Ghost Stories

Chapter 1

Ghost Stories of the Underworld, by Fallen Flowers Like Dust

Volume One: The Path of Vengeful Ghosts, Chapter One: The Path of Vengeful Ghosts (1)

Xiao Ke walked along the gloomy street. It was almost 10 o'clock, and the main street was still bustling with traffic. But this adjacent alley, apart from a few dim streetlights that made it seem even more eerie, had no trace of prosperity. Her mood was as terrible as the street. At work, she had to constantly be wary of her manager's lecherous gaze; his greasy, fat face almost made her vomit. But what could she do for the sake of making a living? She had to endure it no matter what.

But her so-called home has completely broken her heart. Xiao Ke's husband has a face that is quite charming to women, but he is not ambitious and is having a passionate affair with the female accountant at his workplace. If he hadn't begged her not to leave him, she would have kicked this good-for-nothing man to Africa long ago.

The streets seemed a bit eerie today; there wasn't a single car in sight, giving Xiao Ke a feeling of being gripped tightly.

Xiao Ke had just reached a street lamp when it suddenly went out, startling her with the sudden darkness. She quickened her pace, and from behind came the distant creaking of a cheap bicycle, like the desperate gasps of a dying patient.

Xiao Ke calmed down and wasn't so scared anymore. After all, there were other people passing by on the street, which greatly reduced her fear.

Although the bicycle was moving slowly, it was still much faster than Xiao Ke's walking. Before long, the bicycle's panting sound was already behind Xiao Ke, and they were less than 50 meters ahead when they reached the still bustling main street.

The darkness was so oppressive it was almost suffocating, but Xiao Ke felt a sense of relief. She let out a long breath, and suddenly felt the air around her grow cold. The sound of a bicycle approached from beside her, and she glanced furtively at the person riding it.

The person on the bicycle had no head! Xiao Ke's first thought was that she was seeing things. But upon closer inspection, it felt as if all the blood in her body had stopped flowing; the person truly had no head. Extreme fear left Xiao Ke's legs weak, and she felt utterly powerless. Leaning against the wall beside the alley, Xiao Ke's legs began to frantically strum the pipa (a traditional Chinese stringed instrument). She desperately covered her mouth to stifle a scream, but tears streamed uncontrollably down her face. She was terrified that even the slightest sound would alert the headless person, who would then rush at her and tear her to pieces.

Fortunately, the headless man on the bicycle didn't seem to notice Xiao Ke and continued riding forward on his own. When he reached the end of the street, the bicycle turned and disappeared from Xiao Ke's sight.

Xiao Ke was still reeling from the fear when a sudden "ding" startled her, causing her to scream. It was her phone ringing. Realizing what had happened, Xiao Ke frantically pulled her phone from her bag and ran towards the street.

When the call connected, Xiao Ke was already on the sidewalk. It was Lao Si calling. Xiao Ke hugged the phone and cried, telling Lao Si what she had just seen and begging him to come pick her up. After Lao Si agreed, Xiao Ke hung up the phone, sobbing, and looked back at the deep, dark street that resembled a demon's throat. Her legs were still a little weak.

Xiao Ke waited for Lao Si under the streetlight. Lao Si was Xiao Ke's lover, a professor at a medical university. After discovering her husband's infidelity, Xiao Ke was depressed for a long time. To relieve her distress, she spent her days in online chat rooms in her city. There, she met Lao Si, whose online name was "Silent Flowing East." Lao Si was knowledgeable, humorous, and steady, and quickly won Xiao Ke's favor. Perhaps out of emptiness, perhaps out of heartbreak, or perhaps to get revenge on her cheating husband, on their second meeting, Xiao Ke obediently lay down in the bed of the charming Lao Si.

The fourth brother quickly found Xiao Ke. In his arms, Xiao Ke felt warm and safe and gradually calmed down.

Xiao Ke, lost in passion, sat on Lao Si's lap, moving vigorously, sweat beading on her alabaster skin. Lao Si's rough breathing mingled with Xiao Ke's ecstatic cries. The dim light from the bedside lamp illuminated the hungry expression on Xiao Ke's face as Lao Si's hands caressed her small, white breasts, which bounced up and down.

Xiao Ke was completely absorbed, forgetting the terrifying headless man in the alley. The sense of security she felt with Lao Si made her utterly intoxicated. At this moment, she only wanted Lao Si to go deeper, deeper, and deeper still. Lao Si's belly churned with a climbing desire, causing him to rise clumsily upwards like an overturned beetle. Finally, he reached his peak, making Xiao Ke ecstatic together. His mind was filled with thunder and lightning, triggering a storm of emotions in Xiao Ke. Lao Si was struck by bolts of lightning, his whole body trembling violently, and his nectar gushed out.

As the heat subsided, Xiao Ke, covered in sweat, hugged Lao Si tightly and murmured, "Lao Si, let's get married!"

The fourth brother gently stroked Xiao Ke's hair and said, "What about your husband?"

Xiao Ke sighed and said, "Let's get a divorce. Anyway, his heart isn't with me anymore!"

The fourth brother kissed Xiao Ke's cheek and said, "Have you thought it through?"

Xiao Ke nodded firmly, and Lao Si laughed, his lips curving upwards like a little fox that had just stolen some fish.

Xiao Ke felt a chill run down her spine at the sight of Lao Si's smile, and was just about to snuggle up to him and act cute when a cold glint suddenly flashed under the dim lamplight.

Xiao Ke felt a chill in her throat, and a spurt of blood shot from the carotid artery on her side, spraying all over Lao Si's face. Xiao Ke stared at Lao Si in disbelief; Lao Si's eyes gleamed with excitement, and he held a scalpel he'd somehow produced. Lao Si was muttering something, but Xiao Ke couldn't hear a word. Deprived of blood supply, her consciousness rapidly blurred, and she could only reflexively gasp for breath.

In a hazy state, she seemed to hear the creaking of bicycles in the alley, gradually fading into the distance, and the person riding the bike seemed familiar. Oh! With her last shred of reason, Xiao Ke suddenly realized that the headless person was herself, wearing the same sleeveless tank top and the same jeans that encased her full hips. Xiao Ke's body slumped heavily backward, falling from the bed onto the floor.

The fourth brother pressed the blanket against Xiao Ke's carotid artery to prevent blood from flowing everywhere and causing him the hassle of cleaning it up. He still had a cigarette dangling from his mouth, though it had been extinguished by Xiao Ke's blood. Xiao Ke's body was still convulsing, her wide-open pupils finally dilating completely. Only then did the fourth brother happily release her, letting out a triumphant whistle.

The fourth brother threw aside the blood-soaked blanket and dragged Xiao Ke by her legs toward the bathroom. She was really heavy; he hadn't felt it at all while she was moving on him. But the fourth brother didn't care at all, because he loved Xiao Ke, loved her almost to the point of madness. However, he wasn't sure if Xiao Ke's inner beauty was as good as her outer beauty, so he wanted to see for himself.

The fourth brother threw Xiao Ke's body onto the bathroom floor and went to get a scalpel. He muttered to himself, "My beauty, let me see if you're as you seem!"

The fourth brother inserted the scalpel between Xiao Ke's breasts and gently pulled it downwards. A line of blood appeared on Xiao Ke's chest and lower abdomen. He discarded the scalpel, then reached his hands into the bloodline and gently pulled it to both sides. "Wow~~~ Absolutely wonderful!" the fourth brother exclaimed sincerely, looking at the organs inside Xiao Ke's chest and abdomen.

The fourth brother's eyes shone with fanaticism, as if he were examining a rare treasure, and he exclaimed from the bottom of his heart, "It's too perfect, a masterpiece of God!" His hands kept fiddling with the organs in Xiao Ke's abdominal cavity.

The fourth brother became more and more excited as he watched, until he was almost dancing with joy. His mind was completely filled with Xiao Ke's inner world, and he had no other adjectives left to use, only repeatedly saying, "Perfect, perfect~~~~"

Finally finished examining the body, Lao Si stretched his aching neck and went to the kitchen to get a large cleaver. Its sharp edge gleamed menacingly. Lao Si slashed at Xiao Ke's neck, a hiss as blood splattered onto his face. He felt a warm sensation on his face and licked the blood from his lips. The taste of blood aroused him intensely. "I love this feeling! It's even better than sex!" Lao Si chopped off Xiao Ke's head with several more strokes and began to play with it. He never tired of looking at such a fine work of art; he even hummed an old Fei Xiang song, "Reading you a thousand times, I never tire; reading you feels like spring." As he hummed, he picked up Xiao Ke's head, went to the kitchen, and opened the refrigerator.

Inside the refrigerator were two more severed heads, with dark circles under their eyes and deathly pale, almost bluish faces. The fourth brother kissed Xiao Ke's still-open lips and placed her head inside. Looking at the other two heads with their wide-open eyes, the fourth brother smiled and said, "Don't be jealous, you are both the greatest works of art!"

Volume 1, Path of Vengeful Ghosts, Chapter 2: Path of Vengeful Ghosts (2)

The previous night's busy work left Lao Si exhausted. Despite the thrills, he couldn't overcome his physical fatigue. Leaving behind the colorful mess on the floor, Lao Si lay down on the bed stained with black blood and fell into a deep sleep.

When he woke up, it was already dusk, time to go to school to check on evening self-study. The fourth brother reluctantly took a shower, then took a suit out of the closet and put it on.

By the time they arrived at school, it was already dark. The fourth brother walked around the various classrooms, but found nothing wrong. He then returned to his office, leaned back in his chair, turned on his computer, and entered a local chat room, looking for his next target.

The chat room was full of eighteen or nineteen-year-olds flirting and cuddling, which Lao Si found utterly uninteresting. He didn't find any prey that suited his taste until midnight. But he wasn't in a hurry; a good hunter needs patience, a lesson he'd learned.

The fourth brother checked the time; it was almost midnight, and going home now would obviously be too late. He really didn't want to go. Luckily, he had a dormitory at the school with three other teachers from out of town.

Walking along the tree-lined path on campus, Lao Si was still reminiscing about Xiao Ke's exquisitely beautiful internal organs from the previous night. "It was simply too perfect," Lao Si thought to himself, sincerely praising it. He tapped his head, secretly cursing his lack of vocabulary; besides "perfect," he couldn't think of any other fresh word to describe it.

"Whoosh!" Something seemed to fly past Lao Si, startling him. Turning around, he saw only a pitch-black night, devoid of any money, and nothing but a chilling cold. Lao Si spat out a "Pah!" and, muttering "Damn it!", quickened his pace towards the dormitory.

I was so engrossed in the wonderful memories of last night that I didn't notice anything amiss around me. Startled by that strange noise, I realized it was unusually dark tonight, not a single star in sight. Even worse, there wasn't a single streetlamp on campus, perhaps due to a power outage. Only a few scattered lights shone from the windows of the distant staff dormitory building, adding to the eeriness of the night.

The fourth brother never believed in ghosts or gods, nor did he care much about them. He started thinking about his first prey, the principal's daughter.

The fourth brother considered himself hardworking, dashing, knowledgeable, and well-mannered. However, he couldn't understand why the principal always seemed to be targeting him. His name should have been on the list of those going for further training last time, but it wasn't when the list was announced. This left the fourth brother extremely frustrated and filled with resentment towards the principal.

His original plan was to lure the principal's daughter to his home and lock her up for a couple of days, letting the old man experience the feeling of anxiety. Who knew this young woman had already secretly fallen for him, and what's worse, he seemed to reciprocate her feelings. So, naturally, they made love, and when the young woman asked him if he would marry her after she graduated from university, an uncontrollable urge surged within him. He wanted to dissect her and see her clearly. His wife had to be perfect, her appearance and inner qualities perfectly matched.

So he called her into the bathroom for a bath together. As she reached her climax, leaning over the edge of the tub, he pressed her head deep into the water. She struggled to grab him from behind, but his strength rendered all her efforts futile.

The fourth brother watched excitedly as the blood she choked on spit out of the bathtub turned the water a pale red, and finally, another wave of pleasure washed over him.

But the subsequent autopsy left Lao Si somewhat disheartened. The girl's smoking habit had turned her lungs into two black rags. Her endless snacking habit had also caused her stomach to be covered in ulcers. The only thing that could give him some comfort was her head, so he cut it off and put it in the refrigerator so he could admire it often.

The principal, upon discovering his beloved daughter was missing, was naturally frantic with worry. Within two days, his eyes were bloodshot, and blisters appeared around his mouth, making him resemble a ghost from a horror movie. The police's inefficient investigation ultimately landed the principal in the hospital, where he hasn't been discharged yet. Thinking of this, the fourth brother almost laughed with glee. "That old bastard's really in trouble now, huh? Serves you right for making things difficult for me."

Suddenly, the fourth brother felt something soft under his foot trip him, causing him to lose his balance and fall headfirst to the ground. Lying there, he felt something covered in hair on his hand. Curious, he grabbed the hair and pulled it towards him. In the dim light, the thing was clearly the head of the principal's daughter. Its eyes, surrounded by dark circles, were wide open and stared blankly at the fourth brother, filling him with utter terror.

In a fit of rage, the fourth brother forcefully threw the head into the woods. A loud "thud" was heard, followed by a cry of "Ouch!" Then came a rustling sound, and two footsteps quickly faded into the distance.

Normally, Lao Si would have rushed in to check, fulfilling his duty as a teacher, to see if the students were laying the foundation for their future. But now, his mind was filled with the principal's daughter's wide-open eyes, and he had no time to pay attention even if the students inside were making figurines. "Damn it!" Could it be that he was hallucinating from overwork last night? That must be it. Lao Si turned back to what had tripped him up. He had only taken two steps toward the long, narrow object when suddenly a hand grabbed his foot tightly. Lao Si screamed in fright, fear making him lose control. He quickly used his free foot to stomp on the hand that was holding him. After stomping on it more than a dozen times, the hand finally let go.

The fourth brother dared not linger on this terrifying road. He would rather someone discover the corpses and heads here tomorrow than be taken by evil spirits. He ran quickly toward the dormitory building and finally saw the gate. His heart was still pounding rapidly, just like Xiao Ke's breasts shaking up and down last night.

Finally, he breathed a sigh of relief, but before he could even exhale, he felt his collar being grabbed. He struggled desperately forward, making incoherent, hoarse sounds, as if he were singing Jay Chou's "Nunchucks," "Hmph haji~~~~ let go quickly, hmph haji~~~~ let me go quickly," the indistinct words sounding like alien language.

The fourth brother felt the collar tightening around his throat, and he was about to suffocate. His hands involuntarily gripped his throat, pointlessly clutching the clothes that were locked around it.

Just as he was about to suffocate, the fourth brother struggled desperately, and with a "rip," his collar was pulled off. He ran a few steps forward, then looked back to see what was behind him. He saw a tree branch swaying back and forth, with tattered pieces of his clothes still hanging on it.

The fourth brother was stunned for a moment, then his heart finally settled. He wiped the cold sweat from his brow and cursed, "Damn it!" He turned and walked towards the dormitory building.

Volume 1, Path of Vengeful Ghosts, Chapter 3: Path of Vengeful Ghosts (3)

The fourth student walked into the dormitory building with lingering fear, his panicked heart finally calming down a little. The dim yellow light made the dormitory corridor a bit eerie, but it was infinitely better than the fear of the dark.

The walls around the corridor hadn't been painted in a long time; peeling paint was everywhere, emitting a putrid smell. The fourth brother stared at the patches of peeling paint, which had formed various bizarre shapes. One piece resembled a disheveled head, its mouth agape, trying to breathe in vain, but unable to reach its destination. The two small, intact patches in the middle seemed to be its eyes, staring intently at the fourth brother.

The fourth brother shuddered, feeling that the patch of peeling paint looked more and more like Xiao Ke's frozen head in the refrigerator. It was a bit eerie, and he almost dared not walk past that patch of paint.

Even worse, the corridor lights suddenly went out at that moment. In the pitch-black corridor, a sliver of light shone through the cracks in the dormitory doors, casting a direct shadow on the head-shaped wall.

Suddenly, the fourth brother smelled a strong stench of blood. It was so familiar; it was his favorite smell, but now it made him want to vomit. The object on the wall, shaped exactly like Xiao Ke's head, suddenly began to twist and turn, seemingly trying to break free from the wall's confinement.

Old Fourth's heart skipped a beat. Could it really be true? Suddenly, a severed head flew off the wall, emitting a piercing scream that echoed through the dormitory corridor. Old Fourth screamed and tried to run away. But his legs completely gave way, and he collapsed to the ground after taking just one step. Old Fourth cursed inwardly, looked up, and saw the head right in front of him. His head spun, and all he could see was Xiao Ke's head, its white teeth biting down towards his throat.

The fourth brother's last thought was just two words, "It's over!" Then everything went black and he passed out.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but the fourth brother felt a blindingly bright light. He heard a voice shouting, "He's awake! He's awake!"

Touching his still-aching head, Lao Si opened his eyes and looked around. He was already on his bed in the dormitory. Lao Si groaned and saw Luo Yang sitting on the bed with a concerned look on his face. "Could I have a glass of water?" Lao Si asked.

Luo Yang quickly poured a glass of water for Lao Si and placed it in his hand. Lao Si took the glass and drank it down in one gulp. Luo Yang asked, puzzled, "Lao Si, what happened to you last night? If Xiao Jie Jie hadn't brought her friend to stay at our dorm and found you lying in the hallway, you might still be lying on the floor right now!"

The fourth brother asked, puzzled, "Xiao Jie Jie's friend?"

Luo Yang said, "Yes!" He pointed to a thin man lying on the opposite bed reading a book.

When the man heard about him, he turned around and smiled at Lao Si. His bright eyes seemed to pierce out two sharp swords, almost making Lao Si unable to breathe.

The fourth brother dared not look any further, and shrank back, avoiding the man's gaze, before saying, "Thank you!"

The man curled his lips into a sneer, his smile clearly mocking, and his eyes revealing contempt.

For some reason, the fourth brother felt uneasy whenever he saw this man. His eyes seemed to see through everything, and with just a glance, the fourth brother felt that the other man had already seen his naked buttocks.

Oblivious to the awkward atmosphere, Luo Yang introduced the fourth brother, saying, "This is Xiao Jie Jie's friend. She came from out of town to visit her. Her name is..." Luo Yang scratched his head sheepishly and said, "What's her name again? I can't remember right now!"

The man smiled slightly, seemingly unconcerned, his gaze never leaving the book in his hands, and said, "Lin Feng!"

Luo Yang said with a big smile, "Yes, yes, look at my memory!"

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and a voice outside called out loudly, "Are you all dressed? I'm coming in!"

"It's Xiao Jie Jie!" Luo Yang was too lazy to open the door and said, "Come in, everyone's naked!"

The door creaked open, revealing half a handsome face. Dark eyes scanned the dormitory before the person pushed the door open and entered.

As soon as Xiao Jiejie came in, she said to Luo Yang, "Weren't you naked? Show me!" Then she said to Lao Si, whose face looked ugly, "What's wrong with you? You have a bed but you don't sleep in it. You sleep in the corridor in the middle of the night. Is that comfortable?"

The fourth brother chuckled twice but didn't say anything. Xiao Jie said to Lin Feng, "Hey~ Old classmate, you haven't picked up any bad habits from those two, have you? Come on, I'll take you for a walk!"

Lin Feng put down the book in his hand and said, "It's an honor to have such a beautiful lady as my guide!" Then he greeted Luo Yang and Lao Si, and went out with Xiao Jie Jie.

Looking at Lin Feng, who was out of sight through the door, the fourth brother felt a sense of relief. Facing this person, he had felt an invisible pressure, and his mind was always unsettled.

"Trying to act all serious, huh, Lin Feng?" Xiao Jiejie said to Lin Feng, who was frowning.

Lin Feng shook his head and laughed, "Why am I pretending to be profound with you? It's just that none of the people living in that dormitory were good people!"

Xiao Jie chuckled and said, "Yeah, that Luo Yang, his eyes practically turned green when he saw me. Humph, he's been pursuing me for ages!"

Lin Feng's expression hardened as he said, "I advise you to keep your distance from them. That Luo Yang is also problematic. Last night, that fourth brother was lying in the corridor. If I hadn't happened to be here, I doubt he would have woken up. Actually, I wasn't planning on saving him."

Xiao Jie asked, puzzled, "Why? The fourth brother is fine!"

Lin Feng sighed and said, "I can save him once, but I can't save him every time!" Seeing that Xiao Jie didn't understand, Lin Feng said, "He's being haunted by vengeful ghosts, his body is shrouded in immense resentment and yin energy. And that Luo Yang, his eyebrows droop downwards, and his mouth is also downturned, so even when he smiles, he looks miserable. Appearances are innate, but the black aura emanating from his forehead proves that he already has a 'dead face,' and he won't live much longer!"

Xiao Jie was startled. Lin Feng had helped solve many paranormal cases during his university years, and she had even witnessed several of them herself. Lin Feng's words clearly carried weight with her, but she still asked somewhat skeptically, "Is it that serious?"

Lin Feng said, "It's ten times worse than this! There's something wrong with your school building!"

Xiao Jie looked at the teaching building standing in the middle of the school, but couldn't make out anything. Lin Feng pointed at the teaching building and said, "Look at how this building is built. The three annex buildings next to the main building radiate out in three directions. What would it look like if you looked down from the air?"

Xiao Jie thought for a moment and clapped her hands, saying, "It's the character for 'person'! What's wrong with that!"

Lin Feng pointed to the walls surrounding the school and said, "What if we add this square wall as well?"

Xiao Jiejie blurted out, "The 'prisoner' character in 'prisoner'!"

Lin Feng nodded and said, "It's the character '囚' (prisoner), and the main gate faces north, directly opposite '尸地' (corpse ground). There are also so many locust trees planted in the school. Locust trees are considered ghost trees, easily attracting ghosts and gathering yin energy. There's definitely something wrong!"

Xiao Jie was frightened by Lin Feng's words. Despite the bright sunshine, she still felt a bit chilly and unconsciously moved closer to Lin Feng, saying, "Don't scare me."

Lin Feng picked up a small clump of soil from the roadside, smelled it, and said, "A rotten smell. That's right, your school is basically one big passageway, but where's the exit?" Lin Feng stood up, clapped his hands, looked around, and finally fixed his gaze on the faculty and staff dormitory building he had just walked out of, muttering, "Such heavy yin energy!"

Xiao Jie Jie shuddered in fright and followed Lin Feng's gaze, feeling increasingly uncomfortable looking at the faculty and staff dormitory building.