Knock, knock, knock...
The knocking came again, then stopped.
A moment later...
Just as everyone thought the noise had died down,
another disturbance sounded outside the door.
Creak—scrape—creak!
This time, it wasn't knocking. It sounded more like a cat or dog scratching at the door with its claws.
Or like a rat gnawing at the corner of the door.
It was not only nerve-racking, but terrifying.
Especially tonight, in such a horrifying scene, it made every hair on their bodies stand on end.
Aunt Zhang and Xiao Yi covered their mouths tightly.
They had to cover them—tightly!
They were terrified that they would lose control and scream!
Jiang Yue tiptoed toward the security door.
Uncle Ye's family of three stared at him in horror and gestured for him not to go over. Cowardly Aunt Zhang even covered her eyes, trying to deceive herself.
Jiang Yue lifted the peephole cover. Sure enough, that school-uniformed figure was outside!
If anyone saw this scene appear at their door in the middle of the night, it would seem incredibly strange!
The school-uniformed girl hung her head, her hair falling loose around her face, mechanically scratching and clawing at the door!
Her movements were clumsy, as if she still didn't understand how to open it.
Yet she seemed to possess some kind of primitive instinct. There appeared to be something inside the apartment that she was determined to obtain, something tempting her and driving her onward!
Suddenly, the school-uniformed girl seemed to notice the peephole and slowly brought one eye close to it.
Her pitch-black pupil seemed to have no white at all, like a black bead rolling around!
Strange and sinister.
Jiang Yue shouted, "Evil spirit, get lost!"
The Hundred Evils Immunity Halo surged outward once more. It completely ignored the security door between them, like a ripple that smashed directly through the door and out.
Of course, apart from Jiang Yue himself, no one else could see or sense any of this.
Boom! The halo slammed hard into the ghostly figure at the entrance.
Aah!
Another sharp scream rang out.
Then another mass of black smoke seemed to be scattered by the wind, rapidly fading away without a trace at the doorway.
Jiang Yue found this scene strangely familiar.
He sighed, feeling both regretful and helpless. The Hundred Evils Immunity Halo could only guarantee that evil things would not invade him; it had little destructive power.
When he had encountered the ghostly wall on the road through the residential complex, a dissipating cloud of black smoke had appeared as well, but in reality, it had not destroyed that ghost.
He had not expected her to come looking for them again in less than half an hour.
It seemed that the ghost's obsession with Xiao Yi was extraordinary.
According to the elders, the greater the resentment a ghost possessed in life, the greater its grudge after turning evil. The stronger its obsession, the more aggressive it became.
This ghost had formed a baleful aura and turned evil on the very day she died. She was so fixated on Xiao Yi that her resentment was clearly immense. Jiang Yue had no doubt that she would return.
Even though she had suffered twice at Jiang Yue's hands, he had no way to guarantee that she would never come back.
He could protect Xiao Yi for a while, but it was difficult for him to stay by her side twenty-four hours a day.
Moreover, once a ghost formed a baleful aura and turned evil, it would certainly grow stronger with time. Today, perhaps a security door could keep her out.
But what about tomorrow? Or the day after?
By then, the security door might be no different from nothing to her.
"Little Jiang, has she... left?" Uncle Ye was a man and therefore somewhat braver. Hearing no more movement outside, he asked in a trembling voice.
"For now, yes. But she'll definitely come back." Jiang Yue suddenly remembered something. "Uncle Ye, did you hear her scream just now?"
"Scream? No!"
They could hear the knocking.
They could hear the scratching.
So why couldn't they hear her scream, even though it had been so sharp and terrifying?
A ghost was a ghost, after all. Clearly, ordinary logic could not be used to judge them.
Jiang Yue pushed open the security door and stepped outside. Sure enough, the elevator had stopped on this floor. He pressed the button and looked inside, but it was completely empty, and he saw nothing unusual.
"Little Jiang, look here..." Uncle Ye suddenly cried out in horror.
A dark-blue handprint had appeared on the security door!
It was exactly the same as the handprint on Xiao Yi's shoulder—sinister, terrifying, and suffocating!
The ghost had left its mark on the door!
As the old saying went, when a resentful ghost marked your door, neither man nor beast would survive!
Unwilling to believe in evil, Uncle Ye picked up a rag, dipped it in water, and scrubbed furiously.
Naturally, it was all useless.
Uncle Ye had never been a coward, but now he was completely terrified.
"Little Jiang, what should we do?" His voice sounded as helpless as a child's, filled with fear and despair!
"Get inside first."
From the looks of it, this ghost had only recently turned evil. Many of her abilities were still clumsy, and her methods—including luring passersby and creating the ghostly wall—were not particularly flawless.
Perhaps that level of ghostly wall had been enough to lure Xiao Yi in.
But against Jiang Yue, it was nowhere near sufficient. It could only confuse him temporarily; it could not affect his mind.
"Uncle Ye, we can now be certain that this ghost has targeted Xiao Yi. Xiao Yi is her first prey, and she has a deep obsession. The fact that she left two handprints in succession proves it."
Xiao Yi was already so terrified that she could hardly breathe. Mother and daughter clung to each other, trembling nonstop.
"Little Jiang, is there any way to resolve this? Should we call the police?"
When there was trouble, people looked for the police.
This belief was deeply ingrained in the people of Great Zhang Country.
"Call the police?"
Jiang Yue was not very optimistic about that.
Yesterday, a mere Year Eater, which actually possessed little lethal power, had already left all the various departments in a frantic mess.
This evil thing was far more dangerous, strange, and terrifying than the Year Eater. Could the police handle it?
That did not mean they were incompetent. It was simply that they had no experience dealing with special incidents like this!
As they were speaking, Officer Han called.
Jiang Yue's words had left him so restless that he could not put his mind at ease. He also knew that Jiang Yue was not someone who spoke carelessly, so unless he got to the bottom of the matter, he would remain tormented.
"Little Jiang, what exactly did that photograph mean?"
"Officer Han, we're discussing whether we should call the police."
"Then what are you hesitating for?"
"What I'm hesitating over is whether, after we call the police, you'll dare to come, and whether you'll be of any use once you arrive!" Jiang Yue and he had the bond of comrades-in-arms, so he spoke without many reservations.
"Is it really scarier than the Year Eater?"
"Compared to her, the Year Eater is just a little brother." Jiang Yue sighed. "Officer Han, the victim from the residential complex hasn't let go of her resentment. She formed a baleful aura and turned evil."
"Formed a baleful aura and turned evil? What does that mean?"
Forming a baleful aura and turning evil was a technical term in the paranormal world. In plain language, it meant becoming a vengeful ghost.
"She became a ghost." Jiang Yue cut straight to the point.
"What?" Officer Han almost dropped his phone. His backside clenched on the spot, and his forehead turned cold and clammy. He subconsciously looked around, afraid that something terrifying might suddenly appear behind him.
"Scared?" Jiang Yue asked unhurriedly.
"Joking, right? Those of us in this line of work are filled with righteous energy. Ghosts and evil things are the ones who should fear us!" No matter what, he could not lose face in front of a younger man.
"If you're not afraid, come over."
"Oh, right. Remember to bring a black dog. Your station should have white lime, right? Bring plenty."
White lime would not be difficult. The police station had plenty of it; crime scenes often required the stuff.
But where could he find a black dog at such short notice?
The two women in Uncle Ye's family had essentially lost their ability to think and act.
As the only man in the household and its pillar, Uncle Ye would have liked to shut his eyes and ignore everything, but at a moment like this, he did not have that privilege.
"Little Jiang, I heard that mirrors can ward off evil. Should I hang one at the entrance?"
"Right, and I've heard garlic can ward off evil too. I have plenty at home. Should I pile up a few layers of garlic by the door?"
"It's a pity I don't have a peach-wood sword. Last year, I visited a famous Taoist temple and regretted saving that money. I should have bought an illuminated peach-wood sword then."
Uncle Ye was frantically grasping at straws.
As for all the folk remedies for warding off evil, whether they were useful or not, he wanted to arrange everything he could think of.
Jiang Yue did not stop him.
To Jiang Yue, resentful spirits and ghosts were new territory as well. This was his first time encountering one. He was equally unsure whether any of those folk rumors actually worked.
Since Uncle Ye was willing to make the arrangements, Jiang Yue let him. At least it would serve as a shot of courage.
According to the older generation, some people could encounter evil things and remain completely unharmed, while others would certainly die.
The difference was not really whether someone was tough or not.
Some people were born with a vigorous, masculine energy that ordinary evil things could not invade. Others were born with hearts like stone and unwavering wills, making them impossible for ordinary evil things to entangle.
There was an old saying: ghosts torment the weak.
"Weak" referred not only to physical weakness, but also to weakness of spirit.
So whether Uncle Ye's measures were useful or not, they would at least bolster his courage and confidence. With his vital energy surging, perhaps the ghost would retreat in the face of difficulty.
After all, this ghost had only just turned evil. She had not yet evolved into a powerful fiend.
Drip, drip, drip...
The wall clock marked the passage of time, one second after another.
Uncle Ye's family had never felt time drag so much.
Never before had they gone to bed and already wished so desperately for dawn to arrive.
Jiang Yue sat on the sofa with his eyes slightly closed, entering a meditative state.
He tried to communicate with Spirit Intelligence.
To his slight surprise, he succeeded.
An interface for Spirit Intelligence appeared in his mind.
Jiang Yue tentatively asked a question using his consciousness: How could he destroy the ghost that had just transformed through resentment?
He did not actually have much hope.
According to Cat Seven's complaints, Spirit Intelligence was a huge trap. For a rookie like him, who had only recently inherited it, would Spirit Intelligence really thoughtfully answer any random question? Jiang Yue did not dare to be optimistic.
What surprised him was that Spirit Intelligence actually responded!
A line of text appeared on the interface.
"How to destroy a ghost transformed through resentment: exchange 30 points for the answer."
This...
Jiang Yue had already prepared himself to be rejected without mercy. But he had never imagined that this trap would be so shameless—demanding payment before it would work!
The little boat of friendship had instantly reeked of money.
Was there any system more shameless than this?
Jiang Yue had never used points before and had no idea how valuable they were, so he had no real concept of what 30 points meant. But at a life-or-death moment, he might as well exchange them.
Beep beep beep beep...
Lines of text appeared on the interface.
After reading them, Jiang Yue's face twitched nonstop, his expression shifting unpredictably.
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