The Specter Mother, inexplicably infuriated, teetered on the brink of eruption.
Xia Tianqiong stepped back, wary. Suddenly, the specter asked, "Would you be willing to form a contract with my child?"
"What?" Xia Tianqiong was baffled. "What kind of contract?"
He sensed an unusual aura surrounding him, the force of a contract. It seemed the specter infant was drawn to him because he could provide food imbued with Netherworld energy.
The Specter Mother's gaze scrutinized Xia Tianqiong, "A master-servant contract."
"Are you kidding? Why should I acknowledge it as my master?"
Xia Tianqiong yanked the specter infant from his neck. "Here, take your child back. I've completed my task and haven't triggered the death rule. You can't do anything to me!"
The Specter Mother's terrifying aura receded, and she returned to her previous state. She had hoped to scare him into forming the master-servant contract, but it was to no avail.
"You seem well-versed in our affairs."
"Of course, I have a specter within me. How else could I conjure food with Netherworld energy?"
As they conversed, the specter infant became restless, its cries growing louder. The Specter Mother sighed, "Then, an equal contract."
Joy surged in Xia Tianqiong's heart. The infant could teleport through shadows, an ability invaluable for both escape and ambush.
Just as he was about to agree, he paused, feigning reluctance. "Why should I form a contract with it? It just wants to leech off me, doesn't it?"
The Specter Mother's brows furrowed, "You know our contracts grant the ability to use shadow teleportation, a coveted skill. Are you still not satisfied?"
"I am, but I won't accept an equal contract. If we must contract, it will be a servant contract where it serves me."
"Insolence! Do you seek death?" The Specter Mother roared, her white dress turning blood red, her beautiful face now bleeding from every orifice, horrifying to behold.
"Ah!" Behind him, Jiang Yu screamed, her pants wet in fear.
Xia Tianqiong, however, laughed coldly, "Enough of your theatrics. If you could harm me, you wouldn't need such a show."
The Specter Mother hesitated, her venomous glare softening, though she reverted to her calmer visage. "Human, I see your greed. You desire my child's powers yet haggle with me. I won't let you succeed."
She turned to leave with the infant.
Xia Tianqiong called after her, "Don't leave! If we're haggling, make a counteroffer!"
The Specter Mother didn't want to respond, but the infant's incessant crying grated on her. It was too small to consume humans and needed Netherworld-infused food to grow. She wanted it to stay with him for now.
"An equal contract is non-negotiable. Your lifespan is finite, while my child's is not. If you die, my child perishes too."
"Fine, I'll compromise. An equal contract, but you must compensate me."
"Cunning human, you want my hair."
"Ha, you're the ones needing me. It's only fair to ask for something in return!"
The Specter Mother pondered briefly, "I'll give you another strand."
"You're so stingy!"
Xia Tianqiong walked to the sofa, sitting comfortably, patting the seat beside him. "Let's talk this over."
The Specter Mother sat beside him, holding the infant. Jiang Yu stood, bewildered, unsure whether to stay or leave. She couldn't fathom Xia Tianqiong's ability to negotiate with ghosts.
"Lady, I need your hair to stay safe. With specters everywhere, I'm in constant danger. More hair means more safety for me, and your child can stay with me. Don't you agree?"
"Human greed is always justified, isn't it?"
The Specter Mother stared into his eyes, not deceived, "My hair is tied to my strength. I can't give you too much. At most, three strands."
"Seems you don't love your child enough. At least thirty strands would show you care."
"We specters don't have love. At most, five strands."
"No, I can see you do. A mother's love transcends species. Twenty strands, minimum."
The Specter Mother looked momentarily confused before conceding, "Ten strands."
"Fifteen, for the sake of a fair deal. Arguing over a few strands is pointless."
The Specter Mother glared at him, thinking it pointless indeed, but eventually, they reached an agreement. The infant formed an equal contract with Xia Tianqiong, and the Specter Mother granted him fifteen strands of hair.
"You, human, are sly, greedy, and shameless, yet also brave, meticulous, and resourceful. My child might benefit from staying with you. Treat it well, or I will come for you, even if it breaks the specter rules."
Handing the infant to Xia Tianqiong, her gaze lingered on her child, filled with reluctance and love.
Xia Tianqiong, surprised by this display of affection, assured her, "Rest easy. Your child will live well under my care."
"Hopefully. I must go now to feast."
The Specter Mother resumed her icy demeanor, ready to devour the remaining survivors. Her first target was Jiang Yu in the living room.
Jiang Yu cried out, "Xia Tianqiong, save me! Please, I don't want to die!"
Initially unwilling to save her, Xia Tianqiong remembered something and called out, "Lady, wait!"
The Specter Mother paused, turning her head 180 degrees to glare at him, "Who are you calling lady? Don't call me that."
"Alright, how about 'child's mother'?"
The Specter Mother felt slighted but listened.
Xia Tianqiong continued, "Child's mother, eat the others first. I need to talk to her."
With a huff, she vanished, and screams erupted from downstairs. Xia Tianqiong, holding the infant, approached Jiang Yu, smiling oddly. "I just thought of a way to save you."
"Tianqiong, I knew you'd save me! You care about me, right?"
Tears of joy streamed down her face, feeling a glimmer of hope. Xia Tianqiong remained silent, then asked, "Would you be willing to serve as a slave for life to avoid death?"
"What do you mean?"
"Sign a master-servant contract with the infant. It will be your master, and you will serve."
"Master-servant contract?"
Her smile froze. She had overheard the conversation with the ghost and knew an equal contract was better.
"Can I sign an equal contract like you?"
"A specter can only have one equal contract or master-servant contract but can form many master-servant contracts."
Xia Tianqiong's demeanor turned cold, "If you hadn't barged in with those two, I might have let you form an equal contract and released you once safe. Now, you either die or serve forever."
Despite her fragile appearance now, Jiang Yu had become a formidable and ruthless ghost hunter in the previous life. Enlisting her could be advantageous, making her a valuable tool for perilous or inconvenient tasks.