At the intersection, traffic was heavy. There were no traffic lights, marked lanes, or crosswalks. Most of the vehicles on the road were cars, though only two small cars passed by.
Mo Xiaoling's hometown was clearly no big city. Its infrastructure was seriously lacking.
There weren't many four-wheeled vehicles, but the road was still thick with dust. The sky was gray and overcast, with neither sun nor clouds in sight.
The people riding bicycles were either leisurely or in a hurry. They rang their bells and called out as they went. Along the roadside, some people hawked their wares, while others sold snacks. All kinds of sounds blended together into a noisy din that was somehow reassuring.
Amid this scene of everyday life, Mo Xiaoling saw a woman in red.
She stood in the middle of the road, right at the center of the intersection, perfectly still. Vehicles passed straight through her and continued on their way.
I couldn't sense any yin energy.
This was a ghost who had already left. Only Mo Xiaoling could see her—and the scene of her killing.
The crowded bicycles around them vanished, leaving only the woman in red. The gray sky turned pitch-black, and day gave way to night.
The woman was still standing there, as though moonlight fell upon her.
The wind lifted her red dress, billowing it and revealing her legs beneath. She had no feet; below her calves, there was nothing at all.
The sound of footsteps came from behind Mo Xiaoling. Another woman entered her field of vision.
Compared to the woman in red, this one was plainly dressed. Her hair was tied into a ponytail with an elastic, but it hadn't even been combed neatly. She was running, breathless and frantic.
Mom!
A voice called out from inside Mo