Yin and Yang - Chapter 2

Ping’an Community was a mid-range residential area, located just a few hundred meters from the school. Before the incidents, it was renowned for its prime school district location, with prospective buyers crowding the sales office every month. Now, it stood deserted, not a soul in sight.

Ever since the rumors of a haunted house spread, many residents chose to sell their units at a loss, while others demanded refunds. The once-coveted school district properties had become daily liabilities. After several livestreamers met with misfortune here, the area became a forbidden zone, even the school buses rerouting to avoid the community.

In just one month, Ping’an Community’s reputation plummeted. The developer, his hair turned completely white with anxiety, hired numerous feng shui masters to investigate, but none could resolve the issue. Two masters even fled in terror overnight, leaving behind trails of urine and feces. As the situation worsened, residents grew increasingly panicked. Desperate, the developer finally spent a fortune to enlist the Yin-Yang Sect’s intervention.

Shen Qingwei stood at the foot of the building, glancing around. The incident had occurred in the innermost building, Unit 2403 of Building 17. Faint lights flickered on the upper floors, making it difficult to see clearly. After a brief observation, she turned toward the elevator.

A middle-aged woman stood beside the elevator, clutching a supermarket bag and breathing heavily. Shen Qingwei noticed a wisp of black qi hovering over the right side of her forehead, a furrow of worry between her brows, and listless eyes. Her spirit seemed drained. As soon as she entered the elevator, she leaned against the handrail, gasping for air.

Shen Qingwei stood beside her, not pressing the elevator button. She watched the woman press the 18th floor. Moments later, the woman’s phone rang. She answered, “Hello, Mom.”

“I know, Old Zhang is already out looking for a new place. It’s not something that can be done overnight, you know. Good school district housing is hard to find.”

“I don’t want to move either, but coming to live with you? That’s too far. It would be inconvenient for the kids’ school, and Old Zhang still has to work.”

“I’ll find a place as soon as possible.”

The woman sighed after hanging up. She and her husband had painstakingly chosen this apartment, a school district property with an absurdly high mortgage. They never imagined this would happen before they finished paying it off. Two neighboring families had already moved out, leaving her the only remaining resident. Sometimes, walking down the long, empty corridor sent shivers down her spine.

The person on the other end of the line must have said something else, because she replied, “It’s nothing, I’ve just been feeling a bit stuffy lately. I’ll be fine after some rest.”

Stuffy, short of breath, and a weak heart—the black qi hovering over the right side of her forehead was a clear sign. Of course, there was another crucial factor: the building’s overwhelmingly yin energy. Originally, the building had been fully occupied, with strong yang energy suppressing the yin. This had kept her health stable. But with the shift in feng shui, her condition had deteriorated rapidly.

As the saying goes, “The water of one place nourishes the people of that place.” Living in such an environment long-term would only worsen her illness.

Shen Qingwei’s expression remained indifferent as she turned away. The middle-aged woman, however, glanced curiously at Shen Qingwei beside her.

What a strikingly beautiful young woman, she thought. Most residents of this building were families; it was rare to see such a young and pretty girl. Recalling the recent livestreaming incident, the woman couldn’t help but call out, “Young lady?”

Shen Qingwei tilted her head, a friendly smile on her face. “Hello, Auntie.”

“Oh, hello,” the woman replied. “Which floor are you going to? I’ll press the button for you.”

“I’m just going to the top floor,” Shen Qingwei replied.

“You’re not here to livestream too, are you?” the woman asked, her face filled with worry. “Child, listen to me—don’t go up there. Several people have disappeared already. You’re so young and beautiful; don’t risk your life!”

Her words were earnest, and Shen Qingwei nodded as she listened to the woman’s rambling. “Thank you for the warning, Auntie.”

“You really shouldn’t go,” the woman insisted. “It’s haunted up there. Everyone in this building has fled. Young lady, don’t play with your life!”

Shen Qingwei blinked and smiled. “Okay, I’ll just take a look around. I won’t be livestreaming.”

“That’s good,” the woman nodded. “Don’t stay too late, though. It’s not safe. They say the ghost appears around 10:30 PM.”

Shen Qingwei nodded. “Alright, I won’t stay too long.”

Her obedient demeanor was truly heartwarming. The middle-aged woman couldn’t resist offering a few more words of caution. As the elevator doors opened, she turned back. “Oh, and one more thing…”

Standing inside the elevator, Shen Qingwei watched as the woman pulled a Peace Talisman from her bag. “I got two of these at the temple yesterday. My son doesn’t believe in this stuff and refused to take one. Why don’t you wear this, young lady? It’ll keep you safe.”

Her face was deeply lined, but her expression was gentle, radiating kindness. Shen Qingwei studied the talisman for a moment before chuckling.

The characters on the talisman were all written incorrectly—utterly unprofessional. She placed the talisman in her palm, formed the Clear Heart Incantation with her other hand, and tapped it onto the talisman. Looking up at the woman, she said, “Auntie, I don’t believe in these things either. You should keep it.”

The woman sighed, about to protest, but as she took the talisman back, she felt an immediate sense of relief. The month-long stagnation in her chest seemed to dissipate instantly, her mind suddenly clear and refreshed. Skeptical as she was, she placed the talisman on the floor. The suffocating feeling returned immediately. Grabbing the talisman again, she realized she had encountered a true master!

Before Shen Qingwei could thank the expert, the elevator doors closed.

She pressed the button for the 24th floor, and the elevator began its ascent. As it reached the 20th floor, the lights flickered, and the elevator shook violently for two seconds. The sudden jolt threw Shen Qingwei off balance, causing her to lean against the right wall of the elevator. She glanced around and saw the lights flickering erratically, casting eerie shadows that seemed to drift through the air. Upon closer inspection, however, there was nothing there.

Suddenly, the elevator chimed and stopped.

It had halted at the 21st floor. The doors slowly opened, revealing a pitch-black void beyond—clearly not a hallway, but more like the entrance to hell itself. A cold, fishy-smelling wind swept in.

Shen Qingwei frowned, refusing to step out. Instead, she stood inside the elevator, peering into the darkness. After a long moment, the doors chimed shut, then opened again. This time, mysterious red dots flickered outside, growing closer. Shen Qingwei blinked. Two seconds later, she reached for the close button, but just as her hand touched it, another hand landed on the back of her own. The nails were short but vividly crimson, while the back of the hand was pale, with dark veins that seemed to carry not blood, but swirling black mist. The hand’s owner gripped Shen Qingwei’s hand, sending a chill through her. She turned her head and saw a severed head hanging from her shoulder!

The severed head floated in the air, its bloody eyes dripping crimson tears that streamed down its cheeks and splattered onto Shen Qingwei’s shoulder, leaving a large, dark red stain. When Shen Qingwei turned to meet its gaze, the head suddenly grinned, its laughter echoing through the silent elevator: “Hee hee hee hee…”

The elevator lights flickered violently, and the car shook violently, throwing Shen Qingwei off balance. The ghostly hand gripping her tightened around her neck, and the head pressed against her nape, its blood-soaked mouth opening to reveal sharp fangs, ready to bite down!

“Are you the Female Ghost from upstairs?” Shen Qingwei suddenly asked, cutting through the tense, terrifying atmosphere. The head froze, loosening its grip slightly as it turned to face her. In a shrill voice, it replied, “Guess, hee hee hee hee…”

Hee your sister! Shen Qingwei thought. Do you think you’re cute or something?

She spun around to confront the head directly. “Yes or no?”

Her sudden boldness seemed to confuse the head. “What if I am? What if I’m not?”

So it’s not her.

Shen Qingwei smiled. “Do you only have a head?”

The head instinctively recoiled, but Shen Qingwei asked, “Must be boring being trapped here, right? Want to experience what it’s like to fly?”

“No—” Before the head could finish, Shen Qingwei kicked it into the air. In the cramped elevator, the head crashed against the walls and corners with a series of clangs and thuds, like a discordant melody. Ding-ding-clang-clang. Shen Qingwei stood by, watching with amusement as the head begged for mercy: “Sis~ter~ I was wrong~”

“Sister~ I haven’t even scared anyone yet~ Sister~ It’s my first time~ Please spare me~”

The head continued to bounce around for several minutes before Shen Qingwei clapped her hands. The head landed on the tile floor, bounced twice, and rolled to a stop at her feet, trembling violently. “Sister, I really haven’t scared anyone before,” it whimpered. “No one could see me before. I was wrong, waaaah! I won’t do it again…”

The head’s pleading voice sounded like that of a young girl, barely out of her teens—youthful and naive. But her face was covered in scars and blood, making it impossible to guess her age.

Shen Qingwei crouched down to meet the head’s gaze. “Why were you scaring people here?”

“I was so bored,” the head confessed honestly. “No one could see me before. You’re the first, Sister.”

Even if she had appeared directly in the elevator before, no one had ever seen her.

“Don’t try to claim kinship,” Shen Qingwei said. “I’m not your sister.” She asked, “Do you know about the haunting upstairs?”

“Yes,” the head replied, answering without hesitation. “It’s been going on for two or three months. A particularly vicious Malevolent Spirit!”

Her mouth stretched wide, revealing sharp teeth and a crimson tongue as she spoke, a terrifying sight that made people afraid to look twice. How dare she call others Malevolent Spirits when she looked like this herself?

Shen Qingwei ignored her appearance and nodded. “Do you know how this Malevolent Spirit came to be?”

“No,” the head replied, its voice dripping with sinister energy.

Ha—what a useless thing!

Shen Qingwei stood up and gestured with her chin. “Go up.”

The head floated up to eye level with Shen Qingwei. Its face was smeared with blood, and its eyes were even more chilling, blood dripping from the corners in a steady drip… drip… drip… that echoed eerily in the silent elevator. Losing patience, Shen Qingwei snapped, “Didn’t you enjoy pressing elevator buttons for people? Twenty-fourth floor. Go up.”

She was being as serious as she could possibly be, but the head didn’t react for several seconds. Finally, it blurted out, “I’m a ghost!”

Even if you’re not scared, can’t you at least show some respect?

“So what if you’re a ghost?” Shen Qingwei glanced sideways. “Is that supposed to be impressive?”

The head, feeling thoroughly humiliated, muttered, “It’s not that impressive.”

Shen Qingwei shrugged. “Then ghosts don’t have to do chores?”

Convinced by her logic, the head nodded. Shen Qingwei said, “Twenty-fourth floor, please hurry. I’m in a rush.”

“Oh.” A hint of awkwardness crept across the head’s terrifying, sinister face. After a moment’s hesitation, it floated into the air and slammed into the elevator button. The twenty-fourth floor lit up. The head drifted above Shen Qingwei, its bloody maw gaping wide for one last retaliatory strike! But Shen Qingwei shot it a cold, sidelong glance, and the head slowly closed its mouth, retreating to a corner above her, muttering, “I’ll draw a circle and curse you…”

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