Chapter 121: The Ghostly Mist of Wan'an
Chapter 121
Zheng He found himself in a strange state. When he spoke, he was both terrified of death and yet seemed strangely prepared, his expression deeply conflicted.
“By the end of this year?” Zhao Fusheng asked.
Zheng He nodded. “Yes.”
“Won’t the vengeful spirits awaken before then?” Zhao Fusheng inquired further.
“It’s not just the vengeful spirits awakening,” Zheng He said. “You’re also an official of the Bureau of Demon Suppression. You should know the court’s rules for handling cases, right?”
He glanced at the Fan brothers nearby. Fan Bisi’s eyes flickered twice upon hearing this, and Zheng He inexplicably sensed his unease.
“I know,” Zhao Fusheng nodded.
Zheng He continued, “Every year, three cases must be completed.”
Zhao Fusheng found him intriguing. She had only arrived in Bao County two days ago. When she first met Zheng He, he was gloomy and sinister, like a walking specter, and at the slightest provocation, he would attack without hesitation. But when he realized he couldn’t win, he became pragmatic, able to bend and adapt.
Though his ability to handle ghost cases was unclear, he was clever and fulfilled his duties as an assistant perfectly. He had managed well both the suppression of innocent bait victims last night and the aftermath.
This man was sly and cruel, afraid of death, hardly honorable, yet when speaking of death now, he appeared unusually calm.
“I won’t be able to finish my case this year,” he shook his head. “Failing to complete the task is tantamount to breaking the pact with the vengeful spirits, and that will get me killed.”
In other words, even if he didn’t die from the revival of the vengeful spirits he controlled, he would still perish at the hands of the ghostly envoys collecting souls.
Zhao Fusheng nodded.
The Fan brothers remained silent, quietly waiting. Zheng He paused briefly, about to say more, when Zhao Fusheng asked, “What are your plans afterward?”
Zheng He swallowed the words on his lips. His expression stiffened, but his mind was sharp. He replied, “I will, of course, keep the secrets of Bao County safe—”
Zhao Fusheng’s name was on the soul registry, yet she had found a way to break free from the ghostly envoys’ control, a serious taboo for the court. She likely didn’t want others to know.
“I will find a way to suppress the news that Your Excellency visited Bao County—”
“Lies,” Zhao Fusheng interrupted with a light laugh. “You don’t want to suppress this, and you won’t be able to.”
“The moment we leave, you’ll report to the court, waiting for someone to come take over your mess.”
Zheng He’s smile faded, the patches on his face darkening further.
Zhao Fusheng was unfazed and softly said, “Keep a close watch on the Hongquan Opera Troupe. I have a way to help you out of your predicament.”
“What?” Zheng He suddenly looked up, his gray-tinged eyes narrowing sharply. His normally ghostly, stiff face showed a rare flicker of urgent humanity.
“What do you mean, Your Excellency?”
“I can help you solve the ghost case in Bao County and suppress the revival of your vengeful spirits,” Zhao Fusheng smiled warmly. “Whether you report the Double Ghost Case to the court is your choice. Once you decide, send someone to Wan’an County to find me.”
Zheng He’s heart had long been devoured by the spirits, yet upon hearing Zhao Fusheng’s words, his chest still heaved as if he were whole once more.
“Your Excellency—”
He wanted to ask more, but Zhao Fusheng said no more. She turned and boarded her carriage.
“It’s getting late. Prepare to depart.”
“Oh, and don’t repair the damage to Ding’an Tower. Leave it as it is,” her voice came from inside the carriage.
“Unless I have other orders later.”
“…Understood,” Zheng He responded instinctively.
The coachman cracked his whip, the horses galloped forward, and the wheels turned. The two carriages soon disappeared into the distance. Zheng He seemed to remember something and hurried forward a few steps.
“Are Your Excellency’s words true?”
He had thought death was certain this year, but Zhao Fusheng’s words had undoubtedly given him a glimmer of hope.
---
Handling ghost cases was convenient. Zhao Fusheng’s resolution of the Double Ghost Case had already proven her skill, yet suppressing the revival of Zheng He’s vengeful spirits was no easy feat.
Even the court’s generals couldn’t handle such trouble. How could Zhao Fusheng claim she could?
Was she deceiving him?
As Zheng He’s expression flickered with doubt, Gu Jian Sheng, the ancient architect with a bandaged face, stared after Zhao Fusheng’s departing carriage. After a long moment, he mustered courage and said to Zheng He, “Deputy Commander, if you want to pledge allegiance to Lady Zhao, why not send me as a hostage to Wan’an County—”
“Get lost!” Zheng He barked fiercely.
...
Meanwhile, Zhao Fusheng and the Fan brothers, returning home, all looked pleased.
Fan Wujiu grinned broadly, showing his teeth. “I never expected we’d survive this ghost case.”
Not only had they escaped death, but also without injury.
“When I saw Lady Zhao and her husband appear last night, I was so scared I lost my soul…” Fan Bisi was also excited.
But when he heard his brother speak carelessly about Zhao Fusheng’s parents, he shot a warning glance at Fan Wujiu before saying, “That’s Lady Zhao’s skill.”
When it came to this case, Fan Bisi was thoroughly convinced of Zhao Fusheng’s abilities.
He had witnessed many cases handled by the Demon Suppression Bureau and had personally seen Zhao Qiming’s ghost cases. The process was always perilous, and after each case, Zhao Qiming would lose control for a time, with many fellow officials dying.
Last night, when the Zhao couple appeared, their aura was fiercely malevolent, so much so that even many weak-willed ordinary people lost composure. The brothers were frightened, yet this ghost case was resolved by Zhao Fusheng in an instant.
Most importantly, despite so many people present, not a single soul was lost.
It was incredible!
She didn’t reveal what powers she used to resolve the case, but the Fan brothers both felt a mixture of awe and respect.
She showed no loss of control and seemed, as always, not to have used the vengeful spirits’ power at all.
They had been pessimistic when arriving but never expected to return safely.
In fact, this was already the second time Zhao Fusheng had led officials on a case and ensured everyone’s safety—a remarkable feat.
Fan Bisi’s usually somber face relaxed slightly. He glanced secretly at Zhao Fusheng, his eyes brighter than before.
Zhao Fusheng herself was equally pleased.
Her trip to Bao County had been fruitful: besides gaining merit points and successfully ascending to deity status, she had also obtained a coin from the vengeful spirits controlled by Zheng He.
Moreover, she had lured the ghostly carriage to Bao County, reducing the risk of a supernatural outbreak in Wan’an County, passing the problem temporarily to Zheng He, who remained oblivious.
She thought of the cart full of gold she had accumulated and felt even happier.
Fan Bisi noticed her relaxed expression and seemed to guess her thoughts, quickly saying, “Congratulations, Your Excellency. On this trip to Bao County, Xu Yachen and others, including Zheng Da, pledged a total of 34,000 taels of gold.”
Hearing the amount, Zhao Fusheng smiled even more.
Fan Bisi smiled with her. “However, since these people didn’t have enough gold in hand, they initially pooled only 9,000 taels…”
Zhao Fusheng’s smile faltered. “Are these people making false pledges?”
“False pledges?” Fan Bisi was stunned. Zhao Fusheng explained, “Meaning they just want to shout slogans but can’t actually pay?”
“They wouldn’t dare deceive Your Excellency!” Fan Bisi shook his head halfway, then thought of human nature and hurriedly added, “Although some might try to take advantage, most wouldn’t.”
“Bao County is so small, and 9,000 taels are probably most of the county’s reserves. The rest will gradually be sent to Wan’an County.”
Zhao Fusheng breathed a sigh of relief.
“Besides the money, six families inquired last night about moving to Wan’an County. They also asked about shops in front of the Demon Suppression Bureau, willing to pay two thousand silver taels in annual rent.”
Zhao Fusheng roughly calculated the amount and nodded. “Now that we have funds, we must first staff the Demon Suppression Bureau properly and renovate and organize the shops.”
The money was originally donated by gentry and wealthy merchants, which by unwritten rules should belong to her private funds.
But since Zhao Fusheng took charge of the Bureau, she disliked extravagance and vanity. According to Fan Bisi’s observations, her only apparent hobby was handling ghost cases.
He recalled what Zhao Fusheng had said after controlling the spirits: “Receiving your salary means serving you faithfully... As an official and commander, one must protect the people... Solve ghost cases, ensure safety, uphold justice...”
Back then, he thought she was mad. Now, could it be she was telling the truth?
“…Yes,” Fan Bisi hesitated before replying, then added, “But this is not a small sum. According to past rules, renovating the Demon Suppression Bureau should be funded by the court’s silver.”
“Where does the court’s annual silver come from?” Zhao Fusheng asked curiously.
“From the government treasury,” Fan Bisi explained. “Usually, the local government collects taxes, and if the Demon Suppression Bureau needs funds, the court officially allows priority use.”
In other words, under certain circumstances, the local county government’s treasury could be considered the Bureau’s private fund.
“However, taxes paid to the court cannot be reduced, so if the Bureau uses treasury silver, the local government will raise taxes accordingly.”
Fan Bisi said this, and Zhao Fusheng responded, “So that means squeezing taxes from the people?”
“…Yes,” Fan Bisi nodded.
“Forget it,” Zhao Fusheng said. Initially interested in the treasury silver, she shook her head after hearing its origin. “Wan’an County barely has any population left. If we raise taxes, people will flee. What use is a lone official then?”
She declared, “The court has abandoned Wan’an County. In a way, it’s my territory. I’ll use this gold to renovate the government offices but keep the accounts clear. If I ever go to the capital, I’ll settle accounts properly.”
Fan Bisi nodded. “I’ll handle it as soon as I return.”
“I’m going to rest a bit. Don’t disturb me.”
After last night’s encounter with the ghostly carriage, Zhao Fusheng appeared calm but had been mentally tense and was quite exhausted.
The Fan brothers agreed silently, and Zhao Fusheng closed her eyes to rest.
Time passed slowly as the carriage left Bao County and entered the domain of Wan’an County.
At the moment they crossed into Wan’an County, a thin layer of clouds suddenly appeared, obscuring the sun.
Previously bright and sunny, the light now took on a gloomy, grayish hue.
When they returned to Wan’an’s city, it was already afternoon.
An almost imperceptible haze hung over the county town. Though it was only August and still early, the entire city seemed tense under a looming storm, as if dark clouds pressed down threateningly.
Fan Bisi’s relaxed demeanor stiffened upon returning to Wan’an County. His nerves tightened instinctively.
He was about to speak to his brother when he noticed Zhao Fusheng, who had been dozing against the carriage wall, suddenly sitting upright, her expression solemn as she stared outside.
“Your Excellency—”
Fan Bisi hesitated, then called softly.
Zhao Fusheng sighed, “It seems something happened after we left Wan’an County.”
She sensed a faint but distinct aura of vengeful spirits.
The mist carried a ghostly chill that weighed heavily on one’s mood, making hearts restless and melancholy.
It was as if inner fears and anxieties were magnified a thousandfold, fueling an unnamable anger.
Fan Bisi also felt uneasy.
As the carriage entered the dilapidated city gate, the driver instinctively pulled at his collar, shivering from the cold.
The surroundings were deathly quiet. The wheels’ clatter sounded unexpectedly loud and harsh.
After a while, a soldier guarding the city emerged from somewhere, shouting, “You—”
He hunched his shoulders, his face blue and grim, utterly dispirited. Upon seeing the carriage and the Demon Suppression Bureau’s emblem above, he knelt down trembling with fear.
The carriage did not stop but rolled into the city.
Once it passed, the soldier seemed to remember something. He quickly entered a nearby thatched pavilion where a large bell hung and struck it forcefully.
‘Clang—’
The bell’s sound shattered the county’s eerie silence and echoed throughout the quiet city.
This was Wan’an County’s special signal, meaning a major incident had occurred.
Inside the county office, the anxious Magistrate Pang sat restlessly.
Zhao Fusheng had only been gone two days, yet he seemed aged by ten years, his back stooping.
When the bell rang, he shuddered, calling his advisor.
“Did I imagine it, or did I just hear—”
“The bell,” the advisor said, barely containing his excitement, “It’s the bell!”
“Your Excellency installed an ancient bell at the city gate. One ring signals a major event; three rings signal danger.”
The advisor explained, “The bell has rung once, confirming something serious has occurred.”
But what serious matter could there be now? For everyone in the county, the most important issue was the Demon Suppression Bureau’s Lady Zhao.
Everyone’s safety depended on her.
Hearing the bell, the advisor felt both doubt and hope.
“Could it be... could it be that Lady Zhao has finished the Bao County case and returned?”
“Lady Zhao is back!”
Magistrate Pang suddenly stood, all his worries vanished.
Not only him, but local gentry like Yu Weide and others guessed from the signal that Zhao Fusheng had returned.
“Hurry, I must go to the Demon Suppression Bureau—”
Similar conversations erupted among many gentry and wealthy families. The once quiet, lifeless city was suddenly invigorated by the news of Zhao Fusheng’s return.
...