"Lord Qi, I'm sorry. I lost the trail."
"It's fine. I have eyes on it."
The man addressed as Lord Qi pinched his fingers to end the call. He glanced down at his hands, which were noticeably paler than those of a normal person, before looking up at the bar ahead.
The four large characters for "Free Flying" clawed at the air, extending an aggressive invitation to everyone outside. To his eyes, however, there was quite a bit of black mist leaking out from within.
Lord Qi intended to wait at the entrance for a moment, but his attention was suddenly captured by someone.
It was a young man in his twenties. His attire was a bit different from the usual motley crew of oddities that frequented clubs late at night, though he still passed for half a trend-setter. He carried a cross-body bag on his chest, which looked bulky but appeared to have no weight to it. He wore a pair of sunglasses that had absolutely nothing to do with his trendy outfit, and with an aura that felt completely out of place in a bar, he walked inside alone.
"Look, that kid is here again."
"No kidding. He's here every single day, sitting alone and drinking away his sorrows."
In the chaotic bar, the young man walked in with a sullen face, stood at the entrance for a while, and did nothing else.
The music inside the bar was deafening. The crowd on the dance floor swayed to the rhythm, and the flashing lights turned the entire space into a gorgeous, kaleidoscopic world.
Yet, amidst this clamor and revelry, the young man in the sunglasses looked entirely out of place. He stood alone at the entrance, quietly observing everything before him, as if searching for something.
"Yo, handsome, here to play again?" The landlady approached to greet him warmly.
"Mm." Shang Yu gave a slight nod, acknowledging the greeting.
"What would you like to drink today? The usual?" the landlady asked.
"One Bloody Mary," Shang Yu said slowly, his voice deep and raspy.
The landlady paused, surprised by his sudden change in preference. But she quickly regained her smile. "Alright, I'll mix you one right away."
With that, she turned toward the bar. She was familiar with this handsome young man; he had very refined features, which was the only reason she bothered to wait on him personally.
Shang Yu walked slowly to a corner seat and sat down. He removed his sunglasses, revealing a pair of eyes that were almost entirely white. If one looked closely enough, they could see pupils the size of pinpricks. His complexion was that of a dead man—completely devoid of blood—a sight that sent an involuntary chill down one's spine.
After mixing the Bloody Mary, the landlady brought it to Shang Yu. "Sir, your Bloody Mary is ready. Please enjoy."
Shang Yu had already put his sunglasses back on. He looked up at the landlady, a flicker of complex emotion crossing his eyes. He took the glass, sipped it lightly, set it down, and fell into deep thought.
"It's awfully cold today, isn't it? Handsome, why do you come here alone every day?" the landlady couldn't help but ask.
Shang Yu looked up, a bitter smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "I’ve got nothing to do at home."
The landlady chuckled. "Well, you're certainly interesting. I guess you come to the bar just to unwind?"
Shang Yu said nothing.
Realizing he didn't want to talk much, the landlady sat down beside him. "You look so pitiful sitting here alone every day. I don't have much to do right now, so I'll keep you company."
Shang Yu nodded with a smile, showing his gratitude.
Chatting with a handsome guy every day had put the landlady in a much better mood. Based on her past experience, this young man was likely heartbroken or going through some kind of hardship. These were the times when people needed company the most.
Shang Yu drank half the glass in silence, his eyes darting around. It had been a week; the people here recognized him now, so why wasn't there anything yet? He was a professional ghost catcher, yet he hadn't even caught a glimpse of a shadow! Was the intel reliable or not? If he couldn't catch a ghost, he couldn't afford to eat! He was so tired—he wanted to go home and sleep! There were so many people here; he wanted to leave!
Thinking of this, Shang Yu sighed heavily.
In today's society, everything was a jumble, and all sorts of demons and monsters had crawled out. His trade, which had previously worked in the shadows, had suddenly been summoned. Apparently, the authorities had set up a department; for every ghost handed in, one would be paid based on its level of malice. The big shots all went to the mountains to catch high-level ghosts that paid well. But he was just a small fry, and he preferred to keep things simple and avoid the corporate grind. He could manage two or three catches a week—not enough to match the big shots, but enough to keep himself fed.
For Shang Yu, catching ghosts was much more interesting than a regular job.
Where were the ghosts? Where were they! This bar was supposed to be the place with the most ghosts; why were there none today?
Shang Yu sighed and downed another large gulp of the Bloody Mary.
"Handsome—handsome!" The landlady was finally losing patience; she had called him several times! With her stunning beauty, she owned the largest bar in Mingning City, along with five local chain locations and several branches in other cities. She was the definition of a wealthy, successful woman, wasn't she?
Shang Yu looked up, bewildered, and saw the landlady standing before him. He yawned groggily and said, "Sister, I'm not into women."
The landlady scoffed and glared at him. "Should've said so earlier if you weren't! You've wasted my time for nothing!" With that, she turned and left.
Shang Yu looked at her sparkling dress, adorned with dazzling rhinestones and sequins that shimmered with her every step. He let out a silent sigh of relief. He’d been hanging out in bars for a long time, and this trick never failed.
Just then, a melodious tune drifted from the bar’s stage, catching Shang Yu's attention. The house band, consisting of three men and three women, played with perfect synergy. Though the playlist was much the same every day, their performance was brilliant, full of passion and energy. Moreover, the band members were all incredibly attractive, making it a feast for the eyes that made it hard to look away.
Shang Yu listened for a while and sighed again. If he couldn't make a catch, he wouldn't even have the money to get into the bar!
*Ancestors, grant me a lesser ghost!*
Shang Yu sighed heavily once more, yet his eyes continued to scan the bar.
After sitting for another hour, he decided to get up and walk around. At that exact moment, a familiar white shadow flitted across the edge of his vision!
A ghost! There was a ghost!
Excited, Shang Yu looked toward where he’d seen it, only to see the white shadow drifting toward the restroom. He followed without a second thought, pushing through the crowd on the dance floor until he reached the restroom entrance.
Both the men's and women's restrooms had "Under Repair" signs posted on the doors. Sensing the ghost energy, Shang Yu ignored the signs and pushed open the door to the men's restroom.
He regretted it the moment he did—the sight inside was far too stimulating. As a professional ghost catcher, Shang Yu spent his days figuring out how to catch ghosts quickly or where to find more of them. Because only by catching ghosts could he earn money. As for anything else, he really wasn't interested. But this scene was a bit too much of a shock.
Moreover, he was used to opening doors quietly, and there was almost no sound. The two men inside were so engrossed that they didn't even notice someone had entered. Shang Yu searched the room, then quietly closed the door.
"Ah!"
One of the men finally spotted him and screamed.
"Damn it! What are you doing?" The other man blocked his partner. "Are you blind? Didn't you see the sign outside?"
"Sorry, I'm looking for a ghost!"
"Looking for a ghost, my ass! You're the ghost! You want me to—"
*Damn it,* he thought, *what is wrong with this guy? He isn't listening at all! This feeling of punching cotton is so frustrating!*
Shang Yu checked the room again. It was strange; he had definitely seen it come in here. Where did it go? He hesitated, then looked at the two men, who were busy straightening their clothes. "Did you see a ghost? About this tall?"
"Are you sick?"
The two men left in a huff.
Shang Yu shrugged helplessly. He shouldn't have asked. For one, these two were just ordinary people; they couldn't see those things. For another, he had, after all, interrupted their good time.
He frequented this bar often. When he was short on cash, he'd catch lesser ghosts, and he had stumbled upon couples countless times. Every time, he’d get cursed out, and occasionally, he’d get a beating.
Of course, when he had enough money, he liked to have some fun, too.