Chapter Four: Possession by a Ghost

The next morning, I got up early and went back to the company to ask my boss for leave. Coincidentally, he wasn’t around. I saw the company’s secretary busy nearby, so I walked over, greeted her, and tried to find out the boss’s “whereabouts.” With some sweet talk, I finally got her to reveal that he was out having a meal with a client from Hong Kong.

Seeing no other way, I called him directly to explain about taking leave. But he refused flatly, saying that half a year was far too long—he’d only allow me two days off to rest.

I considered just leaving without permission, but before I could say anything more, a furious voice thundered through the receiver: “Changfeng, listen to me, if you dare take leave without permission, I’ll fire you!”

Wang Tingting happened to be walking by with a cup of coffee. Hearing the boss’s yelling from the phone, she covered her mouth and stifled a laugh.

Left with no alternative, I made a face at her. It seemed I’d have to resign. This would be my twelfth resignation this year.

Looking at the busy office, I sighed. I walked over to the secretary, handed her my resignation letter, and said helplessly, “Miss, please give this to the boss when he returns. If there’s ever a chance, let’s have tea together. Heh.” As I turned to leave, I heard her exclaim in disbelief, “What! A resignation letter?”

To be honest, I hadn’t been with the company long, but I got along well with my colleagues, and the boss valued me. I did feel a bit reluctant to leave so suddenly. With my back to the secretary, I put on a carefree air and said, “Goodbye, Miss. Let’s have tea sometime.”

Just as I stepped out the building, someone came running, panting, and grabbed my sleeve. “Changfeng, wait for me!”

It was Wang Tingting, that troublesome girl.

She looked at me pitifully. “Master, why did you resign? Actually, I just resigned too, hehe!” She leaned in conspiratorially. “Are you going somewhere fun with such a long leave? Take me with you!”

I gave a wry smile—this girl was bold and made me regret my decision. Ever since I’d helped her once, she’d been clinging to me, calling me ‘Master’ and pestering me to teach her martial arts. I really regretted saving her.

“Why are you always making trouble? You had a good job. Why follow me?” I scolded, annoyed.

“I’m just a troublemaker, aren’t I? If you hadn’t saved me last time, I’d actually be dead now,” Wang Tingting said, aggrieved. “It’s your fault for saving me. If you’d let me die, it would’ve been over. Now I can’t help but want to follow you whenever I see you. Hmph!”

She acted like I’d wronged her by saving her, but then her face suddenly brightened mischievously. “Master Changfeng, hero Changfeng, big brother Changfeng—how did you do that technique last time? Teach me, please!”

When I didn’t answer, she sidled up, patted me on the shoulder, and whispered, “We’re friends, aren’t we? I’ll tell you what—teach me kung fu, and I’ll help you get a date with the secretary!”

“Come on! Miss, we’re not ‘bros’ at all!” I noticed people glancing at us, feeling overwhelmed. I lowered my voice, “Miss, you’re a girl. Can’t you be a bit more reserved? If you keep pressing your chest against me like that, I might react.” I shook her off and walked away without looking back. “If you want to practice martial arts, go be a monk at Shaolin.”

Seeing I was ignoring her, Wang Tingting stamped her foot and shouted after me, “Changfeng, listen up! No matter where you go, I’ll find you!”

I suppose I’m still human—because I have a shadow.

And Wang Tingting is like my shadow, following me everywhere. There were even rumors she was my girlfriend.

She was certainly qualified—beautiful enough to be a campus queen at university, with a stunning figure. I almost became physically intimate with her once, but that was just an accident.

But I know I’m not qualified to be her boyfriend. I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, and I’m afraid if she discovers my true identity, she’ll be hurt. So we always go against each other—whenever I say one, she says two. It’s as if I owe her from a past life.

Two weeks ago, on April third, the traditional Chinese festival of Qingming fell on a weekend. Around one in the morning, I was returning from a bar, just about to hail a taxi, when my right hand’s ring finger began to tremble uncontrollably. I was startled.

Whenever my ring finger moves on its own, I know something’s wrong. I calculated with my fingers, then, following the direction of the tremor, I ran as fast as I could.

I arrived at a construction site and ran into Wang Tingting and Xiaoya from the company.

Xiaoya was clearly drunk, and Wang Tingting was supporting her, both of them swaying as they walked.

Looking carefully, I noticed something odd: though they were together, only one shadow showed on the ground.

“Wang Tingting!” I called out, rushing over. “What’s wrong with Xiaoya?”

“She drank too much at the bar. I’m taking her home,” Wang Tingting replied, yawning, clearly exhausted.

I glanced at Xiaoya, sensing something was off. Judging by her complexion, I said urgently, “Something’s wrong with Xiaoya—it’s not just drunkenness!” I looked at Wang Tingting seriously.

Seeing my grave expression, Wang Tingting thought Xiaoya had alcohol poisoning. She pushed Xiaoya’s head gently, but as it lolled to the side, her face grew pale, and Wang Tingting panicked.

Placing Xiaoya by the roadside, I checked her eyes, then helped her sit up. I pressed two fingers to her forehead’s acupoint.

Wang Tingting grew anxious. “What should we do? Is she alright?”

“What day is it?”

“The third—but it’s past midnight, so the fourth!” Wang Tingting replied.

“Hmph, April fourth, Qingming. You two are brave to be out tonight.”

“What’s wrong with Xiaoya?” she pressed.

“She’s possessed,” I replied, focusing my energy. I bit my finger, dabbed some blood on her forehead, and silently chanted a mantra. Suddenly, I slapped her face—a thunderous palm strike. With that, a black shadow was driven out, shrieking as it dived into the ground.

Upon hearing the word ‘possession,’ Wang Tingting’s face turned white. Seeing me drive out a shadow with a single strike, she was so terrified she hid behind me, clutching my clothes.

Xiaoya gasped, coughing up a mouthful of black blood.

As soon as the black blood came out, she began to recover. With Wang Tingting still in shock, I told her to call emergency services.

She dialed, then stared at me blankly. “That black shadow… was it a ghost? There are really ghosts in this world?”

“If you believe, there are; if you don’t, there aren’t.” Seeing her so frightened, I felt a wave of pity. She looked at me, but I just shrugged helplessly.

“If there are ghosts, why aren’t you afraid? Are you a Taoist priest?” Wang Tingting asked seriously.

I laughed. “Miss, you’ve watched too much TV.” I couldn’t help but scold her. “Today is a day for honoring the dead. Wandering spirits with no one to commemorate them come out seeking replacements. You two are really brave to be out now.” With that, I told her to help me lift Xiaoya.

A few minutes later, the ambulance raced toward us from a distance.

As it approached, Wang Tingting waved for help. But I noticed something was wrong: in the front passenger seat, there was an extra shadow, controlling the driver, and the vehicle was veering straight toward Wang Tingting and Xiaoya.

As it drew near, it didn’t slow down at all. Wang Tingting screamed, dragging Xiaoya aside.

Seeing the ambulance about to hit them, my heart clenched. I dashed over and shoved them aside. The vehicle struck me instead.

I inhaled sharply. At the moment of impact, I struck the ambulance’s hood with my palm. With a boom, the front tire exploded. Using the force, I flipped over the car and landed on the other side.

That evil spirit was furious, wanting to escape into the ground. But I wasn’t about to let it go so easily.

“You’re not going anywhere,” I shouted. With a twist of my hands, I formed a Tai Chi gesture, pinched my fingers, and flicked my middle finger at the shadow, chanting, “Lin!” A ball of light shot from my fingers, forcing the shadow to dodge. I switched gestures and shouted, “Bing!” With a sizzle, the second strike hit the shadow, which began to smoke and scream, then dissipated as a wisp of green smoke into the earth.

I muttered to myself, “I gave you a chance, but you wouldn’t repent. You have only yourself to blame.”

Once the ambulance stopped, the driver jumped out, bewildered. I patted his shoulder and told him to take Xiaoya to the hospital.

By the time I finished Xiaoya’s admission procedures, it was already past two in the morning. The police arrived to take statements and informed me they might need to investigate further.

Seeing the time, I planned to leave, but from that moment on, Wang Tingting started clinging to me, threatening that if I didn’t teach her kung fu, she’d tell everyone about that night.

Honestly, I wasn’t afraid—no one would believe her anyway. In this age of science, people would just think she’d watched too many horror movies.

In the end, though she didn’t expose me, she stuck to me even more, pestering me every day.