My legs trembled under the weight. Stranger still, the bustling crowd froze, all eyes fixed on me—men, women, elders, children—their stares sending chills down my spine.
"Don't look at them. Keep walking," the old woman said.
I guessed the truth but refused to believe it—only those near death see ghosts in daylight, and I was no exception.
Twenty meters felt like an eternity. As I staggered to a stop, the old woman stood beside a young man burning paper. "Good lad. Go home—don't stay here."
"Grandma, did you fall?" I asked.
The man whirled, furious. "What grandma?"
His companions chimed in, pointing at me. "Yeah, what are you talking about?"
"The silver-haired granny in yellow," I said, confused.
Chaos erupted. A middle-aged man gaped at me. "Was she wearing a yellow blouse?"
I blinked—she was gone, along with the eerie crowd. Rubbing my eyes, I realized I'd encountered a ghost. But I was a yin-yang master with the Divine Eye—how could I fail to distinguish between the living and the dead?
"Answer me!" the man pressed. "Was that my mother come to collect money?"
Glancing at a photo, I gasped—it was her! The crowd had vanished, leaving only a few mourners. I'd helped the old woman "cross the river," shielding her from greedy spirits.
This wasn't right—those in good fortune rarely see ghosts, especially with my thriving career and love life. I lied, "My mistake. Sorry."
Called a lunatic, I closed my eyes, channeled qi, and activated the Divine Eye. The bustling scene reappeared—I'd truly seen a ghost.
Before I could recover, Zhao Na yelped. Zhao Zhiyong's photo fell, striking her head. A huge bump rose, but she wasn't bleeding.
"Why'd Dad hit me?" she whined.
"Just the wind. It's fine," I soothed.
"Let's leave—this ash is awful."
Glad to go, I needed to study the Maoshan Technique Records. Only those nearing death see ghosts—why was this happening to me?
Zhao Na dropped me at Yi Zhai, claiming a lawyer's meeting. I pored over the records until midnight, then called Old Wang.
"What's so urgent?" he snapped.
After explaining, he gasped, "You saw ghosts in broad daylight?"
"Clear as day. The book says it means my time is near. Master Wang, what's happening?" I pleaded.
He paused. "Since you're my heir, come to Wanghua Street, Dadong District. I'll send the address."
Hanging up, I stepped out. The starless night was unseasonably cool. Two drunk men eyed me from a restaurant step. "What's his problem?" one muttered. "Nutcase—ignore him."
A taxi crawled from an alley. I flagged it down and climbed in. "Wanghua Street," I told the driver.