Lin Xun woke up to the sound of coins hitting the floor.
Only, there were no coins — just the broom ghost poking at an empty pouch.
"Dreaming again?" Lin Xun asked.
The ghost turned its straw head toward him. "I was checking if they multiplied overnight."
"They didn't."
> [System notice: Account balance — ten coins.]
Lin Xun pulled himself up and rubbed his neck. "Didn't need a reminder."
> [Rent due in forty-eight hours.]
He stared at the shack's ceiling. "Maybe the landlord will die before that."
> [Unlikely. He's healthy. You're not.]
Lin Xun stood up. "Yeah, thanks for the motivation."
---
Outside, the street was busy. Spirit incense burned in small clay pots. Vendors shouted about blessing charms. A few of them nodded at Lin Xun with the fake politeness people save for conmen they still need sometimes.
He leaned against a post, scanning the crowd for easy clients. Most people avoided his eyes.
Then an old woman waved him over. "You're the exorcist?"
"That's me," Lin Xun said.
"My stove's been groaning since yesterday. Think a ghost's living in it?"
"Could be," he said. "I'll take a look. Five coins."
"Five?" She frowned. "Didn't you charge ten before?"
He cleared his throat. "Discount for senior citizens."
---
Her home was narrow and smelled like herbs. The stove sat in the corner, warm but trembling slightly.
Lin Xun crouched beside it.
"You sure it's haunted?" he asked.
"It moans at night."
He tapped the lid with a stick. "Maybe it's tired."
A muffled sound came from inside — low and heavy.
The broom ghost floated backward immediately.
> [Detected: minor spirit presence.]
Lin Xun sighed. "Alright, let's do this properly."
He took a talisman, pressed it to the stove, and whispered a line the system had taught him last night. The paper burned, and the lid jumped open.
A puff of dark smoke rolled out, then shaped itself into a man with a crooked hat. His eyes blinked fast, confused.
"Who are you?" Lin Xun asked.
"Cook," the ghost said quietly. "Died boiling soup."
Lin Xun blinked. "Still haunting your workspace?"
The ghost nodded. "Didn't finish the soup."
The old woman gasped. "You see it?"
"Yeah." Lin Xun rubbed his forehead. "He's attached to his job."
He pointed at the spirit. "You're free. Go wherever."
"I can't," the ghost said. "Pot's mine."
"You're haunting a pot."
"Good pot," the ghost replied.
Lin Xun looked at the woman. "Can you let him keep it?"
She hesitated. "If it stops groaning."
The stove made another small sound.
Lin Xun sighed. "Alright, compromise time."
He pressed his palm on the mark again. "Spirit Command — Bind."
The smoke twisted, shrank, and slid into his shadow.
> [New spirit acquired: Cook Ghost. Rank — Low.]
The system buzzed.
> [Congratulations. You now own a ghost obsessed with kitchenware.]
"Wonderful," Lin Xun muttered. "Exactly what I needed."
The broom ghost peeked over his shoulder. "Does this mean more food?"
"No. It means more noise."
---
When they left, the old woman gave him six coins instead of five. "You worked fast."
He pocketed them. "Efficiency costs extra."
The broom ghost trailed behind. "Master, that makes sixteen coins total."
Lin Xun nodded. "If this keeps up, we'll hit rent before starvation."
> [New task: Reputation Level 1 — progress 8%.]
He frowned. "Progress toward what?"
> [Unknown. Figure it out.]
"Do you ever answer clearly?"
> [No.]
---
Back at the shack, he sat under the eaves with a cracked bowl of rice and half a pickle. The broom ghost stood guard while the new cook ghost floated near the stove, mumbling about missing ingredients.
"Master," the broom ghost said, "should we tell the lady ghost about him?"
Lin Xun didn't look up. "No. She'll throw him out the window."
The broom ghost nodded. "Good plan."
A moment later, Xuanyin's voice came from inside the shack. "Who's talking about me?"
Lin Xun stopped chewing. "…No one."
She stepped out, floating an inch above the floor. Her expression was calm, which usually meant trouble.
"Why is there another spirit here?" she asked.
Lin Xun gestured toward the kitchen. "He came with the stove."
Xuanyin glanced at the cook ghost, who immediately ducked behind a pot. "Pathetic," she said softly.
"I like him already," Lin Xun said.
Xuanyin turned away. "You collect strays."
"I call it networking."
---
As night fell, the street grew quiet. Wind moved the paper charms along the doorway. Lin Xun leaned against the wall, watching the flickering lamps outside.
It was peaceful, almost.
Then the cook ghost shouted from the kitchen, "Master, this pot's leaking ghosts!"
Lin Xun groaned. "Of course it is."