Moonless and starless, with cicadas chirping in waves.
At eleven at night, Jucai District had long since sunk into darkness.
The warm summer breeze swept through the silent hallway, making a faint whooshing sound.
Clack!
Suddenly, a footstep rang out in the empty hallway, like an ancient bell breaking through the thick, dark night.
Chen Feiguang, who had been dozing in the bedroom, woke with a start at the sound. Instinctively, he held his breath.
"Big Brother Lu, are you there?" Chen Feiguang whispered toward the outside of the wardrobe.
It was pitch-black inside the wardrobe, so dark he couldn't see his hand in front of his face. The cramped space offered him the only sliver of safety he had.
Clack, clack...
The footsteps continued in the hallway, growing clearer and clearer, as if someone was slowly approaching his room.
But there was still no reply from Lu Siye in the bedroom.
Chen Feiguang clamped both hands over his mouth. Each footstep seemed to pound against his heart, leaving him struggling to breathe.
Suddenly, the footsteps stopped. Inside the cramped wardrobe, only the sound of his heartbeat and his ragged breathing remained.
Another minute or two passed, but the footsteps still didn't return.
Chen Feiguang, hiding in the wardrobe, let out a breath of relief. Whether from nerves or the heat, sweat had already soaked his back.
Click-click... click-click...
Before Chen Feiguang could relax, a faint noise came from the living room door. It sounded like someone picking the lock.
It's here!
It's come to take my life. It's picking my lock!
Chen Feiguang's scalp prickled, his eyes filled with fear.
He kept backing away, desperately cramming himself into the corner, as if it could offer him a shred of safety.
Click... creak...
The door opened!
Clack... clack...
The footsteps grew clearer, closer!
It was inside! It was in the living room!!
Chen Feiguang clutched the clothes beside him, burying himself among them. He trembled all over, cold sweat running down his forehead.
Clack... clack...
The footsteps continued to approach slowly, then finally stopped outside the bedroom door.
Click!
The bedroom's round doorknob lock had been opened. The ordinary lock hadn't held out for even two seconds.
Clack...
The footsteps sounded for the third time, and now they were coming from inside the bedroom.
Chen Feiguang was close to breaking. Every footstep seemed to land on his heart, leaving him struggling to breathe.
Just as Chen Feiguang felt he was about to suffocate, the footsteps stopped again.
After waiting a while, Chen Feiguang shakily raised a hand toward the wardrobe door, but before he could touch it, he snatched it back as if he'd been shocked.
He didn't know where it was.
Maybe it was standing at the doorway, silently watching the bedroom.
Maybe it was beside the bed, silently staring down at him while he slept.
Or maybe it was crouched right outside the wardrobe now, pressing one eye to the crack in the door and peering inside.
Big Brother Lu, where are you?
Please, save me!
The more Chen Feiguang thought about it, the more terrified he became. He was on the verge of tears when suddenly he couldn't catch his breath and passed out.
Lu Siye sensed immediately that Chen Feiguang had fainted.
But hearing the other's heartbeat and breathing gradually settle, he knew there was no danger to his life, so he paid it no mind.
Lu Siye, who had been lying in bed pretending to sleep, turned over to face the ghost standing beside the bed.
He slowly opened his eyes, looking groggy and dazed, as if his mind were still sluggish from being woken in the middle of the night. He glanced at the ghost beside the bed.
It was a female ghost. Aside from her mismatched eyes and slightly crooked mouth, her features were fairly normal.
She wasn't so hideous that the heavens and earth would quake at the sight of her, but she was certainly nowhere near beautiful.
Her limbs, however, were twisted at unnatural angles, and a thick stench of blood clung to her. Viscous ghostly blood slowly trickled from her eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. She looked as if she'd jumped from a building and fallen to her death. It was a horrifying sight.
"Beautiful, why are you standing beside my bed in the middle of the night, watching me sleep?" Lu Siye asked first, not the least bit frightened.
The Fallen Female Ghost stared at Lu Siye as he turned toward her, stunned.
This man didn't look like the one she was after. Had she entered the wrong room?
And he'd called her beautiful? With her looking like this, he still thought she was beautiful?
The Fallen Female Ghost's heart jolted. Holy crap, could he be a pervert?! Fear Points +56!
Lu Siye heard the notification and his expression immediately darkened.
I, Fourth Master, politely called you beautiful, and you think I'm a pervert?
"Beautiful, did you come to watch me sleep because you like me?" Lu Siye said, feigning bashfulness.
The Fallen Female Ghost was filled with fear and revulsion. He really is a pervert! Fear Points +78!
She couldn't take it anymore. This pervert, whom even ghosts fancied, had to die today.
"You disgusting piece of shit! I don't care who you are—you're dead!" the Fallen Female Ghost snarled. Her voice sounded like two rusty iron sheets scraping against each other, making it unbearably unpleasant to hear.
A bone-chilling aura began pouring from the female ghost. Her eyes grew darker, and a fierce killing intent spread through the bedroom. In an instant, a thin layer of frost formed across the floor.
A dense blood mist rose from her body, gathering into a pair of blood claws around her hands as she lunged for Lu Siye's head.
"Hey! Why does it feel so cold?" Lu Siye hurriedly pulled the blanket tighter around himself and turned to look at the female ghost flying at him.
"Beautiful, even if you fell in love with me at first sight, you can't throw yourself into my bed like this. A young lady should learn to be more reserved."
As Lu Siye spoke, he pulled both hands out from under the blanket, turned them into blades, and struck the female ghost's wrist.
A crisp crack sounded, like breaking bone. The blood claws on the female ghost's hand dissipated against her will.
The Fallen Female Ghost was terrified. This pervert's a tough one too. I need to get out of here! Fear Points +56!
Lu Siye narrowed his eyes.
Trying to run? Your Fourth Master isn't about to let the Fear Points I've got within reach slip away.
He grabbed her wrist with his free hand, kicked half the blanket off himself, and pulled her toward him.
"Beautiful, why is your hand so cold? You must be freezing! Come warm up with your Fourth Master. My bed's nice and cozy," Lu Siye said, looking concerned.
The Fallen Female Ghost was horrified. Holy mother of—this pervert's trying to pull me under the covers! Is he planning to fuck me?! Fear Points +99!
The female ghost struggled frantically, her Yin energy boiling and the stench of blood growing even stronger, making it nauseating.
The female ghost's eyes bulged. She'd already given it everything she had. Even if she were bound with iron chains, she could break them.
So why couldn't she wrench herself free from his grip?
"Ah!!!"
The female ghost watched in terror as a tremendous force flung her through the air. She landed heavily on the bed and let out a shriek.
Ding~ Fear Points +...
Lu Siye grinned savagely. With his Three Dragon Elephant Strength, the female ghost had no chance of breaking free.
"Beautiful, you're carrying too much chill. Let your Fourth Master help warm you up.
"Don't worry, your Fourth Master is a famous doctor across ten li and eight villages. Not one patient I've treated has ever given me a bad review.
"The treatment might hurt a little, but it's fine. If the channels flow, the pain goes away; if the channels flow, the pain goes away. Just bear with it, beautiful!"
"N-no, don't!" the Fallen Female Ghost shrieked.
Ding~ Fear Points +...
"Don't be shy. Here I come!"
Before you continue