October 21, 11:45 p.m. Shanming City still blazed with light, as many people's nightlife had only just begun.
Inside a taxi, Ji Li's gray eyes stared silently at the rushing scenery outside.
Only when the cigarette in his hand burned down and scorched his fingers did he snap out of his daze.
The destination from the hotel's email was just a few minutes away. Ji Li had timed his departure exactly.
After countless brushes with ghosts, he had become something of an expert.
Though the email had named Beggar Alley as the site, one rule was unbreakable: never enter early.
Otherwise, the ghost might appear ahead of schedule, before the task began, leaving him trapped in a certain death.
"I remember now!"
The silence was broken by the third persona, who had barely spoken since its emergence.
My name isn't Ji Li… it should be Ji Li.[1] I was hypnotizing a patient—then suddenly I ended up in your body!"
"Cut the crap, Number Three. Your name is Ji Li. We are all Ji Li!"
"Impossible!"
Ji Li scratched his head. The second persona was crude and violent, with no extra memories. But this third one seemed… different.
He had no time to think further. The taxi rolled to a stop at a deserted alley.
The driver grinned back at him. "Brother, Beggar Alley. We're here."
Ji Li brushed off the ash from his coat, handed over a bill without asking for change, grabbed his kit bag, and stepped out.
"Silence, all of you. We'll think about the rest if we survive tonight."
Both the second and third personas fell quiet.
In the pitch-black alley, only Ji Li's footsteps echoed.
It was a long, narrow lane. A single lamppost cast a weak circle of light at the center. No houses lined the sides, only stone walls. Every ten meters or so, a decayed wooden door appeared, locked and abandoned.
Ji Li had never heard of Beggar Alley before. His earlier research turned up no rumors of hauntings.
Yet now, faced with its desolation, a chill gripped his heart.
The place felt born for ghosts.
A glance at his watch—11:58 p.m. Two minutes until the ghost's arrival.
He had just set down his bag when laughter drifted up behind him.
"Liuzi, you're drunk out of your mind. Can you even find your way home?"
"Drunk? I'm clearer than you! I can still walk straight!"
"Slow down, both of you!"
Ji Li frowned. Three staggering figures approached—drunken men.
Two minutes until the ghost appeared. The entire alley would soon turn into a deathtrap. Outsiders stumbling in at this moment could throw the task into chaos.
But Ji Li did nothing. He didn't try to stop them, just watched as they drew closer.
*Heh… unlucky for them. But for us, it might just be a blessing*, the second persona muttered with a strange laugh.
Whoosh—
A sudden chill swept Ji Li's neck. He spun around, sensing something.
What he saw was nothing like before.
Under the dim lamp, yellow mourning paper[2] filled the air. A funeral procession in hemp garments carried a coffin in silence, slowly advancing toward them.
"Am I drunk out of my mind? A funeral at midnight?" the fat man called Liuzi froze, muttering in disbelief.
"This is bad luck! Liuzi, we have to turn back!" his lanky, thin companion blurted, face pale.
The three drunks bolted back the way they came. Ji Li let them go, knowing the truth—
The task had begun. There was no leaving this alley.
The procession drew closer. Heavy, muffled footsteps echoed as Ji Li fixed his gaze on the coffin.
"What form will the ghost take this time?"
Not just the coffin—the pallbearers themselves were uncanny. Each had a paper-white face, identical features, identical builds, as if stamped from the same mold.
As they neared, Ji Li pressed against the wall, clutching his bag, holding his breath. The lead bearer passed directly by him—without so much as a glance.
Ignored.
The strangeness deepened. Barely five minutes into the task, this was still the exploration phase.
He studied the men with white banners. Close as he was, he heard not a single breath from them.
"Could it be… they aren't human at all?"
Just then, the three drunks reappeared, drenched in sweat, running straight back into the funeral procession. Spotting Ji Li among the mourners, they froze in horror.
"This… this is really a haunting! We can't find the way out!" Liuzi shouted, panic-stricken.
*Thud!*
The instant Liuzi spoke, the entire funeral procession froze. The pallbearers hurled the coffin to the ground, and every gaze locked straight onto him.
Ji Li frowned. Could that man's words have triggered something?
Liuzi cried out in terror and nearly collapsed, only to be propped up by the lanky man and the yellow-haired one at his sides.
"Don't say another word!" The lanky one, steadier than the others, quickly bowed and apologized.
After standing motionless for a long moment, the funeral procession lifted the coffin again and continued forward. They ignored Ji Li completely, advancing instead toward Liuzi and his companions.
*Midnight funeral…*
The procession passed halfway down the alley, as if about to leave Beggar Alley entirely.
Liuzi pressed himself against the wall, shivering violently as the white-clad figures marched by like puppets. His heart pounded in his throat.
But they seemed to pay him no mind. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he watched the pallbearers pass and finally breathed easier. Once these few went by, he thought, he'd be safe.
Yet curiosity lingered. He stole a glance at the pitch-black wooden coffin, then at the pallbearers' identical faces.
Something about it struck him as wrong. He scratched his head uneasily.
Then—
A faint sound.
His beady eyes widened, vision swallowed whole. In the next heartbeat, darkness consumed him.
His mouth gaped open, but his throat felt clogged. He forced out a few strangled words.
"I… what's… happening…"
Before he could finish, his bulky frame vanished into thin air.
When the lanky man and the yellow-haired one realized what had happened, their scalps tingled with dread.
Liuzi—gone in an instant, right before their eyes.
All that remained where he had stood was a scatter of yellow mourning paper.
[1] Though both are pronounced "Ji Li," the protagonist (former) one is a conventional personal name, combining "season" and "etiquette". In contrast, the latter is more symbolic, meaning "immediate departure" or "instant separation," carrying an abstract nuance rather than serving as a standard given name.
[2] Refers to joss paper or spirit money, traditional Chinese ritual paper burned during funerals or offerings. It represents money or essential goods for the deceased to use in the afterlife, ensuring they are cared for and appeased, and can also help ward off evil spirits or guide wandering souls.