Maybe I should just forget about it.
Leaving it there as an urban legend wouldn’t be so bad. At least it’d give the school some character—after all, what school doesn’t have its own horror story?
The thought of having a ghost at home always made Ye Chuan feel uneasy.
It’d be such a hassle when he wanted to game.
Just then, another notification popped up on his phone—
[New Main Quest Issued: Recruit 2 Tenants (1/2)]
Ye Chuan froze. A main quest?
Thinking of the generous rewards…
"Then again, with a gluttonous immortal keeping watch at home, what could some measly ghost possibly do?" Ye Chuan immediately stood up. Screw it, earning money and rewards was more important!
It was already nighttime—might as well head straight to the school.
Under the cover of night, Ye Chuan hurried out the door.
...
Night, Silver Mountain Academy.
A cold wind swept through.
Moonlight draped over the school, casting a silvery veil over the deserted teaching buildings, adding an eerie atmosphere.
A car pulled up outside the school, and two figures stepped out.
A man and a woman.
"Hey, Yanran, this is Silver Mountain Academy?" The man, in his early twenties and dressed casually, turned to the girl beside him. "This place is huge. How are we supposed to find that stray ghost?"
The short-haired woman next to him, clad in black leather, replied coolly, "Our Wang family specializes in ghost taming as super martial artists. Naturally, we have ways to track spirits. All you need to do is help me subdue it, and I’ll pay you."
"Subduing a ghost is easy, but how am I supposed to fight something I can’t even see?"
In response, Wang Yanran pulled out a small bottle. Inside the transparent plastic container, a yellow talisman floated in some liquid. She handed it to him. "Drink this. It’ll let you see ghosts temporarily."
"You expect me to drink this?" Zhang Chao grimaced at the strange concoction.
"Zhang Chao, if you’re not willing, you can go home right now," Wang Yanran snapped.
"Tch."
With great reluctance, Zhang Chao downed the talisman water, his face twisting in agony as if he’d just swallowed bitter medicine.
Wang Yanran took out a compass and studied the direction it pointed. "Follow me."
"Ugh… yeah."
The two moved swiftly through the school grounds. The night was silent—this was the high school section, and all the students had gone home. The boarding students lived in the university section a full kilometer away.
"We’re here." Wang Yanran stopped abruptly, her gaze following the compass needle to a building’s placard.
[Building B1]
"It’s here. Doesn’t feel particularly creepy, though?" Zhang Chao muttered.
"It’s just a low-level ghost. It doesn’t even have an aura." Yet, for some reason, Wang Yanran felt uneasy staring at the building, as if something unseen was watching her.
"If it’s that weak, why not handle it yourself?" Zhang Chao grinned.
"This is my trial. My bound ghost is temporarily sealed by the elders," Wang Yanran retorted irritably. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have needed to hire help for something so trivial.
"Let’s go."
Once inside, they began their search.
But after scouring multiple floors—checking every classroom, even the restrooms—they found nothing.
"Damn, this school is way too fancy. Even the desks have tablets?"
"Shh."
Just as Zhang Chao was about to complain, a faint, chilling sob echoed from the floor above. The sound sent shivers down their spines.
A cold gust swept through, making their skin crawl.
Exchanging glances, Zhang Chao and Wang Yanran immediately bolted upstairs!
Their hurried footsteps echoed until they reached the fifth floor, where they slowed, scanning the surroundings cautiously.
Even a low-level ghost could be troublesome if underestimated.
"Found it!" Wang Yanran smirked, her eyes locking onto a particular classroom.
Zhang Chao yanked the door open—only for an icy presence to rush at him. Standing right in front of him was a "person."
A girl in a school uniform, with long hair covering one eye. Her figure was full, barely contained by her clothes. Moonlight spilled through the window, illuminating her deathly pale skin.
"Whoa, a pretty ghost?!" Zhang Chao grinned.
The ghost girl froze, then took a step back. "Y-you can see me?" Her voice was barely a whisper, but she sounded… thrilled. "That’s amazing!"
"Not only can I see you, I’m gonna beat you up," Zhang Chao taunted, cracking his knuckles.
The ghost blinked, retreating further. "We… don’t have any grudges, do we?"
With each word, she inched closer to the back wall.
"Don’t even think about running." Wang Yanran slapped a talisman onto the wall. A faint red net flickered into existence—just as the ghost’s back touched it.
"AHH?!"
She collapsed to her knees, clutching her scorched back in shock.
The wall she could usually phase through now burned like fire!
"W-we don’t have any problems! Are you sure you got the right ghost?" Tears welled in her eyes—except they weren’t tears. Thick streaks of blood trailed down her cheeks, dripping onto the floor with a sickening plop.
"Just surrender," Wang Yanran said coldly.
The ghost hesitated, then pulled out a tiny white flag, waving it frantically.
"U-um… I-I’m scared of pain. Please don’t hit me?"
"I surrender, I surrender…"
"Don’t hurt me…"
"Ghosts are masters of deception," Wang Yanran scoffed, turning to Zhang Chao. "Kill her. I just need the essence for proof."
"Got it." Zhang Chao cracked his knuckles, grinning savagely.
"I’m not lying!" The ghost trembled like a leaf. "Can’t we talk? I-I have money!"
Before she could finish, Zhang Chao lunged—his fist smashing a chair right in front of her into splinters!
"Eeek?!!" The ghost shrieked, on the verge of tears.
"Heh."