Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Chapter 110: Mission
In the dim corridor, the once bright red paint had turned to reddish-brown, flaking off in patches to reveal the eroded, decaying wood beneath. The corridor led to the inner courtyard, lined with yellowed leaves and dead trees. Scattered on the ground were pieces of paper money, both new and old, with no clear indication of the time of the offerings.
The four followed the Money Counting Ghost through the corridor, adhering to the principle of speaking less to avoid mistakes, waiting for the ghost to speak first. However, the ghost was even more silent than they were. Out of necessity, Xu Wang asked, “Ghost Ge, where are you taking us?”
The Money Counting Ghost glanced at him and finally spoke. “Don’t you want to stay here? I’ll tell you, we don’t keep idle ghosts. If you want to stay, you have to contribute.”
“Contribute?” The four companions’ eyes lit up, sensing a task at hand.
“Uh-huh.” The ghost continued walking forward, unaware of the four pairs of eager eyes behind him. “The West Courtyard is currently in need of ghosts. The boss has been worried about not finding new ghosts, and here you are. If it weren’t for such a coincidence, I wouldn’t have interrogated you like this.”
“The West Courtyard?” Xu Wang hadn’t heard of this term during his last visit.
“Don’t ask so many questions,” the Money Counting Ghost replied impatiently. “Anyway, I’m taking you to meet the boss now. If the boss agrees to take you in, you’ll have a place to stay, understand?”
The four companions exchanged glances, wondering about meeting the boss.
Last time, as soon as they entered, there was a ghost looking for something. Another team arrived simultaneously and snatched that task, so they found another ghost and undertook the task “Moon over the Willow Top, Ghost Date after Dusk.” But whether it was “searching” or “romance”, tasks were directly assigned by NPCs, with very clear objectives.
However, they had been following this NPC for quite some time now, and the <Cheat Sheet> hadn’t updated any tasks.
It was evident that “meeting the boss” wasn’t part of the task.
“Um, Ghost Ge.” Xu Wang hurried forward, asking with a smile, “Don’t you have something lost that we need to find? Or perhaps some love troubles that we can help you reunite?”
The Money Counting Ghost slowly turned, looking at him with a lifeless gaze. “Do you think a ghost like me could be fancied by a female ghost?”
Xu Wang: “……”
This question, imbued with deep sadness, silenced the male ghost and made the female ghost cry.
The air suddenly grew quiet, with only the eerie sound of the wind passing through the corridor.
Xu Wang seemed to think of something and quickly changed the topic. “Ghost Ge, do we have a bridge here?”
“A bridge?” The Money Counting Ghost looked at him, puzzled.
Just as Xu Wang was about to elaborate, like asking about a bridge over a stream in the back garden—any bridge would do—Wu Sheng suddenly pulled him back and held him firmly by the shoulder.
“It’s okay, Ghost Ge, he’s just talking nonsense. You don’t have to pay attention to him.” Wu Sheng smiled apologetically at the Money Counting Ghost.
The Money Counting Ghost, now having a good impression of this mountain ghost, nodded without suspicion and continued forward.
Xu Wang gave Wu Sheng a nudge with his elbow, not hard, but the meaning was clear—who’s talking nonsense?
Wu Sheng remained expressionless, only extending his arm in front of Xu Wang, pausing for two seconds, then quickly withdrawing it.
But it was enough for Xu Wang to see clearly. The badge manual opened by their advisor showed that the hint for the badge on 5/23 was “Bed Loving Ghost”.
Xu Wang was stunned; just now, it was “Bridge Ghost”!
To be precise, since ten days ago, when the hint for “Wall Ghost” changed to “Bridge Ghost”, the hint for the 5/23 badge hadn’t changed. Today, upon entering the level, he confirmed it again. Who would have thought that in just a few minutes, a team would have found the badge?!
No team could be that efficient. The only explanation was that a team had incredible luck, encountering the flashing ghost as soon as they entered the mansion. They might have been clueless when they got the badge.
Regardless, it was indeed an oversight on their part.
A tinge of annoyance crossed his mind, and the hand on his shoulder tightened, followed by a light sigh from Wu Sheng.
Xu Wang heard five words in that sigh—Can’t do it without me.
He glanced at Wu Sheng reluctantly, pouting—Alright, I was careless.
Wu Sheng smiled, his lips curving in contentment.
Xu Wang narrowed his eyes at him—Can you take your hand off now?
Wu Sheng raised his eyebrows, puzzled—Huh?
Xu Wang: “……”
Were the previous eight hundred sentences communicated through looks, but this one he couldn’t understand?!
Unbeknownst to them, Qian Ai and Kuang Jinxin had fallen behind the team captain and advisor. They saw the badge manual displayed by the advisor and knew the prompt had changed. At the same time, they watched the whole scene of “communicating through looks + flirting”.
Kuang Jinxin watched with amusement.
Qian Ai watched with righteous indignation—This is what they call a mad love affair at public expense!
Passing through the corridor and two small courtyards, the four companions and one ghost finally arrived at a council hall. The Money Counting Ghost asked them to wait outside and went in first. In less than two minutes, he returned, saying the boss agreed to meet them.
The four followed the ghost into the council hall.
The hall wasn’t large, with a row of ghosts on each side, all maintaining their tragic appearances from before death. Some had eyeballs hanging by a thread, others’ jaws torn open, unable to close again. Yet, they were all drinking tea or smoking, each with their own style, all like bosses.
But the real boss was naturally seated in the foremost position, at the head.
He was a gaunt middle-aged man with thick eyebrows and big eyes, who must have had a cheerful and kind appearance in life. But now, his face was the color of death, bluish-purple, with a bullet hole in his forehead, piercing through his head. From the front, one could see the wall behind him through the bullet hole.
As the four entered, all eyes turned to them.
The previously noisy council hall fell silent. Being stared at by so many ghosts, the nerves of the four companions instantly tensed.
The Money Counting Ghost respectfully said, “Boss, these are the four new ghosts. The one with only his head left is the Flying Head Ghost, the one with an extra severed hand is the Severed Hand Ghost, the one with a shadow is the Shadow Ghost, and the one with a dashing appearance is the Mountain Ghost.”
Xu Wang, Qian Ai, Kuang Jinxin: “……”
Is it necessary to be so obvious about your preference?
The Bullet Hole Ghost slightly tilted his head, examining the four of them, and then asked the Money Counting Ghost, “Have they been checked?”
“Rest assured, they’ve all been checked,” the Money Counting Ghost replied. “The cause of death is clear, and their conditions are reasonable, with nothing suspicious.”
The Bullet Hole Ghost’s face showed no expression, and it was unclear whether he believed it or not, but after a moment of silence, he finally said softly, “I happen to need some new faces. Xiao Qian, you’ve done well with this matter.”
The Money Counting Ghost, not often praised, shrank his neck and shyly smiled at the compliment, creating an almost beautiful scene.
The Bullet Hole Ghost said nothing more, just gazing steadily at him.
After a few seconds of bewilderment, the Money Counting Ghost realized something and immediately excused himself, thoughtfully closing the council hall door from the outside.
As the door closed again, a heavy and oppressive atmosphere enveloped the council hall.
The vigilance in the hearts of the four companions slowly heightened. Advisor Wu even began to contemplate whether to flee or fight if things went south.
Beside the Bullet Hole Ghost, a “body” slowly appeared.
To be precise, it was a ghost with only a body and no head, dressed in blood-stained clothes full of wounds. The incision on its neck was uneven, as if the head had been removed with an ill-suited weapon after much effort.
As soon as the Headless Ghost appeared, a slightly sharp voice echoed in the hall. “To stay in the West Courtyard, you must contribute. Understand?”
Compared to the Bullet Hole Ghost, this Headless Ghost didn’t exert as much oppressive force. As soon as it appeared, the Bullet Hole Ghost leaned back, leaving it in charge. Clearly, this was a strategist or advisor of sorts.
The four companions understood that the boss wouldn’t personally explain the tasks in detail to the lower ranks, so a spokesperson was necessary. But… How could this headless figure convey sound? Such unscientific phenomena were really worrying!
“Ahem,” Xu Wang said, forcing himself to ignore the source of the voice. “I understand contributing, but I’m not quite clear on what exactly we need to do…”
The Headless Ghost spread its hands as if to start a lecture, while the sharp voice overhead patiently explained the mission.
In this eerie scenario of disembodied communication, the four companions learned their mission background. “This old house is divided into the East and West Courtyards. The West Courtyard, where we are, is our territory, while the East Courtyard is the domain of the Heart Digging ghost. We have always wanted to move to the East Courtyard, but the Heart Digging Ghost won’t yield an inch…”
“Excuse me. May I ask a question?” Xu Wang timidly interrupted.
The Headless Ghost said, “Speak.”
“The West Courtyard seems quite nice, spacious and open, with dead trees and a gloomy wind.” Xu Wang genuinely wondered. “Why do we have to move to the East Courtyard?”
“You don’t understand,” the Headless Ghost snorted. “The feng shui of the East Courtyard is a hundred—a thousand times better!”
“But…” Xu Wang glanced over the ghosts with missing eyeballs, torn jaws, severed hands and feet, and finally at the one a bullet hole in their foreheads and the one with a missing head, earnestly asking, “Are we still so particular about feng shui in our state?”
The Bullet Hole Ghost frowned.
The Headless Ghost immediately scolded on behalf of the boss. “Since ancient times, ghost energy comes from the east. Without residing in the east, how can we dominate the world of ghosts!”
Xu Wang, Wu Sheng, Qian Ai, and Kuang Jinxin, who had only heard of “ascending to heaven in the west”: “……”
Indeed, there’s knowledge everywhere, regardless of the realm of the living or the dead.
“So… how can we help?” Xu Wang quickly asked the key question, afraid that continuing the conversation would reveal more knowledge about the ghost world, which was hard for him to keep up with.
The sharp voice above didn’t answer, but the Headless Ghost suddenly walked down.
Watching a headless body approach wasn’t a pleasant experience. The four companions unconsciously huddled together, seeking a bit of human warmth from each other.
The Headless Ghost stopped in front of Xu Wang, and the sharp voice above said, “Hold out your hand.”
Xu Wang complied.
A small paper packet was placed in his palm.
“This is Soul Extinguishing Powder,” the Headless Ghost said. “Your task is to infiltrate the East Courtyard, find the Ghost Spring, and pour the powder into the spring.”
Xu Wang looked at the small paper packet in his hand, bewildered. “And then what? What will happen?”
“The Ghost Spring is the source of ghost energy for all the ghosts in the East Courtyard. Once it’s destroyed, all the ghosts in the East Courtyard will vanish.”
Xu Wang felt a bit remorseful. “Isn’t that a bit harsh…”
The Headless Ghost turned and walked back to the boss’s side.
The Bullet Hole Ghost said quietly, “Carry out the mission, or I’ll eat you right now.”
“The flying head ghost is mine,” the sharp voice quickly interjected. “I just happen to need a head.”
Qian Ai: “……”
It’s one thing to fear ghosts stealing, but another to fear them coveting you!
With the conversation reaching this point, Xu Wang knew they had no choice but to accept the mission. Or rather, from the moment they spoke with the Money Counting Ghost, they were destined for this task.
“We’ll take it,” Xu Wang lifted his head.
“Ding——”
[Cheat Sheet]: [Mission] Infiltrate the East Courtyard, find the Ghost Spring, and pour in the Soul Extinguishing Powder!
Without looking, the four companions knew what their fate would be…
Not only did they have to conceal their human identity to survive in the ghost mansion, but they also had to hide their West Courtyard identity to survive in the East Courtyard and seize the opportunity to poison. This wasn’t just a double agent situation, it was a triple agent dilemma!
……
The Headless Ghost personally escorted them to a very concealed moon gate in the inner courtyard.
“Beyond this gate is the East Courtyard.”
“Thanks, Headless Ge.” Qian Ai was eager to get rid of this ghost who was eyeing his head. “We’ll be careful. Take your time leaving.”
The Headless Ghost didn’t move.
Just as Qian Ai was wondering, the Headless Ghost suddenly cupped his head with his hands!
Being held by a headless body was too much for Qian Ai. He was so frightened that his hair stood on end, and he let out a loud scream that could have pierced the night sky.
The Headless Ghost was startled too. “What are you howling for!”
Qian Ai’s teeth chattered. “Why, why are you grabbing my head!”
The Headless Ghost replied, “Maybe it will be mine soon. I’m just admiring it in advance.”
Qian Ai fought the urge to punch. “…..”
The Headless Ghost released his hand and sighed.
“……” What kind of ghost admires a head and then sighs!
Having said everything that needed to be said and having looked at the head, the Headless Ghost left without further attachment.
Wu Sheng suddenly called out to him, asking, “Headless Ge, you’ve been a ghost for a long time and have a lot of experience. Do you know of a type of ghost called a ‘Loveseat Ghost’?”
The three companions quieted down, knowing their advisor was probing for clues about the badge.
“A Bed Loving Ghost?” The Headless Ghost shook its head, but since it had no head to shake, it just swayed its body. “Never heard of it.”
Wu Sheng asked further, “What about a ghost that lingers around beds? Is there any ghost that particularly likes staying in bed?”
The Headless Ghost’s sharp voice suddenly became suggestive. “If you put it that way, of course, there are such ghosts. The Flirtatious Ghost, ‘dying beneath a peony flower, remaining a playboy even in death.’ They cling to beds they like and refuse to leave, endlessly whining and moaning, haha…”
Xu Wang, Qian Ai, and Kuang Jinxin collectively wore indifferent expressions: “……”
They weren’t interested in joining the ghostly fray, thank you.
“Only the Flirtatious Ghost?” Wu Sheng’s face showed scientific rigor, completely undistracted by the ghostly banter.
The laughter of the Headless Ghost stopped. After a moment, his voice suddenly dropped. “The Dream Ghost.”
“The Dream Ghost?”
“Those who die in nightmares and become ghosts still cling to their beds, repeatedly reliving the nightmares they had before death.”
Having received his answer, Wu Sheng had no more questions.
But Xu Wang, sensing something unusual in the sudden change in the Headless Ghost’s voice, asked, “Is the Dream Ghost very dangerous?”
The Headless Ghost didn’t answer, just giving a reminder. “Just remember one thing: Don’t get on its bed.”
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