I exchanged a glance with Brother Xiang, both of us at a loss. What else could we do? If Han Sifan were some burly dude, who the heck would bother with her? The point was, she wasn’t—she was a total beauty, an absolute knockout. Just think about it: you’re all set to hit the internet café for some gaming, and suddenly, a gorgeous girl in a pink spaghetti strap dress asks you not to go but to hang out with her instead. What would you choose?

Even though we knew tagging along with Han Sifan might not lead to anything good, Brother Xiang and I were still regular guys. Put her next to Tai Long and Xiao Pang, those two scruffy uncles with their foot-scratching habits, and the choice was obvious. Of course, I’d pick following Han Sifan. Same went for Brother Xiang, more or less.

I just threw on a black T-shirt and a pair of jeans, while Brother Xiang went with a red T-shirt and jeans too. We followed Han Sifan out. The moment we stepped downstairs and saw no one else around, I couldn’t help but ask, “Sis, what’s your plan this time? It’s so late at night.”

Han Sifan turned around, rolling her eyes at us. “What do you think I’m up to? You think I’m dragging you two out for some dumb date or what? Obviously, it’s ghost hunting! Chen Hui, didn’t you say there’s a female ghost in that abandoned villa on campus? Tonight, we’re gonna deal with her.”

“Wait, wait, dude,” I said, confused. “You’ve got no beef with her, right? Just let her stay there peacefully. Why bother her?”

Before Han Sifan could answer, Brother Xiang grabbed my hand and said, “Meet me at the villa’s entrance at 8 PM.” Then, without explaining further, he dragged me off.

I noticed something odd about Brother Xiang’s behavior and asked, “What’s going on, man? Spill it.”

He led me to a small milk tea shop near the school gate, looking all serious. Once we sat down and ordered two milk teas, I pressed him again, “So? What’s the deal?”

Brother Xiang shook his head. “Just don’t argue with that Han Sifan girl, alright? She’s a little obsessed right now—sees a ghost, and she’s gotta take it down. How do I even explain? Actually, Han Sifan used to have an older brother, also an exorcist, named Ah Bao. The guy was a genius when it came to Daoist arts.”

“Han Sifan’s been an orphan since she was little. Later, it was that bastard Wu Jiu—our shifu—who supported her financially. Back then, she had a stubborn streak, but she was gentle and ladylike overall. Then, when she was eight, she met Ah Bao and somehow ended up becoming his little sister. Ah Bao was just a year older than her, and they were really close. But three years ago, Ah Bao joined a mission to take down a cult. They got ambushed, and everyone went missing. Han Sifan always saw Ah Bao as her real brother, so the whole thing hit her hard. Since then, her personality did a 180—she started being loud and foul-mouthed. When it comes to ghosts or cults, she’s dead set on exterminating them.”

I nodded, frowning a little. “Why didn’t you ever tell me this before?”

“What’s the point of bringing it up out of nowhere?” Brother Xiang shrugged. “I only really got to know her better after coming to this school. Before, I’d just heard about her and Ah Bao. Anyway, she’s had it rough, so just cut her some slack, yeah?”

I didn’t dwell on it too much. After all, I didn’t have any personal connection to Ah Bao. But if I thought about it—if someone close to me went missing—I’d probably be just as messed up.

That evening, at 8 PM, the three of us stood outside the villa. I’d already briefed them about the ghost—a regular wandering spirit, nothing like a vengeful or malicious one. Because of that, Brother Xiang specifically had me draw a Jiuku Wangsheng Pudu Talisman.

Each talisman has its own purpose. This one was meant to help ghosts move on to reincarnation. Unlike chanting a Wang Sheng Zhou, which involves using your own emotions to persuade the ghost to reincarnate—sometimes resulting in you absorbing their painful memories—this talisman gets the job done without the mental burden. Too many absorbed memories can blur someone’s sense of self, even driving them insane.

That’s why the talisman exists. But some compassionate Buddhist monks or Daoists still choose to personally guide certain ghosts, which is seen as a great honor for the ghost. You’ve probably seen this in TV dramas—a monk or priest saying they’ll personally send a ghost off. It’s like the VIP treatment for ghosts.

Anyway, I’d spent an hour earlier crafting the talisman. I also had a Liuding Liujia Exorcism Talisman on me, just in case.

“When we catch her later, just use this talisman to send her off,” Brother Xiang reminded Han Sifan. “Take it easy, though. This is just a weak wandering spirit; don’t accidentally obliterate her soul.”

Han Sifan gave an impatient nod.

“Alright, let’s go.” I took the lead since I’d been here before. The moment I pushed the door open, an icy chill hit me—something was definitely off.

I froze, peering inside. The place was shrouded in heavy yin energy.

Stretching out my arms, I blocked the other two. “Hold up, something’s not right!”

Both stopped in their tracks. Though they couldn’t see the yin energy, exorcists like us could sense it easily.

“There’s a lot of yin energy,” Han Sifan muttered, frowning. “Chen Hui, your intel’s off.”

“I don’t know what’s going on either,” I replied. “Do we still go in?”

“Of course!” Han Sifan shoved past me and strode inside.

As we followed her in, Brother Xiang did a quick calculation, then said, “There’s something wrong with the Three Sha Position on the east side of the house.”

Turning to Han Sifan, he added, “The ghost here isn’t ordinary. Judging by the density of the yin energy, it’s likely one of the Hundred Ghost Ranking.”

“The Hundred Ghost Ranking?” I asked, stunned, before the memory clicked. Ghosts have their own hierarchy, depending on the circumstances of their deaths and the surrounding yin energy.

The ghosts on the Hundred Ghost Ranking are all unique and terrifying in their own way. Suddenly, I remembered—my jade pendant houses Menma, a ghost from the ranking. Tuo Luo Sha, who’s ranked seventh, is one of the most infamous.