Collecting Rent From All Realms, Even Empresses Must Pay Tribute
Ch. 92 - The Ghost King

Entering the psychiatric hospital, a damp, musty smell filled the air.

It was cold.

The floor was covered in a layer of grime, and the pale moonlight cast a reddish hue on it.

Ye Chuan quietly observed his surroundings, shining his flashlight—mold was everywhere, vines crept along the walls, and the paint was peeling, revealing the underlying surface.

Brown handprints, seemingly made of blood, were smeared on some of the walls, a chilling sight.

Ye Chuan pondered.

He started thinking.

If he turned this place into a haunted house attraction, how much money could he make?

Absolutely authentic! Absolutely terrifying!

Lan Xiaoke peeked out from behind Ye Chuan. 

Although she was a ghost, she had been confined to the school building since her death and hadn't seen any other ghosts.

She had been afraid of ghosts when she was alive, how could she be fearless after becoming one?

Wang Yanran walked beside Ye Chuan, holding a compass that pointed towards the Ghost King's location.

Just then, Ye Chuan suddenly said, "Stop."

Wang Yanran froze. "What's wrong, senior?"

"Something's coming, several somethings," Ye Chuan said.

"Several…?" Wang Yanran glanced at her compass, about to say that everything was fine, when the needle started spinning wildly!

Wang Yanran: "?!"

Ye Chuan had detected something even before her compass?

He had, of course, used his divine sense. Although its range was limited due to his current realm, it was still useful for scouting.

A rustling sound echoed, and soon, seven or eight small ghosts appeared before them, all wearing blue and white hospital gowns, shuffling like zombies, moaning softly.

"Eek!" Lan Xiaoke immediately cried out. "Ye Chuan, ghosts!"

"Don't be so dramatic," Ye Chuan said, seeing the approaching spirits. 

He reached out, and the Thunder Peachwood Sword, especially effective against ghosts, appeared in his hand.

[Thunder Peachwood Sword]

Ye Chuan channeled his spiritual energy and casually slashed. 

Crescent-shaped arcs of spiritual energy cut through the ghosts like a scythe through wheat.

The small ghosts screamed and vanished, leaving behind faint blue sparks—their spirit essence.

"So strong…" Wang Yanran was secretly shocked. 

She would have had difficulty dealing with so many wandering souls, but Ye Chuan had destroyed them with a single strike. Just how strong was he?

No wonder her grandfather had emphasized the importance of maintaining a good relationship with him.

Ye Chuan took a few steps forward, and the jade pendant around his neck glowed purple, absorbing all the spirit essence.

"Huh?" Ye Chuan glanced at the jade pendant, realizing it was Lilith's doing. He said, "You didn't make a contract with me, and now you're secretly devouring spirit essence?"

"This soul energy is highly nourishing for me," Lilith's voice echoed in his mind. 

"Help me restore my damaged soul, and I'll consider signing that strange contract of yours."

"That's not a bad deal," Ye Chuan stroked his chin. 

After all, she was an S-Rank tenant; the rewards after she moved in would be substantial.

But restoring her damaged soul… did that mean he had to go ghost hunting with Wang Yanran?

"That spirit essence…" Wang Yanran also noticed that Ye Chuan had absorbed all the spirit essence. She hesitated, but didn't say anything.

"What about the spirit essence?" Ye Chuan asked, noticing her expression.

"It's… useful for me, for increasing my cultivation," Wang Yanran explained.

"I see." Ye Chuan thought of Lilith's need for spirit essence and said, "I need it too, give it to me for now."

Wang Yanran nodded, seemingly not minding.

After clearing out the low-level ghosts in the area, Ye Chuan felt the air become fresher and less chilly.

They reached the end of the corridor, and Wang Yanran looked at her compass, her expression grave.

"Senior, it's in there, the Ghost King."

The wandering souls they encountered earlier were just small fry; the real challenge was the being inside.

"Such dense ghostly Qi," Wang Yanran said, gulping, looking at the red aura seeping from under the door.

Ghostly Qi?

Ye Chuan glanced at it; it was just ordinary spiritual energy, just with a yin attribute.

But it didn't affect him at all.

"So, for this mission, I just need to subdue the Ghost King inside, right?" Ye Chuan asked.

"Yes, capturing it would be ideal… but destroying it is also acceptable."

Hearing this, Ye Chuan relaxed a bit.

He was a little worried about accidentally obliterating it with one hit.

After a brief preparation, Ye Chuan kicked the door open.

With a bang, the rotten door flew off its hinges. Ye Chuan looked inside and immediately smelled the strong scent of blood.

A figure hung from the wall, its hair disheveled, wearing a blood-soaked hospital gown.

As Ye Chuan and Wang Yanran entered, its cold gaze fell upon them.

"That's it!" Wang Yanran quickly slapped several talismans onto the walls, then looked at the Ghost King and gasped.

"Uncle… Uncle Wang?!"

Uncle Wang?

Ye Chuan looked at the Ghost King and realized that it looked familiar. 

Despite the messy hair, it was indeed Wang Li, the uncle who had attacked Wang Yanran.

"Heh, Uncle Wang?" The Ghost King grinned. "That fool stumbled in here, so I devoured him."

"Kekekekeke, I still remember his screams, such a foolish fellow."

"Kekeke."

"Kekeke," Ye Chuan chuckled along.

Ghost King: ?

Was this guy crazy?

"Senior, it… it's not just Level 4!" Wang Yanran suddenly exclaimed, as if realizing something. "It's close to Level 5!"

"I devoured that fool and almost reached Level 5! Kekeke, you'll all stay here forever!"

With that, the hanging Ghost King suddenly elongated its neck and lunged at Ye Chuan and Wang Yanran like a grotesque monster!

In the next second, with a loud boom and a shrill scream, the Ghost King was sent flying backward, half of its body dissolving into dust.

"Oh? You dodged?" Ye Chuan retracted his hand, seemingly surprised.

"Being able to withstand my ultimate attack, you have potential."

The Ghost King stared at Ye Chuan, its ferocious face frozen in shock.

Wait, this… this wasn't right, was it?