Chapter 32:
School Specter (Part 6):
The Great Ghost Says, “I… I Also Like…”
The evil spirit was gone, now it was the Daoist’s turn. His mouth gaped open, wide enough to swallow an egg sideways, his eyes rolled back, his neck twisted at an unnatural angle, black veins spreading across his skin like parasitic roots, draining his life force.
Pale flames flickered around the great ghost, its eyes glowing red, the Daoist held in its hand like an insect, easily crushed. It wouldn’t even notice his death.
Ghost devouring ghost, ghost devouring human.
“This won’t do!” Chen Henian wasn’t enjoying the spectacle. His master had warned him, this ghost hadn’t tasted human flesh yet. It couldn’t be allowed to start.
“What’s wrong?” The mirror ghost, seeing Chen Henian’s frown, was puzzled. “It’s killing humans and ghosts, helping you, isn’t that a good thing?”
“If it develops a taste for human flesh, what will it do when it’s hungry again? Eat me?” Chen Henian retorted. “You can’t even handle a minor evil spirit, do you expect me to rely on you against this?”
The mirror ghost was speechless. Seeing the Daoist about to die, Chen Henian acted quickly, throwing a red string, looping it around the great ghost’s wrist.
The moment the string connected, a powerful force pulled him forward. He would have been thrown across the room if not for his grip on the string. He landed on the ground, his hand scraping against the concrete. The great ghost, seemingly offended, turned its head, its eyes flashing with anger.
But seeing Chen Henian, it paused, its expression softening, then dropped the Daoist.
The Daoist landed on the floor like a sack of meat, unresponsive.
This was what Chen Henian wanted. He turned to the mirror ghost. “Eat him!”
“Me?” The mirror ghost was stunned. “You want me to steal its food?”
“Are you serious?”
“You complain when I don’t eat, and you complain when I do.” Chen Henian glared at it. “What use are you?!”
“…” The mirror ghost couldn’t argue with that. “Is it my fault?” It wanted to eat the Daoist, but the great ghost was standing right there. It would be like plucking a tiger’s whiskers, suicide.
Before Chen Henian could scold it for its cowardice, the red string tightened, pulling him off the ground.
“You’re finished, you’re really finished this time,” the mirror ghost said, retreating to a safe distance. “It’s going to eat you, then it won’t need me anymore.”
Chen Henian was pulled towards the great ghost, landing in its hand. His frown softened.
“I don’t think I’m going to die,” he said confidently, looking at the ghost. He was so close, its cold breath washing over him, but he wasn’t afraid. The ghost wasn’t using its aura to intimidate him.
The ghost’s face wasn’t menacing. It held him gently, its large hand supporting his back, its single arm easily holding his entire body. He was dwarfed by its size.
He was so close to the ghost’s face, a single bite would end his life, but he didn’t think it would do that.
Why?
He didn’t trust humans, nor ghosts, but this ghost was different, its strangeness intriguing him.
“Yin Ancestor,” he said, his voice calm despite being held captive. “That’s what the Daoist called you. Quite a title.”
The ghost exhaled, its breath warm against his neck.
What did that mean?
It didn’t communicate like humans. It lowered its head, its other hand taking Chen Henian’s, lifting it to its lips.
“What are you doing?” Chen Henian’s hand was almost inside its mouth, but he didn’t react.
The ghost answered with actions, its lips closing around his finger.
It sucked gently, its cold, wet tongue licking his thumb.
Chen Henian was startled. Why was it licking his hand?
Not biting, just licking, gently, like savoring a taste, or…
Oh.
He remembered pricking his finger with a needle, a barely noticeable wound. Had it smelled the blood?
This wasn’t the first time. In his dream, it had licked his wound, the sensation like jelly against his skin, the rough texture of its tongue against his flesh. It was strange, but not unpleasant, not disgusting.
“You… like?” The ghost looked up at him, its voice questioning.
It licked his finger a few more times, its qi flowing into his skin, healing the wound. Chen Henian didn’t understand what it meant, but he nodded.
“I… I also like,” the ghost said.
Chen Henian assumed it was referring to his blood, but the wound was so small, it couldn’t have tasted much, just a faint scent, a hint of his essence.
He was puzzled. It had said it disliked him before, when it had pinned him to the bed. Why was it saying it liked him now?
The ghost’s grip tightened, pulling him closer, his face against its cold, stiff jaw, its touch brushing against his cheek. Its actions grew bolder, its tongue licking his neck, tracing a path from his jaw to his collarbone, leaving a trail of cold moisture.
“That tickles!” Chen Henian said, the rough texture of its tongue against his skin irritating. He had to stop it, or he didn’t know where it would lick next.
He didn’t like being treated like a piece of meat, savored and tasted, but not consumed. He grabbed its hand, his hand too small to fully encircle it, his fingers gripping one of its long, thick fingers.
The ghost’s nails were black, its skin pale.
“Stop doing that,” Chen Henian said, trying to reason with it. “Do you understand?”
“Why?” the ghost asked. “Don’t you… like?”
Chen Henian thought for a moment. “I don’t like it now.”
The ghost stopped, exhaling, its grip loosening as it lowered him to the ground. It had understood.
“Understood,” it said. “Wait… wait until you like…”
As his feet touched the ground, Chen Henian gestured to the mirror ghost, still hiding in the corner. “Go eat!”
The mirror ghost wished he would leave it alone. It was terrified, but then it saw Chen Henian smiling. What had just happened? What was that look in his eyes? Was he flirting?
Perhaps it was a tactic. He had used his body as a distraction, buying time. If it didn’t seize this opportunity, he would likely pay the price.
It floated towards the Daoist’s body, circling behind the great ghost.
“Why can you speak now?” Chen Henian asked, keeping the great ghost’s attention on him. “You’re much more fluent than before.”
“Learned,” the ghost replied. “From you.”
“Are you always awake inside me?”
“Yes,” the ghost said. “Can hear, can see.”
“Then what’s your name? Do you remember your burial place?”
“Don’t know,” the ghost replied. “Don’t remember.”
“A name… you can choose one.”
“I want… you to choose.”
“I want…”
The ghost’s posture shifted, its voice hardening.
“Alright.” Chen Henian believed it. It genuinely didn’t remember. The longer a ghost lingered, the more it forgot, becoming either malevolent or simple-minded.
Perhaps this one was the latter?
He decided to give it a temporary name. “I’ll call you Da Hei. You can tell me your real name later.”
The ghost paused. “Good.”
“Write… write it down.”
“Want to see…”
“Alright,” Chen Henian agreed, glancing at the mirror ghost. It had successfully devoured the Huang Ling Daoist. He was relieved. “You can go back now,” he said to Da Hei, pointing at the red string on his finger.
Da Hei stared at his hand, its head lowered, its aura darkening.
“Why?” It pointed at the mirror ghost. “It can, I cannot?”
“Why?”
“I… cannot.”
The mirror ghost, initially smug, realized it had been observed.
“Why?” Da Hei repeated, the flames around it growing larger, its anger rising.
It was furious.
The mirror ghost was the target of its wrath, pinned to the ground, the weight of Da Hei’s foot on its back, its centuries-old bones aching.
“I was wrong, I was wrong,” the mirror ghost pleaded, but Da Hei ignored it.
“You misunderstood,” Chen Henian said quickly. “I didn’t let you eat him because humans are dirty. It’s not good for you. I’m looking out for you.”
“Looking out?”
“Yes.”
“Looking out? Like?” The great ghost’s anger subsided. “I also like…”
“Like.”
It bent down, licking Chen Henian’s face again, then closed its eyes, its massive form turning into black smoke, retreating into his body.
The pressure on Chen Henian’s back lifted. He was relieved.
The mirror ghost scrambled up, its voice shaky. “I almost died.”
“Why are you smiling?”
“I’m happy,” Chen Henian grinned, stroking his chin. “That Daoist said my yin constitution wasn’t suited for righteous Daoist techniques.”
“Then I’ll have to find other methods. I can control more than one ghost.”
“You want to use it?” The mirror ghost was shocked. “You’re truly reckless!”
“Why not?” Chen Henian wiped the ghost’s saliva from his face. “Isn’t this good?”
“Alright, you’ve had your meal, stop complaining.” He packed his suitcase, then, holding his nose, searched for the talisman that anchored the Daoist’s array.
He was right. It was at the center of the abandoned building. His foot struck a stone, and he flipped it over, revealing the talisman beneath.
“Now you’re free,” he ripped the talisman, releasing the trapped ghosts. “Go in peace, don’t cause trouble during Ghost Festival. If you do, I’ll deal with you, understand?”
Dozens of white shadows emerged from the stone, swirling around him, their mournful whispers fading into the wind.
The ghosts were free, and Chen Henian was about to leave, when a figure appeared before him, a ghost that hadn’t left.
“Looking for trouble?” he asked, his voice sharp.
“I’m sorry to disturb you, but can you help me?” a young female voice said. “I just died recently.”
“What is it?” Chen Henian replied. “I’ll hear you out.”
“My name is Li Qinqin,” she said. “Can you take me to my mother? I have something to tell her. I died so suddenly, she’ll be heartbroken.”
“Li Qinqin?” As she spoke, her appearance solidified, a young girl with blood on her forehead, wearing a dirty school uniform with a Qingping No. 2 High School badge.
“You’re Li Qinqin? The one who jumped?”
She nodded.
She looked like a student. She was the real Li Qinqin. Then who was the ghost in the black dress? Had Wang Min tricked him with a fake ghost?
“Someone’s coming,” the mirror ghost warned.
Chen Henian looked towards the exit, a figure emerging from the darkness. He knew who it was.
Wang Min.
But she was different now, her aura changed. She stood before him, beckoning him, a smile on her lips. “Hello, Tai Yin body.”
