Finally, things got serious. I cautiously eyed the four wandering spirits before us. Their bodies were incomplete, looking as if they’d died in a car accident. I suddenly recalled the news from a few days ago—there had indeed been a traffic accident nearby. Two buses had collided, killing four people. These four souls must be the ones who died after being rushed to this city hospital.

Wandering souls aren’t exactly the same as restless ghosts. When a person dies, their soul remains in a wandering state for seven days, drifting aimlessly. On the seventh day, it returns to its body or gravesite to bid farewell before reincarnating.

But for those who die unjustly, wandering souls retain some awareness, fully experiencing their emotions like joy, anger, sorrow, or envy. If they linger too long in places heavy with yin energy, they can gradually turn into malevolent spirits.

Clearly, the four before us were such souls. My right hand tightened around the peachwood dagger given to me by Brother Xiang. It was the same one he’d used to deal with the corpse earlier.

Without saying a word, the four wandering spirits lunged at Li Shanshan. They seemed envious that she could be resurrected and wanted to drag her back into death with them. Strangely, they didn’t seem interested in attacking me or Li Qingshan.

Seeing the spirits, Li Qingshan was visibly frightened. While he hadn’t been scared of Li Shanshan earlier—since she was his daughter—these malevolent spirits were a whole different story, with their malicious intentions and terrifying appearances.

“Director Li, keep persuading Li Shanshan. I’ll handle these wandering souls.” Gripping my dagger, I skirted around Li Shanshan and stepped in front of the spirits, blocking their path.

Two of the wandering souls immediately charged at me, while the other two tried to circle around and grab Li Shanshan.

I formed a hand seal and shouted, “Chi!”

The Chi incantation is simple and direct. It signifies exorcism, like the phrase Urgent as a law decree. Combined with the proper hand gesture, it can drive away evil spirits.

Sure enough, the two spirits rushing toward me were flung back as though hit by an invisible force when I finished the chant and pointed at them. They crashed to the ground, rolling several times.

I didn’t press the attack. These wandering souls were merely venting their envy and other emotions from their unjust deaths. Killing them outright seemed excessive. With a few strikes from my peachwood dagger, I could have easily destroyed them completely, but I held back—not out of fear, but pity. They’d already suffered an unjust death; obliterating their souls would feel like overkill.

But when I turned, my heart sank. The open crossroads gave us a clear view, but now two of the spirits had grabbed Li Shanshan by the hands and were dragging her toward a mall across the street. If they managed to hide her in one of the countless shops, finding her would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Without wasting time, I sprinted after them. Thankfully, they weren’t moving very fast. In a few seconds, I caught up and grabbed the spirit holding her left hand.

With a firm yank, I pulled it back and kicked it square in the chest, sending it flying. The spirit hit the ground and immediately fled without engaging further. Seeing its companion’s fate, the other spirit also let go of Li Shanshan and ran off.

I was momentarily stunned by how cowardly these spirits were, but I felt a sense of relief. Li Qingshan rushed to Li Shanshan’s side, crying as he tried to console her. Even her malicious soul seemed shaken by the sudden attack from the wandering spirits, looking dazed and disoriented. In that state, we easily managed to retrieve her malevolent fragment.

Though the situation felt strange, it made sense upon reflection. These spirits were driven by envy when they attacked Li Shanshan and by fear when they fled. In life, they had probably been ordinary people—jealous and selfish, yes, but ultimately afraid of death.

With the final malevolent fragment secured, Li Qingshan raised the banner and began chanting:
“Shanshan, follow this soul banner,
Through the seas and over the mountains.
Return to your body,
Back to the mortal world…”

This chant was a soul-guiding spell meant to soothe the spirits within the banner. Even though they’d been captured, there was still a risk they might escape.

Fortunately, the rest of the journey went smoothly. I followed behind Li Qingshan as we walked from the crossroads to Li Shanshan’s hospital room. The entire area had been cleared—everyone had been instructed to stay indoors, and police officers guarded nearby rooms to ensure no one emerged.

We climbed the stairs slowly; using the elevator was forbidden during a soul-guiding ritual. The dark stairwell felt eerie and oppressive, especially with Li Qingshan chanting his incantation. It felt like something straight out of a horror movie.

“Meow.”

Suddenly, a sharp cat’s meow echoed through the silence, sending shivers down my spine. Looking up, I saw we were between the fifth and sixth floors, and there, on the steps leading to the sixth floor, lay a black cat.

Li Qingshan visibly flinched but, remembering Brother Xiang’s instructions, kept walking without stopping.

The cat’s eyes glowed an eerie green. Cats have always been considered uncanny creatures. People say they have nine lives, which stems from ancient beliefs about certain cats that had turned into spirits. These cats were said to consume human souls, storing them in their bellies. Even after death, the souls within them could control their bodies, creating the illusion of resurrection. That’s where the myth of nine lives came from.

Worse, if a black cat appeared at a funeral and leapt onto a coffin, it might accidentally transfer the souls in its belly into the corpse, leading to reanimation—or what’s known as a zombie.

Cats have long been considered harbingers of misfortune, yet nowadays many people keep them as pets, completely unaware of their ominous reputation.

Though it was strange for a black cat to appear here, Li Qingshan had no choice but to press forward. As he stepped onto the stair where the cat lay, the creature suddenly lifted its head, staring intently at the soul banner like it had found its next meal.

“Chief Li, don’t look back! Keep moving!” I shouted.

My biggest fear was that Li Qingshan would stop or, worse, turn around. But credit to him—he was the chief of the public security bureau, after all. His mental fortitude held up. Without a word, he continued forward.

“Li family’s soul retrieval, wandering spirits must scatter!”

I threw a handful of spirit money into the air. The black cat shifted its gaze from the banner to me, its glowing green eyes filled with a sinister intelligence.