Chapter 6Blackmailed
442 Words
Ning Yu hesitated to help me carry the KTV hostess, clearly wary of trouble. "Did you actually knock her out?" he asked, eyeing me suspiciously.
I rolled my eyes. "I pressed her Renzhong to disrupt the ghost’s control. It’s a pressure point, not a punch."
He didn’t understand a word but reluctantly helped me drag her to the bed. "Don’t do anything illegal," he warned, hovering nervously.
Before I could attempt to seal her Yintang, she suddenly snapped awake and slapped my wrist. "What are you doing? I’ll call the cops!" she yelled, glaring at us.
Her name was Xiang Li—or "Lili"—and she accused us of drugging her. "Explain why I’m in bed with you two here, or I’m pressing charges!"
Ning bristled. "You wanna sue? After we saved your—"
I cut him off. "Lili, you’ve rented here a year. Do I seem like a creep?"
She relented slightly but demanded answers. Reluctantly, I told her about the ghost.
She burst out laughing. "Possessed? That’s the dumbest lie I’ve heard!"
"Then why don’t you remember anything?" I shot back.
"You roofied me!"
Fed up, I threatened to call the police. "If the tests show no drugs, you’re out!"
Ning panicked. "Let’s settle this. What do you want?"
"Five months’ rent waived," she declared.
Ning dragged me downstairs. "The cops’ll think we’re nuts! Just pay her. I’ll cover it—my fault for giving you that cursed desk."
I refused his money. "Forget it. Let’s focus on the ghost."
Ning suggested tossing the desk, but I vetoed it. "If someone else takes it, their bad luck becomes our karma."
"Then crash at my place. Let the ghost tire itself out," he offered.
But I remembered—the haunting only started after we disturbed it.
Ning called his uncle, a seasoned antique dealer. After a scolding, his uncle texted a number: Master Wang, a Taoist priest.
Ning dialed, putting it on speaker. A booming voice answered. "Yes?"
Explaining the situation, Ning begged for help. Master Wang agreed to come but warned, "Travel costs extra."
"Deal," I said.
After hanging up, Ning exhaled. "It’ll be okay."
I studied his face—his Yintang glowed. A sign of impending luck. Maybe Master Wang was the real deal.
Xiang Li strutted downstairs later, dolled up for work. "Don’t forget—five months free!" she reminded, smirking.
I gritted my teeth. "Check your health. You’re headed for a serious illness."
She laughed. "First ghosts, now diseases? Nice try, Landlord Bro."
Ning sneered as she left. "Why bother? She’ll never listen."
I shrugged. Some warnings couldn’t wait. The ghost was just the beginning.
- Writer
