The two slipped back over the wall and vanished into the night.
For some reason, Lu Zizhen chose not to tell Dou Tang about the strange, shifting building she'd seen within the ghost maze. Whatever her reason, she kept it to herself.
But what she didn't know was this—
whenever Dou Tang purified a spirit, he could still communicate with it within the Candy Man's realm.
She thought she'd kept something from him.
In truth, he'd been keeping something from her.
Information gaps are funny things, huh.jpg
The long sword was hastily wrapped in Lu Zizhen's coat to seal its lingering energy. With the weapon slung across his back, Dou Tang walked home beside her through the quiet streets, until they reached the Kiryu apartment.
When he unlocked the door, the scene inside was exactly what he expected.
Huaiyin was still awake—curled up on the sofa, clutching a pillow, the television's soft light flickering across her sleepy face. Her eyelids fluttered like dying fireflies. She was clearly exhausted, but stubbornly refused to sleep until Dou Tang returned.
So small, so stubborn, and heartbreakingly cute. "…She's adorable," Lu Zizhen murmured.
A faint smile touched Dou Tang's lips—gentle, but tinged with guilt. He stepped quietly closer. Huaiyin stirred, barely lifting her head. Her voice came out slurred with sleep.
"Brother…"
This time, he didn't correct her—and not just because Lu Zizhen was watching.
He crouched, gathering the girl into his arms. Her thin nightgown brushed against his sleeve. "Tired, aren't you?" he asked softly.
"Mhm… Are you done working?"
"Yeah. Just need to wash up. Then we'll sleep, okay?"
Her small fingers clung to his collar until he tucked her into bed. Only then did she murmur a drowsy "Okay…" before slipping into dreams.
Setting the sheathed blade aside, Dou Tang turned. "Don't tell me you plan on crashing here again."
Lu Zizhen shrugged.
"Relax. I've gotta head back and tidy up the site anyway. Ever since it blew up, the comment section's a landfill. Gotta shovel out the brain-rot."
Dou Tang nodded.
At the door, she paused.
"Oh, right—heard there's a biker gang stirring up trouble in Ikebukuro this weekend. You should stay alert. Guys who look scary like you? Perfect target when they're in packs."
"Where do you even get your intel?"
"I've got my channels. Don't forget—I'm a legitimate Taoist priestess. You think I live off incense money?"
"Taoists live off… information?"
"New era, new business models, my dude. Don't overthink it! Bye~" With a jaunty wave, she slipped out, the door clicking shut behind her.
Dou Tang sighed, washed up quickly, and returned to bed.
As he slid beneath the blanket, something brushed his arm—a small hand, quickly withdrawn. "What's wrong?" he asked, eyes opening.
Moonlight filtered through the curtains, falling across Huaiyin's curious face. "The sword you brought home… what is it?" she whispered.
"The usual," he replied. "A spirit-bound object from a wraith's purification. Why?"
"Shouldn't you put it in that room?" she asked, glancing toward the closed door beside the TV.
That door's presence was faint, almost forgotten. Though the apartment was seventy square meters, their world existed mostly in the living room and kitchen—the other room remained untouched, sealed away.
It was supposed to be a bedroom. Yet it felt more like a forbidden zone. "You're not sleepy anymore?" Dou Tang asked, exasperated.
Huaiyin smiled sheepishly, stepping closer. The faint scent of toothpaste lingered as she whispered,
"I'm just curious."
He couldn't help but chuckle. Rising, he picked up the sword and walked toward that door.
Huaiyin followed. The hem of her oversized nightgown brushed her knees, sleeves hiding her hands. She stood straight-backed and obedient, almost doll-like.
For her, watching him open that door felt like a private ritual—a secret shared only between them.
The hinges creaked.
A wave of stale, frigid air spilled out, cold enough to sting the skin.
Inside, every window was sealed with thick white cloth. The furniture was shrouded in newspapers, as if the place were abandoned rather than part of a Tokyo apartment where every square meter cost a fortune.
And within that sealed room—lay a collection. Shattered hourglasses.
Porcelain dolls with cracked faces.
Misshapen clay pots.
Jade discs that gleamed faintly in the dark, their luster somehow wrong.
Each object was worth a small fortune, yet Dou Tang refused to sell a single one. Every piece had once been a source of haunting.
Even after purification, the residue of darkness still clung to them. So he kept them here—part containment, part bait.
"Wanna see the sword?" he asked.
Huaiyin nodded eagerly. He unsheathed it slowly.
A low hum filled the room.
The instant the blade caught the moonlight, the other relics began to tremble faintly, as if alive—reacting to the newcomer's presence.
It happened every time. Dou Tang didn't flinch. New relics always stirred the old ones—echoes of residual spirits recognizing their kin.
Huaiyin stared, eyes wide with awe. It was her first time seeing a real sword—its cold brilliance, its weight, its danger. For a girl who had lived a life shadowed by ghosts, it was both terrifying and mesmerizing.
Dou Tang looked at her—something tender flickering behind his usual calm. Then, struck by a thought, he said,
"Wanna hold it?" Her eyes widened.
"Eh? I can?!"
Before, he'd never allowed her to touch such things.
"Just don't touch the edge," he said, sliding it back into its sheath before offering the hilt. "Go on—slowly. Don't be scared."
Blushing with excitement, Huaiyin gripped the handle and began to draw it out. "It's… so long… and heavy," she whispered.
The blade gleamed—cold, merciless, and yet strangely beautiful in her hands. Around them, faint threads of spiritual energy stirred and swirled, as if greeting her in particular.
Dou Tang watched in silence, unreadable. "How does it feel?" he asked. "…Weird," she said softly.
"The wraith that haunted this sword is gone," he said. "Its history died with it. What remains now is something new."
His voice grew quieter.
"Huaiyin… would you like to learn swordsmanship?"
"M-me? Can I?" she asked, surprise and longing in her tone.
He smiled faintly.
"If you go back to school, then yes."
Huaiyin hesitated, eyes dropping. The moonlight traced her lashes as silence filled the room.
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