Chapter 33: The Echoing Vengeful Spirit and Unforeseen Sparks

“Echoing Vengeful Spirit? What kind of malevolent entity is that?”

Gu Chen asked curiously, posing a question that Xia Zhiquiu had also silently harbored.

At his query, Bai Hao began to elucidate.

“Echoing Vengeful Spirits are malevolent entities born from extremely deep resentment.

They typically suffered inhuman torment when they died unjustly, yet their inherent limitations prevented them from gaining greater power.

Unable to directly harm the living or even reincarnate, they are confined to invisibly transmitting the scenes of their demise through a sound imperceptible to human ears, gradually compelling those afflicted to mimic their dying actions.

This condition will only worsen, just like your sister. You mentioned earlier that she only showed abnormalities once each night, but tonight it has already happened twice.”

Gu Chen nodded, acknowledging that his sister’s deteriorating condition indeed bore a striking resemblance to the scenario Bai Hao described.

“Then how can I save my sister?”

A sigh escaped Bai Hao’s lips at the question.

“To save your sister, it’s both simple and difficult. You need to find the Echoing Vengeful Spirit’s death location, uncover its unfulfilled wish, re-bury it, and allow it to reincarnate.”

Upon hearing this, Xia Zhiquiu’s understanding solidified.

Gu Xin’s affliction, it seemed, was not inherently difficult to remedy; the true obstacle lay in pinpointing the precise location where the Echoing Vengeful Spirit had met its unjust end.

This task, seemingly straightforward, was in fact more formidable than tracking a Shadow Devourer.

Shadow Devourers, by their nature, perpetually engaged in malevolent deeds, making their presence detectable through a robust network of information.

However, an Echoing Vengeful Spirit is trapped in an unknown location, perhaps waiting for countless years without anyone ever falling under its sway…

As Gu Chen pictured his sister’s unsettling, repetitive actions with the knife, a flicker of doubt crossed his face.

“So, was the Echoing Vengeful Spirit that’s tormenting my sister killed by a knife in life?”

With limited information, and given that the afflicted person repeats the spirit’s death actions, this was undoubtedly a crucial clue.

Xia Zhiquiu, hearing this, felt a ripple of confusion.

“If someone was killed by a knife, why would Xiao Xin be hacking at a wall?”

After a moment of contemplation, Bai Hao turned to Gu Chen.

“Try to recall everywhere your sister has been and everything she’s done these past few days. Listing them out will significantly narrow down our search.”

Gu Chen nodded and quickly went to find paper and a pen. Soon, he had written down all the places Gu Xin had visited recently.

However, it troubled him that he couldn’t be by his sister’s side constantly. There were undoubtedly things he knew, and things he didn’t. He could only ask Gu Xin directly.

Bai Hao, however, spoke up.

“There’s no need to worry too much. We still have time.”

As he spoke, he picked up a pen and crossed out places like the school and shopping mall.

“Your sister walks through these places every day. The Echoing Vengeful Spirit’s location shouldn’t be there. So, tomorrow, we’ll focus on…”

Xia Zhiquiu listened quietly to the young man’s arrangements, watching his profile under the lamplight. His blond hair seemed to shimmer like gold at that moment.

Witnessing this, Xia Zhiquiu’s heart skipped a beat, and she quickly averted her gaze, her cheeks flushing slightly.

‘Damn it, did I just think this guy was handsome for a moment? I must be crazy. He’s just a mere boy, still wet behind the ears, and how could I possibly like a man?’

As Xia Zhiquiu thought this, a complex emotion flickered in her eyes, accompanied by a growing unease. ‘Is it really impossible to like a man?’ At that instant, such a question actually arose within her.

Although Xia Zhiquiu tried her best to conceal her unusual behavior, her efforts were counterproductive. Bai Hao soon noticed that the alluring auntie beside him kept avoiding his gaze, looking somewhat fearful.

The young man merely curved his lips into a smirk, continuing to detail his plans.

***

The next day was a sunny weekend. In the bright park, one could occasionally spot elderly people practicing health exercises or children playing.

Bai Hao, holding Xia Zhiquiu’s delicate hand, walked among them, attracting curious glances from passersby.

Both of them possessed striking looks, naturally making them an enviable pair, a talented man and a beautiful woman. Yet, the obvious age gap between them caused surprise and sparked various imaginations…

“Auntie Xia, the weather is quite nice today.”

Xia Zhiquiu stubbornly tried to pull her hand free, only to find she couldn’t. With an exasperated roll of her eyes, she said,

“We’re here to find clues, and also, let go of me.”

Bai Hao, however, voiced his disagreement.

“Of course we’ll look for clues, but who said we can’t do other things while we search?”

Even as he spoke, he released Auntie Xia’s delicate hand, only to swiftly encircle her soft, slender waist with his arm.

Today, Auntie Xia was still dressed simply, yet her raven hair was elegantly styled with a single hairpin, leaving only a few strands to frame her ears, revealing her alabaster neck and collarbones.

What truly captivated Bai Hao, however, were Auntie Xia’s luminous, liquid eyes and her luscious, crimson lips, which unconsciously exuded a ripe, intoxicating allure, instantly stirring desires of tenderness and conquest in any who beheld them.

Her full, voluptuous figure, akin to a perfectly ripe peach, combined with her gentle, refined temperament, enchanting beauty, and the subtle, intoxicating fragrance of a mature woman, made her nothing short of a man’s ultimate treasure—utterly irresistible to Bai Hao.

A flush of annoyance immediately ignited in Xia Zhiquiu’s eyes at the young man’s audacious hand, and she began to squirm restlessly, her delicate form twisting in discomfort.

“You, you shouldn’t do this…”

Bai Hao, however, sounded rather expectant as he spoke.

“Auntie Xia, you should learn to dress yourself up, you know? Didn’t I buy you so many clothes? It’s such a waste not to wear them.”

Xia Zhiquiu glared at him, huffing delicately.

“I won’t wear them! What are you going to do about it?”

Bai Hao raised an eyebrow at her challenge, and without another word, he leaned in and playfully nipped at the alluring auntie’s tempting neck.

Xia Zhiquiu’s eyes widened. Thankfully, the young man only tasted lightly this time, leaving a deep red mark before lifting his head.

“Auntie Xia said so herself, remember?”

Xia Zhiquiu’s pretty face turned crimson, and she immediately raised her delicate fist, striking him lightly, her voice charmingly soft.

“Go to hell!”

Though she struck him, it appeared more akin to playful banter, or at least that was Bai Hao’s interpretation.

After Auntie Xia threw a small tantrum for a while longer, Bai Hao finally managed to coax her into a better mood.

Xia Zhiquiu, however, remained utterly oblivious to how profoundly her current behavior mirrored that of a woman deeply enamored.

Were her past self from just two months prior to witness her now, she would undoubtedly be struck with utter disbelief.

“This park is so vast; how are we supposed to investigate?”

Searching for an unknown, nameless corpse in such an expansive area felt utterly futile, akin to seeking a needle in a boundless haystack.

Bai Hao was about to respond when, in the next instant, his brows furrowed, and a chilling glint flickered in his eyes.

“Auntie Xia, come with me.”

Xia Zhiquiu, feeling utterly bewildered, allowed the young man to lead her towards a more secluded area.

Her mind raced, and as an unsettling thought suddenly seized her, her heart constricted. Swiftly, she pulled her hand free from the young man’s grasp and positioned herself defensively before him.

“You, what do you want to do? You promised me you wouldn’t sleep with me! And out here, too…”

Bai Hao, hearing the trembling voice and witnessing the wary expression on Auntie Xia’s face, was momentarily taken aback. He immediately grasped her misunderstanding, and a wry, exasperated chuckle escaped him.