Chapter 159: Long Time No See

Chapter 159: Long Time No See

The two ghosts immediately turned invisible, and Duke only saw Wu Heng sitting on an old chair.

Scratching his head, he asked, "Captain, what are you doing sitting there?"

"How did it go? Did you confirm the identities?" Wu Heng asked.

"We did! Two of them are wanted criminals—one with level 3 merit, and the other with a mid-tier item reward." Duke grinned widely.

This was quite the haul.

Not only would they get a bounty, but also merit points.

"And the goods?"

"A lot of fabric and potions. Marta says the potions are hallucinogens, and there are also plenty of silver coins." Duke explained.

Wu Heng nodded and added, "Search the area; they probably have wagons nearby. Check the goods and coins, and wait for me outside."

"Oh, got it!" Duke scratched his head again and went back upstairs.

Once Duke left.

The two ghosts reappeared.

"It seems your team trusts you." The woman glanced at the stairs.

"Trust goes both ways."

"Hmm, makes sense!" The woman nodded before continuing, "Are you a necromancer? Or some other class?"

"Necromancer." Wu Heng nodded.

"What brings you here? Mages don't usually show up in such chaotic places."

"I was assigned by the guild. It doesn't matter to me where I go." Wu Heng replied, then asked, "Did you live here before you died, madam?"

"Yes, this was my home."

"The world is changing fast now. Don't you want to go out and see it?" Wu Heng asked, looking up at her.

The woman raised her head and stared back at him, unblinking.

Wu Heng smiled, planning to speed up the conversation.

She might be able to keep talking for hours, but he had to be back before the city gates closed.

Both sides were subtly probing each other, trying to learn more.

He didn't believe she had kept Xiaoxiao here without some ulterior motive, knowing full well he was a necromancer.

Based on her behavior, she didn't seem like a vengeful spirit.

At most, she was a reclusive ghost who didn't care about anything as long as she wasn't disturbed.

Also, she was likely much stronger than Xiaoxiao.

If she followed him, she could be a valuable asset.

"You want me to become your spirit servant?" The woman asked directly.

"Yes, it would benefit both of us. You could go out and see the world. Rentam City has probably changed a lot. You can't stay cooped up here forever." Wu Heng began to persuade her.

The woman lay back in the rocking chair, slowly rocking back and forth.

The chair creaked.

She seemed to be deep in thought.

As she had mentioned, this place was her home, and she had lived here for many years.

The idea of suddenly leaving was something she had to think about carefully.

Wu Heng didn't rush her and waited quietly.

Xiaoxiao clung to his shoulder and whispered, "Uncle, what are you talking about?"

"I asked her why she scared my child. She said she's been stuck here for too long and just wanted to talk, but since you two couldn't communicate, I told her that's no excuse. What if you got scared? That's basically restricting your freedom!" Wu Heng said, acting out the conversation.

"Exactly! She scared me so bad at first!" Xiaoxiao exclaimed.

"I explained that, but she said this is her home, and she's been trapped here with no one to talk to. I felt sorry for her after thinking about it."

Xiaoxiao tilted her head, finding it reasonable. "Yeah, this place is so rundown, and she's all alone here with no lights. It's kind of sad..."

"So, she just apologized. Since her attitude seemed sincere, I forgave her on your behalf."

"Alright, I guess."

The two whispered, and the woman on the rocking chair turned her head slightly to glance at them.

She turned back and said, "I'll go with you, but you must promise me one thing."

Wu Heng stopped talking to Xiaoxiao and asked, "What do you want? I need to know if it's something I can do."

"When you're strong enough, help me kill someone."

"Who?" Wu Heng raised an eyebrow. "I'm a guild captain, with certain moral standards, you know." He stressed, half-expecting her to ask for something like killing a hundred people to complete a ritual.

The woman smiled faintly and said, "My husband. I don't even know if he's alive, but if he is, you'll have to kill him for me."

Her tone was shockingly calm.

It was as if she was talking about someone completely unrelated to her.

"Can I ask for the story?" Wu Heng inquired.

"There's nothing complicated about it. He killed me and took all my wealth, turning this home into what you see now. As a ghost, I want revenge." The woman looked at him and asked, "Does that cross your moral line, Captain?"

"Well, as long as there's no plot twist, I'm fine with it." Wu Heng said.

The relationship between a necromancer and a spirit servant was that of master and servant.

The necromancer commanded the ghost while also nourishing the ghost with their soul energy.

It was a mutually beneficial arrangement.

But in terms of hierarchy.

The necromancer was the master, and the ghost was the servant.

Even if she lied, in the dynamic that followed, he would be in complete control, so there was no risk.

"Very well. I'll become your spirit servant." The woman took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled.

Wu Heng nodded, releasing his mental energy to envelop her form.

Gradually, he could feel his soul imprint settling within her spirit.

[Ghost successfully contracted.]

Wu Heng felt a surge of joy and immediately checked her attributes.

[Ghost]

[Level: 10]

[Attributes: Agility 22, Constitution 18, Intelligence 28, Perception 16, Charisma 26.]

[Traits: Invisibility, Phasing, Telekinesis, Illusion, Possession, Soul Bind.]

[Invisibility: The ghost can make its spirit form completely invisible.]

[Phasing: Entering a phased state allows the ghost to pass through objects and living beings.]

[Telekinesis: The ghost can manipulate objects within a certain range using mental energy.]

[Illusion: The ghost can create an illusion with soul power, causing those around to perceive a false reality. Intelligence above 25 has a chance to break the illusion.]

[Possession: The ghost can possess nearby humanoid creatures. If successful, the target becomes incapacitated and loses control of their body, which is then controlled by the ghost. Charisma above 20 makes possession impossible.]

[Soul Bind: The ghost can bind the soul of another spirit, restricting their actions.]

A level 10 ghost.

This was a fairly high level, especially considering the difficult conditions required for a ghost to survive and level up.

Compared to Xiaoxiao, she had three additional skills.

[Illusion] was the one she had used earlier to create the false scene.

[Soul Bind] allowed her to restrict the actions of other spirits, which explained how she had trapped Xiaoxiao.

Wu Heng's gaze settled on [Possession].

This skill was exactly like the classic ghost stories, allowing her to take control of living beings.

It was clear that this woman was far more powerful than Xiaoxiao.

Of course, Xiaoxiao was still young and had plenty of room to grow as a ghost.

"Welcome aboard, Glenda!" Wu Heng smiled.

"Thank you. Please take care of me, Captain." Glenda gracefully floated up and curtsied, her movements as elegant as a noble lady.

If only she had a body.

"Do you need to prepare anything?"

"There's a hidden compartment in the corner with some of my old savings. You can take it with you." Glenda rose and pointed to a moss-covered stone slab in the corner.

Wu Heng pulled out a dagger and pried the slab open.

Beneath it was a rotted wooden box due to the dampness.

He pulled it out and opened it, revealing five gold coins and a decent number of silver coins, some of which had oxidized.

It seemed Glenda had lived better than most.

"Alright, you can come back now. Once we're in the city, you can check out how much has changed." Wu Heng said.

"Understood, Captain!"

The woman smiled and, lifting the hem of her dress, disappeared into his body.

Xiaoxiao, still floating nearby, widened her eyes and asked, "What just happened? Where did she go?"

Wu Heng explained, "She's coming with us to see the outside world. I felt sorry for her being stuck here alone, so I agreed."

Xiaoxiao immediately asked, "What about me?"

"You're still Xiaoxiao."

"But what if she bullies me?" Xiaoxiao asked worriedly.

"If anyone dares to bully my child, I'll spank her. You tell me if she bothers you, and I'll take care of it." Wu Heng pounded his chest, promising.

"Alright." Xiaoxiao smiled, feeling reassured with someone backing her up.

"But we still have to get along, okay?"

"Got it, Uncle!"

She quickly vanished back into his body.

......

With the ghost issue resolved,

Wu Heng left the stone building.

The sunlight outside was still bright and warm, and the bodies were neatly arranged on the ground.

Every corpse had been searched, and the valuable items had been collected.

Nearby, several crates were stacked.

Inside were bolts of cloth.

At the entrance, there were also three wagons.

"Captain, were you having stomach problems?" Duke asked from atop one of the wagons.

"What stomach problems? I was just sitting for a bit." Wu Heng walked over to the spoils and asked, "Have you counted everything?"

Duke looked over at Marta.

Marta reported, "The goods are mostly cloth and potions. As for currency, there are three gold coins and over 1,300 silver coins."

For easier transactions, the silver coins had been converted into gold.

"We'll split the money. As for the goods, I promised them to the person who gave us the intel." Wu Heng said plainly.

"Whatever you say, Captain. No objections here." Duke grinned.

"Same here."

"Alright, that's settled then. Be careful with the gold coins, don't let anyone see them. Remember, wealth attracts trouble." Wu Heng warned as he split the silver coins into three shares.

"Understood."

Once everything was divided,

He had them load the goods and the bodies of the wanted criminals onto the wagons.

Then he added, "You two head to the roadside and wait for me. I'll join you in a bit."

"Got it!" The two replied, driving the wagons away.

Wu Heng opened a portal and moved the bodies through it.

Afterward, he joined them at the roadside and headed back to the city.

......

Back in Rentam City.

Wu Heng had Duke and Marta take the bodies back to the guild for verification, while he personally drove the two wagons to his shop's back entrance.

He parked the wagons in the courtyard and tied up the horses.

Horses were expensive in this world.

The guild offered rentals, but losing a horse or getting it killed would cost more than the bounty on a wanted criminal.

After securing the back gate,

Wu Heng went to check the front of the shop.

By now, the store had a decent number of customers.

Some were browsing, while others were looking to place large orders. Andveil was handling the accounts and quotes, while Minnie introduced items to those making small purchases.

It seemed the goods were quite popular here.

However, it was still tough for just the two of them to manage everything.

Sword One, Sword Two, Crossbow One, and Crossbow Two, who had been sent over, were more suited to acting as guards or security.

They couldn't help with customer service.

He really needed to hire more help.

But trustworthy people were hard to find. For now, he had no choice but to let the two of them manage.

Wu Heng stepped out, quietly giving Andveil a few instructions before leaving the shop.

She would inform Wen Mansa to come pick up the goods later.

......

After dealing with the goods,

Wu Heng walked a few streets over to the "Windgrass Tavern."

It was the same tavern where he and Duke had captured the wanted criminal who had been draining people's blood.

By this time, the tavern already had a few patrons.

The smell of alcohol and the heat hit him as soon as he stepped inside.

Wu Heng entered and picked a spot in the corner to sit.

At the same time, he released the newly contracted ghost, Glenda. Although she remained invisible, he could still feel her floating nearby.

"How does it feel? Any different from before?" Wu Heng asked.

"I'm not sure. I rarely came to places like this, but it does seem lively." A voice sounded next to him.

"Well, take it all in. We can check out other places later." Wu Heng replied.

At that moment, the female orc bartender came over.

Smiling, she said, "Captain, haven't seen you in a while."

"Yeah, seems like business is doing well here."

"So-so. What can I get you? As I promised before, you can drink for free." The bartender said generously.

"Ah, a beer, please."

"And what about these three gentlemen?" She glanced at the three figures sitting nearby.

"They're my attendants. They don't drink."

"Got it!" The orc woman looked around and leaned in closer, whispering, "Captain, would you like me to find you a girl to keep you company?"

Uh...

"No, I'll just sit for a bit and leave." Wu Heng politely declined.

"Alright, I'll have it out in a moment." She left and soon returned with a beer and some snacks.

"Captain, do you come here often?" Glenda's voice asked softly from beside him.

Wu Heng took a sip of beer and said, "I helped them catch a serial killer here before. As thanks, the owner lets me drink for free."

"Oh, I see. I misunderstood."

They chatted quietly.

Suddenly, Wu Heng felt someone staring at him.

Looking over, he saw a well-dressed middle-aged man sitting not far away, occasionally glancing in his direction.

Seeing Wu Heng notice him, the man picked up his drink and walked over with his entourage.

He sat down across from Wu Heng with a broad smile, twisting a gold ring on his finger engraved with an eye.

"Wu Heng, long time no see."