While gathering firewood in the mountains, Ming Yi found a lamp.
At first, she did not realize it was a lamp. Half of it was buried in the dirt and entirely covered in mud. Thinking it was a dead branch, Ming Yi picked it up and tossed it into her basket.
That evening, while burning wood to make a fire, she accidentally threw the lamp into the stove as well. When the meal was half cooked, a scream suddenly came from the blazing firebox: “Who! Who's burning me?!”
She stood frozen, then came to her senses and shook her head, carrying on with the cooking as usual. The stove fell quiet again, with only the dry wood burning and crackling.
Half a moment later, Ming Yi let out an even louder scream: “A ghost!!!”
-
A day and a night passed before Ming Yi finally pulled the lamp out of the firebox.
A cluster of bright yellow flames danced, lighting up most of the kitchen. Ming Yi forced herself to stay calm as she stared at the shadowy figure above the flames.
How did the books describe it? A face as beautiful as jade, eyes as bright as stars...
The ghost, who looked like a refined young nobleman, stared back at her. After a long while, he leaned down slightly and put on an innocent, ingratiating smile. “Do me a favor.”
Ming Yi gripped the hatchet behind her back. “...Why should I?”
“Help me find a body,” he said, his eyes shining, looking utterly harmless. “I'll make sure you have food and clothes, and fill your house with gold and jade.”
“I don't kill people,” Ming Yi refused at once.
“...Ah.” The ghost's smile froze on his face. “Who said anything about killing anyone? It can't be that hard to find a fresh corpse in a mass grave, can it?”
He narrowed his eyes and leaned closer to look her over. “You answered awfully quickly. Have you seen a lot of ghosts... or killed a lot of people?”
[Cool-faced but warm-hearted ordinary woman x lively, unsettling ghost in a lamp]
[First published on 2026.04.21, not a surprise release]
Theme: There is true affection and true love in this world.
