Outside the room, the corridor's lights were dim and faint.
The delivery man was no longer pretending; he was, in fact, a delivery ghost.
His eyes were as black as ink, devoid of pupils, and his complexion was as pale as snow, as if layered with multiple coats of powder.
Most terrifying was his gaping mouth.
The sides of his cheeks were split open, extending all the way to his ears, filled with jagged, sharp teeth, capable of swallowing a human head whole.
He sensed that the delivery had been opened by the human inside.
According to the rules of death, it was time to feast.
This was his first target since arriving in the mortal realm.
Suddenly impatient, he recalled the old ghost saying that fresh humans were not only delicious but also enhanced a ghost's power.
Drool dripped from the corners of his mouth, splattering onto the ground.
He was ravenous!
"Knock, knock, knock!"
The pounding on the door grew more forceful, echoing in the stairwell, but there was no response from inside.
The delivery ghost was getting angry; he could sense the human inside.
If that's the case, he would have to use some tricks.
He raised his hand towards the lock, an invisible force emanating from it.
The handle turned, and the door opened.
He quickly stepped into the room, finding the living room and bedroom empty.
Finally, he found his target in the kitchen.
"Sir, the delivery is incorrect. Please return it to me."
The delivery ghost, drooling disgustingly, was eager to start his meal.
But according to the rules, he had to complete the final step.
If the other party could produce ghost money as compensation, he couldn't eat them.
He was sure that no living person knew how to obtain ghost money, let alone had any.
"I've already eaten!"
Xia Tianqiong stood in the kitchen, holding the delivery and eating.
He was not surprised by the delivery ghost's terrifying appearance.
The meal was braised pork, though made with ghostly energy, it was tender, melting in the mouth, better than real braised pork.
However, it did not satiate hunger but infused his body with a mysterious power, making him feel invigorated and refreshed, like taking a stimulant.
The delivery ghost looked at him with contempt, but with a sinister smile.
"If you've eaten my delivery, you must pay, or pay with your life!"
"How much do I owe?"
"Eighty-eight yuan!"
"Here's a hundred, keep the change as a tip."
"I only accept ghost money! Without it, you'll pay with your life!"
As he spoke, the delivery ghost lunged forward, confident that Xia Tianqiong couldn't produce ghost money.
Suddenly, Xia Tianqiong extended his right hand, "Are you blind? Isn't this ghost money?"
He opened his palm, revealing a thumb-sized silver ingot gleaming under the light.
The delivery ghost was stunned, his black eyes filled with surprise and reluctance.
It was indeed ghost money, imbued with a faint ghostly energy, unmistakable at a glance.
"You... how does a living person have ghost money?"
He was unwilling, finally about to taste human flesh, and this guy pulled out ghost money, thwarting his death rule.
"Found it by the roadside!"
Xia Tianqiong lied casually.
In truth, just before the delivery ghost opened the door, he remembered the gas stove in the kitchen could be used to light a fire!
Paper-folded silver ingots, after a ritual, burned to ash in the gas stove, turning into metallic ingots, indistinguishable from real silver.
If tested, they would be considered real silver.
Of course, if the ghostly energy was absorbed, they would turn back to ash.
The delivery ghost eyed the silver ingot greedily. Ghost money was not only currency but a vital resource for ghosts to enhance their power.
But he wanted to taste human flesh and soul more than taking the money.
Yet according to the ghostly rules, he had to accept it.
Breaking the rules would mean death for the ghost!
Reluctantly, the delivery ghost took the silver ingot, about to speak when Xia Tianqiong said, "Change, please!"
"…"
The ghost was momentarily stunned, then weighed the silver in his hand, estimating its weight.
Earlier, the quote of eighty-eight yuan referred to the paper ghost money, but now he held silver.
Ghost money came in various forms.
Ancient gold, silver, copper coins, and modern colorful paper bills.
By conversion, one tael of gold equaled ten taels of silver, and one tael of silver equaled a thousand copper coins.
Copper coins equaled paper ghost money, one coin to one yuan.
So, the three taels of silver Xia Tianqiong gave were worth three thousand yuan in paper ghost money.
He had to return over two thousand nine hundred in ghost bills.
"What? Can't break such a large amount?"
Seeing the ghost stand motionless, Xia Tianqiong taunted.
The ghost's eyes flickered, his terrifying face showing a hint of embarrassment.
As a low-level wild ghost, he never saved money, absorbing ghost money immediately to enhance his power, lest it be stolen by others.
"If you give me all the silver, I can let you go." The ghost threatened.
Though bloodthirsty and fond of eating humans, ghosts had to adhere to specific rules when dealing with humans.
They couldn't kill or rob without cause, nor lie to humans.
Xia Tianqiong continued eating the braised pork heartily. The dish was exhilarating, hard to stop eating once started.
He glanced up disdainfully, "Change, now!"
The ghost glared at him, exuding a terrifying aura, but dared not kill and take the silver.
"I'll absorb the equivalent of 88 ghost bills' worth of ghostly energy—no, 100 ghost bills' worth—and return the rest."
He remembered Xia Tianqiong said a hundred earlier.
Once spoken, it formed a rule.
The ghost could rightfully take the amount, not a penny more.
As he spoke, a wisp of ghostly light emanated from the silver, absorbed into his pale hand, shrinking the ingot slightly.
After absorbing, he tossed the silver back to Xia Tianqiong.
Xia Tianqiong pocketed the silver, "I've compensated. You can leave now, right?"
The ghost grinned eerily.
"Since I delivered to the wrong address, I need to verify your information. What's your exact address here?"
The ghost had two death rules.
If the first was triggered and then resolved, he could invoke the second.
Xia Tianqiong stiffened, feeling an unknown force enveloping him.
He had to answer, or it would trigger the death rule.
"This is No. 701, Unit 5, Building 7, Haikang Community."
"What is your name?"
This was the true purpose of the ghost's second death rule.
Once Xia Tianqiong spoke his name, the rule would be fulfilled, allowing the ghost to eat him.
"I'm Xia Guofeng." Xia Tianqiong had to answer.
The ghost laughed, "Xia Guofeng, come to my mouth."
The rule was fulfilled; it was time to eat!
"What's happening? What have you done to me?"
Xia Tianqiong screamed in fear, his legs moving uncontrollably towards the ghost.
He seemed ready to feed himself to the ghost.
The ghost's grin widened, his mouth opening wide to receive the food.
Facing the terrifying, stinking maw, Xia Tianqiong suddenly extended his left arm.
The ghost bit down, tasting a bit of blood, but the arm quickly retracted.
Then Xia Tianqiong stepped back rapidly.
"What…?"
The ghost was astonished, about to ask how he broke free from the rule's control.
But in the next moment, a powerful rule force enveloped the ghost.
The ghost was bewildered, his black eyes wide with realization.
"That's not your real name! You dared to deceive a ghost?"
"Your rule forces answers but doesn't require truth. Can you blame me?"
Xia Tianqiong examined the teeth marks on his arm, where some skin was broken, oozing blood. Fortunately, it was just a superficial wound.
"How was my acting?"
He knew the ghost's two death rules and the effect of triggering the second.
He deliberately acted to make the ghost think the rule was triggered to eat him.
Once substantial harm was caused, it would violate the rules.
No matter how strong the ghost, breaking the rules meant annihilation by the rule force.
The ghost, now torn by the rule force, floated helplessly.
Ghostly energy was stripped from him, disappearing into the air.
The ghost's face was filled with terror, unable to resist.
If nothing changed, he would soon be torn apart and vanish.
"Form a contract with me; it's your only chance to live."
Xia Chenlight finally revealed his purpose.
Since suspecting the delivery man was a ghost, he planned to use the rules against him.
He didn't invent this; many had done it before.