Following the narrow path, I jogged along. Despite my hunger, a strange urge drove me forward. I wasn't sure what would happen if a human ate ghost food, but for now, my body felt fine—I'd just eaten that Specter Moss, and nothing happened.
Just thinking about that girl called Snowy made me uncomfortable. She actually tricked me. I sighed, and gradually saw a place lit up in the distance.
But then I thought about it again—the girl seemed a bit naive, and although she asked for money, she was shy about it. She probably wouldn't lie to me. I shook my head.
"Why worry about that? First, fill my stomach. Chasing that shadow comes next."
Getting closer, I saw a three-story ancient inn with lanterns hanging outside and the word 'Inn' written on it. There were also some small shops and a couple of scattered houses around the inn.
As soon as I passed by, I heard cries—it was Snowy. I rushed over. Many ghosts were gathered around, pointing and whispering, but none dared to speak up.
I squeezed into the crowd of ghosts. Suddenly, I saw Snowy lying on the ground, clutching her coat pocket tightly. Two ghosts were kicking and punching her.
"Damn it, girl, hand it over! If you don't, for a little ghost like you, we'll kill you." The speaker seemed to be a shadowy figure, black smoke rising from his body, with a huge swollen bump on his head. The other, a Shade Ghost, looked deathly pale, his neck seemingly broken and hanging at an odd angle.
"No, I won't! I'm not giving it to you!" Snowy clutched her pocket tightly. Suddenly, the shadowy figure pulled out a knife from his back and continued to threaten her.
"Don't make us angry, or you'll regret it. Girl, hurry up!"
Then the Shade Ghost with the crooked neck and two shadowy figures grabbed Snowy, yanked her hand, and tore her pocket open. The Spirit Notes I just gave her spilled out.
Suddenly, I saw the surrounding ghosts all scrambling for the money.
"No, please don't! That's the money for my mom. Please, don't take it, I'm begging you..."
Snowy cried out, while the two ghosts who threatened her immediately started grabbing the money.
"Damn it, do you know whose territory this is? Are you looking for trouble?" With a furious roar from the shadowy figure, the ghosts who were trying to snatch the money trembled and stopped. Snowy kept crying desperately, but the Shade Ghost grabbed her head and pressed it to the ground.
The shadowy figure squatted on the ground, gathering the money. The ghosts who had grabbed some earlier obediently handed it over to him, and he moved closer to me.
"Damn it, kid, are you looking to die? Move!" He stomped on a Spirit Note right at my feet.
Just as the shadowy figure looked up, I thrust the Deathbane Aura Dagger I had already formed in my hand straight into his chest. With a cry, the shadowy figure clutched his chest in pain and collapsed to the ground.
I rushed over, swung my fist at the Shade Ghost, and with a crack, his already crooked neck twisted completely around.
"If anyone dares touch the money on the ground again, I'll make sure you can't even be a ghost anymore!" I shouted, and the ghosts who were about to grab the money froze.
Deathbane Aura seeped from all over my body, forming a thin mist that swirled around me.
"Big brother, thank you..." Snowy said, lying on the ground and picking up the money, one note at a time.
"What are you standing around for? Help pick up the money!" I shouted, and the ghosts immediately started helping, handing the notes back to Snowy.
Snowy was still crying. Even though she got the money back, she still looked terrified.
"Big brother, let's go. There's a Wraith here—it's really dangerous."
As she spoke, a sudden gust of wind swept through. The ghosts on the street scattered in a panic, disappearing quickly. Only the shadowy figure, still screaming in pain on the ground, and the Shade Ghost, lying there trying to twist his neck back into place, remained.
"Who the hell dares cause trouble on my turf?" a rough voice called out. A burly man walked out of the inn, carrying a large blade on his back. His thick beard, eyes wide like brass bells, and a white vest stretched to its limit over his frame, with black pants.
"Boss, help! It's this kid!"
I looked over just in time to see the Wraith draw the large blade from his back and swing it at me.
A powerful gust of wind swept by as I shoved Snowy aside and dodged to the side. With a loud bang, the blade left a small dent in the ground.
"Damn, kid, you're pretty quick—but it won't help you."
With a whoosh, the Wraith soared into the air. I watched in confusion. Hadn't The Blind Sage said that in the Ghostrealm, ghosts couldn't move freely like they did in the living world?
"What are you staring at, kid?" Suddenly, the Wraith stopped midair, looking at me in surprise.
"You have so much Deathbane Aura—you're not a Shadow Ghost, and you're not a Wraith either. What exactly are you?"
I didn't let the Wraith finish. I immediately channeled Deathbane Aura, forming a spike and thrusting it at him. With a clang, he blocked it with his blade, then stared at me in shock.
"You're not a ghost, you're..."
Suddenly, I rushed forward, charging at him. When I got underneath, I raised both hands, forming spikes of Deathbane Aura, stabbing up at him. More Deathbane Aura spread and wrapped around the Wraith.
"Wait, wait, brother..." the Wraith looked at me in terror.
"Look, brother, I'm sorry. My two guys offended you. Let me apologize, okay?"
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The Deathbane Aura spikes hovered around the Wraith in midair. I didn't finish him off; instead, I dispersed the aura, then used some money to buy dry food and water from them. I left with Snowy.
Before leaving, I warned the Wraith not to tell any other ghosts about what happened tonight. He nodded in agreement.
"Big brother, you're amazing. I didn't expect you to be so strong—even a Wraith can't beat you."
I smiled. I only managed to subdue the Wraith by catching him off guard—otherwise, I wouldn’t have been so confident. That slash he aimed at me was no joke. Luckily, he was just a regular Wraith. If he’d been someone like Helen Chen, I wouldn’t stand a chance.
Snowy and I walked back to the main road heading north. After eating some dry food, I felt more energetic.
"By the way, big brother, that Wraith said you’re not a Shadow Ghost or a Wraith. What are you?"
I was caught off guard, looked at Snowy, and smiled.
"Kids shouldn’t ask so many questions."
Snowy replied with an "Oh," showing her little sharp canine teeth.
"Got it, big brother."
Afterward, Snowy told me a lot about this place. In the Ghostrealm, many ghosts survive on wild vegetables and similar things. These are mostly for wandering ghosts who have lost their families in the living world. Many of them can only eke out a living here—if they can't find a good place in the living world, they can't survive at all.
In the living world, many Wraiths have their own territories. If these little ghosts go out and accidentally offend a Wraith, they might get eaten or killed on the spot. What interested me most was the rumor that many ghosts run ghost companies in the living world. Snowy, though, can't do anything—she's been sick since she was little, never went to school, and even when she tried, nobody wanted her.
I immediately thought of Leo Huang—he works as a taxi driver for a ghost company now.
"By the way, the money you have—is it spirit currency? How do you give it to your mother?"
I blurted out the question.
Snowy looked at me in surprise, as if she'd heard something unbelievable.
"Big brother, seriously! You’re so strong, you must’ve been dead a long time—how do you not know something so simple?"
I laughed and patted her head.
"I was just testing you. Of course I know."
"I really do know, big brother. You don’t have to test me. I may not have gone to school, but I understand simple things like this." Snowy said, bouncing away.
I sighed. I couldn't just ask her directly—after all, I'm human.
As we walked, the sky stayed dark except for the moonlight. I slept a few times along the way, which surprised Snowy, but I just told her kids shouldn't ask so many questions.
"Big brother, these fruits here are edible, but they're mostly bitter and not very sweet. When I was really hungry, I used to eat a few!"
I looked over. On a leafless, stunted tree hung round fruits, mostly white with a hint of green. Snowy picked one and took a bite.
"This is so bitter."
I said, "Oh," picked one, and tried a bite. It was completely tasteless—just like the dry food, bland and dry, like eating unsalted crackers. I took another bite.
"Wow, it's so bitter, big brother! How can you eat this? Dry food tastes so much better."
Snowy took the fruit from my hand, tasted it, and immediately threw it away, sticking out her tongue. I looked over and saw a pale yellow stain on her tongue.
I quickly turned away and stuck out my own tongue. Even though I ate the fruit, my tongue looked perfectly normal.
When Snowy came over, I hurriedly pulled my tongue back in.
"Let’s go, big brother. Dry food tastes way better." Snowy said, chewing on a piece of dry food, looking completely content.