Wang Xian yawned and stretched, joints popping as the afternoon sun spilled lazily across the floor. The faint sounds of rustling had pulled him from a well-earned nap, and as he wandered into the living room, he expected the usual calm.
What he got was chaos.
"What the hell...?"
His eyes scanned the room, narrowing at the sheer absurdity before him.
A full Taoist starter kit had exploded across the space—Tai Chi gossip robes hung from chairs like ritual banners, yellow talismans littered the floor like confetti, and a wooden fish thudded rhythmically as Su Jin sat cross-legged, whacking it with a serious face. In her left hand, a peachwood sword. In her right, a Fu Mo pestle. Around her neck?
A silver crucifix.
Wang Xian's expression flattened.
"You guys holding an exorcism or filming a variety show?"
"We're scaring ghosts!" Su Jin announced proudly, puffing out her chest.
"Didn't you just cry into my mom's arms two nights ago?"
"I've evolved," Su Jin declared, raising the pestle like a war banner. "After slaying ghosts for five days straight, I am no longer afraid. I am the one who haunts."
She cackled.
Wang Xian groaned. "And the crucifix?"
"It covers all bases!"
He gave her a long, withering stare. "We're in East Asia."
"I do what I want."
Wang Xian turned to the others. Nangong Wu, Feng Luoli, and Yue Rushuang were sifting through bundles of incense and half-tied talismans. Cheng Yao sat on the couch, streaming the whole affair live on her phone.
"You're broadcasting this?"
"Obviously," she replied, not looking up. "This is gold. Title: Two Cuties vs. The Ghost World. Views are over a million already."
"…Seriously?"
Wang Xian leaned over and saw the viewer count spike again. Barrages of chat messages flew across the screen.
"They're actually doing it.""Ghost Bride speedrun incoming.""Cameraman deserves a raise.""Uncle with the phone looks done with life."
He sighed and rubbed his temples.
That night, just past midnight, the group wandered into the village alleyways, armed with robes, swords, talismans, and overconfidence. Su Jin and Cheng Yao led the way, pacing dramatically with weapons raised.
"This is where we make our stand," Cheng Yao whispered.
"It's time the ghosts feared us," Su Jin added, adjusting her cross.
Wang Xian hung back with the three stoic mages, holding the phone steady like a long-suffering documentary director. The parents had stayed home. Smart of them.
Then—it happened.
The air chilled. Soft footsteps, like silk dragging across stone, echoed faintly behind the two girls.
And from the shadows…
A ghost bride emerged.
Clad in tattered ceremonial red, her face was pale as bone, her eyes sunken pits of rage and longing. She drifted silently behind the oblivious pair.
Wang Xian held up a hand to the others, silencing them.
Nangong Wu leaned in. Her gaze asked, Should we warn them?
He shook his head.
Let it play out.
The chat exploded.
"LOOK BEHIND YOU!!""Ghost Bride! Ghost Bride!!""They're gonna scream so loud—"
"Yaoyao," Su Jin whispered, suddenly uneasy. "Does it feel cold back there?"
"I thought it was just me…" Cheng Yao replied. "Let's turn around. Together. On three."
"Okay."
"One…"
"Two…"
"THREE!"
They didn't turn.
They ran.
Screaming.
"YAOYAO, YOU LIAR!" Su Jin wailed, bolting forward in a flurry of flapping robes.
"I COULD SAY THE SAME TO YOU!"
In seconds, they vanished down the alley.
Silence.
Wang Xian blinked.
Nangong Wu sighed.
The stream's chat lost its collective mind.
"SCAREDY CATS!""I came for ghost-slaying, I stayed for the comedy.""Clip that. Someone clip that!"
Back at home, Wang Xian found the two heroines of the hour clinging to his mom like toddlers. Faces pale. Hands trembling.
"Oh hey, look—it's the Ghost-Scaring Duo. You two scared any ghosts lately, or just yourselves?"
Two glares shot his way.
Su Jin muttered something about "laughing ghosts" and "hanging from wires." Cheng Yao buried her face deeper into Mom's shoulder.
"Boy, stop teasing," Mom scolded gently.
Wang Xian sighed. Ever since Su Jin arrived—and especially since Cheng Yao showed up—his household standing had dropped into the negatives.
"Come on," he muttered. "Let's call Dad. We've still got monsters to farm."
Five Days Later.
Wang Xian: Level 22.Su Jin: Level 22.Everyone else: Level 20.
Thanks to the [Compassion] skill's level cap mechanic, Su Jin had to slow down once she caught up to him. But her mythical talent still put her way ahead of the global curve.
Together, their group had taken over the national rankings. Su Jin held the #1 spot. Wang Xian, a proud #2.
The rest followed close behind.
That night at dinner, Cheng Yao leaned in with big, expectant eyes. "Uncle... it's Qixi. Can we not level tonight?"
Wang Xian raised a brow. "So?"
"It's Chinese Valentine's Day!"
"And?"
She turned to the others. "Right?!"
Nangong Wu smiled kindly and explained, "Tanabata, or Qixi, is also called the Qiqiao Festival, the Weaver Girl's Day. The whole 'Valentine's Day' thing is mostly a modern label."
Cheng Yao blinked. "So it's not actually about love?"
"No more than any other marketing holiday."
Wang Xian leaned back in his chair. "So what I'm hearing is... it doesn't affect leveling. Cool. We continue."
The group groaned.
But then—
Nangong Wu's eyes gleamed. "Uncle… are there Tanabata events tonight too?"
He almost answered without thinking. "Of course—wait."
He froze.
That smile.
That question.
It was a trap.
Wang Xian cleared his throat, avoiding her gaze. "I mean... since the system has events for Zhongyuan Festival, I assume there will be something tonight."
"Oh?" Nangong Wu raised a brow but said nothing more.
Just smiled.
Wang Xian made a mental note: After this festival, kick Nangong Wu out. Too dangerous.
Midnight.
"Ding! System Announcement: The Qixi Festival Event has begun!"
The system chimed with that familiar tone, and three new events appeared:
Begging for Skill – Tailors could ask the Weaver Girl for inspiration, gaining tailoring XP.
Cowherd & Weaver Girl's Tears – Dewdrops that could be collected to grant a temporary buff: +resistance and +agility for 24 hours.
Blessing by Marriage – When the phantom lovers met across the starlight bridge, ten couple blessings would be granted to nearby pairs.
The kicker?
The blessing was permanent.
For both players.
Shared regeneration: +1% max HP every minute.
But…
If the couple ever broke up or stopped loving each other?
The buff turned into a debuff.
-10% max HP per minute.
Forever.
Wang Xian stared at the screen, wide-eyed.
He looked up.
And four women were watching him.
Smiling.
"Uncle…" Cheng Yao cooed, "who do you think you'll accidentally get matched with?"
Wang Xian backed away slowly, gripping his fork like a weapon.
Today was Qixi Festival.
And he wasn't scared of ghosts anymore.
He was scared of them.