Chapter 61: Eating Yang Energy

There is a distinction between humans and ghosts. Most malicious ghosts kill people by influencing their minds or creating terrifying environments that scare them to death.

Unless they are powerful enough to reach the level of a Ghost King, ghosts cannot touch humans.

Therefore, Xiu didn’t care much when Wen Chu’s finger hooked towards his chin. He just continued to silently recite the Cleansing Mantra to steady his mind.

But the next moment, he felt a slightly cool touch on his chin.

Xiu widened his eyes in astonishment, looking down at the finger passing through his chin.

The other party indeed did not physically touch him.

But his body perceived the touch.

It wasn’t a physiological touch, but his brain automatically reacting to the other’s action, skillfully imagining the feeling of being touched by him.

It was as if he was incredibly familiar with this malicious ghost, as if they had touched and pressed against each other countless times before.

How could this be?

Just then, Xiu heard the malicious ghost’s voice by his ear.

The malicious ghost was almost pressed against him, tears of blood staining his shirt, whispering an addition: “Really so fragrant… I’ll just take one bite.”

“You—”

Xiu’s questioning voice got stuck in his throat and stopped abruptly.

Because the white-haired malicious ghost tilted his head directly and bit onto his neck.

Clearly there was no tactile sensation, yet Xiu inexplicably felt the warmth of the other’s mouth covering his neck.

Lightly biting, sucking.

Like intimacy between lovers.

[Lifespan +1h]
[Remaining Lifespan: 23 Hours 46 Minutes]

Wen Chu was somewhat disappointed.

He passed directly through Xiu’s neck. With this bite, he tasted nothing. Instead, because he got too close, smelling the fragrance on Xiu made him crave it even more.

But fortunately, he discovered the rule for increasing lifespan:

As long as he got close to Xiu, close enough to completely intersect with Xiu’s body, every time he pressed against the other’s body, he could suck a bit of Yang energy from him, increasing his lifespan by one hour.

Very little, but better than nothing, and it cost nothing.

He just needed to shuttle back and forth through Xiu’s body, and it wouldn’t affect Xiu either.

Wen Chu felt this was the most worry-free and easiest nurturing experience he had had in three worlds.

Just as he thought this, Wen Chu glimpsed out of the corner of his eye that the copper coins on the ground flew back into Xiu’s hand.

Startled, he immediately let go of Xiu and retreated a few steps, saying aggrievedly, “I really didn’t kill that person. I have evidence.”

Xiu held the copper coins, earlobes under his broken golden hair slightly red, looking at him. “What evidence?”

Wen Chu said with little confidence, “There was a problem with the water she drank. I was looking at her computer at the time and found that her water was polluted, but I’m not sure either…”

In the Steam World, even if civilians on the ground drank polluted water, they would at most have diarrhea for a few days.

Wen Chu asked weakly, “Will humans in this world die if they drink polluted water?”

Hearing this, Xiu raised an eyebrow, puzzled by Wen Chu’s lack of common sense, while quickly walking to the corpse, opening her mouth to smell.

No strange smell.

Xiu searched in her bag. “Where is the water cup?”

Wen Chu shook his head. “Don’t know, but she really drank water just now.”

Xiu had been standing still observing Wen Chu just now, so naturally, he hadn’t missed the woman’s action.

Although there was currently no evidence for what this malicious ghost said, the other party hadn’t attacked him so far and seemed clear-headed, not looking like a crazed killer.

Xiu listed several reasons for himself to temporarily trust Wen Chu.

He closed the corpse’s mouth again and said to the subway patrol officer who had fled to a distance, “Excuse me, please call the police. Hand over the corpse to the hospital for autopsy at the next station. Mainly test for colorless and odorless poisons soluble in water. Also, check the surveillance footage just now to find where this lady’s water cup went. Ideally, find it before the police arrive and hand the water cup to them.”

The patrol officer was stunned by his words. “Wasn’t it a ghost?”

Xiu lowered his eyes. “The possibility of homicide cannot be ruled out either.”

The patrol officer looked at the still flickering carriage and the bloodstains on the ground, trembling as he thought, this looks like an evil ghost hurting people no matter how you see it.

But people from the Exorcist Association wouldn’t jump to conclusions recklessly. The patrol officer quickly called the police according to Xiu’s words and asked his colleague to check the surveillance.

Wen Chu stood obediently in place the whole time, watching Xiu arrange everything.

He stopped crying, and the tears of blood disappeared automatically. The white-haired malicious ghost’s face turned back to a fair and beautiful appearance.

Xiu glanced at him and called out, “Hey, come here.”

Wen Chu paused, looked at Xiu sadly, and then really floated over.

“What is it?”

Completely forgetting how he was beaten to tears by Xiu just now.

Looks really like a stupid ghost who doesn’t remember beatings.

Xiu didn’t speak, just moved a little closer, his right hand holding his earring.

A thin blue chain floated out from the earring, wrapping around Wen Chu’s wrists layer by layer, directly binding Wen Chu’s hands tightly.

Xiu reached out, grabbed the other end of the chain, pulled Wen Chu, and then formed a seal chanting: “Order awaits the multitudes, swiftly transcend life, Order awaits the multitudes, swiftly transcend life.”

Clusters of golden light surrounded Wen Chu again. Wen Chu jumped away again, looking at his lifespan panel in panic.

Done for. Lifespan was already very little, and hit by Xiu again, he’s really going to die.

Sure enough, when he conflicts with the world, no matter how small the conflict is, or whether Xiu knows he is the Eye of the Array or not, will he kill him?

T^T

If I knew earlier, I should have tried to kill Xiu to turn him into a ghost when I was relatively less weak at the very beginning.

In just three seconds, countless thoughts flashed through Wen Chu’s mind.

“Hm?” Xiu’s puzzled voice pulled Wen Chu’s thoughts back. “Why are you unaffected by the Transcendence Mantra?”

Hearing this, Wen Chu looked down at his lifespan panel.

[Remaining Lifespan: 23 Hours 44 Minutes]

Really.

Wen Chu looked up and asked in confusion, “What is the Transcendence Mantra?”

Xiu looked at him with an extremely troubled expression. “A spell to free you and let you enter reincarnation. According to convention, even the hardest-to-deliver malicious ghosts should be more or less affected, for example, downgrading from Red Clothes to Purple Clothes.”

“Who exactly are you? Why can you completely ignore the Transcendence Mantra?”

Wen Chu blinked.

He wanted to say he was Wen Chu, but on second thought, maybe these exorcists knew the escaped Eye of the Array was called “Wen Chu.”

If his identity was discovered by Xiu, then he would really be destroyed on the spot.

Wen Chu said sincerely, “I am your lover from a past life.”

Xiu: ?

Xiu said coldly, “Stop spouting nonsense. What is your name? Who exactly are you?”

Wen Chu was genuinely aggrieved. He bit his lower lip and said resentfully, “I don’t remember my name. I only remember you used to call me baby.”

Xiu found it so mushy he almost threw the copper coins in his hand again.

Just then, the subway arrived at the station.

“New World Shopping Plaza Station, arrived. Passengers needing to get off, please take your luggage and items, get off from the left door in the direction of train travel. When getting off, please mind the gap between the train and the platform to prevent tripping or dropping items.”

The patrol officer had already called the police. Police and doctors waiting outside walked quickly into the carriage, setting up a cordon around the deceased, and the train stopped operating completely.

Seeing Xiu, the leading police officer walked over, took out his police ID to show him: “Hello, may I ask if you are Mr. Xiu from the Exorcist Association?”

Xiu had to temporarily stop the conversation with Wen Chu. Holding Wen Chu with one hand, he showed his ID to the police officer with the other, omitting the part about the malicious ghost, and briefly explained the situation and the speculation about poisoning.

After all, if it really was a malicious ghost causing trouble, ordinary police couldn’t handle it, and the Exorcist Association still had to send people to eliminate the malicious ghost.

It’s already a dead ghost; catching a ghost to put in jail or sentencing it to death isn’t realistic either.

“…That’s the situation,” Xiu finished speaking, pointing to the trembling crowd standing in another carriage.

“You can ask the officers here for details. I am not the first discoverer, and I have important matters to attend to, so I need to leave first. If you still have questions, you can apply to the Exorcist Association through my number to find me.”

Since the Exorcist Association was brought to the public stage, it became an officially certified international special agency specifically responsible for supernatural cases, basically colleagues with the police.

The police officer nodded, expressing understanding, and didn’t make things difficult, letting Xiu leave.

Xiu led Wen Chu away.

Wen Chu floated leisurely while being led by Xiu, like a beautiful human-shaped balloon.

He couldn’t help asking, “Are you still going to kill me?”

Xiu didn’t turn his head. “Wait for the police results. If you didn’t kill anyone, I won’t kill you, but try to find a way to deliver you.”

“But the prerequisite for delivering you is that you must tell me who you are, so I can investigate the reason why the Transcendence Mantra is ineffective on you.”

The subway station was built on the negative first floor of the New World Shopping Center. Outside the exit were fixed vendors selling various peripheral handicrafts. It was still early in the morning, so there was no one around. Most passengers who were driven off transferred on the spot. Xiu didn’t deliberately lower his voice when speaking.

Wen Chu looked curiously at the fresh things around him while not forgetting to be stubborn to the end: “I really forgot. I only remember you called me baby.”

Xiu: …

He didn’t think at all that he had the personality to call a lover “baby.”

Associating this with the malicious ghost’s previous actions of rolling around and not learning from being beaten, Xiu finally attributed all this to this being a rather dangerous, peerlessly stupid ghost.

It’s normal for an idiot not to remember who they are after dying.

Being led by Xiu floating all the way, watching Xiu take him from the underground commercial street to the ground, Wen Chu couldn’t help asking, “Where are we going?”

Xiu was expressionless. “I’m riding a shared bike to take you to the Exorcist Association venue.”

Killing Wen Chu, he couldn’t bear it.

Releasing Wen Chu, he was worried.

Delivering Wen Chu, he couldn’t do it.

Letting a malicious ghost stay in crowded public transportation was obviously dangerous, so Xiu simply decided to tie this ghost to himself and take him away.

Anyway, keep him tethered first, take it one step at a time. Even if this ghost wanted revenge, he had to get past him first.

Wen Chu stopped talking, just raised his wrists to repeatedly admire his hands bound and led away by Xiu.

Glimpsing his action, Xiu scoffed coldly, “What? Unwilling?”

Wen Chu shook his head repeatedly. “No, no.”

He was just a little happy.

This time it was Xiu who proactively tied him up, making him only able to follow him. Wen Chu liked this feeling very much, shaking his head and even unable to stop starting to smile.

A particularly silly, particularly bright smile.

Xiu: …

Xiu was even more firmly convinced that he had encountered a stupid ghost.

So stupid, and so young, how on earth did he become a malicious ghost with such deep resentment?

Xiu was more puzzled about the identity of the ghost in front of him, but because the other party didn’t remember his name at all, he could only temporarily dismiss the idea of investigating the other’s identity.

Might as well take him to the Exorcist Conference for everyone to see. Maybe there will be some clues.

Thinking this, Xiu led Wen Chu toward the shared electric bikes parked by the street.

Wen Chu was still happily silly. Floating after Xiu, smelling the fragrance on Xiu, he added very seriously, “I am very willing, but if you tie me up, you have to be responsible for me. You have to feed me Yang energy.”

As soon as Wen Chu said “feed Yang energy,” Xiu remembered the weird feeling just now.

He paused in his steps. “You are a malicious ghost; you don’t need to eat Yang energy.”

Wen Chu: “No, I want it. If I don’t eat Yang energy, I will die.”

Walking out of the subway station and mall to the ground level, there were quite a few wandering unjust souls on the street.

Most were white ghosts or gray ghosts with dark circles under their eyes. Such ghosts were not only weak but also didn’t have much clear consciousness, only knowing to wander blankly in the place where they died.

Dozens of white ghosts hovered at the intersection, floating and hanging on the traffic lights. Whenever a vehicle ran a red light or cut in line, they would hold their faces showing terrified expressions.

Very much like that famous painting called “The Scream.”

Wen Chu pointed at a white ghost screaming until deformed. “If you don’t feed me Yang energy, I will disappear like him.”

Xiu couldn’t help asking, “Are you a seductive ghost or a malicious ghost?”

Wen Chu asked, “What is a seductive ghost?”

Xiu: “A ghost that specifically sucks human Yang energy.”

Wen Chu suddenly realized. “Oh, then I am a seductive ghost. I suck human Yang energy. Can I eat now?”

Xiu: “…”

Xiu refused coldly: “No.”

Wen Chu whined. He immediately flew closer, striving hard: “I am very convenient to feed. As long as you let me touch you, I can get your Yang energy. You really smell so good, so good. I really want to eat.”

As Wen Chu spoke, he demonstrated physically, passing through Xiu’s body before Xiu could react.

Xiu shivered all over.

This feeling…

Clearly not touched by the other party, yet it felt like being stroked from head to toe, from inside out. Every corner of his body was filled at the moment the other party passed through him.

His body seemed to understand very well how to react when filled.

Too strange.

Xiu pursed his lips, looking up at the malicious ghost floating in front of his eyes. In shame and annoyance, he wanted to teach this oblivious malicious ghost a lesson.

Wen Chu looked at him eagerly. “Isn’t it very trouble-free? Just let me touch like this.”

Having touched Xiu just now, Wen Chu’s lifespan finally returned to twenty-four hours. The fragrance on Xiu finally wasn’t so irresistibly seductive.

But still so fragrant.

Wen Chu swallowed. “Can I take another bite? You seem like a big piece of bread fresh out of the oven.”

Golden, fragrant, soft.

Only he had no physical body now and couldn’t eat, so he could only rely on his spirit body passing through Xiu repeatedly to satisfy his craving.

Xiu’s hair stood on end for a moment at Wen Chu’s metaphor.

Then, looking at the malicious ghost who was about to drool from craving, a bit of mischievous thought arose.

“I look like bread?”

Wen Chu nodded desperately. “Mn-hm.”

Xiu stopped talking, turned around, took him by the hand, and walked back.

Wen Chu followed Xiu floating back in confusion.

It was almost seven o’clock now. Bakeries outside the mall were opening one after another and cleaning up.

Wen Chu was led by Xiu into a bakery.

“Ding-ling—”

The moment Xiu pushed the door open, the aroma of bread in the bakery hit them in the face.

This was the first time Wen Chu smelled the aroma of bread under modern society and modern craftsmanship. Amidst the aroma of cream and wheat, he was so tempted he almost forgot to float.

This smell was also entangled with the smell on Xiu.

Wen Chu was really hungry.

Physically hungry.

Although ghosts didn’t need to eat, in the previous world, even as mist, Wen Chu ate three meals a day for more than ninety years in the end.

Ghosts are iron, rice is steel.

Wen Chu really wanted to eat bread.

The cleaning staff saw Xiu push the door in, froze for a moment, then remembering the nearby Exorcist Conference, said unsurprised, “We haven’t started business yet.”

Xiu nodded. “I know.”

Just as he finished speaking, a sturdy male staff member brought out a large tray of freshly baked butter croissants from the kitchen.

The steaming aroma of butter and milk almost made Wen Chu’s eyes go straight. He couldn’t help floating to the butter croissants, trying to reach out.

His hand passed through the croissant.

At the same time, the male staff put the croissants into the display cabinet.

An aura also came from his body. Wen Chu couldn’t describe it, but in short, it smelled bad, and directly covered the aroma of the croissants.

Wen Chu covered his nose and retreated to Xiu’s side again.

Still Xiu smells good. Xiu smells fragrant.

Xiu watched Wen Chu’s nonsensical back-and-forth movements with amusement, pointed at the croissants, and said, “Can I buy two?”

Staff: “Of course.”

The staff walked over to help Xiu bag the bread and checkout. Xiu specifically said “Pack separately,” and took a bottle of milk next to the cashier before scanning the code to pay.

Wen Chu leaned on the counter looking eagerly.

Xiu bought two and packed them separately; surely there was one for him?

Wen Chu’s view of the Xiu in this world changed greatly.

Xiu is not completely a scumbag heartbreaker. Xiu has him in his heart. Xiu is willing to buy him croissants.

Xiu’s bread is different from others’ croissants. This is a croissant bought by Xiu himself, carrying love.

Wen Chu was very touched.

At this time, that sturdy staff member pushed the door into the kitchen again. Wen Chu couldn’t help moving to the side again.

The aura on this person was too strange.

Xiu took the bread bag, saw Wen Chu’s movement, and said amusingly as he pushed the door out, “Do you have a grudge against that staff member? Why hide from him?”

Wen Chu frowned. “He smells bad.”

Xiu was puzzled for a moment. “Shouldn’t be? His Yang energy is quite sufficient too. If you think I smell good, you shouldn’t think he smells bad.”

Wen Chu pinched his nose. “Bad smell is bad smell. I don’t like it.”

Saying this, he floated a bit closer to Xiu, taking a deep breath, trying to inhale more of Xiu’s scent to replace the air in his lungs.

Xiu lowered his head and opened the bread bag, taking out a croissant.

Wen Chu looked at him and the croissant expectantly.

Xiu opened the package and bit off one-third of a croissant in one bite.

“Crunch—”

The freshly baked puff pastry was crushed. Wen Chu stared blankly at Xiu chewing the croissant calmly.

Xiu opened the milk and took a sip, turning a blind eye to the malicious ghost’s petrified state next to him, and continued eating bread.

The croissant in this shop was only half the size of an adult male’s palm. Xiu finished it in a few bites and took out the second croissant from the bag.

Wen Chu thought, this one should be mine, right?

And then.

“Crunch—”

Wen Chu looked at the expressionless chewing Xiu and shattered completely.

He raged: “Isn’t this for me to eat?”

Xiu looked at him strangely, corners of his mouth curving into an inconspicuous smile. “When did I say I bought it for you? It’s just that I didn’t eat breakfast and was a little hungry.”

Wen Chu: …

Xiu continued, “Besides, you are a ghost, can’t even touch people. Even if I wanted to give it to you, you couldn’t eat it.”

Wen Chu: …

Wen Chu’s tears of grievance fell down.

His eyes shed bright red tears of blood again.

For a moment, gloomy wind rose for no reason in the plaza.

Trees rustled. Wen Chu’s long white hair fluttered in the wind. His robes became brighter red, as if blood would drip down at any time.

Two long streaks of blood tears were on his face, lips crimson, staring at Xiu gloomily with beautiful eyes.

Xiu didn’t put away his smile but stopped eating the bread.

That’s right.

This ghost said he was a seductive ghost, and Xiu didn’t believe it at all.

Ghosts can be stupid, can be silly, but one that can become a red-clothed malicious ghost with soaring resentment cannot be without hatred for this world.

Just like the woman who died unjustly on the subway just now. If Xiu hadn’t subdued her in time, the green-clothed malicious ghost she turned into would probably have started attacking everyone who got on the subway at six in the morning indiscriminately.

That was only a green-clothed one.

The Soul-Binding Chain was still tied to Wen Chu’s hands. The plaza was empty with no one around. Xiu wasn’t afraid of hurting the innocent.

Xiu looked coldly at the beautiful white-haired youth approaching him, the smile on the corners of his mouth gradually losing warmth.

Let him see what kind of evil this red-clothed malicious ghost is hiding—

Xiu’s thoughts came to an abrupt halt.

Because Wen Chu floated past him leisurely, heading towards the bakery.

Xiu frowned and pulled the Soul-Binding Chain.

The Soul-Binding Chain emitted blue light. Wen Chu’s wrists were burned with red marks, held back and unable to float.

“What are you doing?” Xiu was vigilant. “The person you resent should be me. Don’t hurt the innocent.”

“Resent?”

The white-haired youth turned his head, blood flowing profusely under his blue eyes, looking at him with a tilted head in confusion, asking softly in return.

Xiu was on full alert. “Yes. If you have any business, come at me.”

The white-haired youth was silent for a while.

There were more tears of blood under his eyes.

Drip, drip.

Blood tears full of resentment broke through the Yin-Yang restraint between humans and ghosts again, falling onto the ground.

Different from being limited by the Exorcist Association’s great array in the subway, the ground turned into a sticky scarlet sea of blood when the blood tears fell.

Black energy surged in the sea of blood. Countless twisted and terrified faces flashed by. The entire plaza was like a purgatory on earth at this moment.

The white-haired youth looked at him. Just when Xiu almost couldn’t help making a move, he finally withdrew his gaze.

Ignoring the obstruction of the Soul-Binding Chain, he floated stubbornly toward the bakery, not caring even if his wrists were dragged raw.

“I’m going to find the staff member just now.”

Wen Chu said sadly.

“I want to eat his Yang energy.”

Xiu didn’t let him eat, so forget it. Anyway, in this world, he didn’t expect Xiu to like him.

But if he didn’t eat Yang energy soon, he would die.

And he needed a lot of Yang energy to become strong, kill Xiu, and take him away.

Although that staff member smelled bad, he could reluctantly pinch his nose and touch the staff member’s fingers.

It was just still very sad.

His bread, his Yang energy.

Wen Chu choked with sobs: “You hit me, you won’t let me eat. We agreed that I am your baby. I hate you. I want to kill you.”

Xiu: …?

Good news: The malicious ghost finally showed malice.

Bad news: He actually felt this ghost was acting spoiled.

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