Chapter 82: Summoning the Soul

That night, our neighborhood had received advance notice of a power outage due to electrical renovations. My friend He Peng suggested we pass the time by telling ghost stories. With nothing else to do, we agreed without much thought. At first, things were quite normal. We chatted for a long while, and by ten thirty the electricity still hadn’t returned. He Peng and the others grew bored of the ghost stories, so he proposed we play a supernatural game. I’ve always been timid, so I didn’t join in this sort of game.

At this point, Master nodded and asked, “What kind of supernatural game did they play?”

Chen Siqi thought for a moment, her face pale with fear. “He Peng called it the Four People Game.”

Master nodded again. “Four people? You take turns circling and patting each other’s shoulders? In that case, it’s nothing. Go on.”

Chen Siqi nodded and continued, “At first, nothing strange happened. The only unsettling things were the darkness all around and the flickering candlelight. I just sat to the side and watched them play. But after they circled three times and stopped, facing a corner, I felt a chill of wind drift in from outside the curtain. A shiver ran through me. Suddenly, my vision went black. When my sight cleared, I saw... I saw...”

Her breath grew ragged as she spoke. Master patted her on the shoulder; only then did she manage to calm down a little. Staring at us with vacant eyes, she said, “I saw... I saw a woman in red, walking in circles behind them, just like they were. At first, my friends thought someone was playing a prank. I thought I was seeing things, so I rubbed my eyes, but there she was—a woman in red, walking about. I was so terrified I could barely breathe. I screamed, and my friends finally turned and came over to me, asking what was wrong. But by then, I was completely stunned. They thought I was tired and took me home. But... but just as we reached my door and opened it, I saw the woman in red—standing there at the threshold, head bowed so I couldn’t see her face. I was scared half to death, collapsed onto the floor, unable to look up. All I could hear was the crackling of electricity and my friends’ screams. I burst into tears. When the noise faded, I finally dared to look up, only to see all my friends sprawled on the floor—and... and there was blood around them! I fainted from fright. Since then, the memory has haunted me, nearly driving me mad. Can you help me? Can you please help me?”

As she finished, Chen Siqi broke down in tears, clutching Master’s arm tightly. Master patted her hand and said, “Don’t worry, we’ll help you. For now, get some rest.”

With that, Master gently helped the dazed Chen Siqi lie down on the bed, tucked her in, then glanced at me. I nodded, and followed him out. Chen Siqi buried herself under the covers, sobbing uncontrollably. Outside, her parents had been waiting; hearing her cries, they rushed in to comfort her. Master paused at the doorway, looked back at Chen Siqi, sighed, and murmured, “Poor child.”

He then formed a seal with one hand, turned it slightly, and intoned, “Nine-Lotus Lion’s Roar Seal, Great Sun Tathagata calms the three souls.”

At his words, Chen Siqi’s sobs suddenly ceased. I glanced back—under Master’s incantation, she had instantly fallen asleep. I couldn’t help but smile. Master said nothing, simply walked out; I hurried after him. Captain Liu had vanished somewhere. Walking beside Master, I asked, “Master, what did you just do?”

He smiled, hands in his pockets. “Nothing much—just erased her memory of the night before last.”

I nodded. That was indeed a kindness; Chen Siqi had clearly been tormented to the brink of madness by that memory. Then I turned to Master again. “So where are we going next?”

Master stopped, glanced around, and said, “Summon the spirits for questioning!”

“Summon the spirits? Whose spirit are we calling?” I asked, puzzled.

Master gave me a look. “The deceased, of course. Unless you’d rather it be yours?”

I grinned sheepishly. “But didn’t Chen Siqi just explain everything? What more do you need to ask?”

Master sighed. “Only the person involved knows the truth. All Chen Siqi could give was her account of that night—it’s not enough to solve the case. But I’ve already narrowed down the target: the woman in red from the surveillance footage. There’s lingering ghostly energy at the scene, too. These young people—nothing better to do at night than play supernatural games, and then fail to close the ritual properly. What a waste of four lives.”

I nodded. This case had become a supernatural one; we couldn’t just stand by. Master and I drove to the entrance of Duoyuan Lake Community, then took my car home to prepare. By nightfall, we were ready, and returned with spirit-summoning tools to Duoyuan Lake. I’d already informed Lin Fang; all police officers had been withdrawn from the complex. Navigating by memory, we returned to apartment 4201. The entire place was deserted after the deaths, the atmosphere eerie. Master laid out his tools on the table while I closed the windows; with the curtains drawn, the room became pitch dark.

Master picked up three yellow talismans and chanted, “Wandering souls adrift, where do you linger? Three souls descend, seven spirits arrive. He Peng’s soul, return swiftly.”

With that, he raised the talismans to his forehead and turned them. The curtains fluttered. After a moment, a gray spirit appeared before the table. Master lowered the talismans. “Are you He Peng’s soul?”

The spirit hovered, dazed, giving no answer. Master pointed at it; the spirit shuddered, then regained awareness, panicking at the unfamiliar surroundings and drifting about the room. Master called out, and the spirit stopped.

“Don’t wander. Answer my questions.”

The spirit stared dully. “Who are you?”

“I’m your friend,” Master replied.

“Oh, a friend... You’re my friend. Do you need something from me? Where is this?”

“This is your home. Do you know what’s happened to you?”

He Peng’s spirit shook his head, slow and vacant. “Why do I feel so light? Did I get drunk?”

Master shook his head, stamped his foot, and drew He Peng’s spirit to his hand. He Peng struggled in fright, but Master ignored him, pressing his finger to the spirit’s brow. “Divine mind flees the dark, let the spirit transcend.”

The scene around us shifted in a flash, returning to the night before last. After returning He Peng’s soul to the underworld, Master stepped aside to observe. The vision matched Chen Siqi’s description, but we saw the woman in red’s face clearly—ghastly pale, blood streaming from the corners of her eyes. As the scene neared its end, I was shocked: just as Master had said, the woman in red was strangling them. No matter how they struggled, they couldn’t break free; their eyes bulged as if ready to burst. She flung them aside, which explained the bruises found on their backs and elsewhere. The four young people clutched their throats, terror-stricken, scrambling to escape, but the ghostly woman gave them no chance. She grinned coldly and said, “Come on, let’s play—I’m not done yet.”

As soon as she finished, a wave of ghostly energy sent the four flying again. Just as they tried to turn away, she multiplied into countless forms, suddenly looming before them. The four recoiled in terror, screamed, and collapsed. I saw clearly—their breathing ceased. This confirmed Master’s earlier suspicion: though they bore injuries, they had, indeed, been scared to death. The ghost, unsatisfied, grinned madly and drove her three razor-sharp fingers straight into their chests and skulls. Watching from the side, I couldn’t help but wince at the sight.

Soon, the ghost ceased her rampage and glanced at Chen Siqi, lying nearby, but did not harm her. That, too, was something I’d wondered about. The ghost licked her talon-like nails, cackled, and vanished. At that, Master waved his hand, and we were back in the silent apartment. Master sat to the side; I turned on the light and sat down, mind still replaying the harrowing scene. I asked, “Master, they really were scared to death? Isn’t that a bit far-fetched?”

Master sat, staring at the table, tapping his fingers, brow furrowed. “It’s not far-fetched at all. When a person’s mind reaches the breaking point, it can explode like a balloon—killed by fear alone. That terror is worse than a thousand arrows through the heart—attacked from without, crushed from within.”

I nodded, then asked, “But why didn’t the ghost kill Chen Siqi too?”

Master sighed, walked to the side, and said, “Chen Siqi didn’t participate in the supernatural game. The ghost only targeted those four who did. Still, having claimed lives, she can’t be allowed to remain. We must find her, and quickly.”

I nodded, went to stand beside him. “Is there a way to find her? After all, we’re dealing with a ghost, not a person. It won’t be easy.”

Master fell silent, deep in thought, leaning against the wall, chin propped on his hand. I said nothing either. After a while, Master suddenly snapped his fingers, a faint smile curving his lips.