The kitchen was shrouded in darkness as the lights had been switched off. Xia Tianqiong crouched silently in a corner, poised and ready. Beside the gas stove were three boxes of food: braised pork, soy-braised pork knuckle, and sweet and sour pork, their enticing aroma filling the air, making his mouth water. He would have devoured them if not for the necessity of luring the ghost infant. These dishes were conjured through the spectral technique "Netherworld Takeout." Although he wished for more to increase the chances of attracting the ghost infant, the delivery ghost had been gravely injured by the power of the rules and was still weakened. Overusing its nether energy might cause it to dissipate completely.
"Xia Tianqiong!" A woman's voice suddenly called from outside the door. "It's Jiang Yu. They've left. Open the door; I have something important to tell you."
Xia Tianqiong remained motionless, ignoring the plea.
"There's a professional locksmith in our building. He's getting his tools and will come to open your door. They're after your ghost coins." Jiang Yu continued, but Xia Tianqiong did not react.
The ghost infant could appear at any moment through its teleportation, and he dared not be distracted. Silence fell outside, and then the voice took on a plaintive tone. "Tianqiong, we've been neighbors for so long. I've often asked you to fix my pipes and change light bulbs, even breaking things on purpose just to spend more time with you. I think... I've fallen for you. I feel you care for me too, but you've been pretending otherwise. We might die here, but if we survive, I want to be with you."
The heartfelt confession moved Xia Tianqiong slightly, bringing back memories of the past life. They had once shared an affection, but Jiang Yu had become a ghost hunter early on, and as their statuses diverged, their feelings had faded. Nonetheless, Jiang Yu had helped him through the dangerous early days of the apocalypse, providing protection. This debt should be repaid.
However, the ghost mother's death rule allowed only one survivor. The ghost infant had to be found for that person to live, and everyone else would die. He couldn't afford to help her.
As he pondered, a clinking sound broke the silence, the noise of a glass being knocked over, followed by a faint chewing sound. Though the kitchen was pitch black, Xia Tianqiong knew, "The ghost infant is here!" His heart pounded as he waited for two seconds before lunging forward. He was right by the gas stove, just two steps away, and his arms closed around the source of the sound.
His arms encountered something soft and fleshy, and he immediately clung to it. "Got you, little rascal!"
The ghost infant began to wail, its small limbs struggling futilely. After about half a minute, Xia Tianqiong relaxed slightly. "It seems that as long as I hold it, it can't teleport."
Outside, Jiang Yu's expression grew increasingly troubled as she received no response. She hadn't expected Xia Tianqiong to be so heartless.
"He seems to have caught the ghost infant. Let's break in and take it." The frail man pushed Jiang Yu aside and prepared to pick the lock. Jiang Yu had overheard their plan to extort her and had threatened to tell all the survivors unless they included her. They had no choice but to agree.
To avoid drawing attention with the noise of breaking in, they tried to deceive Xia Tianqiong first, but he didn't respond, and the sound of a baby crying from inside made them anxious.
Inside, Xia Tianqiong held the ghost infant in one arm and a box of sweet and sour pork in the other, ensuring the ghost infant remained calm and ate quietly in his arms. He had just turned on the living room light when he heard the sound of metal breaking. Turning, he saw the lock had been forced from the outside. Three people barged in.
"Is this the ghost child?" The burly man stared at the baby in Xia Tianqiong's arms, seeing nothing but a normal human infant.
"There's no time to waste. Grab the baby!" urged the frail man. Xia Tianqiong stood calmly in the center of the room, his unruffled demeanor causing the burly man to hesitate. He didn't rush, instead brandishing his knife menacingly. "Hand over the baby and the ghost coins, or I'll cut you down."
"So, you're with them!" Xia Tianqiong ignored the burly man and looked at Jiang Yu, whose gaze faltered. "You can't blame me," she muttered, "You refused to help me."
The burly man grew impatient. "Stop pretending! Hand over the baby and the coins, or I'll cut you to pieces!"
Xia Tianqiong sneered. "If you're so brave, go ahead."
"You think I won't do it?" The burly man charged, knife in hand, but Xia Tianqiong's smile turned eerie, his mouth stretching unnaturally wide, revealing rows of sharp teeth. His eyes turned pitch black, like bottomless pits. "A ghost!" The burly man screamed, turned, and fled, knocking down the others in his panic.
"Sorry, sorry, we were wrong." The frail man apologized profusely as he scrambled out the door. Jiang Yu, terrified and perhaps injured, couldn't stand. "You're a ghost!" she gasped.
Xia Tianqiong, possessed by the delivery ghost, temporarily wore its form. He held the ghost infant and crouched in front of Jiang Yu. "You should go. For old times' sake, I won't harm you."
With the ghost infant captured, the other survivors would soon fall to the ghost mother. There was no need to kill someone who had once helped him. Jiang Yu, breathing heavily and trembling, saw a glimmer of hope. "Are you really a ghost?"
"Of course not." Xia Tianqiong dispelled the possession, returning to his human form. Jiang Yu, uncertain but determined, grabbed his arm. "Tianqiong, save me. I'll do anything."
Xia Tianqiong shook his head without answering. Suddenly, the room dimmed as a figure appeared, causing Jiang Yu to scream and hide behind him. The ghost mother had come, sensing her child had been captured.
"You found my child?" Her stiff, cold face showed surprise, then relaxed as she saw the ghost infant eating. "Food conjured from nether energy, no wonder."
Xia Tianqiong asked, "If I return it, will this end?"
The ghost mother nodded indifferently. "You may live; the others must die."
For her, it meant one less human to consume, but she could still devour the rest. Relieved, Xia Tianqiong stepped forward and returned the ghost infant. The ghost mother pulled out a long strand of hair and handed it to Xia Tianqiong. "Your reward for completing the task."
Completing ghostly tasks could yield ghost coins, artifacts, or other items, as required by the rules. Xia Tianqiong took the hair and asked, "What's this for?"
"Infuse it with blood, and within a hundred miles, you can exchange places with it."
Though the ghost mother's explanation was brief, Xia Tianqiong understood. This hair, once stained with his blood, could be placed somewhere within a hundred miles, allowing him to teleport to its location. This ability was akin to teleportation and had no limits, surpassing the ghost infant's shadow teleportation.
"Thank you, thank you," Xia Tianqiong said gratefully. This was a precious life-saving artifact. "It can only be used once," the ghost mother added coldly. "..."
Xia Tianqiong's smile froze. "Can't I have more?"
The ghost mother rolled her eyes and ignored him. At that moment, the ghost infant wriggled free from her grasp and leaped back into Xia Tianqiong's arms, clinging to his neck.
This little ghost seemed to have taken a liking to him! The ghost mother's pale face darkened with anger, looking as though she had lost her child. Sensing danger, Xia Tianqiong raised his hands defensively. "It's not my fault!"