want to know the truth of what happened, what could be simpler than asking the person involved directly?”
“Butโฆ Iโm not a ghost, I canโt understand ghost language.”
“Youโre not, but your Immortal Spirit is!”
Xiaoyue stared in shock at the white sheet beside her. “My Little Ah Piao?”
“Little Ah Piao is a ghost. Ghosts have no problem communicating with each other.
At the same time, Little Ah Piao is your Immortal Spirit. Iโve seen it use the spirit-writing method to write on newspapers beforeโฆ That proves it can communicate with humans, too.”
“Little Ah Piaoโฆ is that amazing?!”
“Yeah,” I pressed my hand to my forehead and glanced at the fake Daoists, “These idiots, all they know is how to show off. Your ability is so important for exorcising ghosts, yet they never use itโฆ Sister Layperson, let them see the power of the Kirin Temple Leader next, not mine.”
“Stop right now!”
Once again, Xiaoyue charged into the fray.
Her gentle face was still swollen and bruised from the beating sheโd just received.
Not angry? Of course she was, but thatโs how Psychiatrists are. Always getting hit, cursed, and sometimes even chased with a knife by patients. Xiaoyue had gotten used to it.
“Xiao Luo Xianโs words reminded meโฆ Maybe I shouldnโt treat you as an enemy,” she tried hard to smile at the ghost, “Actually, youโre my patient.”
Even the ghost was stunned and froze.
What is this woman doing?
“Xiaoyue! Are you crazy?! Get out of the way! Thatโs a Resentful Ghost! Itโll kill you!” Yuzhen Daoist shouted anxiously.
“No, if she wanted to kill, she would have done it already,” Xiaoyue shook her head. “All this time, sheโs only been stopping us from entering the building. Sheโs had plenty of chances to kill, but never didโฆ This doesnโt seem like a dangerous killer Resentful Ghost.”
“Just because she didnโt kill before doesnโt mean she wonโt now! Daoists have already rushed into the building, this Resentful Ghost is worried weโll find her Haunted Objectโsheโll snap if sheโs cornered!”
“Youโve watched too many movies,” I couldnโt help but interrupt, “Not all vengeful ghosts need a Haunted Object. Once they manifest as ghosts, theyโve already left their Corpse behind and become something else. Even if you cremate her Corpse, she wonโt disappear.”
Yuzhen Daoist froze, muttering, “That doesnโt fit the law of entropy increaseโฆ”
“In any case! Please hold your fire for now!” Xiaoyue spread her arms wide. “I have reason to believe sheโs been desperately stopping outsiders from coming in because sheโs protecting you! I need to figure out whatโs really going on!”
“How will you do that?”
“With the little one you all look down onโmy Immortal Spirit.”
Xiaoyue sent Little Ah Piao forward to approach the ghost.
That mosaic-like evil spirit actually calmed down and didnโt attack.
“Grumyu~*&!๏ผ#”
Little Ah Piao made strange sounds to communicate with the ghost.
The ghostโs black mist rippled.
Little Ah Piao nodded in sudden understanding.
“Myuga?&#โฆโฆ@?”
“Huluhulu~”
Before long, Little Ah Piao floated back.
“Looks like theyโve finished communicating.”
Xiaoyue took out her phone and placed it flat on the ground, screen facing up.
She and I sat face-to-face on either side of the phone.
She took out a stylus and stood it upright on the phone.
Then both of us pressed our fingers on either side of the stylus.
She began to chant the summoning words respectfully:
“Pen fairy, pen fairy, do you prefer Wubi or Pinyin?”
The little ghost slipped into the stylus, and the stylus began to move in a strange way.
It slid over to the bottom left corner, to the input method switch bar.
Handwriting.
“Tap tap tap tapโโ”
Then the stylus began to move quickly, writing two terrifying words in the input box.
[Run!!!]
“Why?”
[Resentful Ghost! The real killer Resentful Ghost is hiding in the cinema! It kills everyone it sees, itโs already killed several people!]
“The third floor? Qingyun Sect is searching the third floorโฆ Oh no! Qingyun Sect is all physical types! Qingyue Daoist is there!”
Just then, a womanโs scream came from the third floor.
“Itโs Qingyue Daoist! Quick! To the cinema!”
“Donโt panic.”
Since the real culprit had revealed itself, there was no need for me to hold back.
“Kirin, time to go to work.”
A brilliant light gathered, and the little Kirin appeared by my side, full of energy.
It had been in a good mood these days. While in attached-spirit mode, Iโd used the Five Thunder Technique a few times, all drawing on its power, making it feel less useless.
“Kirin?! Fellow Daoist, where did you get this alpaca done up? It looks just like a Kirin!”
The Daoists around me all looked like theyโd met their dream lover, nearly forgetting to rescue people as they stared at the Kirin, eyes wide.
This is one handsome alpaca! If I had one like that, wouldnโt I be elected Association President, maybe even Immortal Emperor??
“The waters of Canglangโฆ”
I formed a hand seal and recited softly, donning my Immortal Robe as the Kirin transformed into Thunder Marks, etched upon it.
The Daoists around me had eyes that shone even brighter, some even clutching their chests and sighing with happiness like fangirls.
“Now this is true Immortal style! Look at our attached-spirits, after attachment we all look like Niu Tou Ma Mian, itโs humiliating!”
“Little sister, whoโs your master? How much did you spend for this attached-spirit special effect? Where did you get it? Can you introduce me?”
“โฆโฆ”
They want to join my sect.
Too bad, sorry, Iโve got a psychological shadow about taking disciples for now.
“Daoists, focus on saving people.”
The whole mall lost power, the elevators were out, so we had to climb the escalator.
What a pity. If my cultivation was higher, I could just leap straight up to the third floor through the atriumโฆ That was one of my childhood daydreams!
“Are you finally going to use the Five Thunder Technique?” Xiaoyue followed behind me, excited.
This time, I nodded.
“When itโs time to reason, you reason. But for a Resentful Ghost thatโs already killed, thereโs no need to be reasonable anymore.”