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墨書 Inktalez
My Tenant is a Female Ghost
Miao Xiaoqi was no longer by Bai Zhuo's side, and without that familiar presence, he felt somewhat unaccustomed. After landing from his flight, Bai Zhuo had just turned on his phone when it rang. He pulled it out to check.
It was a call from Elder Ge.
"Master?"
"Yes, you brat, are you back yet?"
Bai Zhuo replied happily, "I just arrived at the airport! Master, you’ve been gone for so long, and now you finally show up!"
"You brat, what do you mean I've been gone for so long... There's no time like the present. Come by the flower shop; I want to introduce you to someone."
"Okay, Master! I'll be right there."
...
"Dinglingling..." The wind chime at Ge's Flower Shop chimed as melodiously as ever. It had been nearly half a year since Bai Zhuo first met Elder Ge. In these six months, his life had undergone a complete transformation, all starting from that rental notice.
"Ah, Bai Zhuo is back!"
"Master!"
"Come here, come here," Elder Ge gestured to a middle-aged man beside him. "This is Zhongli, my good friend. You should call him Zhong Bo."
Bai Zhuo looked at Zhongli curiously and asked, "Master, shouldn't I call him Uncle Zhong? Why is it 'Bo' instead of 'Shu'?"
"Hahaha..." Zhongli suddenly burst into laughter. "Kid, yes, just call me Uncle Zhong! I love that!"
Elder Ge shook his head in disbelief. "What on earth have you done to earn such favor from the old man? Don't be fooled by him; he's actually a year older than I am!"
Bai Zhuo gasped, looking at Zhongli in disbelief. "Older than Master? That's just too outrageous!"
Elder Ge, growing impatient, said, "Alright, enough with the theatrics. Hurry up and greet Zhong Bo!"
"Uh, greetings, Zhong Bo..."
Zhongli waved his hand dismissively. "Ah, Elder Ge, you're such a buzzkill... Anyway, you look much more agreeable than Zheng Ming. Come here."
Had he met Zheng Ming?
Curious, Bai Zhuo stepped forward as Zhongli pulled out a long object wrapped in black cloth from behind him and handed it to Bai Zhuo. "Here, open it up. This is a gift from Zhong Bo."
"Thank you, Zhong... thank you, Zhong Bo."
Bai Zhuo took it and unwrapped the black cloth, a rich wave of Spiritual Energy wafting towards him.
As the cloth fell away, he revealed a finely crafted Peach Wood Sword! The sword gleamed with golden light, and a vividly lifelike golden dragon coiled around its blade, almost ready to take flight! Overjoyed, Bai Zhuo lifted the Peach Wood Sword; its length and weight were just right. Unable to resist, he swung it a few times, and a faint dragon's roar echoed from the blade, startling him so much that he nearly dropped the sword.
"Zhong Bo, what's going on?"
"Hehe, this is all thanks to your Thunder Tribulation Divine Tree. Listen closely to that sound."
Upon hearing this, Bai Zhuo swung the Peach Wood Sword again. "Is that... thunder?"
"Your hearing is quite good; it's the sound of distant thunder!" Zhongli took back the Peach Wood Sword and waved it casually. The room filled with echoes of dragon roars that were quite intimidating. He returned the wooden sword to Bai Zhuo and said, "The Thunder Tribulation Divine Tree... You're lucky. Make good use of it!"
Elder Ge chuckled as well. "This wooden sword hasn't slain any ghosts or monsters and lacks malevolence. However, compared to Master’s wooden sword, it's even better. You can give it a name."
Bai Zhuo gently caressed the sword, clearly feeling the Spiritual Energy coursing through it. "White."
"Eh?"
"'White.' Master, let's call this sword 'White.'"
"White, huh?" Elder Ge exchanged glances with Zhongli and both nodded. Elder Ge said, "This belongs to you; you can decide everything."
"Alright, Master." Bai Zhuo happily put away the wooden sword. "Oh, by the way, Master, when you have time, let's go eat at Uncle Hu's place."
"Uncle Hu? Which Uncle Hu?" Elder Ge asked.
"Oh, it's the Deputy Director Hu Fei from the Public Security Bureau. While you were away, I handled some matters for you. A lot happened this time; if it weren't for good luck, Shui Lian and I might not have made it back."
Elder Ge frowned upon hearing this and asked, "I spoke with Shui Lian this morning. She mentioned some things about Miaojiang; why didn't she bring this up?"
"Oh, that's because Senior Sister Shui Lian didn't want to worry you. This time, a Nanyang Sorcerer caused trouble in Ningcheng and harmed quite a few people. I had a few encounters with him; if it weren't for the help of Monk Hengyuan and Zheng Ming at that moment, I probably wouldn't be seeing you now."
"Zheng Ming?" Elder Ge raised an eyebrow, clearly not pleased to hear that name. He asked, "So did you subdue that Sorcerer?"
Bai Zhuo shook his head. "No, this Sorcerer knows some Miaojiang Gu Techniques and some Yin-Yang arts. He performed a Nine Turns to One Resurrection Technique on himself and turned into a monster."
"A Sorcerer who knows Witchcraft and Daoist techniques? Is that even possible?" Zhongli stroked his chin thoughtfully when suddenly a sound of wind chimes came from the entrance.
"Hahaha, my old friend Zhongli! Long time no see!"
Zhongli turned around and laughed heartily as well. "Haha, is that you, Old Tang? Long time no see!"
Walking in from the entrance was Tang Baifu from the Tang family. He looked much more spirited than before, followed closely by his butler.
Tang Baifu exclaimed, "Ah, Zhongli, you haven't changed a bit since the old days! Your Zhong Family's yin-yang techniques are truly remarkable; no wonder you're a descendant of Zhong Kui!"
"Judge Zhong Kui? Zhong Bo is a descendant of Zhong Kui?"
Zhongli smiled wryly and waved his hand. "Oh, Tang, that's just folklore. There's no need to take it so seriously. The idea of being a descendant of Zhong Kui is merely flattery from friends; you should know that by now."
"Haha, my dear brother Zhongli, you're being modest. I must say... I'm incredibly envious of your family's yin-yang techniques," Tang Baifu sighed. Suddenly, he turned to Bai Zhuo, patted his shoulder, and said earnestly, "So Bai Zhuo has returned as well. Young man... you have a bright future ahead!"
Bai Zhuo felt somewhat bewildered and simply replied humbly, "Thank you for the praise, Elder Tang. Master, I won't disturb you while you meet with your old friends. I'll take my leave now."
Elder Ge nodded in agreement. Bai Zhuo turned to Zhongli and Tang Baifu to bow respectfully before exiting.
It was strange that Tang Baifu seemed so lively despite having lost his grandson... Wait a minute, "Returned?" How did he know I wasn't in Ningcheng? Has he been watching me? Damn!
With that thought in mind, Bai Zhuo couldn't help but curse under his breath. Remembering the Map of Mountains and Rivers at home, he hurried back.
After being away for a while, Bai Zhuo felt an emptiness inside him. At the door, he took a deep breath and pushed it open. What greeted him was not the sight of Peach Loli or Su Meiniang's charming smile but rather a complete mess.
"Damn!" Bai Zhuo cursed fiercely.
As Elder Ge's disciple and the champion of the Ghost Hunting Competition, Bai Zhuo had already become quite famous in the Yin Yang Realm. As the saying goes, fame brings trouble; it was strange if thieves didn't come after him given that he possessed a Thunder Tribulation Divine Tree and a Map of Mountains and Rivers. Fortunately, the trees in the yard were unharmed. Perhaps due to An Zhi Xi's influence, the Luminous Pearl hanging from the Pomegranate Tree was also safe.
Bai Zhuo rushed toward Su Meiniang's room and was instantly taken aback.
He never expected Su Meiniang's room to be so... feminine.
"Oh dear... my beloved, you've finally returned! I've missed you so much," Su Meiniang said, her clothes draped lightly over her form as she cradled a white fox doll she had somehow acquired, looking pitifully enchanting.
Bai Zhuo was no longer swayed by Su Meiniang's charms. With an indifferent expression, he glanced at the Map of Mountains and Rivers hanging on the wall and let out a sigh of relief.
Su Meiniang got up and naturally leaned against Bai Zhuo's shoulder. "You're so impatient; I thought you were here to see me. I didn't expect... I didn't expect my body to be worth less than a painting."
Her voice was flirtatious, sending chills down Bai Zhuo's spine. He wanted to leave this "troublesome place" without saying a word. However, Su Meiniang's tone changed abruptly as she scolded, "Hey, Bai! Is my nest... my room a place you can come and go as you please? You better stay here!"
Bai Zhuo ignored Su Meiniang's shouting and walked straight out, infuriating her to the point where her long hair stood on end like a vengeful spirit, wrapping around his arms and legs. The chaos in the house left Bai Zhuo with no mood to entertain her antics, so he drew the Peach Wood Sword from behind him.
The Peach Wood Sword swept towards Su Meiniang's hair with a resonant dragon roar. The originally arrogant Su Meiniang saw the sword and instinctively tucked her hair away, stepping back with a serious expression. "Bai, where did you get that sword?"
In Bai Zhuo's memory, aside from Yin Soldiers Borrowing the Path and Monk Hengyuan, this Millennium Ghost Su Meiniang was fearless. To see her show any fear towards his Peach Wood Sword was surprising! He replied, "It was given to me by my master."
"Your master gave it to you? Did your master make it?"
Seeing Su Meiniang's reaction, Bai Zhuo felt an immense joy as he examined the Peach Wood Sword closely. "His name is 'Bai.' To be precise, it was a friend of my master's who gave it to me. I think it must have been made by his friend."
"What is his name?"
Bai Zhuo lowered the Peach Wood Sword and answered, "His surname is Zhong; his name is Zhongli... Why?"
Su Meiniang's expression turned knowing as she gritted her teeth. "So it really was made by the Zhong Family!"
Bai Zhuo asked curiously, "The Zhong Family made it? Do you have a grudge against them?"
Su Meiniang snorted. "I see you're close with An Zhi Xi; I advise you to avoid contact with the Zhong Family."
"Why?"
"Why? Because the Zhong Family are descendants of the Judge!"
"Judge Zhong Kui? Is there really such a person?" Bai Zhuo exclaimed in surprise.
"Ha ha, I am the Nine-Tailed Fox. Although I am already dead... but think about it, if even the Nine-Tailed Fox exists, then how can Zhong Kui not be a real person?"
"..." Bai Zhuo fell silent for a moment, pondering, before asking again, "Then why should we avoid them?"
Su Meiniang rolled her eyes at him. "Are you stupid? Zhong Kui is a Judge. The yin is yin, and the yang is yang; they are clearly defined. When he sees ghosts, he captures them; when he sees demons, he collects them. It doesn't matter if you're a good ghost or a bad ghost; the Zhong Family are his descendants. If you associate with ghosts and monsters, you'll get caught along with them!"
Bai Zhuo fell silent again, unsure of what to think.
After a moment, Su Meiniang snatched the Peach Wood Sword from Bai Zhuo's hands and played with it casually. "Hey, what are you thinking about, Bai? Did you even listen? I finally found a good place to live. If your bond with An Zhi Xi is too deep, it's better to keep your distance from the Zhong Family. After all, even if you're not afraid of them, the artifacts made by the Zhong Family are quite extraordinary in the Yin Yang Realm!"
Bai Zhuo looked up at Su Meiniang with curiosity in his eyes and asked, "Um, Su Meiniang, can I ask you a question?"
"Sure, since I'm in a good mood today, I'll answer for free!"
"If this Zhong Kui from folklore is indeed real, then... is Nie Qian also a real person?"
Su Meiniang was taken aback and asked, "Who? Which Nie Qian?"
"The one with Ning Caichen and Nie Qian! Don't you know?"
"Ning Caichen?"
"Pfft ha ha ha..."
Bai Zhuo felt a cold splash hit his face as he heard Su Meiniang burst into laughter. "Bai, how can you be so foolish? Ha ha ha... I've read Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio too! Those characters Ning Caichen and Nie Qian are just fictional characters... Ha ha ha... How can they be compared to Zhong Kui? If Zhong Kui heard this, he'd jump out of the Underworld to deal with you for sure! Ha ha ha..."
Bai Zhuo's face darkened immediately. "Is it really that funny?"
Su Meiniang realized she had lost her composure and stifled her laughter. "Bai, your imagination is truly rich... But back to the point: Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio is just an account of the author's experiences or those of others; there are indeed some similarities to reality in certain places, but it's not that exaggerated." After laughing enough, Su Meiniang turned to Bai Zhuo and said, "I suppose that descendant of Zhong didn't tell you about the hidden secrets of this sword?"
"What? This wooden sword... hides a secret?" Bai Zhuo asked in surprise.
Su Meiniang let out a cold laugh. "Heh, I've suffered losses from his weapons before, so I naturally know the ins and outs. That person didn't tell you the secret because he still doesn't fully trust you. But I will do the opposite of what he wants and share this secret with you!"
Bai Zhuo's curiosity was piqued. "I would like to hear more."
Su Meiniang walked into the courtyard and planted the Peach Wood Sword into the ground before turning to Bai Zhuo. "Come, hold the hilt of the sword. Twist it left three times, then right two times, then left two times again, and finally right three times. Pull the hilt out with force!"
Bai Zhuo understood and followed Su Meiniang's instructions. However, he noticed that she had intentionally or unintentionally aimed the front of the wooden sword towards the Pomegranate Tree in the courtyard, which made him cautious.
As Bai Zhuo twisted the hilt, it indeed began to rotate slowly. Under his control, it turned left three times, then right three times, and repeated the sequence once more. When he completed the last turn, there was a click as if the hilt had triggered some mechanism.
Bai Zhuo slightly adjusted his direction and pulled the hilt out with force, revealing a bone chain connected to it!
"Roar—!" A terrifying dragon's roar erupted from the sword body, instantly draining all of Bai Zhuo's soul power! A massive Golden Dragon Shadow, as large as a python and visible to the naked eye, burst forth from the hilt and shot forward with fury! (To be continued.)
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