The remnant rays of dawn rose, bathing the entire land, with the rosy clouds as a guide, a new day arrived.
Inside, people lay sprawled in slumber. Bai Ran, however, quietly closed the door and left the City Lord's Mansion.
"City Lord! You're here!" Li Hu enthusiastically ushered Bai Ran into the courtyard.
As soon as she stepped over the threshold, Bai Ran released her spiritual power. She saw a cluster of ghostly energy lingering above the western house.
As expected, it was the work of a wandering soul.
"City Lord, my mother is in this room," he said, gently pushing open the door.
The room's furnishings were old, and the air carried the scent of inferior medicinal pills. On a wooden bed lay an old woman with her eyes tightly shut.
Bai Ran picked up a pill and ground it, her brow furrowing. "Have you been feeding your mother this kind of medicine all along?"
Li Hu nodded and retrieved several bottles of the same pills from under the bed. "It might be laughable to the City Lord, but..."
"I stole these pills from the street. I have no money to buy better ones."
Bai Ran flicked the powder from her hands and sat by the bed to feel the old woman's pulse.
"I've always wanted to ask you a question," she said, looking at Li Hu. "Your mother hasn't woken up for half a year. How did you know you'd wronged me?"
Li Hu stiffened, his hands clenching unnaturally. "Actually..."
"The ghost lingering in this room is my father... He occasionally possesses Mother's body to talk to me..."
Bai Ran placed the woman's arm back down, understanding dawning on her. "So you've come to me hoping I'll remove your father?"
Li Hu lowered his head in agreement. "Yes... I don't want my mother's body to weaken day by day..."
She was the City Lord. He had personally witnessed the dead rise and kill, so she must have a way to expel his father.
Bai Ran looked at the old woman beside her and spoke to Li Hu. "Can you still sense anything amiss in the room?"
Hearing this, Li Hu glanced around, blinking in confusion. "That eerie feeling is gone?"
"Go out and close the door," Bai Ran said, standing up and staring intently at the old woman on the bed.
Although Li Hu didn't understand, he obediently closed the door and left the room.
Bai Ran casually sat on a nearby chair, resting her chin on her hand. "What? Still not planning to show yourself?"
Although well-hidden, Bai Ran was the Ghost King, capable of sensing what others could not.
After a period of silence, dark ghostly energy suddenly erupted from the old woman's body.
A faint ghost materialized, its gaze fierce as it looked at Bai Ran. "You are the new Ghost King?"
She never expected the City Lord of Black Crow City to be the new Ghost King...
If he had known earlier, he would never have listened to orders and risked his life, only to lose it in vain and not even find peace in death.
"You already have the answer in your heart, why do you still ask me?"
Bai Ran's lips curved into a smile as she slowly stood up.
"Ghosts are not allowed to linger in the human realm, nor are they allowed to harm humans. Don't you know this?"
The ghost before her retreated, seemingly wary of Bai Ran. "This is my wife. I can do as I please!"
"He dares to talk back to the King! King! Let me go teach him a lesson!"
"I'll go too! The King's majesty must not be insulted!"
Looking at the ghost before her, Bai Ran smiled and sat back down on the chair, raising her hand to release Ying Yi and Ying Er.
Clad in red, she looked down, her imperial aura radiating inadvertently. "Go—"
The ghost was startled and immediately came under the frenzied assault of Ying Yi and Ying Er.
Outside the room, Li Hu leaned against the door, already drenched in cold sweat.
Although he couldn't hear anything, the terrifying aura emanated through the door.
A tremor from the depths of his soul, as if the very embodiment of darkness had arrived inside...
Half an hour later, the door opened. Bai Ran emerged composed, as if she had merely come for a cup of tea.
"The quality of those medicinal pills is extremely poor. Your mother will only get sick from taking them."
Li Hu responded absentmindedly until his mother's voice rang out. His eyes widened instantly.
"Cough, cough." A coughing sound came from inside. Li Hu anxiously rushed into the room.
He saw that the old woman had woken up. She was sitting up, looking at him, her complexion much improved.
"Mother... you're finally awake..."
Bai Ran didn't look back, leaving the courtyard with a light smile.
Back at the City Lord's Mansion, Bai Ran looked at the still motionless figures sprawled before her, feeling a headache coming on.
Zhong Zi's head rested on Dong Ling's arm, sleeping soundly. Zhu Que and Jiang Ye's sleeping postures were less elegant...
Zhu Que's leg was propped on Jiang Ye's stomach, and Jiang Ye's hand was resting on Zhu Que's head.
Jing Feng slept alone nearby, snoring and grinding his teeth.
Bai Ran sighed, set up a soundproofing barrier, and returned to her room.
However, Xuan Qinghong had already been waiting inside for a long time.
"Master? Why are you here?"
Xuan Qinghong stroked his beard and looked at Bai Ran. "This old man has come to check the seal within you."
If the seal of the inner demon were to loosen, it would be troublesome, so he had to check on it from time to time.
Hearing this, Bai Ran nodded and obediently offered her head.
Xuan Qinghong extended a fingertip and gently touched her forehead. A ripple of spiritual energy responded. It seemed the seal was fine.
"Since the seal hasn't loosened, I shall take my leave."
Xuan Qinghong stood up. Bai Ran blinked. "Master, you just came to check my seal?"
"Perhaps," he replied.
Xuan Qinghong's back disappeared, and a plate of sweet crisps appeared before Bai Ran.
Of course, he hadn't just come to check the seal. What Xuan Qinghong truly missed was his disciple.
Bai Ran looked at the sweet crisps on the table, tore off a piece, and put it in her mouth.
It was very sweet... so sweet that Bai Ran couldn't help but smile.
Meanwhile, Jing Feng slowly woke up, rubbing his eyes drowsily. "What time is it..."
Zhong Zi also began to stir. The moment he opened his eyes, Dong Ling was looking at him with a smile. "Lord Zhong, good morning."
He felt a warm touch beneath his head and suddenly sat up, his pupils wide with shock.
Images of his boisterous behavior from the previous night began to play in his mind. Shamefully, he wanted to dig a hole and bury himself!
"I! I was just drunk!" Zhong Zi's heart was in turmoil. This was too embarrassing...
However, Dong Ling smiled and withdrew her hand. "Lord Zhong, you're very cute when you're drunk."
"Thump!" Zhu Que rolled over, and his leg slammed into a sensitive spot on someone.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch!"
Jiang Ye awoke in pain, clutching his groin and curling up. "Who attacked me!!!"
He looked around. The Zhu Que beside him merely smacked his lips and continued to sleep soundly.
It's the little pig... The urge to hit someone instantly vanished from Jiang Ye's mind. He awkwardly scratched his head.
Honestly... getting a critical hit first thing in the morning...