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Ding Tao had been about to inject a patient when he casually stuffed the money into his pocket.

"It wasn't until the next day, when I got home from work and changed my clothes, that I realized the money in my pocket was actually joss paper. At that time, I thought the old man might have been mistaken, mistaking the scavenged joss paper for real cash."

The hospital saw its fair share of deceased patients every day. Occasionally, superstitious patients would secretly burn joss paper in the toilets, believing it would help their departed loved ones smooth their journey through the afterlife by bribing the spirits of the underworld.

Thus, Ding Tao didn't find it strange that the old man had found joss paper. However, upon recalling the old man's face, he felt that there hadn't been any noticeable changes from two weeks ago, which prompted him to seek clarification.

He cautiously inquired, "Master, when did... when did that grandpa pass away? Could he still have been alive when I met him?"

Chu Yuening calculated with her fingers, "It should've been sometime last week. The person you saw was already a ghost."

Ding Tao still couldn't quite believe it.

How could he be the one to encounter a ghost? There were so many nurses in the hospital.

Placing the sweetened water on the table, he looked up, his expression pained as he gazed at Zhang's Tea Restaurant. "Master, I need to make a call at the tea restaurant first."

Chu Yuening understood that ordinary people found it challenging to accept the existence of ghosts all at once, unless they could verify it themselves.

"Sure, go ahead," she said.

When Ding Tao entered the teahouse, the neighbors became incredibly curious. Previously, they had only learned about ghosts through movies; could they truly exist in reality?

So, they began asking questions.

"Are ghosts really real in this world?"

"Yeah, Master, what do they actually look like?"

Pouring tea into a cup, Chu Yuening glanced at the swirling green leaves caught in the whirlpool of the tea. Lifting her gaze, she replied, "Yes, they are."

Seeing that the master was willing to speak, the neighbors fell silent, eagerly listening with rapt attention.

Putting down the teacup, Chu Yuening continued, "When a person dies, their soul remains – that's what you commonly refer to as a ghost. After the soul departs from the body, it is meant to report to the underworld for processing. However, if there are unfinished affairs, it may linger in the mortal realm."

A neighbor asked, "Is it also because ghosts have unfinished business that they linger in the human world, like the nurse's encounter?"

"It seems so. He visits Brother Ah Bo every night for food."

"Puzzling. If Old Uncle's ghost really wants to eat, why doesn't he leave after having his fill? It's like clocking in for work, visiting Brother Ah Bo every night."

"One could say he appears repeatedly just to scare people for food. If being a ghost is so immoral, might as well vanish into thin air."

Listening to the neighbors' opinions, Chu Yuening smiled. "Just as there are good and bad people, there are also good and bad ghosts. Not every ghost has ill intentions."

"A master like you, what about vengeful spirits?" A younger man stepped forward, carrying groceries and fruits, clearly having returned from shopping to catch up on gossip. His face was full of curiosity. "Are vengeful spirits also divided into good and bad?"

Chu Yuening thought for a moment before explaining in a way everyone could understand. "Vengeful spirits usually arise from immense resentment or obsession. When they die with this unresolved hatred, it transforms them into vengeful spirits."

"Once a ghost becomes vengeful, it's hard to label them as good or bad. They lose their sanity, driven solely by their purpose, even if it means harming others along the way. Any master who encounters a vengeful spirit will likely choose to eliminate it."

For a ghost that turns into a vengeful spirit, there is only one outcome.

Their soul shatters, leaving no chance for reincarnation.

The onlookers sighed in amazement, and suddenly, someone with sharp eyes pointed at Zhang's Teahouse.

"Look, the young lad has emerged!"

All eyes turned in that direction.

If one were to say that Ding Tao, who had gone in to make the call, was merely somewhat fearful, then the Ding Tao who emerged was clearly so frightened that he was disoriented, barely able to walk steadily.

With a pale face and feeble strength, he leaned against the glass door and stumbled his way to the dessert stall. As he walked, he trembled uncontrollably, his legs gradually assuming a crab-like gait.

With great effort, Ding Tao managed to lean against the table and sit down, his voice trembling as he spoke, "M-Master, that grandpa, he's r-r-really d-dead."

Heaven alone knew how shocked he was when he confirmed the old man's death from his coworker.

For an entire week, the old man had come to find him at eleven-thirty every night.

The kind-hearted gesture of bringing food on his own expense had turned out to be for a ghost?

How was he supposed to face the night shift after this?

"Master, could my recent lack of energy be related to Grandpa Ah Ye?"

"There is some connection," Chu Yuening explained softly. "Ghosts are products of yin energy, while humans are constantly connected with yang energy. The more often Old Grandpa visits you, the more inevitably you absorb yin energy. Working night shifts already drains yang energy, and when yin prevails over yang, it leads to a decline in vitality."

Upon hearing that it was indeed related to Ah Ye, Ding Tao's expression shifted, filled with anger.

"I have no grudge against Grandpa Ah Ye. There was a time when he was bedridden and craving fruit; I even bought some for him during my lunch break. So... why would he want to harm me in the end?"

The more Ding Tao thought about it, the angrier he became.

Didn't Hong Kong horror movies always say that when ghosts sought out the living, it never boded well? Perhaps the ghost wanted him as a substitute victim.

"You're mistaken," a gentle voice interrupted.

Ding Tao, whose anger had been mounting, snapped back to reality, looking at the master in surprise. "Master?"

Chu Yuening shook her head. "Actually, Old Grandpa has no choice but to seek you out. His body is still in the mortuary at Yan Wai Hospital, and without any family to escort his spirit, he can only linger within the hospital grounds."

"It so happened that just before his demise, he couldn't take any food. The doctors had no choice but to keep him alive with nutrient fluids. However, with only nutrient fluids, his body was sustained, not satiated; the feeling of hunger persisted."