Chapter Twenty-One: Have I Learned Magic Too?

Fu Yang sensed that the aura of the “Queen” before him was somewhat diminished, unlike her usual fierce and domineering self.

As he wondered about the change, he saw the ghost woman straighten up and address him with a seriousness he rarely saw. “Fu Yang, I have to warn you. You’d better not get involved in the mess at the lumberyard. Do you have any idea what you’re dealing with?”

Fu Yang nodded, “I know. The thing in my novel is a Ghost Lord. It’s very powerful.”

Smack.

A slipper came flying his way, which he dodged with agility, looking slightly aggrieved. “Why are you throwing your shoe at me…”

“That makes me furious! If you know what a Ghost Lord is, how dare you provoke it? Do you believe I won’t eat you alive?”

The more Dong Weike spoke, the angrier she became. She suddenly transformed—her face turned green and her features twisted, turning hideous. She flew straight at Fu Yang, jaws wide as if to bite his neck.

But after spending so much time together, Fu Yang had come to realize that this ghost woman had no real intention of harming him. On the contrary, she was rather pure-hearted, much like a young girl—well, she was only twenty after all.

He no longer felt fear; calling her “Queen” was just for fun, as if he were playing house with a girl whose demeanor was queenly but whose heart was as innocent as a child’s.

So he deliberately put on a frightened expression and exclaimed, “Mercy, my Queen! Still, even if you eat me, I have to keep investigating!”

Dong Weike paused. “Why?”

Her appearance returned to its usual beauty as she leaned in, her clear eyes locking with his. “Why? You’re not afraid of me, nor of the Ghost Lord? All just to help someone else?”

“That’s right. A man must keep his word! Since I promised Dogzi I’d find out how his girlfriend died, I have to see it through. I can’t stand by and watch that thing keep killing. Besides, it hurt my brother and cracked my skull open. I’d be no man if I didn’t avenge that!” He pointed to his head, still wrapped like an Indian in a turban.

The ghost woman burst out laughing, her beauty dazzling.

“You? A man of honor? More like a fool! But fine, for the sake of having someone to provide blood offerings to me, I’ll have to make sure your life is a bit tougher. I’ll teach you a spell—maybe it’ll be of some use…”

What?!

Fu Yang was stunned.

He dug at his ears, laughing foolishly. “Maybe my head got knocked silly last night. Why am I hallucinating?”

Suddenly, a fair hand pinched his cheek, twisting hard. “Hallucinating, my foot! I’ve decided to teach you a spell, and you’re just standing there acting cute?”

“Ow, ow, ow—my Queen, I was wrong!”

After the commotion, they both finally calmed down. Fu Yang recalled the impressive magic Ah Huang had used the night before—the flaming sword that vanquished evil—and his eyes sparkled.

“Close your eyes and relax.”

Fu Yang obediently complied. Dong Weike placed both hands on his forehead, her pale palms glowing with a bright red light. She opened her mouth and blew out a plume of black smoke—domineering and violent, yet not entirely evil—which entered his head.

In his mind, a wondrous scene unfolded: a gray, dim space teeming with sinister spirits—fierce ghosts, walking corpses, demons of all kinds. Suddenly, a mass of mist appeared, morphing into the massive head of a beast whose features were obscured. It opened its maw and roared, swallowing all the demons and ghosts in a single, unstoppable gulp…

Ah!

Fu Yang shouted in fright and opened his eyes, drenched in sweat.

“How terrifying! So many ghosts. But that beast formed from mist was incredible.”

He thought to himself, only to discover that Dong Weike had vanished.

Huh? Where did she go?

“My Queen, are you playing hide-and-seek with me?”

A sharp voice came from the altar, “What are you shouting for? I’m tired and going to sleep. Xiao Yang, don’t forget the date of the first sacrificial offering. Until then, don’t disturb me again.”

“But you have to tell me how to use the spell! I don’t feel any different…”

“Idiot! Look at your right hand… Now get out! You’re not allowed to stay home tonight!”

What?

Fu Yang was dumbfounded.

But he didn’t dare defy the temperamental Queen. He pouted and left, grumbling to himself, “Damn, with that temper, she’ll never find a husband. Maybe it’s her time of the month?”

He quickly realized that as a ghost, she neither needed a husband nor had any monthly cycles…

Out in the hallway, he raised his right hand to his face.

He nearly jumped out of his skin. “What the hell is this? Scared me half to death…”

In the center of his palm was a gruesome, terrifying mouth, taking up half the space, with sharp fangs jutting out—like the maw of some ancient beast.

Suddenly, Fu Yang had a revelation and nearly burst into tears. “No way… That mouth must be the spell the ghost was talking about? What kind of spell grows a monstrous mouth on your hand? And she didn’t even teach me how to use it.”

“Oh well, one step at a time. At least now I can do magic! Haha—better buy a pair of gloves first, then go keep Ah Huang company in the hospital.”

With that, he strode off.

What Fu Yang didn’t know was that as soon as he left the room, Dong Weike slowly reappeared, her form so faint it was nearly smoke—she could no longer maintain a tangible body.

She collapsed weakly on the bed, thinking to herself, “Is this really worth it? This man… could he be the one? The Devouring—a spell shrouded in mystery among the Ghostly Arts… I used up ninety-nine percent of my strength, and already spent another portion before this. So be it, this is fate.”

A long, sorrowful sigh.

She smiled bitterly, shook her head, and closed her eyes.

Fu Yang bought gloves and some fruit, then headed to the university hospital to keep Ah Huang company.

Knock, knock, knock.

“May I come in?” Fu Yang rapped politely on the door, only to hear a gentle female voice reply, “Come in.”

Huh? Why would there be a girl’s voice in Ah Huang’s hospital room?

He pushed open the door and walked in, immediately spotting a slender figure with her back to him. She wore a light-colored blouse and a navy police skirt. Her waist was sinuous, and below it the exaggerated curve of her hips—so shapely that even the loose police skirt couldn’t hide it.

In short, her figure was stunning!

Fu Yang felt his nose was about to bleed, and all he could think were four words—Uniform. Temptation.