Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Jiang Haoyan jumped to the side, his face a mask of profound grief.

“My limited-edition AJs!”

I thought he’d seen something terrifying, but it was just his shoes. I shot him a furious glare.

“Is now really the time to worry about that? How much can a pair of worn-out shoes even be worth? I’ll buy you a new pair when we get back.”

Jiang Haoyan had been acting ridiculous lately. He was like a peacock in heat, obsessing over his appearance, being incredibly picky about his clothes and shoes, and even dousing himself in cologne. I had no idea what had gotten into him. If I hadn’t needed him to foot the bill for our travel expenses, I wouldn’t have bothered bringing him along.

As soon as we spoke, the house fell deathly silent.

I leaned over the windowsill and peered inside. The moonlight was decent tonight, illuminating a small patch of the sill, but further in, it was pitch black. I couldn’t see a thing.

As the primary crime scene, Li Zhu’s house had previously been cordoned off with police tape. After the police ruled out foul play, the tape was removed. However, Li Zhu’s parents weren’t satisfied with the verdict; they had locked the door, hoping to use their connections to find someone else to investigate.

I braced my hands on the windowsill, hopped up, and nimbly climbed inside.

Just as I landed, my foot slipped, and I nearly wiped out. Looking down, I noticed a small puddle of water on the floor where the moonlight hit the area near the window.

Strange. It had been sunny for the past few days. Logically, since the house had been locked up for so long, any water stains should have evaporated by now.

I pulled a flashlight from my bag, switched it on, and swept the beam around the room.

Li Zhu’s house had two rooms, with a layout identical to Li Yuan’s house next door.

The room on the left contained a brick stove and a dining table. The area we had jumped into served as both the bedroom and the living room. A bed sat in the corner, and near the window stood a square table and a few stools. The rest of the space was cluttered with miscellaneous junk.

Of the three long benches, one was overturned on the floor. That must have been the source of the noise earlier.

I cleared my throat and called out loudly, “I see you. Come on out.”

I shouted a few more times, but the house remained silent, save for the low wail of the mountain wind whistling through the window.

Jiang Haoyan had already circled the room twice.

“Qiao Moyu, there’s no one here.”

“Better that way.”

I took a piece of yellow cloth from my bag and spread it over the table. Then, I pulled out an incense burner and began setting up a ritual altar.

Li Zhu’s case had caused quite a stir. If I wanted to know the truth, the best way was to ask him personally.

After death, a soul enters a stage known as the Intermediate Existence Body. In this state, they take the form of a young child and seek the conditions for rebirth in the underworld, with each cycle lasting seven days. To put it simply, they wait at home for a chance at reincarnation. If they don’t find an opportunity after seven days, they can stay for another seven-day cycle.

During this period-from the first seven days to the forty-ninth day-the family burns paper offerings every seventh day to appease the Ghost Officials and secure a chance for the deceased to reincarnate. It is only after the seventh seven-day period that the soul truly leaves the home.

It had been less than a month since Li Zhu died, meaning even the thirty-fifth day hadn’t passed yet. There was a high probability that his soul was still wandering nearby.