Staring at this somewhat familiar face, I couldn’t believe my eyes. How could someone who had been alive and well just a short while ago turn into a ghost?
This ghost was none other than the girl who had once helped Zhao Gao frame me, falsely accusing me of attempted r@pe and landing me in jail.
How had she become a ghost? Had she died? Impossible—there hadn’t been any news of a death at the university recently.
Yet, this ghost looked exactly like that girl. What the hell was going on?
“Ah!”
Lost in thought about the ghost’s origins, I inadvertently withdrew my Purple-Gold Enchanting Eyes, freeing her from my control.
The ghost staggered back a few steps, clutching her forehead, and glared at me. “Who are you? How can you hurt me?”
“You… don’t recognize me?” I asked, baffled.
The ghost froze for a moment before snapping, “Why should I recognize you?”
“How did you die?” I pressed.
“How did I die… how did I die…?” The question seemed to trigger something in her. She clutched her head, repeating the words frantically.
Suddenly, she lunged at me, gripping my shoulders with surprising strength. “How did I die?! Tell me! How did I die?!”
Her ghostly form was far stronger than I expected—my clothes nearly tore under her grip.
And who the hell said ghosts couldn’t touch people?! This one was holding onto me just fine!
Let’s be honest—anyone would feel uneasy around ghosts. They’re just too damn unnatural.
“Get off!” I roared, unleashing a burst of True Qi. I had only meant to scare her away, but this time, the energy actually worked—it sent her flying several meters back.
Maybe because she wasn’t possessing anyone, my True Qi could affect her?
“Who am I? How did I die? Who am I…?” The ghost collapsed to the ground, clawing at her hair in terror, muttering to herself.
Her behavior only deepened my confusion. She looked exactly like the girl who had framed me. How had she died? And how had she become a ghost?
Though I had no fondness for her, we had crossed paths before, stirring a strange feeling in me.
“One more try,” I muttered, stepping toward her.
If my Purple-Gold Enchanting Eyes had worked before, they should again. Maybe under their control, she’d remember something.
“Ah!” The moment I got close, she let out a shriek and lunged.
I dodged just in time, then swiftly restrained her. Activating my Purple-Gold Enchanting Eyes, I locked gazes with her, forcing her under my control.
Almost instantly, she calmed down, her hostility fading—though her body remained unnaturally cold.
Taking a deep breath, I spoke firmly. “Tell me… who are you?”
“Who… am I?” Her face twisted in confusion, as if struggling to recall. Then, she whispered, “I… don’t remember.”
I stiffened. How could she not remember? Had her memories vanished when she became a ghost?
“I’m Xia Tian. Do you recognize me?” I tried again.
“Xia Tian…” She repeated the name, lost in thought, then shook her head. “No…”
“What about Zhao Gao?” I wasn’t ready to give up. If she didn’t remember him, I’d have no leads left.
“Zhao… Gao…?” The moment the name left her lips, her expression twisted violently. She began thrashing against my control, screaming, “Zhao Gao! Zhao Gao! I’ll kill him! KILL HIM!”
This was the first time my Purple-Gold Enchanting Eyes had ever been resisted. I hadn’t restrained her tightly, and with her sudden outburst, she broke free.
But she didn’t run. Instead, she collapsed to her knees, tearing at her hair and howling, “Zhao Gao! Kill him! KILL ZHAO GAO!”
She’d gone mad. Clearly, her death was tied to him.
A deranged ghost was too dangerous to keep around—she might possess Qin Mengdie again. My grip tightened on the black dagger as I moved in for the kill.
But just as I raised the blade, she suddenly stilled, looking up at me in shock.
“You’re… Xia Tian?” She spoke my name clearly, seemingly unafraid of the dagger.
I halted mid-strike. “Did your memories return?”
Instead of answering, she sobbed, “I’m sorry!”
What the hell? The mood shift was too sudden.
“I never wanted to trick you… Please forgive me!” she pleaded, tears streaming down her face.
I hesitated, then sighed. “It’s… fine.” What was the point of holding a grudge against the dead?
Still, accepting that this ghost really was the girl who had framed me was hard to swallow. Not long ago, she’d been alive, stripping shamelessly in front of me.
“How… did you die?” I knew it was rude, but curiosity won out.
She shuddered, as if reliving a nightmare, then whispered, “It started… after I framed you.”
“I must’ve left a terrible impression. I don’t blame you—what I did was unforgivable. But please believe me, I didn’t want to do it! I had no choice… for my father’s sake!” Her sobs grew louder.
Listening to a ghost’s wails on a dark, windy night wasn’t exactly comforting.
Wiping her tears, she continued, “I wasn’t some gold-digger. Zhao Gao promised me money for my father’s treatment if I helped him trap you…” She broke down again.
I had no idea how to handle crying girls. If this were a guy, I’d have slapped him and barked, “Shut the hell up!”
But with girls? I turned into a helpless idiot. No wonder Sister Lin and the others always left me speechless—it was like women were my natural weakness.
“I had to do it… for my father. I’m so sorry…” Her voice was thick with guilt, tears still falling.
I reached out, almost brushing them away—but stopped.
A dead girl had no reason to lie. She was telling the truth.
If so, she wasn’t a bad person—just a filial daughter. My opinion of her softened.
“Then how did you die? And how did you become a ghost?” I asked gently.
Her crying ceased. Her face twisted into something monstrous, her aura turning vicious once more.
“Zhao Gao!” she snarled, her voice a guttural roar. “He did this to me! I’LL KILL HIM!”