Crossover Anime: Miss, please don't do this, I still have a silly cat to raise.

"Grass!"

"beat!"

Lu Nan peeked out, somewhat bewildered, and saw Iori and Kohei pinning someone down and beating him repeatedly, their faces beaming with smiles as if they had finally gotten the chance to beat him up.

What's going on? Why are these two hitting each other? Is that guy a pervert who touched Iori's private parts?

Just as Lu Nan was about to see who the person on the ground was, he saw a familiar black mist surge, and Iori and Kohei were thrown into the air as the black mist rushed towards him.

Lu Nan suddenly understood. Wow! So this guy wasn't dead after all?

Or is it that the older one came after the younger one was beaten? No, Iori and Kohei can both be beaten, so it seems that the younger one came after the older one was beaten.

But no matter how old or young you are, if you fall into my hands, you're dead.

Lu Nan immediately grabbed the neck of the black mist figure that was about to rush past him with a Cloud-Piercing Hand.

Golden light burst forth from his hand, the black mist hissed as it was corroded, and even the shadowy figure let out a painful wail.

As the force and golden light gradually increased, the black mist figure was finally crushed and annihilated on the spot.

Iori and Kohei saw this scene as soon as they got up. They looked at each other, put their backs together in a fighting stance, and watched Lu Nan warily.

"State your name!"

"?" Lu Nan looked completely bewildered: "Are you two idiots?"

Iori and Kohei remained vigilant. Kohei shouted, "Who knows if you're Lu Nan or not? What if you're also one of those black mists from before?"

Iori shouted, "The code!"

Lu Nan looked exasperated: "I can't stand you two idiots anymore... Dazed Cat, bite him!"

The silly cat behind Lu Nan leaped and pounced on Iori's head, opening its mouth to bite.

"Holy crap! I was wrong, I was wrong, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts!!"

……

"So what exactly is going on?" Iori asked curiously, rubbing her head and hugging the doe. "That black mist doesn't look like anything normal."

Lu Nan fiddled with his phone: "I'm more surprised to see that you two accepted me so quickly, right?"

Chapter 229 My Heart Will Not Rest Until You Die

"What's so surprising? These kinds of plot twists happen all the time in TV dramas, don't they? Alright, Lu Nan, shouldn't you extend the invitation to us on behalf of your organization?" Kohei looked on expectantly: "Then I'll become a legendary investigator and a winner in life..."

Lu Nan slapped him on the head, interrupting Kohei's daydream: "But unfortunately, I don't have any organization here. You're mistaken."

Kohei scoffed, looking completely disbelieving: "Who are you kidding? Isn't this how it usually goes?"

After arranging to meet with Yotsuya Miko to discuss matters, Lu Nan put away his phone. Looking at the two people in front of him, he knew that if he didn't explain things clearly, these two idiots would definitely not let it go so easily.

"Alright, since you two are so curious, I'll explain it to you. Listen carefully, this world... has ghosts."

Iori and Kohei stroked their chins, lost in thought.

Lu Nan asked curiously, "What are you two thinking? Is there a ghost? Aren't you scared?"

Iori looked up: "I'm not so much scared, but I've been thinking about something. If those 'V-sensei' teachers die and become ghosts, can they still take orders from the living?"

"Are you even human?"

Kohei slammed his left hand against his right: "Holy crap! I knew it! I was wondering why my bank account on my phone had mysteriously disappeared! It turns out something was fishy!"

"I think that was simply spent by you, you idiot."

Lu Nan sighed and facepalmed, "Alright, stop fooling around, I'm serious."

Iori patted the cat's head helplessly: "I know you're not lying to me, but I've lived for so many years and I've never seen anything mysterious. It's hard for me to understand what you're saying all at once."

Lu Nan crossed his arms: "I didn't ask you to accept it. You can even pretend you didn't see it at all, because ghosts aren't like the ones shown on TV."

"It's like being on a different plane from humans. Generally, they don't interfere with each other, except in certain special circumstances where you might see them. But if a ghost wants to harm you, it has to be sure it can see you first."

"So, the only dangerous situation is when you know you've seen a ghost, the ghost has seen you, and the ghost is aware that you can see it. Only then can it have an impact on you. The probability of this is no less than if you two suddenly get married and invite me to be your best man."

Kohei looked disgusted: "If you're going to explain, then explain why you gave such a vulgar example, damn it."

Lu Nan shrugged: "So you two understand what I mean, right? It's possible that some people in this world have seen ghosts, most likely because the ghosts were observed under some special overlapping circumstances."

"But whether the ghost itself has seen you is unknown. Strictly speaking, the number of people killed by ghosts in this world may not be as many as the number of people killed by falling coconuts."

Lu Nan looked at the spot where the black mist had just dissipated: "As for what happened just now, that must have been a special case. You two were really lucky."

Iori put the dork down and looked at Lu Nan: "So you mean, we might never see a second ghost until we die?"

Yes, that's most likely the case.

Undeterred, Kohei asked, "Is there really no special organization?"

Lu Nan rolled his eyes: "Maybe there are, but they'd definitely be government jobs, maybe even with permanent positions. Do you think you could pass the exam? And they might even be 'selective' positions, just like when you're looking for a job..."

The room fell silent immediately after those words were spoken.

Iori twitched her lips: "Damn, what a heartbreaking way to put it."

Kohei, looking bored, put his arm around Iori's shoulder: "The evil real world is not as good as the two-dimensional world... Iori and I are going to go have a drink with our seniors. You and Dazan have something to do, right? Go ahead and do your thing."

After saying that, the two of them put their arms around each other's shoulders and swayed as they ran away. Lu Nan picked up Dai Miao and headed towards the place he had arranged to meet Yotsuya Miko.

I initially thought that thing was dead, but now it seems that this may still be debatable.

I just don't know what it is. Resurrection? A clone? A copy? An illusion?

No matter what it is, I won't be at peace until you're dead.

……

“So it is, so it is… that’s how it is. Have you ever seen something like this before?” Lu Nan asked Yotsuya Miko across from him.

Jianzi tucked his yukata into his pocket, pondered for a moment, and finally shook his head: "I've never seen anything like it before. It has a physical form and can be observed by normal people... It doesn't sound like a ghost at all. It's more like a monster from a legend or something."

After all, she's an expert when it comes to seeing ghosts; just now, there was a little guy hanging upside down floating past her head.

Lu Nan shook his head: "It should be a ghost, no doubt. That black mist is exactly the same as the one we had at the shrine."

At that moment, the old fox, who had been pondering something, suddenly seemed to remember something and waved its paw in front of Yotsuya Miko, signaling her to listen to what it had to say.

"I have an idea," the old fox said. "Have you ever heard of the 'champion ghost' who acts as an accomplice to a tiger?" The old fox sat down cross-legged in a comical posture, stroking his beard like a hermit, even though he didn't actually have a single hair on his chin.

“I understand what you mean, go on.” Lu Nan nodded.

"Then I'll start by talking about the commonalities of most ghosts in this world. Ghosts are very simple to form. They either originate from various strange legends or are created after a person dies. In short, they are relatively fixed and it is difficult for them to improve their strength."

"But there are always exceptions. After all, people can become stronger through training. Ordinary ghosts generally find some cold and gloomy places to stay, or eat things with energy, such as killing each other."

"Or they might be given a government job and become the reincarnation of a guide, which would also suddenly make them very strong."

"As for that guy, he's not a ghost at all." The old fox's eyes flickered. "In fact, he's not a ghost at all; he's just a person."

"A person?" Lu Nan asked, somewhat puzzled. "How could that be? I've already killed him twice."

The old fox continued to stroke his beard in the air: "That guy is most likely the same as Jian Zi Xiao Ni, with some strange talents. This should have been a good thing, but probably for some other reason, he voluntarily let himself be devoured by the vengeful ghost and then merged into it, becoming this pathetic figure."

"It may seem that it still has reason, but most of its will has been controlled and influenced by the vengeful ghost, just like the chang ghost."

The old fox sneered, "This guy thinks he's perfectly clear-headed. He probably can't even tell whether he ate the ghost or the ghost ate him."

"As you all know, for a ghost to harm someone, certain conditions must be met. This ghost lures someone to contact certain people, then pulls them into a level where they can see each other, and then naturally..."

Chapter 230 Going Out

The old fox stroked his tail: "Even if he plays dirty tricks, he's just a nobody, not even as good as that long-tongued ghost from the other day."

Lu Nan was somewhat surprised: "Why? This thing has probably been around for a while now, hasn't it?"

The old fox waved his finger: "That's not right. It's not that the longer you live, the stronger you become. That guy used the wrong method. Jian Zixiaoni is someone who is born with good fortune. That guy not only ate her but also used her as a tool. Do you think the officials in the underworld would be happy with him? I bet they're being hunted down by now."

"Back then, that long-tongued ghost used a special method to absorb the abundant yang energy from Zi Xiaoni's body, which is why he became so strong. Otherwise, he would have been easily beaten in front of me."

Lu Nan looked at the old fox: "So you're saying you're very strong?"

The old fox rubbed his paws obsequiously: "Hahaha, I dare not boast in front of you, but in fact, I am generally a very strong ghost. Ordinary officials should be unable to do anything to me, after all, I live off the offerings of incense."

Lu Nan was speechless: "Are you sure? Your temple looks terrible. It's full of rotten leaves inside and maggots outside. If you were eating incense offerings, you would have starved to death long ago. Your dilapidated temple?"

The old fox yelled as if his tail had been stepped on: "That's golden light! Not a ghost!!! You're a human, I'm a ghost, our aesthetics are naturally different! This is a very divine appearance, you know that!? As for the dilapidated temple... I just missed the trend! I used to be..."

As he spoke, the old man kept talking about the past, about glory, about grand temples, and other such words that were only half understood by the audience. For a moment, the pavilion was filled with a joyful atmosphere.

"In the end, it's because I don't have enough skills. I can't improve people's luck or regulate their bodies, so all I can do is fight. In today's society, no one will pay attention to me."

"Then what about your two maids?" Lu Nan asked, his eyes sharp: "Don't do it but not admit it."

The old fox shrank back: "What do you mean you dare to do but not admit it? I really didn't do it. Those two little girls were sacrificed by the village I was protecting. I went to visit someone on the next mountain, and when I came back I found the shrine covered in blood. It gave me quite a fright."

The old fox said indignantly, "I've said it a thousand times, I like foxes, foxes! And the live sacrifice is an old trick from so many years ago. It's so barbaric that it makes me want to cry. I don't dare to eat the incense with blood on it, but in the end, they still died in my shrine. In order to prevent the officials from checking my water meter, I have to go to great lengths to turn those two poor little girls into maid witches."

"I reckon they're both so full of resentment that they're fit to be ghosts. Rather than being wandering spirits, they'd be better off as handmaidens under my command. At least they'd have a place to live."

Lu Nan looked at the composed old fox and was surprised to find that he was actually a good guy. He had originally planned to let Dai Miao kill him after the contract was completed, but now it seemed that he could not let him go.

"Then tell me why you were staring at Yotsuya Miko back then?" Lu Nan asked with a burning gaze.

The old fox immediately wilted when the topic came up: "Just think of me as being bewitched. I saw that she had a peculiar destiny and thought of using a contract to protect her three times. After that, I would take her in as a maid witch. I could even rise to a higher level with my luck and maybe make the temple more prosperous."

The old fox's hands trembled: "You don't understand me. Seeing that dilapidated temple now makes me sad, so sad. I'm terrified of poverty. There's not even a single incense stick left. I'm truly terrified of poverty..."

Lu Nan's lips twitched: "Okay, okay, I got it. You focus on your work, and I'll find a chance to advertise for your run-down temple, okay? Now tell me if you have any way to find that guy?"

The old fox was overjoyed, then reverted to his composed demeanor: "Well, no, but that guy is probably trapped now. There's a high chance some officials are chasing him. What he wants to do now is simply lure a few more people to eat to replenish his blood, but the main thing is..."

It looked at Yotsuya Miko, who was bored and playing Plants vs. Zombies with the silly cat: "It's definitely after Yotsuya Miko. That means it won't leave so easily. It might even be watching us and eavesdropping on our conversation. It will definitely make its move as soon as it gets the chance. It doesn't have much time left. It might come looking for us tonight."

The old fox stroked his tail: "But this bastard definitely won't hear what I'm saying."

Lu Nan nodded: "Go play with Dai Miao for a while, Jian Zi and I have something to talk about."

The old fox immediately shrugged and scurried off to find the silly cat: "Young master! This old man is here!"

"Young Master, I'm not some kind of squeezing toy... Ugh!... Stop squeezing me, okay... Ugh!... Fine, Young Master, as long as you like it..."

Lu Nan looked at Yotsuya Miko: "That's how it is. I'll probably have to trouble you a lot more from now on."