The female ghost had initially just been licking my face back and forth with her tongue, making me extremely nauseated. When she finished declaring she would kill us, her tongue suddenly coiled around my neck.
This tongue was so long—could she be... a hanged ghost? Typically, people who die by hanging have tongues that protrude an extra half-foot in length.
But she isn't KONGQING. Could there be another nun in this nunnery who died by hanging?
Then I seemed to recall—KONGQING's elder sister, the previous abbess of this nunnery, had also been hanged. As Dreaming Nun mentioned earlier, not long after KONGQING's death, the abbess had died in exactly the same manner, even clutching a black comb in her hand. Everyone believed KONGQING had returned to claim her life!
Could this female ghost be the former abbess—KONGQING's senior sister and Dreaming Nun's master?
But that didn't make sense—Dreaming Nun had called her "Sister." What was going on here? Had I misanalyzed the situation?
By then, the female ghost's tongue was tightening, and I felt myself choking. I no longer had time to think.
Antonio raised his knife and rushed to my rescue, but the female ghost was terrifyingly powerful. With a wave of her hand, a gust of sinister wind blasted out, sending Antonio flying more than a meter away.
The difference in strength wasn't slight—this female ghost was far too powerful. We stood no chance.
Just then, Dreaming Nun sat down, clasped her hands together, and began chanting. She hoped to expel the evil spirit through scripture. The faster she chanted, the more golden scriptures seemed to pour from her mouth—or perhaps it was just my oxygen-deprived hallucination—swirling through the entire Buddha Hall.
Yet the female ghost merely raised an eyebrow and sneered, "Who's chanting? Hmph, these tricks don't work on me. These three men must die—no one can stop me."
That was when I realized: the female ghost hadn't been ignoring Dreaming Nun—she simply couldn't see her. What in the world was happening?
Though Dreaming Nun's chanting had little effect on the female ghost, it did draw her attention. She couldn't see Dreaming Nun, but she could hear the chanting. Growing increasingly agitated, her true ghostly form emerged—indeed, a hanged ghost. Her grotesque features became fully visible: the elongated tongue, bloodshot eyes bulging as if about to burst, and the dark red ligature marks around her neck—all unmistakable signs of death by hanging.
I took advantage of her distraction to shrink my body and slip through the loop of her tongue. She paid me no further attention, instead frantically searching around.
"KONGQING, I know it's you! My dear senior sister—it's all because of you that I've ended up like this! Come out, come out!" The female ghost's arms trembled, and suddenly, a sinister wind surged. The doors and windows of the Buddha Hall rattled violently, the wooden fish shattered instantly, and even the Buddha statue lost an arm, nearly crushing us into pulp.
What terrifying Yin energy! This ghost was no ordinary vengeful spirit—what had she endured to possess such horrifying power?
Moreover, her words confirmed my suspicion: she was indeed the former abbess of the nunnery—KONGQING's elder sister.
Could it be that KONGQING wasn't truly dead? Was this former abbess the one who had taken the fall?
But KONGQING wasn't here either—so who was the ghost screaming at? There was only Dreaming Nun present, yet the ghost couldn't see her. Why couldn't she see Dreaming Nun?
At that moment, a realization struck me like lightning, sending a chill down my spine.
Could it be… that Dreaming Nun was KONGQING? What the hell? This… this was…
I couldn't believe my own speculation. It was absurd—if she really was KONGQING, then what was wrong with her? Had she lost her memory?
Then I suddenly remembered Webster. As I'd mentioned before, KONGQING was extraordinarily beautiful, her face captivating countless men.
Webster clearly didn't believe in Buddhism—so why did he keep visiting Nien Tzu Nunnery, always seeking Dreaming Nun's guidance? He was a magician—what kind of doubts could he possibly have?
If Dreaming Nun was KONGQING, then it all made sense. That dog Webster wasn't here for Buddha—he was obviously chasing after a woman.
No wonder he cared so much about Dreaming Nun. She must have been the woman he couldn't forget. Men were truly dogs—always obsessing over the one beauty they couldn't have.
Thinking it through, I was now convinced that Dreaming Nun was likely KONGQING—though I still wasn't 100% certain.
At that moment, I studied Dreaming Nun's face carefully. It was so filthy that I could barely make out her features—just a rough outline. I hadn't paid much attention before, but now that I looked closely, Dreaming Nun's face bore some resemblance to the human skin in the coffin.
If she had washed her face, the comparison might have been clearer. But with so much grime clinging to her, it was impossible to tell for sure.
Just then, Dreaming Nun finally couldn't hold on any longer. The howling wind was too strong—with a sharp cry, she was flung into the air before crashing into the Buddha statue with a heavy thud.
"Ugh..." Dreaming Nun coughed up a mouthful of blood before tumbling off the statue.
"Ah... it hurts, my body hurts! Why? Why can't I kill her? Why can't I see her? Arturo, why did you only love her? Why did you make me die for her? Why!" The female ghost shrieked. Her body seemed to be burning as if in excruciating pain, her ghostly face continuously twisting and disintegrating. In her frenzy, she tore off all the skin from her face, staining the ground black with dark blood.
With one final howl, the female ghost finally vanished, scaling the ceiling like a gecko before slipping away.
As soon as the female ghost disappeared, I rushed to help Dreaming Nun up. Her face was deathly pale and she was severely injured, though her life didn't appear to be in immediate danger.
"Dreaming Nun, do you recognize that female ghost?" I asked.