Wangshu Inn, late at night its lanterns still burning bright.
The warm glow added a crimson touch to the already stunning scenery of Dihua Marsh.
Qiu Bai, Lumine, and Paimon walked toward the direction of the head chef, Yanxiao.
When they reached the rooftop terrace, they finally spotted him.
Qiu Bai walked over at an unhurried pace.
Meanwhile, Lumine and Paimon greeted Yanxiao politely.
"Can't you see I'm resting? No disturbances."
Yanxiao scowled, his eyebrows furrowed.
His expression screamed "stay away, strangers."
Lumine hesitated, then asked: "Um… Almond Tofu?"
"I said, no disturbances."
Yanxiao crossed his arms, enunciating each word with finality.
Paimon muttered under her breath: "Wow… what warm customer service."
"He's just like Mondstadt's blacksmith, Wagner."
Qiu Bai eyes flashed with mild surprise.
He could sense something was off about Yanxiao's state, like he'd been frightened by something.
"The order is from Boss Verr Goldet."
Yanxiao expression shifted instantly.
A sudden, almost chameleon-like transformation.
He grinned at Qiu Bai and the others, his tone much friendlier now.
"Ah, if it's the boss request, then I suppose I have no choice."
Lumine and Paimon exchanged baffled looks.
Paimon whispered: "What a dramatic personality shift…"
Yanxiao sighed. "Unfortunately, I'm a bit powerless right now."
"I can't prepare delicate desserts like Almond Tofu at the moment."
"Why not?" Paimon asked, curious.
Yanxiao shot her a "you don't get it?" look.
"A swordsman must have steady hands. The same goes for a chef."
"But right now, my hands… well, they're not very steady."
His face darkened.
"And the reason? Because there have been rumors, rumors that this inn is haunted."
The moment he said that, his voice trembled with fear.
"And just now! Just earlier I saw something strange in the kitchen!"
Paimon muttered internally:
"Huh. This chef looked so intimidating at first, but the moment ghosts are mentioned, he turns into a nervous wreck."
Lumine was skeptical.
"Ghosts…? Do they really exist in this world?"
Meanwhile, Qiu Bai smirked.
Now this was right up his alley.
"In any case, just the thought that even Wangshu Inn might not be safe anymore…"
"I can't keep my hands steady enough to grind sweet almonds."
Yanxiao sighed, his frustration evident.
Paimon turned to Qiu Bai and Lumine.
"Alright then, Qiu Bai, Traveler."
"For the sake of the highest-quality Almond Tofu, let's check out the kitchen."
Qiu Bai smiled at Yanxiao reassuringly.
"Don't worry, Yanxiao. Leave this to us."
With that, he followed Lumine and Paimon toward the kitchen.
Inside Wangshu Inn's Kitchen
Paimon waved her hands dismissively.
"See? There's nothing here—"
"AHH!"
Paimon screamed in fright.
Before she could finish her sentence, a glowing, translucent little girl dashed past the stove.
Paimon immediately fled behind Qiu Bai and Lumine, clutching her chest, clearly spooked.
Lumine, too, was stunned, staring at the spot where the little girl had just run by.
Qiu Bai however smiled faintly.
Dark ink-white energy began to flow around him, spreading across the entire inn.
With a slight movement of his fingers, the energy enveloped everything.
The little ghost girl caught in the aura, finally revealed her full form.
She hopped out from behind the vegetable rack, bouncing cheerfully as she gazed at Qiu Bai.
Lumine and Paimon, still startled by Qiu Bai mysterious aura, stared in shock as the ghost girl suddenly appeared before them.
They instinctively retreated straight behind Qiu Bai.
Then, the little girl began to sing in a bright, childish voice:
"Big Hilichurl is sick, Little Hilichurl checks~"
"Third Hilichurl picks herbs, Fourth Hilichurl brews~"
"Fifth Hilichurl dies, Sixth Hilichurl carries~"
Qiu Bai rubbed his forehead, sighing.
"Yep… she must've met Hu Tao when she was alive."
Paimon, finally snapping out of her shock, attempted to lecture the ghost girl.
"Scaring people isn't good, you know? Do you understand, little one?"
But the little girl just kept hopping around happily.
Paimon stomped her foot in frustration.
"Hey! Are you even listening to me?!"
The little girl finally stopped bouncing, turning her bright, glowing eyes toward them.
"Okay~"
"Xiao Ming won't play tricks on the guests anymore."
She grinned at Qiu Bai.
"Big Brother, your smell is nice. Next time, Big brother Qiu Bai must come play with me instead."
"If you don't… I'll come find you…"
Qiu Bai chuckled.
"Big brother will definitely play with you next time."
"But from now on, you're not allowed to mess with the guests anymore, okay?"
Paimon and Lumine stared at Qiu Bai, eyes wide with shock.
Did he not find the little girl's words creepy at all?
Playing with a ghost? Just the thought of it sent chills down their spines.
Meanwhile, Xiao Ming happily jumped up and down.
"Xiao Ming understands now! Thank you, big brother!"
With that, the little girl's figure faded away, vanishing from sight.
Qiu Bai turned to Lumine and Paimon with a smile.
"Well then, the issue is resolved."
"Let's go inform the boss about the ghostly disturbance."
Paimon still a little shaken, waved her hands in disbelief.
"I seriously can't believe you have a talent for catching ghosts."
"And judging by how calm you are, even if that little girl comes back, I guess you'll know how to handle it, huh?"
Lumine also gazed at Qiu Bai with curiosity.
She still didn't quite understand how he made the ghost reveal itself so easily.
The trio made their way back to the front counter.
Seeing them approach, Verr Goldet greeted them warmly.
Qiu Bai wasted no time explaining everything that had just happened.
Hearing the full story, Verr Goldet eyes widened in surprise.
"I never expected you to have ghost-hunting abilities, Mister Qiu Bai!"
"On behalf of Wangshu Inn guests, I truly thank you."
She then revealed something unexpected, that little ghost girl was actually left in her care by Xiao.
Although Xiao Ming was supposed to be temporarily staying at the inn, she often played pranks on the guests, causing a headache for Verr Goldet and the innkeeper.
Now that Qiu Bai had resolved the issue, Verr Goldet felt relieved and pleasantly surprised.
Qiu Bai smiled.
"There's no need to thank me. I've already left my aura around the inn."
"You won't have to worry about any more spirits disturbing Wangshu Inn."
Paimon suddenly realized something.
"Ohhh! So that black-and-white aura from earlier was for warding off spirits!"
"Wow, I never knew you had this kind of ability, Qiu Bai!"
Lumine, however, wasn't as surprised as before.
After everything she had witnessed on their journey, she had long since accepted that Qiu Bai abilities defied common sense.
He could send people flying with a wave of his hand.
He could teleport instantly from one place to another.
Compared to that, exorcising ghosts seemed like a minor thing.
This Wangsheng Funeral Parlor guest consultant, Qiu Bai, was far more mysterious than she had imagined.
Verr Goldet, on the other hand was almost certain of one thing.
The man standing before her had to be an adeptus.
Even those blessed with a Vision could only prevent ghosts from getting close, but Qiu Bai outright exorcised them.
That kind of ability was beyond normal humans.
Paimon, eager to move on, clapped her hands together.
"Alright, now that that's settled. Let's go find the chef!"
"It's time for him to make us some delicious Almond Tofu!"
(T/N: Hey, Fellow Daoists! 👋 If you're enjoying the translation and want to read 20 chapters ahead, you can check out my P web! Your support helps keep the updates coming and means a lot.
🔗 P@tre0n.com/DaoistRongyi
Of course, you can always continue reading on Webnovel, no pressure! Either way, thanks for being here and supporting the translation. Hope you enjoy the chapter! 😊)