The Delivery Ghost, transformed into a "Ghost Servant"

After returning home, Li Feng rested for a while as usual, then began his cultivation.

He practiced again and again until he was utterly exhausted. Only then did Li Feng wash up, get into bed, visualize, and sleep.

After two days of accumulation, the pure World Spiritual Force around his bed was now more than twice as concentrated as elsewhere.

Unfortunately, it had already reached its current limit.

To increase the concentration of the World Spiritual Force any further, he would have to wait until the Bed condensed within his Mind Space improved again.

Shortly after lying down, Li Feng fell into a deep sleep. Pure World Spiritual Force flowed into his body bit by bit, soothing his physical and mental fatigue.

Over the next few days, Li Feng returned to his normal routine, clocking in at the Investigation Department and cultivating at home. His life revolved almost entirely around those two places.

Then, one day, after finishing another day of cultivation and washing up, Li Feng prepared to get into bed for his usual visualization and rest.

Yet just as he approached the Bedroom, he suddenly felt the air around him rapidly grow colder. An icy chill swept over him.

However, the skin all over Li Feng's body trembled, easily warding it off.

The cool current flowing through his skin even seemed to be devouring that sinister, chilling power little by little.

"Hmm?"

Li Feng paused and looked down at the faintly trembling skin of his arm.

He hadn't expected that, after reaching Minor Skin Refinement in Skin Tempering, his skin would also be able to devour and absorb small amounts of Paranormal Entity power.

But he snapped out of it almost immediately. Now wasn't the time to investigate that.

"Paranormal Entity? The Wedding-Dress Bride?"

Li Feng looked toward the front door with a strange expression, wondering whether the Wedding-Dress Bride had descended once again.

Was she still determined to hunt him down until one of them died?

A moment later, however, Li Feng dismissed the idea.

He couldn't sense any familiar presence in the chilling power around him.

Besides, this chilling power was far weaker than the Wedding-Dress Bride's.

And Li Feng vaguely felt that the surrounding chilling power differed from the Wedding-Dress Bride's Paranormal Entity power as well.

After a brief moment of contemplation, something suddenly occurred to him. A power similar to supernatural power, yet different—that seemed to be...

"Ghostly Energy? Is there a Vengeful Ghost outside?"

Li Feng couldn't help narrowing his eyes. His gaze toward the front door held a trace of wariness... and anticipation.

He had encountered supernatural entities, but he had yet to see a Vengeful Ghost in the traditional sense of his previous life.

He just didn't know whether his mind fog, or the hair tempered by it, would work against a Vengeful Ghost.

While Li Feng was pondering this, a sudden knocking came from outside.

Knock, knock, knock, knock...

The knocking left Li Feng somewhat speechless. These supernatural things certainly had manners.

Well, that was a joke. After all, unless their strength surpassed the restrictions imposed by the established rules, they could only enter if the owner invited them in.

Still, even if they couldn't enter, they could send some of their power inside and use it to indirectly influence and cloud a person's mind.

Otherwise, who would foolishly open the door at a time like this?

Of course, Li Feng certainly wouldn't be affected.

But being unaffected didn't stop him from opening the door.

His last fight had caused such a racket that Zhang Qian had nearly called the police.

This time, he naturally had to be more careful.

Letting the ghost inside and fighting behind closed doors would keep the commotion down.

More importantly, Li Feng could sense that this Vengeful Ghost was considerably weaker than the Wedding-Dress Bride, while his own strength had improved greatly since then.

That was what gave him the confidence to let the Vengeful Ghost inside.

With a click, Li Feng flung the door open.

Outside stood a young Vengeful Ghost wearing a red vest, a delivery box slung across his body, and blood covering his face...

No, that wasn't right. Li Feng examined him closely.

He discovered that the young Vengeful Ghost wasn't wearing a red vest, but a yellow one.

The yellow vest had simply been stained red with blood. Only a few scattered patches still faintly showed its original color.

In an instant, Li Feng had a rough idea of the Vengeful Ghost's origins: a delivery worker who had died a gruesome death.

He just didn't know why the ghost had come looking for him.

Shouldn't his lingering obsession from life have taken him to his final destination—the home of whoever ordered the food, a restaurant, or somewhere else?

Still, none of that mattered now.

Since you're here, you're not leaving.

As he thought this, wisps of fog began rising around Li Feng.

Meanwhile, the Delivery Ghost stared blankly at Li Feng as he opened the door, but didn't attack immediately.

Instead, he mechanically turned around, opened the delivery box slung across his body, took out a fragrant meal, and slowly held it out to Li Feng.

"Hel... lo... food... delivery!"

Li Feng, who had been about to strike, stopped and looked at the Delivery Ghost holding out the meal.

You're actually here to deliver food? Now that's dedication. Even dead, you're still thinking about deliveries.

Li Feng couldn't help making that inward quip.

Gulp!

Looking at the meal and smelling the aroma drifting from it, Li Feng couldn't help swallowing.

It smells incredible!

It wasn't the ordinary aroma of food, but a temptation that reached deep into his soul.

It seemed that eating the meal would benefit him considerably.

But this was a Delivery Ghost's food. Could he really just eat it?

Li Feng shook his head sharply, suppressing the urge to rush forward, snatch the meal, and eat it.

"Phew!"

Li Feng drew a deep breath.

Damn, now I want it even more.

No, absolutely not!

Li Feng shook his head again, then stopped hesitating. A hazy fog spread out instantly, engulfing the Delivery Ghost and blocking the meal's spreading aroma.

The Delivery Ghost immediately stopped moving and stood there blankly, seemingly unable to understand why the customer from a moment ago had vanished.

Meanwhile, the instant his mind fog enveloped the Delivery Ghost, Li Feng felt it begin drawing out the ghost's power in a steady stream.

That hadn't surprised Li Feng.

What did surprise him was...

The power of his mind fog was also entering the Delivery Ghost's body little by little.

Sensing this, Li Feng furrowed his brow in thought.

Is this...

Paranormal Entity corruption?

The thought suddenly surfaced in Li Feng's mind.

But then Li Feng shook his head sharply.

How could that be possible?

So-called Paranormal Entity corruption occurred when a Paranormal Entity's power corrupted another living being, ultimately transforming them into a Ghost Servant.

But he was human.

He had never heard of human power being able to corrupt other beings.

Even ghost tamers among Ghost Cultivators merely refined the cores of Vengeful Ghosts. They couldn't corrupt Vengeful Ghosts with their own power.

Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many cases of Vengeful Ghosts breaking free of their restraints and turning on their masters.

After all, if it truly worked like corruption by a Paranormal Entity's power, turning them into Ghost Servants...

Their master would be the very foundation of their power, making betrayal impossible.

As Li Feng sensed his mind fog steadily corrupting the Delivery Ghost, he hesitated.

Normally, he should kill the Delivery Ghost as quickly as possible and devour his power.

But Li Feng also wanted to see what would ultimately happen with this corruption by his mind fog, so similar to supernatural corruption.

Could it transform the ghost into a "Ghost Servant" belonging to him, just as corruption by a Paranormal Entity did—or perhaps a "ghost servant" or "Human Servant"?

While Li Feng pondered this, the Delivery Ghost enveloped in his mind fog, having lost Li Feng as his target...

Slowly began turning, put the meal back into his delivery box, and turned around to head to the next customer.

As for the mind fog's ability to conceal presences...

Vengeful Ghosts weren't supernatural entities. They had their own obsessions and didn't necessarily need to lock onto the presence of a living person.

The Delivery Ghost before him, for example, would naturally leave after completing one delivery to make the next.

Being unable to sense a living person's presence merely prevented him from delivering the food.

It didn't restrict his ability to leave after a delivery.

Seeing the Delivery Ghost turn to leave, Li Feng immediately grew anxious.

How can I let you leave?

Even if I can't find out whether mind fog can create a "Ghost Servant," devouring you would still be worthwhile.

With a thought, five strands of hair shot from Li Feng's head.

Several consecutive days of cultivation had naturally yielded remarkable results.

Though his Skin Tempering remained at minor attainment, he had already progressed deep into that stage.

As for his hair, into which he had poured even more time and effort, he had tempered...

Well, an epic total of five strands.

Moreover, each strand was five or six meters long and could lift two or three hundred jin, while its toughness had increased two- or threefold.

Once unleashed, they could pierce and strangle with devastating effectiveness.

Within a radius of five or six meters, nothing could easily get close without first damaging or destroying his hair.

The strands of Li Feng's hair shot out and reached the Delivery Ghost in an instant. Like slithering snakes, they intertwined and coiled, swiftly binding him tight.

Sensing this, Li Feng couldn't help feeling delighted.

"Hahaha..."

He'd known it. If his tempered hair could touch and restrain intangible supernatural entities, it could naturally touch intangible Vengeful Ghosts too.

Now, it seemed that was indeed the case.

After binding the Delivery Ghost, Li Feng immediately willed his hair to pull him forcefully into the room.

"Food... delivery... deliver... food!"

Faced with Li Feng's pull, the Delivery Ghost naturally refused to remain bound. He struggled hard to escape, his form flickering in and out of existence.

Yet Li Feng's tempered hair could touch and restrain intangible supernatural entities and Vengeful Ghosts. No matter how the ghost made his body insubstantial, he couldn't escape its hold.

And besides...

Feeling the strength of the Delivery Ghost's resistance, Li Feng inwardly sighed with relief.

Fortunately, although the Delivery Ghost was stronger than an ordinary person, he still fell somewhat short of Li Feng.

In the end, he could only be dragged into the room, step by step.

Bang!

After pulling the Delivery Ghost inside, Li Feng immediately controlled one strand of hair to slam the door shut.

Then that strand curled back around the Delivery Ghost.

With the Delivery Ghost restrained, Li Feng immediately directed more mind fog to actively corrupt him.

Seemingly sensing danger, the Delivery Ghost grew restless and struggled even harder.

But the five strands of hair, each capable of withstanding two hundred jin of force, held him firmly in place.

Vengeful Ghosts were terrifying largely because they were intangible and possessed uncanny ghost abilities.

Their physical strength, however, wasn't particularly outstanding.

Once Li Feng had restrained his intangible body, escape was essentially impossible.

As time passed, the Delivery Ghost's struggles gradually weakened until he stopped moving. Apart from an occasional tremor, he resembled a lifelike statue.

Meanwhile, Li Feng began vaguely sensing the Delivery Ghost's body and power, and that connection grew steadily stronger.

Then, at a certain moment, Li Feng felt an extremely strong sense of control over the Delivery Ghost before him.

Without thinking, Li Feng issued a mental command.

The next instant, the Delivery Ghost's arm moved slightly according to his will.

However, because Li Feng hadn't released the hair binding him, the movement wasn't obvious.

But Li Feng, who had been watching the entire time, saw it with perfect clarity.

For a moment, Li Feng was overjoyed.

He hadn't expected his mind fog to truly be capable of corrupting ghosts and bringing them under his control.

Then Li Feng slowly loosened the hair restraining him.

As soon as he was freed, the Delivery Ghost tried to leave.

Yet his foot had barely lifted when a single thought from Li Feng froze him in place like a statue.

His body and Ghostly Energy had now slipped completely beyond his own control and fallen under Li Feng's absolute command.

Without Li Feng's permission, he couldn't move so much as a fraction.

Roughly another half hour passed before the Delivery Ghost suddenly struggled violently again, then went completely still.

At the same time, Li Feng's mind suddenly connected with another consciousness, and images flashed through his head.

To make a living, he traveled through the city's streets every day, visiting residential complexes, restaurants, and other places.

Until one day, with a piercing screech of brakes, he was hurled into the air and then slammed heavily onto the ground. Blood obscured his vision, and the world turned dark red...

"Hah... hah... hah..."

A cool sensation washed through his mind, and Li Feng snapped back to his senses, gasping for breath.

Recalling what he had just experienced, Li Feng could not help feeling a lingering dread.

He had never expected that completely corrupting and taking control of the Delivery Ghost would also devour and merge its lingering consciousness with his own, especially its final thoughts before death.

For a moment, Li Feng had almost believed he really had been run over and killed by a truck again.

That might have been because he had experienced something similar himself, making the resonance stronger.

But regardless, merging with someone else's lingering consciousness from just before their death was no pleasant experience.

And this had only been a weak Vengeful Ghost with few memories of its own.

What if I completely corrupted a human?

Decades of memories flooding into my mind all at once, different memories tangled together—how could that not drive me insane?

How did those supernatural entities bear it when they corrupted humans...?

* No, that wasn't right! *

Li Feng shook his head. Supernatural entities barely had any coherent consciousness to begin with, and their behavior followed fixed rules.

No matter how many consciousnesses they absorbed or how chaotic they became, it would have little effect on their fundamental nature.

But the same was not true for him. If he merged with too many different consciousnesses and memories, there was no telling whether he would still be himself.

So, although he could use mind fog to turn others into "Ghost Servants," he absolutely could not do so indiscriminately.