Little Ghost, Take Sister to See What Ghosts Look Like

When the Valley Master's disciple returned from treating Clara Phoenixfield, he found a child lying on the bed, wrapped up like a severely injured patient. At first, he thought it was Sweet Dumpling, and was so startled that he dropped his medicine chest. But as he came closer, he realized it wasn't her...

Sweet Dumpling is bigger than this.

Getting closer, he saw the child's face—thin, delicate, but clearly a boy.

In the mausoleum, aside from Sweet Dumpling, there was only that other child. The Valley Master's disciple didn't need to think—this must be Ezra Phoenixfield's grandson. Only...

Isn't this boy supposed to be a year older than the Crown Prince? Why is he so small? He's much smaller than Sweet Dumpling, and his face is so pale he looks like a ghost.

"What a tragedy." The Valley Master's disciple sighed.

Parents commit the sins, but it's always the children who suffer.

He reached out to check the boy's pulse. After finishing, the Valley Master's disciple shook his head with a sigh: the body is ruined—just surviving is an achievement. As for those bandages...

He didn't have to guess—this was definitely Sweet Dumpling's handiwork.

The Valley Master's disciple wanted to unwrap the bandages to see how badly the child was hurt. But then...

One layer, two layers... He unwound dozens of turns and still hadn't found the wound.

"Just how many bandages did Sweet Dumpling wrap?" Even someone as patient as the Valley Master's disciple couldn't help but get angry at this point.

What a waste!

"Senior brother, what are you doing?" Sweet Dumpling walked in just as her senior brother was about to take off the bandages she had painstakingly wrapped. She stepped forward, unhappy: "Senior brother, you're so mean! This little ghost is hurt, you can't abuse a patient."

"Sweet Dumpling, who's abusing the patient here? Wrapping so many bandages for a tiny wound—it's like you're preparing him to hang himself."

"Senior brother, did I do something wrong?" Sweet Dumpling was quick to ask obediently when she heard his words.

"For such a small injury, just applying medicine is enough. Did you wrap so many bandages because you have too many?" The Valley Master's disciple tapped Sweet Dumpling on the head: "How many times have I told you, more medicine isn't better—you have to treat step by step."

"I didn't use much medicine, just a few extra bandages. I was afraid he'd bump himself again." Sweet Dumpling explained earnestly, defending her actions.

Her senior brother didn't want to argue anymore: "Forget it, I can't deal with you. Go home and wait for our master to teach you instead."

Sure enough, even her senior brother couldn't handle the little princess anymore. The shadow guards knew this was exactly how things would turn out.

"Senior brother, I won't dare next time. I know I was wrong, please don't be angry, I really meant well for him." Sweet Dumpling tugged at her senior brother's sleeve, pleading pitifully.

Her senior brother ignored her. After removing the little ghost's bandages, he asked Sweet Dumpling where she'd met this child...

Running into him was definitely trouble.

After Sweet Dumpling explained, her senior brother gritted his teeth in anger: "Who gave you permission to wander around? Didn't I make it clear? If I'm not with you, you're not allowed to go anywhere. Do you know what this place is? This is the Imperial Mausoleum—one wrong step and you could trigger a trap, and no one could save you."

"Senior brother, but I'm fine, aren't I?" She knew her limits, so she always followed behind him—who would have thought she'd get lost.

"Fine? If you hadn't run into this little ghost, are you sure you'd have found your way back? Wouldn't you just keep wandering?" Her senior brother knew exactly how bold Sweet Dumpling could be.

Sweet Dumpling was nothing like a typical girl—she was far too mischievous.

Sweet Dumpling stuck out her tongue and stayed silent. The Valley Master's disciple could only sigh, glancing at the little ghost, who was still terrified even in his coma. Her senior brother sighed, "Sweet Dumpling, do you know who this boy is?"

"I know, he said his name is Little Treasure. But I prefer to call him little ghost—Little Treasure is my younger brother's name." Sweet Dumpling replied immediately.

"Never mind, you wouldn't understand even if I explained. Sweet Dumpling, listen: don't get involved with this little ghost. When he wakes up, I'll send him away. Just pretend you never met him." Bringing Sweet Dumpling to the Imperial Mausoleum had been a mistake—if she got close to this little ghost, things would get even more complicated.

Sweet Dumpling knew that decisions made by adults weren't hers to change, so she nodded obediently. Her senior brother was relieved, but he didn't know...

Every day when he went to treat Clara, Sweet Dumpling would sneak out to find the little ghost. That little ghost always sat daydreaming in the same spot, so she found him every time.

Sweet Dumpling sought out the little ghost purely out of a healer's sense of duty. He was her first patient treated all by herself, so of course she felt responsible—she was going to be a future divine doctor, after all. She couldn't just give up halfway.

At first, the little ghost trembled all over whenever he saw Sweet Dumpling. Later, once he realized she meant no harm, he calmed down and became like a puppet, letting her handle him however she wanted.

Life in the Imperial Mausoleum was incredibly dull—no games, no one to talk to. At first, Sweet Dumpling only changed his medicine; as they got more familiar, she started asking him about the mausoleum and whether there were any ghosts here...

When she learned that the little ghost had grown up in the mausoleum, Sweet Dumpling—playing the grown-up—decided he should take her ghost-hunting around the place.

Ghost-hunting?

The little ghost stared wide-eyed at Sweet Dumpling.

"What's a ghost?"

"It's something with a hideous face—really scary, really scary—and it eats people..." Sweet Dumpling imagined that must be what a ghost was like.

"Oh..." The little ghost nodded softly and secretly led Sweet Dumpling to where he lived. There, Sweet Dumpling saw a woman whose face was utterly ruined, and two others who sometimes went mad and hit people...

Sweet Dumpling's mouth formed a perfect 'O' and stayed open for a long time.

"Who are they...?"

"Shh, don't talk." The little ghost said very seriously.

If they're discovered, they'll get beaten.

"Oh..." Sweet Dumpling nodded vigorously. She knew being caught by ghosts would be terrible.

"Let's go quickly, before the ghosts catch us!" Sweet Dumpling was excited—she'd really seen ghosts now.

The little ghost saw those three women every day, so excitement was impossible—he only felt fear. When Sweet Dumpling said to leave, he certainly wouldn't stay longer.

"So you live here with the ghost women?" Sweet Dumpling asked, tugging at the little ghost as soon as they got back.

The little ghost shook his head: "They're my mother, my grandaunt, and one is my nursemaid." That's what the mausoleum guards said. Sometimes those people would talk to him, but not very often...

Because every time he got used to someone, they would be replaced by strangers.

"Mother and grandaunt? I'm telling you, they're ghost women. They're terrifying. You shouldn't go back there anymore." The more Sweet Dumpling thought about it, the more she felt sorry for the little ghost.

Clearly they're human, but they look just like ghosts. So this little ghost spends every day with the ghost women.

"No, I can't not go back—I'll get hungry." He'd tried staying outside for two days before, and ended up terribly, terribly hungry...

"Don't worry about that. I'll take you away, I'll feed you, just don't stay with them anymore. They're ghost women—one day they'll eat you." Sweet Dumpling even tried to look fierce, imitating her senior brother to scare him...

"Eat me?" The little ghost was puzzled—could they really eat him?

"Of course! My senior brother said ghost women raise children just to eat them when they grow up. They haven't eaten you yet only because you're too skinny. If you get a little fatter, they'll definitely eat you." Sweet Dumpling absolutely wasn't trying to scare him—she really believed it...