Chapter 100 Part 1
You Jin, seeing this, quickly shut and locked the door, pretending he hadn’t seen anything.
They stood in the clinic’s main hall, the eerie giggles echoing outside, bloody handprints, some small, appearing on the fogged-up windows.
The sounds came from all directions, too many to count, how many ghosts were out there?
“What do we do? It’s Lunar New Year!” Wang Dong, clinging to his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Wang a single unit now, asked, his voice trembling.
“When will Doctor Wu be back?”
Wu Su, seeing his phone automatically connect to the ghost internet again, the 5G signal strong, chuckled, “Old Wu doesn’t know, Little Wu doesn’t know either.”
Seeing their expectant gazes, he added honestly, “Middle Wu is… disconnected, no inheritance of skills, so… don’t count on me,”
Then, feeling slightly guilty, “But I can provide emotional support! Don’t be afraid!”
Having experienced this before, he said, “Forget about those things outside. It’s New Year’s Eve, we should be honoring our ancestors, I’m going to burn some offerings.”
He opened the back door, the courtyard dark, thankfully no ghosts, probably because of the protective herbs sprinkled everywhere.
Wu Su squatted down and skillfully lit the joss paper, calling out the names of his ancestors.
He Yunxiao and the others, despite their fear, followed suit, burning offerings for their own families.
The ashes swirled in the Yin wind, disappearing into the darkness, no warmth from the flames, only a chilling cold.
They cautiously looked up, and the courtyard wall, barely a meter and a half high, was covered with ghosts, their faces twisted into grotesque smiles, staring at them.
“Ah—!”
They screamed, their legs giving way as they collapsed to the ground.
So many ghosts! The most they had ever seen in their lives!
Wu Su, looking up, his voice filled with anger, “What are you doing here?! Trying to steal my family’s offerings?!”
He Yunxiao and the others frantically pulled him back, quickly locking the door, afraid he would confront them, You Jin had stayed at the clinic last night, intending to return home early this morning.
He was reading messages in the Nan Nuo village WeChat group,
[Village Chief Zhou Dagui: @Everyone, ghosts everywhere! Stay inside!]
Zhou Yi was at home, the medicine from Wu Heng working its magic, his vision much clearer now, his thick glasses discarded, but also… he could see them now, the ghosts, clearly.
He took his grandfather’s expensive drone and flew it outside. The live feed, in grayscale, showed ghosts roaming the streets.
A group of children, their feet bloody, chased a terrified rooster. The leader suddenly appeared before it, its small, pale hand grabbing its neck, its dark mouth tearing at the flesh, a blood-stained feather drifting down, then the children, licking their lips contentedly, their faces a jumble of mismatched features, suddenly appeared in front of the camera, their tongues bloody, giggling, ‘Happy New Year, big brother! Give us red packets!’
Zhou Yi froze, wanting to put his glasses back on, then remembering, he quickly steered the drone away, his heart pounding, the streets teeming with ghosts.
No living people in sight, except… Grandma Lai, dressed in her spirit medium attire, a mask on her face, spraying protective herbs from a bucket, the ghosts parting for her, although the effect seemed minimal.
Zhou Da Gui sat dejectedly in his living room, “What now? It’s New Year’s Eve! Are we all dying this year?”
He had worked so hard to promote tourism, now they were all going to die…
Zhou Yi, wondering if this was happening everywhere, paced around, then finally managed to connect to the normal internet, checking social media.
#Ghosts, #WorkingWithGhosts, #HomeExorcismGuide… the top fifty trending topics were all supernatural.
[Guys, who understands? I opened my curtains this morning and saw a ghost staring at me through the window, its face pressed against the glass! I immediately drank some protective medicine!]
[What do I do? I have to go to work. Ghosts everywhere. Should I even go? My boss said I’ll lose my salary if I don’t.]
[9 a.m., and it’s still dark like midnight! Hahaha, not going to live till next year, what New Year?]
[Living alone is terrifying. People keep knocking on my door, even trying to unlock it! I don’t even dare to look, what if they’re not human?! I’m going to lose my mind.]
[I’m too scared to even use the toilet, afraid of ghosts crawling up the drain, help!]
Zhou Yi, seeing the millions of posts and discussions, realized this wasn’t just happening in their village.
And usually, it was difficult to connect to the ghost internet, now everyone could, the normal internet barely accessible.
Chen Ying, only a month since returning from Ping An village, her baby bump still small, her fiancé meticulously checking their new apartment, protective herbs sprinkled everywhere, even in the drains, talismans on the windows, occasional ghostly figures floating past, but no one clinging to the glass like online.
Their families, watching the news, a black and white broadcast of the underworld’s news, the gates of hell opening, long queues of ghosts waiting to return to the human world for the holidays, a ghostly reporter reminding them to bring their identification documents, and cheerfully wishing them a happy Lunar New Year.
That throng of ghosts, even scarier than the Spring Festival travel rush.
They were doomed, really doomed.
Chen Ying took the prenatal medicine her fiancé handed her, prescribed by Wu Heng, slightly sour, but she was used to it.
After she received the prescription, she posted it online, crediting Wu Heng, sharing it with other pregnant women.
After her medicine and a spoonful of honey, she looked at her family sitting there, not in the mood to cook their New Year’s Eve dinner, she took out her phone, automatically connecting to the ghost internet.
She tried a round of the underworld version of Honor of Kings, truly understanding Uncle Wu’s ineptitude.
“What now? Just hide inside forever? We can’t stay indoors forever, can we?” her mother asked fearfully.
Chen Ying, looking out the window at the darkness, said hesitantly, “I think… there’s a Daoist priest downstairs.”
Practitioners of all sorts, even spirit mediums, had emerged, assisting the police, fully armed, but seeing the endless stream of ghosts coming through the gates of hell on the TV screen, their hopes dwindled, it seemed hopeless.
“Ying Ying, Chengde Medical Clinic is live,” her fiancé said.
Chen Ying immediately snatched his phone and saw the grayscale stream. Wu Heng was surrounded by Taoist priests and practitioners, each holding their ritual tools, talismans, everything, she suddenly felt a sense of relief.
Wu Heng, looking at the camera, his voice gentle, “Happy New Year’s Eve, everyone.”
[Doctor Wu! Ghosts everywhere! What should we do?!]
[Not a happy new year if I’m dead by tomorrow.]
[If these were ordinary criminals, we could fight, but ghosts and demons, how? Exorcism is too passive, a losing battle.]
[Heng Heng, Happy New Year’s Eve, please stay online, I’m alone at home, you’re my only comfort.]
Wu Heng looked around the still-dark clinic and said calmly, “Supernatural resurgence, evil everywhere, stay indoors, don’t panic, just like any other New Year’s Eve, keep moving, those who can, increase your Yang qi.”
“If you have offerings, you can burn some for your ancestors now, but be careful with fire.”
Some netizens wondered if they should offer money to the ghosts, beg for mercy.
Wu Heng continued, “Invite your ancestors home, prepare your reunion dinner, and chat with your families.”
Although still terrified, some parents urged their children to date, even find partners now, before it was too late, a living person better than a ghost, and grandparents started gossiping about the younger generation’s jobs and salaries,
children being quizzed about their grades.
Annoying, but typical New Year’s conversations.
Most had prepared offerings now, although puzzled by the timing, they followed Wu Heng’s instructions, incense, roasted chicken, fruits, pastries, even joss paper.
Chen Ying, burning the joss paper, silently called out Nie Wei’s name.
‘Ding dong—’
The doorbell rang, everyone jumping, not even daring to look through the peephole, then the white cat, Xue Bao, started meowing excitedly, staring at the door, its tail held high.
Chen Ying, hearing Xue Bao’s reaction, not fear, looked at the door, her voice soft, “If you’re family, and you won’t harm us, please come in.”
Her fiancé and their parents shuddered, no wonder she wasn’t afraid of going to that village, her courage was extraordinary.
The door didn’t open, but a young woman’s figure floated through, Nie Wei, a package in hand, smiling at Chen Ying. ‘Ying Ying, I knew you would invite me for your New Year’s Eve dinner. Happy New Year.’
Her fiancé and the parents were stunned, they could see her too!
But then, ghosts were everywhere, what was so strange?
