Volume One: The Soul-Gathering Gourd, the Soul-Burning Lamp Chapter 28: Drunken Rampage!

As evening descended, a cool breeze swept in under the glow of the moon. The air around the barbecue stall was thick with mouthwatering aromas. After feasting on grilled meats, Gu Mo was flushed with drunken delight, his belly round and full, while the silly girl Yan Wang, like a child who had never seen the world, seemed utterly unfamiliar with these most common earthly delicacies.

Gu Mo, his head swaying with intoxication, looked gloomily at Xiao Yulou and said, "Daoist Xiao, thanks to Lord Yan, I've got a full belly again!"

Pfft!

The words had barely left his mouth when Xiao Yulou, in the midst of chugging beer, burst out laughing. "Brother Gu, are you always this ridiculous?"

Gu Mo grinned sheepishly, embarrassed. Beside him, the silly girl Yan Wang twisted his ear. "Little sidekick, are you rebelling?"

...

A short distance away, a table of scrawny youths settled their bill amid laughter and left, trembling slightly. Yet the shadowy gluttonous ghost, with a few quick hops, darted to another table, greedily stealing skewered meat. Having finished clearing the tables, Radish, weary from his labors, came over and sat next to Gu Mo.

Gu Mo’s drunken eyes glanced at Radish, then he pulled out his cigarettes and offered them to Xiao Yulou and Radish. "Tired, aren't you?"

Radish squinted his bright little eyes and managed a bitter smile. "Mushroom, you really drank a lot today. No matter what, you have to take care of yourself!"

He paused, then laughed heartily at Gu Mo. "But you’re always such a good friend!"

Hearing this, Gu Mo met his gaze, speaking through a haze of alcohol, "Drunkenness… is the most basic respect for wine!"

Laughter and joy surrounded them, and for a moment, Gu Mo—so full of wine—thought back to the carefree days of his childhood...

Radish glanced at Xiao Yulou, who sat with Gu Mo, then the two raised their glasses in a friendly toast and began chatting idly. Gu Mo, off to the side, drank heavily and puffed on his cigarette.

"Radish… have customers ever complained about missing skewers?"

Radish looked around at the tables, then whispered, "Mushroom, where did you hear that?"

Gu Mo curled his lips in a mischievous smile. "You’ve got a gluttonous ghost haunting your barbecue stall, you know?"

At that, Radish’s heart tightened, and he trembled as he looked at Gu Mo. "Mushroom, it’s true there’ve been missing skewers, so I always serve a few extra per table. We grew up together, thirty years as brothers—you better not scare me!"

Gu Mo snorted coldly, pointing toward the greedy ghost not far away. "Right there! Can’t you see it?"

Radish followed the direction Gu Mo pointed, but saw nothing unusual. Gu Mo, his drunken eyes hostile, glared at the greedy ghost feasting at another table.

The ghost seemed to sense Gu Mo’s animosity at once. It turned its fuzzy body, glaring at Gu Mo with pitch-black eyes. Instantly, it opened its cavernous mouth, grinding four rows of razor-sharp teeth in a menacing threat.

Most absurd of all, atop the ghost's coal-black head were two silly, adorable tufts of hair, their tips flickering with ghostly fire like breathing lights.

(Indeed, this gluttonous ghost had four rows of sharp teeth—a truly eerie detail!)

"Ahem!" Xiao Yulou cleared his throat and whispered to Gu Mo, "Brother Gu, unless you wish to catch it as a pet, best not provoke it."

---

Gu Mo’s mind, muddled by drink, snapped to a scornful retort. "Tch—just a ghost, isn’t it?"

He bit his cigarette and took a deep drag, smoke swirling around him. Yan Wang’s silly girl watched her exclusive sidekick, puzzled—‘drunk’ was not a word in Yan Wang Jiang Jingxue’s vocabulary. In fact, this sovereign of the underworld didn’t even have a dictionary!

At that moment, a young couple emerged from the barbecue stall and called out toward Radish, "Radish, you little boss—so stingy, haha!"

Gu Mo heard their familiar voices and squinted up, slightly unsteady but able to recognize them. He snorted contemptuously.

Yan Wang Jiang Jingxue followed his gaze. The couple was clearly in the throes of young love, the girl clutching the boy tightly.

Both stood just under one meter seventy. The boy had short black hair and a thin build, his face marked by the scars of acne. His features were best described as cunning and sly, but his outfit was trendy enough to merit some praise. A thick gold chain hung arrogantly from his neck, a parody of a swaggering nouveau riche.

The girl seemed familiar to Yan Wang’s silly girl. She was of the adorable and attractive sort, her smile charming, two prominent canine teeth giving her a distinct touch. Her black hair flowed like water over her shoulders, her face lightly made up, with delicate features, clear eyes framed by long lashes, a high nose and cheekbones, and full crimson lips. Her youthful fashion accentuated her figure perfectly.

Radish hurried to intercept them, squeezing out an awkward smile. "Hongyan, did you enjoy your meal? Why are you leaving so soon?"

The girl smiled, then spotted Gu Mo sitting in his chair. Her smile froze instantly.

The man beside her also saw Gu Mo, and a sense of inevitable confrontation arose. In a mocking, gruff tone, he sneered, "Hey! Isn’t that Gu Mo? Weren’t you off working somewhere else, you poor guy? When’d you come back?"

Radish’s anger flared but, mindful of business, he refrained from reacting. Gu Mo looked up with bleary eyes, snorting disdainfully. "Sun Qiang, you little bastard, still alive?"

Sun Qiang’s sleazy face twisted, but he dared not confront Gu Mo, remembering his ‘legendary exploits’ from school days. Li Hongyan quickly tugged Sun Qiang’s arm, and the two headed for a Volkswagen.

After a few steps, Sun Qiang turned maliciously, spat toward Gu Mo, and mocked, "Pah! Worthless loser, idiot! Serves you right I stole your girlfriend!"

With that, Li Hongyan dragged him into the car, and with a roar of the engine, they sped away.

Gu Mo raised his beer and drained it in one gulp. Radish put a hand on his shoulder apologetically. "Mushroom, don’t blame your brother…"

Gu Mo just handed him another cigarette and replied, "It’s nothing. All in the past."

Xiao Yulou, ever steady, pulled out his phone and dialed. "Hello, Haiyang… get a plate number, *c5942B—that kid’s driving drunk."

"…"

"No trouble, just keep him overnight and give him a beating."

He hung up, laughing.

Yan Wang Jiang Jingxue thought a moment, then asked Gu Mo, "Sidekick, was that your ex-girlfriend?"

Gu Mo sighed deeply, his eyes brimming with tears. He didn’t wish to say more. Radish, seeing this, just refilled his beer.

After a while, Gu Mo glanced curiously at the coal-black gluttonous ghost nearby.

---

This little creature did seem to have some talent; its transparent, drool-slick tongue curled around leftover skewers and slurped them into its mouth.

Crunch, crunch!

In an instant, the greedy ghost devoured the skewer—right down to the stainless steel stick.

Seeing this, a drunken smile crept onto Gu Mo’s face. "Interesting."

Radish, watching, assumed Gu Mo was simply drunk and said nothing.

Then Gu Mo stood shakily, swaggering three steps toward the furry gluttonous ghost. Radish, confused, followed. ‘What’s going on? Is Mushroom clearing the table?’

A few steps brought Gu Mo towering over the shadowy gluttonous ghost. The creature spun around, fixing Gu Mo with its gaping maw and four rows of sharp teeth flashing coldly in the moonlight.

Gurgle, gurgle!

The ghost rumbled a threatening warning from its cavernous mouth.

At the table, Xiao Yulou smiled calmly at Yan Wang’s silly girl. "There’s a good show coming up."

—

Gu Mo glared furiously at the greedy ghost, took a deep breath, and dropped his stance. An icy chill swept through his mind.

With a roar, green ghostly flames blazed from his hands.

The gluttonous ghost was startled. Its eyes rolled and, in a flash, it sprang up, ready to strike first, its horrifying four rows of teeth lunging for Gu Mo.

Gu Mo’s anger boiled over; he swung back and sent the ghost flying to the ground.

Duang~Duang~Duang!

The coal-black greedy ghost bounced back and forth between the ground and the plastic tables and chairs like a rubber ball.

Radish watched in bewilderment—there was no wind, so why were the tables and chairs moving?

In a flash, the greedy ghost, mouth agape, darted toward Gu Mo.

Gu Mo swung again, landing another heavy blow.

A crisp smack echoed—the fierce ghost was sent flying.

Radish was dumbfounded; in his eyes, Gu Mo was acting like a lunatic, standing there wildly swinging his arms at empty air, drunk and disorderly.

Radish quickly opened his arms to shield Gu Mo, afraid he might fall. "Mushroom, are you alright?"

Gu Mo shouted, "Get out of the way—don’t want anyone getting hurt!"

Radish, still puzzled, stepped aside.

Gurgle, gurgle!

The greedy ghost, back for more, let out a low howl, four rows of teeth bared, and shot toward Gu Mo like a bullet.

Gu Mo just smiled, then suddenly raised his flaming hand and grabbed the ghost.

A sizzle sounded!

The coal-black greedy ghost sizzled and smoked in Gu Mo’s grasp, white wisps drifting upward.

Clamped tight, the furry ghost writhed desperately, clearly in pain. But Gu Mo, drunk and ruthless, showed no mercy.

Seconds later, Gu Mo curled his lips in a devilish smile. "Nothing more than this."

...