Chapter Twenty-Three: Poaching My People

Chapter Twenty-Three

Ghostly fog has appeared in Wan'an County.

Fan Bisi himself once said that when the ghostly fog emerges, the chances of birthing a vengeful spirit greatly increase—the resurrection of the Zhao couple attests to this.

Yet, the Demon Suppression Bureau of Wan'an County is no longer the vibrant institution it once was. Now, if not for Zhang Chuan Shi, whom she forcibly recruited today, there would only be three members.

Zhao Fusheng was given command in a time of crisis, the Fan brothers serve only as messengers, and most importantly, their minds are set on fleeing.

This place has been abandoned by the imperial court. According to custom, the cemetery in the west of the city ought to bear the mark of a high-ranking official to suppress the resurgence of ghosts, but now even that is absent.

“If the vengeful spirits in the west cemetery revive, what should we do then?” Zhao Fusheng’s expression was grim.

Fan Bisi said nothing, but inwardly thought: If the situation weren’t so dire, how could we possibly be thinking of running?

He did not voice this thought, but Zhao Fusheng read it in his eyes.

Her gaze unsettled Fan Bisi, who turned his head away, unable to speak his mind. After a long pause, he sought to reassure her: “Don’t worry. When Zhao Qiming arrived last year, he was accompanied by General Zhou Cong. At that time, Zhou reinforced the ghost seal—it was the mid-autumn festival, and there’s still over a month left before a year passes.”

“……”

Zhao Fusheng felt even more uneasy upon hearing this.

“What happens after that month?” she asked.

Fan Bisi, unsure how to answer, chose silence.

“Have the dead who’ve lain here for many years shown signs of vengeful spirits reviving?” Zhao Fusheng pressed on.

Fan Bisi replied, “My brother and I have been with the Demon Suppression Bureau for many years, and we’ve never heard of such a thing before…”

He expected Zhao Fusheng to continue questioning the cemetery, but after he spoke, she changed her line of inquiry: “Have you and your brother served in the Demon Suppression Bureau for a long time?”

Her mind was lively, her thoughts unpredictable, and her questions jumped from topic to topic, catching Fan Bisi off guard and drawing out unintended confessions.

This loss of control made him uneasy, but fortunately, this was not a secret. If she wished, she could easily learn the answer.

He had no intention of hiding it and replied, “My brother and I have been with the Demon Suppression Bureau nearly nineteen years…”

As soon as he finished, Fan Bisi sensed Zhao Fusheng’s gaze had changed.

“No wonder you’re so familiar with so many matters.” She nodded slightly and then asked, “I reviewed some files in the side chamber, selected a few ghost cases, and found—as you said—the process of investigating these cases is fraught with danger, and the mortality rate among messengers is especially high.”

Her words made Fan Bisi shudder; he looked up at her in surprise, disbelief in his eyes.

Jiumen Village is a hamlet under Wan'an County, its residents mostly tenant farmers living in poverty.

The Zhao family had been poor for generations, with not enough rice to cook, which led them to sell their daughter at a paltry price.

In such an environment, the original Zhao Fusheng would have had little education, likely illiterate.

Yet today, as she mentioned archives and questioned the case at Liu Clan’s ancestral hall from forty years ago, Fan Bisi had pointed out the location of the side chamber files to challenge her—but she not only checked them, she seemed to have understood the written records.

Books were precious at this time, and few were literate. Among those who served as ghost controllers, many could not read or write. When the Demon Suppression Bureau was at its peak, the county office assigned a secretary specifically to transcribe cases for the chief ghost controller and report them to the court.

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“Though I haven’t seen the recent registry of messengers in Wan'an, I randomly browsed some files and found the list of ghost controllers changes especially often. Most of the deceased served only a year or less.”

Zhao Fusheng sensed Fan Bisi’s suspicion, but she did not hide her intentions.

For her, the most urgent task was to gather information quickly and preserve her life.

Fan Bisi’s doubts mattered little to her. Now that she commanded a ghost, the brothers’ attitude toward her had changed dramatically. Clearly, in this world, power is respected—so long as she lives and holds strength, what does their suspicion matter?

“...Yes,” Fan Bisi hesitated, but suppressed his doubts and nodded. “That is generally true, but our situation is unique.”

“Wait.” Zhao Fusheng suddenly recalled, “Nineteen years ago? If I remember correctly, you mentioned this morning that the chief ghost controller in Wan'an then was called Zhao Duan—”

Sweat appeared on Fan Bisi’s brow; his guard against Zhao Fusheng grew.

She was nothing like the old Zhao Fusheng—her mind cautious and quick, remembering everything he said and comparing it for inconsistencies. It was frightening.

“Yes, we were adopted by Zhao Duan and brought into the Demon Suppression Bureau,” he admitted.

“Mm.” Zhao Fusheng nodded.

Nineteen years ago, Zhao Duan adopted the twins and brought them into the Bureau. No wonder the brothers acted oddly when Zhao Qiming was mentioned.

“Even so, Zhao Duan died not long after taking charge of Wan'an’s Bureau.”

Normally, the current official matters more than the past.

After Zhao Duan’s death, his successor would not care for his connections.

Even if the death rate among controllers and messengers was high, and people feared their families would be left destitute, some might offer token support—but for Zhao Duan’s adopted children, how did they survive and spend nineteen years in the Bureau?

So many chief controllers succeeded Zhao Duan, any goodwill would have faded. Moreover, as Fan Bisi said, most chief controllers wielded ghosts and their personalities became warped—sinister, violent, cruel, and difficult to deal with.

With such high mortality and chronic understaffing, how did the Fan brothers survive?

Yet their names were in the soul registry, which could not be falsified.

Suspicion flickered in Zhao Fusheng’s eyes; Fan Bisi suppressed his growing irritation and replied, “Yes, after Zhao Duan adopted us, we were only registered in the Bureau but not kept there. Before he died, he arranged for us to be sent to the Zhao family. We grew up under Qiming’s care.”

“A year ago, Qiming received a court transfer and brought us to Wan'an County.” Fan Bisi spoke calmly.

In the end, Zhao Qiming died, his vengeful spirit lost control, but the brothers survived.

Having clarified the matter, Zhao Fusheng’s mind was troubled anew.

Fan Bisi’s gaze was wary, and he wondered what she would ask next. He was organizing his thoughts, preparing for her next question, when she changed the subject again:

“Brother Fan—”

Fan Bisi stiffened, about to speak, but she continued:

“The cemetery’s seal in Wan'an isn’t very stable. My parents’ bodies are showing signs of vengeful spirit revival; if buried there, might it cause chaos?”

“...” Fan Bisi had prepared many responses, but was caught off guard as she returned the conversation to the cemetery after inquiring about his family’s history.

It was as if he had built up his defenses, only for Zhao Fusheng to feint and move on.

He took a deep breath, suppressed his frustration, and managed a smile:

“For now, there should be no problem—”

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“After all, they are already revived vengeful spirits. Though I’ve suppressed them for now, it isn’t reliable.” Zhao Fusheng waved her hand, interrupting him, and asked:

“You wish to go to Baozhi County. Given that the soul registry can’t escape the ghost curse’s oversight for long, Baozhi County must not be far, right?”

Her question triggered alarm in Fan Bisi’s mind; he blurted out:

“What are you planning?”

As soon as he spoke, he saw Zhao Fusheng smile, and instantly regretted it.

Their verbal duel had left her composed and him flustered.

“Why do you ask about Baozhi County?” Fan Bisi forced himself to calm down, adjusted his tone, and asked again.

“Oh, it’s like this.” Zhao Fusheng smiled serenely:

“You said vengeful spirits can’t be killed; only two options exist, to drive them away or temporarily suppress them, forcing them into a ‘sleep’ state.”

Fan Bisi uneasily shifted his shoulders, swallowed, and nodded with difficulty.

“So I was thinking, if Baozhi County is worth your allegiance, and you mentioned a deputy commander Zheng there, who controls a fierce-grade vengeful spirit…” She turned to Fan Bisi with a smile. “I didn’t mishear, did I?”

She did hear it!

No matter how clever and quick Fan Bisi was, being questioned repeatedly, he lost his composure.

He and his brother had assumed she was dead when they discussed their plans in the Bureau, but she’d overheard everything.

“We were just saying…” he replied awkwardly.

“No need to panic, Brother Fan.” Zhao Fusheng patted his arm.

Fan Bisi recoiled as if touched by a vengeful ghost, instinctively stepping back to widen the distance.

“I don’t blame you. People seek better fortunes, water flows downhill. Wan'an is failing; you want to leave, it’s not your fault.” Zhao Fusheng was unconcerned by his wariness, smiling warmly:

“But circumstances have changed.”

“…” The Fan brothers exchanged numb glances.

“Wan'an’s Demon Suppression Bureau now has me. You cannot leave. As for Deputy Commander Zheng in Baozhi County, he’s not very generous—he’s under court protection, yet still wants to poach talent from my jurisdiction.” Zhao Fusheng snorted, “I’m very petty. This grudge must be repaid.”

Fan Bisi suspected her words were directed at him; as he trembled in fear, she continued:

“I figure my parents’ bodies have become ghosts—though temporarily suppressed, burial in the cemetery isn’t safe.”

“Wan'an is in turmoil; vengeful spirit cases pile up, manpower is lacking, and the court is ignoring us…”

“What do you intend?” Fan Bisi grew increasingly uneasy, his eyelid twitching, a sense of impending doom rising in his heart.

Zhao Fusheng answered seriously:

“I think Baozhi County is larger, Deputy Commander Zheng is more capable—why not temporarily move my parents’ bodies there, bury them in their cemetery? If the vengeful spirits revive again, with Zheng’s skills, I imagine there would be no risk.”

Fan Bisi was speechless; the other pallbearers were all anxious. Zhao Fusheng added:

“Even if Deputy Commander Zheng can’t handle it, isn’t the court there to clean up afterward?”

“…”

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