Chapter 4

Suddenly, a strong wind blew in from behind Xue Ming, causing the curtains in the room to flutter. The handsome male ghost was very tall, and as his loose robe billowed, it outlined his well-built body. Amidst the chaos of his long hair, Xue Ming noticed a pattern on the side of his neck, but his dark hair quickly obscured it. She was distracted momentarily before meeting the ghost’s eyes again. He seemed displeased with someone intruding into his territory, his expression faintly cold.

After running for her life, Xue Ming’s legs felt like jelly, and she had no strength left to stand, let alone run again. Moreover, the male ghost exuded a dangerous aura, likely a fiercer spirit than Nie Xiaoqian.

Knowing when to yield, Xue Ming slowly raised her hands, trying to appear harmless. “Big Brother Ghost, I entered this place by mistake and didn’t mean to disturb you. Something is chasing me outside, and I want to rest here for a while. Please, don’t hold it against me.” Her tone and expression were very sincere. She made a gesture of surrender, her eyes fixed on him, fearing he might suddenly lash out.

However, the ghost didn’t react much to her words, only moving his eyes slightly as if sizing her up. After a while, a hint of confusion appeared on his face, but he still didn’t speak.

Xue Ming’s thoughts raced, wondering if this ghost might be mute. But even if he was, as long as he wasn’t deaf, it was fine. The most important thing was that the ghost seemed emotionally stable, indicating he might be open to negotiation.

Xue Ming quickly added, “I won’t take up much space. I’ll leave first thing in the morning and won’t make any noise to disturb you. Just pretend I’m not here.”

The male ghost looked at her expressionlessly, then finally spoke, his voice clear and pleasant like the gentle clash of jade pendants. “Leave.”

Xue Ming was stunned. The good news was that the male ghost was neither deaf nor mute; the bad news was that her previous words were clearly useless, a waste of breath.

“Ghost Lord! As the saying goes, saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. Even though you are dead, you can still accumulate good karma. If you let me stay here for one night, I promise to build a tomb and a statue for you, and my descendants will offer incense to you!”

Xue Ming knew little about this, but she had learned these words from watching TV as a child. She hoped the ghost would be tempted by the incense offerings and allow her to stay. If she were driven out, the little monsters outside would surely devour her alive, with unimaginable consequences.

If death was inevitable, Xue Ming might have shown some backbone, but as long as there was a glimmer of hope, she would choose any method, no matter how humiliating. To her dismay, the ghost was unmoved, his expression unchanged and his tone even colder than before. “Leave.”

As soon as he spoke, the wind through the hall became fierce and sharp, pushing Xue Ming backward with a force that seemed to want to blow her out of the house.

With nothing to hold onto for support, Xue Ming felt being pushed by the wind. In desperation, she shouted, “Wait! Even if you don’t want good karma or incense, you still need yang energy, right? Let me stay, and I’ll offer you some yang energy!”

The male ghost remained unmoved and asked, “Why would I want your yang energy?”

Xue Ming was sweating profusely with anxiety.

Isn’t a ghost wanting yang energy just as natural as a monster wanting to eat Monk Tang’s flesh? Why even ask why?

She avoided answering directly and instead used Nie Xiaoqian’s words: “My yang energy is purer than that of ordinary people. One sip from me is worth ten sips from others. Just now, a female ghost wanted to take it, but I drove her away!”

The male ghost did not respond, and the wind did not stop.

Xue Ming hurriedly asked, “Ghost Lord, have you ever absorbed yang energy?”

The male ghost finally seemed to show a hint of interest and slowly replied, “No.”

Xue Ming was overjoyed, thinking it was good he hadn’t, as it would be easier to deceive him. She quickly and eagerly recommended herself: “If you haven’t absorbed it, you can’t understand the taste. Just one sip, and you’ll know. It’s incredibly satisfying.”

The wind remained fierce, and as Xue Ming spoke these words, the cold wind filled her mouth. Her lungs felt icy, and she couldn’t talk anymore, coughing desperately.

The male ghost stood motionless in the wind, steady as a rock. His gaze lightly fell on the person before him, scrutinizing her subtly. There was no light in the room, but the moonlight was bright enough to cast large patches of silver light on her. She was only wearing a long shirt, with her left shoulder blade exposed, revealing a large area of tender white skin with black claw marks prominently visible. Her collar was also disheveled, exposing a large area, faintly showing the white skin and graceful figure inside. It was unclear what fierce battle she had just experienced, but she looked disheveled. Her black hair scattered messily, yet it couldn’t hide her face. Her eyebrows and eyes were dark and beautifully outlined like they were meticulously drawn with ink. After coughing repeatedly and feeling extremely uncomfortable, her innocent almond-shaped eyes welled up with tears, making them look exceptionally clear and pleading as she gazed at him.

The person in front of her displayed a completely unfamiliar expression and posture. Every part of her body seemed fair and soft, and because of her unyielding will to survive, even her weak demeanor did not appear cowardly. The allure in her eyes was a hundred times stronger than the straightforward words she had spoken, easily stirring desires deep within one’s heart. His gaze casually swept over many places before finally focusing on one spot: the mole on the tip of her nose. Then, the wind quickly subsided and stopped within moments, and the surroundings became quiet again.

Xue Ming relaxed completely, exhausted, and nearly collapsed to the ground.

There was a long silence, so long that Xue Ming thought the male ghost would not respond anymore. Finally, his calm voice echoed in the hall, “Alright.”

Xue Ming was too tired to say another word, only panting heavily, and thinking became difficult, leaving her only one thought.

Great, I survived again.

•     

In the past, Xue Ming always wished for time to pass quickly while at work. On Monday mornings, her resentment was thicker than that of a ghost, wishing she could blink and it would be Friday evening already. It seemed she had nothing else to do but work, yet even so, it consumed her entire life, leaving no time for socializing.

For Xue Ming, who had never had a boyfriend and was killed at a young age, transferring yang energy was an enormous challenge.

“Sigh…” Xue Ming let out a long sigh, her entire body soaking in the warm spring water, feeling dizzy from the heat.

The male ghost had just complained that she was too dirty and pointed to a place for her to clean up. Following his direction, Xue Ming discovered that the house built in the middle of the lotus pond was far more complex than it appeared. Inside was a natural hot spring with a comfortable temperature; soaking in it relieved the fatigue in her bones.

Too many things had happened tonight. Xue Ming had repeatedly brushed against the edge of life and death, thinking she was doomed several times. She never expected to survive and end up soaking in a hot spring.

Being alive was the greatest blessing. Xue Ming comforted herself, thinking it didn’t matter if she lost a bit of yang energy since it could be replenished. She didn’t know the origin of this male ghost, but at least so far, he hadn’t shown any signs of being extremely vicious. From their earlier interaction, it seemed he wasn’t a ghost who killed indiscriminately. He was even generous enough to lend her a black robe.

Wrapped in the large robe, Xue Ming left the hot spring house, wondering where to find someone. She then saw a paper crane the size of a dragonfly on the windowsill of the corridor. It seemed to be waiting for her, and upon seeing her, it spread its wings and flew lightly in a specific direction. Even though she knew this was the bizarre world created by Pu Songling, she still felt amazed when she saw such magical techniques.

Xue Ming stepped forward to chase the paper crane, which led her through a long corridor, turning four or five corners and finally arriving at a room. Before she could push the door open, it opened by itself, and the paper crane flew inside, landing next to the male ghost. He was sitting on a low couch, half leaning against a table, with one leg bent, his long hair and robe casually draped.

Xue Ming walked in and found that he was reading a book—he was actually a cultured ghost. The room was extremely quiet, with moon shadows swaying. An oil lamp on the table illuminated his handsome face, casting shadows that made his pale skin appear even whiter. His nails looked as if they were painted with ink, both beautiful and eerie.

“Ghost Lord,” Xue Ming softly called.

The male ghost put down the book and glanced at her.

The clothes Xue Ming wore were far too large; even with the buttons fastened to the top, her neck was still exposed, and the robe hung crookedly on her shoulders. After soaking in the hot spring for a long time, her fair skin was tinged with a rosy hue, and her eyes were still wet, reflecting the candlelight, making them appear dark and bright. The mole on the tip of her nose was the perfect accent, making her slightly weak face look strikingly beautiful.

The male ghost looked at her briefly and asked, “How will you transfer your yang energy to me?”

This question stumped Xue Ming. She wasn’t a ghost, so how would she know how to transfer yang energy? But in movies, it was usually done similarly—perhaps if she just pressed her lips to his, the male ghost would start absorbing it himself.

However, Xue Ming had something important to say before transferring her yang energy. She forced a smile and tried to get closer: “My name is Yan Chixia. Ghost Lord, how should I address you?”

At this moment, Xue Ming noticed a brief change in the male ghost’s expression. Initially indifferent, his eyebrows raised slightly upon hearing the name, making his expression more intriguing.

It was an expression Xue Ming couldn’t understand. She cautiously observed, wondering if this male ghost had any past grudges with Yan Chixia. But her worries did not materialize. After a long silence, the male ghost finally spoke, “Yu He.”

Exchanging names was essential in social interactions, often marking the beginning of a good relationship.

Xue Ming sincerely said, “Lord Yu He, here’s the thing. When you absorb my yang energy, don’t take too much. Once I replenish it, you can absorb more. If you take too much at once and kill me, there will be nothing left.”

Xue Ming said this half-truthfully, as she had already planned to leave at dawn and never stay here. She just needed to survive the night.

Yu He seemed quite agreeable and easily consented. With that, their verbal exchange ended.

Xue Ming wasn’t worried about the male ghost deceiving her. After all, it was she who requested to transfer her yang energy. If the male ghost wanted to kill her, it would be as easy as lifting a finger and without needing to go through all this trouble. His gaze remained on her, not containing much emotion but also not looking away.

Gathering her courage, Xue Ming moved forward, slowly climbing onto the low couch, pulling the large robe closer as she approached Yu He. She might not need to do much, only blow air with her lips touching his. Besides, this male ghost looked so handsome, significantly reducing her psychological barrier.

Yu He sat still, and his eyes following her movements. He watched her approach until their bodies touched, and they were so close that their breaths became clearly audible.