Dawn crawled over Ghostveil City, painting the streets gray and wet. The sound of chopping boards came from the noodle stall across the road.
Lin Xun sat outside his shack with a half-broken sign that read:
"Lin Xun — Certified Spirit Exorcist."
Someone had drawn horns on his name.
He tore off a piece of bread and chewed it slowly, watching a dog chase its tail across the muddy street. The broom ghost hovered behind him, sweeping the same patch of air again and again.
"Still no dust there," Lin Xun said.
The broom ghost froze mid-sweep. "Then I'm doing my job well."
Lin Xun gave up arguing.
A kid passed by, dragging a bucket. He stopped in front of the shack, looked around, and emptied it on the signboard.
Lin Xun blinked. "Did that kid just—"
The boy ran off before he finished the sentence.
"Yeah. Perfect morning."
> [System notice: Debt repayment pending. Twelve hours remaining.]
"Put it on my afterlife tab," Lin Xun said under his breath.
> [Not an available option.]
"Figures."
---
Hours passed with no customers. Lin Xun was about to shut the door when a man stumbled over — pale face, fancy clothes half-wet from sweat.
"You're the exorcist?"
"Depends. You paying?"
"Yes! My courtyard—it's cursed! The servants won't stay!"
Lin Xun's tired look vanished in an instant. "Of course. Exorcism's my specialty."
The man nodded quickly. "How much?"
Lin Xun thought for a second. "Ten coins."
"Deal."
Lin Xun blinked. He could've said twenty.
Too late now.
---
The courtyard was quiet. Too quiet.
Lanterns swung even without wind.
The broom ghost stayed close. "Feels cold here, Master."
"That's because it's haunted," Lin Xun said. "Try not to scream."
"I don't scream."
"You did yesterday."
"That was a mouse."
Lin Xun didn't reply. He pressed his fingers to the ground and pretended to sense something. He didn't really need to — the air itself told him this place was wrong.
> [System scan: Hostile residue detected.]
"Figures," he muttered. "Couldn't be simple."
He took out a charm and waved it over the cracked floor. Nothing moved.
He sighed, crouched lower, then heard it — a faint sob behind the walls.
"Someone crying?"
The broom ghost floated closer. "It's coming from the well."
Lin Xun stepped toward it. The stones were dark with old stains. He tossed in a coin. The splash echoed deep, too deep.
Then the air trembled.
A rush of cold spread up his arm. Mist curled out of the well, shaping into a woman's face — pale, sharp, silent.
Lin Xun stepped back slowly. "Look, lady, I'm just visiting—"
> [Contract option available.]
The system's voice cut through his panic.
"Now? You couldn't warn me sooner?"
> [Negotiation phase initiated.]
The spirit stared at him, hair floating weightless. Her voice came low. "Who woke me?"
Lin Xun lifted both hands. "Technically, gravity did."
The broom ghost hid behind him.
"Spirit Command," Lin Xun muttered. "Bind contract."
The mark on his wrist glowed faintly. The mist wavered — then pulled inward.
> [Spirit Contract established — Xuanyin. Rank: Mid.]
The courtyard fell silent again.
Lin Xun let out a shaky breath. "There. Exorcised."
The client peeked from behind the door. "Is it safe now?"
"For you, yeah. For me, not sure."
The man dropped the pouch of coins and hurried off without another word.
Lin Xun watched him go, counting in his head. "Could've asked for twenty."
---
Back at the shack, the broom ghost leaned near his shoulder. "Master… she followed us."
Lin Xun looked up. Xuanyin hovered near the ceiling, arms crossed, expression unreadable.
"You didn't tell me she'd come with us," Lin Xun whispered.
"You didn't ask," the system said.
He rubbed his temples. "Great. A guest that doesn't pay rent."
The broom ghost quietly returned to sweeping. "Should I make tea?"
"For her?"
"For me. I'm nervous."
Xuanyin's voice came soft but firm. "You talk too much."
"Been told that before," Lin Xun said.
> [Mission complete. Reward: Survival.]
He stared at the air. "You're joking."
> [No.]
He leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and muttered, "At least I'm still breathing."
Across the street, someone pointed. "That guy's talking to walls again."
Lin Xun didn't bother explaining.
"Let them think what they want," he said quietly. "Walls don't judge."