After finishing their business and having lunch, the group went to pick up Xu Xiaodan and Lin Jiaojiao.
Zhao Huoyan drove a six-seater MPV. Old Master Zhao took the front passenger seat—he wanted to visit the Lingcheng Spiritual Regulation Bureau headquarters as well. Song Miaozhu and Zhao Mumu sat in the back.
When Xu Xiaodan and Lin Jiaojiao got in and saw so many people—especially the energetic, black-haired old man who clearly wasn't ordinary—they felt nervous but also reassured.
They both addressed everyone accompanying Song Miaozhu as "Master."
Lin Jiaojiao even whispered to Song Miaozhu, "Master, thank you so much! You even brought your teacher along!"
"Pfft!" Zhao Mumu burst out laughing. "In this field, Miaozhu is actually the one who taught me and my master!"
Old Master Zhao nodded. "That's right! Miaozhu might be young, but her skills are no joke."
Xu Xiaodan and Lin Jiaojiao immediately straightened up with awe. The way they looked at Song Miaozhu now—it was as if she were some mystical sage from beyond the mortal world.
"..."
Song Miaozhu quickly changed the subject. "When you dreamed of Sister Hong, what did she look like?"
"She was wearing a red dress with uneven dye, her hair hanging loose, floating in the middle of the dorm room. We couldn't see her face clearly, but she kept telling us to leave," Xu Xiaodan said.
They had recalled the dream many times but couldn't remember any more details. It was because of the red dress that they'd started calling her "Sister Hong."
"I checked the records for Lingcheng University's Dormitory 119 in Building 4," Zhao Huoyan said. "It hasn't been used much in the past decade. Your year was the only one assigned there."
"Right, right!" Lin Jiaojiao added. "We asked around on the forum too. Seniors said the inner rooms on the first floor are rarely used. The dorm supervisor said they're near the bathroom, blocked by trees, and too dark and damp, so they prioritize other rooms. Our year just had too many girls in the liberal arts program. Central District couldn't hold us all, so we had to use it."
"You think Sister Hong might've been a student from ten years ago?" Miaozhu asked.
"Lingcheng University has strict management. Outsiders can't easily enter, and there's no record of a missing female student," Zhao Huoyan said. "Neither the school nor the police have any files. Basically, no leads."
"Miaozhu will know once she checks tonight," Zhao Mumu said.
"I'll take a look too," Old Master Zhao added. He could now see the drifting spiritual energy particles in the air, but it had been a long time since he'd seen an actual ghost. He wondered how they'd appear to him now.
After arriving in the city, they rested at a hotel before heading to Lingcheng University at nightfall.
Zhao Huoyan had arranged a pass in advance, so their car drove straight onto campus. Since they weren't sure if the ghost rumors were true, they kept things low-key for now.
Zhao Huoyan and Old Master Zhao waited outside the dorm while Song Miaozhu, Zhao Mumu, Lin Jiaojiao, and Xu Xiaodan went in to check.
"Lin Jiaojiao! Xu Xiaodan! Keys for 119!" The dorm supervisor stopped them, handing over a keychain. She nodded at Song Miaozhu and Zhao Mumu before letting them pass.
"This is so weird. The supervisor didn't even ask who you were and just gave us the keys!"
Lin Jiaojiao and Xu Xiaodan kept glancing back in disbelief. Their usually strict supervisor—who never allowed outsiders and always reported violations—was actually smiling at them.
"My brother pulled some strings. Normal," Zhao Mumu said. "She probably thinks we're undercover cops."
Lin Jiaojiao and Xu Xiaodan: "!!!"
Since they'd moved out, Dorm 119 had been left empty. Other rooms were lit, but no one was in the hallway as they approached. The moment they got close, Song Miaozhu sensed something off and pulled a rattan cane from her bag.
"Jiaojiao, Xiaodan, give me the keys. I'll open the door."
"What's wrong?" Zhao Mumu tensed when she saw the cane. "Ghost?"
Xu Xiaodan and Lin Jiaojiao's hair stood on end. "Is… is it Sister Hong?"
Song Miaozhu shook her head. "The yin energy here is stronger than in most graveyards. It's not just the dampness—there's definitely a ghost. Luckily, there's no resentment. Probably still rational."
Lin Jiaojiao handed her the keys with trembling hands.
Song Miaozhu inserted the key into the icy lock.
Click—
"Ugh, people again?" A red-dressed ghost, her head pressed against the corner, grumbled in annoyance. "Please don't make me waste energy on another dream…"
She turned—and locked eyes with Song Miaozhu, who was holding the rattan cane.
Startled, the ghost pushed aside her long hair, revealing blood-red eyes, and waved a hand. "You can see me?"
Zhao Mumu shakily pointed at the corner. "Miaozhu, is the ghost there? I think I see a faint shadow!"
"You can see me too?" The ghost floated closer, staring at them.
Song Miaozhu nodded and raised the cane to block her. "Don't come closer. The two behind us are ordinary people—your yin energy harms them."
Only then did the ghost notice Lin Jiaojiao and Xu Xiaodan hiding behind them. "Oh, them again! I scared them off last time—why are they back? This room isn't safe for them!"
Muttering, she retreated to the far side of the room and took a deep breath, sucking the thick yin energy into herself. The room instantly felt cleaner.
"Come in. Did they bring you here? Since you can see me, tell them: if they don't want to die young, stay far away from this room. It's my territory now!"
"Your territory?" Song Miaozhu frowned.
This ghost was strange. She didn't seem to have died naturally—her face was pale, her neck bore strangulation marks, and there was blood on her head.
That kind of death was violent. Yet there was no resentment in her aura. That meant she'd been to the underworld, had her karma judged, and come to peace with how she died.
"But then why was she still here in the living world?"
The densest yin energy was near the floor. The ghost floated casually, but her feet were slightly below the floorboards.
"Could it be…?"
Miaozhu's gaze dropped to the tiles, her expression growing thoughtful.
Zhao Mumu could only see a vague outline of the ghost and hear fragmented, echoing whispers. Noticing Miaozhu's change in expression, she quickly sent her brother a message:
"GHOST CONFIRMED. GET HERE. FAST."