The hospital ward, permeated with the smell of disinfectant, held a patient whose entire arm was wrapped in bandages. His name was Yu Zhen, a second-year medical student and the sole survivor of the recent "Female Ghost Incident" at the medical university. He recounted his terrifying experience to me and Zhen Zhen, his body trembling uncontrollably at certain parts—perhaps the most horrifying ordeal of his life.
That day, money had arrived from home, so I treated Fatty and Four-Eyes to drinks at the Bat Bar outside the school. We ran into two decent-looking girls there. We'd planned to get them drunk, but they turned out to be surprisingly good drinkers. In the end, not only did we fail to get them drunk, but we also lost track of time and missed curfew.
The old man at the security office, Uncle Liu, was pretty sneaky. If we asked him to open the gate for us, he wouldn't say much at the time, but he'd definitely report us to the homeroom teacher the next day. We'd already fallen for that trick several times during our freshman year, so this time, we decided to climb the back wall to get in.
To reach the dormitory area from the back of the school, we had to pass through a grove of camphor trees—a place known for being eerie, with rumors of a female ghost haunting it. But we'd always dismissed it as just a legend. Who knew we'd actually encounter her that night?
As soon as we entered the woods, something felt off. It was much colder than usual. I figured it might be because of the alcohol, so I didn't think much of it and just wanted to get back to the dorm as quickly as possible. But not long after stepping into the woods, I faintly heard a woman singing—what sounded like a nursery rhyme. My scalp tingled with fear. If I'd been alone, I would've bolted right then. Even though it was my first time hearing that rhyme, I remembered it clearly.
...
*Hiss, hiss, hiss, the White Snake Immortal,*
*Lives a thousand years, powers boundless.*
*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, the north wind blows,*
*Belly full, heart tastes fresh.*
*Snore, snore, snore, no need to ask the heavens,*
*In immortal's abode, sleep a hundred years.*
*Boom, boom, boom, guests arrive uninvited,*
*Bring no gifts, but cook the host.*
...
The singing drifted in and out, ethereal and eerie, impossible to pinpoint. The more I listened, the more terrified I became. Fatty was bold and sturdy, so with him leading the way, Four-Eyes and I felt a little safer and followed him in a sprint toward the dorms. But before long, we saw the female ghost...
At first, we thought someone had hung a white dress on a tree to scare people. The camphor trees were so dense that most of the moonlight was blocked, making it hard to see clearly. All we could make out was a stark white figure ahead. By the time we realized it was a female ghost in white holding a baby, she was already charging at us. We screamed and ran for our lives.
Fatty, being overweight, was the slowest and the first to be caught. I heard his screams, his cries for help. I could even picture the ghost pinning him down, tearing him open, and digging out his heart. But I was too terrified to look back—I just kept running desperately toward the edge of the woods.
Four-Eyes had been ahead of me, but maybe his poor eyesight tripped him up. If I'd stopped to help him, maybe he wouldn't have died...
(At this point, Yu Zhen suddenly stopped trembling, but tears gushed from his eyes like a flood. Perhaps the guilt of abandoning his friend to save himself would torment him for the rest of his life.)
Just as I was about to break out of the woods, a blood-curdling shriek came from behind, and a bloodstained ghostly claw grabbed my arm. The ghost's fingers were slender but clamped onto my arm like a vice, her razor-sharp nails sinking deep into my flesh. Blood gushed out, staining my sleeve. I was so scared I nearly fainted—coming face-to-face with a ghost was horrifying. Even though I only caught a glimpse, the image was seared into my mind: disheveled hair covering most of her face, a blood-red left eye faintly visible, one corner of her lips curled into an eerie smirk. Her white clothes were stained with a vivid splash of blood, like a rose blooming in snow, radiating a suffocating, macabre beauty.
I don't know where I found the courage, but I suddenly kicked her. But I missed and instead sent the baby in her arms flying. The baby couldn't have been more than three months old—completely naked, skin pale as snow. It didn't cry when it was kicked away, probably already dead. She seemed frantic, shrieking as she lunged for it. Thinking she'd let go, I bolted out of the woods and kept running until I'd climbed over the school wall.
Only then did I notice my sleeve was torn and my entire arm drenched in blood. At first, I thought the ghost's nails had just scratched me, but upon closer inspection, I realized all the skin on my arm had been stripped off...
After hearing Yu Zhen's account, I mentally sorted through the key points:
First, the fact that the ghost could flay the skin from his entire arm not only proved her terrifying strength but also confirmed my earlier suspicion—she had a physical form. She wasn't some intangible specter but likely a living person. If not, then at least something like a reanimated corpse.
Second, the "dead baby" Yu Zhen kicked away might be crucial to the case. Assuming the ghost was human, she was either severely mentally ill or possessed by the baby's spirit. I leaned toward the former, since I wasn't one to blindly believe in ghosts.
Another noteworthy detail was the nursery rhyme the ghost sang. The lyrics were bizarre, and their meaning wasn't immediately clear. Maybe the rhyme had no special significance, but my gut told me it was connected to the case.
After leaving the hospital with Zhen Zhen, we went to speak to Yu Zhen's attending physician about his condition. His doctor was the hospital's deputy director, indicating how seriously they were taking his case. The deputy director flipped through the medical records and said, "His condition is stable for now, with no signs of poisoning..."
"Poisoning? Why would he be poisoned?" Zhen Zhen asked, confused.
"Well..." The deputy director hesitated. "Perhaps you should visit the forensic department..."
The Forensic Medicine Department of the Public Security Bureau—a place I hadn't stepped foot in for two years, though I'd been a frequent visitor before that. After exchanging greetings with a few old acquaintances in the hallway, I led Zhen Zhen straight into the office. A sleazy-looking man in a white lab coat was organizing files at his computer. When he saw me, he immediately dropped what he was doing and spread his arms for a hug.
"Hey, Brother Mu! What brings you here? Transferred back to the Criminal Investigation Bureau? Shouldn't we celebrate with a drink or two?"
I jumped back. "Brother Ye, you should always remember you're in an undesirable profession. Don't go rubbing your corpse stench on me."
Ignoring my jab, he turned his attention to Zhen Zhen, extending a hand for a shake. "I'm forensic pathologist Ye Liunian. You must be Mu's partner?"
Zhen Zhen wasn't stupid—she hid her hands behind her back and gave a slight bow. "Nice to meet you, Dr. Ye. I'm Li Zhenzhen. Pleased to meet you."
Liunian chuckled wryly before asking me, "So, what brings you here?"
I pinched my nose. "What else? To see dead bodies, of course. Hurry up—I can't stand your corpse smell much longer."
"Dammit, Mu, you bastard! Cursing me the moment you see me? Just you wait..." Liunian wasn't exactly normal, but he wasn't dumb either. Realizing I'd called him a corpse, he lunged at me, wrapping me in a bear hug and even puckering up for a kiss. Good heavens, I'd have to wash myself with rice water tonight to get rid of the stench.
Zhen Zhen watched us with disgust, probably wondering if we were a couple.
After the scuffle, Liunian led us to the formaldehyde-scented autopsy room and pulled out two bodies covered in white sheets. He lifted the first sheet with a flourish, as if showing off to Zhen Zhen. "First time here? Brace yourself."
Under the sheet was an emaciated corpse—undoubtedly "Four-Eyes" from Yu Zhen's story. The body's fists were clenched, with several long, thin wounds on the right arm oozing small amounts of blackened blood. There were no obvious signs of lividity. The facial muscles were severely contorted, the skin darkened, the lips nearly black as ink. The eyes bulged slightly, giving the corpse an expression of死不瞑目 (death without closure)—truly terrifying. Seeing this in the middle of the night would probably scare someone to death.
Zhen Zhen frowned after just a glance. Liunian picked up the report and read solemnly: "Deceased: Luo Weiguang, 20 years old. Four claw marks on the right arm, bite marks on the right side of the neck. No other significant external injuries. Preliminary cause of death: poisoning."
"Any idea what kind of poison?"
Liunian scratched his head. "We ran tests. It's an unknown type of alkaloid—unbelievably potent, several times deadlier than poison dart frog toxin."
As far as I knew, poison dart frogs were among the most toxic creatures on Earth. A single frog, less than five centimeters long, carried enough venom to kill 20,000 mice—almost instant death. If something was even deadlier, there was only one possibility: "Could it be gu poison?"
"I can't say for sure, and I can't write that in the report. What I can tell you is that the venom entered the victim's bloodstream through the neck wound. Conservative estimate: death occurred within a minute. Realistically, it might've been mere seconds. The brain likely shut down the moment he was bitten." Even Liunian, who'd seen countless corpses, shuddered.
His explanation made gu poison seem even more plausible. Though I doubted the killer was a ghost, if her teeth or saliva carried venom this lethal, could she even be considered human? Maybe I should assume the killer was some kind of reanimated corpse.
"Look at the victim's arm." Liunian pointed to the claw marks. They were unusual—only four gashes, with a noticeable gap between the second and third. "The other victim had the same marks. The killer's right hand seems to be missing a middle finger, hence the spacing."
"And this one?" I pointed to the other sheet-covered body.
"No poison, but the death was even more gruesome..." After covering Four-Eyes, Liunian lifted the second sheet. This was Fatty's corpse. The body's coloration was normal, with lividity concentrated on the chest, abdomen, and other areas, suggesting he'd died lying face down. The lips were pale, the eyes closed. Multiple claw marks covered his arms, shoulders, and neck, but there were no bite wounds or obvious fatal injuries. I wasn't sure what Liunian meant by "more gruesome."
"No poison, no clear fatal wounds. Cause of death?"
"You'll understand when you see the back. Give me a hand—it's too heavy for me to flip alone." Liunian gestured for me to glove up. Reluctantly, I helped him turn the corpse. This Fatty was no joke—easily over 80 kilograms. Even with both of us, it took some effort.
Just before flipping the body, Liunian warned Zhen Zhen, "Brace yourself, beautiful."
"Uh-huh." Zhen Zhen responded absentmindedly, not taking his warning seriously. But the moment the body was turned, she took one glance, grabbed a nearby trash can, and vomited violently.
On the corpse's thick back was a palm-sized hole. Inside was empty—a bottomless void that evoked an inexplicable sense of dread.
"The heart's missing?" I frowned.
Liunian picked up the second report. "Deceased: Liu Dahai. Thirty-six claw marks on the body. Fatal injury: heart extracted. The wound on the back is relatively clean. As unbelievable as it sounds, it's almost certain the killer ripped it out bare-handed. However... no cardiac tissue was found at the crime scene."
"Could she have... eaten it?" My comment sent Zhen Zhen into another vomiting fit.
After saying goodbye to Liunian, I teased Zhen Zhen, "Got all that out of your system? Wanna grab a bite? There's a place nearby famous for its spicy duck hearts."
Zhen Zhen glared at me, looking ready to puke again, and kicked me square in the rear. "One more word, and I'll show you what a martial arts champion can do."
I brushed off the shoe print and shrugged. "Fine, let's head to the medical university for some investigating..."
Our boss had some connections with the university's President Lu, so our first stop was his office. But he happened to be out—probably dealing with fallout from the ghost incident. With no one to report to, we headed straight to the crime scene.
The crime scene was an extremely gloomy camphor grove. The forensics team had already processed it, taking all portable evidence and documenting the rest. After circling the area a few times without finding anything new—aside from the dense canopy blocking most sunlight—we decided to question people at the dormitory.
The grove was behind the girls' dorm, a fair distance from the boys' dorm. As we exited the woods, I casually stopped a passing female student. "Hey, beautiful, got a minute to chat? Ow—"
Zhen Zhen kicked me from behind, sending me stumbling aside. She then roughly grabbed the girl's shoulder and flashed her badge. "Police! What's your name?"
The girl looked terrified. "I-I'm Yaxian... Zhao Yaxian. I didn't do anything wrong. Why are you grabbing me?"
"Whether you did anything wrong isn't up to you! Tell me everything you know about the murder the other night!" Zhen Zhen's attitude was downright aggressive—probably a holdover from her riot police days.
"I don't know anything!" Yaxian was on the verge of tears.
"Look at you, scaring the poor girl. Let me handle this." Disapproving of Zhen Zhen's approach, I gently pushed her hand away. (I made sure to be "gentle"—no need for another kick.)
Dealing with tough criminals required even tougher tactics, but civilians deserved courtesy, especially sweet, gentle girls. "Don't be scared, little sister. Officer Big Brother isn't here to arrest you—just to flirt. Hey, you've got chocolate growing on your head..." I plucked an imaginary piece of chocolate from her hair and "handed" it to her, taking the chance to cop a feel. (Her hands were soft.)
"Oh! You can do magic tricks? Hehe!" Yaxian quickly relaxed. I cracked a few jokes, making her laugh. Zhen Zhen snorted and muttered under her breath—something about me "only knowing how to trick little girls."
After some small talk, I steered the conversation toward the case. "Yaxian, can you tell me if anything unusual happened the night of the murder?"
"Um, I'm not sure if this counts..." After a moment's hesitation, she shared a strange story about the girls' dorm:
Room 106 on the first floor has been empty for years. Rumor has it a girl died there long ago, and it's been haunted ever since—so no one dares live there.
I heard about it from upperclassmen when I first arrived. Since I'd never seen anything myself, I only half-believed it. But after moving into Room 105 (right across from 106), I started hearing footsteps in the hallway at 2 or 3 a.m.
At first, I thought it was someone going to the bathroom. But after a while, I realized something was off. The bathroom's at the end of the hall, yet the footsteps always started at the entrance and stopped outside 106 before reversing.
Once, while chatting with an upperclassman, I mentioned it. She told me a girl from Room 108 once opened her door at night to use the bathroom and heard footsteps. When she peeked out, she saw a female ghost in white, hair disheveled, carrying a bag as she walked in from the entrance. The girl was so scared she nearly wet herself, slammed the door, and hid under her covers. The next day, she moved off-campus.
"Did you hear it the night of the murder?" I asked.
Yaxian nodded. "I hear it almost every night. My bed's near the door, so it's clear. I've just never dared to look. Everyone on the first floor knows—no one goes to the bathroom at night."
"Can you take me to your dorm supervisor?"
"I can take you, but she's kind of scary. Be careful." Yaxian cheerfully looped her arm through mine as we walked to the girls' dorm, chattering about how strict the supervisor, Ms. Yu, was and how she loved picking on the girls. Zhen Zhen trailed behind, unamused.
Too intimidated to face Ms. Yu herself, Yaxian dropped us at the supervisor's office and fled. Inside, a woman in her fifties dozed in a chair. I woke her, explained our purpose, and requested access to Room 106.
"It's just a storage room. Always locked, no one goes in or out. Nothing to investigate. But if you insist, follow me." Clearly annoyed at being disturbed, Ms. Yu grabbed her keys and led the way.
Though she claimed Room 106 was always locked, she opened it effortlessly. As she'd said, it was just a storage room, packed with boxes of miscellaneous items—nothing unusual. The oddest detail was that while the floor was dirty, it wasn't dusty, whereas the boxes were coated in a visible layer of dust.
Zhen Zhen opened a few boxes, finding old sports equipment. "Why isn't this stuff stored in the gym?"
"No space in the gym, so it's here. No one dares live here anyway." Ms. Yu's tone was as sour as her expression.
"Why not?" Zhen Zhen pressed, equally rude.
"Why? Someone died here!" Ms. Yu replied theatrically. "A girl died in this room ten years ago. After that, people said it was haunted. No one would stay, so we used it for storage."
Zhen Zhen shuddered slightly, glancing around. "So... it's really haunted?"
"Ghosts? Pah! The only ghosts around here are scaredy-cats. I've been the dorm supervisor for over a decade and haven't seen a single ghost." Ms. Yu's sarcasm made Zhen Zhen blush.
"Students claim to hear strange noises here at night. Any truth to that?" I interjected.
"Don't believe their nonsense. I patrol multiple times every night after lights-out and never hear a thing." Ms. Yu's tone was firm—likely a staunch skeptic.
Nothing stood out in the room except the window. I tried opening it but couldn't, no matter how hard I pulled. It seemed to have been violently damaged—but with that much force? From a woman?
Ms. Yu glanced over. "That window's been broken for years. No idea how long it's been stuck."
It was a sliding aluminum window with tea-colored glass so dust-covered it was nearly opaque. Through the grime, I could just make out the crime scene woods outside. If the window could open, this room would become significantly more suspicious.
I lingered by the window, lighting a cigarette. After a few puffs, Ms. Yu scowled. "Officer, no smoking in here. This is a storage room—if a fire starts, who'll take responsibility?"
I shrugged at Zhen Zhen. "I'll smoke outside."
In the hallway, I spotted Yaxian waving from Room 105 across the hall. Inside, she and her roommates swarmed me. Guess I'm popular after all!
We chatted and played cards—all in the name of gathering intel, of course. One girl mentioned that if we wanted to know everything about the medical university, we should talk to Uncle Liu, the gatekeeper.
"You're slacking off? Go to hell!" Just as I was getting into the game, Zhen Zhen stormed in and kicked me over, sending the girls scattering.
"Who's slacking? I'm working!" I stood, dusting myself off.
"Playing cards counts as work?" Zhen Zhen's eyes blazed as if I'd murdered her family.
"You weren't playing cards—did you find any leads? No? Then shoo. Don't interrupt my work. Go on, scram!" To ensure my safety, I shooed her out and resumed the game. She might've been handy with her fists, but her verbal skills were no match for mine.
After about an hour, Yaxian and her roommates left for class. I reluctantly said goodbye. The moment I stepped into the hallway, Zhen Zhen—who'd seemingly materialized out of nowhere—grabbed my collar and sneered, "Played cards all this time. Find any leads? If not, don't expect mercy."
I gently pried her hand away. "Ever heard of 'more haste, less speed'? Want leads? Follow me."
"Let's see what tricks you've got." She trailed behind me, fuming.
I led her to the gatehouse, where an old man sat playing chess alone—Uncle Liu. After studying the board, I suggested, "Cannon two to six."
Uncle Liu looked up, moved the cannon as I'd said, then pondered. "Chariot one to three."
"Horse six to eight." I took the empty seat opposite him.
"General four to five."
"Horse eight back to seven."
"Cannon two back to one."
...
After over an hour of intense play, the game ended in a draw. I smiled. "Uncle Liu, you're amazing. It's been ages since I've met someone as skilled as you."
Uncle Liu, clearly itching for more, said, "You're not bad yourself, kid. Another round?"
I checked my watch, then glanced at Zhen Zhen, who'd been impatiently waiting. "I'd love to, but duty calls..." I introduced myself and explained we were investigating the ghost killings but had hit a dead end.
"Instead of running around, you should've asked me. I've been the gatekeeper here for over thirty years—there's nothing I don't know. Come on, another game. I'll tell you about the ghost as we play." Uncle Liu quickly reset the board, launching into the ghost's backstory between moves...
This all started ten years ago. Back then, a girl living in Room 106 of the girls' dorm suddenly went crazy the night before graduation. She killed her roommate and ate her heart.
I went to see the room the next day. Blood everywhere—practically painted the floor red. Horrifying. But the weirdest part? The girl died so brutally, yet no one heard screams or even a struggle. The other two roommates claimed they'd gone to bed early and heard nothing, as if the victim had let herself be killed.
The higher-ups hushed it up to protect the school's reputation. Rumor has it they paid the victim's parents a hefty sum. The killer was sent to a mental hospital. After that, no one dared live in 106.
About two or three months later—early in the new semester, if I recall—a couple sneaked into the camphor grove behind the dorm at night. After that, no one saw them again. At first, people joked they'd eloped. But days later, a foul smell led dorm residents to their bodies. Gruesome deaths—the boy's face was black, the girl's heart ripped out.
It caused a panic. With no killer found and the girl's death mirroring the earlier case (heart removed), people started saying the dead girl's vengeful spirit was responsible.
Later, a few more people died in the grove under similar circumstances. Single victims had their hearts torn out; multiple victims had their faces blackened. Two or three escaped, all claiming the killer was a female ghost carrying a baby.
Whether coincidence or not, every incident happened on a full moon. Exaggerated rumors spread, and eventually, the school banned students from entering the grove at night. The last incident was five or six years ago. Most new students dismissed it as urban legend—until now...
After another two-hour match (another draw), I asked, "Do you remember the names of the girls from Room 106?"
Uncle Liu accepted the cigarette I offered, letting me light it. "With thousands of students, how could I remember? And it was ten years ago. Hmm... You might find something in the library's archives. Student records should still be there, though it'll take some digging."
"Then I'll head to the library. We'll play again sometime." I bid him farewell, signaling to Zhen Zhen—who'd been waiting so long she might've grown moss—that it was time to leave.
Uncle Liu waved from the doorway. "Come back anytime. I'm always here."
The sun was setting, but our workday wasn't over. To solve the case within the deadline, we couldn't afford delays. Without a moment's rest, we rushed to the library.