Chapter 6: I Don't Eat Lamb

Inside a lavishly decorated private room of a Chinese restaurant.

Bai Xian held a menu larger than her own face, her beautiful eyes flitting restlessly among the myriad dishes.

Every time Liu Yi was invited to a meal, he always declined, citing his low salary. Even when he did host, it was always at roadside barbecue stands or cheap eateries. Today, he had taken the initiative to invite her to such a luxurious place—he was certainly going to be taken advantage of.

On the other side of the room, Liu Yi, oblivious to his impending financial doom, sipped hot tea in small gulps, basking in satisfaction. He hadn’t expected Bai Xian to have such a beautiful cousin, and even more unexpectedly, the cousin had readily accepted his lunch invitation.

Watching the youthful, radiant girl across the table as she ordered, this civil servant—renowned for his lack of romantic luck—was floating on air for once.

Good brother, you must stay in XZ for a proper soul cleanse; linger a few months, and let things settle before you return…

Yet, perhaps it was his imagination, but the air-conditioning in this restaurant seemed to be set unusually low, sending a chill down his spine.

"Have you finished ordering?"

Seeing the waiter collect the menu and leave, Liu Yi smiled and asked.

Bai Xian nodded, her manner as cautious as a doe. "I’ve never been to such an upscale place before. I accidentally ordered two extra dishes. You won’t mind, right?"

Liu Yi patted his chest, reassuring her.

"Bai Xian’s sister is my sister. Order whatever you want—this place is a regular spot for me; price is no object."

Bai Xian smiled sweetly, her smile nearly melting Liu Yi’s heart.

"I heard from my brother that you’re a detective?"

"Indeed, I am."

"That must mean you handle big cases and visit crime scenes often," Bai Xian asked, curiosity sparkling in her eyes. "Have you encountered any bloody cases lately?"

"Ahem, not to scare you, but last night I handled a bizarre suicide case." Liu Yi tugged at his collar, the air-conditioning seeming to blow even colder now. "The husband cheated, and the wife jumped from the twenty-sixth floor. She was shattered… And this morning, we found that both the cheating husband and his mistress died mysteriously in a car. After lunch, I’ll be heading to the coroner’s office. Don’t spread this around…"

"Of course, I won’t tell anyone," Bai Xian replied, her gaze lingering on the blood-stained woman’s head resting on Liu Yi’s shoulder and the trailing, tattered dress. She smiled, "If I’m not mistaken, the woman who committed suicide was wearing a red dress, wasn’t she?"

Liu Yi was stunned. "How did you know?"

Bai Xian withdrew her gaze, her smile as lovely as a painting. "Someone posted the photos online."

"That explains it," Liu Yi said, not suspecting a thing.

In an era of information, unless signals are broadly blocked, it is impossible to conceal a crime scene.

"But you should stop looking at those photos. Too much, and you’ll have nightmares." Liu Yi shrank his neck; after viewing the scene last night, he’d been plagued by nightmares, and hadn’t recovered yet.

‘You… can see… me?’

A waiter pushed the door open and entered the private room. "Excuse me, your willow-grilled lamb is ready."

‘I died… so terribly…’

Liu Yi gestured toward Bai Xian. "Just put it over there."

‘I want… to kill him…’

The vengeful ghost in the red dress, her face smeared with blood, slowly emerged from Liu Yi’s shoulder. Her shattered body, stretched long beneath the red dress, revealed broken bones piercing through flesh.

Liu Yi said, "Sister Bai, don’t you think the air-conditioning here is a bit cold?"

"Indeed. Could you ask the waiter to turn it up a notch?" Bai Xian’s tone seemed different from before, but Liu Yi didn’t dwell on it, rising to call the waiter.

The vengeful ghost, always clinging to his shoulder, remained behind.

"Did you kill the two people in the car?"

Once the door closed, Bai Xian, chewing on the lamb, suddenly spoke.

‘You really can see me!’ The ghost, her death gruesome, became agitated. "They deserved it. They betrayed me, pushed me from the building. I wanted them dead. They deserved it…"

The fetid scent of blood and murderous energy wafted over Bai Xian’s delicate face, making the lamb kebab taste even bloodier.

She spat out the meat in disgust.

"And this policeman—should he die as well?"

Justice demands a life for a life. If the ghost had only sought vengeance and would dissipate after her revenge, Bai Xian would have respected her. But Liu Yi was a detective, merely investigating, and yet the ghost wanted him dead as well.

If not for Liu Yi’s special status and robust vitality, he might have fallen victim last night. Still, prolonged possession would inevitably lead to serious illness.

‘You know nothing! All men in the world deserve to die!’ The ghost turned to Bai Xian’s pretty face. "And you seductive women who lure men, you deserve to die too!"

With a shrill scream, the female ghost transformed into a streak of red light, rushing at Bai Xian.

The nauseating stink of blood surged forward.

Unfazed, Bai Xian raised the willow skewer, still holding pieces of lamb. "Actually, I don’t like lamb. But do you know why I ordered it?"

The ghost, airborne, froze, unable to grasp Bai Xian’s meaning.

As the saying goes, 'Willow branches strike ghosts, and they shrink three inches.' The willow is a yin tree, one of the four great ghost woods, capable of harming incorporeal spirits. Whipping a ghost with willow branches truly does make them shrink; in severe cases, it can scatter their soul.

Of course, for ordinary people, a willow branch is little more than a tickle for ghosts.

But after Bai Xian acquired the green-skin book, she was no longer ordinary.

Upon completing the book’s tasks, she gained a mysterious power, the source of her confidence against vengeful spirits.

Smack!

The red willow branch whipped across the ghost’s face.

"Ah!"

A piercing wail resounded as the red-dressed ghost was flung backward, her semi-transparent body passing through the glass and tumbling outside.

Bai Xian’s smile faded. She rose and followed her out of the private room.

This red-dressed ghost had already killed two people—she would not be so easily dealt with.

Willow branches are ultimately a crude method. Though effective against spirits, they pale in comparison to the likes of peachwood swords.

"Hey, Sister Bai, where are you going?"

A waft of fragrance swept past his eyes, prompting Liu Yi to realize what was happening. He hurriedly chased after her, but was stopped by the waiter.

"Sir, please wait—you haven’t settled the bill."

Mistaking him for a dine-and-dash, the waiter refused to accept his explanations. Helpless, Liu Yi fished out his phone.

"How much?"

"Sir, your total is nine hundred and one; I’ll round it down to nine hundred for you."

"How much?"

"Nine hundred, sir."

"Are your dishes made of gold?!"

Seeing Bai Xian had already vanished, Liu Yi could only grit his teeth and scan to pay. "There, satisfied?"

He dashed out.

This time, the waiter let him go, but the security guard blocked his path.

"Sorry, you still can’t leave." The guard pointed to the open anti-riot cabinet in the corner. "That young lady took the anti-riot fork and said she’s leaving you as collateral."

Liu Yi: "What?"