Li Miao had opened two blind boxes before, so she had experience.
She chose to open it in the first-floor lounge, prepared plenty of Exorcism Talismans, and was ready to shout “Mingye, save me” at any moment.
With everything ready, Li Miao placed the blind box on the table and carefully peeled off the seal.
She thought the ghost would suddenly appear in front of her like before.
Instead, the box emitted a dazzling green light.
At the same time, the phone app started flashing.
Li Miao clicked it and saw:
[Congratulations, Haunted House Owner, on obtaining a 4-Star Ghost!]
Four stars?
Did Painted Skin and Ruhua have star ratings? Why didn’t I notice?
“They do,” Ruhua said. “Look carefully; there should be an introduction.”
This Fengdu Haunted House app wasn’t very user-friendly. Many features appeared suddenly and were hidden in corners.
Finally, Li Miao found the ghost section in [Haunted House Management].
[Ghost Count: 2]
[Painted Skin: 3 Stars]
[Ruhua: 3 Stars (Star rating based on popularity, magical power, and dungeon construction difficulty. So, don’t expect too much from me. Just because I’m 3 stars doesn’t mean I’m strong. Actually, I’m a trash ghost who can’t beat anyone.)]
Li Miao: “…”
She looked up at Ruhua. “Did you write that sentence in the brackets?”
Ruhua shook her head. “Why would I call myself a trash ghost? The app must have written it imitating my tone.”
Li Miao nodded, turning her gaze back to the blind box. If Ruhua and Painted Skin were 3 stars, then a 4-star ghost must be even more powerful.
She was a little excited.
But why hasn’t this ghost come out yet?
Ruhua and Painted Skin had flown out as soon as the talisman was removed, but this one hadn’t moved.
Impatient, Li Miao stepped forward and opened the lid. She saw a tiny girl curled up inside, beautiful as a figurine.
“Come out.”
Hearing Li Miao call her, the girl flew out instantly and grew to normal size.
A glamorous, mature beauty stood before her. She had a curvy figure, and even the loose ancient robes couldn’t hide her bosom—at least an E cup.
She wore a white silk skirt embroidered with orchids, a green ribbon in her hair, and held a guqin in her arms.
“Master Sister.” While she looked like a mature beauty, her voice was incredibly soft, and her expression was adorable. “My name is Nie Xiaoqian. Master Sister, can I hold the corner of your clothes?”
Li Miao couldn’t refuse such a beauty’s plea.
She nodded repeatedly. “Go ahead.”
Nie Xiaoqian was very happy. Like a puppy, she held onto Li Miao’s hem, looking dependent.
Nie Xiaoqian was exceptionally beautiful. Even Ruhua and the Painted Skin demon stared blankly.
Li Miao also looked at her, curious why Nie Xiaoqian was 4 stars.
Is it because of her high popularity?
Just then, the phone app flashed.
[Congratulations, Haunted House Owner, on obtaining 4-Star Ghost Nie Xiaoqian. 4-Star Ghosts come with innate talent skills. Please explore and use them freely.]
[Congratulations, Haunted House Owner, on possessing 3 ghosts. You have obtained the title ‘Beginner Collector’. Reward: Yin-Yang Eyes.]
[Yin-Yang Eyes: The Fengdu Haunted House has its own aura; people inside can see the ghosts. With Yin-Yang Eyes, you can see ghosts even outside the haunted house.
Are you curious about what’s lying on your shoulder?
Do you want to know if there are really ghosts in the graveyard?
Night is not only for humans but also the realm of ghosts. With these eyes, you will never be lonely; ‘it’ will always be with you under the covers.]
Li Miao: (⊙o⊙)
I don’t want to know! I don’t want to know at all!
And crawling under my covers? Terrifying.
Li Miao did not claim this reward.
Let’s leave it for now.
She clicked on Nie Xiaoqian’s profile to check her talent skill.
[Nie Xiaoqian – Heart-Moving Zither: The sound of the zither can evoke the deepest emotions in the listener. Sad music evokes sadness; sweet music reveals the heart and reminds the listener of their beloved; terrifying music reminds the listener of their deepest fears… There are other types of music; please develop them yourself.]
Li Miao marveled. This skill is amazing. No wonder she’s 4 stars.
With Nie Xiaoqian, Li Miao checked [My Missions] and found a new task:
[Please build a dwelling scenario for Nie Xiaoqian.]
What’s in Nie Xiaoqian’s dungeon scenario?
Lanruo Temple, the Tree Demon Grandmother, the Black Mountain Demon, and their subordinates.
To accommodate so many ghosts, she would need at least a valley.
Li Miao didn’t have the money to build a scenario yet, so she had to put it on hold.
Almost forgot about the [Yang Energy Hut] reward.
The Yang Energy Hut was the reward for reaching 100 visitors. She wondered what it did.
Li Miao claimed the reward and clicked the note:
[Yang Energy Hut: All tourists who visit the haunted house and pass through the Yang Energy Hut will have the yin energy in their bodies instantly removed. It fades the fear in their hearts, making them energetic and even wanting to come back and play again, increasing repeat customers.]
Li Miao: “…”
So cunning!
Afraid tourists would be too scared to return, it fades their fear.
Making them fall for it again and again.
The person who designed this reward had the potential to be a profiteer.
Li Miao clicked [Yang Energy Hut], and a semi-transparent object appeared in her palm.
It had no specific shape or style.
How do I use this?
After researching, Li Miao realized that although it was called a “hut,” it didn’t look like one. It referred to an area the size of a hut.
She needed to attach the [Yang Energy Hut] to an object of similar size.
Li Miao calculated and found that placing it at the main gate was most suitable. It would fit perfectly.
Moreover, everyone entering and leaving had to pass through the main gate, making it convenient to remove yin energy.
After placing the [Yang Energy Hut], Li Miao stood outside and looked in, observing her Fengdu Haunted House.
Her haunted house was becoming more perfect.
It could provide tourists with a bone-chilling horror experience, fade their fear so they wouldn’t have psychological trauma, and remove the yin energy they picked up.
Perfect.
The only downside was poverty.
She was too poor. The whole haunted house was dilapidated. She couldn’t afford to build the second dungeon and was in debt.
Money, money, I must make money!
Since she couldn’t build a second dungeon yet, Li Miao decided to expand her business and open a Taobao store to sell haunted house merchandise.
Once her haunted house gained popularity, selling figures and dolls of Painted Skin, Ruhua, and Xiaoqian would definitely be a hit.
But that was for later; making figures costs money.
Sell things that don’t cost money first.
She could sell the Exorcism Talismans and Wealth Summoning Talismans.
They were good stuff. She priced them at 100 yuan each.
Once she made a name for herself, she would raise the price.
T/N: Mini trivia about the ghost staff so far:
Nie Xiaoqian: A famous female ghost from the classic Chinese story Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio (specifically “The Magic Sword”). She is popularly known from the movie adaptation A Chinese Ghost Story. She is usually depicted as beautiful, tragic, and ethereal.
Ruhua: Refers to the tragic female ghost from the novel/movie Rouge (who waits in the afterlife for her lover), though in Chinese internet culture, the name is sometimes associated with a comedic, bearded cross-dressing character from Stephen Chow movies.
Painted Skin (Hua Pi): A malevolent demon (often a fox spirit) from Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio that wears a human skin painting to disguise itself as a beautiful woman.