A saintess? She's just a bad woman.

Page 165

Since her parents passed away, she has gradually lost contact with her relatives, and the only person who still prepares hot meals for her every day, rain or shine, is the cafeteria lady...

Although my home was invaded by some random guy, the food was impeccable and had a much more homely feel than the food in the school cafeteria.

She ate half of it in one go, then covered the rest with plastic wrap to eat as a late-night snack. People who like to stay up late studying or reading are always hungry. Instant noodles in a cup are not cheap, the portions are average, and the taste is greasy, not as satisfying as a meal in the cafeteria that costs a few dollars.

People who say they're so poor they eat instant noodles aren't actually that poor. The truly poor don't waste their money on that; they usually go to the supermarket and wait for discounts to buy near-expiry packets of instant noodles to cook at home, like her.

“It tastes pretty good.”

Today's breakfast was pan-fried dumplings and shrimp dumplings, along with a semi-thick porridge with lean meat. It was a bit of a splurge; if I had paid for it myself, I would have cried for a while afterward before I could calm down.

After experiencing a series of even worse things, eating food prepared by strangers isn't scary; being broke is the most terrifying thing in the world. Anyway, it's not poisonous, so as long as I won't die from eating it, it's fine.

I picked up a crystal-clear shrimp dumpling and stuffed it into my mouth without hesitation.

After finishing breakfast, Santa Karina turned on her computer and pulled up the surveillance footage.

The day after she discovered something was wrong at home, she went to the nearest police station to report it after class. However, due to a lack of conclusive evidence, the police did not want to deal with her and told her to go home first and they would contact her again if anything unusual happened.

The next day, she had no choice but to buy and install surveillance equipment herself, hiding the pinhole camera in a particularly concealed place, so that every blind spot in her house could be seen.

The intruder's behavior was extremely aggressive, as evidenced by signs that some of his personal belongings had been used, such as his face towel, bath towel, toothbrush, mouthwash cup, and slippers.

Water stains inexplicably appeared on the bathroom floor and bathtub, and a light fragrance filled the air, as if a young woman had taken a bath in her own home.

A beautiful young woman... unfortunately, she's a pervert.

"I'm going to catch you today."

Santa Karina stared at the fake Mona Lisa painting on the wall. Behind the painting, hidden in the cabinet, was her newly bought camera, which could record everything that happened in the bedroom.

Since that person left no evidence, she would have to find a way herself. She didn't believe that the other person could continue to act with impunity, hiding in the shadows and enjoying the suffering of others.

As each video file was opened, Santa Karina's expression grew increasingly grim.

No one appeared in the surveillance footage; the doors and windows were tightly sealed, and there were no signs of forced entry. The front door remained closed throughout.

In the kitchen, the cleaver automatically peels and cuts vegetables, the cookware is lit, and neatly sliced ​​ingredients fly into the pot as if under magical control, followed by the spatula and spice bottles.

Each dish, with its exquisite presentation, was placed on the table, as if an invisible person were manipulating the cutting.

The other rooms were in the same state as the kitchen; things moved on their own, completing the chores that would normally be done by the owner, which was astonishing. This in itself was something to be happy about, but the thought that no one else lived in the house gave Santa Karina a chill.

"What the hell."

Isn't this the legendary paranormal event?

Recently, I've seen many similar posts on the Tianying City forum, where netizens claim to have encountered ghosts that ate the baby formula they bought for their children and didn't even wash the cups.

Or perhaps, a single office worker wakes up during the day to find signs that someone has lain down in the spot next to them, and by midnight, the sound of frequent pacing and a woman's soft laughter can be heard at the door.

As someone who has experienced the memories of 21st-century youth, Saint Karina is an atheist and never believed in the supernatural phenomena of the strange world depicted in the book. When these netizens tried to boast and attract attention, they simply scrolled past the post.

Thinking about it now, maybe it's true. Paranormal events really do exist in the world; otherwise, how would you explain the strange things that happen in my home?

"No wonder I've been feeling listless and weak these past few days. I'm afraid the female ghost has been draining my yang energy."

Leaving the computer and walking to the vanity mirror, Santa Karina stared intently at the image reflected in the mirror.

She no longer has the white-haired face of a Westerner, but rather long, straight black hair and the face of an Easterner. She is a young female college student, 165 cm tall, with pale skin, giving her a unique sense of illness and fragility. She is also rather thin, but her bust is not small, somewhere between a C and a D cup, and she is somewhat voluptuous.

His gray-blue pupils always revealed a lazy and world-weary attitude, lacking the vigor and passion typical of his peers.

She's quite pretty; even her black-rimmed glasses can't hide her overflowing good looks. Coupled with her aloof and unapproachable demeanor, she usually keeps to herself at school, quiet and reserved, which appeals to a lot of people. Every now and then, someone will slip a love letter into her hand.

It's usually handed over by someone else, and they just run away after giving it to you. Delivering it in person requires a lot of courage; people with thin skin simply can't do it.

I will never read love letters written by boys; I will return them to the original address. If a letter is written by a girl, I will read it and politely decline, stating that I "want to focus on my studies and have no plans to find a partner for the time being."

Focusing on academics is one aspect, but in her spare time after class, she also has to work part-time to earn living expenses. Dating is equivalent to spending extra money, and she already doesn't have enough money to spend. She hasn't even finished paying off her student loans, and having a girlfriend would only make her already meager life worse.

After thinking it over, I think being single is better.

Her less-than-ideal single life has now been shattered by a paranormal event. After a long internal struggle lasting 11.45 minutes, Santa Karina decided to go to the famous feng shui shop street in Tianying and reluctantly buy some items to ward off evil spirits.

Hiring a master to perform a ritual is too expensive and unnecessary. Tianying has a high cost of living; it's the capital of Xinghai Province. A simple ritual here costs more than 3000 yuan, which is enough to buy 1500 bags of instant noodles.

"I'll just buy some talismans and stick them on, and then bring back a statue of Shiva... I wonder if the gods of India can cure the ghosts of Kyushu."

Small Shiva statues are available for just a hundred yuan at online stores, and even cheaper on Taobao. However, Taobao's shipping is too slow; you have to wait three or four days for your order to arrive, which I can't wait that long.

Having made up her mind, Santa Karina took her phone, keys, and an old backpack and went out. As she left, she felt a chill down her spine, as if someone was watching her from some corner.

She locked the door from the inside, turned it a few times, and only left after hearing the lock cylinder make three crisp "click" sounds.

It's so hot that roadside beverage shops have become havens from the heat. With outdoor temperatures reaching 36 degrees Celsius, it's easy to feel the urge to go inside, buy a drink, and escape the air conditioning.

The drink shop is right next to a bus stop, so waiting inside is more comfortable than standing outside. The loudspeaker relentlessly blasts incredibly catchy lyrics, trying to lure more customers in.

"You love me, I love you, Mixue Ice Cream is so sweet..."

A thin glass door kept the sweltering summer heat outside. Saint Karina glanced at the menu and selected her favorite from the pile of colorful drinks.

"A glass of lemonade, extra cold."

"Four dollars."

Scan the code to pay, stand by the air conditioner to get a number, and you're so skilled at it it hurts to admit it.

She's reluctant to turn on the air conditioner at home, as doing so would increase her electricity bill by several hundred yuan per month. Spending four yuan for the pleasure of air conditioning is incredibly cost-effective.

Next, take a two-yuan bus ride, which is like resting in a mobile summer palace. It's so awesome!

As Santa Karina eagerly awaited its arrival, the No. 191 bus arrived precisely on time, down to the second, as indicated on the bus app. She had already spotted the best spot and stood at the very front of the crowd, taking advantage of their eagerness to secure a seat. As the driver opened the doors, she rushed forward, allowing herself to be squeezed onto the bus by the crowd.

You get it without putting in any effort.

Saint Karina calls this tactic "borrowing momentum." Every time she gets on the bus, she has a built-in buff: she's surrounded by girls, so she doesn't need to worry about how embarrassing it would be to be squeezed onto the bus; she only cares about the outcome.

She occupied the window seat in the back row, peering out through the curtains. The weather was sunny, and the scorching sun gave the asphalt road a pungent smell.

The bustling streets were teeming with people, and the area around the university town was filled with vibrant college students out for a weekend stroll. Carefree smiles graced their faces as they recklessly squandered their allowances and pocket money from home in various shops.

Damn it, these people's smiles are so irritating.

Silently drawing the curtains, Santa Karina continued browsing the forum posts she had once considered sensationalist.

Suddenly, I felt a cool sensation on the back of my neck; something wet and cold was licking my skin.

I gasped and turned my head sharply. Behind me was the entire gray metal shell of the bus. Where was the strange person exhaling?

If it were one of the first few rows, you could turn around and see people, and the one blowing air would definitely be a naughty kid, maybe a little angry. But now there's not a soul in sight, yet the feeling of being blown air on feels incredibly real.

The cool gas clearly licked the most sensitive area of ​​the back of my neck, leaving a strong sense of discomfort.

Is it an illusion?

She's been acting strangely these past few days. Ever since the invisible man invaded her home, she's been experiencing mental health issues. She's considered the possibility that the invasion was a hallucination, that doing housework was also a hallucination, and that she sleepwalked through making breakfasts several times.

Mental illnesses encompass a very broad range, and even severe hallucinations can be classified as mental illness. Santa Karina has watched some TV series and movies that, from the perspective of female protagonists, depict the impact of a mental illness called "dissociative identity disorder" on life.

People with dissociative identity disorder often see people and things that do not exist in reality, or they construct a virtual world for themselves and immerse themselves in it.

There are many causes of the disease, including mental and life stress.

Mental illness needs to be treated as early as possible, the earlier the better, otherwise the condition will worsen over time. But people who are poor don't care, attributing hallucinations to overwork and thinking that sleeping will solve everything.

She touched the back of her neck, pulled her hair over to cover it, and continued browsing the latest paranormal posts on the forum. The posts were all over the place, perfect for passing the time on a long bus ride.

90% of the posts are fabricated to attract attention and clicks. Some have been confirmed by other netizens to be self-directed fake events, which are logically untenable.

The fake paranormal events aren't as interesting as the love stories posted by bloggers in the relationship section, even though the posts here are fake too. There are often female players bragging about how many girls they've slept with and how they've made them willingly spend money on them.

"Playing on forums is such a waste of time."

Despite this, my body betrayed me, and I continued flipping through the pages until the bus announcement read, "Dear passengers, we have arrived at the final stop, Huangquan South Road Station. Passengers who need to get off, please prepare to disembark in advance."

The term "final destination" plus "underworld" sounds incredibly ominous.

Across from the Feng Shui Street is the Funeral Street, the two areas facing each other across the distance. Business is usually quite slow on both streets; after all, who would come to buy these things for no reason?

Unfortunately, today the road leading directly to Fengshui Street was blocked off by blue metal sheets used for construction, making it completely impassable. There was also a sign that read "Construction ahead, please detour".

Citizens on electric bikes and motorcycles turned around cursing. Santa Karina vaguely remembered that a few days ago, several water pipes here had mysteriously exploded, and afterwards, water of strange color and smell flowed out, causing considerable trouble for the surrounding area.

Repairing water pipes is a major project, and the sound of the construction team hammering can be heard from behind the blue metal sheet.

With the main road blocked, Santa Karina had to change direction and cross the Funeral Street.

She didn't particularly want to walk through the funeral parlor; seeing those dead objects filled with an aura of decay always reminded her of the first time she came here.

That year, I had just started junior high school. It was a cloudy day when a thunderclap suddenly ripped through the sky, and sharp purple and gold threads tore the sky to shreds. The gray clouds were cut into scattered pieces, and a sultry wind swirled through the alleyways. The dimly lit funeral supply store was filled with the smell of burning incense and paper products.

Large raindrops poured down from the gaps in the clouds. St. Karina stood like a statue at the shop entrance for a long, long time, her face expressionless, letting the torrential rain lash her.

The parents of this body are old friends discussing the details of the funeral with the owner of a funeral supply store. Near the door is a completely black coffin, shaped like a rectangular box.

These days, fewer and fewer people choose burial; they all go to funeral homes to be cremated, their ashes placed in urns, and finally buried in cemeteries. Two living people were ultimately reduced to nothing more than a small urn—she simply couldn't accept it.

Six years later, Santa Karina revisited the place, her mood as calm as a still pond.

Business on the funeral parlor seems to be picking up lately. Almost every shop has ashen-faced, haggard, and exhausted customers; their expressions are weary, numb, or blank as they browse the shelves piled high with funeral supplies.

I heard there's a hospital nearby, but some people were unlucky and couldn't be saved. Their families were too lazy to go through the hassle, so they just walked a few minutes to this shop to help with the funeral arrangements.

Following the navigation, we wandered through the deep alleys for about half an hour before arriving at Fengshui Street.

The atmosphere of Fengshui Street is more relaxed compared to Funeral Street, even a bit more mystical. Looking around, the entire row of shops is decorated in a retro style with dark tones, giving it a mysterious and awe-inspiring appearance.

This street mainly sells products for good fortune and protection from evil, as well as various ritual items and statues with auspicious meanings. They include everything from ancient times to the present, from East to West, including gods such as the Great Old Ones.

Taking a deep breath of the hot air, Santa Karina opened her parasol and walked around, looking at the scenery.

She rarely goes into lavishly decorated and large shops. On the all-knowing forums, people often complain that these shops overcharge, preying on customers' timidity and fear of trouble, using all sorts of tricks to get them to buy piles of stuff and take them home willingly.

Passing by a shop selling hand-painted talismans, she put away her parasol and went inside to ask the price. The talismans were sold by the pack, ranging from ten to several tens of yuan.

You can also buy talismans online, but the delivery time is often too long.

"Boss, how much is a pack of exorcism talismans?"

The portly middle-aged man behind the counter didn't even look up, his fleshy hands constantly fiddling with the banknotes he held—the kind meant for the living. Doing business with the dead was considered unlucky, but the potential profits were undeniable.

A while ago, the municipal funeral home participated in a job fair organized by the school, giving job opportunities to soon-to-be graduates who didn't want to work hard but longed for high salaries. There were actually a few who weren't afraid to apply.

Santa Karina wasn't brave enough; she would never consider working in this field after graduation. If it weren't for some family problems, she would definitely stay far away from anything related to death.

The boss answered her in a lazy voice, without stopping the counting of money in his hands.

"The talismans are selling particularly well lately, so they'll definitely be more expensive than before, two hundred."

"Two hundred... Is this thing made of gold?"

It's at most a few dozen yuan worth of stuff. You can buy a hundred sheets of yellow paper for a few yuan with free shipping. The ink and brushes aren't worth much either. The total cost is no more than twenty yuan.

Selling something to customers at ten times the price is definitely a rip-off.

"Look, where can you find it for such a low price now? Other stores are selling it for the same price. So, do you want it?"

"No."

After leaving the shady shop, Saint Karina asked at several other shops, all of which started at two hundred. The first shady shop was indeed the cheapest, and the owner was right.

Buying it is out of the question. If I don't buy it, I'll regret it for a little while; if I do buy it, I'll regret it for a lifetime.

"Never mind, I'll just buy a Shiva statue and go back."

My money is dwindling, and my part-time job won't pay me for another week. I don't dare spend the remaining few thousand yuan carelessly. I'm thinking of saving it up for a short trip to Southeast Asia during the summer vacation to relax.

For the rest of the time, Saint Karina moved between various shops. The old lady downstairs was a devout Hindu and had a statue of Shiva in her home.

Not only because her deceased husband was a devout Hindu, but also because a burglary had occurred in her home, and at the critical moment, a Shiva statue fell from the shelf, knocking the robber unconscious and saving her and her grandchildren from death. From then on, her family held Shiva in high esteem, placing a statue of the deity in every room.

The story is based on true events, and may contain some superstitious elements, but Saint Karina believed in it anyway. Shiva is revered as the supreme deity of the universe by the Shaivists in India and enjoys the most widespread faith and worship among the lower classes of Indian society; it's impossible that he had no effect whatsoever.

The old lady downstairs was quite kind to her. Although they didn't interact much normally, she would bring her food during holidays. Perhaps it was out of this kindness that she chose the same protective charm as the old lady.

After searching for ages, I finally found a solid bronze Shiva statue in a corner shop near my home, and reluctantly paid 120 yuan. The statue is a bit taller than a regular Shiva figurine, over 30 centimeters, and quite heavy in my hand.

The cold, solid bronze statue gives you a sense of security just by looking at it.

On her way back, Santa Karina encountered a strange-looking old man. He was out of place among the people on the street, setting up a stall under the shade of a tree, selling paper ingots, villas, and cars.

The gray long gown and the dirty black skullcap on his head gave him a vintage feel, as if he were separated from the well-dressed passersby by 100 years.

The old man's skin was dry and wrinkled, like rough tree bark. His eyes were cloudy, and the pupil of his left eye was not visible, only the white of the eye was visible. Looking into his eyes made one feel a little uneasy.

Saint Karina had no intention of getting involved with him and walked past, clutching her newly bought Shiva statue. The old man, who had been looking down at a book on feng shui, suddenly closed the book with a hoarse voice.