Chapter Eighty-Eight: The Soul Wanders, Traversing Heaven and Earth

Liu Chuanmin shook his head when he heard this and said, “Mr. Lian, it’s not up to me. Construction has already started here. If we want to change the location, we need approval from higher-ups, and for that, we need a reasonable justification. Surely you don’t expect me to tell them this place is cursed, do you? That would be asking for trouble—being a party member and still believing in superstitions. I’ll choose the second option. Tell me who to call.”

Wang Fugui was immediately displeased. He waddled over to Liu Chuanmin and said, “Deputy Mayor, you can’t let this happen. One charlatan has already pocketed a large sum of money from us. If we bring in more, that’s madness. I object!”

Lian Yu ignored Wang Fugui, knowing full well how narrow-minded and money-obsessed he was. From the very beginning, all he cared about was profit.

“Very well, Deputy Mayor Liu. Let’s proceed as discussed. I’ll make the call right now.” With that, Lian Yu glanced at Wang Fugui with a hint of contempt, gave him a faint, derisive smile, and then took out his phone, dialing a number as he stepped out of the prefab shack.

That smile nearly drove Wang Fugui mad. He jabbed his finger at Lian Yu, sputtering, “You, you, you…!” But with Deputy Mayor Liu present, he couldn’t get a coherent word out. He was just a minor official, all bark and no bite.

Liu Chuanmin patted Wang Fugui’s shoulder and quietly reassured him, “Fugui, it’s better to err on the side of caution. I just got word from the hospital—those two men have died. The higher-ups have already handled it, but their bodies were pitch black, and they were smiling before they died. You know, with something this bizarre, we’d better play it safe.” He turned and walked out of the shack toward Lian Yu.

Left alone in the prefab room, Wang Fugui felt a chill. Liu Chuanmin’s words had unnerved him, making him feel as if some invisible presence was watching him from behind, sending cold sweat down his back.

He didn’t dare look back, so he hurried after Liu Chuanmin, muttering, “This is really uncanny. I swear it felt like someone was right behind me!” He shuddered and glanced back toward the door of the prefab shack five meters away.

Inside, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. It was just a bit dim in some corners, but he paid it no mind and turned to follow Liu Chuanmin and Lian Yu.

At that moment, all Wang Fugui could think was that only among people would he feel safe and could shake off the fear Liu Chuanmin had planted.

It wasn’t fair to call Wang Fugui cowardly, because there really was someone behind him just now. Someone, but not quite a person. It belonged to the unseen world—what people call ghosts. With a long, dangling tongue, a pale face, and a body wrapped in white gauze, it swung from a rope under the branches atop the shack. Who knows how many years that hanging ghost had been dead? Wherever it passed, gusts of chilling wind followed, which was why Wang Fugui felt something looming behind him.

Lian Yu was on the phone, and it was obvious who he was calling—Uncle Mao. Into the receiver, Lian Yu said, “Master Mao, there’s a malignant star appearing in the southeastern development area of Z City. It’s likely to break through the earth element tonight, and its strength shouldn’t be less than the Drought Demon. You’d better come quickly. We need you here—there are more than forty lives at stake!”

No sooner had Lian Yu finished than Uncle Mao’s voice came over the line, surprised. “What? A malignant star as powerful as the Drought Demon? That’s serious. If it emerges, there’ll be no peace in society. All right, I’ll pack up and head over right away!” With that, Uncle Mao hung up, evidently busy preparing.

Meanwhile, we were still in the dormitory, reviewing our notes, when suddenly someone outside sang out, “Your love is worth trusting, your heart rests at my side. As long as you’re here, I have so many dreams. As long as you’re here, I find more strength. Darling, how lucky I am to meet you in this sea of people. Darling, how I hope, from this moment on, to share every feeling with you. Darling, how lucky I am to meet you in this sea of people. Darling, how I hope, from this moment on, to share every sincere feeling with you…”

Damn, what a horrible voice. Gao Wei called out, “Ma Shui, damn it, stop singing! When others sing, it’s pleasant; when you sing, it’s like the Reaper calling souls. I can’t take it anymore!” He reached under his bed, grabbed a slipper, and hurled it outside.

With a dull thud as the slipper hit someone, the grating singing finally stopped, followed by a sharp yelp, “Ah!” reminiscent of a magpie’s cry in Shandong dialect.

But we all knew this was Ma Shui’s habit—always yelling for no reason. After so long together, we were used to it, usually labeling him a crazy pervert, though he was actually the best guy in the whole dorm.

Speaking of Ma Shui, here’s his profile: real name Ma Chaoyu, Ma Shui is just a nickname, male, age twenty-one, senior year, his strengths are his weaknesses, and his weaknesses are even greater—always acting sickly and asking for trouble, looking frail and mischievous.

I asked Gao Wei, “What’s up with Ma Shui? Why’s he suddenly going crazy, howling in the corridor in broad daylight?”

“You don’t know? Everyone in the dorm does. I’ll tell you—Ma Shui’s luck has turned. He’s dating a girl from our department named Li Na. Look at how smug he is, not caring at all about us single guys.” Gao Wei said this as if he might cry, leaving me helpless.

I patted Gao Wei’s shoulder and called out to the others, “Hey, brothers, gather round! Ma Shui’s in love—shouldn’t we celebrate?”

“Don’t say it—that’s right! He should treat us!”

“Absolutely!”

“I think so too!”

Seeing everyone agree, I clapped my hands and said, “Let’s go! Ma Shui should host us—let’s hit KFC!” With that, I led a dozen or so buddies, dragging Ma Shui out of the dorm all the way to the KFC restaurant. Ma Shui never figured out what was happening until it was time to pay. Watching us eat and dash, he stood at the counter with a bitter face, muttering, “Damn it, you guys party, I pay—where’s the justice?”

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