Chapter 165: Chapter 165: The Horrified Sister: The Silly Sister Brought the City Lord?

The northern district of the Ghost City.

Whether in reality or the Ghost World,

this was the first time Yun Zhenyue had ever been to the slums.

Si hadn’t wanted to come, but Yun Zhenyue had insisted.

She’d had no choice.

She could only brace herself and drive over,

revealing the ugliest side of the Ghost City.

When the sports car, named Night’s End, stopped outside the slums,

its bright headlights were like moonlight tearing through the night sky,

illuminating everything ahead.

The narrow alley reeked of rot and mildew. Moss crept up the mottled, dilapidated old houses on either side. A scrawny, lame black cat darted past, splashing through a muddy puddle filled with filthy water.

A rustling sound came from a corner not far away. A sallow face peeked out, its cloudy eyes staring intently at the sports car at the alley’s entrance. Its pupils constricted, and it ducked back into a rundown house.

A moment later, several ghosts in ragged clothes emerged.

Their eyes were filled with fear at the sudden arrival of a person of importance. It was a deep-seated humility, as if looking for a second too long would be a desecration of the ghost car.

Xiaoying said her thanks and got out of the car.

When the other ghosts saw her step out, they were in disbelief!

Countless eyes watched silently from the darkness.

Yun Zhenyue clearly noticed something.

The red mist here seemed very thin.

Elsewhere in the Ghost City, the red mist was visible to the naked eye.

But here in the slums, there was barely a trace, only faintly visible in the beam of the headlights.

Generally speaking, ghosts didn’t need to eat; they couldn’t starve to death, anyway.

Yin energy was what they truly needed.

The red mist represented yin energy.

Living in a place with such thin yin energy was like humans living in a barren desert.

A lack of yin energy would also make them weak.

’Just as I thought!’

’Ghosts are just like humans.’

’There are social classes.’

’The ghosts in these slums belong to the lowest rung of this Ghost City. They have no instances, no jobs to earn ghost currency, just like rats in a sewer, barely scraping by to survive.’

"City Lord, the environment here isn’t great. Should we leave?"

Hearing Si’s slightly hurried words,

Yun Zhenyue hesitated for a moment, then shook her head and said, "Let’s wait a little longer."

She might only be a City Lord in name only,

but she couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.

Especially after feasting at the Ghost Immortal Tower and wasting so much food, seeing the scene of cold and hunger before her made Yun Zhenyue feel a pang of shame.

"City Lord, please don’t blame yourself."

"They’re all just ghosts with no ambition. You don’t have to pay to test for a position in the Ghost City. I came from the slums too, didn’t I make it out?"

Si said, taking a deep breath.

"Don’t say that..."

Yun Zhenyue said in a low voice, contradicting Si for the first time.

’My own appointment as City Lord doesn’t count!’

’One could imagine that getting a position in the Ghost City requires paying a hefty price.’

’The questions on the written exam aren’t things you can answer just by grinding practice tests. You need the ability to acquire information. For example, the first multiple-choice question she’d answered required knowing about four specific ghosts in the city.’

’And getting that information is not so simple.’

’Unless you were born with your own instance, or you’re exceptionally powerful,’

’only then would you have the resources to exchange for such information.’

’But just like with ordinary humans, the vast majority of ghosts in the Ghost World are just common folk. Residual Souls and Ghosts are the majority. Wraiths can even be considered strong!’

’Fierce Ghosts are one in ten thousand!’

’Not to mention the likes of a Crimson-robed Ghost.’

’To Yun Zhenyue, she might just be a dancer.’

’But to the ghosts in these slums, she is a supreme overlord!’

Yun Zhenyue had been through quite a few instances, after all.

She had a decent understanding of these things.

Seeing the look of pity on Yun Zhenyue’s face,

Si knew she had misspoken. She had just been too hasty.

’The "underclass" I wanted to show Yun Zhenyue wasn’t the slums at all. Doesn’t the sheer number of ghosts here just prove how corrupt the Ghost City is?’

But Si felt this was already enough.

At least they had a place to live.

Outside the Ghost City, who cares if you live or die?

"Please wait a moment. I’m going to make a call..."

Si gave her an apologetic look.

...

Just as Yun Zhenyue was observing the slums,

and pondering how to help them,

she turned her head and saw several vehicles arriving!

Each vehicle was loaded with strange, black rice.

Just then, Si walked up from the side, head bowed respectfully, and said, "City Lord, I had someone bring some Yin Rice."

"This rice is a great restorative for the ghosts in the slums."

"If you agree, I’ve also drafted a proposal on how to help the ghosts in the slums test for official positions in the Ghost City..."

’So thoughtful?’

Yun Zhenyue’s eyes widened in surprise.

The former was just a temporary fix, not a cure.

That proposal was the real key.

In just a short while,

as several officials began distributing the Yin Rice,

the entire slum was shaken!

Nearly every ghost poured out of their homes.

Although they were desperate for the Yin Rice, there was no chaotic line-cutting. Instead, they understood the rules and queued up properly, receiving the rice one by one.

Yun Zhenyue also stepped up to help hand out the rice.

With every portion of Yin Rice they received,

these ghosts would look at the two of them with gratitude.

After all, they could tell from Si’s attire that the two of them were no ordinary people, and the Yin Rice must have been distributed on their orders.

"Thank you, milady."

"This old man hasn’t eaten in over a decade."

"Th-thank you..."

Almost every ghost thanked them. Some stuttered, seeming embarrassed, and were very careful not to let their grimy hands touch Yun Zhenyue.

...

At that moment,

Cecil was hiding under the roof of a dilapidated, half-collapsed mud-brick house.

Having reached a dead end, she had wandered around the Ghost City for a long time, with no idea how to get a position and complete her task.

It wasn’t until she reached the slums that a kind old grandmother let her stay.

She even gave the thirsty and hungry Cecil a bowl of cool water.

Unfortunately, as a human, she needed to eat real food.

Seeing Yun Zhenyue distributing the Yin Rice,

Cecil clenched her fists and bit her lower lip so hard that a trickle of blood seeped out. Her eyes revealed an endless hatred.

’We were both prospective brides!’

’Yun Zhenyue became the City Lord!’

’But I’m like a stray dog, forced to eke out a miserable existence in the slums.’

Her last shred of dignity prevented her from going to get the Yin Rice.

Even though the old grandmother next to her explained that humans could eat the rice too, they just couldn’t absorb the yin energy from it.

GRUMBLE~

Cecil clutched her cramping stomach.

A trace of pessimism and despair slowly appeared in her eyes.

...

In the deepest part of the slums,

Xiaoying looked at her older sister, Xiaoye.

The two of them looked like they were carved from the same mold.

Xiaoying had black hair and red eyes.

While her sister, Xiaoye, had red hair and black eyes.

"Sister..."

Xiaoying hesitated, gesturing to her sulking sister.

"Should we go get some rice?"

"My friend is the one giving it out."

Hearing this,

Xiaoye became furious!

’I am the leader of the Embers!’

’A top-tier Crimson-robed Ghost!’

’If I go get rice, wouldn’t that be the same as kneeling and begging for food?’

"No!"

Xiaoye refused outright.

And she blocked the doorway, preventing her sister from leaving.

"She’s definitely not being sincere! She must be after something of yours, she’s just trying to trick you!"

"..." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Xiaoying fell silent.

’Me!’

’A little ghost from the slums!’

’What could I possibly have that she would want?’

’It’s like a multi-billionaire taking a fancy to a street beggar’s broken bowl.’

’Is that even possible?’

Oh, right. She hadn’t told her sister about Yun Zhenyue’s identity yet.

"Um, sister... I don’t think I have anything she’d want."

Thinking this, Xiaoying said honestly.

"How is that possible!"

Xiaoye’s eyes were full of disbelief!

"You’re the sister of the leader of the Embers! Have a little more confidence, will you?"

"Who does she think she is, the City Lord?"

Unexpectedly,

after hearing this, Xiaoying nodded and hummed in agreement.

Xiaoye: "???"

What?!!

After confirming it several times,

Xiaoye’s eyes glazed over as she finally learned the truth!

"WHAAAAT?!!!!"

’Are you kidding me!’

’Today I just felt my sister was unhappy, so I sent her out to play for a bit.’

’I was already surprised to hear my sister had made a friend in such a short time.’

’Xiaoying’s luck has always been pretty good.’

’She’d often find money and things like that.’

’And now she’s saying...’

’...this so-called friend is the City Lord of the Ghost City?’

’This isn’t a matter of good or bad luck anymore.’

’This is maxed-out luck, isn’t it?’

’Wait a minute!’

Just then, Xiaoye realized something.

’The slums are the Embers’ main base of operations!’

’Which means!’

’My own sister brought the enemy leader right to our doorstep?!’