Chapter 17:
"Why are we here?" Once inside the house, Tang Yu's goosebumps were completely out of control—covering his entire body. He hid behind Hu Tao and asked weakly.
"To collect a few clients," Hu Tao replied with a devilish smile. Her big, watery eyes glowed faintly in the dark.
Hearing that, Tang Yu immediately grabbed the hem of Hu Tao's clothes.
Hu Tao's "clients"… weren't those ghosts?!
"Don't be afraid. Any vicious ghost is just a minnow in front of this parlor director," Hu Tao said, sensing his tension and quickly comforting him.
For some reason, after Hu Tao's reassurance, Tang Yu's fear subsided quite a bit.
In its place, a thick wave of curiosity surged up.
He looked at Hu Tao and asked: "Hu Tao-jie, do you have a way to let me see the weird stuff?"
Hu Tao stopped walking and turned to look at him. Surprise flickered in her eyes.
After spending these past two days together, Hu Tao knew: people in this world didn't believe in the supernatural. Most were staunch scientific materialists. Ghosts and the occult were just superstition to them.
For Tang Yu to ask this… meant he already believed such things existed.
"You're not scared anymore?" Hu Tao asked.
Tang Yu replied: "Scared, yeah, a little… but I'm more curious. Ghosts! Just thinking about it is exciting."
"Alright." Hu Tao waved her small hand in front of Tang Yu's eyes.
A flash of red light streaked across the pitch-black night.
When it faded, Tang Yu's vision changed completely. It was as if he had suddenly put on night-vision goggles.
"Holy crap! This is so cool?!" Tang Yu was utterly shocked. From this moment on, he believed every word Hu Tao said without question.
The two reached the back hall of the house.
Tang Yu was stunned to see three "young women" sitting around an old triangular table in the center.
All three wore stylish qipao dresses popular in the Republic of China era. Their long, fair legs were propped up on the table, as if they were comparing whose legs were longer.
Tang Yu and Hu Tao's arrival interrupted their game.
"Just two brats. Let's keep going—who has the longest legs? We'll deal with them after."
"Yeah, come on! I said mine are the longest—why won't you admit it?"
"Admit what? Hurry up and compare."
The three qipao-wearing female ghosts glanced at Tang Yu and Hu Tao but didn't take them seriously at all. They continued their game, lifting their beautiful legs high for comparison.
In the end, their leg lengths were exactly the same.
They seemed very satisfied with the result.
"Haha! Who knew our legs would be the same length!"
"No wonder we became sisters."
"Now that legs are done, let's compare something else! See whose chest is bigger."
One of the ghosts suggested.
The others glanced down at their own chests, then agreed in unison.
Laughing and chatting, the female ghosts reattached their legs to their bodies.
Tang Yu swallowed hard. The scene in front of him had completely shattered his worldview.
The next moment, something even more explosive happened.
These female ghosts were now about to compare whose "assets" were more impressive.
Tang Yu hurriedly covered his eyes. Nonono—don't look, don't look!
Hu Tao had seen enough. First it was legs… now this? The scene was too much—she didn't want to watch.
She spoke up: "Sisters, hold on a second."
The moment she spoke, the entire old house fell deathly silent. The ghosts froze mid-motion.
They all turned their heads toward the doorway—toward Tang Yu and Hu Tao.
"You can see us?" Surprise flashed in the female ghosts' eyes. They seemed incredulous.
Hu Tao gave a devilish grin. "From now on, this will be my shop. So please—leave."
"Leave?" The three ghosts exchanged glances, then their faces twisted into something hideous.
Their once fairly pretty faces instantly rotted into lumps of decayed flesh.
The smell inside the house turned overwhelmingly putrid.
Tang Yu fought back the urge to vomit, covering his mouth. "How long has it been since you last bathed? You stink."
The three ghosts: "...."
"We'll eat you."
With a piercing shriek, the three ghosts bared their teeth and claws and floated toward Tang Yu and Hu Tao.
Tang Yu hid behind Hu Tao, gritting his teeth, trying not to tremble.
These were real ghosts! Right now, he could only pin all his hopes on Hu Tao.
If Hu Tao couldn't handle them… he was done for.
As for Hu Tao— seeing the ghosts float toward her, she didn't panic at all. With a light lift of her hand, a ball of flame appeared in her palm.
Then, she hurled it straight at the ghosts.
Ssssss—
It sounded like acid splashing on flesh.
The ghosts struck by the fireball immediately ignited, emitting sharp, piercing screams.
Those shrieks were especially bone-chilling in the dead of night.
Outside the house, the old beggar heard the screams. Terrified, he wet himself and scrambled out of the alley, shouting as he ran: "Dead people! Dead people! The vicious ghosts are killing again!"
After dealing with the apparitions, it was already 3 AM by the time Tang Yu and Hu Tao got home.
While Tang Yu was showering, let's just say some things happened that are better left undescribed.
After entering sage mode, he finally calmed down and fully accepted that this world really did have ghosts.
When he came out of the bathroom, Hu Tao was already curled up on the bed.
After drying his hair, Tang Yu climbed into bed. Hu Tao heard the movement and rolled over to face him.
She grinned mischievously: "Exciting night, right?"
Tang Yu nodded. "Very exciting."
Hu Tao continued: "Once I open the funeral parlor, nights like this will happen more and more. You'll stick with me, right?"
Uh…
Tang Yu bit his lip and raised an eyebrow.
Hu Tao's brows furrowed, her voice turning devilish: "You don't want to?"
Seeing her suddenly menacing look, Tang Yu hurriedly shook his head.
"Of course I want to! How could I not?!"
Hu Tao burst out laughing. She pinched his cheek playfully: "Just kidding. If you want to help, you can just take a guest position at my funeral parlor later."
"Deal," Tang Yu said with a smile.
The next moment, he froze completely.
Because a series of playful mechanical sounds suddenly rang in his mind.
{Ding: System internship period of two and a half years complete—fully awakened.}
{Ding: Host may mentally summon personal attribute panel.}
{Ding: Host has obtained a Mysterious Treasure Chest.}
Holy crap—after two and a half years, the damn system was finally fully activated.
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