Chapter 009: Text Messages

As the ambulance arrived at the hospital, his family also rushed over. I felt quite ashamed, after all, it was because of helping me that it had come to this. Just as I was about to apologize to them, unexpectedly, his wife, upon learning that he had been bitten by a dog, said resentfully: "He deserves it. He shouldn't have violated taboos, being greedy and killing dogs. Now the dog has come back to haunt him; it's all deserved. Not listening to the words of our ancestors, he deserves it!"

I felt a bit more settled, but upon reflection, I could only manage a bitter smile. It seemed that there was no difference between a vengeful spirit and a malevolent ghost to me; I would be unable to deal with either. I sighed and said, "I hope Master Liu will be alright"

I asked the woman what this person was called and what he looked like. She recalled and said she didn't know the name, but he looked somewhat cunning, dressed in a suit, and was fairly well-groomed. He had a slicked-back hairstyle and a prominent gold tooth, ... quite the nouveau riche.

Don't go over there? Where should I go? I looked around, and my pupils suddenly constricted. Could it be that I'm being told not to approach Master Liu?

A person on the verge of death? I am free from illness and disaster, so why would anyone say I am about to die? It is just that she should have no reason to deceive me, yet a shadow has been cast over my heart: "Is this also the reason why those dark-clad evil spirits are seeking me?"

Almost at the moment my words fell, a text message arrived

I swallowed my saliva, recalling the deceased old police officer. I felt that I could not abandon Master Liu, after all, he had fallen into this predicament for my sake

I have also broadened my horizons; your husband is still in the hospital, and you, as his wife, actually gritted your teeth and said three times that he deserves it, as if you wish his injuries were even worse

Just as I was contemplating whether to approach, my phone suddenly vibrated. At this critical moment, the unexpected sound nearly startled me into losing control. Trembling, I fished my phone out of my pocket and saw an unfamiliar text message containing just three words: "Don't go over!"

The woman in white seemed somewhat afraid and said softly: "They had grievances in life, and after death, they linger in the world to vent their hatred. Generally, they cannot harm people, but you are special and do not fall into this category. I am not clear on the specific reasons, but for ghosts, you are almost transparent, belonging to a type that is very susceptible. Moreover, as the owner of a wreath shop, you can provide offerings, so all the malevolent spirits will come looking for you"

I was taken aback: "What taboos?"

I have offended the spirits, and I have nothing to say. I do not know when I have crossed them, but as for offending people, I truly do not understand who on earth harbors such deep hatred that they would want to take my life directly

This is a formidable woman

I looked at my phone in confusion: "Why do you want to help me"

The cries belong to Master Liu; it is evident that he is in great pain, with each wave of cries rising higher than the last

Can you lend me some money

Isn't it an evil spirit? Implicitly, it is still a ghost, right? I have truly never encountered a situation where I was texting with a ghost. Amidst the absurdity, I also felt a sense of terror. I took a deep breath and said: "You do not harm me, so why block my path?"

The woman spoke candidly, saying: "Yesterday at noon, a man came over wanting to eat dog meat. He immediately set his sights on our big black dog, which we have raised for eight years. He offered a lot of money, and we all agreed to slaughter it, but our ancestors' rule is that dogs cannot be killed during the day. We told him we would do it at night, but he refused, offering double the price, insisting that he must have dog meat during the day. I, along with Tushu, was unwilling to engage in this transaction, but our head of the household was tempted. Ignoring our advice, he killed the dog. At that moment, I watched the tears in that dog's eyes slowly turn into blood tears, and I knew something bad was going to happen. Well, it turned out we couldn't escape it after all"

I am not an evil spirit, for evil spirits harm others

What kind of reason is this? I am a bit confused: "Can you clarify what you mean?"

Incense? It seems that I only offered incense to the initial white-clad female ghost and then to that group of malevolent spirits. This person sending the message claims not to be a malevolent spirit; could it be the white-clad female ghost? I think about this ghost, and indeed, it is quite different. It is rather reasonable, has not harmed me, and even gave me money. Although it was ghost money, it at least indicates a lack of malice. I relaxed a little and asked, "Why are you looking for me"

To be honest, I find this statement quite absurd. However, upon further reflection, when a person dies, they become a ghost; what happens to a dog after it dies? Moreover, judging by Master Liu's expression earlier, it is possible that he really did kill the dog during the day, otherwise, he wouldn't have shown such an expression.

In the end, she still revealed a hint of concern

You are cursed; although your fortune is soaring, you have already become entangled in significant karmic consequences. Soon, you will meet an untimely death. Those who are close to death have very low yang energy, which is why I can approach you, and you can see me. Furthermore, your flower shop has no threshold to block the yin energy, allowing me to enter.

Madness, it is truly madness

Master Liu ... ... I turned pale, and the thought of Master Liu's tragic situation flooded me with fear like a rising tide

I cautiously asked, "Sister, what is going on here?"

This time, without me asking, a message came proactively: "The butcher can slaughter pigs, cattle, horses, and sheep, but generally does not choose to kill dogs. Even if they do, it cannot be done during the day, as dogs possess a spirit; if killed during the day, they will remember the way back and return at night. This person killed his guard dog, which he had raised for eight years, during the day, committing a grave taboo. Now, the vengeful dog has come to seek retribution"

I need incense, only you can provide it to me

A vicious dog bites its owner

I know that things shouldn't be so sinister. During the day, there are many people who kill dogs, yet I haven't seen anyone bitten by a dog. It's just that Master Liu is involved with me. According to the message, I am now summoning spirits, pairing them up, which has led to Master Liu's incident. If we must assign blame, half of the responsibility lies with him, and the other half still rests with me.

Because only you can see me, and only by getting close to you can I avoid losing my soul.

I shivered slightly, filled with a sense of dread: "That vengeful spirit won't come knocking, will it"

As she described, I increasingly felt it was strange; it seemed I had seen this person before, but I couldn't recall it at the moment

The moment I thought of this, I almost threw my phone away. Who is the one sending the text message

She said: "Humans are averse to three long and two short, while ghosts are averse to two short and one long. If an evil spirit asks you to light incense, and you light two short and one long, it is an insult to them, and thus they will seek to harm you. On that day, I did not dare to approach and could only observe from a distance. That old policeman lighting incense for you is equivalent to taking your place in death"

It should not die

I was stunned for a few seconds, then couldn't help but curse. It suddenly occurred to me that a couple of days ago, my shop was robbed; someone came in and cut off a section of the incense in my flower wreath shop, leaving it with two short and one long piece. At that moment, I was still puzzled about what was going on, and it turns out this was waiting for me along with the *illustration* and *book*

Big Gold Tooth

I took the initiative to cover the medical expenses. Master Liu is not seriously injured; however, it seems that his leg will take a few months to recover. I am pondering who exactly is the bastard trying to harm me. If I am not mistaken, the person who made Master Liu kill the dog during the day is the one plotting against me

She shook her head and said, "No, I am merely an ordinary wandering spirit. I can only communicate with you through text messages, because as soon as I appear, I will be detected by dogs. Moreover, your incense is toxic and violates taboos."

I still had a belly full of questions I wanted to ask, but unexpectedly, she suddenly ran off. I shouted several times at my phone, but there was no response. I knew she probably wouldn't answer. Rubbing my temples, I wondered if I had gone mad, actually texting a ghost. If someone were to see this message, no one would believe it.

This time the message was delayed for a long time, and it seemed that the topic of vengeful spirits made her quite uneasy. After a minute, she replied: "No, don't mention that. Vengeful spirits won't come after you, because they are rare; basically, there won't be any vengeful spirits."

Does this not imply that those who secretly wish to harm me are not only ghosts, but also humans?

After walking for several dozen steps, I heard faint moans, heavy breathing, and strange chewing sounds, as if a beast were feeding

The vibration sounded again, and when I picked it up, it said: "I will not harm you"

Will you not harm me? I tentatively asked the air in a low voice, "Who are you, and how do I know you won't harm me?"

At that moment, my phone rang. Having gone through the experience of texting, I have become very sensitive to the sounds of my phone. I answered it immediately, and a warm voice came through: "Brother, do you still remember me? It's the one who wanted to borrow money from you. Didn't we agree to discuss this today?"

However, I no longer have this opportunity. Right before my eyes, the text message began to slowly change, as if an invisible hand had pressed the delete key, with each character disappearing one by one, until finally the entire phone number was gone. I scrolled through the message history, and there was truly not a trace left.

I muttered a few words and walked towards Master Liu's direction. After searching for a long time, I still couldn't find him. It wasn't until dawn that I finally located him, surrounded by a few menacing wild dogs. I drove them away with stones and hurried over, only to find that Master Liu was already in a bloody and mangled state, with bite marks all over his legs, clearly showing signs of being torn apart. I called out to him several times; he was still alive, seemingly only suffering from bite wounds. I quickly dialed 120.

I feel as though I cannot escape, yet after a long time, nothing has happened. I muster my courage and continue to move forward. Master Liu's shouts were initially loud, but gradually weakened, and now there is almost no sound. It seems that the situation is dire.

I stood still, afraid to take a step forward, sweat streaming down uncontrollably. Could even Master Liu not handle them? I was almost in despair, and I could imagine the malicious means those enraged evil spirits would employ to take revenge on me

The woman in white seems to be afraid of something, and sent her last message: "I am leaving first, don't die, I will find you again in the future"

Because there are vicious dogs ahead that will attack their owner, you will lose your life if you go there

I hold a glimmer of hope: "Can't you help me save him? Once the deed is done, I will offer you incense, whatever amount you desire."

I truly fear that one day when I open the door, I might see a red-clad ghost; what a terrifying scene that would be