C33 Female Ghost

The harrowing memory of the Sky Lantern night resurfaced in my mind. I suppressed the fear welling up inside me and fixated on the skeletal finger inching towards me.

Her finger pressed against my chest, piercing my skin. A searing pain shot through me, and as I looked down, I saw her finger tracing something unknown onto my chest.

"Done. The contract of life and death is now branded upon you. If you fail to keep your promise within three years, your death will be even more gruesome, your body dissolving into pus," the female ghost declared menacingly.

"I... I understand. Can you help me get out of here now?" I inquired.

"Aren't you curious to lift my red veil and see my face?" she taunted with a chilling laugh.

"This... This..." I glanced at her skeletal palm, imagining that beneath the red veil lay a ghastly skull, possibly with maggots writhing in its eye sockets and mouth...

"Hmph, if you won't do it, then I'll show you myself!" she sneered, lifting her quivering bone claw to the edge of the veil.

I watched her, petrified, but the female ghost made no further move. Instead, she mocked, "Hmph, is your courage truly that scant?"

She lowered her claw and walked away. I followed her outside, where the vast starry sky and the fresh air made me feel wonderfully alive again.

Somehow, trailing behind this eerie and fearsome female ghost, I felt a strange sense of security.

Reflecting on it, I realized that the life-threatening dangers I'd encountered were all brought on by the malice of others. In contrast, my two rescues had both been thanks to this female ghost.

It was just as my foster father had said: sometimes, the hearts of people can be far more frightening than any ghost.

I tiptoed behind the female ghost, but accidentally kicked a metal bucket, sending a sharp clang echoing through the night.

I inwardly cursed as the Sunn family members quickly emerged.

One of them gaped at me, astonished at my escape, but before he could utter a sound, his expression turned to ice—he had caught sight of the female ghost leading the way.

Shortly thereafter, Sunn Youde emerged from his room. His face twisted in terror at the sight of the female ghost, and he quickly scampered off to another chamber.

I surmised he was off to seek the Evil Taoist's help, so I urged the female ghost, "Sister, we must leave at once. The Sunn family harbors a formidable Taoist."

Yet, upon hearing my words, the female ghost let out a cold snort and halted in her tracks.

Soon enough, the Evil Taoist and Sunn Youde appeared together. Youde cowered behind the Taoist, whispering, "Master, please subdue this female ghost and bring that little rascal back."

The Evil Taoist fixed his eerie green eyes on the female ghost, draped in her red veil. After a long stare, he refrained from acting and instead shook his head, advising Sunn Youde, "It's late. Everyone should return to bed."

With that, the Evil Taoist retreated to his quarters. Simultaneously, the female ghost began leading me away from the foreboding Sunn family estate.

Glancing back, I saw Sunn Youde still standing there, dumbfounded.

I hadn't anticipated the Evil Taoist's fear of the female ghost. An idea suddenly struck me, and with a tinge of apprehension, I proposed, "Sister, if you could help me eliminate that Taoist and Sunn Youde, I'd be at your service."

The female ghost snorted once more, dismissing my offer, "Don't overstep. Even a cornered rabbit will bite. Moreover, the Taoist doesn't fear me; he fears that our clash might summon the underworld's ferryman."

With a sigh, I resigned myself to follow her, heading toward the back mountain. Bathed in moonlight, her silhouette was elegant and statuesque, leaving one to wonder what lay beneath her flowing bridal gown.

Then, as a gentle breeze lifted her red veil, I caught a glimpse of her true appearance. To my astonishment, her face wasn't the macabre visage of a skull but seemed as fleshed out and as normal as any living person's, and even somewhat attractive.

But what amazed me most was the realization that, all this time, this female ghost had a shadow...