Chapter 68 The Timid Little Chubby Boy

Upon returning to the villa, Yang Xuan looked at Chubby and said, "Go find Du Qing and brief him on this matter."

"Understood." Chubby nodded in acknowledgment.

Walking into the living room, Yang Xuan saw the Yellow Springs Ghost King and the Cleaver Imp sitting on the sofa, watching television and occasionally twisting their necks.

Noticing Yang Xuan's return, the two ghosts raised their heads.

"Master, you're back." The Yellow Springs Ghost King stood up, while the Cleaver Imp moved as if to prepare a meal for Yang Xuan. However, Yang Xuan waved his hand. "No need for that right now. I'm not very hungry."

"A-pu a-pu..."

The Cleaver Imp scratched its head, looking somewhat puzzled.

Paying no mind to its thoughts, Yang Xuan walked straight up to the Yellow Springs Ghost King, stared into its eyes for a moment, and asked, "Has anything unusual happened recently?"

"Nothing," the Yellow Springs Ghost King answered honestly.

"Good." Yang Xuan sat down on the sofa and began reviewing the spoils of war he had acquired this time.

They were truly pitifully few.

Not even close to the amount he had looted from the Western China Ghost King back then. After a brief inspection, Yang Xuan lost interest and casually listed all these items on the auction house. Although he wasn't particularly pressed for money, he had obtained these items through sheer hard work, so they could at least fetch some value.

"Has there been any unusual activity in the Western China Valley recently?" Yang Xuan kept his eyes on the television screen while addressing the Yellow Springs Ghost King.

The Yellow Springs Ghost King pondered for a few seconds. "Master, I heard that a female ghost of immense power arrived in the Western China Valley some time ago. It seems she is one of the wives of the Western China Ghost King."

"Oh?"

A flicker crossed Yang Xuan's eyes. A woman of the Western China Ghost King?

Goodness, this Western China Ghost King was truly rolling in wealth! He even had several wives.

"Then this female ghost must have some fine treasures on her as well." Yang Xuan narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Yes!" The Yellow Springs Ghost King nodded. "And I've heard that the Western China Ghost King has hidden quite a stash of items with his younger wife."

"Is that so?"

Yang Xuan's expression shifted slightly, suddenly sparking an interest to visit the Western China Valley and check if the Western China Ghost King had any good treasures. If so, he would simply have to acquire them.

He was currently planning to hunt for some treasures to list on the auction house.

Exchanging them for more merit points would prove immensely helpful to him in the future. With that thought in mind, Yang Xuan looked back at the Yellow Springs Ghost King. "How have things been with you lately? Any gains?"

"We have," the Yellow Springs Ghost King nodded.

"A few days ago, we tracked down the Southern Mountain Ghost King," the Yellow Springs Ghost King reported truthfully. "However, he is extremely vigilant, and we didn't dare get too close, so we didn't make a move."

"The Southern Mountain Ghost King?" Yang Xuan recalled briefly. The strength of the Southern Mountain Ghost King didn't even amount to one-tenth of the Western China Ghost King's power.

"What is he hiding and dodging about for?" Yang Xuan asked in bewilderment.

The Yellow Springs Ghost King shook its head. "I am not entirely sure about that either, but it should be related to the treasures he has hidden away."

"Oh?"

Growing somewhat curious, Yang Xuan said, "Very well, in a few days, I will accompany you to the palace of the Southern Mountain Ghost King."

"Very well."

The Yellow Springs Ghost King nodded.

Rubbing his nose, Yang Xuan stood up from the sofa and headed toward the second floor. "I'm going to rest for a bit. Look after the Cleaver Imp for me."

"Yes, Master." The Yellow Springs Ghost King bowed respectfully and accepted the command with lowered head.

As Yang Xuan walked upstairs, the Yellow Springs Ghost King and the Cleaver Imp resumed watching television in the living room.

A short while later, Chubby returned. Seeing the television turned on, he assumed Yang Xuan had forgotten to switch it off.

He walked over to the television to turn it off, only to catch sight of the Yellow Springs Ghost King and the Cleaver Imp, nearly scaring him out of his wits.

"Ghosts! There are ghosts!!"

Chubby retreated several steps, letting out a heart-wrenching scream.

Startled, the Yellow Springs Ghost King and the Cleaver Imp turned to look toward the living room entrance.

They saw a bulky figure crouching in the corner of the wall, his two short legs trembling uncontrollably, his face deathly pale, and his two rows of teeth chattering against each other.

"W-what kind of ghosts are you two?" Chubby stammered, pointing at the Yellow Springs Ghost King and the Cleaver Imp.

Not knowing what to do, the Cleaver Imp looked toward the Yellow Springs Ghost King.

The Yellow Springs Ghost King sighed, stood up from the sofa, and said, "Don't be afraid. I am the Master's ghost servant."

"Ghost servant?" Chubby froze. "Master?"

The Yellow Springs Ghost King nodded and pointed a hand toward the upper floor. "The Master is upstairs."

"So you're Brother Xuan's ghost servant." Only then did Chubby remember that he had actually seen these two ghosts before, but they had kept a very low profile. Coupled with the fact that his attention was entirely focused on Yang Xuan, he hadn't paid them any mind.

Hearing the Yellow Springs Ghost King say this now, he immediately understood their identities.

"Ah, ha, ha, ha, hello, hello." Chubby reached out to shake hands with the Yellow Springs Ghost King and the Cleaver Imp, his face plastered with panic.

He had genuinely been frightened out of his mind just moments ago.

However, neither of these ghosts possessed a physical form, so Chubby's hand passed right through, effectively shaking hands with thin air.

This sight filled him with even greater terror. His feet involuntarily shrank backward, retreating all the way into the corner, where he shivered uncontrollably.

The Yellow Springs Ghost King looked at Chubby with a wry smile. "There's no need to be this terrified."

The Cleaver Imp nodded in agreement, its two glowing green eyes wide open.

"I-I'm fine..." Chubby stammered.

He was scared to death, but unable to show it, he could only shake his head frantically.

"What is your name? The Master has mentioned you to me," the Yellow Springs Ghost King continued.

"I-I'm called Chubby," Chubby said, swallowing hard.

"Ah, Chubby." The Yellow Springs Ghost King cast a thoughtful glance at Chubby, wondering to itself why he was experiencing such intense fear.

Chubby nodded, forcing out a meager smile.

Although he knew they likely wouldn't harm him, the sensation was far from pleasant.

Chubby resolved to earnestly ask Yang Xuan for guidance in Daoist techniques later on, at least to the point where he could handle ghosts!

Otherwise, living under the same roof with two ghosts every single day, Chubby felt he would soon become a nervous wreck.

"Well then, you guys go back to watching TV, I'm off," Chubby said hurriedly as he stood up and bolted away.

The Yellow Springs Ghost King watched him go, the corners of its mouth twitching uncontrollably. "This little fellow is truly a coward."

"A-pu a-pu." The Cleaver Imp grinned, laughing out loud.

The Yellow Springs Ghost King looked at it helplessly. It had only recently begun practicing ghost speech, and every utterance required immense effort, nearly exhausting all its strength just to complete a single sentence.

Before long, Yang Xuan came down from upstairs.

Entering the living room and seeing the Cleaver Imp laughing so merrily, he asked, "What are you up to this time?"

"A-pu!" Still laughing, the Cleaver Imp pointed in the direction where Chubby had vanished.

"What happened to Chubby?"

Yang Xuan asked out of curiosity.

The Yellow Springs Ghost King explained, "Master, while you were upstairs, we were just chatting when Chubby walked in."

"And so you scared Chubby away." Yang Xuan had already guessed the outcome.

"Chubby really is quite the coward." Yang Xuan smiled helplessly and sat down on the sofa.

The Yellow Springs Ghost King nodded. "I originally wanted to treat him nicely as a host, but I never expected him to react so intensely."