Chapter Thirty-Eight: Ghost City

It seemed that this place was truly not as simple as it appeared on the surface. The more this became apparent, the more curious Lin Ran grew, determined to go out and see for himself what secrets this place held.

Having made up his mind, he headed for the door. As he passed the mirror above the bathroom sink, his eyes flicked over it.

“Huh?” Lin Ran suddenly halted, suspicion clouding his face as he regarded his own reflection. He noticed a faint shadow of black between his brows—he’d been afflicted by something! When had it happened? How could he have fallen victim and not noticed at all?

Lin Ran carefully recollected: there had been nothing unusual when he disembarked the plane, so when had it happened? Thinking it over, he recalled that it was after he had finished urinating that he saw the headless ghost—could it have been when he shook himself dry? That was the one moment when his guard had been completely down. Understanding this, Lin Ran’s thoughts suddenly became clear.

He paid no mind to the shadow on his forehead—it would allow him to see ghosts, saving him the trouble of opening his Yin-Yang eyes. As he walked to the restroom door, he felt his head collide with something soft and furry. A chilling sensation immediately seeped into his skull, and Lin Ran was instantly overcome by dizziness.

He silently cursed—another trap! Hurriedly, he bit the tip of his tongue, the sharp pain jolting his mind back to clarity. Steeling himself, he looked ahead and, to his shock, saw a female ghost hanging upside down at the restroom entrance—he had just come face to face with her.

Lin Ran eyed the ghost warily, clutching the mourning staff tightly in his hand. If she so much as twitched, he wouldn’t hesitate to strike.

He waited for a long while, but the female ghost made no move, simply remained suspended at the doorway. Suddenly, she made a grotesque face at him and vanished without a trace. Lin Ran stared wide-eyed at the spot where she disappeared, swallowing hard. Damn it, a ghost making faces to scare people—he could only smile bitterly. This was terrifying beyond reason!

It was a while before he could finally let out a slow breath. Thankfully, this was just a newly deceased ghost, acting only on instinct to frighten people, without any real awareness. If she had died unjustly or violently, he might not have made it out alive. The thought left Lin Ran trembling—this ghost city truly lived up to its name. One misstep here, and there would be no hope of return. At first, he’d thought people were exaggerating, but now he realized just how deadly this place could be.

Lin Ran raised his guard to the highest level. If merely stepping into a small restroom was so dangerous, who knew what awaited outside? Once he steadied his nerves, he moved toward the exit, but even though he had mentally prepared himself, what he saw still left him reeling.

The corridor was packed from end to end with wandering ghosts—at least a dozen of them, drifting aimlessly without awareness. Occasionally, a few glanced curiously at Lin Ran, but he ignored them. Was he crazy enough to provoke them now? That would be courting death.

Crossing the ten-meter corridor took only a few minutes, but to Lin Ran, it felt as if he’d walked for hours.

Just as he reached the other end, a minor mishap occurred: a female ghost drifted over and stopped in front of him, sizing him up with obvious interest, her expression suggestive—as if a rich woman was selecting a gigolo to keep.

Lin Ran froze, not daring to move, inwardly weeping in despair. The corners of his mouth twitched as he howled inside: Oh, dear lady! It was one thing for you to have this taste while alive, but must you keep it in death? Why not head to the afterlife and be reborn—maybe you’d return as a human and find a young man to dote on. Why fixate on me?

As he silently lamented, the ghostly woman grew even more excited, and, to his horror, she actually reached out and groped him. Her ghastly pale face lit up with glee. Lin Ran was so frightened he nearly lost his soul—he was being molested by a female ghost!

That was the last straw. His anger flared, and he prepared to pull out the mourning staff and teach this bold ghost a lesson. An inexplicable wave of icy, sinister energy suddenly erupted from within him, startling the ghost so badly that she turned and fled without a backward glance, as though she had seen a ghost herself.

Not only her—the other wandering female ghosts nearby also scattered. Now it was Lin Ran's turn to be bewildered. What just happened? He could sense that the surge of energy had come from him, seemingly beyond his control, triggered purely by his anger.

Moreover, that energy felt much like Yin energy, but tinged with something more—ghostly energy! Could this be connected to his origins? Lin Ran mused over it for a long while but couldn’t arrive at an answer, so he had to let the thought go. Thankfully, the ordeal had passed without real danger; he’d braced himself for a fierce battle.

Composing himself, Lin Ran made his way to the main hall, only to be utterly stunned by the sight before him. The entire hall was filled with wandering ghosts—more crowded than an airport on a busy day.

Lin Ran’s appearance immediately drew every ghost’s attention; countless gazes fell upon him, sending chills down his spine. However, after a moment, the ghosts lost interest and looked away. Only then did Lin Ran breathe a sigh of relief, feeling the weight of their stares lift.