A primal terror gripped me, sending icy shivers of dread snaking through my mind like venomous serpents. Why were my limbs acting like puppets with their strings cut, dancing to some creepy tune I couldn't hear? I fought against invisible strings, muscles straining in useless resistance, but could only watch as my own hand betrayed me, gently caressing my cheek in a twisted mockery of self-love.
In the mirror's murky depths, the ghostly figure in red grinned unnaturally wide, her teeth gleaming like shattered porcelain. Her pale fingers pressed against the glass, then pierced it like needles through silk, sending ripples across the surface. Frozen in terror, I could only shudder as those corpse-like fingers traced my jawline—a chilling caress from beyond the grave, freezing me to my core.
The door's sudden crash broke the spell, the sound echoing like thunder. Control rushed back into my limbs as the phantom hand dissolved into smoke. My reflection stared back—pale as death, lips smeared with blood, the metallic taste sharp on my tongue, a bitter reminder of the supernatural encounter.
Dayang recoiled as he entered, his voice cracking. "What the hell happened to your lips?" Without waiting for an answer, he slapped a talisman on the doorframe. Crimson symbols appeared under his bleeding finger as he chanted through gritted teeth, then collapsed against the wall, looking drained.
Though I was still pissed—this haunted room was his idea—I couldn't help but feel grateful. "Why'd you come here?" I asked, my voice shaky with fear and relief.
"Spare me the attitude," he rasped, his voice hoarse. "If I'd been a moment later, you'd be pickled in some necromancer's jar, your soul trapped forever."
As he explained my cursed soul—a rare "Soul-Devouring Specter General" that could steal lifespans—memories clicked. The umbrella woman in my hallway, her link to the corpse-impersonator… Why didn't she scare me, but instead felt oddly familiar?
Dayang's sudden paleness cut through my thoughts. "Your life's unraveling," he whispered, his fingers moving in divination gestures. "You've got three days left. Seventy-eight years vanished like smoke in the last two winters, eaten by the curse."
A cold wave of despair washed over me. Four hundred coins—the price of my life in cursed silver. "Can this be undone?" I asked, barely audible.
"Your recent horrors hold the key," Dayang pressed, his eyes intense. "The corpse-driver. The blood jade. Tell me everything, leave nothing out."
As I recounted the nightmare, his eyes lit up with a strange hunger—quickly hidden, but not before I caught a glimpse of something dark. When I mentioned my mother's birth-hour coordinates, his fingers twitched slightly, a sign of his inner turmoil.
The shrill ringtone froze me, breaking the tense silence.
"Where the hell are you, idiot?" Dayang's voice crackled through the phone, sharp and urgent. "Weren't you supposed to wait in the second chamber?"
I slowly looked up from the glowing screen to the man in front of me, my heart racing.
The figure before me smiled, but the voice in my ear chilled me to the bone—two identical voices speaking at once, a haunting dissonance that shattered my reality.
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Chapter Eleven's Cool Stuff (In Order of Appearance):
Magic Symbols
These are like super fancy Daoist doodles, usually drawn with red ink or cinnabar on yellow paper. Think of them as ancient Chinese emojis that keep bad vibes out and make places feel sacred. Dayang uses them to create protective force fields. The designs look like old Chinese characters and are believed to tap into cosmic energy, creating shields against both physical and ghostly threats.
Middle Finger Magic
In this weird body magic, the middle finger is like a power cable connecting to your heart. People use its yang-rich blood for emergency ghost-busting, making their magic symbols even stronger. It's all about how your body's energy lines connect to the spirit world, letting you use your life force in a pinch.
Ghost Trainers
These are like ghost whisperers who trap souls into "hungry ghosts" and sell them. It's a shady business, and the main character almost got caught up in it. These folks operate in the shadows, turning the spirit world into a black market that's as greedy as the real world.
Soul-Eating Ghost Boss
These are top-tier ghost generals who can eat weaker spirits to keep their masters alive. The main character's soul is perfect for this kind of transformation, making him a hot commodity. These generals are both protectors and predators, their power coming from chowing down on lesser ghosts.
Life Credits
In Chinese death lore, everyone has a set amount of life. The story shows how people trade these life credits in a black market, which is the main conflict. It's all about the moral dilemma of extending your life by taking someone else's, highlighting how fragile life is.
Underworld Manager
These are the bureaucrats of the afterlife, keeping track of who dies when. They manage the balance between life and death, and sometimes you can cheat the system through loopholes. They're strict but can be influenced by both cosmic rules and human meddling.
Fate Coordinates
Your Eight Characters (生辰八字) are like your spiritual DNA, determining your fate. Knowing them lets people target your soul, which is key in some life-extending rituals. It's an ancient practice that shows how people believe in destiny but also think they can change it with some magic.
Double Trouble
The mystery of the two Dayangs could be magic, ghost mimicry, or a time warp. This mind-bending twist takes the story into some serious sci-fi horror. It's all about identity, reality, and the blurry line between the physical and spirit worlds.
Umbrella Mystery
That umbrella lady from before is back. She seems to be on the side of the underworld but also protects the main character, hinting at some secret guardian role. She's a mysterious figure whose motives are unclear, but she's definitely more than she seems.
This whole setup creates a world where ancient Chinese spirituality meets existential danger. The underworld's bureaucracy and ghost black markets reflect human greed, making the main character's soul both a weapon and a prize in these cosmic power struggles. The story blends traditional Chinese beliefs, occult practices, and deep existential questions into a rich, complex narrative.
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