Chapter 050

The group didn’t stop until they had run well out of the roller coaster staff’s line of sight.

Lu Jianxing set the boy down, his breathing a bit uneven. “Xiao Man, you can’t just fly around in public.”

“Little Master, you can actually fly?” Pei Xiwang gestured incoherently. “Just like in those TV shows, leaping over walls and soaring through the sky… You aren’t actually an immortal, are you?”

Qiao Man blinked his large eyes. “It wasn’t me.”

As powerful as he was, flying was still something that lay beyond his current capabilities.

The Long-braided Ghost looked away guiltily. “Little Master, I didn’t mean anything by it, I just wanted to help…”

Lu Jianxing instructed firmly, “Don’t do that again next time.”

Qiao Man obeyed submissively. “Oh.”

The Long-braided Ghost also lowered his head. Living under someone else’s roof was hard, even for a ghost.

The roller coaster was out of the question now. Lu Jianxing scanned their surroundings and spotted a directional sign for tourists nearby, with paper guide maps tucked underneath.

He went over and took one. The map indicated the locations of various attractions, as well as restaurants and restrooms. More importantly, some attractions had small print warnings next to them. Children who didn’t meet the height requirement and elderly visitors were not recommended for the more thrilling and intense rides.

Lu Jianxing read out the names of the rides they couldn’t go on. Qiao Man was deeply disappointed, as many of them were the ones he was interested in.

“…Aside from those, we can do everything else,” Lu Jianxing said, pointing to an attraction not far away. “As for the roller coaster, we can use that as a substitute.”

It was a ride similar to a roller coaster, but it was a little train that went clack-clack along the tracks. It also had long rails with inclines and drops, but the slopes weren’t nearly as steep as the roller coaster’s. It was much gentler and had no height requirement, so even small children could ride.

Qiao Man naturally had no objections. He happily took Lu Jianxing’s hand and joined the back of the queue.

There were many parents with children in the line, and the air was filled with the chirping of young voices. A staff member was maintaining order, calling out, “Parents, please keep an eye on your children. Queue up in an orderly fashion and don’t run around.”

Qiao Man gripped his “son’s” hand tightly and replied with great vigor, “Okey-dokey!”

Pei Xiwang burst out, “Hahaha!”

Lu Jianxing was speechless.

When it was their turn, Qiao Man led Lu Jianxing into the car. The seats were for two people. Pei Xiwang sat in a row by himself, and the Long-braided Ghost floated down into the seat beside him, even going so far as to pull the safety bar down over himself for the sake of appearances.

Sitting in the front row, Pei Xiwang held up his phone and turned around excitedly. “Little Master, let me take a picture of you.”

Qiao Man was delighted. “Sure, thank you!”

Lu Jianxing added, “And a photo of Xiao Man and me together, if you don’t mind.”

Pei Xiwang said reluctantly, “…Fine, I guess.”

Accompanied by the sound of music, the little train beneath them started moving with a rhythmic clack-clack.

Pei Xiwang twisted his body around to take photos of the two. The camera shutter clicked away, and by the time the little train returned to the starting point, his gallery was filled with many new photos.

As everyone got off the train, Pei Xiwang flipped through his phone, checking the shots he’d just taken. He deleted the blurry ones where his hand had shaken and kept the good ones, occasionally cropping out a certain redundant person when necessary.

“Little Master, look at this one, and this one. You look so cute, don’t you? And this…” Pei Xiwang was picking and choosing when suddenly, his hand stopped. “…Wait, who is this?”

Qiao Man leaned in to look. On the phone screen, Pei Xiwang was holding the phone high, capturing a three-person shot. The photo was perfect; even on a moving train, no one’s expression was distorted. The only problem was that in the seat next to Pei Xiwang, which should have been empty, there was a pearl-white blurry shadow.

Pei Xiwang scrolled further. In every selfie or photo with Qiao Man, a section of a shadow would always appear beside him. It was semi-transparent – sometimes a hand, sometimes half a face, and sometimes just a long braid.

The Long-braided Ghost was quite pleased with himself. “I look pretty photogenic.”

Pei Xiwang’s face went pale. “A g-ghost? Is it a ghost?”

Recalling the rumors of hauntings in this amusement park and looking at the ghostly figure in the photos, he felt thoroughly unsettled.

“Don’t be afraid.” Qiao Man patted his arm soothingly. “He doesn’t dare hurt anyone.”

“Is that so?” Pei Xiwang looked down at the boy’s round, adorable face and immediately felt relieved. That’s right, Master Xiao Man was right here. Even if a ghost really wanted to harm him, the Little Master would be able to save his life in time. He let out a sigh of relief. “There really are ghosts in this park. So the rumors were true? But why is it an ancient ghost?”

Qiao Man blinked. “Um… well…”

Lu Jianxing had also seen the ghostly figure in the photos.

Unlike Pei Xiwang, he had personally witnessed Qiao Man’s ghost-catching scenes, so he naturally recognized the familiar figure in the pictures.

He rubbed the head of the guilty-looking child and said casually, “It probably followed us from somewhere.”

Pei Xiwang wondered about it for a moment but soon put it out of his mind.

The three continued to the next attraction. Pei Xiwang acted as the photographer, helping to take many photos along the way – solo shots, duos, and trios. The amusement park was huge with many attractions, and the distance between each themed area was quite significant. By traveling on foot, they only managed to cover half the park by noon.

At lunchtime, following a guide’s recommendation, they settled their meal at the park’s most delicious restaurant. After feasting heartily, the group took a short break. Pei Xiwang was flipping through the photos taken that morning when suddenly, his face went pale again.

“Little Master, this is bad,” Pei Xiwang said, his voice trembling. “I think I’ve been haunted.”

Qiao Man, holding a large burger with his small hands, looked at him with bulging cheeks. “Hmm?”

“That ghost has been following me the whole time. It wasn’t just on the little train. Throughout all the attractions we visited this morning, he’s been following me the entire way…”

In the phone’s photo album, the familiar ghostly figure appeared in the vast majority of the photos. In some, it was in the distance, but in others taken during the rides, the ghost was sitting right next to him in every double-seater!

Without knowing a thing, he had actually spent the entire morning in close proximity to a ghost!

Panicking, Pei Xiwang stood up and dragged his chair over to sit right next to Qiao Man. Even though it was a table for four, the two adults and one child were now squeezed onto the same side.

This time, even sitting beside Qiao Man didn’t bring him any peace of mind.

“Master Xiao Man, am I possessed?” Pei Xiwang asked, glancing around nervously. “I felt a sudden chill just now, and my heart started racing. My hands are so cold…”

“No, you’re not,” Qiao Man comforted him.

“R-really?”

“You just walked right through him,” Qiao Man explained.

Pei Xiwang: “…”

That sounds even more terrifying!

“Actually, he’s been following us since we were in the car. He was sitting right next to you the whole time. You seemed a bit timid, so I didn’t say anything,” Qiao Man said, looking a little sheepish. “Don’t be afraid. Even though there’s more than one ghost in this amusement park, he’s with me. I’ve already taught him a lesson, so he wouldn’t dare hurt anyone.”

“…”

Pei Xiwang felt his vision go dark. The car?

He was definitely going to have his car exorcised when he got back!

…Wait.

Pei Xiwang looked over in horror. “What do you mean there’s more than one ghost in this park?”

“Huh? Didn’t I mention it?” Qiao Man said matter-of-factly. “The Yin Energy in this park is really heavy. There are lots of ghosts. We even ran into a few on our way here.”

Pei Xiwang: “…”

“Aren’t there rumors that this place is haunted?” Lu Jianxing picked up a french fry and said nonchalantly, “People claim to see ghostly figures or get trapped in ‘ghost walls.’ Maybe those rumors are actually true.”

Pei Xiwang: “…”

Hearing rumors was one thing, but knowing for a fact that there were actual ghosts around was quite another. Especially when it was a whole crowd of them, officially verified by Master Xiao Man. How could anyone keep a straight face after realizing they’d been brushing shoulders with ghosts?

Pei Xiwang couldn’t help but stare at him. “How are you not scared at all?”

“I’m used to it,” Lu Jianxing replied calmly.

He was used to seeing his kid talking to thin air and had seen ghosts more than once himself. His heart had been forged through fire and wouldn’t be easily shaken anymore.

Pei Xiwang was suddenly filled with a sense of profound respect.

Once the three of them finished lunch, they spread out the map again to plan their afternoon activities.

Just as they were about to leave, a girl who had been watching them for a long time walked over, her voice trembling with suppressed excitement. “Lu Jianxing? Are you Xingxing?”

The three of them looked up simultaneously.

Upon making eye contact, the girl became even more excited. She looked at Lu Jianxing with delight. “Xingxing, it really is you! I thought I’d recognized the wrong person for a second… and Qiao Man is here too!” She greeted Qiao Man warmly. “Hello, sweetie!”

“Hello!” Qiao Man chirped.

“I didn’t mean to disturb you, but I’ve been a fan for years. I’ve watched all your dramas…” Clutching her phone, she said shyly, “Um, would it be okay if I got a photo with you?”

“Of course,” Lu Jianxing said immediately. “Thank you for supporting me.”

The girl gave a small cheer of delight. She looked around and her eyes landed on Pei Xiwang. “Excuse me, handsome,” she said bashfully, “could I trouble you to take it for us?”

“Sure.”

Pei Xiwang took her phone. After snapping the photo, he handed it back. The girl stared at him for a few moments before it finally clicked. “Wait… Pei Xiwang?”

“Oh, so you guys are friends,” she said. “When I watched Wilderness Challenge, I thought you two didn’t get along very well.”

Pei Xiwang: “…” Actually, we still don’t.

The girl had only come over because she couldn’t contain her excitement at seeing her idol. Once the photo was taken, she was tactful enough not to linger. Before leaving, she joked, “By the way, you guys aren’t here to catch ghosts, are you?”

“Catch ghosts?”

“Yeah! The most famous thing in this park is the haunted house. It’s incredibly realistic and terrifying.” Thinking they might not know, she lowered her voice as if afraid of disturbing something. “They say there are real ghosts in this park, so a lot of people from out of town come here just to check it out.”

“You know there are ghosts, and you still come to check it out?” Qiao Man asked, puzzled.

“It’s because it’s scary that people come! There are so many rumors online about this park, like lights turning on in the middle of the night, ghostly figures, people getting lost in ‘ghost walls,’ hearing screams… Someone even died here once.”

“Someone died?”

“Oh, it wasn’t the ghosts’ fault. It was a heart patient who got scared to death after going on one of the thrill rides. In the rumors, it turned into being killed by a ghost. Lots of amusement parks have scary stories like that. If there really were ghosts…”

She stopped mid-sentence, suddenly remembering that the child in front of her had a rather mystical reputation. The rest of her words caught in her throat. Her face filled with alarm as she looked at them for confirmation. “…Are you really here to catch ghosts?”

Qiao Man: “…”

“No,” Lu Jianxing answered first. “We’re just here to have fun.”

The girl let out a long sigh of relief.

“Then you should definitely check out the haunted house! I went this morning and it was seriously terrifying and so exciting!” she said, clearly still buzzing from the experience. “I’m planning to go again this afternoon.”

They watched the girl head back to her friends. As the group left the restaurant, the conversation still centered on the haunted house.

The three of them looked away, and Qiao Man asked, sounding very perplexed, “Are they actually afraid of ghosts or not?”

Lu Jianxing patted his head. “The ghosts they’re afraid of are the ‘real’ ones.”

“But it’s so strange,” Qiao Man said, resting his chin on his chubby hand with a puzzled expression. “Why are there so many ghosts in this amusement park?”

“Is it that strange?”

“The Yin Energy here is very heavy. That older sister just now had a faint trace of Yin Energy on her, which means she’s been in close contact with a ghost,” Qiao Man explained. “But I didn’t sense any malice from them.”

Even though ghosts lived among the living, they didn’t usually take the initiative to contact people. Those who harmed others were Vengeful Ghosts. Most ghosts simply lingered where they had died. For instance, the Long-braided Ghost had stayed obediently in his grave until it was dug up.

“This isn’t a graveyard, so why are there so many ghosts?”

Pei Xiwang quickly pulled out his phone to search, then let out a long sigh of relief. “This place used to be just wasteland.”

“But…” Qiao Man sensed the air. “I feel resentment. The ghosts here have killed people.”

The other two were startled.

After leaving the restaurant, they took special notice as they passed by the haunted house.

Compared to the other attractions, there was a long queue in front of the haunted house. There weren’t many visitors in the amusement park today, yet nearly half of them were lined up there.

As the park’s signature attraction, the haunted house occupied a large area with several different entrances. According to the promotional boards hanging by the doors, each entrance led to a different horror scenario. Consequently, many people would go back to unlock other routes after finishing one.

In Qiao Man’s eyes, the haunted house was the place with the heaviest Yin Energy in the entire park, with countless ghosts gathered inside. Knowing that the ghosts here had killed people, the group looked at the flow of people in line as if they were watching food voluntarily walking into a ghost’s mouth.

Qiao Man raised his small hand and said to the two adults, “I want to go in and see if there are any Vengeful Ghosts inside.”

Lu Jianxing agreed immediately. “We can do that.”

Pei Xiwang asked, “Master Xiao Man, are you going to catch ghosts?”

Qiao Man shook his head. “I’m just going to take a look.”

Since they were just out for fun today, Qiao Man wasn’t wearing his Little Yellow Duck Backpack, and naturally, he hadn’t brought any of his tools.

The Long-braided Ghost’s eyes lit up, and he stepped forward to volunteer. “Little Master, I can help you fight!”

Wasn’t this the perfect chance for him to be useful?

The three people and one ghost joined the very end of the line.

While waiting, they watched tourists walk confidently into the entrance. Before long, howling and wailing would drift out from within. By the time they emerged from the exit, they were all streaming with tears and snot. Some even scrambled out on all fours, their legs so weak they couldn’t walk, collapsing nearby with pale faces.

Hearing the screams echoing from the haunted house and seeing the terrified tourists, those still in line were filled with a mix of dread and anticipation before they even stepped inside.

When it was finally their turn, the staff member paused upon seeing Qiao Man. “Is the kid going in too?”

Qiao Man nodded. “Mm-hmm!”

Lu Jianxing looked at the notice nearby. “There’s no age limit for this haunted house.”

“There’s no rule against it, but our haunted house is quite terrifying. Even adults get scared, so we generally don’t recommend it for children,” the staff member said hesitantly.

“It’s fine.” Qiao Man tilted his head up confidently. “I’m very capable.”

The Long-braided Ghost added from the side, “Usually, it’s the ghosts who are afraid of him.”

Seeing that Qiao Man was accompanied by two tall adults, and since there truly was no rule forbidding children, the staff member let them in. As they entered, he offered a final reminder: “Our route is a one-way path, so don’t worry about getting lost. But once you’re in, you can’t turn back. You have to walk all the way to the exit.”

The three of them walked forward without looking back, their figures disappearing into the entrance.

It was pitch black inside the haunted house, with no windows or light. Once inside, they couldn’t even see their companions clearly. They had to rely on the faint light effects used to create a horror atmosphere to barely identify where the others were.

It was so dark they couldn’t see their hands in front of their faces. A chilly wind snaked through the gaps in their clothes. They felt their way forward amidst constant wails that sounded like both crying and pleas for help. Combined with the gloomy environment, they felt the terrifying atmosphere the moment they stepped inside.

Giggling and ghostly whispers drifted from unknown places, eerie and lingering by their ears. Pei Xiwang shuddered, staying close behind Lu Jianxing and Qiao Man. The person behind him seemed to have the same idea, pressing cautiously against his back.

…Wait?

Pei Xiwang looked at Lu Jianxing and Qiao Man walking ahead, and his eyes slowly widened.

Where did the person behind him come from?

He didn’t dare move his head an inch. Using his peripheral vision, he glanced back and caught sight of a blurry, pearl-white ghostly figure. In an instant, his hair stood on end. His mouth hung open silently, but he didn’t dare scream.

A ghost… a ghost was following him!

Just then, Qiao Man, who was leading the way, suddenly stopped.

Pei Xiwang looked up. At some point, another pearl-white ghostly figure had appeared at the dark intersection ahead. Accompanied by the sobbing and wailing echoing in his ears, it was blurry and flickering.

This was bad! he thought desperately. They were surrounded by two ghosts!

Qiao Man took a step forward, spreading his arms and standing in front of the two adults with a serious expression on his small face.

At the intersection, the ghost wore white clothes. His head was bowed, and his long, disheveled hair hid his face as he swayed toward the three of them. Like a candle flickering in the wind, his pale figure appeared and disappeared as if it might go out at any moment. Pei Xiwang’s eyes were wide, and he felt cold sweat trickling down his forehead. He didn’t dare blink, nor did he dare turn and run.

There was a ghost in front and a ghost behind. Where could he possibly run…

He spaced out for a second, and in that heartbeat, the blurry figure ahead suddenly flashed right in front of them. At that moment, the surrounding lights flickered and surged. In that split second of brightness, the ghost jerked its head up. A hideous face was clearly seared into everyone’s vision – a pale, sickly complexion, a tongue so long it dragged on the ground, and a pair of sharp claws reaching out.

Pei Xiwang shrieked in terror, “A ghost!!!”

The ghost opposite him shrieked in terror, “There’s a ghost!!!!”

The Long-braided Ghost dropped his own terrifying facade, rolled up his sleeves, pushed Pei Xiwang aside, and charged forward. He grabbed the other ghost’s long tongue, raised his fist, and began a relentless beating. “So you’re the one putting on this spooky act!”

“Ahhh! It hurts! Stop hitting me!”

The Long-tongued Ghost rolled on the ground in pain. Since his tongue was still in the other ghost’s hand, he couldn’t escape. He could only keep his mouth wide open and cry out in muffled agony, “Help! Help! Someone’s murdering a ghost!”

The Long-braided Ghost’s fists landed with heavy thuds. “How dare you try to scare the Little Master! You’ve got a lot of nerve!”

The Long-tongued Ghost wailed, “Waaaaah!”

“What’s going on? What happened?”

Several more ghostly figures appeared at the intersection, having floated over after hearing the commotion. Seeing the situation, they hurried to intervene. “Everyone, calm down. Stay calm. We’re all ghosts here. Let’s talk this out. Don’t do anything rash.”

“What’s the matter? Why the sudden fight?”

“Who are you? Why are you hitting Xiao Yuan?” This was an acquaintance of the Long-tongued Ghost. Recognizing an outsider among the brawlers, he rushed to pull the Long-braided Ghost away. “Where did you come from? You aren’t from around here, are you?”

The Long-braided Ghost let go of the other ghost’s long tongue and said righteously, “I am a ghost from Master Xiao Man’s household!”

The other ghosts began talking all at once. “Who is Master Xiao Man?”

“Never heard of him.”

“Even if you’re the ghost of some other Master, you still have to be reasonable.”

“How can you just start swinging without even asking what’s going on?”

The Long-tongued Ghost cradled his injured tongue, wailing to his companions, “Waaaah, he’s terrifying! He made a scary face at me!”

“…Ah… what?” Pei Xiwang’s shout died in his throat as he stared at the scene in a daze.

What was going on?

Where did all these ghosts come from?

The ghost in the back hit the ghost in the front?

Wait, how could he suddenly see ghosts?

Even Qiao Man was bewildered. “Who are you all?”

The Long-braided Ghost floated behind him and said with great pride, “This is our Master Xiao Man.”

The other ghosts looked over, only to see a small child with short limbs and a round face standing in front of the Long-braided Ghost. Even though these ghosts were quite experienced, they couldn’t help but stare in shock.

However, since one of their own had been beaten on their home turf, they had to demand an explanation. Given that they were facing a child, the ghosts tried to be reasonable and polite. “Is that your ghost? How could he just attack someone out of nowhere? It’s very rude.”

The Long-braided Ghost argued righteously, “He’s the one who tried to scare us first!”

The Long-tongued Ghost retorted, “This is a haunted house! Scaring tourists is my job! What about you? Where did you even come from?”

Qiao Man’s head was spinning. “A job? What kind of job?”

After some mutual explanation, they finally understood.

The ghosts before them were all working ghosts in this haunted house. The area had been set up with spells that allowed ghosts to manifest. They usually played the roles of monsters and spirits to scare the tourists who entered. Different routes had different ghosts assigned to them.

The haunted house in this amusement park was famous for being incredibly realistic and terrifying. Since the ghosts inside were actual ghosts, of course they were realistic. They had worked here for years, regularly exchanging tips on how to scare people to improve their professional skills and ensure every tourist left terrified. As a result, the haunted house’s reputation had spread far and wide, drawing many visitors.

Most of the ghosts Qiao Man had seen outside were likely ghostly employees of the park.

“We signed employment agreements with the amusement park. We work here to scare people in exchange for incense and food¹,” the working ghosts explained.

The Long-braided Ghost looked thoughtful. “So, there’s such a thing as ‘working’ now.”

The working ghosts said, “We didn’t accumulate much merit in our past lives, so we can’t be human in the next. We don’t really want to reincarnate yet, but as you know, being a ghost isn’t easy.”

The Long-braided Ghost felt a deep sense of empathy. “Indeed. When it comes to being a ghost, it’s fine if you have family to offer sacrifices. The most miserable are the lonely wandering spirits who can only scavenge roadside offerings during the Qingming Festival. Being a domestic ghost² is best since you don’t have to worry about going hungry, but it’s easy to be forced into doing bad things. If you do too much evil, it’s hard to reincarnate. It’s not easy to find a Taoist with a moral compass. Sigh, unfortunately, the Little Master won’t take in ghosts, and his home is too small to live in anyway. I’ve been trying my hardest, but he still hasn’t agreed…”

“Exactly, exactly. That’s how it is,” the working ghosts said sympathetically. “Being a domestic ghost isn’t easy either. Those Taoists have requirements; they think we aren’t fierce enough and only take in Vengeful Ghosts who have harmed people. We’re all law-abiding ghosts who have never hurt anyone. Besides, those domestic ghosts are often beaten. It’s much more comfortable working in a haunted house. All you have to do is scare people…”

It was just that an accident had occurred today, a strange ghost had barged in and beaten up their colleague.

“We only need incense, which is cheaper than hiring living employees, so the boss loves using us,” the working ghosts said proudly. “And it’s just an employment agreement. We aren’t driven like domestic ghosts. If we don’t want to do it anymore, we can just resign and leave. The most experienced ghost here has worked for several different Taoists!”

The Long-braided Ghost exclaimed, “I see! I thought only domestic ghosts could get offerings. I didn’t know you could go out and get a job!”

The working ghosts added, “Taoists these days don’t like keeping ghosts either. When they need one, they just find a Vengeful Ghost to sign a contract. Permanent positions³ are hard to get. We’re all just temporary workers trying to make a living!”

“Looking at you, you’ve been dead for centuries, and you beat Xiao Yuan so badly he couldn’t even fight back. You must be a powerful Great Ghost. How could you not know any of this?” the working ghosts asked.

The Long-braided Ghost said sheepishly, “After I died, I stayed in my grave and never moved. I only came out recently. I had no idea the world had changed so much.”

“So that’s it.”

The working ghosts enthusiastically shared their experiences with him. They were seasoned professionals. There were many Taoists in A City, and they could list exactly which ones often needed to hire ghosts for battles, which ones were generous, and which ones were stingy. The Long-braided Ghost nodded repeatedly, finding the information incredibly beneficial.

They even added, “A ghost who’s as good at fighting as you are would be wanted by many Taoists out there.”

The Long-braided Ghost cupped his hands in a respectful bow. “Thank you all for the guidance. When I find a job in the future, I’ll come back and treat everyone to some incense.”

The working ghosts chirped, “Great, great! We wish you luck in finding a good job.”

As the group of ghosts chatted harmoniously, the three humans listening in were left speechless: “…”

Pei Xiwang stared at the group of ghosts, his eyes glazed over. So being a ghost is this hard too?

Somehow, he suddenly didn’t feel so afraid of ghosts anymore.

While they were chatting, Qiao Man kept his eyes wide, observing each ghost carefully.

Just as the working ghosts had said, they were all good ghosts who only scared people; they didn’t possess the murderous, malevolent aura of a Vengeful Ghost who had taken lives.

“I felt resentment in this amusement park. Is it a ghost you know?” Qiao Man asked.

The working ghosts shook their heads and explained, “Besides those of us working in the haunted house, there are many wild ghosts in this amusement park. Maybe it’s because there are so many ghosts here and the Yin Energy is heavy, so they gather here. Occasionally, they even steal our incense offerings. We aren’t familiar with those wild ghosts. Many of them keep to themselves and don’t like dealing with others.”

“We’re all law-abiding and never harm anyone.”

At most, they caused a few rumors.

Things like the amusement park suddenly lighting up in the middle of the night were just them sneaking out to play when no one was around. As for the ghostly figures tourists encountered, those were probably just ghosts in a rush to get off work bumping into tourists with low luck. With so many ghosts gathered here, rumors were bound to start.

However…

The Long-tongued Ghost held his own tongue and said sneakily, “I think I know something. There’s a ghost hiding in this park that has harmed someone. I’ve run into him before.”

“What?”

Qiao Man immediately looked over at him. “Where is he?”

The other working ghosts were also shocked. “Xiao Yuan, how do you know?”

There were so many ghosts here and the Yin Energy was heavy, making it easy for spirits to hide. With ghosts coming and going, they didn’t know anyone outside their own circle of acquaintances.

“I saw him when I was switching shifts,” the Long-tongued Ghost said. “Remember that news story from a while back? Someone with a heart condition was scared to death in our park.”

The other ghosts nodded one after another. Even Qiao Man and the others had heard of it.

It was in the restaurant where Lu Jianxing’s fans had mentioned the news to them.

“At the time, everyone said the person had hidden their illness and went on a thrill ride, so they were scared to death. But that’s not true. I saw a ghost go after him,” the Long-tongued Ghost whispered. “That ghost looked fierce, and his body was all red, just like those Vengeful Ghosts. After that ghost targeted him, the man was scared to death.”

The ghosts were dumbfounded. “Why didn’t you say anything before?”

The Long-tongued Ghost shrank back. “I didn’t dare. I was afraid he’d eat me…”

But things were different now. The places where he’d been hit were still throbbing with pain, and his tongue had nearly been pulled off. Yet the Long-braided Ghost, who had beaten him so thoroughly he couldn’t even fight back, kept calling that child “Master.” Maybe this Master could catch that Vengeful Ghost?

After all, this was the amusement park where he worked. He was also afraid of something bad happening here.

Recently, there had been more and more rumors about hauntings, and several lives had been lost. Business at the amusement park wasn’t as good as it used to be.

“Where is he?” Qiao Man asked.

The Long-tongued Ghost shook his head. “I don’t know. He usually hides and doesn’t come out. I haven’t seen him since that one time.”

“Now that you mention it, I think I’ve seen him too,” another ghost said. “Just a few days ago, I think I saw a Vengeful Ghost over by the Ferris Wheel.”

Qiao Man furrowed his brows in distress.

He pinched his fingers in a calculation, but the Yin Energy here was too heavy. He could only sense a vague direction and couldn’t pinpoint the exact location. To make matters worse, he hadn’t brought his Luo Pan with him, so he couldn’t rely on it to find the ghost.

The only thing he could be sure of was that the Vengeful Ghost was still in the amusement park.

A voice came from the exit ahead: “Guests? Guests, where are you?”

It turned out they had been inside for too long. They had only screamed once when they first entered and had been silent ever since. The staff member at the haunted house exit had been waiting for the guests to come out for a long time and, worried that something had happened, had come in to look for them.

After all, this amusement park had a history of people being scared to death.

Lu Jianxing called out, “We’re here. We’re fine.”

The working ghosts chimed in, “You’ve been in here too long. Let us see you out.”

“This way. Watch out for the decorations on the floor, don’t trip.”

A group of ghosts led the way, escorting them to the exit and waving goodbye enthusiastically.

Once they stepped outside, they were met with the gazes of countless tourists.

The tourists who had come out before them had all been pale with fright. This was the first time anyone had seen people come out of this haunted house looking so composed. Especially the child walking at the very front; he held his little head high, full of energy. The bear ears on his knit hat stood straight up, and his cheeks were rosy. He didn’t look scared at all.

Accompanied by the endless screams of adults coming from other routes, the crowd’s eyes were filled with admiration.

Lu Jianxing glanced back. Once they were out of the haunted house’s range, not only the working ghosts but even the Long-braided Ghost following beside them had vanished from sight.

However, he knew that this amusement park didn’t just have a group of ghosts; it also had a Vengeful Ghost that harmed people.

Lu Jianxing looked down at his child. Qiao Man was still working hard, counting on his fingers to find the Vengeful Ghost hidden in the park. But there were ghosts everywhere in this park, and the Vengeful Ghost was hidden among them, making it impossible to locate accurately.

“Xiao Man?” Lu Jianxing asked, seeking the child’s opinion.

Unable to find it, Qiao Man let out a long sigh. “I’m not calculating anymore.”

He clenched his small fist. “I’ll come back once I go home and get my Luo Pan.”

“Alright.” Lu Jianxing smiled and picked up the map again. “Where to next?”

Qiao Man waved his little hand and pointed excitedly at the distant Ferris Wheel. “I want to ride that!”

“Okay.”

The two adults and one child headed toward the Ferris Wheel.

On the way, Qiao Man said expectantly, “I’ve seen it on TV. When you sit on the Ferris Wheel and reach the very top, it’s so, so high. You can see the whole city, just like being on a plane.”

Xiao Man really loved flying.

Since coming down from the mountain, his favorite thing was taking these modes of transportation. A person could fly into the blue sky with clouds right beside them, crossing a great mountain in just a moment.

“It would be great if I could fly every day,” Qiao Man said.

Pei Xiwang said nonchalantly, “It’s alright, I guess. My family has a private jet, and I got tired of it a long time ago. If you want to fly, I’ll take you next time.”

Lu Jianxing: “…”

Qiao Man looked at him enviously, then turned to Lu Jianxing. “Xingxing, I want to, too…”

“I can’t afford it,” Lu Jianxing said flatly.

“It’s okay, in the future I’ll…”

Before he could finish, a couple playing around came charging toward them from the side. Not noticing there were people in front of them, they nearly collided with the child. Lu Jianxing was quick and blocked them. No one was hurt, but the cotton candy in the girl’s hand ended up smeared all over his coat.

The couple blushed and apologized, “We’re so sorry, we didn’t mean to.”

“Don’t run and play on the path, it’s dangerous,” Pei Xiwang said, his brow furrowed with clear displeasure. “You nearly ran into someone.”

With his silver hair and tall stature, he looked quite intimidating when he scowled. The couple nudged each other a few times, their apology becoming much more sincere. “Yes, yes, we’re sorry. We’ll be more careful next time.”

As if afraid of being lectured further, they quickly ran off after apologizing. From a distance, their murmurs drifted back: “Are they celebrities? I think I’ve seen them online before…”

Pei Xiwang took a deep breath and suppressed his irritation.

Qiao Man looked up, staring at the dirt on Lu Jianxing’s coat. “Xingxing, your clothes.”

“It’s fine.” Lu Jianxing rubbed the boy’s head and scanned the area. He quickly spotted a restroom and said, “I’ll go clean up over there. Wait for me here.”

“Okay,” Qiao Man replied obediently.

He sat on a nearby bench with Pei Xiwang, watching Lu Jianxing walk toward the restroom. Once his figure disappeared through the door, Qiao Man withdrew his gaze and began staring intently at the balloons held by a staff member in a mascot costume not far away.

The large mascot held countless colorful balloons, their thin strings twisted into a thick bundle. Many children surrounded the mascot, competing to take a balloon from its hand.

Noticing his gaze, Pei Xiwang asked, “Do you want one?”

“Yes!”

If the other kids had them, their little one shouldn’t go without.

Pei Xiwang immediately stood up. “Come on, I’ll take you to buy one.”

“Xingxing…”

“He’s a grown man, are you afraid he’ll get lost?” Pei Xiwang said. “That person over there is also holding cotton candy. Do you want some? We’ll come right back after we buy it.”

Qiao Man’s eyes lit up. “I do!”

He hopped down from the bench and trotted happily after Pei Xiwang to buy balloons and cotton candy.

When Lu Jianxing finished cleaning the stain and stepped out, he found the bench that had been occupied just moments ago completely empty.

“Xiao Man?”

“Pei Xiwang?”

Lu Jianxing looked around but saw no sign of them. After walking a short distance, he spotted the back of a stout little child in front of a rabbit statue. The boy was wearing a bear hat, its two round ears bobbing along with his mood, and he was clutching a red balloon.

He breathed a sigh of relief and walked over quickly, lightly patting the child’s shoulder. “Xiao Man, why did you run so far? Didn’t we agree you’d wait for me there?”

The child who had been patted turned around with a confused expression, revealing a strange face. “?”

Lu Jianxing: “…”

“Mama!” Spotting his parents nearby, the child cried out for them and ran over as fast as his legs could carry him. “Mama, a weird big brother patted me and tried to talk to me!”

The two adults hurried to embrace their child and gave Lu Jianxing a wary look. Seeing that the young man’s gaze was clear and honest, they didn’t pursue the matter and left with their child.

Lu Jianxing rubbed his nose and continued forward, searching for his own child. At the same time, he pulled out his phone and dialed Qiao Man’s number. Perhaps the boy was having too much fun to notice, but the call went unanswered.

As for Pei Xiwang, he didn’t have the man’s contact information.

He walked toward the visitor center, his eyes scanning the surroundings for Qiao Man and Pei Xiwang. Fortunately, since Xiao Man was with Pei Xiwang, he wasn’t too worried about the child getting lost on his own.

The third time he used a signpost to get his bearings, Lu Jianxing’s footsteps faltered, and he came to a halt.

The signpost pointed straight ahead, indicating the next attraction was 500 meters away. Even though he had been walking forward, the sign still read 500 meters. Throughout the amusement park, cute animal statues were placed along the paths, each one unique, yet he had just seen three identical rabbit statues in a row.

Lu Jianxing looked around. Without him noticing, the crowds in the park had gradually thinned until, at this moment, there wasn’t a single person in sight. It wasn’t just the people – the upbeat background music that had been playing from speakers throughout the park since they entered had stopped at some point.

The park had fallen into a heavy silence. All sound had vanished – no voices, no music, not even the sound of the wind could be heard.

He looked at his phone again. The call still wouldn’t go through. At some point, his signal had completely disappeared.

Lu Jianxing: “…”

This amusement park really had ghosts.

There were even rumors of it being haunted.

And now, he had run into a real ghost wall.

Translator’s Notes