A Glimpse Inside

Kathryn crossed a narrow front yard and went through an inner gate before she could see her ghost-hunting party, standing in a large square space enclosed by two houses and two walls. The moonlight made the scene both distinctly visible and eerily impressive.

The hunting group formed something like a semicircle along the walls in front of Kathryn and to her left, while on her right stood a young beautiful woman, as well dressed as the description given by the servant girl had suggested.

The woman did not look like a ghost: there was nothing spectral about her, and her rosy cheeks defied the notion that ghosts needed to have pale faces. Neither did her laughter resemble the whaling or moaning sounds Kathryn would expect from a ghost.

"Why do I suddenly have so many handsome young men looking for my company late at night?" Her manner was seductively coquettish.

To Kathryn's surprise, the cultivators ignored the demon's words. She half-expected a thundering oration on how they would dispose of the vile creature, tormenting and harming humans. But no one seemed in the mood to talk big.

"We found her in the side house over the dead body of the steward, the one we had met during the day."

Kathryn guessed that Master Mu was explaining the situation to others, probably confirming that they would not be attacking an innocent person instead of a ghost.

"I came in and saw him lying there," protested the woman. "Just like you. If you had come in first, then I would have seen you lean over the dead body. Should I have assumed you were the murderers?"

"She is a demon all right," said one of the disciples. "Look at Master Mu's sword."

Master Mu's sword had some ability to react to demons, as it was giving out a soft golden glow. For a moment, Kathryn wondered if the whole operation was a hoax. Perhaps people in this world believed in swords glowing in the proximity of demons. Entrepreneurial individuals went and murdered ordinary humans on that pretext, demanding payment for their fraudulent services.

How does some piece of glowing metal prove that a person is a demon? Not to mention the fact that at the start of the day, it was believed to be a ghost.

"Even if I knew how to fight ghosts and demons, I'm not going to kill anyone. I don't want to be guilty of murder, even in a dream!"

Kathryn inched backward, pressing herself against the wall.