Chapter Two: Nine Evils and One Corpse

In truth, Zhang Keqing was extraordinarily beautiful and possessed an air of undeniable elegance. The only thing was, she tended to be rather aloof. Otherwise, I would have long since been scheming to win her over. Even though she was two or three years older than me this year, I didn't mind at all. Isn’t there an old saying, “A woman three years older is a treasure”? Besides, in this day and age, who cares about such things?

The Jewelry Tower stood at the end of Xiaoxi Street—a building where, in recent days, a series of strange events had occurred. For example, people riding the elevator alone would often encounter a man and a woman—both strangers whom no one could identify.

Moreover, anyone working late in the building would hear the sounds of weeping, or sometimes the cries of a baby. What truly shocked me, however, was what Zhang Keqing told me: every year, around this time, a pregnant woman would leap to her death from this building. This happened like clockwork, and this year, even before the fateful date, countless ominous signs had already appeared. Yet, at this moment, there were only two pregnant women associated with the building—one was the owner’s wife, the other an ordinary employee.

Both women, however, had left the company several days ago to await childbirth at home.

“Is there any connection?” I asked, still baffled the more I listened.

“I’ve looked into the seven women who have died here over the past seven years,” Zhang Keqing replied. “They all share one thing in common—their birthdays fall on the same day. The years differ, but the month and day are identical. Even more surprising, the two women I just mentioned—they, too, share that birthday.”

“What a coincidence. Are you saying both of them are destined to die?”

Zhang Keqing’s brows furrowed in deep thought. After a moment, she asked, “Have you ever read about a phenomenon called ‘Nine Furies and One Corpse’?”

I searched my memory, recalling all the books I’d pored over recently, but could only shake my head in resignation.

She gave a faint shake of her head and then explained, “Put simply, it’s a kind of formation—a ritual called the ‘Three Corpses Soul-Returning Array.’ It requires three corpses: a Fury Corpse, a Water Corpse, and a Yang Corpse. The Fury Corpse is the last one in the ‘Nine Furies and One Corpse’ legend. I’ve only ever read about this in an ancient tome on secret formations. It’s said to be a heaven-defying ritual capable of resurrecting the dead, but to actually set it up is extraordinarily difficult—not only difficult but also requiring all three corpses to be present. What made me think of the Three Corpses Soul-Returning Array was the shared birthday of those two women.”

“Is there something unusual about their birth?”

Zhang Keqing nodded, then lowered her voice. “All nine women were born in an inauspicious year and month. I suspect that the children they carried were born under a baleful sign as well. Their birth dates were steeped in ominous energy, and when they died, all that fury didn’t dissipate, but seeped into their very souls, transforming them into malevolent spirits.”

Her words left me shaken. Even though it was only a theory, people like Zhang Keqing could usually see such things at a glance; if she said so, it was likely true.

“So, should we go into the building first, or find the two pregnant women?”

Zhang Keqing stood beneath the Jewelry Tower for a long while before murmuring, “Let’s go inside first. There are several auras of shadowy energy within.”

I nodded and followed her into the building.

The Jewelry Tower housed many companies. I glanced at my watch—it was past nine in the evening, yet many offices were still lit with overtime workers.

We rode the elevator up to the fifteenth floor.

Although I hadn’t spoken much with Zhang Keqing in over a month of working there, I knew she possessed a special artifact—a watch made with fragments of Ghostrealm Soul-Calming Stone, according to Chen Chuyi. It was more than a timepiece; it detected the presence of apparitions.

“It’s that way,” Zhang Keqing said as soon as we stepped out of the elevator, glancing at her watch and pointing down a long corridor to my left.

I was no fool. Quickly, I took a willow leaf and brushed it across my eyes—a trick I’d learned in my studies—and instantly, the world before me changed. The hallway was wreathed in a mist like dry ice, and I saw a little girl in white, her long hair framing a face that was ghostly pale, yet oddly cute. This was the girl ghost Zhang Keqing had spoken of.

After more than a month of study, I was no longer the novice I once was. Now I could face spirits head-on. According to Chen Chuyi, most apparitions are pitiful creatures, especially the kind-hearted ones, who are even more deserving of sympathy.

For a wandering soul, if she doesn’t report to the local Ghost City within a set time, her ghostly energy will begin to dissipate. And once that energy is gone, the spirit is lost to oblivion.

To survive, a spirit must either become a vengeful ghost or transform fully into a baleful wraith. But if that happens, passing through Ghost City brings punishment, and once transformed, the spirit loses its original self forever, never to recover.

That’s why Chen Chuyi always told me to give these souls a chance—help them reach Ghost City if they wish, or fulfill their last wishes if possible. When ghosts haunt the living, it’s not out of malice, but out of a desperate will to survive.

“What are you waiting for? Go after her!” Zhang Keqing called out, striding quickly ahead.

Startled, I dashed after the little girl ghost. She must have realized I could see her, for she shrieked and floated away.

“Zhang, she’s getting away!”

“Handle that little ghost. There are two more over there—I’ll take care of them and come back for you!”

A thrill of excitement ran through me. To be honest, this was the first time I could truly put my skills to the test. Even though the opponent was just a little girl ghost, it was enough for me to unleash everything I had learned.