During a brief moment of silence, Su Er suddenly asked, “In past dungeons, have you ever encountered a Tongue-Pulling Ghost?”
Ji Heng shook his head.
Su Er frowned. “What if it’s not a young lady but a seventy- or eighty-year-old man?”
He was afraid he wouldn’t be able to go through with it.
Ji Heng glanced at him. “You sure are picky.”
Perhaps it was just his imagination, but the moment he finished speaking, Su Er felt a chilly breeze sweep past him.
In truth, the whole idea of force-kissing was just talk. He didn’t actually have the skills to corner a Tongue-Pulling Ghost against a wall.
Ge Xuyan’s death made the players acutely aware of the ticking clock. There was no time for sentimentality—each person quickly set off to execute their own plans.
Su Er and Ji Heng didn’t linger in the courtyard either. They headed out to gather information on the highly talked-about Three Brothers.
After locating their residence, Su Er thought for a moment and said, “It’d be better to interact with them directly before making any judgments.”
Ji Heng was experienced in this kind of thing and chose the most straightforward approach—visiting them in person. He adopted the posture of someone weak, though his tone carried little humility. “We’d like to visit Mr. Li.”
The one who opened the door was a young man in his early twenties. He asked, “Which Mr. Li?”
Ji Heng replied, “Any of them will do.”
The young man scrutinized them.
Ji Heng lowered his head slightly. “The two of us grew up in the Yutang. A few days ago, we were punished for secretly drinking alcohol, and we’ve been struggling to find work since.”
Su Er played along seamlessly, adding, “Everyone in town respects the three Mr. Lis. If they could put in a good word for us, finding a job wouldn’t be so difficult.”
Upon hearing that they had been caught drinking, the young man’s face twisted in disgust. He had been about to chase them away, but after a brief pause, he seemed to reconsider. “Wait here.”
With that, he shut the door, likely to discuss the matter with someone inside.
Outside, only Su Er and Ji Heng remained. Behind them, sparrows chirped incessantly in the trees, creating quite the ruckus.
Su Er smiled and asked, “Think they’ll agree?”
Ji Heng replied, “They’re ten percent likely to accept us, and seventy percent likely to let us stay and work for now.”
Recalling how the Guard Chief reacted to the corpse earlier—immediately thinking about spreading the news—Su Er couldn’t help but sneer. “Then they can publicize how, under their guidance, we repented and turned over a new leaf.”
It would make for a perfect campaign story. But considering how obsessed this place was with rules and etiquette, the irony was laughable.
Ji Heng saw his thoughts and said plainly, “Rules are rules. Human nature is human nature. They’re not the same.”
About three to four minutes later, a man in his fifties stepped out. His hair was neatly combed, and his mouth, perpetually unsmiling, was pressed into a sharp, severe line.
Su Er and Ji Heng respectfully bowed and greeted him.
The man seemed somewhat satisfied with their manners. “Follow me inside.”
The town placed great emphasis on blood ties, and the Li family lived in a large estate.
Holding himself with the air of an elder, the man naturally had no intention of speaking much to them. Instead, the young man from earlier took the lead. “This is my father, Li Youzun.” He paused before adding, “And I am Li Shouzhang.”
According to the information they’d gathered, Li Youzun was the eldest of the three brothers and had the best reputation. Originally, the position of the Guard Chief had been his for the taking, but his daughter had gotten into a dispute and uttered vulgar words, tarnishing his reputation.
Su Er still remembered the breakfast shop owner’s contempt when mentioning Li Youzun’s daughter. “That ignorant brat disgraced her family’s elder. At least she had some sense of shame—hanged herself two days ago. They say her tongue was sticking out.”
Recalling this, Su Er exchanged a glance with Ji Heng. The latter nodded slightly, confirming that the Tongue-Pulling Ghost was most likely Li Youzun’s deceased daughter.
Though the game world was brutal, it adhered to a sense of causality. The clues players gathered often fit together, eventually forming a coherent picture.
At that moment, Su Er let out a breath of relief and gave Ji Heng’s sleeve a small tug. Mouthing the words, he said, “It’s a young lady.”
He was back in the game.
Ji Heng’s eyelid twitched slightly, pretending not to have seen that remark.
“There’s a plot of land behind the estate,” Li Youzun said. “You’ll be responsible for tending to it. Of course, the wages won’t be high.”
Su Er feigned gratitude. “As long as it helps us through this difficult time, we’re already very thankful.”
Most children from the Yutang only received an education up to middle school. They were constantly reminded that, without parents, they couldn’t afford to be ill-mannered. Many grew up with low self-esteem, entering trades as apprentices after graduation to make a living.
At first, Su Er had found this rather pitiful, but after witnessing the fate of Li Youzun’s daughter, he suddenly felt that no one in this twisted place truly had a good life.
The land in the back was sparsely dotted with trees.
“Every year, Father brings us here to plant trees,” Li Shouzhang said with a certain pride. “You must take good care of them. Also, Father hates weeds. If you see any, pull them out immediately.”
Su Er glanced around. “But there aren’t many trees here.”
Li Shouzhang responded, “If they grow crooked, we cut them down at the root.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Su Er noticed a tree lying by the roadside, its leaves not yet completely withered, looking as though it had been cut down not long ago.
Li Shouzhang gave a few instructions on the daily tasks they needed to do before turning to leave. Su Er shook his head. “Uprooted? Good thing these trees haven’t grown too big yet. Otherwise, with their roots spreading dozens of meters underground, they'd be exhausted cutting them down.”
The two of them stayed in the area, seeing no one else, until lunchtime finally arrived and someone came to call them. The Li family had two maids and, due to their modest wealth, had even hired a night watchman. These workers had a designated dining area.
Normally, such people would be the best source of useful information, but unfortunately, not a single one spoke at the dining table. Even the sound of chewing was rare, making it impossible to use eloquence to pry out any details.
After finishing the silent meal, Su Er had planned to look for Li Shouzhang, but unexpectedly, the other man came to them first. After scanning the room to confirm everyone was present, he finally spoke. “Tonight is my sister’s seventh-day ritual. My father has invited someone to perform a requiem ceremony. Please do not leave your rooms after ten o’clock.”
Su Er seized the opportunity to ask about their accommodations. “The place we’re staying in now has a leaky roof.”
Li Shouzhang, being relatively young and more approachable compared to others here, arranged for them to stay temporarily in two adjacent small rooms.
During their noon break, Su Er and Ji Heng sat beneath a tree in the backyard.
“Wouldn't it be better to stay here tonight?” Su Er asked.
Ji Heng nodded. “Something is bound to happen on the night of a spirit’s return. The more we learn about the Li family, the better. But there's a risk.”
Su Er acknowledged his point and then brought up a more practical concern. “Why haven’t any other players come to investigate?”
It was almost certain that one of the Li family’s three brothers would end up as the final candidate for town captain.
Ji Heng’s tone remained calm. “Maybe they have their own plans.”
The mansion was eerily quiet. Everyone spoke in hushed tones and walked soundlessly. As the sun neared the horizon, the silence was finally broken by some new activity. Su Er hid in the shadows, observing as a monk in a kasaya robe was ushered inside.
Beside him stood Li Youzun and two middle-aged men who looked quite similar to him—most likely his brothers. They were engaged in conversation, but the distance made it impossible to hear.
Their work ended earlier than usual that evening. Before heading into his room to rest, Ji Heng handed Su Er a talisman.
“A recently deceased spirit won’t be too strong,” Ji Heng explained. “This talisman is something I brought out from a zombie-themed dungeon. Stick it on, and it’ll restrain the ghost’s movements.”
Su Er curiously flipped the talisman over in his hands. “Does it have a time limit?”
“No longer than five minutes at most. Enough time for you to run and call for help.”
Su Er thanked him. “But I doubt I’ll have such bad luck.”
“Players attract ghosts more easily than the original inhabitants.” Ji Heng didn’t say more and entered his room first.
Su Er stared at the talisman in his hands, wondering what preparations he could make if he really encountered a ghost tonight… It didn’t take long to reach a conclusion: catching up on sleep.
Staying up all night dulls concentration. To ensure he had a certain level of alertness, Su Er practically forced himself to sleep.
Of course, it wasn’t restful sleep. The sky darkened from dusk to pitch black, then to a deep ink-like shade. Half-asleep, Su Er vaguely heard the chanting of sutras. His eyes opened, and he quickly became fully awake.
Cold air filled the room. He deliberately checked that the windows were tightly shut. Yet, the bone-chilling cold made it difficult to move.
Now he was sure—the ghost had targeted him.
No wonder Ge Xuyan hadn’t escaped on the first night. This freezing sensation slowed down bodily movements.
Blowing warm breath into his palms, Su Er looked up—just in time for an icy gust to hit his face. A rotting face suddenly appeared inches away from him, its hollow eyes filled with resentment.
Su Er instinctively took a small step back, barely stopping himself from crying out.
They locked eyes for a few seconds. The female ghost quickly lost patience and reached her withered hand toward his mouth.
Su Er flexed his stiff fingers and, at the same moment, stretched out his arm. Braving the chill, he slapped the talisman onto the ghost. For a split second, he worried it might fall off, but fortunately, like two ends of a magnet, the talisman adhered firmly to the ghost’s shoulder.
Instead of immediately running for help, Su Er stared at the ghost. Ji Heng had said that newly-formed spirits weren’t particularly strong. In other words, this was a perfect test subject.
He pulled out a stun gun and zapped the ghost. Because of the pain, the ghost’s mouth opened wider, its decayed flesh worsening.
Su Er tested it again. The surrounding temperature gradually rose, indirectly proving that the ghost was indeed weakening. He carefully noted his observations—the stun gun could replenish the host’s energy but inflicted harm on ghosts.
Why was that?
Unfortunately, with only two test subjects so far, he couldn’t collect more data. Su Er sighed, put away the stun gun, and moved on to the next experiment. He seriously asked the ghost, “Did you fall in love with me at first sight?”
The ghost frantically shook its head, long hair whipping through the air—whether it understood the question was unclear.
Su Er frowned slightly, muttering to himself, “So Charm value doesn’t make ghosts feel friendly toward me.”
Since Charm value was listed alongside Physical and Spiritual, it had to have some value. Thinking for a moment, he tried winking flirtatiously.
Although the ghost’s eyes were empty, its expression seemed to say it was staring at some kind of monster.
The talisman’s effect would last only five minutes. Even with the stun gun, Su Er didn’t dare to gamble everything on an uncertain factor. Seeing that time was almost up, he hurriedly made a beckoning gesture at the ghost, striking what he thought were a few cool and stylish poses.
“What about this?”
“Or maybe this?”
“Hurry up and say it—have you fallen for me or not?”
Just as he was cycling through different approaches, his finely-tuned sixth sense, which had sharpened since entering the game, suddenly issued a warning. Su Er swiftly looked toward the window—only to see a familiar figure standing there. “Ji Heng?”
Ji Heng touched his left earlobe—a prearranged signal they had agreed upon earlier, to confirm he wasn’t an imposter.
Su Er opened the window. Since the house had no security bars, the person outside easily jumped in.
Ji Heng said, “I heard noises coming from your room.”
After waiting so long without hearing a call for help, he decided to check the situation just in case. Breaking in through a window was easier than forcing open a door. He never expected to be greeted by the sight of Su Er striking suggestive poses at a female ghost.
At that moment, the ghost, pinned in the corner with a talisman stuck to her, was shaking her head frantically. The rotting corners of her mouth had gained new wounds, making her look quite pitiful.
Su Er defended himself. “It’s just an illusion. Last night, she ripped out Ge Xuyan’s tongue while he was still alive.”
Ji Heng ignored the explanation and walked up to the ghost. Instead of asking about the Li family, he posed a rather unusual question. “Are there more of your kind in town?”
The ghost bared her blood-stained mouth, making a threatening expression.
Ji Heng pointed at Su Er. “Or should I let him interrogate you?”
The ghost hesitated for a moment before shaking her head violently.
Ji Heng repeated the question. This time, the ghost quickly nodded, confirming the presence of others.
Ji Heng asked, “Is Li Youzun your father?”
The ghost nodded again.
Ji Heng continued, “What happened before you died?”
The ghost opened her mouth, revealing a long tongue that made it impossible to speak properly.
Su Er reminded her, “You still have hands. Write it down.”
If she could rip out a tongue, she should be able to hold a pen.
He rummaged through a drawer and actually found a broken pencil.
The ghost’s account didn’t differ much from the rumors. After the incident, her family saw her as a disgrace, and the townspeople gossiped relentlessly. Unable to bear it, she took her own life.
While Ji Heng was lost in thought, the glow from the talisman gradually faded, and the ghost felt her strength returning. Without hesitation, she seized the opportunity—her nails grew longer, and she suddenly lunged at his eyes. Ji Heng didn’t even look. He simply raised his palm and pushed forward. The ghost’s movement came to an abrupt halt, mere centimeters from her target.
The handbook had only vaguely mentioned something about physical power stats: Exceeding 150 allows slight spatial distortion to counter ghosts. Now, witnessing it firsthand, Su Er realized just how incredible it was.
As the ghost’s body began to fade, Su Er frowned. “Is there a way to strip her of her power and keep her soul intact? I’d like to finish researching the Charm stat before sending her off.”
The ghost’s eyes, previously filled only with hatred, suddenly flashed with terror.
Ji Heng gave Su Er a long, deep look but didn’t hold back. Just before the ghost completely vanished, he reached out and gently closed her resentful eyes. In a calm voice, he murmured, “Go in peace. May hell be free of Su Er.”
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