“At that moment, I glared at him, eyebrows drawn together, looking every bit the fierce monster I felt inside,” the little ghost said, trying to sound serious, but his eyes sparkled in the darkness of the cemetery. “He immediately got scared out of his wits, screaming and yelling…”
He gestured excitedly as he spoke. “He jumped straight from the bed to under it!”
Across from him, the water ghost listened intently, occasionally chiming in with, “Really?”
The little ghost crossed his legs, nodding solemnly. “Of course. He saw me, and he had no choice but to panic like that.”
The water ghost’s expressionless face nodded. “Impressive.”
Pleased by the praise, the little ghost’s cheeks puffed up slightly, but he remembered his good friend’s own talents and humbly replied, “It was nothing, really.”
“You’re impressive too.”
After this little exchange of compliments, the little ghost hopped down from the tombstone, brushing off imaginary dust from his nonexistent pants,
“I’m off now,” he said, turning with a maturity far beyond his years, as if heading out to earn a living. “You stay here and watch over our tombstones. I’ll be back before the second half of the night.”
The water ghost clutched some incense, nodding expressionlessly. Sitting alone in the graveyard, he waited patiently, like an old empty-nest soul, for the little ghost to return with the incense.
Nearby, a headless ghost poked its skull out, muttering enviously, “Lucky you, someone’s earning incense for you.”
The water ghost shot it a blank look before tossing the headless ghost’s skull ten meters away. The headless ghost yelped and scrambled to retrieve it.
Sitting back down, the water ghost thought, he didn’t need the little ghost earning incense for him. In his eyes, the little ghost should do nothing at all, eat the best silver wax and read the newest story books.
These thoughts sparked in his mind like sudden fireworks, and the more he dwelled on them, the sharper the ache in his head, as if a hammer were pounding straight at his skull.
He finally gave up, deciding to just focus on watching the tombstones until the little ghost returned.
At the villa, the little ghost perched on the window sill, sensing something off. Tonight, the villa smelled faintly sweet, with incense mixed in, like someone was burning pomelo-scented incense.
He leapt down, inhaling a few breaths, quickly clearing the lingering fragrance from the living room.
Without hesitation, he drifted toward the study. The room was brightly lit, stacks of thick books spread across the desk.
Yan He sat in his chair, eyes half-lowered, scanning yellowed documents with meticulous care, line by line, searching for something.
The little ghost flipped through a comic, entirely absorbed, oblivious to the man in front of him. Yan He’s hand paused over the paper, dense with names, as he glanced at the little ghost.
The ghost, in a shabby gray robe patched with crooked stitches, was completely unaware. Despite the tattered clothing, his skin was snow-white, his face flawless, so out of place amid the gray fabric.
Yan He rested his pen, eyes half-lidded, thinking: since the ways of the living world won’t work, perhaps the ways of the underworld might.
The little ghost turned a page and noticed that Yan He had gone to take a bath early. Sleepily, he hugged the comic, knowing the earlier the man slept, the earlier he could eat.
At two thirty in the morning, full and satisfied, the little ghost quietly nudged open the curtains and, as usual, slipped out.
By three a.m., the villa bedroom light was on. Yan He, dressed and carrying a stack of paper offerings, stepped into the cold night.
The crescent moon hid behind clouds, and the mountainside road was deserted. Beside the roadside, a bundle of burning paper swayed in the wind.
A black, hunched figure flowed across the ground like liquid, approaching the man burning the paper offerings. Unaware, he continued his ritual, but the shadow suddenly snapped upright, its black talons reaching for him.
Minutes later, the old ghost clutched the tightly wrapped beads around his neck, eyes wide, a chilling screech escaping his throat.
Yan He calmly polished his long fingers and smiled politely at the ghost. “Hello. Would you be so kind as to deliver something for me?”
The ghost’s eyes widened further, realizing he had been lured here. He had thought the man burning paper in the deserted road at midnight was ignorant of all taboos, an easy target to plunder.
He hadn’t expected the man to manipulate him so deliberately. Ghosts like him could seize offerings and incense from humans, but no living person had ever stopped him to deliver them to another spirit.
Late at night, dew heavy in the air, the man bent slightly, tightening the beads around the evil ghost’s throat and asked softly, “Don’t want to deliver them?”
The ghost’s face twisted in even more pain, frantically shaking its head. It took a long moment before the beads around its throat loosened halfway.
The ghost looked at the man and nodded at the carefully stacked pile of paper offerings, then continued in a gentle tone, “Then I trouble you to deliver these to a little ghost named Mu Bai. Make sure he believes someone else burned them by mistake.”
Trembling with fear, the evil ghost nodded, and only then did the beads loosen completely.
As night settled, in front of the graveyard, the little ghost sat cross-legged, cautiously eyeing a gray robe woven with dark cloud patterns from Shu brocade.
The fabric felt soft to the touch, the stitching fine, the subtle pattern shimmering faintly in the moonlight like flowing silver water. At first glance it seemed unremarkable, but up close, the craftsmanship was exquisite.
This robe had appeared near the graveyard ever since he and A-Sheng had awakened. They had long been dead. No relatives remained to burn offerings for them.
They had asked the surrounding little ghosts, who all insisted the robe wasn’t meant for them. Eventually, an unfamiliar ghost suggested it must have been a mix-up, someone burning offerings and mispronouncing names, accidentally sending it their way.
Still cautious, Mu Bai reached out and touched the robe. The water ghost sat nearby, feeling the fabric as well, and then looked up solemnly, “It’s indeed an offering burned by a living person.”
Judging by the faint scent of incense, it had likely been burned the previous night. Hearing A-Sheng’s words, Mu Bai finally relaxed. A-Sheng, moving with practiced ease, unfolded the robe and, with a serious expression, said, “Wear it.”
The water ghost seemed to carry the unshakable spirit of a bandit. It didn’t matter that the offering had been burned by mistake; if the person in front of him liked it, he’d strip the robe from the dead in the water, wash it at the river, dry it, and give it to the person.
Mu Bai took the robe in hand, examined it carefully, then beckoned to him. The water ghost, expressionless, floated over.
At eight o’clock that evening, the little ghost snuck into the villa as usual and saw the man turning on the television in the living room. His eyes lit up, and in a flash, he floated over to the sofa, sitting upright.
Yan He had just switched on the TV when he felt a chill beside him. He set down the remote and turned his head to see the little ghost dressed in the new robe.
The freshly woven gray robe hugged the boy’s slim frame, the delicate dark patterns flickering like floating light, highlighting his snow-white arms.
Cross-legged on the sofa, he looked almost too perfect to be a little ghost, more like an actor stepping out of a costume studio, having removed a long wig to reveal soft, black hair that always made people glance back.
The little ghost was simply enjoying the comfort of the new robe, which no longer rubbed like the old one. He hugged a pillow, eyes fixed on the television. Yan He had put on a movie for him, and only after it ended did he rise and head to the bedroom.
Mu Bai noticed that the man had recently begun bathing earlier, no longer spending half an hour each time. Pleased, he lay on the bed, nodding approvingly in his heart.
The earlier he bathed, the earlier he slept, which meant Mu Bai’s own mealtime could start earlier too. Propping up his cheek, he flipped through the comic on the bed, waiting for the man to go to sleep.
As always, Yan He closed the bedroom door, glanced at the little ghost sprawled on the bed, and suddenly stopped. Mu Bai lay on the bed, shoes off as usual, legs swinging, comic in hand, waiting for him.
The dark gray robe had slid down his little legs, revealing the patched, grayish underpants beneath. They matched the old tattered robe perfectly.
Yan He paused, momentarily wondering if he had forgotten to burn the complete set, but upon reflection, he was certain he hadn’t, he had burned the full set.
The little ghost, sensing something, lifted his head, scratching the patched underpants with delight. The cool, soft fabric felt wonderful. He thought happily that it was lucky someone had burned a full set by mistake.
He dressed the upper half himself, while A-Sheng put on the lower half. The water ghost, in the cool new underpants, would have a far more comfortable summer than before. True friends shared both hardships and blessings.
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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 · I never realized that the bird man’s status was so high… Yan KingChapter 79 · Extra 5Chapter 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