The dim study, the pitch-black night, an ill-fated phone call that should never have connected.
Shen Yao wondered, back when he mustered the courage to approach Qiao Yunxue, did he ever imagine the person he would meet under the moonlight would turn out to be a ghost?
Only the sound of wind echoed through his headphones, while the man’s voice, with its announcer’s tone, rang out once more through the receiver: “I’ve reached Ping’an Road, where are you?”
He understood that the first barrier Qiao Yunxue had set up had been breached.
He just didn’t know whether they had been forcibly overcome by the Phone Ghost, or if perhaps they hadn’t detected its presence at all.
Qiao Yunxue had set a total of three barriers: one guarded by a Veteran, one by a Daoist Priest, Monk, and Master, and the last being a completely sealed alloy box.
Every barrier breached meant Shen Yao’s danger increased.
Fate was truly strange—who would have thought that just a month ago he was still an ordinary high school student, yet a month later he would find himself entangled in supernatural events?
“Head south from Ping’an Road, and you’ll reach the Osmanthus Road Bus Stop.”
The Amulet in his hand had been twisted and its colors worn off from his nervous grip.
Shen Yao, what are you so afraid of?
Isn’t this your own choice?
Giving up a good high school life, risking your life for the sake of a spoiled young lady with a terrible temper—wasn’t that your own laughable decision?
If you die here, Qiao Yunxue probably won’t feel a shred of sorrow, only regret at missing another chance to contact the supernatural.
Aren’t you the one who despises the reckless hormones of adolescence?
Aren’t you always preaching to Chengcheng that “anyone dating during their student years is immature”—aren’t you just a hypocrite?
Yet the moment you met Qiao Yunxue, you became so irrational.
In the face of fear for survival, all sorts of dark thoughts hidden deep in his heart erupted like a volcano—resentment, regret, thoughts of retreat—they all became uncontrollable.
He clenched his teeth and forced himself to cast aside these distracting thoughts.
He had already promised himself he would never again leave any regrets in his life.
“I’m at Osmanthus Road now. So?” The man’s voice distorted slightly, becoming sharp and thin.
Shen Yao glanced at his watch—seven minutes had passed.
“Keep heading south, to the Market.”
The open ground in front of the Market was where the second barrier was set up.
Here stood all the most highly respected Masters, Monks, Daoist Priests, and Shaman Women in all of Yaoguang City.
He and Qiao Yunxue had not found any proven, effective way to capture the Phone Ghost—or rather, no one had ever thought of, let alone attempted, to catch a ghost.
The three barriers were Shen Yao’s own idea, representing the means of capture by modern technology, metaphysical theology, and pure inanimate objects.
He believed it covered all bases. If the Phone Ghost could break through all three seals, he would simply hang up the phone.
But a plan was always just a plan.
He knew they knew far too little about the Phone Ghost. No one could predict what would happen in practice.
“Whooo—” It was the wind. “Shen Yao, I’m at the Market…”
Maybe it was just his imagination, but Qiao Yunxue’s voice sounded a little hurried.
Shen Yao laughed at himself—could that ruthless young lady really be worried about someone else’s safety?
He silently counted down in his heart.
Ten, nine, eight…three.
“So? Where are you?”
At the seventh second, the Phone Ghost’s voice rang out. Its tone was even sharper, the announcer’s depth and dignity all but gone—like a hunter, losing composure as it closed in on its prey.
Qiao Yunxue’s voice crackled intermittently through the headset: “Shen Yao… the next barrier…”
Failure.
Cold sweat broke out on Shen Yao’s forehead. In truth, he had only wanted a moonlit date with Qiao Yunxue, not to dance hand in hand with a ghost.
What’s more, the interval between the Phone Ghost’s answers was getting shorter—its patience was clearly running out.
“I asked you, where are you!” The man shrieked, his voice unnaturally high. No human vocal cords could produce such a sound.
One of the most terrifying things in the world is knowing some nameless horror is closing in, yet being forced to face it head-on.
“From the Market, head west, all the way to…” Shen Yao deliberately slowed his speech, “all the way to Yunfu Street.”
Yunfu Street was a typical wealthy neighborhood.
The government had built countless standalone villas here.
But as far as Shen Yao knew, the vacancy rate was as high as eighty percent.
The narrow lanes between villas were just right for placing the next barrier: a massive Black Box made of aluminum alloy and hot-formed steel.
Its interior was coated with anti-corrosive, reflective, and conductive electromagnetic shielding materials.
Shen Yao didn’t know what kind of background Qiao Yunxue’s family had, to be able to procure such a thing, but at least for now, Qiao Yunxue was his ally.
Inside the Black Box were weight and sound sensors.
As soon as they detected anything entering, the locks would release and the heavy iron door would drop, turning the Black Box into an absolute domain for imprisoning the Phone Ghost.
Once shut, the Black Box also cut off phone signals—indirectly ending the Phone Ghost’s hunt for Shen Yao.
This third barrier was what Shen Yao envisioned as the ultimate seal.
As long as the Phone Ghost still had any physical form, as long as it interacted with the material world—even as just a beam of light—it had to be locked up inside the Black Box.
Shen Yao continued, “Go through the path between Villa 1108 and Villa 1109 on Yunfu Street…”
As soon as he finished speaking, the phone on the other end suddenly went dead—the call was cut off!
At the same time, Qiao Yunxue’s ecstatic voice came through: “Shen Yao, the Black Box has activated! We trapped something inside!”
Hearing this, Shen Yao finally let out a long breath and collapsed onto the Boss Chair.
It was only then that he noticed his back was soaked with sweat.
The phone signal had been severed—it meant the Phone Ghost had really been caught.
He thought, he’d probably used up all his impulsiveness for this lifetime.
Pressing on his headset, he managed a weak laugh. “Miss Qiao, I’ve kept my promise, haven’t I?”
Qiao Yunxue’s voice came through the headset: “Shen Yao, Shen Yao, did you hear that? The Black Box caught the Phone Ghost!”
Shen Yao’s smile froze. “Qiao Yunxue, can you hear me?”
“Shen Yao, Shen Yao? Are you there?”
“Qiao Yunxue…” Shen Yao looked at his own arm and saw goosebumps slowly rising.
At that moment, Qiao Yunxue’s voice suddenly became calm over the headset: “Shen Yao, where are you?”
A bolt of lightning seemed to split Shen Yao’s mind in two.
He swallowed and stayed silent.
“Shen Yao, where are you?”
“Shen Yao, where are you?”
“Shen Yao, where are you?”
Qiao Yunxue’s voice grew more and more distorted, sharper and less human.
Suddenly, she roared, “Shen Yao, I’m asking you, where are you! Are you at Villa 1142?”
Villa 1142 was exactly where Qiao Yunxue’s family lived.
This was not Qiao Yunxue.
The one speaking to him through the headset now was not Qiao Yunxue.
A powerful survival instinct took over Shen Yao.
He ripped off his headset, tore the earphone wire, and threw the headphones aside.
After doing all this, he stared at the severed headphones as if facing a mortal enemy.
Outside, the night sky held neither moon nor stars—not even streetlights.
It was as if the world had shrunk to just his lonely little room, drifting like an island on a dark sea.
At that moment, the desk phone began to ring.
Dong-long-long, dong-long-long.
A flash of insight, and scenes from his dreams flickered in his mind like recovered memories.
He had dreamed this.
He had dreamed this scene. He had even dreamed of its ending.
He had seen it all before!
The phone kept ringing.
Hair standing on end, Shen Yao walked to the window. All was pitch black outside—nothing was visible.
He turned on his phone, but it had no signal. He couldn’t reach Qiao Yunxue at all.
Was fate really going to end him here?
The phone’s ringing continued relentlessly.
After a moment’s hesitation, Shen Yao decided to answer.
At this moment, only by following the “Rule” of the Phone Ghost could he hope for the slightest chance at survival.
With trembling hands, he picked up the receiver.
On the other end was that familiar, magnetic, deep male announcer’s voice.
“Shen Yao, I’m at the villa’s entrance. Are you upstairs?”
His voice was gentle, calm—peaceful, yet utterly lifeless.