Free Web NovelChapter 438: Chapter 440: A Dying Wish for a Smoke
The voice was very familiar. Sword Wandering the World froze, wanting to turn around and look.
But then, the bullet comments flooded the screen.
[I heard some ghosts will disguise themselves as the relative you miss the most, make you hallucinate, and then send you to your death!]
[Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know about that! Like, you’re on a rooftop, and a ghost calls to you from in front. You think it’s really your friend, so you take a step forward, and BAM, you fall off the building and die!]
Sword Wandering the World, who had been holding on to a sliver of hope, was now completely rigid. His neck was stiff, and he didn’t dare move a muscle to look behind him.
’Right. What if this is a ghost’s way of luring me in?’
The more he thought about it, the more terrified he became. His whole body went rigid, and he even started to think that the streamer, Su Nian, was also a ghost in disguise.
’Maybe what she said wasn’t that at all. Maybe a ghost just made me hallucinate, made me think my dad was standing there!’
The more he considered it, the more sense it made. He squeezed his eyes shut, stubbornly refusing to turn his head for even a glance.
Su Nian sighed, fighting back a laugh. But even more conspicuous than her amusement was the man’s father.
The ghost was so angry he was about to keel over. He was already dead, and now he was fuming. His own father had come to find him as a ghost, and the boy actually suspected he was some other ghost trying to harm him.
His form gradually solidified, slowly appearing on screen as it was captured by the camera.
This was because he was willing to reveal himself. And it was at that exact moment that Sword Wandering the World squeezed his eyes shut.
"I can’t look, I can’t look. It’s definitely a hallucination, definitely a hallucination. It must be a ghost in disguise, just waiting for me to fall for it!"
"I can’t fall into its trap!"
He muttered in a low voice, keeping his eyes shut tight, but the trembling of his fingers betrayed his inner turmoil.
[Oh my god, is that a person or a ghost?]
[So weird. So ghosts really exist in this world. This is the first time I’ve ever seen one!]
[CLICK! Taking a screenshot for posterity!]
[First time for me too.]
[Fam, who gets it? This is so wild. Is that a ghost?]
[Gotta say, he does look pretty creepy. That complexion... no living person looks like that.]
Another two minutes passed, and the ghost’s form completely solidified, transforming from a blur into a clear image.
In fact, aside from his pale and somewhat fierce expression, you could say he looked like a living person, though his body was still noticeably thin and frail.
And the instant his form finished solidifying, his first reaction was to charge at his "precious" son and, raising a hand, give him two sharp slaps.
"Idiot! I already told you I’m your dad! How dare you not recognize me?"
Pain landed on his back. Sword Wandering the World froze, then it dawned on him—that voice sounded really familiar.
’Can hallucinations be this realistic?’
"No! I don’t believe it! It must be a hallucination!"
He kept his eyes squeezed shut. His father was about to go crazy with anger. His eyes were wide, and because he had died from an illness, his face was so emaciated he was almost unrecognizable.
He let out a roar, ready to beat someone up.
[Whoa, what the hell is going on? Is that really his dad or not?]
[He looks a lot like him. Don’t you guys think they have a strong resemblance?]
[Anyone can see that! I just think this is a little weird!]
Seeing his stupid son still keeping his eyes shut, too scared to look at him...
...the ghost finally couldn’t take it anymore. He strode forward, grabbed his son’s eyelids, and forced them open, making him stare right at him.
"Er Zhu, can you see clearly now? Are you sure I’m your dad this time?"
he said irritably. The man blinked, and in a daze, he finally realized.
’Only my dad calls me by that nickname, right?’
’That familiar scolding, those familiar slaps, and that familiar tone of voice...’ Sword Wandering the World blinked. ’Did I hear that right? Is it really my dad?’
There’s a saying that goes: The ghost you’re scared to death of might be the person someone else dreams of seeing day and night.
Right now, that was exactly Sword Wandering the World’s mindset. He was a coward, but now that he confirmed it was his father, he instantly relaxed.
He let out a long sigh, lay back down, and looked helplessly at the figure.
"Dad, can you please not do this kind of thing? You scared me to death!"
"You’re already... like this. Can’t you be a little more mature?"
The fear vanished without a trace, and Sword Wandering the World’s heart settled back into his chest.
Immediately, a slap landed on his shoulder.
"Who told you to be so stupid? I’ve told you hundreds of times!"
Listening to his father’s angry scolding, he just smiled, not saying another word.
It took him a while to realize he was still livestreaming.
"Host, so what you said was true. It really is my dad. A second ago, I thought it was a hallucination caused by a ghost. I was thinking, ’How unlucky can I get? Instead of sending me a pretty ghost, they sent me an old one.’"
He said it casually, but the words had barely left his mouth when another slap landed on his forehead.
"You idiot! You’re going to be the death of me!"
Sword Wandering the World rubbed his head and mumbled, "What are you saying that for? Aren’t you... already gone?"
Hearing this, the old man started fuming and glaring again, on the verge of exploding. The son quickly added.
"Okay, okay, don’t be angry. What did you come looking for me for, anyway? I didn’t know you had business with me. I thought some other ghost was trying to harm me!"
Hearing this explanation, the old man was clearly even more furious.
"Er Zhuzi, you moron! Your old man just loves a good smoke! Didn’t that register with you at all? I’ve been wanting to smoke for so long, didn’t you realize I’m dying for a drag!?"
The old man said impatiently. Hearing this, Sword Wandering the World scratched his head, genuinely confused.
’Even as a ghost, you still need a fix?’
[Whoa, first time hearing that ghosts still like to smoke. What’s that about?]
[So his unfinished business was wanting to smoke!]
[It’s understandable! Before my grandpa passed away, he loved good liquor. Every year, my family buys a bunch and pours it on his grave. My mom said that after people die, it’s hard for them to enjoy worldly pleasures. So yeah, giving them more worldly things... I think that makes a lot of sense!]
The old man’s eyes were wide as he stared viciously at his idiotic son and roared, "I’m about to be reincarnated, but I’m still hung up on this one smoke! I kept thinking I’d have one last nice cigarette before I go, but you, you moron, just couldn’t remember to offer your old dad any cigarettes! Don’t you know your old dad is a smoker?"
Sword Wandering the World gave an awkward laugh. ’Yeah, he had a point.’
Analyzing the details, his dad had been a smoker his whole life. He had only quit smoking and drinking because of his illness.
And now, on the verge of reincarnation, his foolish son had failed to offer him a single cigarette. Of course he’d be consumed by rage and come find him every day to cause trouble.
