I Am Not a Master - Chapter 62

When the group of ghosts arrived at the police station, they found it shrouded in darkness. Not only was it pitch black, but there wasn’t a soul in sight. Had the power gone out? That didn’t seem right. Who would be so inconsiderate to cut the power during the New Year? Besides, the lights in the neighboring buildings were still on. Something was definitely off.

“Maybe the circuit blew. Let’s not worry about it. We need to find the landlord.”

“Stuck in the station during the New Year with no friends or family to help. It’s just too sad.”

“Come on, let’s hurry and find out where the landlord is being held.”

“In the back, I heard it’s the very last cell…”

Led by the Armless Ghost, the group of ghosts made their way into the police station. However, as soon as they entered, they sensed something was amiss. The atmosphere inside was heavy with Yin Energy, a chilling ghostly presence. Could it be that other ghosts had come to visit as well?

One Little Ghost remarked, “But this ghostly aura feels off. It seems dangerous, like something bad is about to happen. Could there be an evil ghost causing trouble?”

“Impossible. The landlord is still inside. Even a powerful ghost like Zhuang was caught by her. What kind of ghost would dare cause trouble in front of the landlord?”

“I agree. The ghostly aura here feels ominous, definitely not from a friendly ghost.”

“Enough talking. Let’s go see for ourselves.”

The Neighbor Miss, with her head embedded in the ceiling, had already drifted ahead, and the Old Lady floated along with her broom. The Little Ghosts quickly followed, craning their necks to see what was happening. To cause such a commotion at the police station, whoever it was must have some nerve.

…

Meanwhile, chaos had erupted!

Zhao the Thief had ordered two male prisoners to seize the Long-haired Woman. It seemed like an easy task, considering she was just a severely nearsighted human who stumbled with every step. Who would take her seriously?

Not only did Zhao the Thief dismiss the Long-haired Woman, but so did the Captain and colleagues A, B, and C. They thought it was wrong for her to steal artifacts. With hands and feet, why couldn’t she find a job to support herself instead of breaking the law? However, they didn’t want Zhao the Thief to harm her. Criminals should be punished by the law, not by him.

As expected, the Long-haired Woman was easily restrained, with one person gripping each arm.

Sandwiched between two tall male prisoners, she appeared even smaller.

No twist at all?

Jiang Tian: …

Maybe he had set his expectations too high??

Zhao the Thief let out a cold laugh. See, she was just an overconfident human, oblivious to the situation. Anyone with sense would have hidden by now, not worth worrying about.

The Captain closed his eyes in resignation. At least this proved that Gu Feiyin and Zhao the Thief weren’t in cahoots, which was some consolation.

However, just when everyone present thought there was no turning point, the Long-haired Woman, whose arm was being held, suddenly stretched her neck to the left, sniffed with vacant eyes, and without another word, opened her gaping mouth wide. With a fierce bite, she clamped down on the “male criminal’s” arm, bared her teeth, and with a fierce tug-her bloody and ferocious demeanor tightened everyone’s hearts, utterly terrifying them!

What on earth is she doing?!

Just when it caught everyone off guard, a sharp and piercing scream emanated from the mouth of the “male criminal.” The sound was long and drawn out, filled with excruciating pain, as if undergoing some cruel torture.

Jiang Tian saw the male criminal suddenly acting as if possessed, shivering and screaming non-stop, until he finally rolled his eyes back, kicked his legs, and lay stiff on the ground…?

Meanwhile, he noticed a blurry shadow escaping from the body of the male criminal. A ghost?

He couldn’t help but rub his eyes, only to see that the shadow was still there because it couldn’t escape while the Long-haired Woman still had the criminal’s arm in her mouth. The shadow was desperately struggling, howling even more miserably.

“Let go, let go! If you don’t let go, I’ll take your life, ah-don’t eat me, don’t eat me, you’re going to break my arm!”

“What are you all looking at, hurry and pull this Long-haired Woman away!”

The Captain and others were dumbfounded, almost unable to believe their eyes. They closed and reopened their eyes, only to discover that the Long-haired Woman indeed had a strange human shadow in her mouth, which was floating mid-air struggling fiercely, almost twisting itself into a pretzel, yet unable to escape.

…What is going on here? What exactly is this?

A ghost?

How could this be possible? Could there really be ghosts in this world?!

The Captain was shocked and bewildered; at this moment, his decades-long belief in a scientific worldview seemed to collapse, leaving him filled with astonishment and disbelief.

Because of the sudden development, even “Zhao the Thief” was taken aback for a moment. By the time he realized what was happening, he saw the Long-haired Woman bite off the arm of the Little Ghost and lift it by the arm, revealing an extremely sinister smile that seemed bloodthirsty yet greedier, inexplicably chilling to the bone.

Zhao the Thief: …

Jiang Tian: …

Captain and colleagues ABC: …

Even the other male criminal who had grabbed the Long-haired Woman’s arm couldn’t help but step back, wanting to distance himself from her. However, she reacted faster, grabbing his hand and ominously said, “I’ve caught you, no running away.”

…

She then yanked his arm, and another ghost shadow was pulled out. Holding one in each hand, perhaps finding it inconvenient, she simply tied the hands of the two little ghosts together in a knot-well, now that’s settled, catching one meant the other couldn’t run either.

The two little ghosts, forced to be tied together: “…???”

How could they just resign themselves to being caught? They struggled furiously, trying to fly upwards, refusing to believe that the Long-haired Woman wouldn’t be scared!

Unexpectedly, the Long-haired Woman also started to fly, shaking her legs in mid-air but never letting go. The two ghosts frantically flew around the room, trying to escape through the walls, but they were in vain as the Long-haired Woman held them tightly, pulling them back whenever they tried to pass through. Since they were so restless, she extended her neck and nibbled a few more bites, biting until their souls nearly dispersed before they finally calmed down, daring not to make any more fuss.

Jiang Tian had never witnessed such a scene before, and he couldn’t help but wonder if he was watching some kind of sci-fi movie.

Zhao the Thief was utterly shocked. For the first time, he seriously regarded the Long-haired Woman in front of him. How could a mere human forcibly pull ghosts out of people’s bodies and even have the means to bind them? When did the human world produce such a formidable character? And why was such a powerful person locked up in prison?

He suddenly recalled a rumor circulating in the Ghost realm these days. It was said that in City A, there was a Ghost Trader known as Long Black Straight Hair, who single-handedly captured the King of Dalong Mountain and even opened an officially recognized Riverside Villa, becoming a legend in the Ghost realm.

He never expected to encounter the legendary Long Black Straight Hair here in the station?

Zhao the Thief’s eyes darted around as he spoke, “Could you be that Ghost Trader, Long Black Straight Hair?”

The Long-haired Woman tilted her head slightly, her unfocused eyes fixed on him. After a moment of thought, she replied, “No.”

No?

Zhao the Thief was puzzled for a moment. If she wasn’t Long Black Straight Hair, then who was she? But it didn’t matter; what mattered was that this Long-haired Woman didn’t ruin his plans! However, since she wasn’t the legendary Long Black Straight Hair, what was there to fear?

His expression shifted, turning cold as he commanded, “Capture this Long-haired Woman. Whoever succeeds will be richly rewarded!”

With the promise of a reward, even ghosts were emboldened.

In an instant, all the “male prisoners” turned their attention to the eerie Long-haired Woman, their eyes gleaming with excitement, eager to tear her apart.

Jiang Tian and the Captain exchanged worried glances. This was bad!

One or two they could handle, but twenty or so, each one tall, strong, and ruthless? They were in deep trouble.

…

As Jiang Tian and the Captain fretted, a shadow suddenly drifted in from the ceiling, swaying leisurely. It hung there, eyes fixed on them with a chilling gaze.

Jiang Tian’s heart skipped a beat. Not another one?

Moments later, an Old Lady clutching a broom entered, also staring at them with cold, ghostly eyes that sent shivers down their spines.

Jiang Tian swallowed hard. This was disastrous. Wasn’t Zhao the Thief being overly cautious? Dozens against just a few of them wasn’t enough, and now he was calling for reinforcements?

With two more joining in, how were they supposed to survive this?

Just as they were mentally cursing “Zhao the Thief,” dozens of heads suddenly appeared through the window. The window was too small to fit all of them, and many were popping out from the walls. Each head was grotesquely distorted, some with half their foreheads missing, others flattened as if crushed by a vehicle, with white blood oozing out and their pale, ashen eyes rolling in their ghastly, rigid faces-it was terrifying to behold.

Could there really be so many? Now they were surely doomed.

“Ca-Captain, what do we do now? Are we really going to die here today?”

“Stop talking like we’re already dead. How have I trained you? Never give up until the very end. As long as we’re still breathing, there’s a chance!”

“It’s not that I’m being pessimistic, but we couldn’t handle just over thirty before, and now there must be at least sixty or seventy. We’re even less able to cope now.”

“Enough, look for a chance, and run!”

Unable to confront these ghosts, they could only think of escaping.

Facing fiercely evil humans, they might still have a chance to save themselves, but what they were facing now was neither human nor truly alive. Their bodies occupied and manipulated by ghosts, they likely didn’t even know what they were doing-victims themselves. Even if they fired their guns, could they really drive away these beings who felt no pain? Not necessarily.

Once they fired, if the ghosts left the bodies, the criminals would undoubtedly die, and they would instead become murderers. And if they said they were killing ghosts, who would believe them?

Now, they were stuck in a dilemma with no clear solution.

…

“Zhao the Thief” was also startled by these suddenly emerging little ghosts. What was going on? Why were there suddenly so many ghosts? And why were they at the police station? Shouldn’t they be out stealing New Year’s dinners or Paper Money? Shouldn’t they be doing their proper business instead of visiting the police station?

When the Armless Ghost, Neighbor Miss, and Old Lady arrived, they saw several police comrades trampled on the ground, and their landlord-a woman-standing alone in front of some twenty or thirty burly men, all with menacing looks, seemingly ready to outnumber and overwhelm.

This deeply displeased the ghosts. Didn’t they know their landlord had already suffered enough, having been arrested and her property confiscated during the New Year? Had they no sympathy left?

One of the ghosts spoke up, “I was wondering why the power was out here. It turns out you were causing trouble. It’s one thing to make a scene, but why on earth are you stepping on our police comrades? Didn’t your kindergarten teacher teach you to respect the police? It’s New Year’s; do you think it’s easy for the police to serve the people?”

“Exactly, these aren’t decent spirits at all. Using their numbers to bully our police comrades, what does that imply?”

“Taking advantage of their greater numbers not only to bully the police but also our landlord. Can’t you show a little decency?”

“Is it just a brawl? Who’s afraid of whom!”

As they spoke, they rolled up their sleeves, ready to fight, fearless and determined to stand their ground.

Zhao the Thief was utterly bewildered by the sudden turn of events, and Jiang Tian along with the Captain were momentarily stunned. What did this mean? Were these ghosts not allied with the ones they were facing? If so, that was a relief; perhaps they were not in as dire straits as they feared.

Zhao the Thief sneered, “This is my personal vendetta, none of your business. If you know what’s good for you, scram!”

The Armless Ghost retorted, “How is it none of our business? We’re just doing our part to help out when we see injustice. Are we not allowed to be good ghosts?”

“Exactly, you can do bad things, but we can’t do good things?”

“Let’s go support the landlord, or else they’ll think we’re heartless like them!”

The ghosts surged forward, one after another, until fifty or sixty had squeezed inside! The place was already cramped with thirty or forty people, and now with so many ghosts piling in, it was truly crowded. Ghostly figures overlapped, and it seemed like heads were everywhere, creating a chilling atmosphere.

Zhao the Thief was furious. These little ghosts refused to heed his warning, so he barked, “Grab them all!”

“Bring it on, we’re not afraid!”

Jiang Tian, the Captain, and colleagues ABC witnessed the chaos of a ghostly brawl for the first time. It was a spectacle of epic proportions, with ghosts fighting fiercely, limbs flying, and even eyeballs rolling around. Blood pooled on the floor, and the scene was so grand and shocking that they were left speechless-it was something television could never capture!

With everyone preoccupied with fighting, no one was restraining them anymore. The Captain was dragged to a corner by Jiang Tian and others, where they quickly bandaged his broken leg. However, the door remained stubbornly shut, leaving them unable to escape. They whispered among themselves.

“Are they really fighting?”

“My goodness, I can’t believe ghosts are real. I feel like I’m dreaming. Pinch me, am I dreaming?”

“By the way, who exactly is Gu Feiyin? She just opened her mouth and pulled that ghost out of the criminal’s body. That’s brutal.”

“Remember when Sudi was kidnapped? Gu Feiyin was the one who saved him.”

“So… did we really arrest the wrong person? Are those artifacts truly her inherited property?”

It’s hard to say, especially with ghosts appearing. Who’s to say Gu Feiyin didn’t really inherit a ghostly legacy?

As they debated, they suddenly saw Gu Feiyin rising into the air.

Rising… into the air?

They were dumbstruck, eyes wide in disbelief!

No, she wasn’t flying; she was being carried by a female ghost. Gu Feiyin reached out and grabbed a little ghost trying to escape through the ceiling. The ghost screamed and struggled, but in Gu Feiyin’s grasp, she tied its leg to another ghost’s hand in a tight knot. In no time, she had bound five or six ghosts together, forming a long chain.

The Armless Ghost and a few Little Ghosts pinned down a tall male prisoner, dragging him towards the Long-haired Woman while muttering, “Landlord, landlord, quick, here’s a big strong one. We’re struggling to hold him!”

“Hold him tight, don’t let him escape!”

The Long-haired Woman chuckled darkly, a mix of simplicity and excitement in her voice, “No problem, leave it to me.”

With a fierce demeanor, she reached into the male prisoner’s body and yanked out the ghost inside with one hand. She pummeled it relentlessly until it was disoriented, its form caving in significantly. Then she tied its head to the foot of the Little Ghost from earlier, twisting its face beyond recognition.

Just as she finished with one, another Little Ghost was caught, and she was almost overwhelmed, darting around the room, her shadow flitting everywhere. The line of captured ghosts she led grew longer and longer…

This brawl was truly a spectacle, with despair as the only certainty.

To be fair, today’s haul was quite substantial. With so many of them, each could sell for twenty or thirty yuan, at least a few hundred in total. Before selling, she’d slice off half for meals in the coming days. Thinking of how much inheritance she had lost, and how far she was from becoming a billionaire, her heart bled. Yet, this little profit was a small comfort.

Zhao the Thief watched in fury as his army of prisoners was effortlessly dismantled by the Long-haired Woman and the Little Ghosts. His eyes burned with rage, and he wished he could tear the Long-haired Woman to pieces right then and there!

He had come today for revenge, and he had planned meticulously. The Captain must die today!

After his accidental death, he hadn’t reincarnated, nor had a Ghost Messenger come for him. Instead, he became a wandering spirit, gradually gaining power by consuming ghosts. It took him a great effort to gather thirty evil ghosts, luring them with money to assist him.

His sole purpose was revenge! In his ten years as a ghost, he never forgot. Back then, he and his brother were so poor they resorted to theft, only to be caught by the landlord and reported to the police. While fleeing through the mountains, his brother sacrificed himself to let him escape, getting his knee shattered by the Captain. Zhao hadn’t run far before he fell off a cliff in his haste and died.

As a ghost, he drifted aimlessly until recently returning, only to find his brother had served a year in prison, and after being released, crippled and ignored, died in a car accident. His brother was dead, while the young officer had become the Captain, thriving in his career and life, basking in glory!

He wanted him to regret, to taste the agony of a broken leg, and to carry the burden of guilt.

So many criminals and colleagues dead in one night, and he’s the only one left alive-who would believe he’s innocent? Zhao the Thief couldn’t imagine his life getting any better from here on out.

What he didn’t expect was the sudden appearance of the Long-haired Woman, along with fifty or sixty ghosts, who swiftly dismantled his criminal army!

The “criminals” caught in the act began pleading for mercy, their previous ferocity nowhere to be seen. “Spare us, Master! We were just trying to make a living, following orders as hired hands. We swear we’ll never do it again!”

“Yes, yes, please, big brother and sister, let us go. It’s been hard enough surviving until now. Give us a chance, and we’ll turn over a new leaf, we promise!”

“Help, please, save us!”

In a flash, the situation flipped!

Gu Feiyin wasn’t about to listen to their pleas. Business is business, after all. She waved her hand decisively, “Keep a close eye on them, don’t let a single one escape. Tomorrow, I’ll buy everyone some candles to eat.”

Wow, candles to eat? That was motivation enough!

Catch them all, every last one. How dare they cause trouble in a police station-do they have no respect for the law?

Zhao the Thief: …

Jiang Tian: …

The Captain and colleagues ABC: …

Zhao the Thief wasn’t foolish enough to fight them head-on. Seeing the tide turn, he immediately thought of escape. After all, revenge is a dish best served cold. He slipped out of Zhao the Thief’s body and turned to flee.

But Gu Feiyin wasn’t about to let that happen. He was the most valuable catch here, worth at least forty yuan-enough to buy several jin of rice and eat for days.

Gu Feiyin commanded the Neighbor Miss to chase after Zhao the Thief. Meanwhile, the Armless Ghost and others, seeing Zhao the Thief trying to run, couldn’t let that slide. They hurriedly gave chase!

Zhao the Thief suddenly found himself the center of attention, with a swarm of ghosts rushing at him. “Catch him! This menace to society and police assailant can’t be allowed to escape!”

Zhao the Thief: …

Being chased by fifty or sixty ghosts, with a menacing Long-haired Woman in pursuit, Zhao the Thief felt the pressure. He hadn’t expected this Long-haired Woman to be so cunning. She claimed she wasn’t a Long Black Straight Hair Ghost Trader, yet the ghosts called her landlord and followed her every command. She was clearly the ghost trader!

Fine, today was just his unlucky day. Better to escape now and seek revenge later.

But just as he poked his head out, a long whip wrapped around his body. The Red-Dressed Ghost hovered in the air, her presence commanding, eyes blazing with anger. “Cause trouble and think you can just leave? Not so fast!”

Zhao the Thief struggled, grabbing the whip. “Where did you come from? I’m warning you, stay out of this, or you won’t know what hit you!”

The Red-Dressed Ghost scoffed, “I’m doing a public service by getting rid of you. It’s hardly meddling.”

The Headless Ghost beside her added, “I suggest you surrender now and spare yourself some pain, or else…”

“Or else what?”

“Tsk tsk, that’s hard to say.”

With Zhuang’s example set before them, the landlord was known for being ruthlessly impartial. If caught by her, even leaving a complete corpse would be difficult.

Zhao the Thief took this as a provocation, a sign of contempt. He scoffed, grabbing the long whip and transforming it into a Black Mist that dissipated into the air, once again attempting to flee! But at that moment, the Long-haired Woman, who had been chasing him, appeared behind him, wielding a broom and swinging it at him!

Now Zhao the Thief had to dodge the Red-Dressed Ghost’s whip, evade the surrounding mischievous ghosts, and avoid the broom-wielding Long-haired Woman. Under such relentless assault, Zhao the Thief inevitably fell into a disadvantage.

Jiang Tian and the others, carrying the Captain, rushed out from the building, looking up at the ghosts floating in the air. They watched as the Long-haired Woman swung her broom, swiftly beating Zhao the Thief until he was covered in wounds. Finally, she smirked sinisterly, thrusting the broom into Zhao the Thief’s body and hoisting him onto her shoulder.

Jiang Tian: …

Captain and colleagues ABC: …

They collectively swallowed hard, their gaze towards the Long-haired Woman filled with increasing fear and admiration.

At this moment, the Long-haired Woman, with Zhao the Thief impaled on the broom in one hand and a string of Little Ghosts in the other, landed on the ground without saying a word. With her half-blind eyes, she first dismembered Zhao the Thief’s limbs, handing them to the Red-Dressed Ghost and others: “You’ve worked hard, here, have some.”

The Red-Dressed Ghost’s eyebrow twitched, crossing her arms: “…No, I just had dinner, not hungry.”

“Oh, then you all eat more.”

Two legs and two arms were tossed to the fifty or sixty ghosts, each ghost tearing off a few pieces of flesh, munching away while discussing, “This ghost is indeed quite tasty.”

Neighbor Miss took a bite too, her eyes lighting up, eating even more enthusiastically. The Old Lady stood by the broom, staring intently at it, hoping it wouldn’t get damaged.

Impaled on the broom, Zhao the Thief trembled, his eyes bulging like copper bells, blood and tears streaming down, wishing he could devour the Long Black Straight Hair to quell his hatred!

Jiang Tian: …

Captain and colleagues ABC: …

What a brutal scene it was, dozens of ghosts dividing two arms and two legs, making their stomachs churn. They thought it was over, only to realize the Long-haired Woman wasn’t finished. The twenty or thirty Little Ghosts strung together weren’t spared either, each having half their bodies torn off, meticulously stacked aside, resembling a stockpile of provisions.

This thought sent a shiver down Jiang Tian’s spine, prompting him to slap himself, reprimanding his wild imagination!

Even the ghosts with half their bodies torn off couldn’t endure it, pleading for mercy, promising to repay the Master by serving as cattle and horses!

Mercy was not an option; who would turn down money? Sparing them would be like throwing money away. Who would engage in such a loss-making deal?

…

That night was truly chaotic, though each suffered minor injuries, no lives were lost, which was a blessing amidst misfortune.

When Zhang Daoist and Minister Li hurriedly arrived early the next morning, they found Master Gu, whom they had worried about all night, enjoying a sumptuous breakfast. Not only did she have a private cell, but also a lavish breakfast spread that included fragrant beef noodles, soy milk, deep-fried dough sticks, spicy and sour noodles, several stir-fried and cold dishes-truly a feast fit for royalty.

What was even more alarming was the rope she held in her hand, the other end of which was tied to twenty or thirty little ghosts with missing limbs, trembling under the table. One was even skewered on a broomstick like a fish, wailing miserably with blood and tears streaming down, looking utterly pitiful.

Zhang Daoist and Minister Li were dumbfounded for a moment. They had expected to find Master Gu locked up for stealing artifacts, looking pitiful. Instead, she was living well, eating well, and had a string of little ghosts in tow-was she here to catch ghosts?

Jiang Tian had led Zhang Daoist and Minister Li to visit Master Gu in her cell, knowing these two were no ordinary people, and left after delivering them.

Upon hearing that Xiao Zhang and Xiao Li had arrived, Gu Feiyin slurped the last of her spicy and sour noodles, wiped her mouth, and said, “Xiao Zhang, Xiao Li, you finally made it.”

Xiao Zhang: “…”

Xiao Li: “…”

Zhang Daoist and Minister Li stepped forward and asked, “What’s going on here? Why are there so many ghosts?”

“Oh, these ghosts came to cause trouble at the station, and I caught them. Are you interested in taking them? Hehe, they’re not expensive this time.”

“…”

Of course, they would take them. Thanks to Master Gu, their performance had skyrocketed, almost catching up with several previous years.

In the end, the little ghosts were sold for thirty yuan each, Zhao the Thief for forty, totaling nine hundred and forty yuan for thirty-one ghosts. Making nine hundred and forty in one night was quite profitable; the trip to the station wasn’t in vain.

The ghosts valued at nine hundred and forty: “…”

It’s just that her inheritance, thinking about it, still hurts a bit.

“Xiao Zhang, Xiao Li, I’ll have to trouble you to help me prove that this is my legally inherited property, not stolen.” She grinned, chuckled warmly, “I’ll treat you to a meal then.”

“…………”

Well, since Master Gu is treating them to a meal, how could they refuse to help?

However, these artifacts indeed belonged to the state. Zhuang’s inheritance, who knows which tomb he had scavenged them from, might be difficult to reclaim entirely. Ghost Money and Paper Money could be returned, but the artifacts were truly challenging.

But she could receive compensation.

Compensation? Gu Feiyin thought it over, sure, compensation works too. After all, her inheritance was meant to be exchanged for money; selling it in any form was still selling. Besides, she had only transported the first batch out; there were plenty more left untouched in the tomb.

“So, how much is the compensation? My artifacts are quite valuable.”

“That depends on how the higher-ups negotiate, but it shouldn’t be little.”

Indeed, given the number of artifacts, it wouldn’t be insignificant.

Alright, alright, that’s settled then. Thinking about the incoming income, she was so delighted she could eat another bowl of spicy and sour noodles.

Zhao the Thief, who was stuck on the broom, finally couldn’t hold back anymore. “You’re the Ghost Trader with Long Black Straight Hair! Why won’t you admit it? At this point, you’re still trying to fool me!”

Gu Feiyin glanced at him and said, “No, really, I’m not called Long Black Straight Hair. My name is Gu Feiyin. You’ve got the wrong person.”

…???

Zhao the Thief let out a shriek, so furious he almost coughed up blood!

…

Zhuang had expected to hear news of Long Black Straight Hair being sentenced to life imprisonment. Little did he know that by nightfall, a bunch of little ghosts had arrived. And they didn’t just come empty-handed; each one was carrying arms and legs, delivering them to the kitchen while saying, “These aren’t too bad to eat; they can last a while.”

“Won’t they spoil if left outside? Should we put them in the fridge?”

“Are you out of your mind? These aren’t meat; they won’t spoil. Here, use the rope to hang them up, or there won’t be any space. The kitchen’s full; hang some on the balcony.”

“Is yarn okay?”

“Sure, bring it over.”

Zhuang: …???

He poked his head out from under the table, utterly confused. Are little ghosts this brutal nowadays? Bringing back so many limbs, there must be dozens of them. How many ghosts did they come from? And hanging them up like this, do they think they’re curing bacon?

Zhuang felt like he’d stumbled into a den of demons. There wasn’t a single good ghost around Long Black Straight Hair! Each one was ruthless; they were the ones who deserved to be sent to the deepest pits of hell!

He hesitantly asked, “What’s going on with all this?”

The little ghosts were happy to explain, “Some little ghosts didn’t know their limits and caused trouble at the station!”

“Our landlord caught them all in one go.”

“The landlord plans to sell half and eat the other half, so we’re storing them here.”

“Our landlord did a good deed, saving over thirty people and even some police officers, so she should be out soon.”

Zhuang’s eyes widened in disbelief. He was stunned for a long while, then angrily retreated under the table, secretly resenting Long Black Straight Hair’s luck. Why hadn’t they caught her too? He didn’t dare complain in front of the little ghosts, fearing he’d end up hanging on the wall as a snack.

The Water Ghost slinked back, hiding underwater and blowing bubbles, trembling with fear. He had seen with his own eyes how the wicked Long Black Straight Hair had skewered a ghost with a broom and even dismembered it for consumption. Such cruelty and terror left him feeling doomed for life…

He wiped away his bitter tears, deeply worried about his troubled future and fate.

Who could possibly defeat the wicked Long Black Straight Hair and save him from this sea of misery?

…

Gu Feiyin was released that very day, even receiving a “Courageous Citizen” award and five hundred yuan. The compensation money, however, was still pending approval and would take a few days.

She pondered for a moment. Relying on inheritance to get rich wasn’t realistic. It seemed she had to turn the Ghost Lady’s Black Blob into a high-end gourmet product to sell. That was the real shortcut to wealth.

After all, the Black Blob was delicious and could enhance one’s Yin Energy. The heavier the Yin Energy, the stronger the cultivation, making it a favorite among ghosts.

She wasn’t worried about finding buyers for the Black Blob. There would surely be plenty of ghosts lining up to buy it. She could limit the daily supply, charge some gold and silver Paper Money, use the gold and silver for current expenses, and save the Paper Money for the afterlife. That would be quite comfortable.

It’s said that the Underworld has limited housing available, with a significant gap between supply and demand. Many ghosts have no place to live and have to rent or buy with their own money; otherwise, they’d be left to wander as beggars. And eating isn’t free either!

She’d had enough of hard times. Without finding her home yet, she had to think about her future.