Chapter 18: Revealed by Fire

The deceased, Huang Yuting, suffered blunt force trauma to the lower abdomen, causing a sudden increase in the pressure gradient within the thoracic and abdominal cavities, which resulted in a ruptured diaphragm. The return and output of blood were reduced, leading to pulmonary congestion and edema, and finally death due to respiratory and circulatory failure. This was the forensic conclusion.

It was inferred that the deceased had suffered violent sexual assault before death. The lower abdomen had been subjected to severe blows, resulting in blunt injuries that led to her demise.

A flash of inspiration struck Gou Liang, and he suddenly understood everything. Yesterday, in the Netherworld, after being kissed by Shi Linlin, he not only lost his powers but was also tainted with ghostly energy, allowing him to traverse freely between the living and the dead. It wasn’t the assistant police officer who overstepped his bounds, but himself. Clearly, he had been played by Shi Linlin—she intended to ruin him.

She exploited human weakness, took advantage of his concern for her, and led him directly from the Netherworld to the world of the living. No wonder the little motel looked so familiar—it was the very place he’d visited the previous night. Of course, surveillance cameras couldn’t capture Shi Linlin and the chubby ghost, but they did record him arriving at the scene.

He had witnessed Shi Linlin and the little fatty kill Huang Yuting with his own eyes, yet now the blame fell squarely on his shoulders. Huang Yuting died from sexual assault, and he was the only one present at the scene. Was he to tell the police a ghost had killed her? Such a crime would earn him a death sentence.

A chill ran down Gou Liang’s spine, and he broke out in a cold sweat. His very first encounter with a ghost, and he’d already been set up.

But why had Shi Linlin gone to such lengths to ruin him? Was it because he’d been investigating Zhang Zhihan? After gathering his scattered thoughts, he forced himself to carry out his duties.

He carefully placed Huang Yuting’s body into a body bag. The corpse felt different from what he’d expected, though he couldn’t say exactly how—something just seemed off. As he zipped up the bag, he thought he saw Huang Yuting smile at him, startling him so much his hand froze in place. He stared at her pale face, but it remained unchanged.

Strangely, though Huang Yuting had been murdered, her expression was peaceful, as if she were even smiling—there was no trace of terror or struggle. After a long moment, he zipped up the bag, loaded the body onto the hearse, and drove back.

Driving the hearse, Gou Liang found that Hao Dagen could always make his presence felt. All other vehicles yielded in respect, even patrol cars clearing the way for him, allowing an unimpeded return to the funeral home.

Upon arrival, he wheeled the body into the mortuary for refrigeration. The cold, solemn air inside sent a chill to his bones, but with Hao Dagen’s memories, the task was manageable.

Before refrigeration, he had to create a new file for the deceased. He wrote Huang Yuting’s name on a tag in neat script and attached it to her toe. Next, he needed to take photos for digital records.

When he unlocked his phone, he noticed the runes that appeared on his hand were not their usual red, but a strange blackish crimson. What was happening? Could it be the influence of the body he wore? He also sensed his powers had fully recovered—perhaps even stronger than before.

He activated the hidden camera function and aimed the lens at Huang Yuting. The phone flashed, a white light burst forth, and it vibrated gently before ejecting a photograph. Astonished, he realized his phone now had an instant photo feature—a one-step imaging phone.

But when Gou Liang looked at the photo, he was stunned. The girl in the picture wasn’t Huang Yuting at all—it was Shi Linlin.

A message surfaced in his mind: Shi Linlin’s obsession has been resolved. Burn the photo to release her soul. If you burn it with the red talisman fire, you can destroy Huang Yuting’s soul completely.

No wonder there had been no photo when he tried to take one of Wang Xiaomeng. It seemed only when an obsession was resolved would a photo appear, and only then could he deal with the vengeful spirit.

Having been framed as a murderer by Shi Linlin, Gou Liang didn’t dare cast off his borrowed skin even if he advanced to a second-tier orange-talisman healer. He would never be able to clear his name.

Though originally a harmless, somewhat naive youth, he was no saint. Since she’d sought his destruction, he would ensure she never had a chance at reincarnation.

Furious, he summoned the great fire hook. The moment it appeared, even he was startled. The weapon was now twice as thick as before, and its flames flickered with a sinister black-red glow. His eyes emitted the same eerie light.

With a flick, he brought the hook toward the photo. Just as the flames were about to touch it, a cold wind rose in the mortuary, the temperature plummeting to freezing. A strange, piercing wail echoed from afar, growing closer, accompanied by a ringing in his ears.

A shadow gradually took form before Gou Liang. Shi Linlin fell to her knees with a dull thud, wailing in despair. Of course, as a ghost, she had no tears—her cries were dry and hollow.

“Healer, spare me! I was wrong—I had no choice, please!” she begged.

Gou Liang quietly chuckled. This was convenient—one burn and she appeared, making things easier.

“What do you mean you had no choice? Explain yourself—why did you set me up?”

“It wasn’t me—it was Old Black! Old Black told me to do it. He orchestrated everything—told me to drain your yang energy and pass you some ghostly aura, then lure you back to the mortal realm and frame you as a murderer. Old Black promised that if I obeyed, I could return to the world for revenge. Now my vengeance is done, my obsession is resolved, and I’m ready to move on to the Netherworld.”

Gou Liang narrowed his eyes at Shi Linlin. “Who is Old Black? Human or ghost?”

Shi Linlin shook her head, fear etched on her face. “I really don’t know—not even Sister Ye knows. Old Black is a mysterious presence, no one knows if he’s human or ghost. But he can help vengeful spirits cross the boundary between life and death.”

Gou Liang wondered—he’d never offended Old Black, so why target him? The answer was clear—it had to be related to his investigation into Zhang Zhihan.

He glanced at Shi Linlin kneeling before him, then at Huang Yuting lying on the body cart. “So Huang Yuting was your enemy?”

“Yes,” Shi Linlin replied, kneeling pitifully as she began her story through her sobs.

Shi Linlin had gone to work at Huang Yuting’s hair salon. In the area, there was a local thug called Big Green Dragon, who ran a freight company and was something of a minor tycoon. He took an immediate interest in Shi Linlin, wanting to make her his own.

But Shi Linlin had a boyfriend and had no intention of becoming involved with Big Green Dragon. The thug secretly approached Huang Yuting, offering her a handsome reward to help him get Shi Linlin.

Huang Yuting then lured Shi Linlin to a rented house, where she and a few girlfriends drank together and deliberately got Shi Linlin drunk. The others left, leaving Shi Linlin alone, and Big Green Dragon seized the opportunity to sneak inside.

He was tall and burly, with a massive green dragon tattooed on his left arm. He carried Shi Linlin to the bed, finally getting his wish. Drunk with excitement, he tore off her dress and pinned her down.