Gu Yi's words struck Jiang Tao with tremendous force. The chain of events that evening had not only shattered his understanding of the world but had also intensely overstimulated his sensory nerves. It was a miracle he hadn't fainted or collapsed already. Yet, this newcomer, whom he’d briefly hoped was a rescuer, was now telling him he would certainly die if he didn't reach a certain destination. What was this—was he the rabbit waiting for a pie to fall from the sky? Even more incredible, Gu Yi claimed that the reason he encountered a ghost today was entirely because Brother Wu had failed to handle the "private job" he accepted yesterday. What was most unbearable to Jiang Tao was Gu Yi's final remark: if Brother Wu had managed that "private job" yesterday, then Brother Wu would have—died yesterday!

“Good heavens, what is all this nonsense?” Jiang Tao couldn't help but cry out in frustration.

Gu Yi let out a sinister, drawn-out chuckle. “The good Lord isn't going to manage your affairs.”

“Can you explain it more clearly?” Jiang Tao desperately wanted to understand.

Gu Yi leaned back in the rear seat with confident ease. “It’s simple. Your Brother Wu was entrusted yesterday to deliver the deceased woman's ashes. But that charlatan didn't look into the details. The deceased woman for whom this ghost marriage was being arranged was murdered after being raped. Did you notice she was wearing a red dress? That’s because her neck was cut, and her blood stained the garment completely red.”

“Hiss…” Jiang Tao gasped, a sharp intake of cold air.

“A violent death compounded by a cruel one. I don’t know if you can imagine the soaring resentment she possessed when she died. Even more unimaginable is that her family still wanted to hold some sort of ghost marriage for her. I learned this today from that swindler: your neighbor Brother Wu felt something was seriously wrong halfway through the drive yesterday. He actually threw the ashes and the photo out on the road and sped home. Only this morning did he backtrack, retrieve them, and deliver them to the swindler, stating he didn't want to do the job anymore. And that half-baked swindler didn't grasp the true gravity of the situation; with his mind focused only on the money he hadn't received, whether this guy has good fortune or just dumb luck, he’s scammed people so many times without ever truly encountering a ghost. Well, that good luck has officially run out.”

As he spoke, Gu Yi chuckled again, that same sinister tone echoing.

Hearing his laughter, Jiang Tao felt this person sounded no different from a ghost. Could it be due to constantly encountering them?

“So what if the wedding didn't happen? The female ghost should go after them, why is she targeting me?” Jiang Tao still couldn’t grasp the core issue.

“To put it plainly, that female ghost only recognizes the car, not the driver. And she desperately wants a substitute.”

“Substitute?”

“Oh, I forgot to mention the very coincidental part of this incident: that female ghost died right on Xiqing Road. What she needs now is to wait until you drive there, deal with you, and then possess the woman next to you. Who knows, she might manage to live on for a while using the body of the woman beside you,” Gu Yi said casually, occasionally encountering ghosts, making him too bored to offer lengthy explanations for such facts.

“Wait a moment…” Jiang Tao called out. “You said the ghost intends to kill me once we reach the spot? What about now? Have you already dealt with the female ghost? But… why do you still need me to keep driving to Xiqing Road?”

Gu Yi spread his hands. “I never said I dealt with her. I just chased her off for the moment. Unfortunately, the vengeful power from this female ghost’s violent death is too strong; exorcism isn't easy. Right now, the only option is to go to the place she died and figure something out then.”

“Uh…” Jiang Tao paused, feeling as if he were stepping onto a road of no return. He carefully reduced the car's speed and, after a moment of hesitation, asked, “Figure something out? You… can’t you just subdue her right now? You look like some kind of Daoist master; isn't ghost-catching your job?”

“Tch…” Gu Yi made a heavy, dissatisfied sound through his nose. “Who said my job is catching ghosts? Besides, this isn't as simple as mere ghost-catching. Don't you think that female ghost actually died quite miserably? To tell you the truth, I wouldn't blast a ghost into soul-scattering dust unless it was an absolute last resort. Understand?”

“So I have to risk my life?” Jiang Tao muttered softly.

Gu Yi’s ears were sharp, and he instantly caught the grumble. He said dismissively, “Would you feel better if I guaranteed your safety?”

“Will you?” Jiang Tao asked, unconvinced.

Gu Yi smiled faintly. “I’ll try my best.”

Jiang Tao had a distinct feeling that the man sitting behind him sounded unreliable. He really wanted to pull the car over immediately, get out, and somehow find his way home.

Gu Yi sensed Jiang Tao's thoughts and spoke with unusual seriousness. “Listen, you are entangled in this mess now. You can’t run away, even if you get out now or simply turn back home. That female ghost will haunt you from this day forward, and when that happens, you will encounter trouble far greater than this. In fact, you might even die much more miserably.”

Jiang Tao made a pained face, unsure what to say.

Seeing that the young man driving wasn't stopping, Gu Yi nodded in satisfaction and leaned back to rest.

“Uh… My name is Jiang Tao,” Jiang Tao felt it was time for an introduction.

Gu Yi responded with a simple, “Oh.”

Jiang Tao rolled his eyes, turned to look at Jin Qiu, and seeing she still had her eyes closed, appearing completely unaware, he let out a sigh.

“Why is she involved in this incident too?” Jiang Tao asked.

Gu Yi spread his hands. “Simply put, this was destined, or rather, she is unlucky, and you are both unlucky.”

Jiang Tao was truly speechless now.

The car was drawing closer to Xiqing Road when suddenly, Jiang Tao heard a cold sneer. The sound seemed to come from outside the car and yet right next to his ear. Gu Yi abruptly straightened his body.