Chapter 6 — Rule-Based Horror System: Making the Ghost King Kneel

My heart skipped a beat. This plot development… why did it feel so familiar?

“System, this is another one of your missions, isn’t it?”

Ding! Side quest activated: The Phantom of the Imperial Palace. Quest objective: Uncover the truth behind the beloved concubine’s resurrection and exterminate the root of the evil. Reward: The lower volume of the Dual Cultivation Manual. The corners of my mouth twitched. This system was becoming increasingly inappropriate. However, since a mission had presented itself, I might as well go and take a look. After all, I had nothing better to do at home.

“Let’s go, husband,”

I rolled up the imperial decree and stretched my arms lazily.

“We are going on a little excursion to the imperial palace.”

Bu Shu’s eyes lit up instantly.

“Splendid! I shall mobilize the troops at once!”

“Mobilize your head.”

I flicked him lightly on the forehead.

“We are going to catch a spirit, not stage a rebellion.”

Bu Shu rubbed his head, looking thoroughly aggrieved.

“Oh…”

The imperial aura within the palace was heavily tainted by malevolent energy the moment we stepped through the gates. I was immediately greeted by a pungent, overwhelming scent of fox.

“A fox spirit,”

Bu Shu frowned slightly.

“And with at least a millennium of cultivation.”

The chief eunuch led us directly to the Palace of Abundant Grace, the residence of the favored concubine. Before we even crossed the threshold, the seductive sound of laughter drifted out from within.

“Your Majesty~ Hurry up and catch this concubine~”

Goosebumps erupted across my skin. Pushing the door open, we were met with the sight of a stunning woman draped in gossamer robes, darting playfully around the hall while the elderly emperor chased after her. The emperor was panting heavily, yet his face radiated utter infatuation. Upon seeing us enter, the woman abruptly stopped and turned her head. She possessed an ethereal beauty, her brows and eyes imbued with a bewitching, soul-stealing allure. However, her pupils were distinctly vertical. She was indeed a fox demon.

“Insolent!”

The emperor was startled when he caught sight of Bu Shu.

“Who are you? How dare you barge into the inner quarters!”

I stepped forward and offered a respectful bow.

“Your humble servant Shen Li, acting under the imperial decree to capture evil spirits.”

Only then did the elderly emperor snap back to his senses.

“Ah, ah, it is you, my capable subject. Quick! Help me check on my beloved consort. Why has she become so… so overwhelmingly vigorous lately?”

The favorite concubine giggled softly. With a flash of movement, she materialized directly in front of me.

“Capturing spirits?”

She ran her tongue across her lips, her gaze dripping with disdain.

“Just by relying on a wet-behind-the-ears little girl like you?”

Before I could utter a single word, Bu Shu stepped firmly in front of me.

“Is relying on me sufficient?”

A terrifying pressure suddenly erupted from him. It was the absolute, crushing majesty of the Ghost King. The concubine’s complexion shifted drastically, and she stumbled backward in terror.

“Ghost… Ghost King? Why are you here?”

Bu Shu offered a chilling laugh.

“There is no place in this mortal realm where this king cannot set foot.”

The fox demon’s eyes darted rapidly before she abruptly dropped to her knees with a heavy thud.

“Great King, spare my life! This humble one was merely forced into this!”

Surrendering so quickly? The demons of this era really lacked backbone. After a brief interrogation, we discovered that this fox spirit was also a victim. It turned out that the old grand prelate had captured members of her clan, forcing her to enter the palace and absorb the emperor’s dragon qi to refine pills of immortality.

“Another Daoist priest?”

Bu Shu furrowed his brow in disgust.

“These days, some priests are far more wicked than actual ghosts.”

I rested my chin in my hand, deep in thought.

“It seems we must pay this grand prelate a visit.”

The grand prelate’s estate was situated right next to the imperial palace. We barged straight in. The prelate was hiding inside his alchemy chamber, and the sight of our sudden intrusion frightened him so badly that his horsetail whisk slipped from his trembling hands.

“Y-You…”

“What is the use of wasting breath on him?”

I waved my hand impatiently.

“Bu Shu, take care of him.”

Bu Shu didn’t waste another word; with a single sweep of his hand, he slammed the old man hard against the wall. Simple and brutally efficient. Inside the secret chamber of the alchemy room, we discovered a cage holding several captive fox cubs, along with various materials used for practicing wicked sorcery. There were even the drained corpses of several young maidens whose vital energy had been entirely sucked away. The depravity was utterly unforgivable. I gathered all the evidence and tossed it directly before the emperor. Upon inspecting the proof, the old emperor grew so enraged that he coughed up blood on the spot. He immediately issued a decree sentencing the grand prelate to death by a thousand cuts while granting a universal amnesty. The fox demon led her clan back to the deep mountains to continue their cultivation, and before departing, she presented me with an internal core as a token of gratitude. The matter was successfully resolved. Bu Shu and I declined all the official titles and bounties offered by the emperor and returned to the Shen residence. After all, living a carefree and leisurely life as a pair of Ghost King spouses was far more comfortable.

Days melted by seamlessly. Bu Shu and I transformed the Shen residence into the largest intelligence network in the capital. With an entire legion of minor ghosts serving as our eyes and ears, not a single secret in this world could escape our notice. Occasionally, we would take on a ghost-catching commission to earn some extra pocket money. Of course, the heavy lifting was done primarily by Bu Shu, while I… took charge of collecting the fees. That evening, the moon was bright and a gentle breeze swept through the courtyard. I sat perched on the rooftop sipping wine, while Bu Shu sat beside me, patiently peeling grapes for me.

“Wife,”

He suddenly spoke up.

“The system says all the missions have been completed.”

I paused in surprise.

“What does that mean?”

Does that mean it is time to leave? A sudden pang of reluctance welled up inside me. Although I had originally sought to conquer him simply to preserve my life, after going through so much together, this arrogant yet clingy Ghost King had long since carved a permanent place in my heart. Bu Shu seemed to read my thoughts effortlessly. He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to the corner of my lips.

“The system asked me if I wished to sever the bond and send you back to your original world.”

My heart skipped a beat.

“Then… what did you choose?”

Bu Shu smiled, a smile as pure as a child given a piece of candy.

“I ate the system.”

I stared at him, dumbfounded.

“You ate it?”

I glared at him wide-eyed.

“That was a system!”

“It didn’t taste particularly good anyway, terribly stiff,”

Bu Shu wrinkled his nose in disdain.

“But at least it will no longer bother us.”

He pulled me tightly into his embrace, burying his face in the crook of my neck.

“You are mine, and no one is taking you away. Not even the system.”

My heart softened instantly, and I wrapped my arms around him in return.

“Alright, I am not leaving.”

“I will stay right here, serving as your Ghost King’s consort for the rest of my life.”

Beneath the moonlight, two figures clung closely together, unwilling to part. Up on the rafters, the red-robed female ghost who had once tried to kill me diligently fanned us with a bamboo fan. Time flowed quietly, and the mortal world remained peaceful. Even within the dreary domain of the netherworld, as long as he was by my side, that place would always… be my home. (Completed)