In a parallel world, within the Xia Kingdom...
Jiangzhou Art Institute, 9:30 PM.
"Where did this pen come from?"
Su Qing looked puzzled as he entered the dormitory and saw an unfamiliar brush lying on his pillow.
"Could it be that one of my thoughtful sons in the dorm honored their old father?"
He chuckled to himself. "Such a good child, surprising me like this. Truly admirable."
"Tsk, this little brat really knows how to impress me."
Su Qing examined the brush closely. The handle appeared to be made of jade, though he doubted it was real—none of his roommates could afford such a luxury. In fact, neither could he.
He bent down, picked up the brush, and suddenly felt a cool sensation spread throughout his body. At the same time, a stream of information rushed into his mind:
> [Qiankun Good Fortune Pen: A divine brush capable of shaping the universe. Anything drawn with it will come to life.]
[Energy: 1/100]
"Holy...!"
Su Qing couldn't help but exclaim in shock.
A cheat item! A golden finger!
After living twenty years with nothing but a handsome face to show for it, was it finally time for his life to turn around?
He quickly locked the door, sat at his desk, and spread a sheet of blank paper.
Then, he searched for images of beautiful women on his phone—after all, what better way to practice with a magical brush?
Since his three "sons" in the dorm were away for the weekend, he figured he'd draw them a mother.
Su Qing was a sophomore majoring in Chinese painting at Jiangzhou Art Institute. Painting with a brush was second nature to him. He began outlining the woman's silhouette, skillfully sketching curves and refining key details.
Suddenly, his phone rang.
"Hello? Pizza Delivery? Got it, I'm coming."
He paused his drawing, took the pen with him for safety, and stepped out of the dorm.
About 20 seconds after he left, a beam of blood-red light shot out from the paper.
It landed on the floor and took the shape of a curvaceous woman—without a head.
The figure touched her neck, oozing malevolence, and then disappeared through the wall.
Bang!
Su Qing rushed back and opened the door, just in time to catch a glimpse of the headless female ghost vanishing through the wall.
The beauty he had been drawing was gone.
Cold sweat drenched his back.
"This... is insane."
His face turned pale. He suddenly remembered—half-drawn women could also come to life, but without a complete body... they might become vengeful ghosts.
He had rushed back to destroy the drawing, but it was too late.
Su Qing never believed in ghosts before, but now he had answered one of humanity's greatest mysteries—ghosts do exist. And worse, he had created one.
If the world ever found out, they'd thank him... and probably curse his entire family too.
Trying to remain calm, he picked up the magic pen again. He wanted to draw a time-reversal spell to go back and undo the ghost's creation.
But nothing happened. The pen left no mark.
"What? Did it fail?"
He checked the energy level. Only 0.2/100 remained.
> [The more powerful or complex the drawing, the more energy it consumes.]
So the energy was too low to reverse time.
"Then how do I recharge it?"
> [Fulfill the last wishes of the deceased. The pen gains energy from their gratitude.]
"How do I find them?"
> [Souls with unfulfilled wishes will seek you out.]
Su Qing now realized the pen had intelligence.
"But why me? Why not someone else?"
> [Fate chose you. This world is heading toward a catastrophic crisis. It is my hope that you use this pen wisely.]
"Are you... the spirit of the pen?"
> [I am just a fragment of consciousness. My task is complete. I must now disappear.]
After this, the pen gave no further response, no matter how many times Su Qing called out.
"Crisis of extinction?"
He shook his head and pushed the thought aside. For now, he had a more urgent issue—a deadly ghost was on the loose.
There was no time to gather energy by fulfilling last wishes, so he had to act fast and find a way to destroy the ghost economically.
He searched for a picture of a Heavenly Thunder Talisman on his phone, then carefully copied it onto the paper.
To increase its power, he added the words "Must Kill" and "Track" beside the talisman, hoping it would give the spell an extra boost.
As soon as he finished, a flash of purple light appeared. The talisman lay on the paper, glowing ominously.
Technology meets theology—thanks, Google!
The energy meter hit zero.
Grabbing the talisman, Su Qing rushed out of the dormitory.
If the ghost he created killed someone, he would never forgive himself.
Luckily, the "Track" function worked—the talisman pointed him straight toward the girls' dormitory.
"Why is she targeting women?"
Then he had a sudden realization.
"Wait… She's going to steal a head!"
Sure enough, whether human or ghost, everyone works hard to look presentable.
Even ghosts strive to improve themselves—what excuse does a lazy person have?
---
Girls' Dormitory, Room 302.
The room was dark, illuminated only by the moonlight spilling through the windows.
Four girls, dressed in light summer clothes, sat cross-legged in a circle, sharing ghost stories.
College students often indulge in these dangerous yet thrilling pastimes. In horror movies, this is always the cue for someone to die.
"Xue Ying, it's your turn now," said one girl, motioning to the girl sitting across from her.
Xue Ying had a delicate face, bright eyes, and wore a white lace camisole. Her long hair was still damp from a shower. In a low, eerie voice, she began:
"I heard... there was once a murder on campus. A woman, mad with love, beheaded her boyfriend..."
As the girls immersed themselves in the chilling tale, none of them noticed a fifth figure quietly standing among them.
A figure without a head.