Chapter Four: Seeds of Doubt

Chapter Four

Based on the clues so far, it was clear that from the moment Zhao Fusheng entered the city, became the Commander of the Demon Suppression Bureau, enjoyed a strange streak of good luck, then fell into misfortune, and finally was killed by a vengeful spirit—her parents meeting the same end as well—it could be surmised that the two brothers of the Fan family had harbored ill intentions from the moment they bought her.

Unfortunately, there were simply too few clues.

The original Zhao Fusheng was inexperienced, narrow-minded, and timid; she had never thought to investigate matters in detail. The Zhao Fusheng who now inhabited this body, however, was her opposite: calm, meticulous, and skilled at extracting advantages from the most fragmented of hints.

From the host’s memories, despite the Fan brothers being twins, after living with them for a few months, Zhao Fusheng had discovered ways to tell them apart. The elder, Fan Bisi, was shrewd and calculating, spoke with restraint, and had a deeper, more reserved nature—his skin was slightly darker than his brother’s. The younger, Fan Wujiu, was no easier to deal with, but compared to Fan Bisi, he was hot-tempered and impatient, with fairer skin, and most notably, a small mole on his earlobe.

Through her observations, she had noticed both brothers possessed certain abilities, though she had never dared to find out what they were, nor could she, but one thing was certain: Fan Wujiu had especially keen hearing; even the quietest whispers rarely escaped him.

It seemed these two had set a trap for the original Zhao Fusheng from the very start. Even in their earliest conversations, they were exceedingly cautious. Even after they realized Zhao Fusheng was dull and timid, Fan Bisi still adhered to the principle that ‘the more you say, the more you risk,’ never revealing anything useful.

Yet there was one point made at the beginning that, upon reflection, seemed suspicious.

The Fan brothers had mentioned: all the chief officers of the Demon Suppression Bureau had perished, and only the two of them remained.

Zhao Fusheng, new to the Han Dynasty’s counties, was not certain of their size, but from her memories, Jiumen Village was just one of many villages in the local town, and the town itself just one among several under the county’s jurisdiction. Who knew how many towns Wan’an County governed? By this estimation, for a county’s Demon Suppression Bureau to maintain local peace, there should be more than just two people in charge. Even if vengeful spirits ran rampant and the court was short of ghost hunters, a county of this size should have at least ten people in the Bureau, not counting servants and other staff.

Yet after Zhao Fusheng entered the city, she had not seen anyone else in the Bureau. The offices on either side and the rooms at the back had long been abandoned, bearing the marks of years of desolation and disuse.

Looking back on her memories, Zhao Fusheng now felt a chilling, bloody aura in those empty rooms, as if many had died there, and a lingering resentment remained.

Aside from this, the Demon Suppression Bureau was a prestigious institution. Even if their ranks had been thinned, if the county was functioning normally, they ought to have recruited more, or petitioned the court for reinforcements. How could it be as casual as Fan Bisi claimed? “Guided by the former chief, an ignorant farm girl was brought into the Bureau and made its commander”—the very notion was preposterous, and yet the original Zhao Fusheng had accepted it as a stroke of luck, never questioning it.

Zhao Fusheng could hardly keep from scoffing at herself.

Moreover, after her resurrection last night, the Fan brothers must have gone through something themselves. Perhaps thinking there were no living souls left in the Bureau, they had grown careless in their conversation that morning, letting slip a few things. Though her mind was still foggy at the time and she had not caught every word, from their brief exchange Zhao Fusheng had culled several key terms: Paper Man Zhang, the Demon Suppression Bureau under a curse, the ghost domain, rules, and blood pact.

She pressed her fingers to her forehead.

While she pondered in silence, the Fan brothers continued to watch her. Fan Bisi’s expression shifted from caution to suspicion, his gaze turning cold and assessing, putting Zhao Fusheng on her guard.

These two clearly meant her harm. Considering her run of luck and misfortune after entering the Bureau, her eventual death at the hands of a vengeful ghost, and phrases like “the Bureau is cursed,” Zhao Fusheng easily deduced that the brothers had used her as a scapegoat.

She became wary, especially under Fan Bisi’s unrelenting scrutiny, and said,

“I’m not sure what happened either. Yesterday, I think I was attacked by a vengeful spirit. I thought for certain I would die, but in the chaos, I heard thunder and lightning, and then I woke up again.”

As she spoke, she recalled the sensation of being attacked in her dream. Her face turned pale, and she instinctively reached for her neck and chest. A ghostly hand had pierced her body; even now, the residual agony of death lingered, and she could not help but tremble.

Yet Zhao Fusheng quickly regained control. Her wounds had healed, though the trauma inflicted by the ghost might haunt her still. Meeting the brothers’ suspicious eyes, she forced down her fear:

“I don’t really know the details. All I can say is that, for now, I seem to be alive.”

Fan Wujiu glanced at his brother, his face full of doubt.

Fan Bisi’s expression darkened, but after a moment, he nodded.

“That’s good, then.”

Finally, he asked,

“When did you wake up?”

The moment he spoke, Zhao Fusheng sensed the malice behind his words. Then, seeing her reaction, Fan Bisi dropped all pretense:

“Did you hear our conversation?”

“Conversation?” Zhao Fusheng paused, weighing her options, then decided to feign ignorance a little longer.

“After I woke up, it all felt like a nightmare. I couldn’t believe it, so I ran straight outside to see where I was…”

She had only just regained consciousness. Though she had realized the Fan brothers were dangerous, she was alone and in the dark, so for now, she chose not to expose them.

“Brother, she…” Fan Wujiu began, relieved, but Fan Bisi interrupted with a slight smile.

“Then all the better.”

He went on in a gentle tone,

“What vengeful spirit attack? You must have had a nightmare. No one survives a spirit’s assault. Don’t dwell on it.”

He continued,

“You’ve just woken up. Rest a while. Wujiu, come with me.”

He beckoned his brother, and together they slipped around the courtyard, vanishing behind a side room on the left. As soon as they were out of sight, Fan Bisi’s face darkened.

“That girl has gotten smarter.”