Although Nan Zhi had talked big, in truth, she had no idea how to enable Chen Ping to leave the seventeenth floor.
Fortunately, she was a woman with cheats.
That evening, Nan Zhi made a rare exception by skipping her cultivation, logging into the game, and sneaking over to the City God Temple.
At night, the City God Temple grew even more eerie and pitch-black, with night birds occasionally swooping past and letting out sharp, bizarre shrieks.
—Nan Zhi swore that if the screen hadn’t been filled with friendly little green dots, she would never have set half a foot inside.
The wind rattled the door panels and shook the window lattices.
Before she could even step into the main hall, a mud ghost caught sight of her.
“It’s the eldest daughter of Nan the Butcher’s family!”
With her long tongue dangling all the way to the ground, the hanged ghost greeted her in a low voice, a hint of delight showing on her pale, bluish-white face:
“You’ve come to visit us again? I smell the fragrance of candles and paper money.”
“Ah, Wanniang!”
Seeing a familiar ghost, Nan Zhi’s mood improved considerably, and she got straight to the point:
“To be honest, I came here this time because I have an important matter to ask of you all.”
Showing the basket in her hand, Nan Zhi beamed and said:
“Candles and paper money from the Liu Family Coffin Shop in the west of town, wine-lees pig head meat from Widow Wang, large meat buns and brown sugar pancakes from the Wu family, plus a whole block of tofu ground by Qiao Niangzi. When asking for a favor, one can’t come empty-handed. Are Big Bellied Ghost and the others around?”
“Why bother asking those foul men? If you’re facing any difficulties, just tell me. There’s no need to pay them any mind.”
Wanniang floated over, resting an icy arm across her shoulder as intimately as lovers.
Hooking a finger under Nan Zhi’s chin, she giggled softly and murmured:
“Even though we received Lord City God’s grace and were granted a special decree to remain in the mortal realm, the living and the dead walk different paths after all.
Haven’t you heard the saying ‘a ghost’s words are full of lies’? Ghosts are cunning by nature and love to deceive.
Even if someone was a great philanthropist admired by the entire village during life, once they die and turn into a ghost, you’d best only believe half of what they say.”
“Oh.”
Nan Zhi nodded with utmost seriousness, then joked, “Then what about Wanniang’s words? Should I only believe half of them too?”
“Hehehe, Sister Zhi is truly adorable. It makes this servant want to hang you from the rafters so you can keep me company for all eternity.”
Wanniang laughed again, completely unlike the timid and shy demeanor she had displayed when they first met:
“Speak then, what is troubling you? Even though this servant hasn’t been a ghost for as long as Big Bellied Ghost and the others, I still know a fair bit about what goes on in Dingyuan County.”
—Wanniang was very beautiful, with a pointed chin, fox-like eyes, and cherry lips. If not for that unsightly long tongue, she would undoubtedly be a peerless beauty.
“I have a friend who, during his lifetime, worked for a com... worked for a master. Later, he fell to his death and became a ghost.
Afraid of taking responsibility, the master lied to his family, claiming he died by suicide.
Now, this friend of mine has turned into a vengeful ghost, but for some reason, he is trapped where he died and unable to leave for a very long time.”
Nan Zhi briefly recounted Chen Ping’s story, omitting quite a few details:
“Right now, he only wants to seek justice. That’s why I came to ask if there is any way to let him leave on his own.”
“For a wealthy family to beat a servant to death or cane a maid to death is the most ordinary thing in the world.
Yet your friend harbors such deep resentment that he turned straight into a vengeful ghost?”
Wanniang’s beautiful eyes widened slightly. After pondering for a moment, she said:
“Leaving behind only a widow and an orphan, your friend’s family will likely be bullied by others in the future.
He sounds rather pitiable. As for a method, naturally there is one.”
Nan Zhi listened with rapt attention, her eyes unblinking.
“Pfft.”
Seeing her like this, Wanniang couldn’t help but chuckle, her voice slightly muffled:
“Ghosts cannot linger in the mortal realm for long. For one thing, the mortal realm is monitored day and night by soul reapers and enfeoffed gods.
Ghosts staying in the mortal realm without cause will either be captured by soul reapers, or over time, their souls will disperse on their own.
Secondly, ghosts who have died only a year or two ago lack sufficient cultivation; their souls are in a daze and cannot recognize the way.
Without someone to guide them, they naturally cannot walk out of that area.
All you need to do is find a living person to scatter yellow paper and light incense and candles along the path, then use a yellow chicken to lead the way. The soul will naturally find the path out and depart.”
“That simple? Then I’ve got it memorized.”
Nan Zhi nodded, committing everything Wanniang said to memory:
“I’ll go back and give it a try. If it works, I’ll definitely have my friend’s family buy more incense, candles, and paper money to burn for you in the future.”
“My method naturally works.”
Wanniang gazed at Nan Zhi meaningfully, saying with a smile, “However, I don’t want any incense, candles, or paper money. You just need to do something for me in the future.”
【Cultivator Choice (Cannot be reloaded; please choose carefully):】
【A. Ghostly entities are deceitful. As a dignified cultivator, I cannot associate with them. Refuse flatly.】
【B. Wanniang’s death seems suspicious. Agree first and see what she intends to do.】
Another crucial choice had appeared!
Well-versed in gaming tropes, Nan Zhi guessed that the choice she made would most likely directly affect the subsequent main storyline.
Thinking of this, she chose to agree first without hesitation.
“Of course. Wanniang treats me as a friend, and I view Wanniang like an elder sister as well.”
Nan Zhi agreed with a smile, adding jokingly:
“As long as it isn’t something that harms the heavens and reason or treats human life like grass, I am naturally willing to assist.”
“Are Sister Zhi’s words true?”
Wanniang was overjoyed, the sinister ghostly energy around her growing even darker. As if afraid Nan Zhi would go back on her word, she added repeatedly:
“Cultivators care most about karmic cause and effect. Since you have agreed today, you cannot back out in the future.”
【Wanniang’s Favorability +1 Heart. Current Favorability: 3 Hearts】
【You have gained the friendship of a vengeful ghost, achieved the achievement “Friend of Ghosts” (II), and obtained Heavenly Treasure Tree Lottery Ticket ×2.】
【Long-Term Quest: Wanniang Has a Grievance】
【Quest Description: Thirty years ago, Qu Wan was the finest wine-brewing lady in Dingyuan County. The fine wine she brewed could make princes dismount and immortals pause.
Yet she married the wrong man; the Qu family was condemned on account of wine and ruined in a single day, while Qu Wan ended up meeting her demise by hanging.】
A new quest!
A long-term quest at that!
Although no quest rewards were mentioned, they certainly wouldn’t be meager.
Nan Zhi secretly clenched her fist.
That was close—she had almost missed it just now.
Needless to say, if she had refused Wanniang earlier, she naturally wouldn’t have triggered this long-term quest.
If she hadn’t used the Wish Mission Scroll, she wouldn’t have received the quest in reality.
If she hadn’t agreed to Chen Ping’s request, she wouldn’t have run over to the City God Temple in the dead of night, much less met Wanniang and received a new quest.
This game was truly one interlocking ring after another.
For now, though, the most important thing was still completing Chen Ping’s quest first.
Yellow paper, paper ingots, and candles were easy enough to buy, but as for this yellow chicken...
Would she really have to make a trip to the wet market?
Wait.
Nan Zhi’s gaze landed on her tablet, and an idea suddenly struck her.
Rate on N.U.
