Ma Long's drowsiness evaporated. The horrific memory flooded back - crimson dress, floating specter, bloody characters materializing midair.
"Fucking scam call!" He hung up violently, scrambling out of bed. "Ghosts! This place is haunted!"
Stumbling downstairs, he froze at the doorway. "My BMW?! Where's my fucking car?!"
A taxi materialized like smoke. The driver's hollow eyes gleamed in dashboard lights. Ma Long shoved wads of cash at him. "Take me home! Now!"
The ride felt eerily silent - no engine rumble, no tire hum. Ma Long marveled at the soundproofing until noticing familiar mansions flashing by. "Wait... I never gave my address!"
────
At the rural compound, Xu Yang dusted ash from his hands. Wang Wei's charred remains smoldered nearby. The ghost queen watched him chant transcendence rites, her scrunchie-tied hair swaying.
"You cultivators..." She shuddered. "This is crueler than hell."
Xu Yang smiled beatifically. "Ensuring their peaceful reincarnation is true mercy."
────
The taxi driver regaled Xu Yang with gossip: "Ghost-driven BMW wreck! Cameras caught empty driver's seat!"
Back at the funeral shop, Xu Yang found Ma Long gone. His call got answered with hushed panic: "You kept that ghost! You're fucking her, aren't you?!"
The room temperature plummeted. The ghost queen's hair writhed like Medusa's snakes. Xu Yang stammered excuses before fleeing to his workshop.
Dawn found him practicing talismans. Ink splattered everywhere. "Fuck this!" He grabbed the bone-filled duffel. "Sis, mind the store. Police station trip!"
The ghost queen didn't respond, engrossed in *A Chinese Ghost Story* reruns. Her translucent cheeks flushed scarlet during the romantic scenes.