How many unknown things in this world remain unexplored? Perhaps only the gods know.
Just days ago, I never would have imagined facing such crushing fear.
To me, this underground palace was already absurd beyond reason. Now, in this silent corridor, a desolate female voice echoed—mimicking our words like a parrot.
I stared into the darkness where the sound came from. Fear gripped me so tightly I nearly burst into tears.
Mom’s expression was equally grave. Clearly, she had no idea what ghostly thing lurked ahead.
“Let’s check it out,” she whispered, drawing her short knife and creeping forward.
I followed close behind. Having given her my knife, I clutched one of the few remaining flares. The flashlight flickered unsteadily—utterly unreliable.
I’d heard it clearly: the voice was thin, like a frail woman murmuring to herself… yet repeating Mom’s words:
“Xiao Ji~ Xiao Ji~ Xiao Ji~"
Hollow, lingering, desolate, eerie.
Strange—we’d been so absorbed in talking we hadn’t noticed it until now.
...
Mom suddenly waved me to stop.
I held my breath, brow furrowed, staring hard into the flashlight’s beam…
Nothing.
...
I let out a slight sigh of relief and wiped cold sweat from my brow. But Mom’s face had gone deathly pale, frozen in the darkness ahead.
I gently poked her arm. No reaction. Her eyes stayed locked forward.
“Nan… Whispering Maiden…” she murmured.
“What Lingnan Chicken?” I whispered, confused.
...
Then I sensed it too—a faint, bizarre sound. *Clack-clack*. Like geta striking stone.
The sound itself wasn’t strange. But here? Deep underground? Profoundly wrong.
Terrified, I struck the flare and hurled it into the dark before Mom could speak.
Thankfully, this ancient palace of the Dragon Tamer Clan lacked sophisticated traps. In any other tomb, recklessly igniting a flare might’ve triggered explosives.
...
Light flooded the corridor—blinding after the gloom. Squinting hard, I saw her: a slender figure standing rigidly ahead. Tattered plain gauze clung to her frame. Greasy black hair, matted into thick ropes, fell to her waist. Utterly desolate. Utterly eerie. Just one glance raised every hair on my arms.
Beneath the gauze—jet-black geta. Exactly as I’d imagined.
But that wasn’t what stole my breath.
She was stepping backward. One distorted step after another. Closing in.
*This* was a ghost? Never mind why she walked backward—the sight of her back alone nearly made me sob.
Frozen, I stiffly turned to Mom…
She’d already retreated far down the hall, frantically waving me over.
I scrambled back—but my legs buckled. I tumbled hard onto the stone.
Glancing back, I saw her movements twist wildly, speed surging.
*Clack-clack-clack!* The geta sounds turned frantic.
The monster lunged, limbs flailing. I couldn’t breathe. Darkness edged my vision.
*Please… let this be a nightmare. Just wake up.*
But I knew—this damn well wasn’t a dream. Hot tears spilled down my cheeks.
...
“Get up! Don’t let her catch you!”
Mom was suddenly at my side, hauling me up. We sprinted back the way we came. My legs trembled back to life. Barely keeping pace.
Yet the *clack-clack* pressed closer—sharper, clearer. Right behind us.
Then the voice returned, icy and mocking:
“Get up, don’t get caught… get up, don’t get caught…”
A chill shot through me. I glanced back.
A clump of greasy black hair brushed my cheek.
“Oh my god!”
Her hair kept grazing my back—she’d caught up.
Mom instantly let go. I stumbled forward, then—survival instinct screaming—I bolted.
From the corner of my eye: Mom seized the ghost’s gauze robe, blade flashing to her throat. Thrust. Slash—180 degrees right. A crisp *snap*.
The geta ghost shrieked—a piercing wail. Her head tumbled. The scream echoed down the corridor…
...
...
“But… if you could take her down, why run?” I panted, kneeling weakly.
Mom wiped her knife, flashlight beam on the black, foul liquid pooling from the severed neck. She shook her head.
“I wasn’t sure I could handle her. If you hadn’t faltered back there… I wouldn’t have known I had it in me~”
She flashed the light at me, smiling. A strained, tired smile.
Then I saw it—the severed head faced me directly. Wax-yellow bandages wrapped a grotesque face. No eyes. No nose. Only a gaping maw of jagged fangs, black blood oozing from the corners…
