Chapter 11: Summoning Spirits (9)

The ghost was right behind Lin Shuyue.

But she seemed completely unaware. It appeared that even someone in the midst of a spirit-summoning ritual could not truly see the ghost.

"Perhaps it is because the ritual is still ongoing?"

If the ritual were disrupted, the ghost would manifest and kill Lin Shuyue. But if it truly wanted to kill her, why wait for her to make a mistake? Was it because the rules restricted it from affecting her in any way, or was it simply waiting by design? The distinction between these two possibilities was critical. Lu Jinzhao felt she had to find out.

"Lin Shuyue? Are... are you still alive?"

Outside the bedroom door, Lu Jinzhao kept her head bowed and asked softly.

"Who is it?!"

Lin Shuyue snapped her head up. Her arm trembled slightly, but her tone was filled with fervent hope. Someone had come!

"It’s me," Lu Jinzhao replied, stating her name. As she spoke, she kept her head lowered, avoiding looking at Lin Shuyue or the ghost behind her.

"How did you get here? You’re still alive!"

"Has your ritual finished?"

"Then... can you see if there’s a ghost here?"

Lin Shuyue’s tone shifted from initial urgency to a softer, more desperate longing. Lu Jinzhao knew what she wanted to ask, and she didn't mind providing the answer directly.

"Yes, the ghost... is in the room."

Silence instantly descended upon the room. Even with the expectation, hearing the confirmation left Lin Shuyue feeling a chill run through her heart.

"Where... where is it?"

"You don't want to know."

At Lu Jinzhao’s words, Lin Shuyue gave a bitter smile. "I understand. But it’s all right. Please... tell me."

"It is on... your back."

Not behind her, but *on* her back.

Lin Shuyue’s expression froze completely. She had considered many possibilities, but never that the ghost was so close! Damn it, she was going to die right now! Panic washed over her face; she wanted to stand up and run, or at least shake off whatever was on her back.

But immediately, she forced herself to calm down. She couldn't panic; she still had a trump card. Knowing there was truly a ghost, and knowing where it was, was a vast improvement over her previous state. She couldn't lose her reason to fear.

As Lin Shuyue took deep, repeated breaths, her mind racing, she heard the sound of Lu Jinzhao’s footsteps outside, as if she were about to leave.

"Wait...!"

"Are you leaving?"

Lu Jinzhao’s footsteps stopped at the right moment. She kept her head down, and Lin Shuyue, unable to see her expression through the door crack, could only hear her say, "Yes, there is a ghost here. It’s too dangerous. I need to go somewhere else."

"No, wait!" Lin Shuyue urged. Her original plan had been to try to leave when the train arrived, but now that she knew the ghost was on her back, she could not remain indifferent, nor could she stay here any longer. Besides, if Lu Jinzhao had completed the spirit-summoning task, was still alive, and possessed eyes that could see ghosts, then perhaps she should travel with her. At the very least, those eyes could help avoid many dangers.

Lin Shuyue gritted her teeth. "Can you do me a favor?"

Lu Jinzhao hesitated for a few seconds before asking, "What favor? If it’s too dangerous, I refuse."

"It’s not dangerous. Come inside. There is a small box and a knife in my pocket. Please cut off one of my fingers and place it in the box."

"...Why?"

Lu Jinzhao didn't seem in such a rush to leave now, though she never intended to leave anyway. Perhaps facing life and death, Lin Shuyue stopped holding back.

"This box is special. As long as you offer a part of your body as the price, it can briefly shield the owner of the flesh from the ghost's perception. Although the time is short, it will be enough for me to push the cup to 'Yes'."

So that was it. This was the item Jiang Yingzhi had mentioned.

"If that’s the case, why didn't you do it sooner?"

Lin Shuyue gave a bitter smile. "Because the price is too high, so I’ve been hesitating. Don't think of it as just a finger; this represents the beginning of my pact with it. Every three days, I must pay a price equal to the first one to maintain this contract. And this time, it’s one finger. Next time, even to shield from a ghost of the same level, it will require at least two fingers, and the time after that, four!"

The cost grew exponentially. "Even if the train can mend a broken body, 'life-buying money' is far from enough." The previous owner of this box had been consumed alive by it because they could no longer afford the price. Supernatural items could help them deal with ghosts briefly, but they were often more dangerous than the ghosts themselves. This box was considered a low-tier item among the few supernatural artifacts she had encountered because the price was too high and could not be stopped.

But it was the only supernatural item she could get her hands on. Paying a gruesome price was still better than dying here.

As Lu Jinzhao listened, her unease grew. She thought of the sheepskin. Wasn't this exactly the same? If the cost of the box was this terrifying, what about the sheepskin?

"Fine, I’ll help you."

Lu Jinzhao agreed. She pushed the door open, kept her head down, and walked to the table. Lin Shuyue had already used her other functional hand to place the box and the knife on the table. The knife was ordinary; the box was palm-sized, bronze-colored, and looked like a relic from an older era.

"Start," she instructed. "Be quick and decisive."

She urged Lu Jinzhao, fearing she wasn't the type to exercise often; if her strength was insufficient and she failed to sever the finger in one go, she would suffer even more.

It was Lu Jinzhao’s first time doing such a thing. She picked up the knife, gripped it, positioned Lin Shuyue’s finger with her other hand, and then raised the blade, aiming carefully.

*Thud!*

With a clean, decisive stroke—surprisingly powerful—she severed Lin Shuyue’s little finger.

"F—"

Lin Shuyue choked back a curse, the pain so intense she couldn't even vocalize it. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead, her eyes were squeezed shut, her lips were deathly pale, and her body trembled violently.

Lu Jinzhao quickly picked up the severed finger and placed it into the open box.

The next moment, the blood flowing from Lin Shuyue’s wound miraculously stopped. Lin Shuyue forced her eyes open, trembling as she said, "Cup Spirit, Cup Spirit, please leave."

She didn't wait for the ghost to act; instead, she used her own strength to move the cup from "No" to "Yes."

It was a success. And... she wasn't dead, nor did she feel any further ill effects.

Lin Shuyue breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing Lu Jinzhao’s gaze fixed on her finger, she gave a weak smile. "Isn't it miraculous? But this isn't because it cares for its owner; it’s because this box craves more flesh and wants to continue the transaction."

"It seems fine now. Let’s go."

Lin Shuyue struggled to her feet, desperate to leave the room. She thought it was over. But Lu Jinzhao, following behind her with her head lowered, could clearly see a pair of legs behind Lin Shuyue.

The ghost hadn't been sent away at all. It was still clinging to her back.