I Am Your Natural Enemy

Tong Si regretted his decision as soon as he saw Wen Yan.

Previously, he’d felt that since they were all Ghosts who had huddled together for warmth for so long, his heart had softened, and he’d shown some goodwill. He had thought that, since they would be going their separate ways, it was better to maintain some privacy for each other, to give everyone a sense of security.

After all, these Ghosts had always listened to his advice. In the Land of Four Wilds, he had used his ability to see more than others to help them avoid many dangers. As Ghosts, whether the bonds between them were rock-solid or not, camaraderie certainly existed.

Who would have thought that this one act of kindness would lead to trouble? If those Ghosts caused any trouble, he would be the one to take the blame.

Luckily, he had surrendered quickly. Otherwise, if someone later went berserk and caused trouble, they would certainly sell him out. Also, luckily, they had encountered a series of scares right after emerging. Even walking the Nether Path had almost scared the piss out of them.

He guessed they would probably behave themselves for a long time to come.

After all, not all Ghosts necessarily enjoyed stirring up trouble. Especially those accustomed to constant fear; most of them definitely preferred some peace.

Tong Si had only been with Feng Wei for a short while, and he already wanted to just take it easy. He could eat incense candles and other things. He had his own room. The room even had a faucet with a constant supply of water, and hot water was available whenever he wanted. Moreover, when resting, he could relax without worrying that if he closed his eyes for a moment, he might never open them again.

Truth be told, in just this short time, he felt that this was enough; he didn’t want anything else. He just wanted to live safely and securely with his own room—a room so safe that people would even knock before entering. He had already forgotten what it felt like to sleep on a mattress. He didn’t want to die; he wanted a few more days of peaceful sleep, the kind where he could completely let his guard down.

Nerves that had been tense for who knows how long were very difficult to tighten again once released. So, he had surrendered without any pressure; in that instant, he felt his whole body relax.

Wen Yan didn’t know what Tong Si had experienced. He only guessed that Tong Si might have seen him fight the Night Vigil Deity before, which was why Tong Si hadn’t shown the slightest thought of resistance. Combined with his previous behavior, Wen Yan’s initial impression was that this fellow wasn’t a particularly vicious Ghost.

It’s difficult for ordinary people to discern someone’s true nature, but Ghosts had an advantage in this regard. By observing what kind of Ghost one was, you could get a general idea of their character. It might not be completely accurate, but it was usually reliable enough for an initial judgment.

Wen Yan glanced at Lord Zhu. Lord Zhu had been silent the whole time, leaving Wen Yan to handle everything. However, Lord Zhu hadn’t anticipated Tong Si surrendering so readily. After doing so, Tong Si actually seemed more relaxed.

Wen Yan pondered for a moment. Such risky individuals needed close observation. Moreover, he needed to use this fellow to locate the other Ghosts. More importantly, these Ghosts possessed intelligence from the other side of the crack.

Tong Si waited for a while for Wen Yan to continue with his questions. After a long moment of thought, Wen Yan suddenly asked, ”What do you desire? What is your wish?”

Tong Si was stunned. He hadn’t expected Wen Yan to ask this. He was lost in thought for a long time before answering, ”I don’t know. What I have right now is what I want: to have my own room, where people knock before entering.”

”Just that?”

”Yes. I haven’t had my own room for a long time, nor have I lived in a house. One day, I was very tired and rested in a burrow for a while. When I was jolted awake, a Night Vigil Deity’s huge foot was right beside me. All the other Ghosts resting with me in the burrow were gone. Only I survived; the rest were stamped to death. I just want to be able to rest easy, let down my guard, and not worry about being stamped to death.”

Tong Si spoke with sincerity. Lord Zhu sighed but said nothing.

Wen Yan nodded. He believed that the vast majority of Ghosts were like this, just as most people simply wanted to live their lives peacefully. ”As long as you don’t cause trouble, you can have everything you want. But first, you must find the other Ghosts who came from the crack—especially the Burned-to-Death Ghost you mentioned, who is clearly not well-behaved.”

”I... I’m not really sure where he is...”

”Then find him. He dared to harm people as soon as he got out, so he’s a prime target. Think carefully. He is your proof of loyalty. If someone else kills him before you find him, your proof of loyalty will be gone.”

Upon hearing this, Tong Si quickly said, ”I’ll try. It’s just, I’m not sure if the alley he left from is still there.”

Lord Zhu brought over paper and a pen, slamming them on the desk. ”Write down all the names you know. Include what type of Ghost they are, their temperament, and their characteristics—write everything down clearly.”

Tong Si picked up the ballpoint pen. He held it awkwardly but began to write swiftly. Although he seemed unfamiliar with a ballpoint pen, his neat and well-formed small regular script revealed he was an educated person. Lord Zhu looked at the characters, written top-to-bottom, and noted that some were clearly not modern simplified ones.