Chapter Eight: Seizing the Soul Register

Chapter Eight

"Paper Man Zhang?"

Before Zhao Fusheng woke up after her soul returned to her body, she had indeed heard the Fan brothers mention the name "Paper Man Zhang." She had made a mental note of it at the time. Now, hearing them bring it up again, she seized the opportunity to ask about this person’s origins.

"Yes, Paper Man Zhang," Fan Bisi replied.

"The Zhang family is a prominent household in the county, possessing secret arts handed down through generations, mainly focusing on cultivating immortals. They have strange abilities and some supernatural methods. As long as you can afford the price, his help will exceed your expectations." After speaking, he paused, and his slightly dark face squeezed out a faint smile.

"You’ll understand soon enough."

"Exactly," Fan Wujou chimed in, nodding in agreement. "Paper Man Zhang is formidable. It was his idea to divert disaster eastward..."

He shouldn’t speak unless he knows how!

Fan Bisi glared irritably at his impulsive brother, worried that Fan Wujou’s lack of tact might offend Zhao Fusheng, causing her to refuse to help the brothers.

Fan Wujou, chastened by his brother’s glare, realized his mistake and immediately looked nervous, not daring to say another word.

"In short, once you get to know him, you’ll find his usefulness far greater than you imagine," Fan Bisi added with difficulty, then shot another frustrated look at his brother and urged him, "Hurry up and bring out the Soul Registry for Fusheng to see..."

This brother of his was truly more trouble than help.

Though he was known for his ruthlessness, Fan Bisi’s heart softened only for his twin brother. The two had relied on each other since childhood and shared a deep bond. He might scold him, but could never abandon him.

Fan Wujou, having been rebuked, quickly opened the rosewood box.

It was filled with books, but he paid them no mind as he rummaged through them, causing several volumes to fall onto the muddy ground—the remnants of last night’s torrential rain. The books became damp and filthy.

Zhao Fusheng bent down to pick them up. Fan Wujou, after a hurried search, found a red box at the very bottom.

The box was entirely crimson, its material unknown. The red was not painted, but seemed to emanate from within, making its surface shimmer with an almost imperceptible blood-like aura, giving off an unsettling sense of evil.

Zhao Fusheng glanced at it, frowned, and instinctively became wary.

Fan Wujou, upon holding the box, seemed to find it scalding to the touch, his expression respectful as he handed it over to his brother.

Fan Bisi, cradling the box, took several deep breaths before finally opening it to reveal its contents.

Inside, the box was densely covered with talismans painted in blood-red cinnabar. The cinnabar seemed freshly applied, glistening as if still wet.

In the center lay a palm-sized jade book. Fan Bisi glanced at it, gritted his teeth, and handed the box to Zhao Fusheng.

"This Soul Registry should be managed by the chief of the division, but after Zhao Qiming's death, it temporarily fell into our hands. Now it returns to its rightful owner," he said.

Then, in a low voice, he added, "Fusheng, please be merciful. If we brothers have wronged you, we’re willing to admit fault and make amends. Now you don’t need us; our staying is pointless."

Zhao Fusheng said nothing, simply reaching for the jade book.

The moment her fingers touched it, countless cinnabar talismans seemed to come alive, transforming into wriggling worms that rapidly spread across her hand.

The bizarre, terrifying sight startled Zhao Fusheng.

Raised in the modern world, she had never encountered such inexplicable phenomena. Her first instinct was to let go and shake off the "worms."

But the talismans clung to her like maggots to bone, not only imprinting on her fingers but seemingly burrowing into her very flesh and blood.

Having crossed into this strange era, Zhao Fusheng already knew from her nightmares that there were ghosts here, but witnessing such uncanny power still shook her deeply.

As she reeled in horror, a sudden chill crept up her back.

It felt as though another cold force pressed close, trying to dispel the icy sensation invading her palm.

She couldn’t tell if these two kinds of cold were real or imagined. Terrified and at a loss, the talismans, sensing her presence, abruptly retreated meekly into the secret box.

The cold vanished, and the numbness and pain dissipated instantly.

Her heart thudded wildly as Zhao Fusheng instinctively clenched her hand.

The sense of loss of control faded, her blood flowed freely, and her fingers responded, curling into a fist.

She looked at her hand, still shaken.

Her palm was slender and pale, with traces of blood between her fingers.

Aside from that, there were no talisman marks—almost as if her earlier vision of her hand crawling with talismans had been nothing but an illusion.

Ever since her rebirth, Fan Bisi had noticed that Zhao Fusheng always seemed confident and changed, but now, for the first time, he saw unease on her face.

He guessed she was frightened by the talismans and explained with a smile, "Don't worry. As chief of the division, these talismans won’t harm you. If anyone else tries to tamper with the Soul Registry, the talismans would kill them instantly."

He added, "The Soul Registry is crafted by the court, and the talismans were drawn by General Jia Yi, who is known to command ghosts. It’s said his ghosts have reached the level of 'Fiend,' possessing the power to 'communicate' with humans. These talismans are rumored to be ghost language—no matter how far away, Jia Yi can kill with ghost language..."

Zhao Fusheng shuddered.

Fan Bisi’s explanation did not comfort her. She knew nothing about matters involving ghosts, but if the ghosts were so fierce and yet these ghost-language talismans didn’t harm her, there must be a reason.

Uneasy, she touched her back again. The chill there faded along with the talisman marks on her hand, disappearing without a trace.

Still, Zhao Fusheng remained wary. The feeling of being watched by malevolent spirits in her dreams seemed to return.

She sensed invisible, cold eyes fixed upon her, making her uncomfortable.

She glanced around, the movement catching the brothers’ attention. Fan Bisi probed, "What’s wrong?"

She frowned, suppressed her anxiety, and shook her head, "Nothing."

Her pallor betrayed her, clearly contradicting her words. Fan Bisi, though suspicious by nature, only assumed she was frightened by the talisman power and his mention of "ghost language."

After all, she was just a young country girl...

Having a favor to ask, he kindly reassured her, "Don’t worry, ghost language may be terrifying, but it will never harm its own."

"One of our own?" Hearing this, Zhao Fusheng grew even more uneasy. Fan Bisi explained, "To enter the Demon Suppression Division, you must first be entered into the Soul Registry."

Zhao Fusheng drew a deep breath.

She had a premonition that what Fan Bisi was about to say would not be to her liking.

These brothers were not good people, but Fan Bisi claimed to be bound by the Soul Registry, forcing him to lower himself and beg her. If she remembered correctly, the original Zhao Fusheng had, upon joining the Demon Suppression Division, also signed the registry with her own blood.

"Once the Soul Registry is activated, you are bound to it. If it commands you to live, you live; if it commands you to die, you die," Fan Bisi said calmly.

"Isn’t that just handing your life over to someone else?" For the first time, Zhao Fusheng lost her composure, asking in astonishment.

"Yes."

Unlike Zhao Fusheng’s shock and anger, Fan Bisi was much more composed.

"Ah—well..." Zhao Fusheng was speechless, taking a while to regain her composure. She finally asked, "The Demon Suppression Division is huge, and as you said, its members are extraordinary, with many who command ghosts. Are they all willing to do this?"

"There’s no choice."

Fan Bisi shook his head. "The powerful figures in the court are beyond your imagination. How can ordinary ghost handlers contend with the court?"

Ghosts are far more terrifying than people realize. Facing them alone has a low survival rate; only by banding together can one drive away ghosts effectively.

"The court has numbers and resources. As long as you're in the Demon Suppression Division, you can call on the court for help if something happens."

He grinned, "Besides, ghost handlers have short lives to begin with, affected by fierce ghosts. Without restraint, it could spell disaster for ordinary people."

"But..." Zhao Fusheng was about to argue when Fan Bisi continued, "And isn’t it good to rely on the court and enjoy life? Once you join the Demon Suppression Division, you’ll have power and beauty at your fingertips. As for the Soul Registry’s restrictions, as long as you don’t betray the court or abandon your duties, the ghost-language talismans won't activate, and you’ll be safe."

Zhao Fusheng couldn’t agree with him, but she had no intention of convincing Fan Bisi otherwise. Her priority was finding a way to escape the Soul Registry's control and the brothers' grasp.

Suppressing her doubts, she looked at Fan Bisi.

He had spoken at length to ask her to help temporarily remove the brothers’ names from the registry.

"If you help us extract our soul bonds, we’ll have about a month to find another Soul Registry to host them," he urged.

Zhao Fusheng hesitated, then reached out again for the jade book.

This time, the ghost-language talismans seemed familiar with her presence and did not attack. She smoothly took the jade book in hand.

"Fusheng, our brothers will be forever grateful for your kindness..."

Seeing her take the book, Fan Bisi assumed things were proceeding smoothly. Even with his steady temperament, he couldn’t help showing joy in his eyes.

But he was too quick to celebrate. Zhao Fusheng, after taking the book, did not follow his instructions. Her expression darkened.

Fan Bisi’s words were true.

The talismans’ power was frightening, but she sensed no aggression from them.

Zhao Fusheng realized she was trapped in Wan’an County, a place abandoned by the court and plagued with ghosts.

Her face paled, but she forced herself to stay calm, shaking her head, "Not yet. I have more questions. Please continue."

Fan Bisi’s smile froze, and Fan Wujou’s expression grew sullen, about to speak when Fan Bisi drew a deep breath, glared fiercely at his brother, then forced a smile.

"What else do you want to know? We brothers will answer everything you ask."