Volume One, Chapter Five: Mourning

"Damn, that scared the hell out of me! I'm out, I'm not playing with you guys anymore. Seeing a ghost in broad daylight?"

"Streamer, why can we see a person? I’ve lived this long and never seen a ghost. Are those sound effects, streamer? You’re really good at this; I’ve learned something new today."

"If the streamer can make me see a ghost today, I’ll do a 360-degree mid-air spin while peeing."

"Damn, who wants to watch you pee? Shameless, you hooligan, you degenerate, you scumbag."

"..."

Jiang Rui hadn't intended to let the female ghost appear in the live stream; she was worried about frightening everyone. After all, this was the internet, and the government kept a tight leash on these things. Promoting feudal superstition in public wasn't exactly a good idea.

However, the keyboard warriors in the chat and those mindless fans of Yang Mo had been relentless in their insults. Jiang Rui was no pushover. She wasn't the type to be bullied; she was usually the one doing the bullying. She hadn't silenced those trolls earlier not because she lacked the ability, but because she needed more people to realize she was the real deal—a necessary step for her future earnings.

And now, wasn't this the perfect opportunity to slap those haters in the face? Jiang Rui smiled. The netizens didn't know why she was smiling, but seeing her look so incredibly beautiful, they fell silent.

"Fine, since you all want to see, I’ll be a good sport and show you."

Ignoring the opinions of the netizens, and disregarding Li Qiang and his companion, Jiang Rui quickly formed hand seals and muttered something under her breath. It was too far to hear clearly, but it sounded like, "By the order of Taishang Laojun, manifest."

As Jiang Rui finished, she flicked her hand toward the camera. A miraculous sight occurred: a person appeared out of thin air next to Li Qiang.

Well, calling her a "person" wasn't quite accurate, as the figure was ethereal, like a wisp of smoke. She looked quite ordinary—dark hair, a round, chubby face, and two cute dimples. While she wasn't a great beauty, her features were pleasant, and she looked quite adorable.

Suddenly seeing a transparent person appear out of nowhere—it would be impossible not to be terrified. No normal person could exist in such a state.

"Mommy, is this something I get to see for free?"

"Grandma, I’ve finally made it! I actually saw a ghost!"

"Wait, isn't it said that ghosts are supposed to have green faces and sharp fangs? This doesn't look scary at all?"

Of course, it wasn't scary; that was all Jiang Rui's doing. She didn't dare let the girl appear in the state she was in at the time of her death. If she had, her channel would have been banned immediately—there would have been no other outcome.

"Tell me your story. Why haven't you reported to the Underworld? Why linger in the mortal realm?"

"Master, my name is Zheng Ru. I died an unjust death! I cannot accept it! I haven't had my revenge yet; how could I be willing to enter the cycle of reincarnation?"

"Hmm, tell me exactly what happened."

Zheng Ru glared viciously at Li Qiang and Xiao Min, the hatred in her eyes surging like a flood. A sky-high resentment echoed through the room.

"Master, I worked at a bank. Xia Min and I were colleagues. We worked together for over five years and had a great relationship. We were as close as sisters, sharing everything. A few months ago, Xia Min told me she was getting married and asked if I wanted to be a bridesmaid. As her best friend, I, of course, couldn't refuse. I even asked her if her husband's side had any traditions of 'wedding hazing.'

"I grew up in the countryside, and when I was a child, I saw with my own eyes how, on the wedding night, the groom's friends raped the bridesmaid. The bridesmaid didn't have the courage to go to the police, and because the countryside is so conservative, she ended up marrying the man who raped her. He was ugly and indulged in every vice—drinking, gambling, whoring. She was domestically abused shortly after marrying him and eventually died. Since then, the very idea of being a bridesmaid has left me traumatized.

"Xia Min promised me there would be no such customs. Hearing that, I finally felt at ease. On the day of their wedding, I took a three-hour high-speed train to Li Qiang's house. I bought them a cake and gave a gift of five thousand yuan. Everything was normal during the day, but the nightmare began at night. I regret it so much—I regret going to her wedding. If I hadn't gone, I wouldn't have died.

"That night, after all the guests had left, I wanted to go home, but it was too far. Xia Min insisted I stay and leave the next day. I thought it made sense; we hadn't seen each other in so long, and we could catch up. At dinner, we were joined by two of Li Qiang's friends. They kept pressuring me to drink. At first, I refused, but then I thought it wouldn't be good to be a buzzkill—after all, we were all young people, and I didn't want to be unsociable."

As she spoke, the yin energy around Zheng Ru grew even denser, making it clear that what happened next was anything but ordinary.

"I had one beer. Shortly after, I lost all sensation. I don't even know when I collapsed. When I woke up, I felt hands roaming over my body. I tried to open my eyes to see who it was, but my eyelids were so heavy. I reached out to push the hands away, but I had no strength at all; my mind was groggy. I suspect they spiked my drink. Otherwise, I wouldn't have ended up like that.

"Just then, I heard Xia Min's voice. She said: 'Xiao Ru? I'm doing this for your own good. You've been single for so many years without a man to comfort you. That's not good. So, tonight, I found a man to keep you company. This guy is a good man, very honest.'

"When I heard that, a surge of fury erupted from the depths of my soul. Is that even human language? I don't know where I found the strength, but I suddenly became much clearer-headed. 'Xia Min, why would you do this to me? How could you betray me like this? I treated you like a sister, a best friend, and this is how you set me up? You are absolutely despicable.'

"Xia Min just smiled. 'It's precisely because we're best friends that I want to keep the "good stuff" in the family. See how good a friend I am? I always think of you when there's something good.'

"Master, can you believe that? I struggled with all my might, but it was useless. That man tore all my clothes off in one go. I tried to run, but my legs were weak; I had no strength at all.

"'Don't struggle, baby. Brother will take good care of you. You're my heart and soul. I've missed you so much. Just wait, Brother will make you feel like you're in heaven soon.' I was terrified, truly terrified. I turned my tear-filled eyes toward my 'best friend.' Master, guess what she was doing?"