Chapter Nineteen: Layers of Mist

Chapter Nineteen

After the dossier, there were no further records; it seemed the case ended there. Zhao Fusheng finally found the account of the South City ghost case from forty years ago as she had hoped, but after reading it, she did not feel the anticipated relief. Instead, her heart was filled with inexplicable doubts, more than she had before examining the case.

Su Long was an extraordinary individual, having solved four ghost cases—a rare feat in the entire history of Wan’an County. The ghost case of the Liu family in the southern part of the city, in a sense, was also “solved” by him. After all, the Liu family’s ghost was driven away, and no further strange events occurred. This peace lasted for forty years.

In an era rife with ghost cases, such tranquility was astonishing, further highlighting Su Long’s remarkable abilities. He resolved five major cases, but the record of the Liu family’s case was shrouded in mystery.

First, the dossier was densely written. Compared to the other ghost case files Zhao Fusheng had read, this one contained meticulous details about the Liu family and its head, Liu Huacheng. Yet, when it came to the actual ghost case, only a few lines were penned, noting merely that the ghost was of high rank and two command envoys had died.

As for how Su Long and Zhang Xiongwu resolved the case and eliminated the ghostly disaster, there was no mention at all.

Most crucially, Zhao Fusheng recalled Su Long’s warning after the event and connected it with what Fan Bisi had said earlier: a month ago, a young man delivered a message, hoping the Demon Suppression Bureau would fulfill a promise made years ago—

With this, Zhao Fusheng boldly speculated that Su Long had anticipated the resurgence of this ghostly calamity forty years ago—indeed, after handling the case, he might have foreseen its revival in the future. Thus, he privately made an agreement with the Liu family, likely requiring the Demon Suppression Bureau to handle the aftermath of his actions.

Unfortunately, the timing was unfavorable. When the ghost disaster erupted in Beggar’s Alley, the Demon Suppression Bureau was barely able to protect itself, and the Fan brothers were powerless.

Now, more than a month had passed. Thinking of this, Zhao Fusheng felt a chill run through her.

The dossier in her hands seemed to weigh a thousand pounds. She wanted to set it aside but could not bring herself to do so. Instead, she read it two more times from beginning to end, committing every detail to memory before solemnly putting the file away.

“Liu Huacheng—Liu Huacheng—” she murmured.

“This man bought his office in his youth, served as Right Supervisor of the Court in the capital, then strangely resigned and returned home to inherit the family business…”

On his sixtieth birthday, the household was beset by ghosts, and many of his kin died. That day, the Liu family witnessed the emergence of a ghost domain.

“What kind of official is the Right Supervisor of the Court?” Zhao Fusheng frowned, pondering.

She had worked for years, long removed from the environment of study, and had forgotten much about the historical offices of past dynasties. Moreover, this Grand Han Dynasty was only Han in name—ghost cases and the existence of the Demon Suppression Bureau already marked it as peculiar.

The original Zhao Fusheng was a sheltered girl, ignorant of court titles. In her memory, village and town officials were already considered grand, and “Right Supervisor of the Court” was simply “a very high-ranking official.”

Though Zhao Fusheng did not know the exact rank of Liu Huacheng’s position, she understood one thing: for ordinary people, “the commoner does not contend with the official” was a deeply ingrained notion. The Liu family, though prosperous, was still confined to a single county. The fact that Liu Huacheng once held office in the capital proved his unusual competence. His sudden resignation and return home must have been for a reason.

“Fan Bisi said that only ghosts capable of manifesting a ghost domain have broken through the Malevolent rank… If Malevolent is the lowest rank, what lies above it? And what about the ghosts of the Vicious rank?”

She lamented her shallow knowledge of the Grand Han Dynasty, having only recently reincarnated, and the original Zhao Fusheng knew nothing about these matters.

“According to Su Long’s warning, the Liu family’s ghost requires a ghost master who can command at least Vicious-rank ghosts to enter. Does this mean the ghost is nearly Vicious-rank in strength, or has it already reached that level?”

Zhao Fusheng muttered to herself: “If that’s the case, perhaps I could try…”

She was haunted by a powerful ghost, and according to the Divine List’s prompt, the ghost entangled with her had just reached the Vicious rank. But to use its power would be courting disaster, with dire consequences.

More importantly, she doubted whether the ghost in Beggar’s Alley near the Liu family was truly “Vicious-rank.” Su Long’s warning was given forty years ago. With his experience, vision, and methods at the time, Zhao Fusheng trusted his judgment.

But ghosts could advance by killing.

Did Su Long, when dealing with the calamity, ever consider that his approach would guarantee the Liu family forty years of peace? Did he foresee what the ghost would become after forty years?

She was caught in indecision. After a long pause, Zhao Fusheng wrapped up the dossier again and tucked it into her clothes.

Her gaze returned to the bookshelf, and she drew out another dossier.

This one was also dated Grand Han Dynasty, year 206, but the timeline had moved to November, and Su Long was no longer the recorder of ghost cases.

She set the file aside and searched further, finding that the closest record to June was from August, and again, not by Su Long.

A thought struck Zhao Fusheng: could it be that Su Long died soon after solving the Liu family’s case?

With this in mind, her eyes fell on a shelf along the opposite wall, labeled: “Wan’an County Demon Suppression Bureau Personnel Records.”

Because ghost cases were so dangerous, the personnel records of the Demon Suppression Bureau were even more numerous than the case files.

Arranged chronologically, each compartment was packed tight.

Zhao Fusheng spent a good deal of time before finding the year 206 of the Grand Han Dynasty.

During her search, she saw many names of command envoys, appearing and disappearing in quick succession. The records briefly noted their ages, dates of entry into the Bureau, how long they lived, and their causes of death.

She found Su Long’s entry.

“Grand Han Dynasty, year 206, July 4th. Wan’an County Demon Suppression Bureau Command Envoy Su Long: killed by Shao Wenxun wielding the command, after Su Long’s powerful ghost lost control. The ghost was then subdued by Shao Wenxun and taken to the capital.”

“Su Long, aged 31, served in the Demon Suppression Bureau for a year and a half. After his death, his five generations of kin were cared for by the court in recognition of his merits.”

Just as Zhao Fusheng had suspected, after the Liu family ghost case in Wan’an County, Su Long soon died due to his ghost losing control.

“Alas—”

She sighed again.

The mortality rate among command envoys and officers in the Demon Suppression Bureau was truly high; even someone as capable as Su Long could not escape death.

The waters surrounding the Liu family in Wan’an County were treacherous. She hesitated for a long while, but did not return the dossier she held to its original place.