Yu Xiao didn’t hesitate for a second as she sprinted after the fleeing figure, the vile creature that had eluded the nurse ghost’s wrath for so long.

    She had racked her brains before, wondering why they couldn’t track down the scumbag in the sprawling hospital, what dark corner he was hiding in. Only now did the truth dawn on her: the scumbag ghost had been masquerading as one of them.

    Gu Shu wasn’t lying; there was a ghost in their midst, a ghost that had some unknown way of latching onto a human host and using the flesh as a shield from the talismans’ power.

    It had all begun with Xiao Jun, who had caught the nurse ghost’s eye. So, he was sacrificed to the nurse ghost, and then the ghost slipped away and found a new vessel in Lu Chao, and later in Jiang Wu. The previous night, Jiang Wu and Qiao Ya had shared a ward where Qiao Ya had been restrained. It was then that the ghost effortlessly switched from Jiang Wu to Qiao Ya.

    That was when Yu Xiao sensed that something was off. Qiao Ya had suddenly become compliant and had stopped his mad ranting.

    He had cooperated with them because the nurse ghost had been frightened away, and he was now free.

    Yu Xiao had been trapped in a false assumption. She had always assumed that the murderer and the impostor were the same ghost, and that had confused her.

    This despicable being had toyed with them for so long. Yu Xiao swore she wouldn’t let him escape!

    The scumbag ghost had taken over Qiao Ya, the iron pipe still protruding from his chest. He ran and bled, leaving a crimson trail on the floor.

    But the body he had hijacked couldn’t hold out much longer; the scumbag ghost soon found himself at a dead end. He turned around and faced Yu Xiao, who was steadily getting closer, his face twisted with resentment. “I just wanted to escape from that crazy bitch, why are you doing this to me?”

    Yu Xiao remained silent and continued to advance.

    The scumbag ghost glanced at the blood on the floor, licked his lips, and let out a mournful sigh. “Such fresh blood, what a shame it’s dirty.”

    His face contorted as Yu Xiao watched a blob of darkness seep out of Qiao Ya’s head. In agony, Qiao Ya’s body convulsed and curled up into a ball.

    Finally, the darkness completely left the body, and Qiao Ya was flung onto the ground like a discarded rag that nobody wanted, landing at Yu Xiao’s feet.

    The blood continued to flow, but it was different from that of the dead.

    He was alive!

    Qiao Ya’s heart continued to beat, despite the iron pipe piercing his chest. With a grunt, Yu Xiao rushed to his side and forcefully removed the metal rod. Qiao Ya shuddered and gasped, while Yu Xiao swiftly applied emergency healing talismans to his wound. She observed as the blood flow slowed down and the flesh began to knit together.

    The dark shape transformed into a man with long hair and a white coat, towering over them. His lean figure emphasised his angular features. Framed by black curls, his face appeared even more refined and striking. His narrow and intense eyes conveyed a deep and exclusive devotion whenever they locked onto someone.

    “Ah, that’s much better,” he exclaimed, stretching his neck and smiling. “It was so cramped and suffocating inside that tiny vessel.”

    Yu Xiao stared at him, her hand instinctively reaching for more talismans. Now that he was no longer in a human body, she wondered if she could use the thunder strike curse talisman to blast him.

    “What are you doing?” He furrowed his brows, looking displeased. “You shouldn’t be so impolite, my dear.” He went on, “You are a beauty, unlike that lunatic. I was captivated by you the moment I laid eyes on you. Drop those things in your hand, and I swear, you will be the only one I ever love…”

    “Shut up!” Yu Xiao snapped, losing her patience. “I outgrew this kind of cheesy ghost romance when I finished elementary school!”

    With a swift stride, Yu Xiao lunged forward, ready to slap the talisman onto the vile ghost. However, as she closed in, she caught a glimpse of a wicked grin on the scumbag ghost’s face, and a chill ran down her spine. It was too late; she realised her mistake as the floor beneath her vanished.

    Gasping as the air rushed past her, her stomach lurched. Above her, the scumbag ghost hovered, gazing at her with malicious glee. Acting on instinct, Yu Xiao stretched out her arm and snatched the scumbag ghost’s ankle.

    “Ah—!!”

    The scumbag ghost shrieked as it was yanked downward with her. In a desperate move, it clawed at the rim of the hole.

    The hole gaped like a hungry maw, swallowing all light and sound. Yu Xiao slammed hard against the cold stone wall, her side pressed against it, her breath ragged and shallow. She could barely see the face of the scumbag ghost, twisted in fear and rage, as he dangled over the edge while she held onto his ankles.

    “You crazy bitch! You’re trying to murder me!” he screamed, flailing his legs in a futile effort to shake her off.

    “Don’t move!” she hissed, but he didn’t listen.

    Yu Xiao’s face was drenched with sweat and fear. She had had enough. With all her strength, she twisted his legs, ignoring his thrashing and howling.

    “Crack!”

    The sound of his bones snapping echoed through the hallway.

    The scumbag ghost let out a blood-curdling scream as his feet bones were shattered.

    “Wuu wuu wuu wuu~…” he sobbed. “You crazy bitch, how could you do this to me! I curse you to a horrible death…”

    Yu Xiao ignored his whimpers and curses. She had snapped his feet like twigs, and he had now gone limp and silent. She wrapped her arms around his torso and began to hoist herself up, using his body as a makeshift rope.

    She was almost back up, when she heard the sound of footsteps coming closer.

    The scumbag ghost gasped in shock, “Master Gu Shu! Help me!”

    Yu Xiao’s hand froze. Gu Shu was here?!

    The scumbag ghost pleaded, tears streaming down his face, “Lord Gu Shu, I followed your orders. Please save me.” He whimpered, “She broke my leg, the madwoman…”

    Gu Shu, clad in a white coat, approached with measured steps, his leather shoes clacking on the tiled floor.

    Yu Xiao felt a cold dread in her chest. So, this was his scheme. He had altered the original plot of the instance, all for this moment.

    Reaching the edge of the abyss, Gu Shu looked down at the woman’s ashen face and her eyes blazing with fury.

    Showing no emotion, he had dreamed of this moment for a long time. Ever since he left Gu Village, he had been planning for it.

    As he had hoped, the woman who considered herself clever had fallen right into his trap, step by step.

    Her fear, her despair, were all so delightful to him.

    “You are truly clever,” Gu Shu complimented Yu Xiao. “If you were a bit less astute and missed the subtly altered hints, you wouldn’t have made it this far.”

    Yu Xiao glared at him, wishing she could jump up and smash his smug face.

    “Aren’t you afraid that I’ll report you?” Yu Xiao challenged.

    “Report me for what? I didn’t set the trap, and I didn’t push you in. I simply did what a responsible doctor should do and made slight adjustments to the treatment plan. Furthermore…” Gu Shu smirked, “You won’t have the opportunity to do so anymore.” Sёar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Yu Xiao felt a chill in her heart as she realised her fate was sealed. She had been preoccupied with finding the nurse ghost and had failed to be cautious of Gu Shu.

    He had come to this place for one reason only: to make her pay.

    She looked at him with a mix of fear and defiance. “You’re ruthless,” she said, her voice hoarse. “I know I can’t escape.”

    His eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he savoured this long-awaited moment.

    The wretched ghost, with his legs twisted and broken, whimpered and pleaded: “Lord Gu Shu, have mercy on me. I did this for you. I brought her here. It hurts so much…”

    Gu Shu completely ignored him, treating him like he was nothing but rubbish on the floor. He lifted his foot, taking aim at the ghost’s head.

    She watched his actions, fully aware that this would be the final image imprinted in her mind.

    With one hand, she reached into her pocket and retrieved a card.

    Just as Gu Shu was about to end both of their lives, he suddenly froze. A peculiar feeling overwhelmed his heart, as if he had been transported to a different time and location. He saw her standing at his doorstep, her face blushing and her hands clutching flowers and tea leaves.

    “Gu Shu.” Her voice came from the depths of despair, full of sorrow and reproach. “How can you be so cruel? How can you want me to die?”

    He lifted his foot off the edge, and his gaze met Yu Xiao’s, her eyes wet with tears. A surge of reluctance gripped Gu Shu’s heart, but he forced himself to speak.

    “You should have considered the consequences when you buried that bloody chunk of flesh in my yard…”

    “I was trying to warn you!” Yu Xiao sobbed, her voice breaking. “I wanted to see you before I left, to tell you everything, but you wouldn’t even look at me.”

    Gu Shu wondered if he was also to blame. His anger softened slightly, and his hesitation grew.

    “Actually, I feel guilty too.” Yu Xiao lied through her teeth, hoping to sway him. “I never thought I’d see you again, and when I did, I wanted to make amends, so I secretly sent you flowers. When I saw you didn’t care for them, I switched to tea leaves. When I realised you hated green tea, I searched for black tea…”

    Gu Shu’s resolve crumbled as he lowered his head to gaze at Yu Xiao. Her eyes, once bright and fiery, were now dimmed by tears.

    He hated seeing her like this, and he hated feeling like this.

    Gu Shu extended his hand, which Yu Xiao eagerly grasped.

    With a gentle tug, he pulled her away from the abyss and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. He whispered, “Don’t cry anymore.”

    Yu Xiao blinked, and more tears fell.

    She glanced at the scumbag ghost who was clawing his way up and spat, “I hate you, you bastard. You let that vile ghost fool me. He almost killed me.”

    With a swift kick, Gu Shu sent the scumbag ghost plummeting into the dark abyss, his scream echoing in the air.

    “He won’t bother you anymore.” Gu Shu said, his voice cold and hard. “So stop your snivelling.”

    Yu Xiao glared at him, her eyes red and swollen from crying. She jerked her head away, refusing to look at him. “You’re no better than him. You tried to kill me too. I thought I was going to die back there.”

    Gu Shu felt a pang of confusion. He knew he was furious with Yu Xiao, but he couldn’t understand why he had wanted to end her life.

    He had always cared for her…

    **

    Meanwhile, Zhang Kui and the others had finally cornered the nurse ghost, who was trapped by a ring of talismans and trembled in fear. She agreed to lead them to the death certificate, the only thing that could free them from this nightmare.

    The death certificate was stashed under the bed of the nurse ghost’s old dorm room, for reasons only she knew. She reluctantly retrieved it and handed it over to Zhang Kui, who, as a big man, broke down in tears once more.

    They had missed it by a day. Just one day. If they had found it sooner, Jiang Wu would still be alive.

    They had been friends since before they entered the Third Hospital, and they had stuck together through thick and thin. But they never imagined it would end like this.

    “Come on.” Zhao Lan said, her voice hoarse. “We need to destroy this thing.”

    They nodded, knowing it was their only chance to escape this hell. Jiang Hai pulled out a lighter, a cheap prize he had won from a lottery. “This will do. It’s not like I need it.”

    They huddled together and set fire to the death certificate, watching it burn to ashes.

    “Where’s Smiley?” Zhou Xiao Zhen asked, as she scanned the dark corridors.

    “I don’t know,” Zhao Lan replied, clutching her arm. She had lost sight of Smiley when she had bolted back the way they came, screaming something about a ghost. “We should leave. Once we leave the instance, we’ll be back in the ward.”

    **

    Gu Shu watched Yu Xiao with a furrowed brow as she sobbed and wailed. “Hey, hey, what can I do to make you stop crying?”

    Yu Xiao threw her head back and lunged at Gu Shu’s neck with her hands. He flinched but forced himself to stay still.

    Yu Xiao wrapped her fingers around his throat and glared at him with a manic gleam in her eyes. “If I strangle you, I’ll stop crying,” she said, squeezing hard.

    “I’m your attending doctor,” Gu Shu said, his voice calm. “You can’t strangle me.”

    “Ugh, this is so annoying,” Yu Xiao seethed, her eyes filled with murderous intent. She longed to end his life but was powerless to do so.

    Where were the tentacled horrors that she could use as weapons in this situation? Why did she have to confront him alone?

    She clenched her jaw and lunged at him, sinking her teeth into his neck. She could feel his flesh tearing beneath her bite, his blood filling her mouth. Gu Shu jerked in pain, then gradually relaxed, surrendering to her assault

    “Ptui!” Pushing him away, she released him and spat out the blood before smirking at the wound she had inflicted. A triumphant and deranged laughter escaped her lips.

    (TN: if you ever wonder if her brain tumour affects her thinking… XD)

    As Gu Shu gazed at her with bewilderment, Yu Xiao gently caressed his cheek and whispered, “I’m still a little mad at you, but I guess we’re even now. Bye-bye~ Gu Shu~”

    With those words, she vanished, leaving only a faint trace of her presence behind. She had left the instance.

    Everything she had brought and everything she had done disappeared with her.

    Gu Shu remained still, his eyes vacant. Sadly, the painful throbbing of the bite mark on his neck served as a cruel reminder of what had happened, of the foolish things he had said and done…

    “Boom!”

    Without warning, and for no apparent reason, a wall of the hospital crumbled to dust.