Since then, the business at the restaurant had become increasingly slow, teetering on the brink of closure.

The owner was at his wits’ end, trying anything and everything out of desperation. He never expected this young girl to be so insightful, immediately identifying the root of the problem.

“You truly are a master! Please forgive me for my earlier disrespect. My name is Zhang Shunfu. I ventured into business in 1984, and this is my sixth year. Fortune has favored me, and in recent years, I’ve opened four restaurants. However, for the past year, this one has been struggling. Despite pouring more money into it, the business keeps declining.”

“Just like you said, Master, a tragedy happened here—a woman jumped from the second floor. We called the police right away, and the man involved was arrested. I heard he was sentenced to four years. They had relationship issues, and the woman couldn’t take it anymore. But we don’t really know the full story; after all, she’s gone.”

It was from that point that his restaurant’s fortunes started spiraling downward.

Dai Qing nodded. “The living and the dead should follow different paths. When a place is tainted by death, it’s like being cursed with bad luck—nothing goes right. Luckily, the lingering spirit doesn’t harbor any grudges against the restaurant, or it would have gone under by now.”

“Thank you for pointing that out, Master. Please, help me get rid of it. We ordinary folk can’t deal with something like this.”

For the past year, nothing had gone smoothly for Zhang. He had dealt with countless problems, leaving him mentally and physically drained.

As he spoke, Zhang Shunfu pulled out a stack of cash from the drawer and placed it in front of Dai Qing. “Here’s 1,000 yuan. I beg you to help.”

Dai Qing: “…”

Wait—she was just a fortune-teller, not a ghost hunter! She couldn’t exorcise ghosts.

Cough, “Cleansing a spirit requires a Taoist priest with some real skill to perform a ritual. I’m just a fortune-teller; this isn’t my area of expertise.”

Hearing her response, Zhang Shunfu hesitated for a moment, then quickly grabbed another stack of cash from the drawer.

“Please, Master, I’d be forever grateful. This restaurant supports over 20 people. If it shuts down, they’ll all lose their jobs.”

Staring at the 2,000 yuan in front of her, Dai Qing’s expression faltered. Her grandfather had told her a few stories about ghosts, but he never actually taught her how to catch one.

Most people who listen to ghost stories end up losing their wits. But her grandfather had mentioned that she had a special constitution. If she could focus her mind, she would be able to see ghosts, communicate with them, and remain unaffected.

“It’s not about the money… Fine, I’ll go take a look.”

“Thank you, Master! I’ll show you the way.” Zhang excitedly opened the door.

“No need, I’ll go by myself… I’m not great at exorcisms, but I’ll do my best.” As she walked out, Dai Qing added, “I don’t take dishonest money.”

“I understand,” Zhang Shunfu nodded. Since the Master had already seen through the problem, she surely had a way to deal with it.

Dai Qing calmed her mind and took the fire escape down to the fifth floor. As expected, this was where the energy was the thickest. The Dieffenbachia plant in the corridor was swaying despite the lack of wind.

She stood silently in the hallway for a moment, and soon noticed black energy seeping out from the crack under one of the doors.

Just then, she felt a sudden warmth on her chest.

Reaching up to touch it, Dai Qing realized that the jade pendant hanging around her neck was faintly glowing, and it was getting hotter.

Clutching the jade in her hand, she silently encouraged herself and kept moving forward until she stood in front of the door. With a creak, the door opened by itself.

The atmosphere was downright terrifying.