Chapter 109: Lu Liangting’s SSR, Bai Yu’s Ration
The old elevator creaked ominously as Zhao Mingyue stepped in, feeling as if she might topple over at any moment. She glanced around, and the interior was just as dingy as the outside, plastered with yellowed, peeling flyers that looked like they hadn’t been updated since the last millennium.
“Hey, a missing person poster?”
At the corner, she spotted a faded sheet with bold red letters declaring “Missing Person” in a style that screamed for attention.
“Li Qingqing, female, twenty years old, went missing on June 28th, no contact since, reported to the police…”
The next part detailed the clothes Li Qingqing was wearing when she went missing—a light yellow dress adorned with tiny flowers—followed by some vague hints about her last seen location, which was near this apartment complex dubbed “Youth Apartment.” Unfortunately, the surveillance cameras here were as effective as a chocolate teapot in finding her.
Further down, it mentioned that there would be generous rewards for anyone who could provide clues, with contact details for a Mr. Yang, though the last two digits of his phone number were faded beyond recognition.
Zhao Mingyue squinted at the blurry photo; she could just make out a girl in a dress.
Just then, Chen Hao squeezed into the cramped elevator. Zhao Mingyue, feeling overwhelmed by his altogether unpleasant odor, instinctively shuffled to the back.
“This missing person poster has been up for five years,” Li Tianan chimed in, pressing the button for the sixth floor. “It was put up by a man whose wife, Li Qingqing, went missing. The last time I saw him, he was, well, dead, but his ghost still haunts this building.”
“After midnight, you can count on him popping up to hand out these flyers. Sometimes, he even knocks on doors in the dead of night,” he added, looking pensive.
“That guy said he can feel his wife lingering in this building somewhere.”
“I don’t know what happened next; he never came back.”
Zhao Mingyue nodded, her gaze drifting back to the ads plastered above her. To her surprise, they were all advertisements for ghostbusters—Chen the Master, Sun the Master, all adorned with enchanting tales of peach wood swords and mysterious mirrors.
The thought hit her: did her boss also plaster little ads in other buildings?
The elevator dinged, and the doors creaked open on the sixth floor.
Compared to the first floor, this place was barely a step up. The hallway had fewer ads but was cluttered with residents’ assorted junk, including a few incense burners.
Tendrils of dark energy seeped down the dimly-lit corridor. Zhao Mingyue checked her phone: 8:40 PM.
“Creepy,” she muttered as she ventured into the hallway.
There was a row of rooms on the north side, while the south wall was just… a wall. Not a single window in sight.
She took a quick mental inventory and noticed there were six rooms. Chen Hao’s room, 606, was right at the end.
The building only had nine floors, so it wasn’t too high, but the layout was odd. All the rooms faced north, meaning very little natural light, and the southern side was completely blocked off.
She couldn’t shake the feeling that this place had a certain ‘not-for-the-living’ vibe to it.
“Let’s go, follow me.”
Li Tianan stepped out of the elevator, dragging a black case behind him.
“This evil spirit is pretty strong, so keep your wits about you and help me restrain her.”
As he spoke, the door to the innermost room creaked open, emitting a loud, eerie squeak that echoed through the silence.
The trio slowed down, eyes darting towards the door of 606, from which emerged a middle-aged man dressed in a yellow robe, balancing a bagua compass and muttering to himself.
“I’ve told you, this problem is a real pain! You’ve got a whole room full of ghosts! So if you want my help, you’re gonna have to offer something in return—three thousand bucks, no less!”
The Daoist’s impatience was palpable. “If you think anyone in Tianchang City has greater skills than me, go ahead and look. I’m not lifting a finger for free.”
“Oh, by the way, miss, you’ve got some killing energy lingering around you, and your aura is all messed up. I’d say if you don’t do something in three months, you’re bound to meet an untimely end.”
“It’s clear you know exactly what your condition is. Think about it—living in this kind of environment, how could you not be haunted?”
“As for your family problems, I’ll lend you a hand if you cough up some cash. Everyone’s got their own business to take care of, right?”
“Speaking of which, we Daoists believe saving a life is worth more than building a seven-tier pagoda. I can’t just let you d*e. So, why don’t you give me your contact info, and we’ll set up a meet tomorrow, just you and me?”
“I’m Money Half-Sage, and in this city, who doesn’t know me? Helping you is a cinch, and I won’t even charge you!”
Before he could finish, Li Tianan interjected, “Conning you out of your money and your virtue—I think it’s you who’s haunted by killing energy.”
The three stepped closer to get a good look at the Daoist, who looked to be in his forties with a pointed face and goat-like beard, exuding the classic conman vibe, albeit with a hint of genuine mastery.
Inside, Chen Tianran stood still, wearing a white short-sleeve top and hot pants that showcased her long, fair legs. She was quite the sight, and without makeup, she didn’t look too shabby either.
“What’s this? Who are you?” Money Half-Sage scrutinized Li Tianan, then his gaze swiftly shifted to Zhao Mingyue, clearly captivated.
Just one glance, and he seemed unable to look away.
This girl looked perfect—every inch of her seemed custom-made for his tastes.
“Dad.” Chen Tianran’s voice broke the tension as she spotted Chen Hao outside.
Chen Hao, his face a storm, rushed forward. “Chen Tianran, did you hire this guy?!”
“You!”
“Dad, you didn’t find anyone, so I’m going to look myself.”
Fury flared in Chen Hao; before he could unleash a tirade, Li Tianan placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking his head in a calming gesture.
“We’re all here now; let’s let Money Half-Sage join us.”
As soon as he mentioned himself, Money Half-Sage snapped back to reality, clearing his throat, “Well, looks like you hired some muscle here. Don’t get fooled; there are many impersonators of my Daoist faction running around.”
Before he could finish his sentence, Zhao Mingyue noticed he was staring again, his eyes fixed on her as if she were a beacon.
“Money Half-Sage, huh?” Manager Li smoothed his collar and exuded an air of mature charm. “I suggest you keep your eyes to yourself; otherwise, the calamity might just fall upon you today.”
“Humph.”
Ignoring Money Half-Sage altogether, Li Tianan strode inside confidently.
Chen Hao followed, giving Money Half-Sage a long, hard look as they passed, sending a shiver down the older man’s spine with his red-rimmed eyes.
Zhao Mingyue followed behind swiftly and, just like that, she was struck dumb.
“What are you doing here again?”
There he was, Lu Liangting, lounging on the living room sofa like he owned the place.
Zhao Mingyue felt exasperated. It seemed she and Lu Liangting were somehow entwined in an unbreakable bond—with every task, she somehow ran into him. Although running into him wouldn’t typically be a bad thing, the awkwardness was off the charts. Lu Liangting was still obsessing over Bai Yu, practically in the “can’t-stop-thinking-about-her” stage.
And Bai Yu was… well, she was more family than family in Zhao Mingyue’s eyes!
She didn’t want Lu Liangting swooping in and snatching Bai Yu away!
What if Bai Yu thought Lu Liangting was handsome, kind, and rich, and just decided to get entangled with him?
Zhao Mingyue had no previous examples to guide her and definitely didn’t want Bai Yu to be the cautionary tale this time around.
“Mingyue?”
Lu Liangting rose from the couch.
Zhao Mingyue suppressed the urge to bury her face in her hands and was left with nothing but a feeling of defeat.
She knew she had seen that girl’s motorcycle downstairs. He must have been dragged here and had chosen not to leave, attending classes elsewhere… was he now just hanging out at the girl’s place?
In reality, she had misjudged Lu Liangting.
After he was ‘kidnapped,’ he and Chen Tianran had an oddly deep conversation, specifically about her life.
After a bit of persuasion, he assured her he’d come over after school to visit. Only then did Chen Tianran let him leave.
Lu Liangting had rushed over as quickly as he could, while Mr. Money Half-Sage followed closely behind.
Originally, he didn’t intend to stick around, but out of kindness and a bit of wariness towards Money Half-Sage, Lu Liangting had decided to stay a bit longer.
“Lu Liangting, what are you doing here?”
“I’m helping her with something. And you?”
“I suppose we’re in the same boat; I’m here for the same reason,” Zhao Mingyue sighed, opting to hang out in a corner.
“Manager, what’s going on?” Lu Liangting looked at the others in confusion, still piecing everything together.
“As you can see, this is my little side gig,” the manager replied with a gentle smile, his tone calm and smooth. “It gets kinda boring at home, so I thought I’d keep myself busy.”
“Thanks for helping out this time, Manager. Chen Tianran is a friend of mine; I’ve heard about her situation, so I’m here to lend a hand too. I have a bit of knowledge about this stuff.”
“Haha, nice to meet a young man with guts!”
The manager patted Lu Liangting’s shoulder.
At that moment, Money Half-Sage chimed in, “Just a kid who hasn’t faced the real world yet, and he claims to understand ghosts. Pff, mistaking fantasy for reality is dangerous. I’ve seen ghosts more than you’ve heard of, including some ghost kings among them.”
He glanced over at Zhao Mingyue, “You seem curious about this stuff, huh? I’ve seen much worse; I could tell you stories if you ever want.”
“No thanks, I’m not interested,” Zhao Mingyue said firmly from her corner.
Suddenly, she noticed Lu Liangting clutching a black phone, which seemed to have a roulette-style interface.
She had tried her hand at the roulette once, and miraculously drew an evil ghost.
She didn’t know the strength of that ghost, but it was considered a stroke of luck.
And then… her “luck” ended up being devoured by Bai Yu.
That was when she realized that perhaps there would never be another new ghost in her life. In Bai Yu’s eyes, anything less powerful than her was trash—and destined to be eaten.
But that was just fine; one Bai Yu was more than enough. Any ghosts she drew could become Bai Yu’s experience!
But the question was, would the ghost Lu Liangting summoned end up being gobbled up by Bai Yu?
In the living room, the group gathered to discuss plans.
“Discuss” was generous; it was more like the manager was fishing for information while Money Half-Sage philosophized sarcastically, and Chen Hao tried to recollect recent events.
Lu Liangting didn’t join in; his eyes flickered as he stared at the black phone, concocting an excuse to leave.
Chen Tianran was watching Zhao Mingyue intently from the other side, toying with a fruit kn*fe in her hands.
Zhao Mingyue caught a glimpse of the handcuffs, rope, and a stun g*n sprawled on a table by the wall beside Chen Tianran.
Separately, these items seemed innocuous, but together? The implications were hard to ignore.
Honestly, Lu Liangting could count himself lucky that Chen Tianran didn’t have a basement…
“I’m heading out too.”
Once Lu Liangting exited, Zhao Mingyue quickly followed.
After closing the door, they were back in the hallway.
Lu Liangting was glued to the screen of his phone, and when he noticed Zhao Mingyue approaching, he spoke up, “This is my reward from Eternal Life Village; I haven’t used it yet because I’m worried I’ll draw another evil ghost.”
“But this time it’s different—I really hope to summon a ghost.”
“Why?” Zhao Mingyue questioned, intrigued.
“Because that thing inside is too powerful for me to handle alone. I need to find another partner to help.”
Everyone had that black phone, and Lu Liangting didn’t shy away from sharing details with Zhao Mingyue.
Indeed, as he stated, he wanted to summon a powerful ghost.
If it worked out, and the ghost was obedient, his team’s strength could soar.
But if he ended up summoning something like his own shadow? Well, that would be disastrous.
He tapped the screen, holding his breath as he focused on the contents.
The roulette spun, and after a few seconds, it stopped.
[Congratulations, you’ve obtained an evil ghost item]
[Wife’s Phone]
[I killed her, I stripped her flesh, buried her bones, and submerged her head, so why am I still receiving messages from her?]
The bl**d-stained flip phone appeared in Lu Liangting’s pocket as he fished it out.
Drawing a red-clothed evil ghost—now that was a bit too thrilling.
Red clothes? Nothing short of top-tier among spirits, definitely outclassing the average ghost.
If this ghost listened to commands, his crew’s power would dramatically multiply.
But amid all this excitement, he failed to notice that Zhao Mingyue’s shadow was beginning to ripple ominously.
