Director Qin personally came to apologize to Huo Ning. Upon learning that Grandma Song was Huo Ning’s maternal grandmother, he arranged for her to be transferred to a VIP ward.

As for Huo Ning’s request for payment upfront, he didn’t dare raise any objections and even transferred an additional 60,000 yuan.

Director Qin wore an apologetic smile. “My assistant was disrespectful earlier. I’ve already sent him home for the day. This extra 60,000 is his way of apologizing to you.”

Huo Ning could tell that the money had likely come from Director Qin himself.

Judging by the resentful WeChat messages the assistant had sent her afterward, there was no way that guy would have had the decency to offer such a gesture.

Huo Ning returned the extra 60,000 yuan to Director Qin.

“Since he’s not here, he won’t be bothering me. There’s no need for an apology gift.”

After completing this job, she probably wouldn’t cross paths with that assistant again in this lifetime. There was no reason for her to accept Director Qin’s 60,000 yuan.

Seeing her refund the money, Director Qin sighed inwardly but didn’t press her further to keep it.

Huo Ning walked around the inpatient ward and quietly set up barriers at the entrance of each room.

She said to Director Qin, “These barriers are to ward off ghosts. Once the living step out, they won’t be able to get back in.”

If someone left on their own and didn’t encounter any ghosts, that would be one thing.

But if they did—

Huo Ning couldn’t guarantee she’d arrive in time. The only words she could offer those who ventured out were: “Good luck.”

Director Qin took note of her instructions and had the nurses remind patients and their families not to leave their rooms tonight unless absolutely necessary.

…

At midnight, Huo Ning stepped out of the ward alone and entered the elevator.

The moment she pressed the floor button, the elevator began to shake violently. The floor indicator flickered chaotically.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The elevator suddenly plummeted downward. Huo Ning’s eyes turned cold as she flicked out a talisman. “Break!”

The elevator came to a steady stop on the fourth floor.

The doors opened, and Huo Ning strode out.

A shrill, enraged roar echoed in her ears. A green-faced, fanged ghost in a security guard’s uniform lunged at her with a sinister grin.

Huo Ning didn’t even bat an eye. With a wave of her hand, a figure in a white-and-green school uniform flashed past.

Before the security guard ghost could even process what was happening, Cheng Shuang had already crushed and devoured him.

Huo Ning shook her wrist and said, “Shuangshuang, good job.”

Cheng Shuang gave a shy smile.

It wasn’t hard at all—after devouring that ghost, her own power had risen to a new level.

Seeing her increased cultivation, Huo Ning was happy for her.

“Shuangshuang, go to the emergency department. I’ll handle things here.”

This hospital indeed had more than just one ghost.

However, the emergency department didn’t have many, and their strength was all below Cheng Shuang’s.

The real big boss was still here in the inpatient ward.

Director Qin was waiting for her at the end of the hallway.

He carried the protective talisman Huo Ning had given him, so no ghosts dared approach him.

But he could still feel the talisman heating up—a warning that this place was dangerous and he needed to leave quickly.

Director Qin jogged up to Huo Ning and asked nervously, “Master Huo, how many ghosts are left to deal with?”

Huo Ning frowned. “Hard to say. Stay close to me.”

The real boss hadn’t shown up yet. These were just small fry.

As Huo Ning walked, she casually dispatched several minor ghosts causing trouble.

The hallway lights seemed smeared with a thick layer of grime, flickering dimly.

In the middle of summer, a sudden gust of wind howled through the night. A eerie, ghostly lullaby echoed in Huo Ning’s ears, haunting and surreal in the silent darkness.

“Winter comes so late…”

“You have my address…”

“A key in the mailbox, no one knows…”

Director Qin shivered. “M-Master Huo, this—”

Huo Ning remained calm. “Just a female ghost singing. Don’t panic.”

Director Qin: “…”

Just a female ghost singing?!

Crack. Crack.

The hallway lights flickered and died with a snap.

A mechanical, bone-twisting sound filled the air. Director Qin turned on his phone’s flashlight—and nearly lost his soul on the spot.

A horde of ghosts, moving in unison, was shuffling toward them in a grotesque, unnatural manner.

Though they appeared to be walking, they were actually floating.

Every single one of them wore hospital gowns, with a red string tied around their wrists.

Director Qin sucked in a sharp breath—those red strings were used to mark corpses!

His legs trembled as he immediately turned to Huo Ning. “Master Huo, what—what do we do?!”

He was certain he was going to die tonight.

No matter how powerful Huo Ning was, she couldn’t possibly take on so many ghosts all at once!

Huo Ning glanced at him, her expression troubled.

Frowning, she said, “Director Qin, you never mentioned your hospital had this many ghosts.”

Director Qin looked like he was about to cry, his voice trembling. “I—I didn’t know there were this many ghosts either!”

“What do we do, Master Huo? Are we going to die here tonight?”

Huo Ning sighed. “Do you mind if I go live?”

She hadn’t streamed earlier out of respect for privacy—after all, a hospital haunted by ghosts wasn’t exactly good publicity.

But now, with an entire hallway full of ghosts gathered like a spectral army, her fingers were itching to put on a show for her fans.

“Huh?”

Director Qin was stunned.

He glanced at the approaching horde of ghosts, his soul quaking in terror.

“Go ahead! Do whatever you want!”

He had no idea what streaming would accomplish, but right now, survival was all that mattered. If Huo Ning wanted to go live, so be it—if she’d asked for a helicopter, he’d have scrambled to get her one!

Huo Ning hung her phone around her neck, deftly opened her streaming app, and addressed her audience.

“Hey everyone, no readings for the next few days—but tonight, I’m live-streaming a ghost hunt.”

Fans who’d been eagerly waiting for her stream rushed in, expecting to see Huo Ning’s stunning face.

Instead, they were greeted by a dense crowd of green-faced, fanged ghosts in hospital gowns, all with red strings tied around their wrists.

Many were so startled they immediately dropped their phones.

Some even started cursing in the comments.

[Holy shit! Nearly scared me to death! Reported, you’re welcome!]

[Damn! Host, did you accidentally wander into the underworld?!]

[Yo, host, is it illegal to stream during the day where you are?!]

[Wow, I’m new here—are you guys filming something? Where’d you find so many extras? And wow, the makeup artist is amazing, this looks so real!]

[Hey, commenter above—maybe take a closer look at their floating feet before you speak?]

The previous commenter fell silent.

[!!! OMG OMG, it’s special effects? Damn, these effects are insane! Gotta follow this streamer, true talent lies among the people!]

[Some people just refuse to see the truth, huh.]

[HOLY SHIT! HOST, BEHIND YOU!]

A swarm of ghosts in identical hospital gowns surged toward Huo Ning and Director Qin from behind, their eerie screeches filling the air.

The once-spacious hallway was now packed tight, not an inch to spare.

In Huo Ning’s ears, a woman’s muffled giggle echoed—mocking, shrill, like nails scraping against her eardrums.

“Hehe…”

“Hehe…”