Chapter 108: Borrowing the Ding'an Tower

Chapter 108

Upon hearing this, Zheng He immediately lost all interest.

He had eagerly arranged the banquet to welcome Zhao Fusheng, hoping to curry favor with her and use the occasion to get closer and glean some information about her background.

Yet, she outright refused to attend and instead instructed him to entertain two minor officials.

How could the Fan brothers possibly be worthy of his company?

But since Zhao Fusheng had already spoken, he could not refuse. He resolved to make a brief appearance and then slip away.

Fan Bi, ever meticulous and perceptive, noticed Zheng He's perfunctory expression at that moment but paid it no mind.

Someone like Zheng He would never accompany the Fan brothers.

Moreover, having such a powerful ghost handler around restrained them; without Zheng He, they could enjoy themselves more freely.

No one spoke further. By the time the carriage returned to the Demon Suppression Office, night had fallen.

Zheng He dismounted, and a trusted aide approached, saying that temporary lodging had been arranged for Zhao Fusheng.

The Demon Suppression Offices established by the Great Han Dynasty across various regions were sizable, each containing official inns originally meant to accommodate officials and envoys on duty or in transit.

The court’s initial intention was noble: to facilitate lodging and travel for these officials.

However, after the Demon Suppression Offices were set up, the powers of regional officials expanded rapidly.

Fear of vengeful spirits made wealthy merchants and gentry eager to curry favor with ghost handlers, inflating their appetites and making their travels extravagantly wasteful beyond description.

While common folk suffered from hunger and cold, these ghost handlers, due to their short lifespans, squandered wealth amassed swiftly, leading lives of extreme luxury and excess.

Under such circumstances, the official inns could no longer satisfy their demands.

Even though the court had considered these issues during construction, building the inns spaciously, they eventually became mere decorations.

Especially in recent decades, with frequent ghost cases and frequent changes of officials, ostentatious competition among them had become an unspoken rule.

The aide told Zheng He, “We’ve arranged temporary quarters for Lord Zhao and the two brothers at Ding’an Tower. When His Highness the Prince learned of Lord Zhao’s arrival, he had the guests cleared out in advance. Now, the entire tower is exclusively for Lord Zhao, very quiet.”

Zheng He was pleased upon hearing this.

He looked at Zhao Fusheng and forced a smile.

“This Ding’an Tower is a treasure of Bao County, located by the Shangjia River. Usually, the river is dotted with painting studios and courtesans, and at night many pleasure boats drift by. From Ding’an Tower, one can enjoy the splendid night view of the river.”

Zhao Fusheng had originally planned to stay within the Demon Suppression Office, but since Zheng He had already made arrangements with good intentions, she did not refuse.

The wealthy merchants and gentry who had been sent away from the office left it quiet. Only the county magistrate remained, nervously waiting for Zheng He and the others to return.

After the envoys finished speaking with them, the magistrate stepped forward, bowing repeatedly with hands clasped, saying, “Lord Zheng, Lord Zhao, as you go to investigate the case, may I ask—”

“You are just in time,” Zheng He said without lifting his eyelids, then relayed Zhao Fusheng’s previous instructions:

“Tonight, have the official constables compile a list of those who have died from recent ghost-related incidents, especially those who had dealings with the victims.”

The magistrate, upon hearing there was a task, did not panic. Instead, when Zheng He explicitly mentioned “ghost cases,” he sighed in relief.

Previously, Zheng He had avoided talking about the matter, claiming it was the work of river pirates and trying to shift blame onto the authorities.

Though the magistrate knew this was the work of vengeful spirits, he was helpless against Zheng He’s approach.

Meanwhile, the magistrate was anxious and restless, unable to eat or sleep. At that moment, Zhao Fusheng and her party arrived at Bao County and publicly declared their intention to handle the ghost case on Zheng He's behalf, in front of Xu Yachen and other gentry and notable figures.

At first, everyone thought the official from Wan’an County was just boasting to extort money.

Everyone knew the situation in Wan’an County—it had been abandoned by the court.

Previously, Zhao Qiming was the last official sent by the court to clean up the mess.

But due to the appearance of ghostly mists, ghost incidents surged there, and Zhao Qiming himself was affected by the mists, eventually dying upon the revival of the vengeful spirits.

After his death, the ghosts went out of control, nearly wiping out the Demon Suppression Office in Wan’an County.

In this context, Zhao Fusheng appeared out of nowhere. She wasn’t even appointed by the court but came from unofficial channels.

According to letters from Xu Yachen’s old friend Yu Weide, she was someone the Fan brothers had found from unknown origins. By chance, she succeeded in handling ghosts and solved two cases, temporarily stabilizing Wan’an County.

However, the Bao County magistrate doubted this.

Being an insider, he was aware of the court’s rules restricting officials.

If an official was registered, they could not leave their jurisdiction without orders, lest they be punished by ghostly retribution.

But Zhao Fusheng, as the official from Wan’an County, was able to leave easily, making it unclear whether she was genuine or if Yu Weide’s account was a trap to lure Xu Yachen to Wan’an County.

Initially, the Bao County magistrate paid no heed to Zhao Fusheng’s words, but he did not expect Zheng He, who had avoided the gentry, to meet her and accompany her—according to the county officials, Zheng He had accompanied Zhao Fusheng to the Sun family estate to examine the ghost incident scene.

After returning, Zheng He changed his previous stance and acknowledged it was a ghost case.

The magistrate was thrilled, realizing his earlier ignorance and secretly wondering: Could it be that the person really was the official from Wan’an County, here to help Bao County with the ghost case?

His face showed obedience at the thought.

Zheng He, unaware of his thoughts, finished repeating Zhao Fusheng’s instructions and asked, “Have you remembered?”

“Remembered,” the magistrate nodded eagerly.

Zheng He grunted and added, “Another ghost incident will occur tonight. Keep a close watch. Once confirmed, immediately identify those who had contact with the victims, register them, and have the constables arrest them.”

“That many people? The county jail can’t hold them all.”

Though happy to hear Zheng He’s plan to tackle the ghost case, the magistrate felt uneasy upon listening closely.

Zheng He was about to get angry when Zhao Fusheng interjected, “It’s no problem.”

At her interruption, Zheng He immediately stepped back, silence overtaking him.

The magistrate noticed this and felt as though a great wave had surged within.

Zheng He was arrogant and proud, confident with his ghost controlling abilities, and had never tolerated anyone in Bao County like this. Could it be that this official from Wan’an was not only capable of handling ghost cases but also strong enough to suppress Zheng He, forcing him to yield?

Zheng He already controlled a deadly-level vengeful spirit. If this official could suppress it, what kind of spirit could she be controlling?

The more he thought, the more alarmed he became.

He recalled his earlier words and feared Zhao Fusheng might think he was incompetent.

Just as he was about to protest, Zhao Fusheng smiled and said, “On the way back, I thought about this case and realized there’s a loophole; we don’t need to make a big fuss.”

The magistrate’s heart pounded wildly, making it hard to hear her clearly.

He wiped the sweat from his brow and swallowed nervously.

Zhao Fusheng continued, “This case involves a special vengeful spirit—two ghosts working in tandem.”

“Two ghosts in tandem?!” The magistrate paled and trembled violently.

Zheng He coldly warned him not to embarrass himself.

The magistrate forced calm.

The other officials wore grim expressions, exchanging glances but dared not speak due to Zheng He’s fierce reputation.

“Although two ghosts working together are fierce and hard to suppress, they have a flaw,” Zhao Fusheng explained.

“Your insight is remarkable, my lord,” Gu Jiansheng opportunely praised, then, receiving a look from Zheng He, quickly asked, “What is this flaw?”

“The flaw is that two ghosts work together,” Zhao Fusheng said.

“Ghosts use doors as a medium and as markers for their killing rules. For two ghosts to possess, the door panels must be two separate doors.”

“I see.”

Fan Bi’s eyes lit up.

“Victims in ghost door cases are almost always from houses with double doors.”

Zhao Fusheng nodded, adding, “This still needs verification, but I am about eighty percent sure.”

“If we want to avoid the vengeful spirit’s massacre, would removing one door panel work?” Fan Bi’s mind was quick, offering a suggestion.

Zhao Fusheng looked at him approvingly.

“That’s exactly what I mean.”

She continued, “There’s no need to summon everyone marked by the vengeful spirit. Each family only needs to send one or two representatives. If the household has double doors, one door must be removed and kept at the Demon Suppression Office.”

With only one door remaining, the two ghosts cannot fully possess the door, breaking the killing rule.

Zheng He’s expression darkened.

After Zhao Fusheng’s meticulous analysis, the terrifying ghost case suddenly seemed solvable.

Had he discovered this earlier, the case might already be understood, sparing much trouble.

“Tonight is late; no one can be saved now, but action must be swift. Before tomorrow, all I’ve asked must be done,” Zhao Fusheng instructed the magistrate.

“Delay is unacceptable; the longer we wait, the wider the vengeful spirit’s mark will spread, making things more difficult.”

“Yes, yes!” The magistrate responded eagerly.

After business was settled, Zheng He said, “I arranged temporary lodging for you at Ding’an Tower. It’s late—”

“Don’t trouble yourself. Just send the person who reported the case at Kongyun Temple to Ding’an Tower.”

Afterwards, they boarded the carriage again.

Night deepened, lanterns hung around the carriage.

The streets of Bao County gradually emptied, and the city grew quiet.

The wheels rolled with a soft clatter; inside the carriage, the atmosphere was silent and tense.

Just as darkness enveloped all, a distant light appeared.

Zhao Fusheng leaned out to see a grand building rising from the ground ten miles away, brilliantly illuminated, strikingly conspicuous.

Her movement broke the silence; Zheng He breathed out and smiled.

“See, my lord? This is Ding’an Tower!”

Speaking of this Bao County treasure, Zheng He’s face brightened.

“This tower was built over a century ago by the descendants of the Gongsun family, employing over two hundred craftsmen. It was the estate of the powerful minister Wang Yu.”

After Wang Yu was executed for treason, the emperor granted the building to Prince Liu Yuan.

“Sixty-eight years ago, the crown prince, Emperor Ding’an, stayed here, calling it the greatest tower under heaven.”

Zheng He hinted at the tower’s distinguished heritage.

“Later, it was renamed Ding’an Tower. Over twenty years ago, Liu Yuan’s descendants renovated it, sometimes hosting scholars and artists visiting Bao County.”

As they drew closer, Zhao Fusheng saw the five-story wooden building leaning against the river.

At night, lanterns hung everywhere, illuminating the entire tower as bright as day.

Between the beams and pillars were intricate carvings of exquisite detail. Light filtered through the carved balconies, making the building majestic and superbly elegant.

The main gate stood a distance from the tower. A group had clearly been informed ahead, waiting outside.

Zheng He ordered, “No need to stop the carriage; just drive up to the front of the entrance.”

Then he turned to Zhao Fusheng.

“Normally, guests disembark at the gate, but Lord Zhao’s status is special; she can be treated differently.”

Zhao Fusheng smiled but said nothing.

At this point, her thoughts were no longer on the tower’s splendor.

Her gaze fell on the entrance.

“These are two large double doors,” she observed.

Zheng He, initially proud, felt a jolt and was left speechless.

Ding’an Tower was a private estate; its main doors were nearly three meters tall, painted vermilion and opened outward in pairs.

They resembled the recently afflicted Sun family’s doors but were even grander.

The gates connected to the enclosing walls, hiding the beautiful scenery within.

The carriage entered, revealing an exquisite garden avenue.

Not only was the tower lavish, the descendants of Prince Liu Yuan had clearly enhanced the gardens.

Upon entering, Zhao Fusheng even smelled the refreshing scent of flowers and heard the gentle sound of flowing water.

“My lord, you—” Zheng He’s scalp tingled, but Zhao Fusheng interrupted.

“This place isn’t small. It looks like it can hold at least several hundred people.”

“This—this isn’t good—”

If Zhao Fusheng’s first remark was a hint, her second was a bold declaration of intent.

Zheng He’s heart raced as he hurriedly said, “My lord, this is after all the private residence of the prince’s descendants, imperial relatives. Although—”

“Are you going to handle the ghost case or not?” Zhao Fusheng asked sharply.

“I will, but—”

“What’s there to hesitate about?” she said.

“This place is spacious and can hold many people, better than the Demon Suppression Office for luring vengeful spirits.”

“Luring vengeful spirits?!” Zheng He stared in horror. How could she say such a thing?

“Uh-huh,” Zhao Fusheng nodded.

“Have you not dismissed the idea?” Zheng He’s brow twitched. At his words, her expression darkened instantly.

She withdrew her smile and snapped, “Do I look like I’m joking with you?”

“...” She indeed did not seem joking.

Zheng He groaned, “But, my lord, many involved in ghost cases are gentry. Merchants dying is one thing, but if gentry are affected, it could anger the court—”

“You can refuse,” Zhao Fusheng smirked, looking at Zheng He.

“This is Bao County’s matter anyway.”

She turned towards Ding’an Tower, a smile playing on her lips.

“Since you’ve been so accommodating and we live nearby, I’ll give you face. I won’t handle the ghost case. I’ll depart for Wan’an County early tomorrow. You can stay and sort it out yourself.”

“...” Zheng He hesitated.

He wanted to solve the ghost case, but letting Zhao Fusheng run amok could have unimaginable consequences.

He clenched his teeth and asked, “Are you serious...?”

Zhao Fusheng’s smile was cold and insincere.

“Of course not!”

She had come all this way, having spent 27 merit points for this trip. There was no way she’d return empty-handed.

Moreover, since it was confirmed the Zhao couple were responsible for the ghost case, she couldn’t just abandon it.

One reason was that the couple’s vengeful spirits had revived together, causing great bloodshed and rapid advancement in ghost ranks. The case was already difficult, and if they advanced further, the consequences would be worse.

Another reason was Zhao Fusheng’s concern.

Having handled a few ghost cases, she wasn’t an expert but knew enough rules.

After vengeful spirits revive, their killing rules relate to their social status and environment in life.

The Zhao couple and their daughter died together. Without her accidental rebirth, it was uncertain if the entire family would have revived as vengeful spirits.

Now, their spirits’ main goal was to find door panels, a deadly object. If Zhao Fusheng gave up, who knew if, upon advancing, they would change their rules to seek their daughter instead?

Though unlikely, even a slight chance was enough for Zhao Fusheng not to invite disaster.

She declared firmly, “I won’t leave until this ghost case is solved.”

Zheng He slumped at that, discouraged.

He had dealt with ghost handlers before, some difficult, but they all had flaws he could exploit.

But Zhao Fusheng, though seeming gentle, was extraordinarily strong-willed and unyielding.

As they stood at an impasse, a laugh suddenly came from outside the carriage.

“Lord Zheng, Lord Zhao!”

Hearing this, Zheng He called out, “Liu Lin, come over.”

A tall, stout middle-aged man quickly approached, grinning as he saluted.

“Lord Zhao is handling the case in Bao County and temporarily staying at Ding’an Tower—”

“It’s an honor for Ding’an Tower. We will treat Lord Zhao well,” the man responded repeatedly.

Zheng He sneered inwardly.

This man was happy now, but he wondered if he would keep smiling after hearing what Zheng He was about to say.

His face darkened.

“But since my lord has chosen this place, you want to borrow the prince’s estate—”

“What do you mean, Lord Zheng?” the man was startled.

Zheng He briefly recounted Zhao Fusheng’s investigation at the Sun estate, uncovering the ghost’s killing rules.

“The vengeful spirit possesses door panels, marking those who have passed through the gates. My lord wants to gather those marked here temporarily.”

The man’s smile vanished immediately.

“How can this be?”

If all those marked were gathered in Ding’an Tower, wouldn’t it be inviting ghosts?

“Lord Zheng, you can’t do this,” he panted, breath ragged.

“Our prince has always cared for you, sending gifts on your family’s birthdays every year—”

Zheng He impatiently scratched his head, glanced at silent Zhao Fusheng, and shrugged helplessly.

“This is Lord Zhao’s decision.”

“Lord Zhao—” The man turned and called to Zhao Fusheng.

“This is unacceptable—”

Zhao Fusheng wasn’t angered by Zheng He’s deflection, only smiling and asking, “Why is it unacceptable?”

She seemed gentle and approachable, unlike Zheng He’s rigid demeanor, so the man relaxed slightly.

“This building is ancient; it once hosted Emperor Ding’an and famous scholars of the Great Han.”

“So what?” Zhao Fusheng asked.

The man hesitated.

“If this place gets haunted and people die, won’t it become a cursed house?”

His face darkened as he spoke.

Zhao Fusheng studied him carefully.

Today, among the Bao County gentry representatives was this man, who had promised to donate five thousand taels of gold.

“How long has the Great Han legacy lasted?” she asked.

The man, unsure of her purpose, reluctantly replied, “The Former Han lasted 331 years; the Later Han has lasted 246 years...”

Before he finished, Zhao Fusheng interrupted:

“In all those years, where hasn’t someone died?”

The Great Han was rife with vengeful spirits. Bao County, peaceful now for a few years, had likely suffered ghostly bloodshed long ago.

“Why fuss over such things?”

Her tone was gentle but resolute.

The man panicked, looking at Zheng He, who feigned detachment like a wooden stake, silent.

“If the prince finds out, he may be displeased.”

In panic, he threatened.

Zhao Fusheng pretended not to understand.

“You said the prince would be displeased. Then just don’t let him know.”

The man twitched his lips weakly.

“That’s not how it works.”

Zhao Fusheng had no patience for his rambling.

After a few words, seeing him still stubborn, her expression darkened.

“Were you also among the gentry representatives today?”

“Yes, I represented the prince and donated five thousand taels of gold to Wan’an County,” he reminded her.

Zhao Fusheng wasn’t swayed.

“As a gentry representative, you must have contact with local gentry, right?”

“Yes,” he said, stifling his agitation.

“I was appointed by the prince to manage daily affairs here and have dealings with county gentry and officials—”

“Have you been to the Sun family estate?” Zhao Fusheng asked.

“Of course—”

The man was no fool.

By this point, he understood Zhao Fusheng’s meaning.

His face drained of color, shaking uncontrollably.

“Help me, my lord!”

Zhao Fusheng sneered.

“You’re also marked by the vengeful spirit. If this case isn’t solved, you won’t live to talk about ancient buildings or fame.”

The man’s face turned ashen; he said no more.

The carriage stopped before Ding’an Tower.

Zhao Fusheng leisurely stepped down, leaving the anxious steward and stiff-faced Zheng He behind.

The Fan brothers stayed put.

Gu Jiansheng glanced left and right, wanting to follow but afraid of Zheng He’s scolding.

“This tower is indeed impressive, and I’m not unreasonable,” Zhao Fusheng clapped once and then smiled sweetly.

“How about this—”

Her words gave the overwhelmed man and Zheng He a glimmer of hope.

Reading their expressions, she smiled and said, “Zheng He knows the situation regarding the ghost case. If you find a more suitable place, I’m not insisting on Ding’an Tower.”

She added, “Discuss among yourselves and inform me of the decision later.”

Without further ado, Zhao Fusheng looked at the waiting servants.

“I’m tired.”

“Escort Lord Zhao to her room to rest,” the steward ordered, forcing himself to sound firm.

“Do not neglect her,” he added.

Others promptly responded, surrounding Zhao Fusheng as they entered the tower, leaving Zheng He and the others outside, watching them disappear inside.