“Eighteenth Lady’s motherly love, I…”
Xiang Liwen never manifests in the mortal realm, yet today he appeared at the City God Temple.
Eighteenth Lady suspected that Xu Jichun’s incense offering had drawn Xiang Liwen there. As they walked, she tearfully complained, “This morning, we were telling ghost stories, and he deliberately patted my shoulder to scare me. And you—knowing he was troubling me—still lit incense for him, summoning him again to frighten me.”
She grumbled the whole way, while Xu Jichun laughed the entire time.
“Am I that funny?”
“It’s not you… I just find it hilarious.”
A group of Ghosts telling ghost stories, only to be scared by a ghost emissary—it was truly too amusing to resist.
Hearing this, Eighteenth Lady snorted in displeasure.
Seeing him doubled over with laughter, she stomped her foot in anger and floated ahead, determined to ignore him from then on.
Xu Jichun laughed until he could barely stand straight. Once he finally caught his breath, he hurried to catch up with her.
Passersby saw him running while waving his arms, mistaking him for a confused drunkard.
Today, the banks of the Luo River were truly bustling, with most of the capital’s residents gathered there.
By the time the Ghost and the human arrived, one after the other, dozens of dragon boats were already racing across the river, oars rising and falling in pursuit.
Eighteenth Lady floated over to Prince Shun’s tent, standing beside the noisy prince for only a short while before drifting back to Xu Jichun’s side, despondent: “Prince Shun is too loud, but I wish I could be as unrestrained and noisy as him…”
Whenever she encountered lively events, she couldn’t help wanting to share them with someone.
Yet she was a Ghost—apart from her kind at Fúshān Tower, no one could see her, and no one would speak with her.
“I don’t like noise. Let’s go fly a kite outside the city instead.” Sensing a hint of bitterness in her tone, Xu Jichun simply pushed his way out of the crowd.
“The dragon boat races in the capital are the most boring every year—Prince Shun’s mansion always wins.” Eighteenth Lady nodded in agreement and followed him out of the city.
Xu Jichun looked back at the only lavish, dazzling tent by the shore.
Outside, guards stood in strict formation, encircling it like an iron wall. Inside, a man in brocade robes sat upright.
“Is that Prince Shun?”
“Yes. Prince Shun’s mansion also has an Old Prince Shun, who is particularly lustful.”
Once the conversation turned to the secrets of Prince Shun’s mansion, Eighteenth Lady’s chatterbox opened: “The current Prince Shun is Old Prince Shun’s youngest son. Originally, the title wouldn’t have fallen to him. But Old Prince Shun’s two older sons both died a few years ago, leaving only him.”
Xu Jichun whispered his speculation: “Could it be that Prince Shun killed his brothers for the title?”
Eighteenth Lady waved her hand: “No. It’s because the two older sons were as lustful as Old Prince Shun. The brothers fought over a woman, stumbled during the struggle, fell, and both died.”
For the rest of the journey, Eighteenth Lady recounted all sorts of secrets about Prince Shun’s mansion and the four great ducal households of the capital.
The more Xu Jichun listened, the more curious he became: “You spend your days wandering the city eavesdropping—how do you accumulate Karmic Merit?”
Eighteenth Lady replied matter-of-factly: “A Ruo says that Ghosts accumulate Karmic Merit simply by wandering the city every day.”
“Who is A Ruo?”
“The Soul-Capturing Envoy who oversees us.”
Xu Jichun nodded, half-understanding. Eighteenth Lady cautiously asked: “Zi’an, aren’t you afraid of Ghosts?”
It made sense that he wasn’t afraid of her, since she had impersonated his birth mother.
But every time she saw how he treated Helan Wang, he showed no fear either.
Outside the city, the world felt vast and open. Xu Jichun’s expression relaxed: “Before I met you, I had seen many Ghosts.”
Eighteenth Lady hurried to his side. “You also have the Yin-Yang Eye? Then… on the day we first met, could you see me and hear me speaking from the start?”
Xu Jichun glanced down at her. “I don’t have the Yin-Yang Eye. It’s just that many Ghosts live in Hengqú Town. While studying each day, I had to listen to the teacher’s lectures while also enduring the chatter of Ghosts. But ever since I left Hengqú Town, I can no longer see or hear them.”
Hearing this, Eighteenth Lady let out a long sigh of relief, her worries completely dispelled.
Before waking him that night, she had muttered many things to herself, including a few words about how to fabricate a story to deceive him.
“Hahaha, I was afraid of disturbing your studies, so I didn’t join those Ghosts in seeking you out.”
“Your motherly concern for me, I naturally understand.”
Most of those flying kites outside the city were young children. Feeling he had outgrown such playful activities, Xu Jichun found an uninhabited grassy slope, lay down on his back with his arms pillowing his head, and idly watched the drifting clouds.
Eighteenth Lady lay down beside him and chattered on as they discussed. “Zi’an, if you’re short on money, in the future, offering a bowl of pig’s trotters will suffice.”
Xu Jichun: “I have money.”
Eighteenth Lady sprang up, wiping away tears haphazardly. “You can’t even afford to rent a decent house, why waste money buying three bowls of pig’s trotters every day?”
“Did you find out? Why can’t you receive the spirit ingots Mingye sends?” Xu Jichun was momentarily at a loss for words, unsure how to explain that he still had ample savings and considerable wealth. He could only change the subject, asking about the offerings.
Eighteenth Lady sighed. “I asked. A Ruo advised me to give up such petty schemes; the Underworld isn’t foolish.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Xu Jichun burst into laughter.
Eighteenth Lady flushed red with anger, pouncing on him and pounding him wildly. “Don’t you dare laugh!”
The more she hit him, the louder he laughed.
“Tell him to stop sending them. After all, I can’t receive them anyway.” Eighteenth Lady lay back on the grass as if resigned to fate.
Those chests of spirit ingots—who knows how much Nether-wealth they could be exchanged for. What a pity.
“When I become an official, I’ll give you a chest of spirit ingots.”
“Deal!”
Before the closing drum could sound, Eighteenth Lady escorted Xu Jichun back to the city.
The human and the Ghost parted at the Chángxià Gate, agreeing to meet again the next day.
After seeing Xu Jichun off, Eighteenth Lady slowly made her way back to Fúshān Tower along the Yī River that flowed past Fú Mountain.
Unexpectedly, as soon as she stepped inside the tower, Su Yingtang emerged from the shadows, pulling her straight to the third floor.
The door closed with a muffled thud.
The tables had turned—this time, it was Su Yingtang kneeling to pay respects as a disciple. “Master above, please accept this disciple’s bow!”
Where there is abnormality, there must be mischief. Eighteenth Lady warily scanned the four corners of the room.
She boldly guessed that Su Yingtang’s lackey, Moyu’er, was hiding in the shadows, waiting for a chance to mock her.
Seeing her remain motionless for so long, Su Yingtang simply stood up, clinging to her arm and coquettishly pleading. “Dear Eighteenth Lady, please save me. Madam Zhang’s younger sister has died, and she’s threatening to take her own life!”
Madam Zhang was Su Yingtang’s Patron, having supported her for many years. She was the most generous and always granted her every request.
In previous years, thanks to Su Yingtang, Eighteenth Lady occasionally managed to obtain a few fashionable new outfits from Madam Zhang.
Now, hearing that Madam Zhang’s younger sister had died, Eighteenth Lady lamented, “Ah, Madam Zhang has done good deeds for so many years, yet her sister has passed before her.”
“Her sister’s entire family was murdered, and they died horribly. She doesn’t trust the officials, only me, and begged me to help find the real culprit. I know nothing about investigating cases, so I can only ask for your help.” Hearing her tone soften, Su Yingtang immediately helped her sit down.
They received offerings from patrons, so naturally, they had to solve people’s troubles.
The requests from Offerors were all sorts of strange, and she gritted her teeth and agreed to each one. But when it came to investigating cases, she truly knew nothing.
In the past, whenever there was a case to investigate, she would push it to Eighteenth Lady.
She had money; Eighteenth Lady needed money.
After years of cooperation, they had developed a certain tacit understanding.
“Zi’an, I received the sachet.” Eighteenth Lady smiled brightly, swaying the sachet at her waist. She first expressed her thanks before explaining her purpose: “I’m going to investigate a case today, so I probably won’t be able to come find you until the afternoon.”
“A ghost… investigating a case?” Xu Jichun blurted out, his tone filled with disbelief. “What case are you investigating?”
The morning breeze brushed coolly against their faces. Seeing him wearing only a thin robe, Eighteenth Lady pushed him inside.
After he closed the door and sat down, she recounted everything Su Yingtang had told him: “Madam Zhang’s younger sister died. Madam Zhang told Mannu to find her sister’s murderer, or else she would kill herself in front of her. Mannu doesn’t know how to investigate cases, so she paid me to do it. By the way, Mannu is Su Yingtang, and Madam Zhang is her Patron.”
Xu Jichun understood but felt even more curious: “But you’re a ghost. How can you investigate a case?”
“I can float into the mortuary and watch the coroner examine the body. Once I understand what happened, I can find the murderer.”
Author’s Note:
Word count compressed for ranking application, update on Thursday [heart]
“Fúshān Tower Mini Theater: The Fake Son Who Really Exhausts Ghosts”
In Fúshān Tower, barring any accidents, the first ghost to wake up every day is Hexian.
On her left, the Yellow-robed Guest snores thunderously; on her right, Qiu Sese cries incessantly.
Sandwiched between these two ghosts, it would be strange if she didn’t go mad.
“Ahhh!”
Hexian let out a long shriek, startling the nearest ghosts, Qiu Sese and Moyu’er, awake.
Qiu Sese, still crying, pushed open the door and rushed straight to the third floor to complain to Meng Yingqiu: “A Ruo, wuwuwu, Hexian scared me again…”
“Hexian!”
Meng Yingqiu was in the middle of a dream about getting promoted when she was awakened by the crying and fussing of Qiu Sese. Furious, she shouted.
That shout made the entire tower tremble from top to bottom.
Su Yingtang and Helan Wang, both on the third floor, pushed open their doors simultaneously: “Can you please stop making noise?”
Meng Yingqiu comforted Qiu Sese while glaring fiercely at the two ghosts.
The two ghosts, knowing better, quickly closed their doors.
The only two ghosts in the tower who couldn’t be woken by noise and could sleep until afternoon were the unshakable Yellow-robed Guest and Eighteenth Lady, who lived on the first floor.
First, the first floor was far away;
Second, Eighteenth Lady always slept with her head covered under three layers of blankets.
However, ever since recognizing Xu Jichun as her fake son, Eighteenth Lady had been leaving early and returning late, becoming the first ghost to leave Fúshān Tower each day.
As for the reason?
Simply because her fake son rose before dawn every day, draped in his robe, to read. Since she was pretending to be his birth mother, she naturally had to set a good example and dared not sleep until afternoon before entering the city.
That day, Eighteenth Lady went down the mountain and entered the city as usual.
The bright moon hung high above her head. She yawned repeatedly, drowsy and half-asleep.
“Ah, this fake son really exhausts ghosts!”