The Frail Scholar Is Haunted by an Evil Spirit

To become a Ghost King who rules over a domain, a wicked ghost must devour ninety-nine evil people and one person who is utterly pure, true, and good. The ghost gong has already completed the first ninety-nine steps. The last stretch is always the hardest, and someone utterly pure, true, and good is even harder to find. After careful consideration, he chooses the scholar shou. The ninety-nine evil people are easy enough to eat. But the last good person has to be simmered slowly: nourished with yin energy for eighty-one days, then swallowed whole. The ghost gong has no choice but to patiently conceal himself at the scholar shou's side, watching him act mild-mannered and let anyone push him around. The scholar is a well-known good person far and wide, frail and sickly, timid and submissive. The kind get bullied, and everyone takes a kick at him. How can someone like this even exist? Even a ghost who has seen plenty of truly wicked people is shocked, no matter how cold-hearted he is. He can't stand watching, so he helps the scholar a few times, lest his provisions get killed before he can eat them. While he's at it, he also deals with the bullies who pick on the weak, scaring them off so they won't come back. After being rescued once, the scholar gets the wrong idea. He thinks,