Yun Tutu, feeling as though she was marching to her doom, put on her helmet. What once seemed like a pointless step now felt like a small comfort. If only she could gear up fully like a soldier.

“This helmet isn’t bad. If I get scared out of my wits, at least no one can see,” she muttered, trying to make light of the situation.

Songsong chimed in, “You actually don’t need to wear that helmet. Before, I had to find a secluded spot to teleport you to another world. If you ride around town without it, you’d be stopped before we even find a good spot. I’m just following traffic laws.”

Yun Tutu pressed the helmet down further on her head. “Whether I need it or not, I’m wearing it this time.”

Taking a deep breath, she mounted the motorcycle. “Alright, I’m ready. Let’s go.”

Chen Yuxi and Zhang Yang stood on either side of her, smiling supportively. “We’ll be here waiting for you to come back.”

After the flash of white light, they gripped each other’s hands nervously. The worry they had held back finally surfaced.

“She’ll be fine. We need to trust her,” Zhang Yang reassured, though her own concern was written on her face. All they could do was hope Yun Tutu wouldn’t get scared senseless.

---

Yun Tutu kept her eyes squeezed shut, fear coursing through her as an icy chill gripped her body, signaling the shift to another world. Her voice trembled as she spoke, “Songsong, are we there? Can you check if there are any… you know… ghosts around?”

“Ghosts?” Songsong sounded irritated. “Isn’t it enough to have me? Now you want ghosts too?”

“I mean…” Yun Tutu started but quickly clammed up. This wasn’t her world anymore, and she didn’t want to attract any unwanted attention by talking carelessly. What if something heard her and came after her?

“Relax, there’s nothing here. Open your eyes,” Songsong urged. “You need to toughen up. Maybe you should do more deliveries in worlds like this to get used to it.”

Yun Tutu, unaware of Songsong’s mischievous intentions, cautiously opened her eyes a sliver. All around her was a dense, swirling fog. It looked like she was enveloped in a thick cloud of mist.

“How am I supposed to deliver the goods like this?” Yun Tutu momentarily forgot her fear, eager to finish the job and leave as soon as possible. Now that she knew there could be ghosts around, she just wanted to complete the delivery and get out.

“Use the navigation,” Songsong reminded her. For someone trying to act composed, Yun Tutu was doing a poor job, having already forgotten the basics.

“Right, the navigation,” she muttered, swallowing nervously as she followed the clear path displayed in front of her. To keep her mind from wandering back to terrifying thoughts, she kept talking to Songsong. Knowing she wasn’t alone made her feel better.

“Why didn’t you teleport me straight to the Daoist master?” If Daoist Master Shifang were here, she wouldn’t be so scared.

“Sometimes there’s a slight margin for error. Besides, imagine if you suddenly appeared out of nowhere right in front of someone. You’d scare the living daylights out of them. We’re in the service industry, remember? We need to consider the customer’s experience.”

“… That’s surprisingly thoughtful,” Yun Tutu remarked.

“Are you being sarcastic?” Songsong asked, clearly not amused.

“No, I’m complimenting you.” Yun Tutu trudged through the fog, feeling like a headless chicken as she followed the navigation. Finally, the arrow stopped moving. “Wait, is this the place?”

“Now, call out for him,” Songsong said just before the screen vanished.

Yun Tutu opened her mouth to call for the Daoist master, but before she could, a distorted, pale face with hollow eye sockets floated in front of her. “…”

Just as she was about to pass out, her body kicked into survival mode, and she let out a blood-curdling scream, “Ahhhh! A ghost!”

The ghost’s face twisted even more, seemingly confused by her reaction. “…”

“Begone!” came a calm voice, and the ghostly face dissipated like smoke.

Yun Tutu kept screaming, her eyes still tightly shut, oblivious to the changes around her. The ghost had vanished, and even the dense fog had thinned.

“What’s with you, young lady? Who told you it was safe to wander into this place?” Daoist Master Shifang, having dispersed the fog, stared disapprovingly at Yun Tutu. “Didn’t the people guarding the perimeter warn you that this area isn’t for wandering?”

Yun Tutu, still shaken, cautiously peeked through one eye. A Daoist? It’s a Daoist! Seeing that there were no more ghostly figures, she clutched her chest, still shaken. “Daoist Master, did you see that? There was a ghost!”

“I saw it. I’ve already dealt with it.” Daoist Master Shifang scrutinized her. “Whose family are you from? How did they let you rush in here like this?”

The outer perimeter was guarded by fellow Daoists. Regular people couldn’t just barge in, and she had made it all the way to the center.

Yun Tutu, remembering why she was there, quickly spoke up. “You’re Daoist Master Shifang, right? I’m Yun Tutu from Cross-Dimensional Delivery. I’ve brought the cinnabar and talisman paper you ordered. Let’s complete the transaction quickly.”

“It’s real?” Daoist Master Shifang seemed intrigued. He had encountered many spirits and demons, but when the screen had appeared before him earlier, he thought it was a prank by some mischievous ghost. When it didn’t go away, he’d followed the prompts and selected a few items, expecting a trick. He hadn’t imagined a girl would actually show up with the goods.

“You’re here to deliver the cinnabar and talisman paper?” The Daoist master was still a bit skeptical. His own supplies were nearly depleted, and he hadn’t dared to let his disciples enter the formation, fearing they wouldn’t make it out alive. In desperation, he had accepted this strange offer. Who knew it would actually come through?

“Of course! You’re Daoist Master Shifang, right?” Yun Tutu asked again, eager to confirm.

“That’s me,” he replied, eyeing her again to ensure she wasn’t an illusion conjured by some spirit. “Can I see the goods first?”

The cinnabar and talisman paper he used were custom-made. He wouldn’t settle for anything less.

Yun Tutu, still on edge, glanced nervously at the thickening fog nearby. Something about it made her feel like something was lurking within.

With trembling hands, she opened the motorcycle’s rear compartment and pulled out a large bag. “Here, it’s all inside. Take a look.”

Daoist Master Shifang opened his third eye, confirming that Yun Tutu was indeed human and not some illusion. Satisfied, he approached the bag and inspected its contents. There were close to ten different types of cinnabar and talisman paper inside, and the quality was excellent — as good as, if not better than, his usual stock.

Just as he was about to finalize the purchase, the fog around them suddenly darkened, turning from white to an oppressive black.

“Daoist Master… are there more ghosts coming?” Yun Tutu stammered, her fear making her words barely coherent. Why couldn’t they wait until she finished the transaction?

“Don’t move from this spot,” Daoist Master Shifang instructed, handing her a protective talisman. “As long as you don’t provoke them, they won’t come after you.”

The Daoist master began forming hand seals, and Yun Tutu could hear a sharp, piercing scream from where his fingers pointed.