Chapter 26: Ghost Fox

"Ghosts! Help me, Mom!"

Inside the haunted house, a cacophony of screams echoed endlessly.

Song Shiyun sat behind the counter, playing "Angry Birds" on her computer, enjoying the "ordinary person" life of slacking off at work—a luxury she had never experienced before. She remained completely indifferent to the wailing coming from the attraction behind her.

Chu Tian, meanwhile, was sprawled out on a lounge chair at the entrance, a copy of *Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio* draped over his face to block the sun, fast asleep.

The profession of a ghost messenger was much like being a cat: never getting enough sleep during the day and unable to drift off at night. Although there were only two such messengers in the world, and Chu Tian was the only one actually putting in the work, he still spent his nights roaming the city to collect wandering spirits.

His eighteen-layer Soul-Detention Tower now held twenty or thirty ghosts. While none were particularly powerful, the combined essence of the spirits Chu Tian trapped allowed the tower to produce one "ghost bead" per month. These beads were not only immensely beneficial for Chu Tian’s own cultivation but also possessed an irresistible allure to other spirits and demons.

To maximize the production of these beads, Chu Tian spent his nights running himself ragged catching ghosts. He would return home exhausted in the small hours of the morning, hoping to collapse into bed, only to find a vixen waiting to "have some fun."

Yet, that fatigue was nothing compared to the way she made his spirit soar and his resolve sharpen. Since Chu Tian had leveled up to a Nether-Demon Emissary, carnal pleasures no longer hindered him—could he really be expected to hold back?

As a result, his sleep schedule had turned into a complete disaster. Catching ghosts at night, battling until dawn, and then sleeping through the daylight hours. It was truly pathetic.

"With that kind of stamina, he still wants to have his cake and eat it too? Tsk, tsk, tsk..." Song Shiyun glanced at Chu Tian, who was sleeping soundly outside, and shook her head. He couldn't even handle Chen Meng; how could he possibly find the energy to flirt with that Li Weiwei? *I just found a boss, I hope he doesn't die of exhaustion at such a young age,* she thought. She pulled out her phone, opened Taobao, and searched for high-quality goji berries. She’d buy some for her boss to steep in tea—for his health!

***

If Chu Tian had known what the female ghost was thinking, he would have given her a piece of his mind. When had he ever wanted to play the field? It was Li Weiwei who kept initiating contact!

Just as he was deep in slumber, the book covering his face was lifted away. The piercing sunlight immediately jolted him awake.

Chu Tian opened his eyes to find a young woman standing before him, dressed in leather pants and a short top, her long, fair legs gleaming and perfectly sculpted. Above that were her breathtaking curves and the face of Chen Meng, a beauty capable of toppling kingdoms.

"You're back?" Chu Tian asked. Chen Meng looked at the book she had removed from his face: *Fan Shiniang, daughter of the city’s libationer, young and exquisitely beautiful, with an elegance beyond compare...*

"Are you reading or sleeping?" Chen Meng closed the book, checking the cover: *Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio*.

"I never forget to study, even in my sleep. My dedication to learning is truly admirable," Chu Tian chuckled. He stretched and sat up, pulling Chu Meng’er—who was standing nearby in her little yellow hat and backpack—into his arms. "Hey, sweetheart, school's out! What did you learn today?"

"What did I learn? When I picked her up today, her kindergarten teacher almost told me our family’s upbringing was problematic," Chen Meng rolled her eyes and walked into the haunted house to pour herself a glass of water.

"What happened?" Chu Tian asked, looking at Chu Meng’er curiously. "What did you do at school?"

"I didn't do anything," Chu Meng’er replied. "I told the other kids that ghosts exist, and then they started crying. When the teacher found out, she told me I needed to believe in science!"

"And then?" Chu Tian asked.

"And then the teacher spent the whole day trying to prove to me that ghosts don't exist!" Chu Meng’er spread her tiny hands, looking helpless.

Hearing this, Chu Tian was left speechless. That teacher was truly brave! A diligent gardener of youth, an engineer of the human soul—and yet, she had the gall to try and make a Ghost King believe in science? How impressive.

"Listen, just nod along, don't get into an argument with your teacher," Chu Tian advised. If Chu Meng’er decided to "manifest her power" in public to prove a point, the teacher might end up scared into a faint.

"Don't worry, Dad, I understand!" Chu Meng’er said, then scampered back into the haunted house to play with Song Shiyun.

***

Just then, a group of terrified patrons came running out of the haunted house, their faces streaked with tears and snot.

"Come back again when you have the chance!" Chu Tian waved at their retreating backs. It was strange—ever since Song Shiyun had increased the horror level of the attraction, business had actually improved. Chu Tian had originally feared that if it were too scary, people would never come back. Who knew that people these days were so eager for a thrill?

Just as Chu Tian was preparing to lie back down, a car pulled up in front of the shop. Wang Dali, dressed in a suit and sunglasses like something out of *The Matrix*, stepped out with his young secretary.

"Well, well, a rare guest. Brother Wang, what brings you here today?" Chu Tian asked, surprised.

"I’m here because I need your help with something," Wang Dali said, walking over with a bitter smile.

"There shouldn't be any ghosts acting out of line in the city lately, right?" Chu Tian said. He had been out collecting souls every night; if anything had been foolish enough to cause trouble, he would have dealt with it already.

"This time it's not a ghost—it's a demon," Wang Dali sighed. He looked toward the house where Chen Meng was eating and added, "And coming to see you is secondary. I’m mostly here for her."

"Chen Meng?" Chu Tian raised an eyebrow, stood up, and followed Wang Dali into the haunted house. "Brother Wang, what kind of demon could be so troublesome that even you can't handle it and need to bring Chen Meng into it? A fox demon?"

"It is a fox demon, actually," Wang Dali admitted with a wry smile, taking in the interior of the haunted house. *Good grief, a whole house full of ghosts!*

"A fox demon?" Chen Meng perked up, walking over. "Cultivation is difficult these days. If the younger members of the fox clan have entered the world, they usually follow the rules set by your Righteous Dao Alliance. I haven't heard of any trouble from the fox clan recently."

"It's not your little fox clan members, and certainly not the elders," Wang Dali said, then added, "To be precise, this is a creature that has just emerged—a Ghost Fox!"