The owner was named Zhang Ming.
He was tall and thin, surrounded by a heavy aura of resentment.
The moment they met, Zhang Ming got straight to the point.
“If you want to rent the apartment, you’ll have to pay a full year’s rent in advance.”
His calculations were quite simple.
A year’s rent came to twelve thousand yuan.
He estimated that Qin Su would be scared away within a month anyway.
After she left, he could simply rent the apartment out again and continue making money.
Ultimately, the problem was that he had never found a truly capable exorcist.
Otherwise, he would have driven that damned ghost out long ago instead of going through all this trouble.
Qin Su naturally saw through his intentions.
Smiling faintly, she said,
“I’m planning to stay here for quite a long time. One year won’t be enough.”
“Why don’t I just pay for three years up front?”
Thirty-six thousand yuan for three years.
She could easily afford that.
Zhang Ming immediately agreed.
“Deal.”
Her proposal suited him perfectly.
Qin Su replied unhurriedly,
“Let’s look at the apartment first.”
If she appeared too eager, he might decide to make things difficult.
Zhang Ming wasn’t worried.
It was broad daylight.
The apartment was relatively normal during the day.
He happened to have the keys with him, so he took Qin Su there immediately.
The moment she stepped inside, a wave of chilly air greeted her.
Even in the scorching heat of summer, there would probably be no need to turn on the air conditioner.
That alone would save on electricity bills.
The resentment inside the apartment was even denser than Qin Su had expected.
Qianjin, resting inside her body, became increasingly restless.
Because of the heavenly tribulation, the self-destruction of her natal spirit artifact had left Qianjin in an extremely weakened state.
Although it had recovered slightly after devouring the so-called system, it still desperately needed nourishment.
Qin Su’s gaze settled on an old teddy bear sitting on the sofa.
She could clearly see the soul attached to it.
It belonged to a young woman who appeared to be around twenty years old.
Her entire body was shrouded in thick resentment, and when she looked at Zhang Ming, the hatred in her eyes was so intense it was almost tangible.
Perhaps because it was daytime, her power was relatively weak.
She could not leave the teddy bear and could only glare at him as though trying to kill him with her eyes.
Although the resentment surrounding her was overwhelming, it carried no scent of blood.
That meant the ghost had not taken any lives.
Although Zhang Ming could not see ghosts, the young woman’s glare still made a chill run down his spine.
By now, however, he was already used to it and casually rubbed his arms.
“You can have a look around the bedrooms. If there’s anything you’re not satisfied with, just let me know.”
The apartment had three bedrooms and two living rooms, with excellent natural lighting.
The largest bedroom, in particular, had an excellent orientation, making it the perfect place to set up an array for cultivation.
There was not much furniture inside.
Only the basic necessities, beds, tables, and chairs.
Qin Su liked the apartment the moment she saw it.
She immediately signed the lease with Zhang Ming and transferred the payment.
After receiving the bank notification confirming the deposit, the smile on Zhang Ming’s face grew even wider as he handed the keys over to her.
Watching him leave, Qin Su picked up the teddy bear and leisurely looked at the resentful spirit.
“You were the one behind all those hauntings, weren’t you?”
The reason she had been so accommodating was because the ghost had never taken an innocent life.
If the spirit had stained its hands with innocent blood, then no matter how tragic its grievances were, Qin Su would have had no choice but to eliminate it.
She gently brushed her hand across the teddy bear.
The ghost imprisoned inside, Zhang Yunqi, looked astonished as she realized she had broken free from the teddy bear’s restraints.
For a moment, Zhang Yunqi simply stood there in a daze.
Then, acting on instinct, she rushed toward the door.
As expected, she slammed into an invisible barrier.
Her already translucent figure dimmed noticeably from the impact.
Her expression twisted with anger. It took her quite a while to calm herself before she finally sat down on the sofa.
“This house belongs to me. I don’t want my uncle making money off my house.”
Qin Su nodded in understanding.
“So that’s why you’ve been scaring away every tenant?”
Zhang Yunqi bit her lip.
“You’re the only tenant who’s ever been able to see me.”
Perhaps because Qin Su had freed her from the teddy bear, Zhang Yunqi’s attitude was much friendlier than Qin Su had expected.
“My parents left this house to me before they passed away. My uncle tried to trick me into transferring the ownership to him under the pretense of being my legal guardian, but I refused.”
“So he started staging hauntings in the house to frighten me, hoping I’d voluntarily sell it to him.”
“Back then, I was so terrified that I was constantly distracted. One day, I wasn’t paying attention while crossing the road, and I was hit by a car.”
“Even after I died, I refused to let him profit from this house. So I scared away everyone who came to rent it. At night, my powers are stronger, so I can create disturbances.”
Though her tone was calm, it was filled with hatred.
In a sense, although Zhang Ming had not killed her with his own hands, he had indirectly caused her death.
No wonder Zhang Yunqi hated him so deeply.
Had she not been unable to leave the house, she would probably have sought revenge herself long ago.
The reason she was being so forthcoming was also because she secretly hoped Qin Su could help her.
To a certain extent, Zhang Yunqi truly was a victim.
Qin Su quietly looked at her.
“I can help you leave this house.”
“But what can you offer me in return?”
After a brief pause, she continued,
“Revenge is fine, but don’t take anyone’s life. Otherwise, it won’t be good for your next reincarnation.”
Zhang Yunqi was stunned.
“When the time comes, I can just give you this house.”
She was already dead.
The house was of no use to her anymore.
The only reason she had haunted it was to stop her uncle from selling it for profit.
The corner of Qin Su’s mouth twitched.
“You’re already dead,” she reminded her.
“What are you going to do, sign the deed over to me?”
Her eyes curved into a smile.
“I just happen to need an assistant.”
“Why don’t you cultivate with me?”
“If you decide you’d rather be reincarnated, I’ll send you on your way after some time.”
As one of the foremost cultivation sects on Qinghuan Continent, Langfeng Sect possessed countless cultivation techniques.
Among them were several methods specifically designed for ghost cultivation.
Although Qin Su had never personally practiced those techniques, she had studied most of the sect’s manuals to broaden her understanding.
Any one of them would be an unimaginably precious treasure in the modern world.
After all, she would be living in this house for the next three years.
There would inevitably be things inside that could not be exposed to ordinary people, making it impossible to hire a cleaning service.
Rather than that, she might as well recruit a ghost to help.
Of course, there was another reason as well.
Zhang Yunqi possessed excellent aptitude.
The longer ghosts remained in the mortal world, the easier it was for them to lose their sanity.
Yet despite lingering here for years, Zhang Yunqi had never harmed an innocent person.
That alone proved the strength of her will.
The image of her uncle flashed through Zhang Yunqi’s mind, and a surge of fury rose in her heart.
Without seeing him receive the punishment he deserved, she could never be satisfied.
Besides, even if she reincarnated, who knew what kind of family she would be born into in her next life?
She replied decisively,
“Thank you, Master.”
Qin Su’s eyelid twitched.
This one certainly knew how to seize an opportunity.
Her expression suddenly became serious.
“Very good.”
“Since you’ve acknowledged me as your master, I’ll assign you your first task.”
Zhang Yunqi immediately perked up, unconsciously becoming nervous.
Qin Su pointed toward the table.
“The house is rather messy.”
“Start by cleaning it up.”
Zhang Yunqi froze.
This master of hers… didn’t seem particularly reliable.
…
Having successfully taken on a disciple, Qin Su was in an exceptionally good mood.
Now that she had found a new home, she planned to use the weekend to pack everything and move as soon as possible.
She also wanted to return the apartment key to Xu Xiao without delay.
For some reason, although she had been the one to suggest breaking up, Xu Xiao had never brought up the apartment.
Even so, Qin Su had no desire to maintain any connection with him.
Most of her belongings consisted of clothes and handbags.
Even two large wardrobes were not enough to hold everything.
Although she had no favorable opinion of the transmigrator who had stolen her body, Qin Su had to admit that the woman’s taste was excellent.
The clothes she had chosen were all quite stylish.
Unfortunately, Qin Su had overestimated the physical condition of this modified body.
After moving only a few moderately heavy boxes, the skin on her palms had already been rubbed raw.
Her arms were covered in bruises.
Anyone who saw them would probably think she had been the victim of domestic abuse.
Qin Su silently looked at her bruised arms and rubbed her temples.
Fragments of the transmigrator’s memories slowly surfaced in her mind.
She immediately summoned her natal spirit artifact.
“Qianjin.”
The plump orange tabby, round as a furry ball, let out a yawn.
Qin Su asked,
“What functions did the system you swallowed have?”
Qianjin tilted its head, making its already round eyes appear even larger.
“It had a shop where you could buy lots of things.”
Qianjin picked up a sheet of paper in its mouth.
The blank paper immediately burst into flames.
The rising smoke gradually formed an image.
Qin Su saw the system’s so-called marketplace.
The selection was dazzling.
Pills that increased various attributes, jewelry, special tags, Truth Talismans, gu insects, all kinds of skills…
Different items were sold at different prices.
Qianjin even thoughtfully showed her the list of items the transmigrator had previously purchased.
Qin Su saw that it included Voice of Nature, Truth Talismans, Attribute Pills, and a tag called Skin as Delicate as Freshly Blown Glass.
No wonder simply carrying a few boxes had scraped the skin off her hands.
Her current skin was unbelievably delicate.
She was practically the Princess and the Pea.
Once the smoke dispersed, the image vanished.
Qin Su narrowed her eyes.
She decided she should hire someone to help with the move.
Just as she was about to make a phone call, the doorbell rang.
Qin Su jerked her chin toward the entrance.
Qianjin padded over to the door and threw its weight onto the handle.
By now, it had become thoroughly practiced at opening doors this way.
The front door swung open, revealing a slender young woman.
She was fashionably dressed, with delicate features.
And she looked strangely familiar.
Qin Su’s memory was excellent, and she recognized the woman immediately.
Wasn’t this Xu Xiao’s new girlfriend, Xia Jiayi?
Six months ago, she had shot to fame after starring in a fantasy idol drama. After beginning her relationship with Xu Xiao, she had even secured the endorsement of a luxury brand, placing her squarely in the spotlight.
Xia Jiayi’s gaze fell on Qin Su as she flashed a flawless smile.
“You’re Qin Su, right? This apartment belongs to Xu Xiao, doesn’t it?”
Qin Su immediately sensed that the visitor had come with less than friendly intentions.
She gave a slight nod.
Clicking across the floor in her stiletto heels, Xia Jiayi walked into the apartment, her smile never wavering.
“The apartment is close to where I’m filming, so why don’t you let me have it?”
“Considering your current situation, continuing to live here could easily cause misunderstandings.”
Although she said “let me have it,” what she really meant was for Qin Su to move out.
Qin Su fell silent for a moment.
Then she suddenly broke into a bright smile.
“Miss Xia really is just as kind as everyone says online.”
“You heard I was moving, so you came all the way here to help.”
“Come on, I’ll have to trouble you with moving all this luggage for me.”
Xia Jiayi froze.
Clearly, this was not the reaction she had expected.
Qin Su stood up and began giving instructions without the slightest hesitation.
“The items in these boxes are fragile, so be careful with them.”
“And these bags contain clothes I really like. Make sure nothing falls out.”
Free labor that came knocking on her door.
It would be a waste not to use it.