Chapter Forty: Eerie and Haunting

Just as Lin Ran was about to ask more about the little ghost’s situation, a sudden peal of bells rang out. Upon hearing it, the little ghost’s face changed, and he looked at Lin Ran with a mixture of fear and hesitation.

“What’s wrong? Why is there a bell?” Lin Ran frowned, glancing toward the center of Ghost City, where the sound originated.

“Master, there’s a rule here! When the bell tolls at the hour of the tiger, ghosts must hide and the living must take to the streets! It’s now four in the morning, the time for us little ones to return. If we linger for another half an hour, we won’t be able to go back! If we’re caught in the sunlight, our souls will scatter and we’ll be utterly destroyed!” the little ghost explained.

“So that’s how it is. Go on then! Don’t cause any more trouble in the future! If I hear of it again, I’ll make sure your soul is scattered to the winds!” Lin Ran nodded thoughtfully. It made sense—Ghost City wasn’t without its own rules. After all, it was a city where humans and ghosts coexisted; without rules, chaos would reign.

“My lord, I wish to follow you! Through fire and water, I will not flinch!” the little ghost suddenly knelt before Lin Ran, his voice sincere.

“Follow me? Do you realize that in this line of work, death is always lurking around the corner? Especially for your kind!” Lin Ran replied, unwilling to take him along.

“Please, my lord! Just give me a chance!” The little ghost pleaded stubbornly, as if he’d made up his mind. If Lin Ran refused, it seemed he would never get back up.

“Very well! Go back for now! While you’re in Ghost City, help me investigate this so-called Parade of a Hundred Ghosts!” Lin Ran, seeing the little ghost’s determination, could only nod in agreement. Besides, he was curious about the Parade of a Hundred Ghosts himself.

“Thank you, my lord!” The little ghost’s face broke into a wide grin.

“By the way, what’s your name?” Lin Ran asked.

“My name is Liu Chen. In life, I served as a battalion commander under the Rebel King,” Liu Chen replied respectfully.

“Good! If you find anything, come meet me at the gate of Ghost City!” Lin Ran nodded.

“Yes, sir!” Liu Chen replied, brimming with excitement as he hurried off.

Lin Ran rubbed his nose helplessly. What a strange turn of events—he’d ended up with a ghostly follower! Wasn’t this absurd? By the time he left the airport, dawn was already breaking. Not a single ghost was to be seen on the streets, and the street-sweeping ladies were appearing one after another, brooms in hand, starting their day.

After a night of turmoil, Lin Ran’s stomach was growling with hunger. He found a small shop that was already open and grabbed a bite, planning to find a hotel for some rest afterward.

There was a small awkward moment during the meal. Whether due to local taste or to ward off the cold, everything the residents of Ghost City ate was exceedingly spicy—so spicy that Lin Ran felt as though he were on fire. Yet, after spending a night in that eerie, chilling environment, sweating it out with spicy food actually felt quite good.

Spotting an open hotel, Lin Ran walked straight in.

“Anyone here?” He saw no one at the front desk and called out. After several tries, a middle-aged woman slowly came down the stairs, still in her pajamas, looking drowsy as if she’d just woken up.

“Here for a room?” the proprietress asked lazily, sizing Lin Ran up and down.

“Yes,” Lin Ran answered with a nod.

“How many days? What kind of room? The prices are all posted there,” she said, pointing to a sign behind her where all the room types and rates were listed.

“I’ll stay for one day, just a standard twin,” Lin Ran replied after checking the sign. The hotel was outrageously expensive—a standard room cost two hundred and sixty yuan. Then again, in a place like this, high prices were probably only normal.

She took his ID, registered his information, tossed him a key, and slumped back down at the counter.

Lin Ran glanced at the key. Taped to it was the number 404—his room number, most likely.

“Young man, don’t wander around at night! If you must go out, be back by nine! Don’t ask why, that’s just the rule here!” the proprietress called out languidly as Lin Ran headed upstairs.

Lin Ran replied absentmindedly. Despite her frosty exterior, the proprietress was warm inside. Most people wouldn’t even bother to warn their guests; she was just a bit brusque in manner.

He reached the fourth floor and found his room. It wasn’t big, but everything was provided and the place was quite tidy. As soon as he entered, an indescribable, oppressive aura swept over him, sending an involuntary shiver down his spine. He frowned, surveying the room, but found nothing amiss.

Still, the yin energy in this room was almost suffocating. Anyone living in such an environment would surely be plagued by constant dreams and, if their own vitality was weak, might even lose the ability to distinguish dream from reality. Yet, from what Lin Ran had observed, the local residents seemed perfectly healthy in mind. Why was that?

Lost in these thoughts, Lin Ran gradually drifted off to sleep. Tonight, he planned to meet that mysterious figure—he was determined to see just what kind of person it would turn out to be.