Chapter 9: Summon Ghosts
Lu Jinzhao had thought before that after the surgery, she could cover this eye, so perhaps she wouldn’t see things she shouldn’t see.
But now, this path was clearly not feasible.
She calmed down, pondering how to protect herself in these last few hours.
“Time is running out, you do the surgery first, we’ll meet again later.”
Lu Jinzhao wiped the bloodstain from her face, opening one lifeless eye and one stinging eye to bid farewell to Jiang Yingzhi.
She didn’t think she had escaped the current crisis, nor did she think the ghost had left.
Staying here was not a good idea; Jiang Yingzhi’s surgery was about to start, and the ghost staring at her, she didn’t know if it had left.
Leaving here wouldn’t bring safety either, so she was now going to confirm one thing.
It was nearing midnight 12 when Lu Jinzhao left the clinic, soon to be the most dangerous moment of the day.
But she had no choice; within the platform, there was no place to safely hide.
Outside, it was completely dark.
Though the lights prevented pitch blackness, it was deathly still, with no sign of anyone.
The faint red and blue lights from those shop signs now felt like an uncomfortable existence.
Most shops on the street had closed; even the few still open showed empty interiors through glass doors and windows, with no trace of the owners.
As if the entire street was left with only her.
In the dim night, even her own footsteps sounded exceptionally clear.
As she walked, they carried a faint echo, as if someone was closely following, stepping on the ground behind her.
Lu Jinzhao couldn’t help wanting to look back, yet didn’t dare to.
She didn’t know if that ghost was following behind her.
If she looked back now and saw the ghost, what would she do?
She could only lower her head, look at the ground under her feet, so she could at least see some of the situation behind her.
Of course, she could only see if anyone, or a ghost, was right up against her back.
Even so, it didn’t bring Lu Jinzhao much sense of security.
“I finally understand how Lin Shuyue and the others felt.”
This was indeed a torment.
Her back felt cold; the sense of crisis drove her to quicken her steps, and at this moment, Lu Jinzhao fully felt how powerless ordinary people were when facing such a thing as a ghost.
No way to counter it, unable to communicate or exchange, escaping felt like being a headless fly.
Even glancing once could be fatal!
In the silent night, only Lu Jinzhao’s quickening footsteps echoed on the street.
From memory, Lu Jinzhao arrived downstairs at a building.
This was the building where Lin Shuyue performed the see a ghost ritual.
She was going to check Lin Shuyue’s current situation.
“Good, no accidents.”
Not dying on the way to find Lin Shuyue made Lu Jinzhao breathe a slight sigh of relief, but thinking about what she was about to do, endless struggle arose in her heart.
Did she really have to confirm this?
Confirm if Lin Shuyue had been killed by the ghost.
If dead, find the item Jiang Yingzhi mentioned and take it.
But searching for Lin Shuyue itself was too dangerous!
“If I don’t go, will I be safe?”
Her eyes still stung, as if the ghost was reminding Lu Jinzhao that it hadn’t let her go yet.
She hesitated for two seconds, pulling out the parchment from her pocket that she hadn’t taken out since boarding.
This was the only thing that might guide her.
Even if she didn’t know the consequences of using it.
Lu Jinzhao took a deep breath, opening the parchment with some expectation.
But…
It was blank inside.
Not a single word appeared on the parchment, no hint at all.
Lu Jinzhao’s expression didn’t change, because she hadn’t fully pinned her hopes on the parchment helping her.
After all, she had a bad feeling about what the parchment said back then about paying the price to exchange for a way to survive.
But at this moment, the parchment saying nothing was also a signal.
The parchment felt she… wasn’t desperate enough yet.
Not desperate enough to recklessly exchange for a way to survive.
It also meant the price the parchment required might be more terrifying than she imagined!
“Indeed, up to now, I still don’t feel I’m surely doomed.”
Lu Jinzhao put away the parchment, looking at the small building under the night sky and hesitating for half a minute, ultimately stepping inside.
Passively waiting for the ghost’s attack versus actively seeking a way to break the situation, she chose to act.
Inside the building was darker than outside, and the voice-activated lights seemed broken.
Lu Jinzhao wasn’t surprised by this.
In horror movies, the first thing to go wrong is always the “light”.
She took out her mobile phone and turned on the flashlight, relying on the faint light to step onto the stairs.
Visibility was further reduced; normally, one’s sense of security would plummet at this point, and those with weaker mental fortitude might even break down.
But for Lu Jinzhao now, less visible area wasn’t necessarily bad.
In the narrow space, the echo of footsteps was even more pronounced.
But fortunately, the small space let her hear clearly if anything was really following behind.
It seemed no one else was following.
At least, no people.
Lin Shuyue’s room was on the third floor, not high; the stairs got her there quickly.
But…
When Lu Jinzhao emerged from the stairs into the corridor and saw the situation ahead, her heart skipped a beat.
This was an old-style tube building; each floor was a long corridor connecting many single rooms. Now, the corridor lights were out, leaving it pitch black, and the other room doors tightly closed, unclear if the occupants were asleep or if no one was there.
Only one room had its door slightly ajar.
Dim yellow light seeped out from the open crevice, like a ray from the abyss, but Lu Jinzhao knew this light in the darkness was more like a fatal trap.
Because that one room with the door open and light on was Lin Shuyue’s room.
Moreover, she clearly remembered they had closed the door when they left!
Who opened the door after they left?
“…Maybe I didn’t come to the wrong place.”
There was indeed the “information” she needed here, just that it might be very dangerous.
Mentally prepared, Lu Jinzhao slowly approached the door, peering into the room through the less-than-three-centimeter crevice.
Just one glance, and Lu Jinzhao felt her scalp tingle, wanting to turn and leave immediately!
Through the dim yellow light inside, she clearly saw Lin Shuyue still sitting at the table, hand on the cup; her expression was one of pain and ferocity, and behind her…
A ghost was tightly pressed against her, on her back, gripping her hand on the cup, as if grown together with her.
Haven’t written in too long, completely rusty, just warming up.
