Ghost Blows Out the Light Fanfiction Fragments of the Hidden Scriptures - Saving San Francisco

Ghost Blows Out the Light Fan Fiction: Saving San Francisco

Volume One: Ancient Tomb at the Cape

Preface 1878

In 1878, the American freighter "Nautilus" slowly departed from the old Shanghai port. Amidst the booming of its horn, a bearded Westerner with a blond wig waved to the shore, inwardly smiling: Farewell, Qing Empire, overflowing with gold! You are the true San Francisco of my heart! The freighter's final destination was indeed San Francisco, the state of iniquity that had caused countless Chinese laborers to perish far from home. The freighter, laden with gold, silver, jewels, utensils, silk, tea, exquisite porcelain, and various handicrafts, set sail and sped away from the port of Shanghai.

The foreigner, cane in hand and a smile on his face, slowly walked down the deck and into the cargo hold. He couldn't help but stroke each exquisite item, examining them closely with a magnifying glass, muttering to himself: "The minds of the great people of the Qing Dynasty are truly incredible! How could they create such ingenious objects? This is a gift from God! How could it fall into the hands of the corrupt Qing emperor? It's more appropriate for me to take it with me." Thinking this, he burst into laughter.

The Nautilus sailed at full speed and arrived in international waters a few days later. One day, the bearded foreigner was enjoying tea and daydreaming on deck when the ship's first mate rushed over to report: "Mr. Robert, there are two pigs in the pig hold, dying from dysentery. What should we do?"

Robert waved his hand dismissively: "Throw it into the sea quickly, lest it infect the other pigs." The first mate nodded and turned to leave.

"Wait," Robert called out to him, and instructed him again, "Just say it's for medical treatment, take him out alone, and don't cause a commotion among the other pigs."

A moment later, two sailors dragged two emaciated, raggedly dressed middle-aged men out of the cargo hold. Damn it, these so-called "pigs" were actually Chinese laborers tricked into going to San Francisco to "make a fortune" by that damned Robert and his gang. At the ship's side, the two sailors gave a quick wrestling match, and the two barely alive Chinese laborers were tossed into the sea in an arc, splashing up a few small waves before disappearing without a trace.

As darkness fell, the red sun disappeared into the sea in an instant. The boundless waves, like black glass, surged in, lifting the cargo ship "Nautilus" as it lurched forward. The sea wind howled, whipping and creaking the large sails. The night sky was deathly silent; not a single seabird could be seen flying by. Robert went to the bridge to inquire and learned that the waters ahead were deep water, without any suspicious reefs, icebergs, or other threats. He then ordered the ship to accelerate.

In the dead of night, everyone on board, except for the two helmsmen, was soundly asleep. Robert was dreaming of his triumphant return home when suddenly he heard a loud bang and felt the ship shudder violently, throwing him from his bed onto the floor, nearly knocking him unconscious. Rubbing his back, Robert stumbled to the wheelhouse, where he saw the two helmsmen sprawled together. Looking out from the wheelhouse, illuminated by the tall sail lights, he could clearly see a large, black, 18th-century canoe-style sailing ship, flying a blood-red skull and crossbones flag, pressed heavily against the midsection of the Nautilus cargo ship.

Before Robert could figure it out, a crew member cried out in terror, "Oh no, it's a pirate ship!"

Robert's face changed drastically. He immediately remembered his ship full of jewels and shouted angrily, "Quick...quick...quick, weapons and defenses..."

However, as time ticked by, the opposite ship remained deathly silent, devoid of any sound or human presence, except for the blood-red pirate flag fluttering wildly in the sky. The crew members, armed with guns, who had been hiding on the deck, gradually began to waver.

Robert, hiding in the wheelhouse and clutching the silver cross, ordered the captain, "Jack, go check it out."

Jack responded and led several fully armed men into the pirate ship. After searching the ship, they reported back, "The ship is empty, there are no signs of life, only the hull is intact."

Robert breathed a sigh of relief. Just then, he heard screams from the lower cargo hold, and the Chinese laborers became agitated. It turned out that the pirate ship's impact had been too strong, creating a large hole in the hull. Seawater was pouring in, and with the increasing pressure, the hole was widening; the ship was about to sink. Hearing this, Robert, in a fit of rage and anxiety, nearly died. When he came to his senses, he cursed the unfortunate pirate ship. But then, as if waking from a dream, he suddenly grabbed Jack, "Quick, move all the jewels to that pirate ship!"

Jack paused for a moment, then realized what he meant. "Sir, you want us to escape on that pirate ship!"

After all the items were moved, the pirate ship was already full and couldn't accommodate any more people. Robert gritted his teeth, "Don't open the lower cargo hold. Let those bastards fend for themselves; consider it a sacrifice to the Sea King. God, another hundreds of thousands of dollars gone." He then ordered Jack to steer the pirate ship at full speed away from the Nautilus, getting as far away as possible. As they sailed away, they could see the cargo ship gradually swirling and sinking in the water, first the stern near the hole submerged, then the bow turned upside down. The screams and cries of hundreds of Chinese laborers in the hold filled the night, their voices hoarse and terrifying. Half an hour later, a huge black whirlpool formed in the wreck area, the waves towering, leaving no trace. Robert watched dejectedly from the distant pirate ship, his face ashen. Suddenly, a long, piercing cry echoed from the distant shipwreck area, as if a giant black shadow had leaped from the sea and sped towards the pirate ship. In an instant, it was upon him, passing right through Robert's body and disappearing in the blink of an eye. Robert screamed, his body went limp, and he fainted.

After an unknown amount of time, Robert gradually awoke. He moved his heavy head, got up from the floor, and walked to the bow of the ship. He saw a sky ablaze with red clouds, an endless expanse of waves, and gently rippling blue water. Robert took a deep breath and saw some seagull-like flying objects gliding freely in the distance. He looked at the ship's roof; the blood-red skull and crossbones pirate flag was still there. He turned and called out, "Jack, come quick, change the flag!"

The ship was eerily quiet. Robert called out a few more times, but still no sign of Jack. Frustrated, he stormed into the cabin. Strangely, from bow to stern, the massive pirate ship was completely deserted, though the jewels remained. Robert gasped, his legs trembling as he considered the ship's mysterious origins. He searched again, but still nothing. Could it be that all the crew members, including Jack, had abandoned ship? But where could they have gone on this vast ocean?

Before Robert could figure it out, there was a loud bang, and the ship shook violently. Oh no, another collision?! Robert sprinted to the bow and saw a familiar-looking ship crash into the pirate ship. A whooshing sound filled the air. Robert looked up and saw the seabirds that had been in the distance swarming towards him, gathering in a circle around the blood-red skull and crossbones flag, growing larger and larger. Wait a minute, Robert looked closer. Huge, thin-winged, conjoined flying creatures with short heads, four limbs, and long tails—they looked like black bats. The black bats screeched and tumbled, emitting chilling cries. With each cry, hordes of monsters crawled out of the opposite ship. Their bodies were swollen, their skin deathly pale, and their bodies covered in a dark, cloth-like substance. They crawled face down, with black tails behind their heads—no, they were the queues of the Qing Dynasty. Robert looked closely and exclaimed, "Holy crap, that ship opposite me is none other than the sunken Nautilus cargo ship! No wonder it looked so familiar!" This meant that the crawling monsters were the Chinese laborers who had drowned on board the previous night. The crawling corpses approached step by step, and Robert was so frightened that he took a few steps back, bumping into someone—Jack. Robert cried out in joy, but when he turned his head, his jaw dropped. Jack, a dead Jack bleeding from all seven orifices, was strangling him, his hands outstretched, choking him so hard he couldn't breathe. Not only Jack, but the entire group of crew members who had disappeared earlier also approached, their bodies stiff and bleeding from all seven orifices. Some were strangling him, others were biting him with their gaping maws. Robert was so terrified that he lost control of his bladder and bowels, couldn't catch his breath, and lost consciousness. In his dying moments, he glimpsed a giant black bat on the ship's roof, cawing and flapping its enormous black fleshy wings, like a messenger of death swooping down on him.

From then on, Robert and his cargo ship, the Nautilus, vanished without a trace. Only rumors circulated that residents along the coast often encountered two lifeless ships drifting like ghosts during storms…

Book One: Cape Tomb, Chapter One: Anecdotes of San Francisco

Summer breezes sweep across the beach, bringing bursts of laughter. As night falls, the beautiful North Beach of San Francisco transforms into a vibrant, bustling scene of lights, music, and dance. Home to many Italian immigrants, the area is relatively quiet in the mornings, but comes alive after midday, reaching its most lively period from dusk till late at night. During the day, one can enjoy coffee, pasta, and cakes at outdoor cafes or restaurants, while in the evening, drinks or dinner can be enjoyed at Washington Square. North Beach offers a truly immersive experience of San Francisco's Italian charm.

Fatty Wang, with an innocent expression, peeked at the various beautiful women passing by. He ate his spaghetti like a pig that hadn't been fed in eight hundred years, drawing snickers from those around him. I was so angry I could barely contain myself, so I pretended not to know him. But that wasn't all. While he was looking around, he called out to me, "Old Hu, Hu Bayi, another serving of spaghetti, or cake if you like. I'm starving!"

It's daytime, four o'clock in the afternoon. We're sitting in the "Yuli" outdoor restaurant, resting and waiting for Shirley Yang to come over. Shirley Yang went to San Francisco Hospital, the largest psychiatric hospital in San Francisco, to visit Professor Chen. She said she'd be back around this afternoon. Recently, a world-renowned visiting professor of psychiatry came to San Francisco Hospital. Although we knew Professor Chen's medical history, Shirley Yang still took him there for a consultation, hoping that he might be cured.

Since arriving in the US, Fatty and I have been incredibly bored. All we do is eat and sleep, sleep and eat, and wander around aimlessly. We have some savings and aren't in a rush to make money. Shirley Yang's family is also very wealthy; her father left her businesses spanning multiple industries, with many experts working for the family conglomerate, generating extremely high annual profits. Although Shirley Yang intends for Fatty and me to "marry" into her company to gain experience, perhaps even becoming administrative managers in a couple of years, Fatty is quite enthusiastic. However, I know perfectly well that Fatty and I are hopeless and used to a life of leisure, so I haven't responded. Shirley Yang understands that I can't let go of my patriarchal airs, so she remains silent. Since we're new to the US, she lets us wander around freely, getting familiar with the local environment. Recently, after thoroughly exploring Chinatown near our residence, we've even made our way to North Beach.

Thinking back on my past adventures feels like a nightmare. Perhaps the nightmare was too long, because waking up made it all seem so unreal. Ever since my escape from the Phoenix Palace in the Kunlun Mountains, I've had this surreal feeling. I don't want to bring up the past anymore, and even people like Big Gold Tooth, Uncle Ming, and Xiangxiang seem to have faded into distant memories; I've even lost their contact information. Fatty Wang, on the other hand, seems completely unfazed, indulging in endless eating and playing without a care in the world. He even wants to find a wife, but the language barrier (the Chinese in Chinatown don't share our views and often think we're just freeloaders) leaves him lamenting his wasted potential.

The days with nothing to do felt incredibly long. I slowly sipped my coffee, and, as if by habit, glanced around at the surrounding landscape. Foreigners favor cemetery burials; a single cemetery can hold thousands, even tens of thousands of deceased. Rows of tightly packed tombstones resemble a forest of dominoes, as if a gust of wind would cause them to fall in sequence. From the air, San Francisco resembles a large, irregularly shaped beehive along the water's edge. The 2,737-meter-long Golden Gate Bridge spans the Golden Gate Strait, while Alcatraz Island, Fisherman's Wharf, and North Beach surround the city. The streets in the city center stretch east, west, north, and south in a grid pattern. Magette Street is the most bustling commercial street, and Golden Gate Road is lined with many high-rise buildings. Montgomery Street and its surrounding area form the financial district, known as the "Wall Street of the West," where the 52-story Bank of America Tower stands. The northeastern part of the city is the main residential area, with winding, steep streets. In terms of its layout, San Francisco looks like an unformed, two-segmented worm crouching by the water, sucking up water. Although San Francisco (also known as San Francisco, named by Mexicans in Spanish in 1847) has undulating terrain with 42 hills of varying sizes, including major hills like Twin Peaks, Mount Davidson, and Mount Sutero, which are over 270 meters high (the most famous being Mount Nob and Telegraph Hill), it is a port city surrounded by the sea on three sides, with water covering two-thirds of its total area. The city is connected to surrounding towns by bridges, so these hills do not constitute a significant feng shui formation and have no dragon veins to speak of. Furthermore, there are significant differences between Eastern and Western burial practices, and these Westerners had no understanding of feng shui, so there were no large tombs available for treasure hunting.

Night fell before they knew it, and the North Beach became even more lively. Scantily clad women strolled by, making Fatty Wang gasp for breath. He involuntarily swallowed hard, nudged me under the table, and said, "You old fool, what are you daydreaming about? Ignoring me..."

Seeing that I ignored him, the fat man said again, "How about we go see a ballet later?" (San Francisco is a city of bright lights and bustling nightlife. Ballet performances are held from February to May every year. The San Francisco International Film Festival in April and May is the oldest film festival in the United States. Those who like opera and classical music can go to the Center for the Performing Arts and Odim, etc.)

I chuckled and said, "You pervert, you just want to go see the pretty girls, don't you?"

Fatty Wang blushed, and without even blinking, said, "Tch, who's as lecherous as you, Old Hu?"

Just then, a voice, like the wind, blew by: "Quick, look! Someone jumped into the sea from the Golden Gate Bridge again..." Some people rushed towards the Golden Gate Bridge.

I was taken aback. I didn't know that foreigners also had this kind of quirky habit!

Fatty Wang grabbed me and said impatiently, "Quick, let's go see if it's possessed by a water ghost?"

"Go away!" I cursed. "Even if he's a water ghost, he's a foreign water ghost. What right do you have to tell him what to do?"

Even so, I still chased after them with Fatty Wang.

A taxi ride took 15 minutes. At the Sentinel Post near one side of the bridge, we saw a slender woman's figure straddling the middle of the Golden Gate Bridge. In the dim light, her long hair was flowing, as if a gust of wind would send her tumbling into the abyss below.

Before I could figure it out, suddenly Fatty Wang next to me screamed, pointing at the woman with a trembling hand, unable to speak. My heart skipped a beat.

Volume One: The Ancient Tomb at the Cape, Chapter Two: The Water Ghost

According to research, since its opening on May 28, 1937, the 3-kilometer-long Golden Gate Bridge, connecting San Francisco and Marin Cape, has become a top suicide spot globally, with over 1,200 people jumping more than 70 meters into the sea from the bridge. On the bridge, your latent suicidal tendencies could be awakened at any moment. One young father, holding his two-year-old daughter, was walking peacefully when suddenly he threw the child into the sea and jumped himself, without any warning or reason. Some people leave reasons for their suicide; my favorite is this person's reason: nothing more than unbearable toothache. Some public figures also choose to die here for the public to see, including Duane Garrett, a close friend of former US Vice President Al Gore, and Roy Raymond, the founder of Victoria's Secret. Many suicides remain unexplained. Suicide expert Richard Seiden said: "Many people think dying under the Golden Gate Bridge is beautiful and romantic." Jerome Motto, however, focused on the visual aspect, finding his reasoning in this case: standing on the Golden Gate Bridge creates a beautiful illusion, leading one to believe that jumping will result in a clean, peaceful, and gentle death. Records show that the first suicide occurred just three months after the Golden Gate Bridge opened. Harold Warber, a World War I veteran, came to the bridge with his companions, remained silent for a moment, and then suddenly said, "This is where I'm going to jump." Immediately after, he leaped off the bridge. Since then, suicides have frequently occurred on the Golden Gate Bridge. Psychologist and suicide expert Richard Said believes the bridge is an ideal suicide spot. "You don't need to be agile; you can just jump off the bridge. You just come here, step off the bridge, and you can have your wish fulfilled," said the coroner of Marin County, across from San Francisco. He added that there are an average of two suicides by jumping from the bridge each week, and the actual number may be higher. The person who committed suicide jumped off the bridge and was swept into the surging waves. Their body was washed into the sea by the huge tide, and people never found the body again.

Wang Pangzi's scream was so terrifying that it startled even me. Following his finger, I saw the woman's figure swaying in the wind, her face completely obscured. She simply sat there blankly, her frail body appearing more like a weightless white paper doll in the turbulent sea breeze, one of her arms fluttering in the wind. One arm, empty—just like Ah Xiang, who had her arm torn off by the fire lizard at the Phoenix Palace, a one-armed person? Ah Xiang… I suddenly had a bad feeling; the more I looked at that figure, the more it resembled Ah Xiang. It seemed Wang Pangzi realized this too; we exchanged a glance almost simultaneously. Could it really be Ah Xiang?! Pangzi flipped over and dashed towards the bridge.

The Golden Gate Bridge, approximately 2.7 km long and 227 m high, is one of the world's most spectacular bridges and considered a symbol of San Francisco. During the gold rush that began after the discovery of gold in the area in 1848, the bridge served as a gateway to the mines, hence its na

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