Li Li never imagined the Soul Reapers’ tardiness was due to **jet lag**. She broke into a cold sweat and apologized profusely. “This junior was inconsiderate.”

  “It’s fine,” White Reaper waved a hand. “State your business. This area isn’t under our jurisdiction. We only negotiated a three-minute entry permit.”

  So the underworld had customs too.

  Li Li quickly explained the situation and bowed. “I humbly ask the two honored officers to guide this young lady to her next life.”

  “Simple enough.” White Reaper tightened the chain in his hand.

  The female ghost, a Western spirit, didn’t recognize these Chinese Reapers. But seeing Li Li’s deep respect, she knew these black-and-white figures were important. Plus, Reapers naturally exuded an aura that intimidated ghosts. By now, she was trembling uncontrollably.

  The copper coins jingled noisily.

  The Reapers had seen this countless times; their dictionary had no entry for “sparing the fairer sex.” A wrist-thick black chain shot out like a snake toward the ghost.

  “Hm?” White Reaper sounded surprised.

  The chain didn’t bind the ghost as usual—it passed straight through her.

  “This ghost is missing a soul fragment,” White Reaper said, slowly retracting the chain.

  “Missing a fragment?” Li Li was confused.

  “She’s lost one of her *Hun* souls,” White Reaper explained leisurely. “A ghost with an incomplete soul can’t be bound by the Soul-Locking Chain, nor can they be guided to reincarnation.”

  “Wasted trip.” Black Reaper shrugged.

  “So, what now…” Li Li scratched her head.

  *Was she really going to have to disperse this ghost’s spirit?*

  White Reaper seemed to read her mind. “Although she’s filled with resentment, there’s no murderous *Sha* energy. She hasn’t harmed the living since becoming a ghost.”

  Forcing her into oblivion would severely damage Li Li’s own spiritual cultivation—and cultivation was hard enough in the modern era.

  She was truly stuck between a rock and a hard place.

  “Once you help her find the missing fragment, summon us again,” Black Reaper laid out the path forward.

  Once a Reaper accepts a task, it must be completed, or year-end performance reviews suffer. Besides, the cross-border “processing fees” were already paid. Not finishing the job would be a total loss. Chinese Reapers also believed in “since we’re already here.”

  Li Li bowed. “This junior understands.”

  Black Reaper continued, “Also, since this isn’t our jurisdiction, the summoning fee will be at least triple next time.”

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  “Triple?!”

  “We have to pay the local Reapers their cut, otherwise we have no authority,” White Reaper explained. “Plus the clearance fees.”

  Li Li hadn’t expected cross-border underworld operations to require visas too. She silently blamed the mortal world. “This junior is enlightened.”

  “Our time is almost up,” White Reaper said. “If you have an urgent matter, chant the scriptures in the local language and burn spirit money. The local Reapers will come.”

  “Remember to pay the full fee,” Black Reaper added.

  “Understood. I respectfully see you off, honored ones. Please travel safely.”

  The Black and White Reapers passed through the door and left. The thick fog on the street gradually dissipated, the streetlights flickered back on, the temperature rose, and the candle flames burned steadily once more.

  The night returned to its proper peace.

  Li Li switched on the light, blew out the candles, and began collecting the ritual tools from the floor, pondering the situation.

  The chance of an ordinary murder causing a soul fragment loss was almost zero—unless a professional was involved. Methods for collecting souls were recorded in Taoist texts, but they were dark arts. Her father had strictly forbidden her from reading them, so her knowledge was limited.

  Li Li recalled Agent Wang saying the ghost’s body had been gutted, but all the organs were found.

  Except for one lung.

  This murder case likely had hidden depths.

  “Why didn’t you tell me you were missing a soul fragment sooner?” Li Li snapped, her brain overheating from thinking.

  The ghost: “…”

  How was this her fault? As a Western ghost, she didn’t even know what “Three Hun and Seven Po” were. Li Li had started by throwing dozens of coins at her, then immediately moved to binding and chanting rites. She never had a chance to speak!

  Li Li put the tools back in her suitcase, then pulled out a section of peach wood and a small knife. She quickly carved a rough figurine—just a basic human shape.

  “This will do for now. You’ll live here.”

  She guided the ghost, still in the coin net, into the figurine and sealed it with a yellow talisman paper.

  “A wandering ghost who’s lost a soul fragment and has no offerings will eventually turn into a vengeful spirit driven only by instinct to harm,” Li Li explained. “You’re not there yet, but you’re leaning that way.”

  She thought for a moment, then cut a small piece of gold foil and pasted it on the figurine’s chest.

  “The lungs correspond to the metal element. Since your lung is missing, I’ll give you a piece of gold.”

  From inside the crude figurine, the ghost looked out through its模糊 eyes. She did feel better.

  At first, the pain and fear were vivid. But over time, her memories had faded. All that remained was a feeling that this apartment was dangerous. So she’d resorted to hauntings to scare tenants away. Lately, though, she’d felt less and less satisfied with just scaring people…

  She wanted…

  To kill anyone who entered this apartment!

  “What’s with the shaking?” Li Li asked, noticing the figurine tremble. “I was in a hurry, so the carving’s not detailed, but it’s not *that* ugly, is it?” *No need to be so angry.*

  It wasn’t ugly—you could just barely make out the facial features.

  Hearing Li Li’s voice, the ghost calmed slightly. “I was thinking.”

  “You’re missing a soul fragment, what’s left to think about?” Li Li sighed. “I’d be thankful if you even remembered your own name.”

  The soul carries a ghost’s memories. Losing a fragment means losing memories.

  The ghost: “…” She really didn’t remember.

  "You really don't remember?" Li Li said. "Then I'll call you Xiao Mei from now on."

  The ghost: "..."

  "It means 'Little Beauty,'" Li Li added helpfully. "Very aspirational."

  Did she have a choice?

  Thus, however reluctantly, the ghost accepted the name Xiao Mei.

  By the time everything was settled, it was very late. Li Li checked her phone and jumped—3:30 AM. She had to get up early for university orientation. She needed sleep.

  She looked around the empty apartment. Not even a mattress.

  *No wonder Agent Wang was so eager to promote his secondhand group chat.*

  Afraid of exceeding her luggage weight, Li Li hadn’t brought a quilt. It was too late to bother Agent Wang. She took all the clothes from her suitcase and spread them on the floor to make a makeshift bed.

  After feeding Xiao Xie, Li Li used her ritual robe as a blanket and spent an uncomfortable night on the hard floor.

  The next morning, her alarm blared. Li Li woke up with two massive dark circles under her eyes, looking like all her vitality had been drained.

  In Chinese cosmology, each person has Three Hun (魂) and Seven Po (魄) — spiritual souls and physical souls. Lose one, and you're incomplete even in death.

  First night in a foreign country: ? Haunted apartment ? Missing soul fragment

  ? International underworld bureaucracy ? Sleeping on the floor

  Updates: Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday ??

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