Chapter 28: The Peashooter and the Wall-nut Blocking the Door

Whoosh!

In just a few seconds, Bai Wan felt like he was on a roller coaster, sliding through the water pipe. As he neared his destination, he steadied himself and peeked out cautiously.

Inside, Su Yueling was lying on her side on the bed, lost in thought. Suddenly, a head popped out from the bed.

"Ah!!!"

Startled, Su Yueling reflexively whipped out her Ghost Blood Seal, ready to strike.

"It’s me! It’s me!" Bai Wan shouted, staring at the terrifying seal.

Su Yueling hesitated and lowered her hand, her eyes scanning him with suspicion. "Bai Wan? Why are you here? Are you a ghost in disguise?"

"I'm not a ghost!" Bai Wan insisted.

Su Yueling took a few steps back, wary. "Every ghost says they aren't a ghost."

Bai Wan: "..."

Su Yueling brandished the Ghost Blood Seal at him. "Sum up your childhood social life in two words."

Bai Wan paused for a few seconds before tentatively offering, "Or... orphan?"

Seeing her expression soften, he breathed a sigh of relief. "It really is you."

Bai Wan: "..."

Although he had proven his identity, for some reason, he didn't feel happy at all.

"So, why did you pop out from inside the bed?" Su Yueling asked, bewildered, wondering if a ghost had cast an illusion on her.

Before Bai Wan could explain, a sound came from outside the door.

*Creak.*

The doorknob began to turn.

Su Yueling tensed, tightening her grip on the Ghost Blood Seal. The ghost was right outside.

Bai Wan’s first thought was, *I wonder if the cooldown has refreshed? Can I go dance again?*

He forced himself to push that thought away. *No, no, this is a ghost, not a chicken that lays eggs—don't get careless!*

*But what if it has refreshed?*

*Maybe... just one dance?*

As Bai Wan grappled with his internal struggle, Su Yueling stepped in front of him, clutching her seal. Though she was afraid, she stood her ground. Bai Wan was just a newcomer, and she was a veteran; she had an obligation to protect him. Or perhaps... as his friend, she had an obligation.

Su Yueling had loved helping others since she was a child. People often called her foolish or naive, and some even branded her a "saintly bitch," but she never took it to heart. What did it matter? She was simply doing what she loved. If doing what you love makes you a fool, then there were no smart people left in the world.

Bai Wan was momentarily stunned, touched by her gesture. Aside from his family, no one had ever protected him before. However, that still didn't seem like a good reason to stop him from dancing. He felt, quite unreasonably, that Su Yueling was blocking his way, and he was just about to ask her to move when the doorknob clicked open.

*Whoosh!*

A chilling aura flooded into the room. Just as Su Yueling prepared to activate the Ghost Blood Seal to fight, the sunflower on Bai Wan’s shoulder suddenly broke into a brilliant smile.

*Pop!*

A massive, two-meter-tall Wall-nut materialized out of thin air, wedging itself firmly in the doorway.

???

Su Yueling was dumbfounded. *What on earth is that?*

The ghost, which had been wearing a cruel grin as it pushed the door open, ready to slaughter, froze. It found itself staring at a giant, dead-eyed object standing perfectly still.

The ghost paused, contemplating. *What is this? A human? I haven't seen a human in months, but have they evolved into something this bizarre? Surely not.*

It tentatively lunged at the Wall-nut and took a bite. The ghost was shocked—the mysterious monster didn't make a sound, nor did its gaze change, as if it hadn't felt the bite at all. *Holy hell, what is this thing? I’ve never seen such a ghost.*

The ghost bit it a few more times. Half of the creature’s body was nearly gone, yet the guy just stood there, staring blankly. The ghost was bewildered. *Have humans evolved to this level? I can't even tell who the real monster is anymore.*

Suddenly, behind the dead-eyed giant, a tiny, adorable green figure peeked out. The ghost noticed the little thing seemed timid, clutching the giant’s remains while peering out fearfully. *What is that?*

The ghost began to wonder if it had fallen behind the times.

Then, the timid little thing aimed its mouth at the ghost. It grew strangely, like a black hole, and then—*Thwump!*

*Zoom!*

A pea the size of a washbasin shot out. The unprepared ghost was struck directly.

*Bam!*

To its shock, the impact sent it stumbling back several steps. *How is this possible? Humans are supposed to only use ghost artifacts—they shouldn't have the ability to attack on their own!*

While the ghost was reeling, the timid Pea Shooter fired another pea, and then another.

*Bam! Bam!*

The power wasn't overwhelming, but the continuous barrage made the ghost incredibly flustered, especially with the suicidal, dead-eyed giant blocking its path. It was finding it impossible to break into the room.

Su Yueling was completely floored. She rubbed her eyes, watching as the sunflower on Bai Wan’s shoulder smiled with satisfaction, a massive Wall-nut blocked the door, and a tiny, ferocious green thing started pummeling the ghost.

*Is that... a Pea Shooter and a Wall-nut?*

"Plants vs. Zombies" was famous; even if she hadn't played it, she had heard of it. She turned her gaze back to the swaying sunflower on Bai Wan’s shoulder. *No wonder it looked familiar.*

*Is this Bai Wan’s character skill?* Her eyes widened in shock. *This is insane... Character skills don't consume Ghost Coins, yet these plants are holding off the ghost for so long! And does the sunflower summon other plants too? What a powerful skill—no wonder the forums call him the most mysterious newcomer in history.*

*But didn't Liu Tong say Bai Wan’s skill was to make doors disappear?* Su Yueling looked at him with growing curiosity.

Suddenly, Bai Wan grabbed her hand. "The Wall-nut can't hold the ghost for long. Come with me."

"Where?" she asked, bewildered. "The door is blocked—where else can we go?"

Bai Wan smiled at her, matter-of-factly, and said, "To the sewers. I forgot to mention—I’m actually a miner."