The Extreme Yin and Evil

It was almost midnight when I sent Dong Shanshan back to the dorm. If it got any later, she wouldn't be able to get in. I let go of her hand and said, "You go up first."

She nodded and asked, "Will you come next week?"

I thought to myself, "Next week? If I can survive tonight, I'll definitely protect you." But how could I tell her that? After a moment's pause, I gave a bitter smile and said, "Of course I'll come, I'll keep coming to steal your food."

When she heard that, she looked visibly pleased. Her face, whether from the cold or something else, turned a deep red. She started walking upstairs, but then she paused and came back. She took off her scarf and put it around my neck, saying, "It's cold. Be careful on your way home. Text me when you get back." After that, she hurriedly ran up the stairs.

I stood there in a daze. The winter night in the Northeast was indeed cold, but for some reason, my heart felt warm. The scarf still carried the faint scent of Dong Shanshan, which only strengthened my resolve.

I would protect you!

I turned around and walked toward the old building. Since there had been an accident there yesterday, no workers were present today. I pulled out the seven talismans from my down jacket, sorting them into three pockets. Then I took out two willow leaves that had been soaked in wine, and a small roll of double-sided tape for art. I stuck one willow leaf onto my forehead and used the other one to rub my eyes. Using dry leaves without moisture was frustrating; they crumbled easily and even blurred my vision.

Once everything was set, I did my best to look confident as I reached the bottom of the old building. Looking up, I saw the woman in yellow standing at the seventh-floor window. She must've spotted me, as she was glaring at me, unblinking.

Damn it, I wasn't afraid of you. I lit a cigarette to steady my nerves. My heart was pounding loudly, thudding in my chest.

I held the 'Ding Yi Ju Qing Protecting Talisman' tightly in my right hand. After taking a deep drag of smoke, I squeezed through the broken window on the first floor and entered the building. Damn, it was pitch black—like a real-life Silent Hill. The visibility was too low.

Let me ask you, dear reader, what's your biggest fear? Of course, if you say "your wife," we'll exclude that. But for me, it's the dark. I believe many people share this fear. In darkness, we don't know what might be lurking. The scariest thing is our own mind, because it tends to scare us. Of course, I'm no exception. I often scare myself.

It was probably those evil horror movies messing with me, but now my body was tense, expecting that yellow-robed ghost to jump out at me from behind. To be honest, this was scarier than any haunted house, especially when you knew there was a ghost waiting for you.

Surprisingly, she didn't jump out to scare me. Aside from being startled by some broken glass while walking upstairs, I made it up to the fifth floor without incident. But then I felt a heavy, oppressive atmosphere, and the higher I climbed, the stronger it became. Years later, I would see a funny meme on the internet that perfectly matched how I felt: "I feel like I'm about to collapse!"

Fighting the urge to run, I made it to the seventh floor. Using my phone's light, I reached the second classroom from the left. I took a deep breath and swung the door open!

A wave of evil energy hit me head-on! It was definitely evil energy. Fortunately, I was prepared. I quickly raised my hand and shouted, "Ji Ji Ru Lü Ling!!!" The 'Ding Yi Ju Qing Protecting Talisman' in my hand emitted a faint green light, splitting the evil energy heading straight for me into two, passing through my body.

Damn, that was close! Goosebumps immediately spread across my body.

I looked at her, and to my shock, I realized she hadn't attacked me. The evil energy had only been released from her body. She still hadn't turned around. She was just standing by the window, staring outside, totally ignoring me. Though I wasn't offended by her ignoring me, come on, I was trying to have a talk with her here! You could at least turn around!

Damn it, I thought. Since you're ignoring me, I won't be polite anymore. I quickly pulled out the 'Jia Wu Yu Qing Breaking Evil Talisman' from my pocket, grinning. My Master Jiu had told me that no matter how fierce or evil a ghost was, if you stick this talisman to their 'ghost door' (forehead), they would be struck by the Six Jia Yang Gods and their soul would scatter.

Just as I took out the talisman, she spoke, but she still didn't turn around. I clearly heard her ask, "Can you see me?"

Her voice was pleasant, but it made my goosebumps rise again.

She was speaking, so she still had some consciousness left. That meant there was a bigger chance of eliminating her. What should I do?

Answer A: Respond to her, chat with her, and persuade her to reincarnate.

Answer B: Pretend not to see her, and while acting like a passerby admiring the view, catch her off guard and destroy her.

Answer C: Screw this, running away is the best option.

My mind raced through these three choices, but I quickly ruled out the third one. After coming this far, I couldn't just run away. The second option also seemed ridiculous; who would be sightseeing in this terrifying old building at this hour?

I decided to answer her. Damn it, I would have a proper conversation with her. Maybe there was a peaceful solution. After all, if it came to a fight, I had little chance of winning. I knew I was still a beginner. My legs were still shaking.

Damn it, as a man, how could I let a female ghost take charge? I gritted my teeth and decided to confront her, even if I got hurt in the process.

I mustered up the courage and said, "Yes, I can see you."

She slowly turned around, and another wave of resentment hit me. Let me explain what 'resentment' feels like. Have you ever felt a sudden chill while lying in bed at night? That unsettling feeling? I'm sure many of you have experienced it. But the feeling I had then was much stronger.

She turned slowly, and the streetlights outside the window cast their glow onto her face. I could vaguely make out her features. She was probably quite beautiful, though her face was unnaturally pale—just like all the ghost descriptions. She looked at me, her expression blank, and said, "Finally, I found someone who can talk to me."

I had always thought ghosts couldn't talk, but here I was, witnessing one speak. It sounded strange, though. Was she looking for a substitute?

I thought it might be a good sign that we were communicating, so I cautiously said, "But not everyone can see you. Do you have any unfulfilled wishes?"

I didn't ask this without reason. In an old book, it was mentioned that many ghosts are formed when their last wish isn't fulfilled. There was a story of a ruthless landlord who abused his workers. When one worker was wrongfully sentenced to death, he cursed the landlord, saying that he would become an evil ghost and bite the landlord's neck after his death. But when the landlord went to watch the execution, he made a deal with the executioner to spare the worker's life. The worker's last thought was to bite the flagpole, and that's exactly what his head did after it was severed. The landlord's family was terrified, but the landlord remained calm. He believed that since the worker's mind was fixated on the flagpole, his wish had been fulfilled, and no vengeance would follow.

I remembered that story, so I asked the ghost if she had any unfulfilled wishes. If I could help fulfill them, maybe she would peacefully move on to the afterlife.

She stared at me, making me feel chills all over. She continued, speaking without moving her lips, "Tell me, why can you see me?"

Damn, she was cautious. I had to think quickly. So I said, "I... I'm actually a Yin-Yang Master. That's why I can see you."

It was an off-the-cuff response. I wasn't really sure what to say, but since Master Jiu had been a Yin-Yang Master, I figured it wouldn't hurt to claim that title.

She seemed slightly surprised by my answer, probably because I didn't look the part. I didn't exactly have the air of a mysterious, ancient practitioner.

She asked again, "Yin-Yang Master... What's your name?"

It seemed like she was trying to make small talk. I wasn't scared anymore. At this point, I was getting a little more relaxed. After all, I'd spent plenty of time in internet cafes since college. Dealing with this ghost was easier than talking to some women.

But I still kept my guard up, because I remembered an old warning: never tell a ghost your real name. If you do, it could lead to your soul being taken.

I quickly thought of a name and said, "My name is Qin Aide."

Apparently, the ghost didn't catch on to the oddity of my name. She slowly said, "Qin Aide, would you like to hear my story?"