Chapter 320: Half of It

Midnight.

Shortly after Lu Yibei instructed Meng to release the “Hua City Haunting Management Regulations Calamity Revision Never to be Changed Final Edition,” an identical PDF file appeared in the haunting chat group.

“……”

So this is the rule set by Calamity after taking over Hua City? Void pondered after reading the document.

In fact, almost every King of Hauntings, upon completing the Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts, would establish a series of rules for their subordinates. For instance, Plague Taisui’s rule was that all hauntings must merge with it, Taoyuan’s rule was happiness above all, or perhaps forbidden zones for the living and regular offerings.

So what does Calamity’s rule signify?

Harmony between humans and hauntings?

Quite a distinct personal style, Void thought.

While contemplating, it asked in the chat group, “What does everyone think of the Calamity Witch’s management regulations?”

Online Pervert 00: “There are some merits, but it’s not comprehensive enough. For example, the idea of using Ley Line Energy to capture stray energy and subsidize subordinate hauntings seems too idealistic. If there are too many hauntings that can’t be self-sufficient, she might not be able to fill the gap.”

One Hundred and Two-Thirds Cat: “Excessive, completely excessive! If hauntings can’t freely hunt, what are they even?”

Nitpicker: “If hauntings freely hunt and get caught by The Midnight Watchers Society, then they’re not hauntings anymore, but core entities.”

“……”

As the chat group buzzed with discussions, Online Pervert asked, “Boss, what’s your opinion?”

Void: “I think it’s pretty good, quite valuable for reference. If one day I successfully conduct the Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts, I might consider referencing some of it.”

Void: “@One Hundred and Two-Thirds Cat By the way, Xiaoqi, do you remember what I mentioned to you earlier? Make sure to deliver the item to Calamity!”

One Hundred and Two-Thirds Cat: “[Angry Cat] Got it, I’m already on my way!”

After two light snowfalls, Hua City had cleared up. The waning moon hung in the sky, washed clean by the snow, casting a bright moonlight.

Under the moonlight, a shadowy figure darted between the skyscrapers of Hua City, gradually approaching Xingfu Community.

After a while.

The shadowy figure leapt from the rooftop, soaring on the cool night breeze. A massive shadow unfurled behind it, resembling countless slender tails swaying.

In the interplay of moonlight and shadow, the girl’s petite and slender figure and long legs were faintly visible.

It’s hard to imagine how such a seemingly frail body could carry the heavy bundle on her shoulders, akin to a small mountain.

“Rustle-!”

Meow Xiaoqi landed from mid-air, steadying herself on the grass not far from Xingfu Community’s underground garage. Her mottled ears twitched alertly, ready to move forward, but suddenly she was surrounded by seventeen or eighteen hauntings emerging from the shadows.

“Stop! What are you doing?”

With a shout, Meow Xiaoqi was startled, her fur standing on end.

Looking in the direction of the sound, those hauntings were holding psychic artifacts with bizarre shapes, as if they had been scavenged from a flea market: a toilet plunger, a metal folding stool, a ram’s horn hammer… you name it.

The low-grade psychic artifacts Lu Yibei had scrounged from Li Tanghan’s place were finally coming in handy.

A few of the hauntings had significant psychic energy fluctuations, and with these “strange weapons” at their side, it was clear that forcing a way through wasn’t an option.

After a brief silence, Meow Xiaoqi patiently explained, “I-I’m here to deliver a gift to Wang Buliuxing!”

“Wang Buliuxing? Who’s that? Never heard of them!”

“Exactly, this is the lair of the Calamity Witch. No unauthorized hauntings allowed!”

“Damn, I forgot about that…” Meow Xiaoqi muttered to herself, gritting her teeth, just as she was about to explain further.

A voice called out from a distance.

“Enough! She’s my…” The voice hesitated for a moment before continuing, “She’s my goofball online friend!”

Meow Xiaoqi was speechless.

What do you mean goofball online friend? We’ve actually met in person, you know?

This Wang Buliuxing is getting more and more full of herself!

Back at the Frozen Meat Shop, I should have given her a proper scare to leave a lasting impression.

While Meow Xiaoqi was grumbling internally, the hauntings surrounding her parted to make way, and a girl in green-clothed attire gracefully approached.

Behind her, a throng of hauntings gathered, a chaotic dance of spirits stretching as far as the eye could see.

Lu Yibei glanced at Meow Xiaoqi, who looked like a little thief straight out of a comedy manga with her oversized backpack, and a faint smile flickered in her eyes.

“Miss Meow, I heard you’re here on behalf of your boss to deliver a gift to me?”

“Well, thank you in advance, but I have pressing matters to attend to today. Just leave the stuff here and be on your way. I’ll entertain you properly next time.”

“Huh?!” Meow Xiaoqi was taken aback, hastily waving her hands to explain, “No, no, I’m not here to…”

“Not here to deliver a gift?” Lu Yibei frowned, “Then what are you here for? To cause trouble?”

“Of course not, our boss said you could only pick half!”

“Oh, got it!” Lu Yibei nodded, stepping forward to take the package from Meow Xiaoqi’s shoulder. Upon seeing its contents, she was slightly taken aback.

Aside from the usual items like core entities, psychic artifacts, and alchemical materials, there were dozens, nearly a hundred chips inside, which surprised her.

Why are these things everywhere?

Jiang Li was very concerned about the chips, saying they were dangerous. The Black Cloak Men under the Dusk Maiden’s command also carried these chips, and now the haunting chat group was gifting them to me…

They seem valuable, but what exactly are they for? Lu Yibei wondered to herself.

In fact, after completing the Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts, when the hauntings were cleaning up the battlefield, besides bringing back a lot of core entities, the most abundant items they brought back were these chips.

After a thorough examination, Lu Yibei discovered that aside from faint psychic energy fluctuations of varying intensities, there was nothing particularly special about the chips.

She even resorted to a mix of coaxing, deception, and threats to get Mr. Eyeball, the “Calamity’s test subject,” to swallow a few chips. The chips simply remained in its body like a child who had accidentally swallowed marbles, without causing any unusual reactions.

As Lu Yibei looked over the gifts Meow Xiaoqi had brought, she pondered deeply over the numerous core entities, psychic artifacts, alchemical materials, and peculiar chips.

What should I do?

I’m not a child anymore, why am I being forced to make a choice?

I need to figure out a way to keep everything!

With that thought in mind, Lu Yibei approached the open package, carefully sorting through the items until she had roughly divided them in half. She then looked at Meow Xiaoqi and said, “I’ve made my choice!”

“Just to confirm, I can really keep half as a gift, right?”

“Of course!” Meow Xiaoqi nodded.

“Are you sure?”

“Our boss isn’t like some people who go back on their word. If she said you could pick half, she’ll keep her promise!” Meow Xiaoqi replied.

“Oh…” Lu Yibei nodded thoughtfully, “Then I’ll just take… one half, right?”

As she spoke, she gently ran her hand over the right half in front of her.

“So I can take the other half with me?” Meow Xiaoqi pouted.

She stepped forward, ready to pack up and leave, but Lu Yibei stopped her.

“Wait a minute! Aren’t you being dishonest?”

“Huh?” Meow Xiaoqi was momentarily confused by Lu Yibei’s sudden question and muttered, “Didn’t you say you chose the other half?”

“No, I didn’t!” Lu Yibei replied expressionlessly, “I said one half!”

“Which half is one half?”

“Just one half!” Lu Yibei insisted firmly.

Meow Xiaoqi frowned in annoyance, “You’re such a troublemaker! One half should at least be specific…”

Halfway through her sentence, she realized something was amiss. Looking at Lu Yibei again, she saw a sly smile in her eyes.

Sorry, Miss Meow, I don’t want to clash with the haunting chat group either, but the cost of supporting a large group of hauntings is just too high.

At worst, I’ll find a way to help you from elsewhere in the future, Lu Yibei thought.

Darn it! This woman is playing word games; she wants to keep everything! Meow Xiaoqi’s expression changed slightly.

Just as she was contemplating how to counter Lu Yibei’s cunning, Lu Yibei suddenly raised her arm and called out to the hauntings around her.

“Everyone, help me take the gifts downstairs!”

Upon hearing this, Meng, who was in sync with Lu Yibei, immediately sprang into action. She rushed forward, extending her tendrils to scoop up a pile of items from the ground, shouting, “I’ll take this half down for Lady Witch, thanks to the guest!”

No sooner had Meng finished speaking than several hauntings, who understood the trick, rushed forward, grabbed the remaining half of the items, and ran off.

“Thank you, guest, I’ll take this half for Lady Witch!”

The change happened so quickly, like a snatch-and-grab, that Meow Xiaoqi hadn’t even processed it before Meng and the hauntings who had taken the items were out of sight.

When she finally came to her senses, she was furious, her tails swishing wildly behind her as she growled with a low, rumbling voice, “Wang Buliuxing, you’re bullying me!”

Lu Yibei blinked her innocent eyes, “I’m so wronged! You said I could choose one half!”

As she spoke, she deliberately emphasized the words “one half.”

“Hmph!” Meow Xiaoqi let out a cold snort, swiftly pulling her phone from her jacket pocket. She was just about to report the situation to Void and call for backup from the haunting chat group when she noticed a few private messages from her boss.

Void: “Xiaoqi, just come back, okay?”

Void: “The loss is roughly equivalent to a week’s commission from the haunting bounty website, nothing major. If we can use this to build a good relationship with Calamity, it might be worth it.”

Void: “Besides, I’m curious about what those chips are really for.”

In fact, when Void sent Meow Xiaoqi to deliver gifts to Lu Yibei, he had already considered two scenarios.

One was that Lu Yibei would choose to keep the items other than the chips.

The other was that Lu Yibei would choose to keep the chips, or even everything.

Void assumed that Lu Yibei wouldn’t want to clash with the haunting chat group over some chips of unknown origin and seemingly low value.

If she found a way to keep those chips, it would suggest she might know their origin or purpose.

The purpose of these chips couldn’t be deduced from information gathered online; it was highly confidential intelligence.

A small sacrifice to gain a piece of secret information was entirely worthwhile, and afterward, this intelligence could potentially lead to significant profits elsewhere!

Void’s plan was quite optimistic, but…

“I won’t accept this! I won’t!” Meow Xiaoqi puffed up in anger, glaring at Lu Yibei. “Just wait, I’ll get those things back sooner or later!”

“Oh, really…” Lu Yibei pondered for a moment, then called out, “Someone, prepare a nest for Miss Meow!”

With that, she waved her sleeve and left without leaving a single chip behind. Shortly after, a haunting brought over a large corrugated box labeled “Cat’s Home.”

Meow Xiaoqi, “…”

After a moment of contemplation, she lowered her head and replied to Void on her phone, “Boss, I’ll come back once I collect the debt!”

Void: “Good luck! [/facepalm]”

Void: “Also, keep an eye on how Wang Buliuxing handles those chips for me.”

And so, Meow Xiaoqi temporarily settled in a corner of Xingfu Community, starting her door-to-door debt collection mission.

The residents of Xingfu Community were very friendly, and within a few days, they had expanded the “Cat’s Home” into a “Luxurious Cat Palace,” complete with plenty of cat food…

Two days later.

Inside Office No. 8 of the Hua City Folk Culture Administration Bureau.

Lu Yibei lay sprawled over his desk, muttering intermittently as he stared at the report in front of him.

“I was so foolish, really. I should never have issued those regulations in the first place. If I hadn’t, and let them run wild, none of this would have happened. Without all these incidents, I wouldn’t be in this mess today.”

Even with Bai Kai’s help and the higher-ups turning a blind eye, cleaning up the mess after the hauntings scared the living daylights out of people was proving to be a Herculean task.

For instance…

[A bedside ghost, after successfully scaring a little girl, was about to leave.

But the girl cried even louder, pleading, “Don’t go! I’m really scared to sleep alone!”

Moved by compassion, the ghost stayed to comfort the frightened girl until she fell asleep, staying with her until dawn.

The next day, the girl’s parents discovered the ghost and captured it on the spot.

Due to its fluffy appearance, it was mistaken for a new species of animal and sent to the Hua City Zoo, currently held in the feline section, awaiting expert study before being put on public display.]

How on earth was he supposed to cover this up after rescuing it?

And then there was…

[An evil spirit type, imitating the methods of Sadako, crawled out of a TV to scare people.

Upon appearing, it realized the homeowner was its idol, a girl it had been obsessed with in life.

Overcome with emotion, it brazenly asked for an autograph, but not only did it fail, the idol girl was so terrified her face contorted excessively.

This resulted in a dislocated jaw and severe misalignment of her nose implant, potentially leaving her with serious disfigurement.]

How the heck was he supposed to explain this? A haunting that specializes in assaulting cosmetic idols?

Staring at the reports on his desk, Lu Yibei felt his brain was about to be squeezed dry.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door, and Du Sixian’s voice came from outside.

“Senior, may I come in? I have something to ask you.”

What is there to ask? As a familiar, you should be helping me out… Lu Yibei thought to himself, expressionless, “Come in!”

The door opened, and Du Sixian walked in, flashing a sweet smile at Lu Yibei. “Hehe, Senior, I heard from Qing-Jie that you’re in charge of supporting me on this mission, right?”

“Yes, just go without worry.” Lu Yibei nodded, “Let me tell you, don’t be afraid when you encounter a haunting. Just go for it. They only look scary, but they’re all paper tigers.”

After all, I’ve already spoken to all the hauntings in Hua City. Whoever you investigate, they’ll cooperate with your performance. Lu Yibei secretly added in his mind.

“Got it. I’ll be preparing to leave soon. Qing-Jie told me to get some equipment for protection. Do you have any good suggestions?” Du Sixian asked.

“As for suggestions…” Lu Yibei pondered briefly, slapping the table, “Isn’t it obvious? Take as much as you can! Whatever you don’t use this time, you can save for next time. And if you still don’t use it, you can take it to the ghost market…”

“Ghost market?” Du Sixian tilted her head in confusion.

“Uh…” Lu Yibei was momentarily at a loss, then cleared his throat, “Ahem, anyway, try to choose powerful psychic artifacts. For standardized psychic artifacts and equipment, just take up to the allocation limit. Better safe than sorry!”

“Makes sense.” Du Sixian nodded thoughtfully, her eyes darting around as she asked, “Senior, are you free now? If you are, why not come with me to take a look?”

“No time, take care, see you!” Lu Yibei replied expressionlessly.

I actually want to go with you, but circumstances don’t allow it! Lu Yibei thought to himself.

In truth, Lu Yibei was quite worried about Du Sixian accidentally killing a haunting that got too into character. If he could go along, he could help with the act.

After all, as a Class B Psychic, she mastered most of The Midnight Watchers Society’s precision spell formations and Qing Ji’s original spell formations. Any haunting below Class A wouldn’t stand a chance against her in a real fight.

But…

Lu Yibei glanced at the reports on his desk again, letting out a silent sigh.

“…” Seeing Lu Yibei refuse her invitation without hesitation, Du Sixian forced a slightly awkward smile. “Well, Senior, you go ahead with your work. I’ll head out on my own.”

Anyway…

I’m used to this by now. My dad’s always like this too.

Du Sixian thought to herself as she turned and left the office. She went to the equipment department to pick up her gear, then headed out of The Midnight Watchers Society’s main gate, finding the Mercedes AMG G63 parked nearby, and drove towards the outskirts of Hua City.

Recently, a strange incident had occurred in a small village on the border between Hua City and Yue City. An entire village had disappeared during a New Year’s play-watching event…