C24 Disaster

"You're dead!

You're dead!

You're dead!"

The same voice echoed in my ears three times consecutively. Initially, I dismissed it as a hallucination, but then a chill swept over me, and I collapsed to the ground. I watched in disbelief as my doppelganger walked out of the surveillance room and strolled to the door, ignoring me completely. It was as though he was oblivious to my presence, not sparing me a single glance, as if I were invisible.

Then, that eerie voice whispered again from behind: "Still don't believe it? You're dead!"

I spun around, but there was nothing there. In a state of panic, I yelled, "Damn it! Show yourself if you dare. If I don't take you down, my name isn't Lee Fan!"

I tried to steady my nerves, shaking my head to regain composure. In a fit of rage, I kicked the surveillance room door open and stormed inside, confronting my lookalike, "Who are you? What are you?"

He continued on, oblivious, tending to his tasks. After finishing his instant noodles, he checked the time on his phone and left. I suspected he was going to shut off the elevator.

I shadowed him to the elevator and watched as he cut the power, then walked back in silence. At that moment, I accepted Ms. Liu's words as truth and became convinced that the person in the surveillance footage was indeed me. A sense of urgency hit me—I realized he was about to erase the surveillance recordings. By the time I got back, the 'other me' had already wiped the records clean, then took a sip of water and sat by the window, lost in thought.

His every move mirrored my own routine, heightening my fear and the chill that I couldn't shake off.

Why couldn't he hear me?

Why was I invisible to him?

Why did he look exactly like me?

Was he my soul, or was I his? If so...

Was I truly dead?

I pondered this question for what seemed like an eternity, oblivious to my surroundings until I felt a few taps on my shoulder and heard someone shouting next to me for quite some time. That's when I finally snapped back to reality.

Wu Yi asked me what was going on, what had happened.

I replied, "I saw myself."

He gave me a puzzled look. I explained, "I saw someone who looked exactly like me. He even shut down the spiritual staircase, and..."

Wu Yi gestured for me to calm down. I took a deep breath, feeling slightly disoriented, and nodded in agreement.

Wu Yi assured me that the spiritual staircase wasn't closed; he had just come down from there.

I insisted, "That's impossible. I clearly saw that guy close the spiritual staircase. I tried to confront him, but he completely ignored me, as if I were invisible."

I added, "I also heard a bizarre voice claiming I was already dead."

Wu Yi quickly poured a glass of water, lit a yellow talisman on fire, and placed it in a bowl. Once the paper had charred, he poured the water over it and urged me to drink. Confused but trusting his solemn demeanor, I pinched my nose and gulped it down.

Back in the monitoring room, with the door shut, Wu Yi said, "You've probably been affected by a ghost's trickery."

I froze, asking him to explain.

He described how these ghostly deceptions are similar to being trapped in a maze, but instead of being physically misled, you're shown terrifying visions. Both are illusions: one plays pranks, while the other seeks to possess you.

Wu Yi elaborated, "A person carries three 'lamps' of life force, located at the crown and over each shoulder, known as Yang Flame. The strength of the Yang Flame ebbs and flows with one's vitality. Malevolent spirits, seeking to reincarnate through a living body, often target those with weaker life force. The spirit that tried to scare you likely saw your robust Yang Flame and aimed to drain your energy, making you vulnerable for possession."

Shaken, I nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation.

Wu Yi continued, "I checked the fourth floor but didn't find anyone. However, I did discover a brazier next to the elevator, filled with joss paper. I suspect the individual was burning spirit money there."

Wu Yi shook his head and said, "It's hard to say whether that entity is a ghost or not. I have a suspicion that it deliberately set a trap for us."

After Wu Yi poured me a cup of hot water, I felt much warmer. I asked, "Are you suggesting that the entity wanted us to see it on the monitor, luring you upstairs with the actual intent of splitting us up?"

Wu Yi nodded in agreement. "Exactly."

I pondered, "Is there any significance to the paper money in the brazier? Could it be related to the hallucinations I had?"

Wu Yi shrugged. "I'm not sure. I'm just a Feng Shui master who's still learning the ropes. I can handle the basics, like determining auspicious directions, but this is beyond me."

"Let's consult Ninth Faang," I suggested. "Ever since I returned, it feels like the presence here has grown more intense."

Wu Yi inquired about my earlier whereabouts. "I had an epiphany and was about to look for you when you took the elevator. I decided to take the stairs instead, but something felt off as soon as I entered. Then, I had those hallucinations I mentioned to you when I got back."

"What was the epiphany?" Wu Yi asked.

I explained, "I suspect the shadow we saw is the same person responsible for Wang Tao's death and for nurturing the cat spirit!"

I recounted everything the little girl had shared with me about how Wang Tao borrowed a body to return to life, his feud with the man on the fourth floor, the cat spirit, and my own theories.

"It seems likely that this man holds a grudge against me and wants me dead," I concluded.

Wu Yi listened intently, then nodded. "Your theory seems sound. But their feud doesn't concern us. If the person on the fourth floor is behind this, looking to stir up trouble, I'm not intimidated."

I couldn't help but smile wryly. "Do you really feel confident about this?"

Wu Yi responded, "Aside from the 14th floor, I'm not intimidated by any other oddities in this building. At worst, they're just spirits that have manifested. There's always a way to handle them."

Wu Yi chuckled, "You always manage to escape the jaws of death, largely thanks to that little girl who's always with you. Speaking of which, why didn't she come to your rescue today?"

I shivered and spat at him, retorting, "Do I, a grown man, really need a kid to save me? Besides, she's a ghost. Humans and ghosts walk different paths."

Wu Yi sighed, his tone relaxed, "You don't know how lucky you are."

I gasped, pressing him urgently, "Are you really Wu Yi, or is this another one of that guy's tricks?"

Wu Yi gave me a disdainful look and muttered, "Nonsense."

I playfully squeezed Wu Yi's wrist, threatening, "Reveal your true self, or I'll break your arm."

Wu Yi gave a wry smile and protested, "Brother, why are you grabbing my useless hand?"

I chuckled sheepishly and released him, admitting, "I got spooked, that's all."

Wu Yi advised, "Your vital energy seems low lately. I recommend visiting some temples to pray; it could help."

I laughed, but tension quickly set in.

Seizing the moment while he was off guard, I grabbed his shoulder and demanded coldly, "Cut the crap. Do you think I'm that gullible? Who are you, really?"

Wu Yi's expression shifted, then he replied with a smile, "How long will you keep this up? I've told you, I'm Wu Yi."

I countered, "Quit the act. I've only mentioned the little girl once before, during Cripple Zhou's incident, and even I wasn't sure if she was the one who saved us. Yet you brought it up so easily."

Wu Yi looked troubled and said, "Lee Fan, please, enough with the games. Don't you remember what you've told me?"

I shot back, "Quit the nonsense. Even if I mentioned it without realizing, Wu Yi wouldn't have paid it any mind. Plus, you've made a critical error."

He looked at me blankly, still feigning ignorance. I pressed on, "You've probably forgotten which arm Wu Yi broke, haven't you?"

Wu Yi's whole body jolted, clearly taken aback. He violently shook his arm, but he couldn't break free; I had him firmly in my grasp. I demanded, "What are you planning to do?"

Wu Yi chuckled sinisterly, "You already know, don't you? What else would I do but cover my tracks?"

A shiver ran down my spine, yet I maintained a fearless facade. "Who are you, really?" I pressed.

"You've figured it out, haven't you?" Wu Yi replied. "I refrained from harming you before because she was around. But now that she's gone, isn't it time you paid for the deaths of my two 'darlings'?"

"So it was you," I realized aloud. "I never expected that a simple bluff would make you reveal your true colors. Wu Yi's broken arm and your act were identical, but your performance was pitifully unconvincing."

Wu Yi's face twisted with malice, his eyes turning a bloodthirsty red as veins bulged on his skin. He hissed, "You're utterly useless, failing even such a simple task."

As I pondered his words, a cold sensation crept up my spine. It dawned on me that something was terribly wrong. Just as I was about to react, Wu Yi's fist came flying at me. My vision blurred, and I stumbled to the ground, dazed.