77. The Mysterious Steam Train

“All right, she said she likes you, which means you’ve finally won her over! Aren’t you happy?” Chen Sheng looked at the young ghost, a smile rising on his lips.

He was a man of principle, a stickler for his word. Since he had promised to help the young ghost fulfill his wish in exchange for gratitude, he would see it through.

The young ghost was stunned. He had expected retribution, but never imagined this outcome. He looked up, meeting Chen Sheng’s smiling face, and hurriedly forced a smile of his own. But under such extreme fear, his smile was more wretched than a cry. After all, standing so close to the execution device, a mere “Bad Luck” ghost with the weakest malice, to manage a single expression was already remarkable.

“As long as you’re happy. Happiness is the most important thing in life. Even for ghosts like you,” Chen Sheng added.

The young ghost nodded eagerly. His malice was so thin, yet he’d been sent out by the principal ghost of this school, precisely because he was clever and adaptable. So no matter how uncomfortable he felt, he had to play along with Chen Sheng.

“Good. Now that you’re happy, I think I should enjoy myself too,” Chen Sheng said. The words had barely left his lips before the young ghost sensed impending doom. But before he could react, he found his neck caught in a noose, hoisted up into the air.

His senses twisted, his body stiffened, and a terrifying, unknown force instantly swallowed him up. Then, like a dud firework, with a faint hiss, the young ghost vanished completely. In the instant the rope snapped his neck, he was utterly “dead.”

Such was the horror of the execution device.

A supreme martial artist of the First Realm, even at full strength, could only wound a “Bad Luck” ghost, forcing it into months of recovery. But this execution device, with a single thought, could erase a ghost in an instant. Unless one had mastered more than two ghost arts, could feign death and escape, seizing the chance to reincarnate as a descending demon—otherwise, death was certain.

Chen Sheng killed the young ghost in a flash, terrifying all the other ghosts anew.

Wasn’t this man just smiling a moment ago? Wasn’t he being amicable, even volunteering to help “A Lin” pursue “Xiao Yue”? How had he turned around and killed “A Lin” without warning?

The ghosts stared, wide-eyed and fearful, dreading they might be next. Especially the girl ghost “Xiao Yue,” who was most unsettled, having just conversed with the man. She feared she would be the next to be strung up.

Many ghosts require killing those who’ve spoken with them as a condition for harm. So, by that logic, she couldn’t help but be anxious.

But Chen Sheng simply turned and walked through the school. The headless girl, always obsessed with strange artifacts, immediately followed behind, playing the role of a silent shadow.

Then, unexpectedly, she heard Chen Sheng ask, “Did you notice?”

She was dumbfounded.

Notice what?

Confused and uncertain, she shook her head honestly, for she had noticed nothing at all.

“No? Well then, never mind. Let’s leave,” Chen Sheng sighed inwardly, as he had expected. After all, strange artifacts, upgraded relics of malicious ghosts, were exceedingly rare. He hadn’t expected to stumble upon one so easily.

The headless girl had never guessed Chen Sheng’s question referred to strange artifacts. Seeing him head out, she hurried after.

Thus, after this odd, misaligned conversation, the two—a man and a ghost—walked out of the school together.

Chen Sheng, having killed the young ghost, felt his resentment at being deceived vanish. The headless girl, meanwhile, envisioned herself wielding a suppressed, polluted artifact in the future, slaughtering all before her, making ghosts cower just as they had today.

She, Qian Shaoshao, swore to herself that she would climb step by step to the top, until no ghost in this world dared to bully her again.

Chen Sheng, of course, had no idea of the dramatic monologue running through the headless girl’s mind. He was pondering whether he ought to log out of the “game.”

Since there was no time display in this healing game world, Chen Sheng had no idea how long he’d been playing. He had only meant to play during his day off, but if he accidentally played past noon and wound up late for work, it would be embarrassing.

In the game, he could do as he pleased, but in reality, he could only be an “ordinary person,” dutifully going to work.

After all, without work he couldn’t survive.

Though doctors enjoyed decent benefits, the current social climate, soaring prices, high rent, and the pressure of aging parents meant Chen Sheng could barely manage more than basic comfort. At best, he could save a little to live decently as a single man.

“Come to think of it, after thirty you can’t call yourself a ‘single dog’ anymore. You’re officially a ‘bachelor,’ and that’s even written into the rules…” As he approached his thirties, Chen Sheng felt the pressure mounting.

“Single dog” sounded far better than “bachelor.”

Just then, as Chen Sheng mused, a swirl of black mist rolled out ahead, faintly revealing the outline of a guillotine. Before he could get a clear look, it vanished.

Chen Sheng’s expression was odd. He wondered what game event this might be, when suddenly the sound of a train starting up echoed nearby.

It sounded like a steam train.

He saw thick plumes of white smoke billowing overhead.

Soon, a steam locomotive appeared in his field of vision. Yet something was off—there were no tracks in this town, and the train had no series of carriages, only a locomotive and a single car.

Clearly, this steam train was not normal.

What train is so short?

Immediately, Chen Sheng summoned his big treasure once more.

As expected, the steam train slowed, then gradually came to a halt.

The door opened, and a middle-aged man stepped out, wearing a broad smile, seemingly unfazed by the execution device behind Chen Sheng. “Honored guest, would you be interested in boarding to buy something?”

“What do you sell?” Chen Sheng asked, calmly eyeing the steam train.

After all, in games, mysterious merchants were a staple.