Chapter 84: The Evil Sorcerer (1 / 2)

The chill that hit me wasn't ordinary—it was the kind of cold that only vengeful spirits bring. It's an unnatural frost, born from resentment and death. For those unaware: if you're walking outdoors in the height of summer and suddenly feel a bone-deep cold… you'd better watch your step.

Before us stood the infamous Shashan Ghost Building, built in the 1980s in Shenyang. It was widely known as the city's most rundown building, primarily housing evicted residents. The building's structure mimicked Hong Kong-style tenement apartments—shared kitchens, narrow corridors, and dim lighting. It had long fallen into disrepair. Most of the original residents had moved out, leaving it to be rented by migrant workers and vagrants.

On the railings of the stairwell, ragged clothes hung loosely. A few half-naked men in triangle shorts wandered the halls aimlessly. It was hard to believe this was where Mr. Ke, once worth tens of millions, now lived. The bitter irony of his fall from grace stirred a pang of sorrow in me.

That eerie cold wind I'd felt earlier had come from this stairwell.

I steadied myself and tied a wind chime at my waist—it would ward off the spirit wind and prevent it from entering my body. I considered pasting a talisman on Jiang Shiyu as well, but surprisingly, she didn't seem affected by the cold. That likely had something to do with her lifelong chanting of the Kṣitigarbha Sūtra—a practice that naturally guards against dark and malevolent forces.

"I don't like this feeling… maybe we shouldn't go in," she said, uneasy.

I reassured her. While I wouldn't mess with corpse mutations, vengeful spirits didn't frighten me. With that, we stepped boldly into the building. I took one glance at the dilapidated elevator and decided the stairs were safer.

The air inside was rank. An unplaceable but deeply unpleasant stench permeated the stairwell, making me frown. I told Jiang Shiyu to wait outside.

But she refused and insisted on following. She said she was curious about what kind of person Mr. Ke must be—to go so far as to use his own parents' bones to make a dark amulet. I couldn't dissuade her, so I let her come along.

The higher we climbed, the colder it got. Despite the season barely turning to autumn, it felt like we were walking into a freezer. Jiang Shiyu shivered and rubbed her arms. "Why is it so cold? It's like stepping into a refrigerator."

I frowned deeper. Breath like frost, air like ice—signs of unresolved resentment. If I hadn't come today, someone in this building would've died within three days.

I drew two "Raising Yang Qi" talismans, giving one to her. Pure Yang is the best defense against Yin spirits.

When we finally reached Ke's door, the floor was littered with dead insects. That alone told me something was wrong.

Holding back my unease, I knocked on the door. "Mr. Ke? Are you in there?"

No answer. I knocked again, harder. Still no response. I pulled out my phone and dialed his number, pressing my ear to the door.

I could hear his ringtone inside.

"He probably forgot his phone at home and went out," Jiang Shiyu guessed.

I shook my head. A man fearing for his life wouldn't leave his phone behind. The feeling in my gut grew stronger.

I told her to stand aside. I took a few steps back, ran forward, and kicked the door hard.

The old, decaying wood gave way easily with a loud crack, revealing a wave of putrid stench that nearly knocked me off balance.

Jiang Shiyu screamed and hid behind me.

Inside, the air was thick with corpse stench. A body lay on the bed—bloated, rotting, maggots crawling everywhere. From the features, it bore a striking resemblance to Mr. Ke.

Jiang Shiyu stared wide-eyed. "Dabao… do you think… the person who called you just now… was him?"

I told her to calm down and called the police.

Standing in the cramped, decrepit room, I scanned the area. At the bedside, tossed aside like garbage, was a Buddha amulet. I activated my spiritual sight—慧眼—and saw it was shrouded in thick black mist.

I picked it up. It was quite exquisite on the outside—jade-encrusted, gold-lined. If not for the two finger bones inside the glass casing, one might've mistaken it for fine jewelry.

Jiang Shiyu came over and asked, "What's that?"

"We should get out of here first. Too many germs in the air." I glanced back at Mr. Ke's body.

If you've ever watched horror films, you might know that freshly deceased spirits often don't realize they're dead. They linger in the location of their death, unaware. Mr. Ke's room had all the signs: sealed windows, closed curtains, no light—perfect for spiritual unrest.

There are many similar stories: dead people appearing online, sending texts, logging into games… What was happening here was of the same nature.

I held the amulet tightly. I suspected that Mr. Ke's spirit was trapped inside, being punished by his parents. With such a sinister artifact, whoever held it next would surely suffer.

I wrapped the amulet in red cloth, tied it with spirit-warding thread, sealed it with a talisman, and placed it into my green satchel.

Soon, the police arrived. Since we were the ones who discovered the body, we were taken to Shashan District Police Station to give our statements.

When they asked how I knew the deceased had died, I said, "He called me."

The officer looked at me like I was crazy.

I showed them my call log. One younger officer even dialed the number—it had already been suspended due to unpaid bills.

I had no motive for murder, and after a routine questioning, they let me go.

Outside, dusk had already fallen. Jiang Shiyu offered to treat me to a meal.

I shook my head. "I have to head to Tongliao later tonight. Something's come up."