The appearance of the Ghost Mother touched Han Fei’s soul. He didn’t quite understand his parents’ love, but in the memory world, through the Mirror God’s and Fu Sheng’s past, he felt care from their parents.
“Ghost Mother eats ghosts, and she appears to be on Gao Xing’s side. However, yesterday night, she didn’t harm Gao Cheng and me. Perhaps in her heart, both Gao Cheng and Gao Cheng were her children.” When the curse from the missing person’s reports and the greed abyss clashed, Han Fei saw the memory fragments of Gao Cheng and Gao Xing. In their hearts, the Ghost Mother was a very gentle person. “The black-robed individuals who follow Ghost Mother are all living humans. It feels like Ghost Mother is on the human’s side. She is using her own way to help the weak.” Han Fei wanted to know more about the Ghost Mother. She was the key to understanding this world. After swallowing the last piece of meat, Han Fei’s condition was noticeably better. His body temperature returned to normal, and 20 mental corruption was Han Fei’s acceptable range.
“Ol Wang, I have no idea you’re so reliable.” Han Fei leaned against the dining table and studied Wang Chuqing. They were just colleagues. Who would have thought he would risk his life to carry Han Fei back from Shi Wei Eatery to school?
“I just want to complete our trade.” Wang Chuqing replied coldly. He maintained a safe distance from Han Fei.
“If we stay at school, we’ll have to keep on drawing for the exam. Are you interested in doing something big with me? It’ll solve your problem forever.” Han Fei lured Wang Chuqing.
“Are you planning to resist the school?”
“I can only tell you that Yan Lan has agreed.” Han Fei whispered, but his voice was loud enough for Wang Chuqing to hear. “You saw how Xu Hui died, right? He was killed by a fist through his chest. Who in our school can do that?”
“With the headmaster there, you’ll never succeed.” Wang Chuqing said coldly.
“So you’ll join us if the headmaster is dead?” Han Fei’s eyes burned with ambition.
“I never say that!” Wang Chuqing was scared.
“But your expression sold you out.” Han Fei took out the white stick. “Even though I have the white stick, I’m ready to revolt. What about you who has the black stick?”
“This is something beyond our trade.” Wang Chuqing’s eyes wavered. He stared at the white stick Han Fei was holding, and he frowned. Trading with the devil was something dangerous. He licked his dry lips. He didn’t say anything and left.
“Teacher Wang has saved my life. How should I repay him? By leading him on the right path?” Han Fei recovered everything in the kitchen and then returned to his apartment. The teacher’s apartment was huge, but there were not many teachers who chose to stay there overnight. Everyone had their own secret storerooms outside of school. It was safer to sleep there. Han Fei’s eyes narrowed as he entered the room and sensed a vicious presence. He looked around and saw a man seated on his couch.
“You dare to go out with 39 mental corruption? Aren’t you afraid of dying?” The man turned around and looked at Han Fei with mal intention.
“Ma Jing?” Han Fei was surprised, but he soon reacted. Ma Jing and Wang Chuqing both got the black stick. If they didn’t want to enter the Death Building, the best choice was to trade with Han Fei, who was the most easily bullied.
“You should know why I’m here.” Ma Jing pushed on his glasses and took out his black stick. “Since you’re going to die, give me your white bamboo stick. I’ll look after your students.”
“Do you think I’m the kind of person who would sacrifice his own students?” Han Fei smiled kindly. He closed the door behind him. This caused Ma Jing to narrow his eyes. Normally, a cornered person wouldn’t lock himself in an enclosed space. This meant that Han Fei had confidence he could deal with Ma Jing.
“Wang Chuqing has already found me. If you want to trade, then tell me your offer.” Han Fei sat opposite Ma Jing. He flicked the coin of fate.
“I don’t think you can reject my offer.” Ma Jing took out a wrinkled file from his pocket. The file was stained with black fingerprints and blood. “This has the things that you’ve done.” He poured the content out. Han Fei saw many pictures and a pieced-together bill. These things recorded how Gao Cheng sacrificed living humans to trade with ghosts. There was a picture that showed Gao Cheng consuming ghosts after trading with some monsters. Gao Cheng looked scarier than ghosts.
“What are these?” “Stop acting dumb. You sacrificed living people to the dark merchant to get him to help you consume ghosts, and from there, you gain their power. Do you think you hide it well?” Ma Jing pointed at the pictures. “I escaped from the old city’s prison. The inmates in that prison have been consumed by your greed. You’ve given their souls to ghosts!”
“That makes me feel better.” Han Fei’s smile didn’t waver. “They were sinners, so they should die. I only sacrifice sinners.”
“Do you think the citizens around the school will believe you? They will burn you at school! The headmaster also forbade teachers from having private dealings with any ghosts. If caught, your persona will be destroyed, and you’ll be made into a live specimen.” Ma Jing crossed his legs. He believed he had won. “You have committed the greatest sin. There are two more days to the exam. I hope you can think this through.”
“Are you threatening me?” Han Fei flipped the coin. “Aren’t you afraid that I’d sacrifice you too?”
“You can try.”
The room was silent. Darkness corrupted human hearts. Han Fei and Ma Jing were considering whether to make a move. “Think about it. Give me an answer on the night before the exam. I’ll give you another ghost blood then to help you lower your mental corruption.” Ma Jing was the first to cave. After saying this, he left without even taking the pictures.
The smile disappeared. Han Fei picked up a picture to look at. “What is a black merchant? Gao Cheng’s diary doesn’t mention anyone like that.”
The building in the picture was between Zones B and C. It was not far from school. Han Fei hesitated before burning all the pictures and left the school again. Han Fei’s understanding of the world came from the school and Gao Cheng’s diary, but this world was not that simple. From living in the cryptic world, Han Fei knew that not all ghosts were dominated by resentment. A small handful retained their rationality. They were called managers in the cryptic world. Han Fei, who had recovered, felt braver. Before the sun came up, he came to the building in the picture, An Kang Pharmacy.
“I think I’ve seen this pharmacy in Xin Lu before. It’s a chain pharmacy under Immortal Pharma.” Han Fei had a question in his mind. “I wonder how Deep Space Tech and Immortal Pharma will appear here. Or perhaps they’re already history.”
The pharmacy’s front door was locked. The building looked abandoned. To Han Fei’s surprise, as he approached the door, the rust on the lock started to fall, and an eye opened. It scanned Han Fei. The lock fell. A pale arm covered in needle holes reached out.
“Black merchant?”
The arm kept extending until it touched Han Fei’s face. Han Fei resisted the discomfort. Several seconds later, the arm grabbed Han Fei’s shoulder and yanked him into the room. After Han Fei entered the pharmacy, the front door closed again. He was locked inside.
“Where is he?”
The shelves used to place the medicine were toppled over. The medicine bottles were scattered everywhere. There were some pills used to calm down the mind.
“This medicine is similar to the one I was given in the infirmary.” Han Fei picked up a bottle to study when the temperature dropped. A ball of shadow behind him expanded. Han Fei turned around. The tattered black robe floated in the air. Twelve thin and pale arms reached out of the robe. Each arm had an eyeball encased in the middle of the palm.
“Notification for Player 0000! You’ve discovered the unique ghost—black merchant. You’ve triggered the random mission, Trade.
“Mission Requirement: Complete a trade with the black merchant.”
Han Fei’s heart dropped back into his stomach. The various factors signaled that Gao Cheng and the black merchant knew each other. Using Soul-depth touch, Han Fei touched one of the hands. Endless greed and pain entered Han Fei’s mind.
The monster didn’t harm Han Fei. The black robe slowly opened around the chest. The arms pulled out a withered head from underneath the robe. The head radiated an intense smell of medication. The mouth moved to emit a hoarse voice, “Cheng, what have you brought me this time?” The voice came from the human head. Black merchant used this method to communicate.
“Do you have any new merchandise here? Can I see the catalog first?” Han Fei had no idea how strong the black merchant was.
“Close your eyes.” The black merchant dragged Han Fei into the black robe. After temporary vertigo, it brought Han Fei underground. “All five rooms contain new merchandise.” The black merchant held the head and floated behind Han Fei. “The first room has a young Lingering Spirit. He likes to play. If you play with him for at least one hour every day, he won’t harm you. Sacrifice to me two living adults, and you can bring him with you.”
Through the peephole, Han Fei could see the ghosts trapped inside. Black merchant was basically slave dealer. He walked past the doors. Han Fei didn’t plan to make any trade, but the system rang. “Notification for Player 0000! You’ve discovered a unique Lingering Spirit, Envy.
“Envy (Growable Lingering Spirit): A new amalgamation of envy. Feeding it negative emotions and curses can help it grow!”
Xu Qing was a curse amalgamation. Envy was an envy amalgamation. Han Fei could sense its potential. “I want to buy this ghost. Name a price.”
“I need ten of your students.”
“Impossible.” Han Fei rejected it immediately.
“Cheng, the students are already sacrifices. I only need you to sneak your students here. This is no different from our usual trade.”
“Not my students, but I can bring a teacher to you.” Ma Jing’s smiling face appeared in Han Fei’s mind.
