The sound of the Great Compassion Mantra played incessantly in the small room. Qi Jingtao stepped inside and pressed the off button on the stereo.
"Have you remembered yet?"
The ghost did not respond. She huddled inside the jar, terrified to move.
When the lid was lifted, the harsh white light flooded in, and she could see how intense the sunlight streaming through the curtains had become.
"Let's start with the simplest thing," Qi Jingtao said, sitting at the table.
At this point, the ghost had no choice but to tremble as she floated out. Unaware of the gravity of the situation, she drifted too high, and immediately felt the air pressure change coming from the creature opposite her—a being she wasn't even sure was human.
She scrambled down to the floor and took a seat on the chair across from him.
"Ma Qing'er, the ghost energy on you clearly isn't your own."
Based on the timing and method of her death, as well as the personality she possessed in life, she should have been a Class B ghost at most, yet she was now on the verge of reaching Class A.
"They found me. I was delirious at the time, and all I remember is them capturing me and throwing me into a place. Later, they brought someone else in—a living person. I recognized him; he was the owner of the car that hit me."
She continued, "They tortured and murdered that car owner right in front of me. As soon as he died, he turned into a vengeful spirit. After that, I lost consciousness. When I came to again, I could feel that my own level had improved by more than just a notch."
Refining ghosts with ghosts... Qi Jingtao looked as if he understood. Most likely, those people had used some method to force this girl to do their bidding, lure him to that small island, and then kill him.
"Where are those people now?"
"I don't know. They stuffed me into the jar and threw it near that bar."
"They didn't tell you that I would never set foot in a bar?"
A look of embarrassment crossed Ma Qing'er's face. "At the time, I saw that there was a really handsome male model in the bar, so I... I just wanted to go in and take a look. But—but! Even without that model, I still would have wanted to go in!"
Qi Jingtao listened in silence. He knew that asking Ma Qing'er what was inside the bar would be pointless. After all, the child had absolutely nothing to do with ghost catchers during her life; she didn't even know such people existed.
"I’m going to cast a spell on you now to guide me to that place. Once we arrive, you are to hide back in the jar, do you understand?"
Ma Qing'er nodded. She saw a glimmer of white light fly from Qi Jingtao's hand and vanish into the top of her forehead. Instantly, she felt her entire body gain weight.
She had a physical form!
Qi Jingtao picked up the jar with one hand and walked out of the room.
"Lord Qi! I’ve bought the milk tea!" Xiao Nan was waiting at the door, holding two cups.
Qi Jingtao tossed the jar to her and continued walking without a word.
Just then, a young girl wearing a pure white dress stepped out of the room. Her skin was as fair as Qi Jingtao’s, and she looked about fifteen or sixteen, with an obedient, pleasant appearance.
Xiao Nan wasn't surprised to see her. Instead, she greeted her happily, "You must be Qing'er, right? This is the milk tea Lord Qi told me to get for you. Which one would you like?"
"I... can I drink it?"
Ever since she became a ghost, she hadn't been able to eat or drink; she could only inhale the essence of scents. But that was only when someone offered incense in worship—and since she had died a violent death, her parents had handled the funeral hastily, and she had even been hijacked halfway to the afterlife.
"Of course you can! This technique of Lord Qi’s is called 'Returning to the Human Realm.' It allows a ghost to temporarily possess a body, just like in life." Xiao Nan shoved the jar into the hands of the newly arrived Zhao Chengyu, pressed the milk tea into Ma Qing'er's hands, and pulled a pair of sunglasses from her bag to put on the girl. "However, your eyes aren't the same as a normal person's, so we have to cover them up!"
But the pure white dress paired with the sunglasses looked a bit strange. After a moment's thought, Xiao Nan grabbed Ma Qing'er and ran toward her own room.
"Pick out a nice outfit from these," Xiao Nan said, showing her wardrobe to Ma Qing'er. She also brought out a row of colored contact lenses. "Pick one of these too. Later, I’ll do your makeup! A girl has to look pretty when she goes out!"
As Ma Qing'er happily selected her clothes, she thought of Qi Jingtao’s expression—the look of someone who was owed millions—and couldn't help but ask, "Sister, with all this fuss, will Lord Qi think we're taking too long?"
"He’s the one who sent me to buy the milk tea, so why worry about that?" Xiao Nan said, enthusiastically helping her pick out clothes. "Don't let his cold exterior fool you; it’s nothing. He’s lived for so long that we’re all just children in his eyes. Have you ever seen an elder hold a grudge against a junior?"
The two spent nearly an hour getting ready. Xiao Nan dared to do this for two reasons: first, she knew that Qi Jingtao also wanted the child to have one last experience of the human world; and second, she knew full well that Qi Jingtao was determined to suppress that group this time. Since that was the case, no matter when they arrived, those people wouldn't be able to escape.
When they came out, Xiao Nan took Ma Qing'er to buy two more cups of milk tea, as the previous two had been finished during the makeover. Then, she led her through the inn and out the back door. A silver-white SUV had been waiting there for a long time. The two headed for the back seat.
Zhao Chengyu wanted to scold Xiao Nan for her behavior, but since Qi Jingtao hadn't spoken, he didn't dare say a word.
Seeing Qi Jingtao, Ma Qing'er still felt a bit intimidated. She whispered, "Lord Qi, what should I do?"
Qi Jingtao remained silent, sitting in the passenger seat and staring calmly ahead. Zhao Chengyu leaned his head back: "Just pat my head."
Ma Qing'er looked nervously at Xiao Nan. After Xiao Nan nodded, she carefully reached out and placed her hand on top of Zhao Chengyu's head.
A clear route surfaced in Zhao Chengyu’s mind. He started the car and headed toward their destination.
After driving over countless overpasses and along the ring highway for a full two hours, the car entered a small town, but they didn't stop. They continued toward a mountain beyond the town.
After another half hour of driving along a rugged mountain road, the vehicle came to a stop in front of a dilapidated courtyard.
It was a long-abandoned City God Temple, built into the mountain. Above the ten courts, the broken statues on both sides seemed to be staring at the entrance. The great doors stood wide open, and anyone who reached the threshold would be watched by the Ten Courts of Hell, a sight that sent a chill down one’s spine.
From the moment they entered the town, Xiao Nan had noticed that Ma Qing'er, who had been talking her ear off, had gone silent.
"I remember now!" Ma Qing'er suddenly spoke up. "That driver—he was one of them, too."
Qi Jingtao was not surprised. He had investigated Ma Qing'er's background: her parents had ignored her from childhood, and she had grown up without love. For over a decade, not a single day had been good for her. When a child like that dies a violent death, the resentment is intense, and for those with ill intent, it is easy to exploit.
Because she had learned to be deeply suspicious of everyone around her, she was also, paradoxically, too easy to deceive.
"Lord Qi! Let me handle this!" Xiao Nan's eyes were red; she had felt sorry for this little girl from the first moment she saw her. "I'll take care of those animals!"
Qi Jingtao didn't speak. He simply tossed her a loudspeaker and stepped out of the car.
The moment the car door closed, a voice that shook the mountains and forests roared out: "Listen up, those of you inside! You are surrounded!"