Forbidden to Capture Rare Cute Ghosts - Chapter 10

Every mention of the fog ghost still caused a sense of unease in Nan Deng, instinctively making him clutch his rabbit’s head tighter.

“I’ve only seen him twice and couldn’t clearly see his face…”

He roughly described what the fog ghost looked like, along with the circumstances surrounding the two occasions he had encountered him.

“Black paper?”

Lian Yi immediately picked up on something unusual from Nan Deng’s words. Using some method to control his kind was not something a ghost should be capable of.

He had never paid close attention to the rabbit’s head before and hadn’t seen any markings on its ears.

Or perhaps, Nan Deng’s limited understanding led to a discrepancy between his description and the actual facts.

Lian Yi didn’t ask further, listening quietly.

“I originally lived in an amusement park,” Nan Deng began, talking about his earlier experiences, his tone growing progressively more desolate and fearful, “Then some celestial masters came. They captured many ghosts. I remember one of them seemed very powerful–he burned a ghost to death on the spot.”

Nan Deng had hidden in a corner that night, trying not to watch or listen. Yet, the terrified screams of the ghost being burnt still reached his ears.

An amusement park? A ghost burned on the spot?

These details seemed eerily familiar, perfectly describing Lian Yi’s own actions.

His expression subtly changed, the gaze that he lowered appeared gentler, “Don’t be afraid.”

Nan Deng felt a warmth in his heart and snuggled closer to Lian Yi, “I’m not scared now…”

Including the days he was trapped in the tower, this was the most he had spoken in one night.

He feared his counterparts, who appeared frightening and vicious, he feared the celestial masters who hunted ghosts everywhere, and he hadn’t encountered many living humans he could approach normally.

Lian Yi was an exception, maybe… they could be friends.

And the body of a living person was warm. Just like the previous few times, Nan Deng always liked being close to Lian Yi, and felt the same now that he could be seen.

Lian Yi’s hair was still damp, a droplet of water was about to fall from the tip. Nan Deng couldn’t help but reach out to touch it.

The droplet, upon feeling the faint touch of the ghost, wobbled lightly and fell, landing on Lian Yi’s sleeve.

When Nan Deng reached out his hand, he noticed that Lian Yi didn’t flinch at all.

He withdrew his hand, then lightly bumped Lian Yi’s knee, “I don’t even know your name yet.”

“Lian Yi.”

He didn’t specify which Chinese character it was, but Nan Deng nodded silently, making a mental note, and then asked politely, “Are you going to sleep now?”

It was already quite late; in two or three hours, it would be dawn.

“No,” Lian Yi turned the question back on him, “Do you want to watch TV?”

Nan Deng’s eyes sparkled slightly, and he nodded.

“Go ahead.”

Elated, Nan Deng headed for the living room, but not long after, he returned.

“I can’t turn it on…” He stood by the bedroom door, quietly asking for help.

He didn’t know how to turn on the TV?

Lian Yi got up, and together with Nan Deng, they went to the living room.

The television was successfully switched on, and instead of leaving, Lian Yi sat down on the couch.

Nan Deng keenly observed how Lian Yi navigated the TV remote control. It wasn’t long before he picked it up and started flipping through the channels himself.

Lian Yi sat on the side of the couch, one hand propping up his forehead, his eyes cast downward, lost in thought.

Without bothering to dry his hair, he just let it air dry. Seeing this, Nan Deng thought he looked somewhat weary, even though he didn’t go to sleep.

Nan Deng sat nearby, quietly turning down the TV volume.

The rabbit’s head woke up, looked around at the familiar living room, and then dozed off again.

Half an hour later, Lian Yi finally went back to his bedroom, presumably to sleep.

He walked straight out, not paying any mind to Nan Deng in the living room. In return, Nan Deng didn’t disturb him either.

Around dawn, Nan Deng came to the bedroom and found the door was left open.

Lian Yi was lying in bed, seemingly asleep. However, Nan Deng entered so quietly that when he peeked through the door, Lian Yi’s eyes suddenly opened.

Nan Deng felt at a loss and whispered, “Did I wake you up?”

Lian Yi stood up without uttering a word, turning to gaze out the window.

Outside, the sky was already light; according to the lifestyle of ghosts, it was time to find a place to hide and get through the day.

As usual, Nan Deng was no exception. Was he seeking shelter in this house, or did he want to leave?

Lian Yi hesitated for only two seconds before addressing Nan Deng at the doorway, “Come in.”

Obediently, Nan Deng came in, crouching down next to the bed.

Lian Yi watched him for a moment, then reached out his hand, his fingertips passing through Nan Deng’s semi-transparent hair.

Without using spirit arts, a living person would be unable to touch a ghost physically. When he pulled Nan Deng out of the wardrobe, Nan Deng was likely too tense and frightened to realize this.

“Do you want to sleep?” Lian Yi asked.

Seeing Nan Deng nod in response, he barely lifted his chin, “Sleep here.”

He meant that Nan Deng was not allowed to leave, and was to stay in this house even during the day.

However, Nan Deng misunderstood his intention, thinking that Lian Yi meant for him to sleep in the bed.

During the times that Lian Yi was unaware, Nan Deng had already sneakily laid on this very bed, and was yearning for its soft bedding.

“Really?” He was overjoyed, and promptly clambered into the bed, burrowing into the blanket.

As a spirit, dust and stains wouldn’t stick to him. If he slept in the bed, at most, he would leave a trace of his presence. Nan Deng didn’t know any better, he even barged in when Lian Yi was soaking in the bathroom, and now he had absolutely no reservations.

The blanket was warm, not to mention the living person under it. He nearly bumped into Lian Yi.

Lian Yi’s brows furrowed slightly, and he moved his lips.

However, Nan Deng was filled with happiness and gratitude, “You’re so nice…”

His words carried a hint of dependence that was so subtle even he might not have noticed it. It was as if he completely trusted Lian Yi now.

It was not really Nan Deng’s fault though. He had only left the tower half a month ago, hadn’t seen much of the world, and certainly never imagined a celestial master hiding his identity and harboring a ghost.

In the end, Lian Yi didn’t stop him and got out of bed alone, “Sleep.”

The bed was large, with only one pillow, which Nan Deng didn’t use. Instead, he buried himself completely in the blanket.

From the outside, you could see a figure curled up in the middle of the bed under the blanket.

Lian Yi slowly changed into his clothes, using his spirit art to firmly close the window.

——————————-

During the day, the charm shop was open for business as usual.

Lin Jiu had been working several days in a row, planning to rest and sleep for a few hours in the lounge when he suddenly received a message from one of his subordinates, a celestial master.

“Chief Lian is here.”

Not daring to delay, Lin Jiu quickly got ready and went downstairs to set off.

Lian Yi had gone directly to the cave where the malevolent energy was discovered the previous night. The area had been isolated, with any residents prohibited from approaching.

Several celestial masters were stationed outside the cave, responsible for maintaining vigil and cleaning up the scene. Once Lian Yi appeared, everyone halted their actions, respectfully moving to one side.

The celestial masters on duty during the day generally had lower strength, almost never participating in the night-time captures. None of them had seen Lian Yi before, only knowing that he resided in this sector.

They had heard of Lian Yi, dared not approach him, and quickly averted their careful glances.

For some unknown reason, Lian Yi was not wearing his insignia. The uniform he wore seemed to be from a long time ago with its stark black fabric devoid of any prints or embroidery, rather plain.

Even so, he was still remarkably composed. Based on appearances alone, he definitely stood out in a crowd.

Many residents sneakily observed him as he passed by, instinctively keeping their distance.

Under normal circumstances, ordinary people cannot sense the presence of malevolent energy; however, Lian Yi’s malevolence was so strong it affected subconscious behaviors.

Even for complete strangers, their first impression upon seeing him would be that this man is extremely dangerous and should be avoided.

Lian Yi stopped in front of the isolation tape, just as Lin Jiu arrived.

“Chief Lian!” he greeted with a respectful tone, lowering his head. “I am late. May I know your orders?”

Over a period, Lian Yi has only shown up at night, occasionally responding to distress signals, never asking about other matters.

His appearance here today caught Lin Jiu by surprise.

Lian Yi gave him a quick glance, his gaze returning once more to the cave, “The malevolent energy from last night, was it discovered here?”

Lin Jiu replied in affirmation, “Yes.” He then leads the way, guiding Lian Yi from the pathway into the cave.

“Last night there was a partial collapse in the cave, affecting the tunnel,” Lin Jiu began to explain. “The blocked path caused by rock debris has already been cleared out.”

The tunnel was dark and silent, with a large, expansive cave at the end. Two lamps had been placed inside to provide lighting.

It was now daytime, and many hours had passed since. Any lingering scents had long since disappeared and couldn’t be detected anymore.

“This place seems to have originally been a dwelling for resentful spirits,” Lin Jiu continued, “The Ghost King must have also concealed himself here. Perhaps there was some incident last night that caused him to desert this place.”

Resentful spirits sometimes moved together, other times they fought amongst themselves. Lin Jiu conjectured that in the midst of a crisis last night, the Ghost King revealed his true form and then fled. Some resentful spirits may have tried to follow, leaving behind some traces.

Unfortunately, they were one step behind yesterday. Following the several directions provided by the compass, they only managed to capture a tier two resentful spirit, and nothing much else was found out.

As for the route where the Earth Spirit had stopped them, in that direction resided the Earth Spirit and Lian Yi. Lin Jiu didn’t doubt that any spirit could have escaped from there.

Lian Yi stood in the center of the cave, surveying the surroundings: “We only managed to capture a tier two resentful spirit?”

The illumination inside the cave was dim, and the environment was damp and chilly. Lian Yi, back facing Lin Jiu, spoke indifferently, making it impossible to discern his emotions.

This inexplicably sent chills down Lin Jiu’s spine, and he lowered his head: “Yes.”

Nan Deng knew more information than him regarding this matter.

Nothing unusual was found in the vicinity, including the black pieces of paper that Nan Deng mentioned.

Subsequently, Lian Yi didn’t utter a word and turned to leave.

He was not interested in sharing information with Lin Jiu, for the knowledge of others might pose an impediment to him.

After Lian Yi left, Lin Jiu finally exhaled, relieved.

He rubbed his forehead, returned to the charm shop, and resumed his rest.

———————————-

As night arrived, all the spirits became restless.

News of the Ghost King’s appearance stirred up all the spirits, each dreaming of being the first to find the Ghost King.

Approximately at eleven in the night, a tap in a certain backyard automatically turned on, releasing a black and red liquid.

The liquid gradually formed a clump, and a water ghost emerged from it.

She controlled the flow of the water, planning to slide in through a crack below a door to devour a human, but suddenly heard a strange noise mid-way.

Carefully listening, the water ghost heard the grievous scream of a spirit.

“What are you saying…I can’t understand…”

In another building next door, a third-tier resentful spirit lay on the ground, pinned by a silver Bagua pendant. The immense force pressing upon him left him immobile.

Sitting next to him on a chair was someone.

The resentful spirit gritted his teeth in pain, struggling to suppress his urge to beg for mercy, he sneered, “What broken mist ghost, I have never seen one!”

He’d barely just got out and was unfortunately caught. This Daoist didn’t directly capture him but instead asked him a couple of questions.

The third-tier resentful spirit didn’t want to respond but couldn’t bear the piercing pain.

His words didn’t seem false, and Lian Yi slightly lifted his right hand, suspending the Bagua pendant in the air.

Freed from its constraints, the resentful spirit instantly turned to run but was suddenly surrounded by a profound spiritual technique, causing his spirit body to undergo even greater torment. He was rapidly refined, and his screams abruptly stopped.

As Lian Yi stood up, his expression was icy cold in the darkness.

Just as he was about to leave, he perceived other movements and turned his head to the side.

In the neighboring courtyard, the water ghost shuddered and hastily retreated back into the faucet.

She shrank her body into a tiny size, trying hard to crawl into the rusty water pipe when suddenly, she was forcefully pulled out.

A small clump of dark red contaminated water splashed onto the ground, slowly transforming into the figure of an adult.

The water ghost tried to escape but was drawn back by a spiritual technique. The Bagua pendant hovered at the back of her neck, the daunting pressure preventing her from returning to her liquid form.

Footsteps approached, and stopped right in front of her.

A cold voice asked, “Have you ever seen a ghost formed from fog?”

The water ghost trembled, “I have… I have…”

The area above her head fell silent for a moment. The Bagua pendant left the back of her neck as she was hoisted up by her neck using a spiritual technique.

Only at this point did Lian Yi catch a glimpse of a small, black mark on the side of her face.

Finally, he found it.

Lian Yi took out a ceramic jar and trapped the water ghost inside.

—————————–

Nan Deng slept until evening and realized that Lian Yi wasn’t at home.

The rabbit head had also woken up, looking a bit weak as it rubbed its droopy ears against Nan Deng’s hand.

Nan Deng picked up the creature, got up, tidied the bed, and went to the living room to wait for Lian Yi to return.

Though he mentioned staying only for one night before leaving, after getting to know Lian Yi yesterday, Nan Deng thought they had already become friends.

Even if he had to go, Nan Deng wanted to wait for Lian Yi to return and bid him farewell.

The living room clock struck twelve when the sound of unlocking the door finally echoed from outside.

Lian Yi pushed the door open and turned on the lights.

“You’re back…” Nan Deng, holding the rabbit’s head, stood not far away. His previously excited expression suddenly froze, and he stepped back half a step.

He hesitated, “Your clothes… they look like those of a Daoist.”

The outfit seemed similar, just lacking any patterns, with a plain-colored top and a short-standing collar, meticulously buttoned up.

The trust that had built up between Nan Deng and Lian Yi the previous night dipped slightly.

Lian Yi remained silent, unbuttoning his coat in front of Nan Deng.

He removed his outerwear, which left only a thin short-sleeved shirt, and casually tossed the coat onto a low cabinet next to the door.

Only then did Nan Deng approach him, his chilly fingertips touching Lian Yi’s arm, “Where did you go? Why did you come back so late?”

Translator’s Footnotes:

半個月 (Bàn gè yuè): “Half a month.” This phrase is used to denote a duration of around fifteen days. In the context of the novel, it indicates the time Nan Deng has been out of the tower.

危險 (wēi xiǎn): Translated as “dangerous”, this term is used here to describe the powerful and intimidating aura around Lian Yi that makes others want to avoid him.

煞氣 (shà qì): Translated as “malevolent energy”. In Chinese culture, it is believed to be a negative energy that can cause harm to humans.

Okay, why is Nan Deng so cute? Oh my, he’s so precious!

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I love ya (~￣³￣)~