The Grueling Task That Terrifies the Ghosts

"Young Master Yin, would you like me to...?"

The water ghost approached Yi Bai at the right moment, glancing at Sun Xiaohui, who had shrunk into the corner with two human players, making a cutting motion across his neck.

"No, don't worry about them. Let's see what tricks they try to pull; it's actually kind of amusing," Yi Bai said, a strange smile curling at the corners of his lips, dismissing the water ghost's thoughts of interference.

Yes, that's exactly it! He just wanted to see to what lengths humans would go in their desperation. It certainly wasn't because of any weird ideas about special perks.

"Understood, Young Master. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to call on me. It is our honor to serve you!" the water ghost replied obsequiously.

"By the way, is there a way to contact Mr. Ralph directly? There's something I need his help with," Yi Bai asked, thinking it was better to inform his main sponsor. Even though he was considered a guest here, it was still better to keep him in the loop to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.

"Of course, Young Master Yin, would you like to contact him now?" the water ghost asked respectfully.

Yi Bai nodded. "Yes, the sooner, the better."

"Please follow me."

The water ghost gestured for him to follow, carefully ensuring the word "service" was well-articulated.

It wasn't long before Yi Bai was led into the manager's office.

During this time, he had finally managed to shake off the incessant chattering of his 'mother', Xil, who had been hot on his heels, and was now standing next to Yi Bai, holding his hand firmly, a cream-filled candy stick sticking out of her mouth, her face gleaming with delight.

Inside the office, a slender man who appeared no different from a human, except for the vertical pupils in his eyes, smiled at Yi Bai in a friendly manner.

[Manager of the Resort: Snake Sixteen]

[Race: Snake Demon]

[Power: Vengeful Ghost]

[...]

"You are truly a remarkable young man, Young Master Yin! Even though this is our first meeting, I can already tell that you will be the future pride of Yinming City, destined for greatness!" Snake Sixteen said, starting with a lavish compliment.

Yi Bai's eyelids twitched slightly. Now he understood how this "manager" position was earned.

"You're too kind. I actually need to contact Mr. Ralph—there's something I'd like to discuss," Yi Bai said, his tone calm and approachable, though far from as imposing as Snake Sixteen had anticipated.

In the terrifying world they inhabited, status and strength dictated everything. The mindset of ghosts was vastly different from that of humans. While humans learned humility and caution, ghosts acted with impunity, knowing their place and power gave them the right to treat those beneath them with disregard—just like Count Rose did with his vampire servants, or Jiang Ling with her "sacrificial offerings."

Yi Bai's friendly demeanor worked wonders in garnering the good favor of someone like Snake Sixteen. With just his attitude and a few words, the manager's regard for him shifted from neutral to warmly friendly.

"Of course, Young Master. This phone here is for direct communication with Mr. Ralph. Please, go ahead," Snake Sixteen said, his enthusiasm unwavering.

"Thank you," Yi Bai replied.

After a few pleasantries, Yi Bai dialed Ralph's number. There was a brief sound of an engaged tone before Ralph's voice came through, sounding a bit muffled and strained.

"Hello, what is it?"

The voice on the other end was somewhat grim, clearly irritated. It seemed that Ralph, with his blood-infused vengeful ghost arm, was struggling with something far more taxing than a simple red-clothed ghost.

"It's me, Yi Bai."

"Ah! Dr. Yin! My apologies, I thought it was that fool Snake Sixteen calling. What can I do for you, Dr. Yin?" Ralph's tone shifted immediately, his mood lightening as soon as he realized who it was.

Yi Bai didn't waste time with pleasantries and got straight to the point. He explained his plan to use the ghosts in the resort as sparring partners to hone his combat skills.

"This is a trivial matter, Dr. Yin! You don't need to contact me for this. I've already spoken with them, you can do as you please. Is there someone disobeying my orders?" Ralph's voice turned sharp with anger, making Snake Sixteen wince as he heard the exchange.

Yi Bai, however, quickly clarified. "No, nothing like that. The staff here are all very welcoming. It's just that, out of courtesy, I thought it would be better to let you know in advance before proceeding with anything."

"Ah, that's a relief! I was worried..." Ralph let out a sigh of relief, knowing that it was a crucial time for the Kurohr family, and he couldn't afford any friction on his turf.

"Dr. Yin, feel free to proceed. If any ghosts happen to die in the process, it'll be their honor to fall by your hand."

"Thank you," Yi Bai said, hanging up the phone.

Snake Sixteen wiped an imaginary bead of sweat from his brow, looking at Yi Bai with renewed respect. "Would you like me to make arrangements now, Young Master?"

He had been listening in on the conversation, and while he was still anxious, he couldn't help but ask.

The water ghost who had led Yi Bai here almost evaporated on the spot, fearing the danger that lay ahead.

"Training combat skills, huh? Simple enough, right?" Yi Bai thought. But what if the one requesting the training was a prince? And the ones playing the role of sparring partners were mere commoners?

The commoners wouldn't find it so simple. Not at all.

Hearing Ralph's comments—"if any ghosts die, it's no big deal"—showed just how much regard Young Master Yin was given.

This was a thankless job. If one wasn't careful, they could lose their life. But, then again, in a world like this, servitude could be deadly.

Snake Sixteen and the water ghost could only wait nervously, knowing that disobeying Ralph's orders could lead to a swift and painful end.

4o mini