Chapter 27: Why Is It Always Me?
"Ren Fang, I'll save you!" Shao Xiaowen shouted, his eyes bloodshot.
He didn't mean to turn Ren Fang back into a human; he meant to set him free, ending his suffering under the ghost's control.
Dark brown scales spread across Shao Xiaowen's right arm, he had activated his Hunter ability. Kicking the ground hard, he lunged straight at Ren Fang.
Ren Fang raised both hands, summoning four metal spikes and hurling them at Shao Xiaowen. Two aimed for his chest, one for his abdomen, and another for his head.
Shao Xiaowen didn't flinch. His body leaned forward, evading the attack aimed at his head.
His scaled right arm deflected the two spikes heading for his chest. The spike targeting his abdomen tore through his hospital gown, but it stopped there; his scales glowed under the clothes, they had blocked the attack.
Ren Fang tried to summon another spike, but it was too late—Shao Xiaowen was already in front of him.
"REN FANG!" His voice carried all the pain and fury in his heart.
With a devastating punch to the chest, Shao Xiaowen shattered Ren Fang's rib cage and sent him crashing into the wall. The impact left deep cracks in the surface, the force shaking the room.
Even with broken bones and a pierced heart, Ren Fang still moved, preparing to strike again.
But Luo Li was faster.
She appeared before him in an instant, her fist glowing with raw power. With a brutal uppercut, she smashed his head into a pulp.
Ren Fang's headless body slumped to the ground.
The Hunters stood in silence, staring at Ren Fang's lifeless body.
They all knew the risks. Hunters died every day fighting ghosts, putting their lives on the line for the greater good.
Feng Fan had only participated in three ghost hunts, and in two of them, a Hunter had died.
Yet, no matter how often it happened, the loss never became easier to bear.
"Let's keep moving," Luo Li said, breaking the silence.
She turned and walked out of the room, the others following closely behind.
But after a few steps, she hesitated, looking a little lost. "Shao Xiaowen, you have the most experience here. Any idea where the ghost might be?"
Shao Xiaowen shook his head. "Most ghosts stay near places that held meaning to them when they were alive, but I don't know anything about this one..."
The group already knew that much, so his answer didn't help.
Luo Li shifted her gaze to Feng Fan. "You were the first to encounter this ghost. Do you have any leads?"
Feng Fan touched his chin, his brows furrowing in thought. He ran through everything he knew about Charles Cullen's case.
If this ghost was anything like the serial killer Charles Cullen, then his past life could hold clues to his whereabouts.
After a few moments, he spoke. "I believe this ghost was a nurse when he was alive. That means we should check the nurses' break room or the drug storage area."
Luo Li nodded. "Wu Yunru, lead the way!"
Wu Yunru felt like crying. 'Why is it always me?!'
But this time, he had no idea where to go. "Uh... but... where are those places?"
He glanced at Feng Fan, Luo Li, and Shao Xiaowen, but their blank expressions told him they didn't know either.
Feng Fan smirked. "Just pick a direction. With your luck, are you really worried you won't find it?"
Wu Yunru scratched his head. 'Huh... he has a point.'
"Alright, let's go," Wu Yunru said before rushing toward the exit of the hospital wing they were in.
This wing dealt with ghost-related injuries, so it wasn't the right place to find the nurses' resting area. They'd have to head to the common area instead.
They descended the stairs to the first floor, where the connection to other areas of the hospital was located. However, their path was blocked by twenty ghost slaves.
Feng Fan circulated his cultivation technique, readying himself for the fight. But before he could make a move, Luo Li's voice rang out behind him.
"Be careful, I can see at least one Hunter who's been turned into a ghost slave."
Feng Fan's expression darkened, but his resolve remained firm. The four of them pressed forward.
The twenty ghost slaves also didn't hesitate and lunged at them. As Luo Li had warned, one of the attackers had once been a Hunter.
The Hunter lingered at the back, not engaging with the others. Instead, he passed right through the wall beside him.
Feng Fan's eyes widened in surprise. "Watch out, the Hunter went into the wall!"
As soon as he spoke, the Hunter reemerged from the wall, his fist crackling with spiritual energy as it shot toward Feng Fan's head.
Feng Fan summoned black chains around his arms, using them to block the incoming blow. The force of the attack slammed into his arms, and he felt like he had been hit by a truck.
His arms nearly cracked as he was sent crashing into the wall behind him. If he hadn't reacted quickly, his head would have been shattered.
But he hadn't taken the blow in vain. The moment the Hunter struck, Shao Xiaowen grabbed the arm he had used to punch Feng Fan, pulling him out of the wall.
Shao Xiaowen's strength was too much for the Hunter to resist. The ghost slave was thrown to the ground, and Luo Li's fist followed up, smashing through his chest.
To ensure he was truly dead, Luo Li delivered another punch, completely obliterating his head.
One punch wasn't enough? Then she'd make sure the next one was.
"Guys, a little help here!" Wu Yunru shouted.
With Shao Xiaowen and Luo Li focused on dealing with the Hunter, Wu Yunru was slowly being overwhelmed by the other ghost slaves.
However, once the Hunter was taken care of, the remaining ghost slaves were no match for them. They were nothing more than easy targets to deal with.