The path ahead was shrouded in a hazy white mist, reducing visibility to a mere whisper. The ghostly energy around began to intensify, visibly growing denser by the second.
"Uuuuuu..."
A mournful wail pierced the air, sending an icy chill through Mo Lin's spine. Despite his frequent dealings with ghosts, the terrifying sensation was bone-deep, something even he couldn't control.
He followed the sound and soon glimpsed a woman crouched by the corner of a stone, her face buried in her hands, sobbing uncontrollably. As Mo Lin's footsteps neared, she seemed to sense him, her trembling hands falling away from her face. Slowly, she turned her head toward him.
Mo Lin was struck cold by the sight before him—her face was as pale as death, her eyes hollow, devoid of any pupils. Thick blood trickled down from the empty sockets, painting a gruesome portrait of horror.
The terrifying vision nearly sent Mo Lin into shock, but years of experience with such horrors steadied his nerves. Were this an ordinary person, they would have surely fainted on the spot. Yet for Mo Lin, this macabre sight was all too familiar.
Without thinking, he drew his crystalline-blue longsword and held it before him, its cold steel shimmering in the dim light, as his gaze locked onto the female ghost.
"Why do you block my path?" he demanded, his voice sharp and cold as ice.
The blade emanated an aura of frosty energy as Mo Lin addressed the ghost, his expression unwavering.
"Return my child... return my child..." the ghost whispered, her voice growing louder with each word. Her hair, previously hanging limply over her shoulders, suddenly rose as though charged with static.
Her fingers elongated, stretching into sharp, wicked claws nearly half a meter long, as she glared at Mo Lin with venomous fury.
"You took my child... I will make you pay with your life!" she screamed, advancing towards him with murderous intent. But just as she lunged, she froze mid-step.
"Master... Master..." The ghost's voice softened, knowing full well that Mo Lin detested ugly forms. She quickly changed her appearance, restoring her face to something more human. "Mo Lin... Master..."
Her voice, now desperate and broken, resembled someone seeking refuge from an overwhelming injustice.
"You... who are you?" Mo Lin's confusion was evident. He had no idea who this ghost was, but if she knew his name, then they must have crossed paths before.
Mo Lin, at present, was simply dressed like an ordinary human. He wasn't wearing his Hellwarden robes or his Ghost Officer attire. Unless this was someone familiar to him, there was no way a ghost would call him "Master."
"I... Yin Xiaohua..." The ghost, now called Yin Xiaohua, stammered in haste. "I... I was your... subordinate... the one... the Ghost Officer..."
Mo Lin blinked in realization, the pieces falling into place. "Wait... you... you are the one who helped me with the Ghost Mother?"
Yin Xiaohua's anxious eyes met his, as she nodded with desperation. The Ghost Mother had been Mo Lin's first five-organs ghost, a pivotal ally in his rise to the position of Ghost Officer in the underworld.
Yin Xiaohua had aided him in capturing the Ghost Mother, a task Mo Lin had never managed on his own. This made her someone to whom Mo Lin owed a great debt.
"You recognize me, and now you block my path?" Mo Lin's voice was laden with suspicion.
"No...!" Yin Xiaohua shook her head vigorously. "I didn't mean to block you. It's just that... my resentment has been so strong that it warped the surroundings, and I must have mistakenly trapped you here."
It was purely coincidental that Mo Lin had ended up in her path. Had anyone else been here, they would have been obstructed as well.
Yin Xiaohua had been crying for days, consumed by her own bitterness, which manifested in this strange, eerie phenomenon.
"You have resentment?" Mo Lin's gaze softened as he asked the question, his curiosity piqued.
It was clear that Yin Xiaohua was brimming with it. The dark, bitter energy that clung to her told him everything.
"Yes... I have resentment..." Yin Xiaohua's voice wavered with sincerity. "Master, please, help me."
"Why? What happened?" Mo Lin was baffled. How could one ghost have such a grievance?
"My child... my child was taken from me..." Yin Xiaohua's voice broke. Her words trembled as they spilled from her lips.
Her child had been taken by a group of strangers, and she had been unable to find them, left helpless and alone in her search.
"I... I can't even find where they've taken him!" she cried. "I... I... I thought of seeking revenge... I want to kill them all..."
Mo Lin was struck by the sheer pain in her voice. It was a parent's desperate sorrow, and it tugged at his own heart.
"Master, please, help me bring him back." Yin Xiaohua's plea was filled with terror, as though she feared he might refuse her.
"I'll do it. But you must make a binding pact with me," Mo Lin replied, his voice firm.
"I will!" Yin Xiaohua agreed without hesitation. "As long as you help me find my child, I would sacrifice anything—even my soul—to repay you."
For Yin Xiaohua, her child was everything. She would gladly lay down her life for the sake of the child she had lost.
Mo Lin gave her a scrutinizing look, then nodded.
"Follow me," he said.
"Yes..." Yin Xiaohua nodded, and in an instant, she dissolved into mist, attaching herself to the crystalline-blue sword in Mo Lin's hand.
As she faded, the heavy fog around them dissipated, revealing the path ahead, now clear.
Mo Lin took out his phone and messaged the group.
"Who has good intel? I need some information about a ghost."
Sha Jian: "Ghost stuff? Try Feng Mingyu."
Lin Xi: "Feng Mingyu has extensive connections in Yun Chuan. She's the one to ask."
Feng Mingyu: "You want to capture a ghost? Or maybe buy one? Let's chat privately."
Mo Lin added Feng Mingyu as a contact, then messaged her.
Mo Lin: "Hello, I'm looking for a ghost... a ghost child."
Feng Mingyu: "Do you have any more details?"
Mo Lin: "A ghost child was taken a few days ago."
Feng Mingyu: "Come to Wanlin KTV tonight. I'll take you to find it."
"Alright," Mo Lin replied.
Feng Mingyu seemed to have quite an extensive network.
After arriving home, it was past seven in the evening.
Li Xue appeared by Mo Lin's side.
"Master... after you left, someone sneaked in."
"How many people? Do you know who they are?" Mo Lin's curiosity spiked—who had come and for what purpose?
"I've left a trace on them. Do you want me to investigate further?" Li Xue asked respectfully.
"Yes, investigate, but be careful. If they're connected to the Ghost Domain, protect yourself first," Mo Lin cautioned.
"Understood," Li Xue nodded before leaving.
Mo Lin quickly prepared and drove to Wanlin KTV to meet Feng Mingyu.
At the entrance, luxury cars lined the lot, and a receptionist greeted guests at the door.
Mo Lin entered and messaged Feng Mingyu in the lobby.
"I'm in the lobby, where are you?"
Feng Mingyu: "Wait a moment... I'm coming."
Two minutes later, a flamboyantly dressed woman appeared in front of Mo Lin.
She had braided blue dreadlocks, adorned with earrings, and wore a gaudy short-sleeve shirt and black stockings. Her makeup was bold, with heavy eyeshadow.
"Is there something wrong with my outfit?" Feng Mingyu asked, a hint of confusion in her tone.
"No, it's... fine," Mo Lin replied quickly, turning his gaze away.
Feng Mingyu casually took a seat next to Mo Lin, crossing her legs.
"Can you help me find that ghost child?" Mo Lin asked, still confused.
"You've come to the right person," Feng Mingyu said confidently. "In Yun Chuan, there's no one I can't find, no information I can't uncover."
Mo Lin's eyes gleamed. "Impressive."
"Of course. Let me tell you, even the Ghost Control Society's info network doesn't compare to mine," Feng Mingyu added proudly.
Before Mo Lin could respond, Feng Mingyu continued.
"As a newcomer, you wouldn't know... but we Ghost Controllers have our own circle. For example, the black market."
Mo Lin had heard of the black market, though only in movies.
"Did you bring any Hell Money?" Feng Mingyu asked.
"Yes," Mo Lin replied.
"Then let's go. I'll take you to the black market." Feng Mingyu said, standing and leading him out.
At the front desk, Feng Mingyu showed the receptionist a card. With a nod from the attendant, she opened a hidden door, revealing a staircase leading underground.
"This card is a black market membership card," Feng Mingyu explained. "Without it, you can't enter the black market."
Mo Lin was puzzled. "How do you get one of those?"
"You buy it with Hell Money or exchange other things. It costs ten thousand Hell Money."
After walking down the stairs for about two minutes, they reached a heavy iron door. Feng Mingyu placed the black card on it, and the door opened with a green light.
Inside, dim lighting illuminated a wide corridor. Strange figures lurked in the shadows, the smell of decay thick in the air.
"Keep quiet. Don't cause trouble," Feng Mingyu warned, her demeanor serious now.
"This place is filled with nothing but trouble," she murmured, her voice laced with caution.
The black market, she explained, operated without laws. If someone were to die here, their body would simply vanish, lost forever.
"Where are we going?" Mo Lin asked.
"I'm taking you to my uncle. He's got the best intel. If it's happening in Yun Chuan, he knows about it."
o4-mini