Spirit Reaper - Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Encountering the Red Spirit

“Body of Pure Yin… You smell so sweet…”

“Woooo—” “Bang, bang, bang—”

At this moment, Yu Song had become so strange that Yu Wuyi felt like she was looking at a stranger. She didn’t dare disobey the command, so she endured the pain, kowtowing once, twice, repeatedly toward those nameless graves.

One… two… no reaction. Forty… fifty… still no reaction.

Wuyi’s vision was beginning to be eclipsed by a veil of crimson; the scenery around her blurred into an unrecognizable haze. All she could hear was the constant ringing of Yu Song’s bell and the rhythmic chanting of incantations.

“Don’t stop!” Seeing her kneeling in a daze, Yu Song let out a thunderous shout that jolted her back to her senses.

Though she didn’t understand why she had to do this, Wuyi forced herself up. She wiped the blood oozing from her forehead and walked to the fifty-first grave.

“Waaa—” She finally couldn’t hold it back. As she kowtowed, she began to whimper softly, like a helpless, wounded little animal.

Tears mixed with blood and dripped onto the ground. In a corner noticed by no one, a few drops seeped deep into the soil of that particular grave mound.

Boom—

An anomaly suddenly shook the earth. The ground began to vibrate violently, and the grave mound showed signs of cracking. Wuyi froze, standing there like a statue.

Before long, the mound split open before their very eyes, and a jade pendant carved with a dragon pattern flew out, landing steadily in front of her.

The little “mochi ball” picked up the pendant in a daze. She gently blew away the dirt to reveal its emerald green color. However, the bloodstains on it were particularly striking, winding down the exquisite dragon carvings in an eerie fashion.

Most prominent of all was the word “Qin” (秦) engraved in the center. The owner of this pendant must have been of incredibly noble status.

Upon seeing the jade, Yu Song stopped her ritual. She rushed to Wuyi and then began kowtowing toward the grave, muttering:

“Thank you, My Lord, for being willing to accept Wuyi.” “From now on, I leave her in your care…”

A sudden yin wind rose. The rustling leaves sounded like whispers from the underworld. Wuyi’s nerves were stretched to the breaking point; in such an environment, she finally snapped. Her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed.

Before her eyes closed, she thought she saw a faint, red silhouette slowly appearing on top of the grave…

…

“Night gives me black eyes~” The phone ringtone blared.

“Hello?”

“Wuyi! We finally finished the Gaokao (College Entrance Exam)! Come out and party tonight!” “It’s time to enjoy the adult world!” As soon as the call connected, the excited voice of her best friend, Liu Liang, roared through the receiver.

Wuyi was speechless and silently moved the phone away from her ear. Her friend was always this loud and boisterous, and since the exams ended, she had completely let herself go.

“Send me the address, but remember we can’t play too late, got it?”

“Got it, got it! It’s the seventh lunar month—I know the drill!” Liu Liang replied with a giggle.

Wuyi remained deeply skeptical. After all, this girl was not exactly a follower of rules…

Hanging up, she handed a hand-drawn diagram to the wealthy man sitting across from her and began packing her gear. “Remember, do not place a mirror in the northwest corner of this bedroom ever again. That’s what’s been washing away your wealth. For the rest of the layout, refer to this map…”

“Little Master, thank you so much! Give my regards to your Auntie Ming!” The bald man was clearly overjoyed. He rubbed his shiny head and pulled out a bank card to shove toward Wuyi. “This is for your gratitude…”

Before he could finish, Wuyi interrupted him. She pushed the card back and shook her head with a smile. “No need. For my work, I always charge only 500.”

“Fine, fine, I understand.” Seeing her refusal, the man didn’t push. He held the layout diagram with both hands as if he’d found a treasure, staring at it so intensely he looked ready to kiss it.

Leaving the villa, Wuyi wandered back toward Xuanshan Temple with her gear, feeling pleased. “A few more jobs like this and I won’t have to worry about tuition!” The Feng Shui and Daoist arts she’d learned since childhood were finally paying off.

…

“Auntie Ming… I’ll probably be back a bit late tonight. Liu Liang asked me out…” Wuyi kept her head down, fidgeting with her fingers as she carefully mentioned her plans to Ming Qingxuan.

Before she could finish, her ear was sharply pinched.

“Ow, ow, ow! Take it easy…” Wuyi faked a pitiful cry, trying to awaken the woman’s “conscience.”

“You little brat, learning to make your own decisions now, huh?” “Do you know what month it is?” “What if you run into danger? How would I explain it to your grandmother?” Ming Qingxuan stood before her with a “skin-deep” smile, leaning close to Wuyi’s pinched ear.

“Auntie Ming, you have to give me a chance to test my skills,” Wuyi replied with a cheeky grin, hoping to slip through. “If I really run into something and solve it, isn’t that a merit for my karma?”

“Hmph, children grow up and want to fly away.” Ming Qingxuan was clearly amused by the girl’s warped logic. She huffed and let go of her ear. “Since you’re so insistent on ‘practicing,’ I’ll grant it. But remember, you must be back at the temple by 1:00 AM. Do you hear me!”

Wuyi was shocked. Ming Qingxuan was usually never this easy-going; in the past, such a request would result in copying the Heart Sutra 100 times. There’s a catch! But she was going anyway.

Because of her special constitution, Wuyi always carried her gear. This night was no exception. Following the location Liu Liang sent, she soon stopped in front of a bar.

“Ugh, what a disgusting aura. I want to vomit…” Before she even got close, an unsettling energy wafted from the bar, making her stomach churn.

Ping— Liu the Great: You here? Find booth A802 directly! Wuyi: At the door, coming.

Since she was already there, Wuyi couldn’t find an excuse to flee. She endured the physical nausea and braved her way inside.

Stepping into the bar, a pungent mix of alcohol and cigarette smoke assaulted her nose. Dynamic DJ music blasted into her ears, making the floor seem to vibrate. On the dance floor, colorful disco balls flashed as young men and women swayed wildly.

She covered her ears and rushed to the booth area, quickly finding A802. Liu Liang sat in the center surrounded by classmates.

“Wuyi! You’re finally here! Sit!” Seeing her, Liu Liang grinned and patted the empty seat next to her.

“How much have you had to drink?” Wuyi looked at the pile of beer bottles and frowned.

“Um… three bottles? Five? I don’t remember… Wuyi, have a drink! Snow Beer—Brave the World!” Liu Liang shoved a bottle into Wuyi’s arms.

“Drink your head!” Wuyi smacked Liu Liang’s hand away and tapped her forehead, using a small Daoist technique to clear her mind. “Still talking nonsense?”

“Hehe, Wuyi… oops, accidentally drank too much. I’m sober now…” Liu Liang’s dazed eyes cleared up.

“Do you want to—” “HE’S HITTING PEOPLE!!!”

Before she could finish, a commotion broke out. The people dancing scattered in a panic, and everything fell into chaos.

“Liu Liang, get them out of here, fast!” “Oh… okay… okay!!”

Ordinary people might not know what was happening, but Wuyi saw it clearly. A thick, black 煞气 (Sha Qi/Malevolent Aura) was spreading from the dance floor. In the center stood a tall, thin young man. His eyes were blood-red, and he was lunging at anyone in sight.

“Ah—” Once the crowd cleared, the man let out a hoarse growl and charged at Wuyi.

Wuyi didn’t just stand there. She quickly pulled a peach-wood sword from her bag, slapped a talisman onto it, and chanted: “The Great Supreme Lord teaches me to slay demons… by his divine decree…” “Swiftly execute the order!”

As she spoke, she stabbed the sword into the dense aura surrounding the man. A terrified roar shook her ears, and the black mist vanished. The man lost consciousness and slumped to the floor.

Just as she sighed in relief, a suffocating sensation tightened around her neck. She looked down to see a length of Red Silk winding around her throat.

“Cough, cough—” The silk tightened, nearly cutting off her breath.

“So it was you who ruined my fun?” A blurry red figure appeared before her.

Damn it, why is there a Red Spirit (Red-clothed Ghost) here?!

Wuyi knew she was in trouble. Her current strength was nowhere near enough to handle a Red-grade entity. She waited for a moment of distraction to secretly form a hand seal and chant.

“Ah—how bold! You dare sneak attack me?” The Red Spirit shrieked in pain and released her.

Wuyi didn’t hesitate; she bolted for the exit. The furious screams of the ghost followed behind her.

“Huff… huff… I should have lost it by now…” After running for what felt like miles, Wuyi stopped, hands on her hips, gasping for air. She had run blindly out of the bar and somehow ended up in a deserted, dead-end alley.

“No way!! A dead end!!” She looked up to see a massive wall blocking her path.

“I caught you… You smell so sweet…” The ghost’s voice drifted from behind. The red silk lashed out toward her again.

“…Swiftly execute the order! BREAK!” She chanted again, her peach-wood sword slashing the silk, successfully forcing it back a few inches.

But more silk slithered forward. Wuyi turned her teeth into a weapon, sacrificing a Thunder Talisman toward the ghost.

BOOM—

Thunder cracked on level ground. A flash of lightning kicked up a cloud of dust. Wuyi waved the dust away to see the ghost.

“Is that all the skill you have? Hehehe—” The ghost let out a wicked laugh, giving her goosebumps.

“Body of Pure Yin… let me taste you…” The Red Spirit licked its lips and lunged.

Wuyi knew ordinary methods wouldn’t work. She bit her finger and smeared her fresh blood onto the peach-wood sword, preparing for a final stand.

Life or death depended on this one strike!