Spirit Reaper - Chapter 25

Chapter 25: The Underworld Key—Heavenly Providence, a Perfect Match!

“Alright, just leave the luggage at the door. Thanks, Sister Li.”

“No need for thanks! I should be the one thanking you,” the woman called Sister Li replied with a cryptic wave. “I’ll head off now. Call me if you need anything!”

Before Wuyi could even get a word out, Sister Li took off like her heels were on fire, vanishing as if a pack of vengeful demons was snapping at her ankles.

“Tsk… it’s not like I eat people, right?” Wuyi muttered, baffled. They had been chatting quite pleasantly a moment ago; why the sudden sprint?

Regardless, she shrugged and turned to inspect the small apartment Ming Qingxuan had prepared for her. It was a classic loft—two floors, perfectly sized, fully furnished, and equipped with all the necessary appliances. It was a true “turn-key” home.

Auntie Ming really had thought of everything. Except…

The moment Wuyi stepped inside, she was nearly choked by a cloud of dust. How many years had it been since someone lived here? It looked like she’d have to spend the entire afternoon doing a deep clean.

Wuyi didn’t hesitate. She rolled up her sleeves and spent hours scrubbing the loft from top to bottom. Despite the small square footage, deep cleaning was physically draining. By sunset, her body felt like lead, and every muscle ached.

The exhaustion was so overwhelming that the moment her back hit the sofa, her eyelids became impossibly heavy. Despite her struggle to stay awake, darkness claimed her.

“Hey! Hey! Hey!”

“Wake up! How can you sleep so soundly?”

“What the—”

“GHOST!!!!”

Wuyi’s sleepiness evaporated instantly. She screamed as she took in the “person” in front of her. It looked like a five-year-old girl dressed in black. Two braided pigtails dangled over Wuyi’s head as the girl leaned down.

That wasn’t the scary part. What made Wuyi shriek was the girl’s face: two unnaturally bright red circles of rouge on her cheeks—exactly like the makeup on a paper funeral effigy.

Furthermore, the girl’s feet were pointed straight down, her toes not touching the floor. She was floating.

“Who are you?! What are you doing in my house!” Wuyi scrambled to the corner of the sofa, curling up like a shrimp, her eyes wide with terror.

Heaven help her! Even if she had dealt with the supernatural since childhood and was an official Underworld Emissary, she was still a mortal of flesh and blood. Being woken up by a jump-scare like this was more than she could handle!

The little girl stared at her, eyes darting around. Then, she let out a jagged giggle, revealing sharp fangs. Her body stretched out like pulled noodles as she lunged at Wuyi. “Me? I’m the owner of this house!”

“Since you’ve come uninvited, do you want to become my nourishment?”

Wuyi froze. She wanted to run, but her limbs felt paralyzed. She could only watch as the girl flew toward her.

BANG—!

The expected devouring didn’t happen. Following a violent collision, the little girl was blasted several meters back, slumped against the wall like a wilted flower.

Wuyi finally snapped out of it. She rose and cautiously approached the motionless spirit. “You… you, don’t scare me. Let’s talk reasonably…”

Just as she reached out to check the situation, the girl’s body twitched, followed by a mournful wail.

“Waaaaah—!”

“How can you be such a mean person!”

“Breaking into my house and hitting me!”

“You big bully! I’ll never forgive you!”

The girl sobbed uncontrollably. Wuyi, completely out of her depth, left her hand hanging awkwardly in the air. “Um…”

“Hey, wait—”

Before she could finish, she felt a violent shove.

“No!”

Wuyi sat bolt upright on the sofa, drenched in cold sweat. She gasped for air, looking around. The apartment was exactly as she’d left it, but since it was night and the lights were off, she was shrouded in darkness.

Thankfully, there was no little girl in black.

Wuyi let out a long breath. She checked her phone and gasped; it was 9:00 PM. She had slept for hours. During that time, Song Miao had called her dozens of times—a total notification bombardment.

Wuyi rubbed her aching head and called her back.

“Hello?”

“Oh, my goodness, Sister! You finally picked up!” Song Miao sounded frantic. “I was about to call the police. You weren’t answering, you weren’t at the dorm—do you not want your precious Dharma treasure anymore?”

“Sorry, my phone was on silent. I fell asleep after cleaning the new place,” Wuyi apologized. “Tell you what, I’ll buy you dinner to make up for it.”

“Hey, you said it! Don’t wait for ‘sometime.’ I’m hungry now. Meet me at the street food stall across from school—the one with the grilled cold noodles. I’m waiting!”

“Wait, I—”

Beep, beep, beep.

“Everyone just hangs up today,” Wuyi sighed. She dragged herself to the bathroom to wash her face.

As she splashed water, she habitually glanced at the mirror. Her heart skipped a beat. Behind her, through the gap in the shower curtain, a small black figure flickered. It was gone in a flash, so fast it seemed like a hallucination.

Wuyi rubbed her eyes and stared at the curtain. Nothing. Thinking back to the dream, her skin crawled. She finished washing at record speed and bolted out the door without looking back.

…

The bustling night market, with its crowds and the smell of cooking, calmed Wuyi’s nerves. She found Song Miao at the noodle stall and ordered two portions of sour and spicy meat slices.

“Over here!” Song Miao waved. “Why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost? Hello?” She waved a hand in front of Wuyi’s face.

“Huh? Oh, nothing. Just tired,” Wuyi waved it off.

“You don’t look like it’s nothing,” Song Miao pouted. “Don’t you dare hide a job from me. I brought the treasure; no backing out!”

“I know, I know,” Wuyi nodded, setting the steaming food on the table. “I’m a woman of my word.” As for the dream-ghost, she’d deal with that later. “Enough about me. Let’s see this legendary treasure of yours.”

“Fine, but get ready. I’m afraid this might scare you to death!” Song Miao beamed with pride as she mysteriously pulled out a bundle wrapped in red cloth. “Behold, the Underworld Key. It can connect the realms of the living and the dead.”

She pressed the bundle into Wuyi’s hand. Despite the large cloth, the object inside was small enough to fit in a palm. Wuyi raised an eyebrow and slowly unwrapped it.

“You’re telling me this connects the two realms?” Wuyi stared at the rusted, palm-sized key and looked at Song Miao with pure skepticism. “Are you sure you didn’t just grab a spare house key to fool me?”

“How rude!” Song Miao huffed, reaching to take it back. “If you don’t want it, give it back! I’m parting with my beloved treasure and you’re mocking it!”

Wuyi looked at the rusty hunk of metal and then back at Song Miao. She believed Song Miao wouldn’t lie, but this “Underworld Key” was… exceptionally “grounded.”

“I want it, I want it! But you have to tell me how to use it.”

Song Miao’s expression stiffened. She looked around, leaned in, and whispered, “There is an incantation, but…”

“But what?”

“But it needs a matching item to work, and I don’t have it,” Song Miao confessed, closing her eyes as if awaiting judgment.

“Oh…” Wuyi leaned back, crossing her arms. “So right now, it’s just a piece of scrap metal? You’re bamboozling me?” She jokingly wiped a fake tear. “And here I thought we were comrades-in-arms.”

Flushing red to her ears, Song Miao frantically pulled a black plastic bag from her backpack. “This is the most useful thing I have! The key is useless now, but it’ll be powerful once you find the match! Look, these talismans were drawn by my grandmother personally. They’re very strong!”

Wuyi peered into the bag. Red paper, gold ink—the spiritual power vibrating from the bold strokes was undeniable. These were top-tier goods. Wuyi felt a bit guilty now; taking all these was too much for a simple trade.

She reached into her pocket. “I won’t take these for nothing. Take this Protection Plaque. It’s been consecrated for forty-nine days. It can block a fatal strike from a high-level wraith.”

As Song Miao’s eyes lit up, Wuyi steered the conversation back. “What’s the matching item for the key?”

“I’ve only heard the elders mention it. They say it needs to be paired with an Underworld Map.”

An Underworld Map?! Wuyi nearly burst out laughing. Talk about Heavenly providence! She already had the map!

She coughed to hide her excitement. “Got it. Thanks, Miao.”

“No, thank you!” Song Miao giggled, already fondling the protection plaque. “Oh, remember the incantation: Mountains to mountains, temples to temples. Gate of Heaven, Gate of Earth. From all directions, open the Ghost Gate. CH敕!“

“Isn’t that just a Ghost-Summoning spell? You’re telling me I have to call a ghost to lead the way?” Wuyi teased.

“Hey, that’s what the elders taught me! Anyway, I have to go—my grandma is checking in soon. Get home safe!”

Wuyi watched her disappear into the crowd. She was in a fantastic mood. The joy of completing her “set” washed away the lingering fear of the little girl in black. She hummed a little tune as she walked home.

Suddenly, a rustling of footsteps echoed in the dim corridor. Before Wuyi could react, a yellow shadow blocked her path.

A shrill, thin voice drifted through the air:

“Little girl… do I look human to you?”