Chapter 20: Possession

Zhao Yong and I have been brothers for many years. I understand his personality. Sometimes he is incredibly stubborn, making it impossible for me to persuade him. When he sets his mind on something, ten oxen couldn't pull him back. At other times, he acts like a petulant child, throwing little tantrums as if to solicit concern from others.

Watching him turn and walk away with the straw doll, I immediately panicked. How was I supposed to convince him?

"Zhao Yong? Stop right there! I told you to give me that straw doll."

"Reason?" Zhao Yong’s tone was icy.

"The reason is that if you don't hand it over to me, you'll be dead in your cell by tonight."

"Then let me die." With that, Zhao Yong continued walking.

I was at my wit’s end regarding Zhao Yong. But the old man by the lake had warned that if Zhao Yong didn't return the doll, he wouldn't survive the night. What could I do?

Suddenly, a spark of inspiration hit me. I remembered his weakness: his girlfriend.

"Give me the doll, and I have a way to let you see your girlfriend one last time."

"Really?" Zhao Yong relented immediately, turning around and walking toward the visitation window. I snatched the doll, flashed a smile at him, and rushed out of the prison.

Once I cleared the prison gates, I was drenched in cold sweat, all from the anxiety Zhao Yong had caused me. I looked down at the straw doll in my hand with satisfaction, but then, my heart skipped a beat.

For some reason, I realized I was holding the doll by its feet. It was hanging head-down. I felt a surge of unease; I hadn't noticed this detail before, and now, a chill ran down my spine.

The old man said to use the doll to lure out Zhao Yong's girlfriend. Could it be that he meant luring her *into* the doll?

The thought made me shudder. My hand felt as though I were touching thorns, and I desperately wanted to throw the thing away.

With the doll secured, the next step was to head to the old man's home. I stepped forward to hail a taxi, but my hand froze in mid-air.

The street in front of the prison was eerily empty. Forget cars; there wasn't a soul in sight. A gust of wind swept down the road, kicking up dead leaves—a scene of utter desolation. It was broad daylight, yet the sight of that street made my back crawl. I tried to comfort myself, telling myself it was just the influence of the doll. I steeled myself and began to walk.

According to *The Art of Ghosts*, most spirits cannot directly harm people. They influence the human brain, inducing hallucinations that lead to suicide or death by fright. Even powerful vengeful spirits cannot kill directly; they must either possess a body or borrow a corpse to do their bidding.

Hallucinations take many forms. They might conjure terrifying images until you are scared to death, or make you believe you are suffocating until your body mimics the physical response, leading to death. I once heard a bizarre story about a man who, while being hunted by a spirit, hallucinated the apocalypse. In his eyes, the world was empty, devoid of all life. Overwhelmed by that absolute loneliness, he took his own life.

I began to suspect I was hallucinating. When I arrived at the prison, there were plenty of people around. How could the street be empty now? Not just people—even the stray dogs were gone, as if I were the only one left in the world.

Panic set in. I quickened my pace, moving from a brisk walk to a jog. Still, not a single person appeared. I was doomed; I had clearly fallen into a trap. How could I break it?

Right, the urine of a young boy. What I was experiencing was a "ghost wall." Breaking it was simple: I just had to urinate on the spot. But it had to be from a boy who hadn't reached puberty. The problem was, if the street were actually full of people, would they beat me to death for exposing myself? I suppressed the urge to drop my pants.

As dusk fell, I kept running with the doll. After about half an hour, a wave of relief washed over me. People were finally appearing ahead. I let out a long breath—perhaps it wasn't a "ghost wall," just the desolate nature of the prison area. I reached the downtown district just as night fell completely.

I stood by the curb to hail a taxi. Suddenly, a little girl walking her dog approached. When the dog reached me, it looked up and began to bark ferociously. I’d been afraid of dogs since childhood and was startled. Before I could react, the dog lunged and clamped its jaws onto the straw doll. It was a large dog, its head reaching my chest. The girl, around ten years old in a patterned dress, looked sweet, but the dog's sudden aggression made her burst into tears. I was panicked and struggled to pull the doll away.

Whether it was the chicken blood or the spirit trapped inside that attracted the dog, it acted like a rabid beast, refusing to let go. As I fought for it, the dog clawed at me, leaving me bloodied. I put all my strength into the tug-of-war—I couldn't let it win; Zhao Yong’s life depended on this. Suddenly, with a sharp *rip*, the doll tore in two.

A gust of freezing wind blew from the doll, making me tremble. I saw something drift out, hovering toward the little girl until it vanished into the top of her head. A pale, ghostly hand emerged from the girl’s shoulder. She shuddered, stood up straight, and stared at me with blank, rolled-back eyes.

I stood there, stunned. I never expected things to spiral into a full-blown possession.

The girl grinned, her voice distorted: "Li Xi, why are you tearing us apart? What is your motive?"

"I..." I stammered, terrified. "Don't come any closer! I'm not to be trifled with. And I’m not tearing you apart—I’m saving Zhao Yong. If you stay with him, you'll kill him."

"You liar! I just want to be with him. How could I hurt him? I’ll kill you... I’ll kill you!"

She lunged at me. My mind was a chaotic mess, unable to think. Desperate, I bit my tongue hard and spat blood at her. She shrieked, recoiling. Seeing it worked, I grabbed a wooden stick from the ground to defend myself.

"I know you died unjustly, and I know you love him. But the living and the dead are two different worlds. Clinging to him will only destroy him. Leave him now, or I won't be so polite."

She stopped screaming and looked up, a gust of Yin energy slamming into my face. "You're the one who harmed me! I'll have your life!"

Her face twisted into something monstrous, veins bulging under her skin. She charged. I had never dealt with a spirit before, and a vengeful one at that. I was finished. She grabbed the stick from my hand, and the moment she touched it, I was paralyzed. Her strength was at least ten times mine.

Panic overwhelmed me. I dropped the stick and turned to run, screaming for help. I hadn't made it far when a loud *thud* echoed behind me. I spun around to see the little girl struck by a passing car, sent flying ten meters away. She didn't move again.

I walked over, trembling, and checked her pulse. Cold sweat drenched me.

The little girl was dead.