Xuno smiled at me and said, "You saw what happened tonight. If the medicine spirit hadn't taken on your human form and died in your place, that little boy would have devoured you by now…"
Her words left me in a daze. I stared at her for a long time before asking, "That little boy just now—was he human or ghost?"
Xuno rolled her eyes at me and replied, "Of course he was a ghost! And not just any ghost, but a vicious, malevolent spirit brimming with resentment… Even my martial uncle couldn't subdue a ghost like him—with a mole by the eye, a sure sign of deep hostility… And yet you managed to trick him into swallowing the Soul-Severing Herb and completely obliterated him. That's no small feat."
Her praise made me feel a little smug. I scratched my head, somewhat embarrassed, just about to boast a little when she continued, "But such a ghost child must have even more formidable ghost parents. By killing their offspring, you've likely invited their wrath…"
Fear surged within me as I listened to her. Just a few little ghosts had already left me bewildered and terrified—if their parents came seeking revenge, how could I possibly survive? Yet a sense of injustice rose in me. The drawer was clearly stocked with honeysuckle—who on earth had replaced it with the lethal Gut-Rending Grass?
I recounted everything that had happened over the past two days to Xuno. After listening, her brows furrowed deeply. She then explained that no one could open the apothecary's cabinets before midnight. Any switching of herbs had to occur between midnight and four in the morning—a time when I was usually at the cabinet myself…
Wait—something's wrong!
I suddenly remembered: earlier today, someone had tampered with the time on my phone. When I unlocked the door, it was already past midnight.
Then it hit me—yesterday, thirteen people had entered the apothecary to buy medicine, but only twelve had left. That means… all of this could very well be the work of the one who stayed behind—no, not a person, but a ghost!
I told Xuno everything. After pondering it for a while, she stood and began searching the apothecary thoroughly.
Her gaze suddenly stopped at one point, eyes fixed behind the door to my room. Her brows drew together as she took careful steps toward it and slowly pushed it open.
Following her line of sight, I looked—there, on the floor behind the door, was a small puddle of water.
Seeing the wet spot sent a chill down my spine. It meant someone—or something—had been hiding behind my door all day. A ghost. And I had been completely unaware!
The thought of spending an entire night in the same room with a ghost made my skin crawl.
Xuno, still smiling, looked at me and said, "Seems like my junior brother's fate is pretty tough—sharing a night with a water ghost and still surviving."
"Your junior brother?" I blinked in confusion, not quite understanding.
Her brows furrowed slightly, and a flicker of irritation flashed in her eyes. "You, of course! Stop pretending."
I had no mind to argue. My thoughts were tangled with questions about the water ghost and everything that had happened today. I walked over and asked, "Xuno—uh, Miss Xuno—"
Before I could finish, she rapped me lightly on the head. "Call me Senior Sister!"
"Alright, alright, Senior Sister Xuno. What on earth is going on? Why have I been targeted by a ghost? Could the one who stayed in the shop be Zhang Kun?"
Xuno shook her head. "The Apothecary of Fragrant Remedies is filled with ancient, spiritual herbs. Only benevolent spirits with no ill will can enter. Of course, there are exceptions—powerful, resentful ghosts might still be able to resist the spiritual energy and force their way in… But Zhang Kun? His strength is far from enough. He couldn't possibly enter."
No wonder Zhang Kun had tried to lure me out during the day. He couldn't harm me in the apothecary, nor could he enter it at night. That's why he went to such lengths to get me outside… But what I couldn't understand was—back in university, I treated Zhang Kun like a brother. I always stood up for him. Why would he want to harm me?
"Junior Brother, did you do something unforgivable—something that defied heaven's will—to be haunted by such evil spirits?" Xuno eyed me suspiciously.
For twenty-two years, I hadn't even dared watch a chicken get slaughtered—how could I possibly have the courage to commit some heinous act? I firmly denied it and again insisted I wasn't her junior brother.
Xuno pressed me to think harder—perhaps someone in my family had done something shameful. But in my memory, three generations of my family were kind-hearted farmers, honest and upright. I told her so.
"Then who on earth wants you dead?" she asked.
"How the hell would I know?!" I snapped.
I thought hard about everything that had happened. Before entering this apothecary, my life had been perfectly normal. All these strange events had only begun two days ago. No matter what, I couldn't stay here any longer. I began packing. "Even if it kills me, I'm done with this job. Let your so-called martial uncle come back and watch over the shop himself!"
"You're quitting? Heh. Then prepare to die. Without the protection of this apothecary, I doubt you'll last a day before turning into a corpse…" Xuno crossed her arms. The silver charm hanging from her chest chimed crisply as she moved.
Seeing my disbelief, she went on, "You saw it yourself—outside just now, that half-eaten version of you, strangled by the little boy?"
I stared at her blankly.
"That was a ginseng spirit, three centuries old, who had taken your form. The Apothecary of Fragrant Remedies doesn't stock ordinary herbs. Most have centuries of history and possess their own consciousness. That ginseng willingly sacrificed itself for you. If not for it, you'd be in that ghost's belly right now."
I gaped at her, stunned. If I hadn't witnessed it myself, I'd never have believed a word.
"In the end, the ghost child perished because you gave him the wrong herb. His parents will certainly come for you. And don't forget the ghost who's been deliberately plotting against you… Do you really think you'll survive out there without the apothecary's protection?" Xuno, dressed in her traditional Miao skirt, spoke with a faint, ever-present smile.
Seeing that smile made me angry—it was as if my death had nothing to do with her. And perhaps it really didn't. After all, she had no ties to me. But I was never one to back down. I'd been student council president at university—I wasn't about to admit defeat now.
"The reason I'm here is because your con-artist of a martial uncle tricked me. He never told me the truth about this place, so the contract we signed is null and void. I can leave whenever I want!" I said stubbornly.
"Then go. No one's stopping you." Xuno, short hair neat and sharp, flopped onto my bed as she spoke.
Fine, I'll go. Who's afraid of whom?
I didn't know if I was trying to prove something to her or just acting out of stubborn pride. Even though I knew Xuno wasn't lying—that leaving the apothecary would be dangerous—my feet were already moving.
But just two steps out, my phone buzzed with a new message. I glanced at it—it was another anonymous text, just four words: Danger Outside the Apothecary.
I froze. Then immediately redialed the number. But all I heard was the robotic voice: "The number you have dialed is not in service."
Confused, I lowered the phone. Only three seconds had passed—how could the number suddenly be unreachable?
Could the sender… have vanished into thin air?