Liu He’s Stuff

Last time in the story, Su Bai beat off this ghost lady with his dagger, because he had killed multiple people with this dagger, which kind of made it a murder weapon like a butcher’s knife[1]. But this time, his dagger was not around.

The ghost lady’s jaw was clinging to Su Bai’s shoulder. He could clearly feel her weight, if there was any weight. She was so light, but she was actually there; this was an odd feeling, as if he was having different senses about the same feeling. But there was one thing he knew for sure: she was real, and she was by his side.

At the same time, the ghost lady started to move her face. Gradually, her face came close to Su Bai’s cheek; it looked so dubiously romantic, like the intimate action that all lovers would do. But no man in his right mind would like this scene, especially this companion.

Su Bai stayed calm; he had some water in his mouth, rinsed, then spit it out and left the washroom. After several “big” events, he had become used to this, or he was now numb, as if he was just strolling idly in a courtyard.

Sitting on the bed, Su Bai took two tissues and scrubbed his face.

The television was just in front of Su Bai. Through its screen he saw that ghost lady coming to him again; she sat down right next to his back.

Su Bai felt sort of speechless.

Yes…

…speechless.

Due to his rich experience, Su Bai felt as if he was mentally immune to this kind of ghost. Besides, this ghost lady was scared away by the ferocious look on his dagger. Danger and supernatural factors would be enhanced in the story worlds, which could be told from the paper men. Therefore, this ghost lady was actually weaker in reality.

Such being the case, she was nothing to be afraid of.

There was a local show airing on TV, with the title saying “Tough Girl Proposes to The Boy”. In the show, a pretty good-looking girl with a large bunch of flowers kneeled down before a boy:

“Wang Wei, happy birthday to you! I would like to offer myself as your birthday gift.”

Of course, Su Bai wasn’t focusing on the show.

“Why are you following me?” Su Bai asked.

The ghost lady stopped in astonishment. First, there was confusion on her face, but then it was replaced by enlightenment or even surprise.

She pointed to a glass of water in front of Su Bai. He understood and pushed the glass over. Water splashed out.

Then, slowly the water began to move on the table. Words showed up:

“You really can see me.”

Su Bai took out another bottle of mineral water, took off its cap and took a sip: “Can we cut the crap?”

“Okay.”

“What do you want from me?” Su Bai asked.

“Vitality. I need that.”

“My vitality?” Su Bai pointed to himself, “Will I get ED after you have absorbed my vitality?”

“No, I won’t need that much.”

“Then what can I get?” To gain something, one must offer something first. Su Bai didn’t mind doing business with ghosts, as long as he could gain enough from it.

“I don’t know what I can do for you.” The ghost lady answered.

“So I can’t get anything?” Su Bai smiled, “Then we won’t have any deal at all. You wouldn’t have to talk with me for so long if you could just ignore my objection and take my vitality, right?”

“Yes.”

“Actually, you can just choose someone else. That will be better for both you and me. I’m not a Celestial Master[2], and I won’t get in your way.”

“You’re different. Your blood is different and your smell is different.”

“I’m so honored.” Su Bai was a little serious now, “I don’t know how to hit a ghost, but I assume if I spend some money in some Buddhist or Taoist temples, I’ll find some real skillful monks or taoists to capture you.”

“Yes, you will.”

The ghost lady was so tender, so honest, and so straightforward. She was so outspoken that Su Bai felt as if he had punched his fist into a heap of cotton.

“You can think about it once again. I’m a man with no principles. Give me enough benefits, and I’ll let you have some of my vitality.”

Su Bai repeated his requirements.

The ghost lady sat on the bed flutteringly; she seemed to be thinking hard.

While Su Bai took out his cell phone, entered the BBS of his school and started to search with the key words.

In fact, it was normal to have one or two students die in the school every year; quite a few died of diseases or other natural reasons, apart from those who intrigued excitement and attracted attention with suicides or murders or jumped from the top of a building. After all, it was a big school.

Soon, Su Bai found a post that interested him. It was a notice for missing person with a picture of a young girl.

In the picture, the girl looked pretty comely, like a Muse of the campus. The notice was posted by one of her roommates, saying that she had been missing for a whole month and neither her teachers nor her parents could reach out to her.

Su Bai checked the posted time: it was three years ago.

Three years.

So this girl was not missing but dead, since she had become a ghost. Besides, it could be told by the fact that she was still wandering in the school that…

… she probably died in the school because of some accident!

Su Bai felt a little sorry for Chu Zhao. Luckily, Su Bai was not a warm-hearted citizen trying to do the right thing, so he didn’t bother to call Chu Zhao to report this case. Besides, he couldn’t make any sense; could he just say that he reported because he had found the ghost of that dead girl who was missing? So he reported that the girl must have died in the school or nearby?

If Chu Zhao heard this from him, he would jump up and yell at him… He had no sleep last night, and he would have to stay up tonight?

As for Chu Zhao, Su Bai would not praise him for his professional ethics and moral codes as a policeman. But fortunately, this ghost lady wasn’t like other ghost ladies in classical operas, weeping her heart out begging for vengeance… She just asked for some vitality.

“Still working on it?” Su Bai urged. He lit a cigarette but didn’t smoke, only held it between his fingers and shook it a little.

Urged by Su Bai, the ghost lady seemed to have suddenly thought of something. The water on the table immediately turned into several words:

“paper man, stuff, hidden.”

Looking at these words, Su Bai narrowed his eyes at once.

Childe Hai had looked for Liu He’s stuff but didn’t find anything; he thought Liu He was just controlling the paper men by his talents of communicating with paper men instead of being a metaphysics follower.

However, the ghost lady seemed to be indicating that…

… Liu He…

… had left something…

… in this very school!

——————————————

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Butcher’s knife: In traditional Chinese folklore, a butcher’s knife has a power against evil because it has been used to take so many lives. And if any other knife or sword is used to take multiple lives, it will gain a power against evil like a butcher’s knife.

[2] Celestial Master: In the Han Dynasty(202 B.C.— A.D.220) there was a scholar named Zhang Daoling(A.D 34-156). It is said that the Celestial Master Taoism was founded by Zhang Daoling, his son and grandson, therefore among common people, Zhang Daoling, his descendants and students are all called Celestial Masters. It is said that they are all Taoists that can bring ghosts and monsters under control.