Forbidden to Capture Rare Cute Ghosts - Chapter 7

Nan Deng was full of anticipation, letting the rabbit head start eating first.

In truth, he had never witnessed a rabbit head consuming a living soul. Their past confinement within a sunless tower had only up-close encounters with the similarly imprisoned ghosts.

The rabbit head would eat almost anything — from rocks to soil, to the withered leaves drifting into the tower.

Once during the dark of night, it discreetly inflicted a wound onto another ghost in the tower, seemingly intending to eat it.

Upon discovery, the scream of that ghost was particularly loud, causing quite a disturbance.

Nan Deng could roughly guess why the rabbit head wanted to eat the ghost. The day before, that ghost had tossed out its intestines from its belly, intentionally scaring him.

At that time, he was extremely frightened, hiding away with the troublemaking rabbit head. Strangely, from that day onwards, all the ghosts avoided them.

The living room was quiet, the rabbit’s head unflinchingly stared, its fuzzy lips about to touch Lian Yi’s skin.

It calmly leaned backward, its fur looking smooth and obedient.

“What happened?” Nan Deng was puzzled when the rabbit’s head suddenly rolled off his arm and onto the floor, hopping away.

“Don’t run around!” Nan Deng lowered his voice and quickly stood to chase after it.

The rabbit head hopped about the living room, flicking its ears this way and that, and quickly found the place where the paper basket was last put.

The corner was now empty, with neither a paper basket nor a mini paper figurine in sight.

Nan Deng held it and sighed, “You probably ate it all.”

Lian Yi looked up, a pair of black-gray heterochromatic eyes staring at Nan Deng.

Nan Deng had his back to the sofa, talking to the rabbit head, and didn’t pay attention to anyone watching him.

This ghost, indeed, was very different from ordinary vengeful spirits.

During the previous two water mirror incidents, Lian Yi couldn’t see his real full appearance.

Nan Deng wore worn-out, oversized clothes. His right sleeve was particularly short, revealing smooth, fair skin. His actions were normal.

If it wasn’t for the translucent soul state, he would look just like a regular boy – a living human.

Ghosts didn’t normally appear this way; ghosts were deceased souls. The causes of their death usually manifested on their external appearance. Even without physical injuries, they would appear skeleton-thin and parched.

Moreover, Nan Deng was young and it was implausible for him to have passed away from natural causes.

In his current soul state, it’s impossible for him to survive beyond half a day under normal circumstances; he should’ve already been automatically guided to the underworld.

Could it be that the concentration of evil spirits in this area was what caused this anomaly?

“Hmmm…”

A very faint sound of hum echoed through, and a small octagonal ring mysteriously appeared in mid-air beside him, slowly revolving.

With just a thought from Lian Yi, Nan Deng would be severely wounded, or even immediately reduced to ashes.

Exorcising ghosts was a part of a Heavenly Master’s duty. He picked up the items at the doorway and acted like an ordinary person, solely for the purpose of luring Nan Deng. He wanted to see what his real intention was.

Furthermore, Lian Yi harbored a bit of selfish reasons.

Why should he bother much about getting rid of a ghost? But ever since he made notable progress in practicing Ling Shu, he no longer had any ghosts approach him voluntarily, let alone living beings.

This little ghost might serve as a way to kill time, to fill up his boredom.

Lian Yi snapped out of his daze as the octagonal ring continued to hover quietly.

The rabbit head in the corner blinked, seemingly sensing an unknown danger, and suddenly turned to the direction of the window in an attempt to escape swiftly.

Nan Deng, completely oblivious, held it tightly and chided, “Xiao Tu, stop running around!”

The rabbit’s head is surprisingly strong as the two, the rabbit and the ghost, wrestled near the wall.

Lian Yi came back to his senses and withdrew the octagonal ring.

Two seconds later, the rabbit’s head calmed down, rubbing its ears against Nan Deng’s palm.

Nan Deng wore a stern face, “Why are you being so disobedient today?”

Was the rabbit head afraid of living beings? Considering it wasn’t even afraid of ghosts, it showed no fear even in the face of nearly being captured by several Heavenly Masters.

Nan Deng didn’t feel any danger here. He couldn’t even find a single talisman in the entire house. Although it’s peculiar, it’s still safer than being outside.

The rabbit head finally became obedient, hopped on top of Nan Deng’s head, and quietly squatted down.

Nan Deng finally realized, it didn’t want to eat the living soul.

The little girl had said, a mist ghost needs a living soul. Since the rabbit head refuses to eat, then he himself has to do it.

Nan Deng returned to the sofa and sat down on the carpet again.

Lian Yi continued to read, his eyes attentively fixed on the pages of the book.

Nan Deng extended his fingertip, brushing against his knuckles once again.

The black cat felt warm as he petted it, but this sensation was different from that.

Out of curiosity, Nan Deng noticed that Lian Yi didn’t react, and ended up brushing against him a few more times.

From the back of his hand, down to his wrist, and finally, his fingertips.

The rabbit’s head slid down from the top of his head, squatting on one side of his shoulder, its dark eyes staring intently at Lian Yi.

Nan Deng’s gaze gradually shifted to Lian Yi’s face. He seriously thought to himself that Lian Yi was the most attractive person he had ever seen, despite having not seen many living humans.

From the moment he entered the house until now, everything went rather smoothly, and this only emboldened him more.

The couch was soft, and he worried that sitting on it might leave traces, so he just boldly leaned in, his body almost resting against Lian Yi’s leg.

Nan Deng fixed his gaze unwaveringly. He carefully reached around the book in his left hand, his fingertip brushing against Lian Yi’s chin.

Lian Yi’s drooping eyelashes quivered, as if he had noticed something.

Startled, Nan Deng quickly pulled his hand back, daring not to make any further movements.

Lian Yi put down the book, raising his left hand to rub his forehead.

Nan Deng let out a sigh of relief, and moved in closer again, readying himself for a bite.

The hand Lian Yi used to hold the book was resting on his leg, and Nan Deng chose his spot carefully, biting at the edge of his palm.

Suddenly, the rabbit’s head turned and hopped toward the other end of the couch.

Nan Deng didn’t have time to bother with it, he furrowed his brows lightly, and bit down once more.

… Why couldn’t he bite it?

It was different from the warm, slightly soft feeling he felt when touching his skin. His hand felt as hard as iron when he tried to bite it.

Nan Deng slowly let go, thinking to himself whether the location was incorrect.

He tried again, this time biting the back of the index finger.

Ultimately, despite his teeth feeling numb from the pressure, Nan Deng couldn’t manage to take a successful bite.

Was it a problem with his method? Nan Deng remembered clearly that this was how ghosts devoured humans.

Nan Deng was both perplexed and helpless, he lifted his gaze to look at Lian Yi.

Lian Yi still maintained the same pose as before, with his left hand propping up his forehead and staying motionless.

Could it be… that he has to wait until he falls asleep before eating?

Nan Deng felt utterly defeated but was unwilling to give up just yet.

He sat down on the edge of the carpet next to the sofa, hugging his knees while patiently waiting.

After an uncertain period, the occasional rustling sound of turning pages echoed throughout the room, and a wave of drowsiness gradually washed over Nan Deng.

He glanced outside at the dusky sky, leaning against his knees to nap for a bit.

The rabbit head hopped over, positioning itself beside Nan Deng, its eyes unwaveringly fixed on Lian Yi.

Suddenly, Lian Yi’s gaze shifted, locking eyes with it for a brief moment.

The rabbit’s head remained still, and so did Lian Yi.

Eventually, he pulled back his indifferent gaze, as if nothing had transpired.

Nan Deng, who was hungry and thinking about food, took only half an hour for a nap.

He yawned, noticing that it was past five in the morning.

And Lian Yi was still seated on the sofa, showing no intention of sleeping.

If this continued, daylight would break soon.

Nan Deng pondered over this for a long while, torn between staying over or returning to his old tin barrel. He ultimately decided on the latter.

He wasn’t familiar enough with this place yet, and for safety reasons, it seemed better to return to his tin barrel.

Nan Deng stood up, picked up the rabbit head to place into his pocket, and silently proceeded towards the window.

He used the same method as before, climbing out from the open window.

The curtains fluttered from the wind before quickly settling back to stillness.

Finally, Lian Yi put down his book and got up to walk towards the window.

Under the cover of the night, Nan Deng’s shadow disappeared without a trace. He was unsure of his departure direction, the faint scent he left behind merely lingered in the room.

Lian Yi lowered his gaze, looking at his right hand that was previously “bitten”, and proceeded to close the window.

There was still time before dawn, and Nan Deng was hastily returning home.

Upon returning to the familiar corner, Nan Deng found the iron barrel he used to sleep in was missing.

Startled, he looked around, but as he had suspected, it was nowhere in sight.

Who could have done it? A new ghost on the block that moved his sleeping barrel?

Nan Deng stood at the corner, clutching a rabbit’s head with pursed lips.

He hadn’t eaten a living soul, and now, his iron barrel was also gone.

He didn’t have enough time to go back into the house, so he sat down on the cold ground at the original location of the barrel, leaning against the rough wall.

“Meow…”

Dawn was about to break when the familiar sound of a cat’s meow rang out, and Nan Deng opened his eyes.

The black cat dashed over quickly, accurately locating Nan Deng, who was curled up in the corner.

The cat seemed exhausted; there was a new scratch on its back. Luckily, it wasn’t serious. It lay down next to Nan Deng and started licking its wound.

Nan Deng caressed it and asked worriedly, “Does it hurt?”

The black cat faintly meowed, as if responding to him, and then promptly got up, leaping into Nan Deng’s arms, touching him successfully.

With an additional cat in his arms, the rabbit’s head was squeezed to the side, it twitched its ears at the black cat in displeasure before grudgingly lying down.

Holding a rabbit and a cat, Nan Deng yawned and closed his eyes.

—————————–

A night had passed, and many exorcists had caught sight of the black cat, speculated to be a newly born earth spirit.

Lin Jiu followed it for a while, intending to assist it in hunting malicious spirits, but was evaded once discovered.

He returned early to the Fu Shop and reported the situation to Master Weng Pingran.

Intriguingly, through the communication screen, Weng Pingran found it hard to believe, “An earth spirit just passed away; it’s impossible for a new one to emerge so quickly.”

“Master, I saw it with my own eyes,” affirmed Lin Jiu, “I’m positive it is an earth spirit.”

Besides, it was an aggressive animal earth spirit, at least two folds stronger than the previous ancient tree spirit.

Each area could only have one earth spirit, and the existence of an earth spirit helped suppress malicious energy. Some earth spirits even actively hunted malicious spirits.

They didn’t cooperate with exorcists, and it was rumored that only ‘Shan Shen’ could tame and command them.

Lin Jiu’s expression was serious, he wanted to say something but hesitated.

But other than the underworld, there were no traces of the other two gods.

Weng Pingran’s face steadily became serious, he pondered and said, “Then… keep an eye on things, wait for me to finish the work I have at hand, and then I’ll come.”

Lin Jiu confirmed, “Alright.”

Communication ended, and Lin Jiu dialed Lian Yi’s number.

He respectfully asked, “Chief Lian, have you noticed anything unusual recently?”

At that moment, Lian Yi was opening his door to retrieve the pen from the floor.

He unscrewed the cap and noticed that the nib was bent and thus damaged.

Just as a new message came in, Lian Yi listened and replied to Lin Jiu: Nothing.

—————————–

At night, a light rain began to fall on the outskirts of the city.

The wind gradually picked up, causing the curtains to flutter accompanied by the soft pattering sounds of rain.

The wall clock pointed to one in the morning. Suddenly, a rabbit head hopped into the room from outside the window.

Following that, was Nan Deng. He skillfully climbed in through the window and carefully looked around once he landed.

The living room was lit up, but there was nobody present. Nan Deng proceeded down the hallway and heard the sound of water from the bathroom at the end.

He quietly approached and stretched his hand toward the glass door.

This material… it seemed as though he could step through it directly.

Mist filled the bathroom. The frosted glass was divided into two sections, and a translucent hand emerged from below.

The next second, Nan Deng had slipped entirely into the bathroom.

He glanced around to spot a figure half-submerged in the bathtub. Nan Deng immediately withdrew.

The rabbit head, unable to go through glass, was reminded by Nan Deng to stay put, “Don’t wander off, I’ll go in to investigate and be back soon.”

Not able to put his mind at ease, he drew a circle on the floor for the rabbit head to wait.

The rabbit’s head twitched its ears, watching Nan Deng disappear into the bathroom once more, it turned its head and sniffed in a certain direction.

The sound of water persisted without interruption. Lian Yi opened his eyes, a crease forming between his brow.

He had an inkling that Nan Deng would come, so he didn’t bother closing the living room windows.

Nan Deng arrived a bit earlier than he did the previous night, and with practiced ease, he climbed through the window, heading straight in his direction.

Compared to his previous timidity and clumsiness, his current actions suited him better as he nonchalantly intruded into the bathroom.

No matter how deceiving the exterior can be, innate nature cannot be altered – he is a ghost after all.

An overcoat hung on the rack beside the door, the Ba Gua pendant revealed half of itself.

Unaware of the looming danger, Nan Deng cautiously closed the gap between him and Lian Yi.

A faint smell of blood spread through the misting water. Nan Deng leaned in close and sniffed. Looking down at Lian Yi’s arm resting on the edge of the bathtub, he saw a long and deep wound.

It was the first time Nan Deng had seen a wound this severe on a living being. Startled, he commented to himself as if speaking aloud, “How did he get hurt…”

Was the wound fresh? Blood seeped from the tear-like wound, trickling into the bathtub where it mixed with the hot water, spilling over and making a mess on the floor.

Recalling the past few days, it seemed that Lian Yi had been living alone. The small paper figure resembling a pet had been eaten by the rabbit head.

And now that he was injured, he was still alone in the house.

Nan Deng sighed internally and blew lightly on the wound, much like how the black cat tended to its wound the previous night. “Get well soon,” he said.

He saw Lian Yi as his temporary source of sustenance, even though he hadn’t managed to partake of it yet.

If Lian Yi were not around, he wouldn’t know where else to find food.

Amidst the sound of running water, these words reached Lian Yi’s ears.

He closed his eyes, and the Ba Gua pendant fell back into the clothing.

Shortly after, he felt Nan Deng’s teeth on his arm.

Nan Deng deliberately avoided the wounded area and bit onto his firm arm instead.

He wrinkled his nose and tried his best. The skin under his teeth seemed even tougher than it was the previous night.

Half a minute later, Nan Deng was sitting on the floor with his hand over his mouth, muttering under his breath with a frown, “What should I do now…”

The fog around the rim of the bathtub was too thick, so Nan Deng hadn’t noticed that Lian Yi had lifted his gaze to look at him.

He was worried about his food supply, looking disappointed and reproachful.

A moment later, Nan Deng was drawn back to the overflowing bathwater— he began to play with it using his hand.

The hot water enveloped his semi-transparent body, raising its temperature. A feeling of surprise and curiosity dominated him, evident with a face brimming with simplicity.

Lian Yi withdrew his gaze.

Forget it.

“Clatter–”

A sudden sound of an object falling echoed from far outside the bathroom, causing Nan Deng to look up.

Lian Yi didn’t seem to hear it. Reacting to the noise, Nan Deng’s expression changed and he quickly turned his head to leave.

Upon leaving the bathroom, as expected, Rabbit Head was no longer at the door.

“Xiao Tu!” Nan Deng yelled. Hurrying into the living room, he saw Rabbit Head chasing after several paper men, a hungry wolf-like glimmer in his eyes.

The tiny paper men were squealing and trying to run away. Their chirps were too quiet to be heard from the vast living room.

In the blink of an eye, Rabbit Head had already consumed two of them.

Nan Deng reacted as if facing a formidable foe. While anxious about the direction of the bathroom, he tried to dissuade Rabbit Head, “Stop eating! You’ll be discovered!”

Rabbit’s Head paid no heed; his eyes fixated on the tiny paper figures. Nan Deng couldn’t keep up, and helplessly watched Rabbit Head clamp his vicious jaws on the last little paper man, crunching and gulping it down in an instant.

At this moment, the bathroom door opened. Dressed, Lian Yi stepped out.

Nan Deng stood in the corner hugging Rabbit Head, witnessing Lian Yi pause at the sight of the half-eaten paper figure on the ground.

The little paper figure was missing half of itself, its head hung low motionless.

Feeling guilty, Nan Deng covered Rabbit Head’s mouth with his hand.

But contrary to Nan Deng’s anticipation, Lian Yi showed no reaction. He moved to the couch, tossing the half-paper-man figure casually into the trash bin.

Wait, aren’t they pets?

If someone found their pet reduced to half, this certainly wouldn’t be the reaction.

Nan Deng looked down at the now-satisfied Rabbit Head, feeling a strange sense of incongruity he couldn’t quite put into words.

He quickly relaxed, quietly moving to Lian Yi’s side, and taking a seat on the carpet just like the night before.

Lian Yi’s hair was still damp; water droplets dripped from the ends. When Nan Deng reached out to touch, it was cool.

As he adjusted his position, he leaned against the edge of the sofa and picked up the rabbit head as he warned, “I won’t allow this again next time!”

Licking its lips, the rabbit head’s dark eyes filled with satisfaction.

For the latter half of the night, Nan Deng did not attempt to bite Lian Yi again.

Lian Yi turned on the television. He sat quietly on the floor, his gaze unshifting as he watched the shows on the screen.

The television was turned on all night, and likewise, Lian Yi stayed seated on the sofa the entire night.

As dawn approached, Nan Deng prepared to leave.

Before leaving, he touched Lian Yi’s left hand, looking at the wound concealed by the clothing.

Even if he wasn’t going to feed on him, Nan Deng still hoped for Lian Yi’s speedy recovery. He wanted to come over and watch some television again.

Procrastinating a bit, Nan Deng picked up the rabbit head and said, “We’ll be back tomorrow.”

He seemed to be speaking not only to the rabbit head but also to Lian Yi.

———————————-

However, on the following night, Nan Deng did not appear as promised.

There was no rain tonight, but the wind was stronger. Lian Yi stood by the window.

His back was towards the light, with an unusually cold expression hidden in the darkness.

He had been waiting for nearly two hours since midnight.

“Ding—”

A notification rang out. There was a distress signal sent out by a Taoist in the city center.

Lian Yi’s gaze dropped slightly, his right hand lifting as the Ba Gua pendant spun rapidly in his palm.

Translator’s Footnotes:

水鏡 (Shui Jing): Translates to “water mirror”, a prevalent prop in Asian divination, used for clairvoyance or foresight. This term often surfaces in fantasy genres.

絨毛 (Rongmao): Literally translates to “fuzzy hair” or “fuzzy fur”. Here, it vividly describes the rabbit’s texture.

魂體 (Hunti): Meaning “soul body” or “soul form”. Here it emphasizes Nan Deng’s spiritual existence rather than a physical one, following his death.

靈術 (Ling Shu): Translates to “Spiritual Arts”. Refers to the traditional Chinese practice involving methods to promote the free flow of life force or ‘Chi’ in the body, this can also involve interacting with spirits.

霧鬼 (Wu Gui): “Mist Ghost”. A specific type of ghost in Chinese folklore.

温暖和隐约柔软 (Wen Nuan He Yin Yue Rou Ruan): The phrase combines “Warm” and “Slightly Soft” portraying the feeling Nan Deng experiences when touching Lian Yi. This metaphorically illustrates the warmth and gentleness of Lian Yi’s demeanor.

山神 (Shan Shen): Mountain God. In Chinese mythology, Mountain Gods are deities responsible for the mountains.

If the cat, really is an “Earth Spirit”, so Nan Deng may be a “Shan Shen”? One that lost its memory? What do you guys think?

Nan Deng, stop peeping at others when they are taking a bath!!! ( ✧≖ ͜ʖ≖)

眉間皺起痕跡 (Méijiān zhòu qǐ hénjì): A crease forming between his brow – a show of mild irritation or discontent.

Ba Gua pendant (八卦環 Ba Gua Huan): A pendant with the Ba Gua diagram which in Taoism represents the fundamental principles of reality.

遲滯了片刻 (chidile pianke): Procrastinating a bit – portrays a moment of hesitation and delay.

Please let me know what do you think about this chapter in the comments!

Love ya (づ ◕‿◕ )づ