The Mess Hall Catches a Ghost

Chapter 14: Fishing for Spirits in the Canteen

The Zhu Min Community Canteen was once the liveliest place in the neighborhood.

But now it was abandoned.

Tables and chairs were scattered haphazardly, tableware lay strewn about, and water dripped incessantly from the corners, nurturing patches of moss. Even during the day, the canteen exuded a strong, unsettling odor.

Wu Xian and Shi Ji stood at the canteen's entrance.

"Yesterday, I wanted to find some ingredients for everyone to make a hot meal. While searching, I came here. I found some frozen pig intestines and tableware in the freezer outside the canteen, which I used to cook for you all."

"After that, I wanted to find more ingredients, so I went inside the canteen."

"Everything was fine at first, but suddenly I felt incredibly hungry, as if I was being tempted by something, desperately wanting to find something to eat."

So Wu Xian drew his copper coin sword, preparing to reveal his trump cards.

Shi Ji's plan was sound, but killing it with ordinary weapons was too slow. If this continued, who knew how long it would take to wear down the hungry ghost. This was a good deal for Shi Ji, but a huge loss for Wu Xian.

After a brief discussion, the two began their operation.

Seizing the opportunity, Wu Xian dangled the pig intestines while Shi Ji grabbed a mop handle and smashed it down on the hungry ghost.

It certainly hurt, but it was difficult to inflict serious damage.

But this time, the hungry ghost didn't take the bait. It ignored the pig intestines dangling around the canteen, completely unmoved.

The half-cooked pig intestine head was thrown into the shadows. Wu Xian had initially thought that evil spirits were at least smarter than fish, and would wait a while.

After a few more exchanges like this, Wu Xian grew impatient.

"No, use the pig intestines to lure it!"

But it seemed that wasn't the case now.

Perhaps sunlight was merely an uncomfortable environment for evil spirits, or perhaps different evil spirits had different tolerances to sunlight, or perhaps...

"When I woke up..."

"It was precisely because it wasn't washed that I couldn't bring myself to eat it, and finally came to my senses."

He opened the bag. Inside were a full load of pig intestines, emitting a pungent, foul odor and looking half-cooked.

"Fortunately, I didn't wash them!"

"I'll make it pay for what it did to me yesterday!"

Shi Ji lifted his shirt to show Wu Xian. On his left chest and abdomen were dozens of densely packed teeth marks. If he had woken up any later, he might have been disemboweled.

"Yesterday wasn't just a narrow escape for nothing. I gained two useful pieces of information from it."

"The first is that its mind-confusing ability is only effective inside the community canteen, in areas not directly exposed to sunlight. The second is... its bite isn't that strong."

Wu Xian was speechless. Shi Ji's attack was like a fierce tiger in momentum, but with the damage of a weak kitten. After all this time, the hungry ghost's head only had a bit of skin broken.

The thing that flew out was a male.

"I saw a man, skinny as a rake, gnawing on me desperately. His eyes were glowing green, and he kept shouting as he bit."

However, this also led Wu Xian to a new discovery.

Shi Ji excitedly slapped his thigh.

This was because the hungry ghost had been exposed to sunlight for a while, yet it hadn't sustained any fundamental damage. It only appeared weakened, its activity level lower than before.

But neither of them worried anymore. The saying about fish having a seven-second memory was false, but things driven by desire might not even have a seven-second memory.

This time, Shi Ji dangled the pig intestines, while Wu Xian hacked away with the bloodstained kitchen knife, leaving deep gashes on the hungry ghost.

Did it hurt?

"Since this thing is a starving ghost, it definitely can't refuse food. Pig intestines are at their toughest when half-cooked. I'll use the intestines to lure it out of its effective range, and then..."

Shi Ji held up the bag: "Of course, I'll use this!"

Shi Ji sneered.

Wu Xian suddenly remembered that Shi Ji seemed to have been wearing different pants in the morning and evening yesterday...

He could vaguely see two blurred god statues on the counter at the back of the canteen, indicating that Shi Ji hadn't lied to him.

Wu Xian asked Shi Ji: "Based on what you're saying, this evil spirit is quite difficult to deal with. Once you enter the canteen, you'll be entranced, and you won't even realize you're being eaten alive. So how do you plan to worship the gods?"

Shi Ji's expression was ferocious and terrifying, his teeth clenched as if about to shatter. Each swing was with all his might, but unfortunately, his body was too weak. After just a few swings, sweat already beaded on his forehead.

But before the pig intestine head even hit the ground, a mouth lunged out and bit it.

As he retracted his gaze, Wu Xian caught sight of half a skeletal face peeking out from behind a pillar. Drool dripped continuously from its mouth, and its eyes seemed to want to devour Wu Xian.

There could be many possibilities, but regardless of the answer, clinging to the idea that sunlight guaranteed safety would definitely lead to trouble.

Wu Xian's expression was odd: "If I remember correctly, the pig intestines you found were unwashed."

Feeling the force from the other end of the pig intestines, Wu Xian and Shi Ji quickly pulled together. A withered figure was immediately yanked flying out.

First, the weapons distributed by Qi Zhiyong were indeed useful, but only just useful.

"At that time, I lost my mind and was holding pig intestines..."

And when dealing with Mr. Wang, the refrigerator ghost king, before, black smoke appeared on his body after being exposed to the sun. Wu Xian deduced that sunlight was harmful to evil spirits, and could even kill them.

Shi Ji threw the large intestine over again, and after a while, the evil spirit bit it again.

Wu Xian thought for a long time before he understood, his eyes becoming strange. What kind of genius could come up with such a method?

According to Wu Xian's observation, Shi Ji's personality should be simple and honest, not the type to get angry easily. What could make him so furious that he wished he could eat the evil spirit's flesh and sleep on its skin?

It was like a couple whipping each other with small leather whips.

He was only wearing tattered beach pants, his body so thin it was inhuman, with almost only fascia over his bones. His skin was deep yellow and rough, and his legs were spread apart like a toad's, allowing him to move on all fours like livestock.

"Hungry, I'm hungry..."

Shi Ji's expression was extremely ferocious, as if he had an implacable hatred for the evil spirit.

The hungry ghost hid back.

After taking a few hits, the hungry ghost couldn't stand it anymore and retreated into the shadow like a wounded puppy.

The plan to lure the evil spirit, though absurd, was the only idea Wu Xian had.

"I risked my life to escape from inside, I was so scared, you have no idea..."

"Teeth... I see!"

As soon as it was pulled out, black smoke began to emit from its body, and it let out screams. Its body began to retract, but it was reluctant to let go of the pig intestines in its mouth, only grudgingly retreating.

Wu Xian was full of questions: "Choke him to death with large intestines?"

Stopping the unpleasant association, Wu Xian peered into the canteen.

"Lure him?"

He probably encountered more than he let on.

For example, when gnawing on the large intestine, it wasn't that he couldn't bite...

Wu Xian suddenly became anxious.

If it didn't come out, what about the time wasted before?

Thanks to the readers Huanyeye Yimeng, Xiao Yinghan, Yihe Xiyuan, and Pinzui Daoshi for their rewards. Thank you all for your support and encouragement, I will diligently write!