A Promise with a Ghost

The mechanic couldn't get the car started after it stalled, and unfortunately, it was beyond repair.

After all, the engine wasn't even properly fixed. It would have been better to just buy a new one.

After negotiating the price, Liu Haoyu sent the car directly to the junkyard, considering it just selling some scrap metal.

Liu Haoyu looked at the portraits of Mao Zedong in his hand with some regret.

"I thought I could have my first car, what a shame."

Although Liu Haoyu wasn't thinking about getting married or having children in the future.

Finding a wife was just a joke.

But having a car was really convenient for getting around, especially since his home was far out in the suburbs.

"I'll see if I can find a suitable used car later."

Liu Haoyu wasn't afraid of cars with soul rings.

The "original owners" usually didn't dare to fight him for the steering wheel anyway.

After thinking about his future plans, Liu Haoyu got on his motorcycle and headed towards the haunted house.

It was only five o'clock, so if he went back now, he'd get home right at six in the morning and could get a good night's sleep.

As Liu Haoyu passed the reservoir, he saw a white figure standing by the side of the road.

This time, Liu Haoyu didn't accelerate. Instead, he stopped his motorcycle by the roadside and calmly walked over to the white-clad Fierce Ghost.

He took out a cigarette from his pocket and said, "You don't mind if I smoke to stay awake, do you?"

The white-clad Fierce Ghost stared at Liu Haoyu with pale eyes hidden beneath her black hair. She spoke with her remaining consciousness.

"There's one more..."

"There's one more..."

Liu Haoyu took a deep breath, the dizziness and numbness from his lungs helping him to steady himself.

"The last one is already dead, killed by another Fierce Ghost."

In fact, Liu Haoyu had always found it strange.

Supernatural events had been happening too frequently lately.

He used to encounter them maybe once a month, but ever since he came to Jiangquan City, these events happened almost weekly, and sometimes, like now, multiple times a day.

Even the driver who died ten years ago could turn into a fierce ghost and appear before him.

This frequency was clearly not right.

It was as if something was constantly awakening the ghosts.

Could this be what the Black Book mentioned about "terror spreading outward"?

Was he currently experiencing something like the "horror resurgence" mentioned in some novels?

While Liu Haoyu was lost in thought, the white-clad Fierce Ghost had already reached his side.

Her pale blue hand tightly gripped Liu Haoyu's arm with such force that it caused him pain. Her bloodshot eyes stared fixedly at him.

"I'm not reconciled... I'm not reconciled..."

Failing to personally kill her enemy meant her resentment couldn't be resolved.

If this Fierce Ghost continued to remain in such a state of intense hatred, she might completely lose control.

In that case, Liu Haoyu would have no choice but to subdue her by force to prevent her from harming others.

Understanding the situation, Liu Haoyu spoke to the white-clad Fierce Ghost.

"Liu Xiaoxiao, right?"

"..."

The white-clad Fierce Ghost released her grip and nodded blankly.

"People killed by Fierce Ghosts can often become their ghost servants. I will investigate the home of the person who killed you. If I find the culprit, I will naturally call you over so you can take revenge yourself."

"..."

Listening to Liu Haoyu's words, which sounded like a negotiation, Liu Xiaoxiao stared at him blankly, like a mentally disabled patient.

In reality, this was the true state of most Fierce Ghosts.

They were already dead, their souls scattered. They could retain some consciousness, but not much.

Even the driver with the square face, who seemed perfectly normal, was merely reacting instinctively to survive.

In contrast, Qin Liu...

It had to be said that the red-clothed Fierce Ghost in the haunted house was the truly unreasonable one.

Her divine sense was retained quite completely, allowing her to communicate with herself without any barriers. She could even express her own personal, minor emotions.

Simply put, she wasn't like a Fierce Ghost; she was more like a person.

"But if the person who killed you has already been utterly annihilated, I also advise you not to dwell on this matter any longer. Resolve the resentment in your heart soon.

Harming others is not a good thing. Killing innocent people will only make your parents feel more uneasy."

Liu Xiaoxiao was different from Liu Haoyu; she had family.

According to Officer Li Rongjun, after Liu Xiaoxiao's parents learned of their daughter's death, her mother cried at the police station for an entire morning, eventually even crying herself unconscious.

"Or perhaps, you want to see your family?"

"..."

Liu Haoyu met the gaze of the white-clothed Fierce Ghost. Neither the person nor the ghost said anything.

After a period of silence, Liu Xiaoxiao spoke again.

"I want... to see them."

And it was no longer that hoarse, unpleasant voice, but a sobbing, very soft girlish voice.

She was crying; she was sobbing.

But Liu Haoyu could do nothing to change anything.

The dead cannot be brought back to life. Moreover, Liu Xiaoxiao's soul had long since shattered. To be able to utter this one sentence was already very difficult.

"Alright, once I've completely dealt with the culprit, I'll take you to see your parents."

Liu Haoyu extinguished the cigarette butt in his hand, then got back on his motorcycle and said, "Wait for me here for a few days, and don't harm anyone."

With that, he left the reservoir gallantly.

Meanwhile, a certain red-clothed Fierce Ghost in the haunted house was lying on Liu Haoyu's bed like a dead fish.

No, that was her own bed to begin with.

Originally, only the strange sound of "Merit +1" would enter her ears.

Now, her entire mind was filled with "Merit +2".

There was no need to guess who the unlucky fellow who caused this was.

What the heck? Was he trying to make her into a Buddha or an immortal?

He might as well have played the "Great Compassion Mantra" and purified himself on the spot.

Qin Liu glanced sideways at the red embroidered shoes on the shrine. They were still lying there quietly.

Although Qin Liu could go and retrieve them, there was no point anymore. She had gotten used to walking barefoot these past few days, and since she could float in the air, wearing shoes or not was irrelevant.

Besides, the red embroidered shoes were uncomfortable to wear, and taking them off was a hassle. She might as well just leave them there.

Qin Liu sighed.

Throughout the entire night, she had conducted an experiment.

That was to occupy the Red Jade and stay as far away from it as possible.

However, after leaving the Red Jade, black substances would accumulate within it. The further she moved away, the faster these black substances accumulated, until the Red Jade shattered, and she would be forcibly returned to the haunted house.

Even if she stayed within the Red Jade without leaving, as time passed, the Red Jade would still turn black and eventually shatter.

Therefore, achieving freedom of movement was still a long and arduous journey...

Just as Qin Liu was lying on the bed, reflecting, something hard directly hit her face.

"Ouch?! What the heck has that scoundrel sent over now!"

Qin Liu took the object, which had appeared out of nowhere, in her hand. Upon closer inspection, she realized it wasn't some strange piece of clothing as she had suspected.

It was just an apple, cut in half.