Honghui rubbed his chin, pondered for a moment, and said:
“Rhino horn can be used in medicine. For children, it calms the spirit and steadies the mind. But most of the time, rhino horn is used as an aphrodisiac, to strengthen yang and replenish the kidneys. Why do you suddenly ask about this?”
Yan He:
He recalled how that little ghost had treasured the rhino horn tip, placing it so carefully on the nightstand.
Every night he bowed again and again before it, with the utmost devotion.
So the little ghost was praying to the rhino horn tip for him to strengthen yang and replenish the kidneys?
Yan He remained silent for a long time, and in the end, he had no choice but to accept it.
Every night, the little ghost prayed with sincerity to the rhino horn, begging it to bless him with strengthened virility.
As if remembering something, Honghui turned his prayer beads in his hand and warned:
“By the way—
These next few days, while your prayer beads aren’t with you, you must be careful of the bed-pressing ghost.”
His true meaning was that without the beads, Yan He, born with an Extreme Yin constitution would be more vulnerable.
Given his extraordinary sensitivity to yin energy, at midnight, the bed-pressing ghost would appear to him no different from a living human.
But Yan He didn’t take it seriously. He only accepted the talisman papers casually with a brief response.
Seeing his nonchalant demeanor, Honghui assumed Yan He naturally had a method to deal with the bed-pressing ghost.
He put away the beads without asking further.
But unusually, Yan He, usually silent, lingered to sit with him on the low couch, asking many questions.
He asked whether little ghosts might carry rhino horn tips.
Honghui chuckled. “How could a little ghost possibly have rhino horn tips?
Even ordinary families, when burning offerings, wouldn’t send something like that to their departed kin.
Most likely, he traded with other ghosts.”
Yan He repeated softly: “Traded?”
Honghui poured tea as he replied, “Yes. Likely exchanged for incense or paper money. That’s the food of little ghosts in the underworld.”
Yan He suddenly fell quiet.
He remembered the first time he had seen the bed-pressing little ghost, wearing his dusty gray robe, sprawled on the bed, staring at him with a frail, starved figure.
Not at all like a ghost well-fed on incense offerings.
It wasn’t hard to guess, the incense paper used to trade for the rhino horn tip must have been painstakingly saved.
No wonder the little ghost had treasured it so much last night.
Noticing Yan He’s sudden silence, Honghui looked up in puzzlement. “Why are you asking about this?”
The man on the couch said nothing, only lowered his head to sip his tea. After a long while, he spoke quietly:
“It’s nothing. It’s just… in the past, I only ever met evil ghosts who wished for my death. This is the first time I’ve encountered a little ghost who sincerely wishes me well.”
At nine o’clock that night
Mu Bai slipped into the villa with practiced ease, but the moment he floated into the living room, he sensed something off.
He twitched his nose, catching a faint, enticing fragrance that lingered in the air.
He couldn’t quite say what the scent was, but instinct stirred within him. Following the trail, he padded toward the study.
The study was brightly lit. On the ancient, weighty desk was a stack of documents.
In the office chair, the man leaned one hand against his chin, eyes half-lowered, quietly absorbed in the papers.
Mu Bai licked his lips.
The closer he drew to the man, the stronger that rich fragrance became like a chilled bowl of iced sour plum soup, glistening in the summer heat.
Cool, refreshing, and irresistibly tempting.
The little ghost’s nose twitched, and he pressed close to the man.
Yan He leaned back in his chair, adjusting the position of the prayer beads on his wrist out of habit.
But his fingers brushed empty skin.
Only then did he remember that the prayer beads he had worn for so long had cracked, and he had sent them to Honghui for repair.
At first, Yan He hadn’t cared much.
The beads’ main purpose was to suppress his Extreme Yin body and reduce the attention of malicious spirits, not to slay evil ghosts outright.
But around nine o’clock that night, the curtains in the study swayed gently. Like a wisp of smoke, the little ghost in his gray robe slipped silently inside.
He perched on the desk, legs swinging, watching as Yan He worked.
Perhaps curious about the papers, the little ghost leaned in, head so close their faces nearly touched.
Yan He’s pen paused. Lifting his eyes slightly, he caught sight of the ghost’s long, dark lashes like a delicate fan fluttering before him.
Without the beads, his sensitivity to yin energy was magnified a hundredfold tonight.
Thus, he could feel with startling clarity the chill yin aura surrounding the boy.
For some reason, the little ghost’s eyes shone brighter tonight, and he clung to Yan He more than usual.
Just like that very first night, lying at the head of the bed, staring at him without blinking. He was once again Yan He’s little shadow.
Even without understanding the documents, he obediently sat on the desk, pretending to read along.
Suddenly, Mu Bai whispered softly, haltingly:
“Yan… He.”
He spoke slowly, as if uncertain.
So his new target’s name was Yan He.
When Mu Bai lifted his head, he found the man raising his gaze as well. Those narrow black eyes were like a deep, still pool.
Though Yan He wasn’t really looking at him, Mu Bai felt the strange illusion of meeting his gaze.
No, this was just an ordinary living man. He wasn’t a ghost, nor an underworld envoy. He couldn’t possibly see him.
The little ghost turned his head to glance behind himself, wondering what the man had been staring at.
Just as he looked away, Yan He rose to his feet. The night breeze stirred the branches outside, setting the curtains billowing.
The man walked to the window and tied back the swaying fabric.
So that was what he had been looking at.
The little ghost leaned back on the desk, tilting his head as he watched Yan He return.
He stayed with him until the last of the documents were finished.
When Yan He finally stood, Mu Bai, as always, floated up and wrapped his arms around the man’s neck, draping himself comfortably on his back.
Tonight, the man’s scent was especially enticing. Unable to resist, the little ghost pressed his face against Yan He’s neck, secretly inhaling deeply.
But then Yan He suddenly stopped in his tracks, frozen in place.
Mu Bai tilted his head, resting his chin on Yan He’s shoulder, peering at his face.
The man’s throat moved slightly. Without the beads, he could feel with painful clarity the ghost clinging to his back.
Ghosts had no weight, no true body. But their yin energy could condense into form.
Humans, lacking yin, could never touch ghosts, ghosts could only touch ghosts.
In the past, the beads had blocked most of that yin aura. Even with his Extreme Yin body, Yan He could barely feel more than a vague, chilly presence at his back.
If the ghost leaned his head on his shoulder, the cold breath would press close to his neck.
If not, then the chill would drift farther away.
But tonight, he could feel the ghost’s body with exact precision.
The vague blur of cold was now a slender youth, pressed tightly against him.
For the first time, Yan He realized—the little ghost’s legs were wrapped around his waist.
He remembered well: before, the boy had only draped his arms around his neck, never once clinging to him with his legs.
When had the little ghost learned this new way of holding him? Secretly tightening his thighs around his waist?
Yan He furrowed his brows, forcing himself to ignore the sensation at his waist. After a long moment, he finally stepped toward the bathroom.
As expected, once he entered, the little ghost slipped down. He would never clinging to him while he bathed.
Yan He thought, once he was lying in bed, it would be fine.
After all, on the bed, the little ghost never hung on him, just obediently waited for him to fall asleep.
So even without the beads, he was at ease.
A ghost so clumsy he could roll off the bed in his sleep could hardly pose any real danger.
Yan He rested assured.
But at midnight, as he slept, his breathing grew uneven. A faint crease appeared between his brows, as though he sensed something pressing down on him, trapping him still.
In an instant, his mind grew clear! This was no ordinary dream.
Though he was fully conscious, his body refused to move. He could not open his eyes, nor make a sound.
He knew at once, he was experiencing ghost-pressing.
At midnight, yin energy was at its densest. And without his prayer beads, he could hardly avoid this ordeal.
For ordinary people, ghost-pressing meant little more than the inability to move.
But for Yan He, with his Extreme Yin constitution, it was worse—he could feel every detail of the little ghost drawing close beside him.
The midnight yin was suffocatingly heavy.
Eyes closed, he felt clearly the boy’s frail body pressed against him, half his face buried at Yan He’s neck, nuzzling like a kitten.
Tonight, the boy seemed especially drawn to his scent, clinging tightly.
The yin aura was so strong, even the touch of his hair felt tangible, soft strands tickling beneath Yan He’s chin.
Only then did Yan He recall that without the beads, his Extreme Yin energy was utterly irresistible to ghosts.
No wonder so many evil spirits, knowing they could not defeat him, still rushed to die by his hand.
The little ghost clung to him with arms wrapped tight, feeding contentedly on his spiritual energy. At times, he even lifted his head, pressing his cool cheek against Yan He’s face, brushing close.
The boy nestled against him in dependence, swaddled in his wide gray robe.
Yan He, eyes closed in the silent dark, could hear nothing but his own slow breath and pounding heartbeat.
The little ghost drifted into sleep.
But he was never a quiet sleeper. In his dreams, he loosened his grip, rolled over, and mumbled in his sleep.
Even with his back turned, he pressed close, curling into Yan He’s chest like a small cat.
Thin and pale in his gray robe, only his slender neck and collarbone were visible. Though frail, his body was soft in the right places, warm and rounded against Yan He.
If only he stayed still, it might have been bearable. But the little ghost was restless, kicking, tangling, even stepping on him in his sleep, muttering nonsense as he did.
Yan He’s whole body remained frozen, yet veins stood out at his temple as his breaths grew heavier.
His thin summer sleepwear clung to his skin. Even through the fabric, he could feel the ghost’s round, soft body pressing against him, so unlike his own rigid bones.
Yet the little ghost seemed especially fond of his scent tonight, burrowing closer even in sleep.
Yan He clenched his eyes shut, reciting the Heart-Cleansing Sutra in his mind. But the more he recited, the tighter the veins in his neck stood out.
He didn’t know how long it lasted.
Half-dreaming, half-conscious, he finally felt his body lighten. The weight vanished.
He opened his eyes. The room was still dark, but outside, dawn had begun, dim rays breaking through the clouds.
The curtains swayed gently, though there was no morning breeze.
Yan He flexed his fingers and they moved. Gradually, his body obeyed him again.
Sitting up, his expression remained calm, though dark circles shadowed his ees. He lifted a hand to his neck, rotating it slightly with eyes closed.
At six in the morning—
Far away at Zhongming Temple, Honghui was just finishing his vegetarian meal when his phone rang.
On the other end, a voice rough and hoarse, as though it had not rested all night, asked:
“When will the beads be repaired?”
Honghui froze, uncertain. “You are… Yan He?”
After all, such an early call was not his style. Yan He was always calm, even matters of karmic burden hardly troubled him.
For him to call so early, only to ask if the beads had been fixed, it was strange indeed.
The voice on the other end said nothing. After a long silence, it gave only a low, heavy “Mm.”
Honghui thought for a while, then said hesitantly: “The beads are not fully repaired yet. Only three, Right View, Right Thought, and Right Speech have been restored.The other five still bear cracks.”
Yan He was silent for a moment, then said:“Three will do.”
“I’ll drive over tonight to fetch them.”
But then, as though struck by a sudden thought, his voice faltered, hoarse with strain and exhaustion.
“No… Forget it. I’ll drive over right now..”
Yan He couldn’t bear with our little ghost even for a night. Though if someone kicks and throw their leg on me.. I might get irritated too.
Solution to this problem, Yan He need to hug Mu Bai tightly 😀
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ChaptersChapter 1 · New TargetChapter 2 · Pervert Little Ghost?Chapter 3 · Little one is MischievousChapter 4 · New MountChapter 5 · Fake Master?Chapter 6 · Blanket StolenChapter 7 · A presentChapter 8 · Rhino HornChapter 9 · Clinging like body PillowChapter 9 · Meeting Old FriendChapter 11 · Just like ChildChapter 12 · New AddictionsChapter 13 · Jinxed StarChapter 14 · Creeping out the old IdiotChapter 14 · Creeping out the old IdiotChapter 15 · New Set of ClothesChapter 16 · Big Wife, Little WifeChapter 17 · Chapter SE 17: Raising as A SonChapter 18 · Another Ghost?!Chapter 19 · Scared away the Evil ghostChapter 20 · NingNing’s SoulChapter 20 · Chapter SE 20: NingNing’s SoulChapter 21 · Green TeaChapter 22 · VisitChapter 23 · Turned into DollChapter 24 · Reunited with Yan HeChapter 25 · I’m UglyChapter 26 · I will stomp youChapter 27 · Ghost AgainChapter 28 · Looking for new HostChapter 29 · Just a BiteChapter 30 · Chapter SE 30: BurnChapter 31 · Trapped Again!Chapter 32 · Call me Lord Official….Chapter 33 · I devote myself to you completely…Chapter 34 · Husband or son?Chapter 35 · Ghost sleep during Day time….Chapter 36 · You could buy more than four thousand sticksChapter 37 · Gu TingChapter 38 · Looks familiarChapter 39 · You’re sleeping with my ancestor?!Chapter 40 · Great great great great GrandsonChapter 41 · We can afford itChapter 42 · HotpotChapter 43 · New StoryChapter 44 · Past Memories…Chapter 45 · Kidnapping Ancestor!Chapter 46 · Copy Buddhist scripturesChapter 47 · Ancestor Flew away…Chapter 48 · Xiao He might not be spending his birthday aloneChapter 49 · May everything go as you wishChapter 50 · I lied…Chapter 51 · Young Master turned into half humanChapter 52 · LettersChapter 53 · Lord OxChapter 54 · Male… destined love???Chapter 55 · A kindred spiritChapter 56 · Chapter SE 56: I like YouChapter 57 · Yan ZhangChapter 58 · Is two hours a bit too short?Chapter 59 · Going down the middle is indeed the correct choiceChapter 60 · Excel spreadsheetsChapter 61 · He had forgotten to tell A’Sheng.Chapter 62 · The person he disliked most had become the young mistress?Chapter 63 · Rip him to shredsChapter 64 · I was wrongChapter 65 · Lord Mu is very happyChapter 66 · I’m about to get marriedChapter 67 · I want to go on a date with youChapter 68 · You’d probably overturn the entire underworldChapter 69 · Head tableChapter 70 · It was meChapter 71 · Junior King of HellChapter 72 · His wife is a little ghost who lies on the bedChapter 73 · Chen LanChapter 74 · Sister in LawChapter 75 · Chapter SE 75: Pick up my boyfriend from workChapter 75 · Extra 1Chapter 76 · Can you still talkChapter 77 · Aren’t you going to ask about yourselfChapter 77 · Extra 3Chapter 77 · Extra 2Chapter 78 · How many ordinary little spirits dare fall in love with the Yan King?Chapter 78 · Extra 4Chapter 79 · Extra 5Chapter 79 · I never realized that the bird man’s status was so high… Yan KingChapter 80 · I’ve ridden on the little Yan King’s headChapter 80 · Extra 6Chapter 81 · Is… this very important?Chapter 81 · Extra 7Chapter 82 · Young master… will you marry me?Chapter 82 · Extra 8Chapter 83 · He’s just a stubborn little old manChapter 84 · End of Main StoryChapter 93 · Extra 9Chapter 94 · Extra 10