"Remember my affection, remember my love, remember that I’m waiting for you every single day, I’m waiting for you to come back, never ever forget me, never ever forget me~~"
The Phonograph was playing a cheerful song.
Amidst the cheerful tune, Li Banfeng quietly made his way toward the door.
Li Banfeng felt the malice emanating from the old clock. He knew he had nearly met his end. But this Phonograph seemed much more dangerous than that clock.
Li Banfeng had just reached the door when the Phonograph’s singing suddenly changed.
The devoted girl seeing off her lover transformed into the Wanderer Songstress.
"My dear, where are you heading?
Before leaving the house, take all the trash with you.
The little house isn’t big, there’s nowhere to put the trash.
My dear, our home really has nowhere to put this trash~~"
Li Banfeng pushed the door to leave, but a jet of steam blocked his path.
"My dear, our home truly has nowhere to put the trash!"
"I, um, I’ll come back later to throw away the trash."
Li Banfeng still wanted to leave, but the temperature of the steam rose.
"My dear, our home really has no place for trash!"
The song grew colder and the steam hotter.
Li Banfeng’s chest was drenched with sweat, and a shiver ran down his spine.
If he didn’t clean up the trash, Li Banfeng suspected the Phonograph would scald him to death with the steam on the spot.
Under duress, Li Banfeng turned back and, aided by the light from the Phonograph, began searching for trash in the room.
He found scraps of cloth in a corner of the room, remnants left by Chu Yunlong.
The scraps were sticky with vomit Li Banfeng had left. He packed all the scraps into a cloth bag.
With this thought, Li Banfeng gazed at the Phonograph, feeling the connection with the Portable Residence. As his breathing synced with its rhythm, Li Banfeng called out, "Phono..."
The earlier "Phono" Li Banfeng uttered was heard by the Phonograph, which immediately responded:
"My dear, you wish for me to sing. Once the trash is gone, this little servant will sing for you~"
The steam meandered towards the remnants of the clock.
Li Banfeng, not daring to delay, quickly packed the shattered clock face, the scattered gears, the broken Clock Pendulum, and the sundry wood chips and springs into the cloth bag before daring to leave the Portable Residence.
Upon exiting, he retrieved his key and heaved a long sigh of relief.
An unowned House Spirit is akin to an Evil Spirit. Its power was far beyond Luo Yuni’s, and outside the realm of Li Banfeng’s understanding.
As Li Banfeng was looking for a place to dispose of the trash, he suddenly felt someone watching him.
Li Banfeng could keenly sense the peril.
Li Banfeng braced himself and took a couple of steps forward, when suddenly a man appeared at the entrance of the main house, blocking his way.
He wore a white shirt and grey vest, his chin tucked as he rolled his eyes upward, smirking at Li Banfeng.
Not just him; beside the man appeared another man and a woman, with several more figures flitting behind them.
A chill ran down his spine. Li Banfeng looked back towards the window to see several men and women peering in.
And there were many Lost Souls circling the house, some of whom had protruded halfway through the walls.
Li Banfeng thought for a moment and immediately understood the reason.
Normally, these Lost Souls were under the control of House Spirit Luo Yuni and served her.
Now that Luo Yuni was gone, they were out of control.
Clearly, they were very interested in Li Banfeng. They had assisted Luo Yuni in feasting before, and now they wanted a taste for themselves.
A woman rushed towards Li Banfeng and extended her tongue towards his ear. She liked his taste.
Ducking, Li Banfeng avoided her, but then a man lunged at him with a knife.
Li Banfeng had left that bloodthirsty Short Knife outside the Portable Residence.
The man holding the Short Knife hacked at Li Banfeng again and again.
Li Banfeng swung the sickle in defense, but it only slashed through an illusory figure.
Ghosts without knives could still hit people. One ghost grabbed at Li Banfeng, tearing a strip of fabric from his clothes.
Retreating and dodging, Li Banfeng soon had no more room to retreat. A large number of Lost Souls poured in from the walls and quickly surrounded him.
Li Banfeng gritted his teeth and charged forward.
The danger was still nearby. Li Banfeng could feel it.
He struggled towards the doorway, only to see a horde of ghosts, smiling, blocking his path.
They appeared and disappeared at will.
These Evil Ghosts were toying with Li Banfeng, treating him like prey with no escape.
The male ghost swung his knife again. In desperation, Li Banfeng used the cloth bag to parry.
The male ghost’s blade sliced through the cloth bag, spilling rubbish all over the ground.
The ghosts hesitated for a moment, then retreated. They had seen the broken Clock Pendulum.
Li Banfeng’s eyes lit up. He seized the opportunity to pick up the Clock Pendulum, trying to break through the encirclement of Lost Souls.
However, the Lost Souls quickly stopped retreating. They stood still, silently staring at Li Banfeng.
Li Banfeng stepped forward and kicked the man holding the knife.
But the sensation wasn’t quite real. Li Banfeng felt as if his foot had sunk into mud.
It really was like stepping into mud. Li Banfeng’s right foot was now stuck!
The ghost had deliberately let Li Banfeng hit him. He wanted to trap Li Banfeng.
Able to appear and disappear at will, shifting between the tangible and intangible—Li Banfeng hadn’t expected the ghosts to be so vicious.
He used his body to wrap around Li Banfeng’s leg and raised the knife to sever it.
Li Banfeng raised the Clock Pendulum, and a golden Light Halo reflected on the man’s face.
The man’s Short Knife froze mid-air. The male ghost gazed dumbly at the Clock Pendulum, not bringing it down.
Li Banfeng struggled fiercely, but his right leg was still trapped. The surrounding ghosts, however, began to slowly close in.
Li Banfeng quickly turned the key. He had no other option but to temporarily retreat back into the Portable Residence.
Stepping over the threshold of the Portable Residence, Li Banfeng, using the door frame, struggled to break free from the male ghost clinging to his leg. Just as he was about to close the door, he suddenly realized the key was still in his hand.
Li Banfeng immediately threw the key outside the door. But it was too late to close the door; all the Evil Ghosts had pushed against it and barged in.
The chilly wind howled, and the ghosts flooded in like a tide.
Once the door of the Portable Residence slammed shut, hundreds of Lost Souls crammed inside, layer upon layer.
Hundreds of pale faces with hollow eyes stared foolishly at the Clock Pendulum in Li Banfeng’s hand.
The Clock Pendulum could indeed temporarily deter the Lost Souls, but they felt not only fear towards it but also a deep obsession.
Li Banfeng, holding the Clock Pendulum, squeezed among the Lost Souls, pondering a strategy.
KSHHH~
KLANG KLANG KLANG!
The Phonograph was still operating, but this time it wasn’t a song that played, but the sound of gongs and drums.
Playing opera on the Phonograph was the fashion in Puluo State.
In the records Shopkeeper Feng had given to Li Banfeng, there were two excerpts from famous opera singers.
As the sound of the gongs and drums intensified, a clear, high-pitched operatic female voice rang out:
"My dear~~~ have you gone to the market to buy vegetables yet?"
Li Banfeng mused. He didn’t know how to sing opera; whatever she said, he’d just have to accept.
"OOOH-YAAA~" the Phonograph sang again, "The vegetables look good, but alas, they are not very fresh~~"
The singing dragged on for a long time, and amidst the haze, steam filled the Portable Residence.
The ghosts grew restless; they felt terrified.
Some ghosts rushed towards the doorway, but it was too late.
The steam suddenly boiled, and the gongs and drums inside the Phonograph sounded together.
KLANG! KLANG! KLANG!
More than a hundred Lost Souls, as if stuffed into a net bag, were sucked into the Phonograph’s horn in one fell swoop amidst screams and roars, leaving only Li Banfeng standing silently beside it, unharmed.
KLANG KLANG KLANG!
The singing resumed: "My husband~~~ you show me such affection, my heart brims with joy.
Yet as the proverb says, success comes from thrift, and ruin from extravagance. In our loving marriage, we should aim for enduring affection, and in the future, we must not be so wasteful~ Oh my... BUUURP~"
A cloud of steam sprayed out, and the Phonograph let out a satisfied belch.
Li Banfeng edged towards the door, ad-libbing, "Since you are full, my lady, please rest!"
"Thank you for your consideration, Husband. I am truly tired!" The fire within the Phonograph went out, the steam dissipated, and the Phonograph fell silent.
Li Banfeng quickly left the Portable Residence, picked up the key, and sat at the doorway, gasping for breath.
He still clenched the Clock Pendulum. He thought about tossing it away but then considered it might have another use.
He found a clean cloth bag to store the Clock Pendulum. After pondering for a moment, he felt like he had forgotten something else.
Inside the Portable Residence, the Short Knife that liked to drink blood at midnight lay on the ground.
The Phonograph had eaten the Lost Souls but hadn’t touched the knife.
HISSS HISSS HISSS~
The petals of the Copper Lotus Flower unfolded one by one, and after a whirlwind passed by, the Short Knife was sucked into the Lotus Heart.
PS: Dear readers, Shala sincerely claims, hand on conscience, this is surely a good book!