Chapter Ninety-Eight: The Curse of the Treasured Spirit

Chapter 98

Inside the records room, Zhao Fusheng listened as the burly man recounted the ghost case from Bao County. Before the doctor arrived, she finally understood the full sequence of events.

About half a month ago, a report came from a place called Changgui Lane under Bao County’s jurisdiction. Someone claimed that a temple outside the county had been struck by a ghost calamity, with twenty-seven people—monks and lodging pilgrims alike—dead inside.

The scene was horrific, but because the temple was remote, about ten miles from Bao County’s center, no one had noticed if the temple had fallen under a ghostly domain at the time of the incident.

Only days later did a devout pilgrim discover the temple slaughtered on a visit, some even driven insane by the sight.

The case quickly caused an uproar.

Bao County was usually peaceful.

The county’s demon suppression office was led by an experienced ghost tamer named Zheng He, who had served nearly two years and solved three ghost cases, earning imperial commendations. He was renowned throughout the prefectures and counties.

Under his watch, Bao County remained tranquil; in two years, hardly any ghost disturbances occurred in the city center. People said Vice Magistrate Zheng had an aura so fierce he was like a living king of hell—fearsome spirits avoided him.

Within Bao County, Vice Magistrate Zheng held great status, supported lavishly by wealthy merchants and local gentry who vied to offer him gifts, making him extremely prosperous.

In this context, the rumor of a haunted temple shattered the county’s calm facade.

After all, the temple was only about ten miles from the county seat—a trivial distance for a malevolent spirit.

Wealthy landowners and gentry, once secure, were terrified, wishing they could bring their entire families to stay within the demon suppression office, hoping for Vice Magistrate Zheng’s protection.

But Zheng himself knew his situation.

After two years in the role, already an old hand, he was on the brink of a ghost resurgence. Handling another ghost case would almost certainly mean death.

So when the case first reached the demon suppression office, Zheng immediately ruled it not a ghost case, but a matter of human vengeance—someone had destroyed the temple in a fit of rage.

Since no ghostly domain had been detected and no one witnessed a spirit killing, he publicly declared it a human crime and handed the matter back to the local county government.

Of course, the county officials knew the temple massacre likely involved ghosts. But Zheng was the ghost tamer and the de facto ruler of Bao County; his words were law. Who dared to contradict him?

The officials nervously took on the blame and began investigating the temple massacre.

Because it was a place of lingering spirits, none of the officials dared approach directly, only making superficial inquiries within the county.

After all, the dead were only monks and pilgrims, not from wealthy families. The county had worked with Zheng before, and both sides understood the routine.

As long as the people did not complain and the officials did not pursue it, they could pin the blame on some bandits, claim the temple was looted, and close the case.

Both sides wanted to suppress the ghost case. But the temple massacre was only the beginning, not the end.

A few days later, a family named Cao in Bao County was wiped out overnight—all seven members dead.

The case was reported to the demon suppression office, and Zheng still tried to classify it as a private vendetta.

But the temple and Cao family deaths were just a prelude. Soon, the malevolent spirits began killing frequently, and the county officials scrambled to cover it up.

At first, they could still deceive the populace. But then, a prominent Sun family, with over seventy members, was slaughtered by the ghosts overnight.

The Sun residence turned into a river of blood; all died in horrific ways, their bodies still radiating the spirits’ malevolent aura. The Suns were wealthy and had been staunch supporters of Zheng.

The annihilation of the Sun family shocked Bao County. The gentry and merchants grew uneasy and restless.

Investigations found the Sun family’s gold and jewels untouched.

Now no one could deny the bandit theory; merchants and landowners demanded answers at the demon suppression office, pressing Zheng to act.

Zheng finally lost his composure, panic gripping him. He feigned investigation into the spirits’ origins.

But ghosts strike without trace. In just half a month, they had killed so many, yet no one knew where the spirits came from.

Zheng later counted over a dozen reported cases during this period.

Nearly every victim was an entire family wiped out. With the Sun family gone, over three hundred had died in half a month.

This number terrified even the half-crazed Zheng.

Ghosts were not static. Killing so many humans would cause a spirit’s rank to rise. Even if the ghost began as a minor haunting spirit, after bathing in blood for half a month, it would have grown to at least a malevolent spirit level.

That was Zheng’s preliminary estimate.

From the current situation, the spirit might even exceed that rank.

Not to mention, now he was powerless; even in his prime, he would not dare confront such a ghost.

The spirits he controlled were only at the malevolent level. If the ghosts ravaging Bao County were above that, any attempt to fight would only add to their trophy of kills.

Zheng even imagined how people would speak of him after death—that the famous Vice Magistrate Zheng of Bao County was incompetent and died at the hands of ghosts.

Thinking this, he resolved to hide within the demon suppression office.

But with the case involving gentry and growing public outrage, he could not ignore it entirely, lest someone report him to the imperial court.

He did not dare seek imperial help.

At the brink of a ghost resurgence, appealing to the court would only mean the officials would take his life before dealing with the aftermath.

To maintain appearances, Zheng soothed the people while seriously investigating.

Having operated in Bao County for years, he dug into every detail from the past two months.

Though he found no trace of the ghosts’ movements, other clues emerged.

The burly man paused frequently to glance at Zhao Fusheng, hesitant to speak further.

“What did Zheng find?” Zhao asked with a gentle smile, now appearing approachable and mild, far removed from her earlier deadly demeanor.

“Vice Magistrate Zheng discovered—” The man’s wounded cheek bled through his clothes. At her smile, his body shuddered, and he hastily corrected himself: “No, no, Zheng He found that someone from Wan’an County had been involved.”

Zheng had many informants in Bao County. Though the ghost resurgence’s cause remained unknown, Zheng knew disasters always foreshadowed it.

He ordered a thorough investigation of all incidents in Bao County over the past two months, demanding detailed reports.

This inquiry uncovered much, including one case that caught his attention.

A report said that Wan’an County had secretly transported two coffins overnight to the border between the two counties, led by twin brothers about twenty years old.

If it were a funeral, that would be one thing. But to bury coffins secretly at night, led by twins, was suspicious.

Twins were rare, especially so close together, both around the same age, and from Wan’an—Zheng immediately thought of the Fan brothers who headed Wan’an’s demon suppression office.

Alarmed, Zheng ordered an excavation at the burial site indicated.

They opened the graves to find the coffins empty.

By then, Zheng knew exactly what had happened.

Wan’an County had sent the ghost calamity!

Worse, judging by the number of coffins, the ghosts came in pairs—two spirits.

The two ghosts had not neutralized each other into dormancy but had awakened simultaneously.

Realizing this, Zheng’s heart sank.

With his experience, he knew this was unprecedented in a century—the first time two spirits had simultaneously awakened and acted together.

And Bao County was the unlucky place to suffer.

No, it was not Wan’an County—it had delivered the ghost calamity to Bao County!

Thinking this, Zheng could neither eat nor sleep, cursing the Fan brothers overnight.

Even at his prime, facing one ghost would make him nervous; two meant immediate flight, with the only solution to beg the imperial court.

But he also knew the consequences of appealing.

Ghost tamers were selfish, unwilling to sacrifice themselves for the county’s safety.

After much thought, Zheng concluded the one who tied the knot should untie it.

Since the ghosts came from Wan’an, Wan’an should deal with them.

But he also knew that ghost calamities had raged in Wan’an for years, and even the court had given up there.

Months ago, people fled Wan’an. Rumors said its demon suppression office’s Zhao Qiming had succumbed to ghost resurgence, the ghosts ravaging the office and killing most personnel.

He did not know how the Fan brothers survived, but Wan’an was overwhelmed and could not manage Bao County’s disaster.

Still, Zheng did not truly intend to solve the problem; he only wanted an excuse to placate the gentry.

If he delayed long enough, and the ghosts killed enough people before leaving, other prefectures would have to deal with it.

With this in mind, he sent a trusted aide to stir up trouble loudly in Wan’an, making a big show of concern.

Hearing this, Zhao Fusheng finally understood why Bao County’s officials had acted so arrogantly upon arrival.

She glanced at the uneasy envoy, then at Fan Wujiu.

“Did you keep things very secret?” she asked.

Fan Wujiu’s face flushed.

“I—”

After the mission, Fan Bisi had boasted that the case was handled so secretly that no one noticed their movements.

Now Zhao Fusheng saw their activities had been observed.

“Forget it,” she waved her hand.

“If such a group goes to Bao County, it’s impossible to avoid making noise. If discovered, so be it.”

Besides, the mission was accomplished, and the Fan brothers had bought her some time.

The envoy from Bao County shivered at her words.

Though both counties knew the two ghosts came from Wan’an, Wan’an’s envoy seemed overly confident.

Moreover, two ghosts rampaged!

Even Vice Magistrate Zheng was terrified, yet the Wan’an envoy spoke calmly of the ghosts, as if unperturbed.

The burly man wondered: was it because the disaster was not on his land that he remained so composed?

As he pondered, pain in his face brought him back to reality.

Wan’an’s demon suppression office had clearly been overrun by ghost resurgence, with the court abandoning it. No new officials would be sent.

So where had this Wan’an envoy appeared from?

And he possessed a terrifying ghostly hand—

Thinking of that ghostly hand sent the man into a shadow of fear, worrying for his life.

He had thought this trip would be for show, maybe to squeeze benefits from the Fan brothers; instead, he found himself in the hands of ghost tamers.

He hoped this envoy would show some honor, for history had it that envoys spared by the opposing side could return alive to report.

While the man ruminated on pleading for mercy, Zhao Fusheng spoke first:

“Fan Er-ge, when Fan Da-ge returns, pack your things and come with me to Bao County.”

“What?” Fan Wujiu exclaimed.

The burly man clutching his face gasped in pain and shivered.

Both stared at Zhao Fusheng in disbelief.

“I’ll rest half a day and leave this afternoon,” she said, then asked the envoy:

“The ghost cases in Bao County happen mostly at midnight, right?”

“Y-yes, but—”

The man was confused by the question.

“That’s enough,” Zhao said.

“We leave this afternoon and should arrive by night. Hopefully, we can stop the ghost calamity tonight.”

The two men were struck dumb, exchanging nervous glances.

Just then, Fan Bisi returned, seeing his brother’s pleading eyes.

Unaware of the full story, he told Zhao Fusheng:

“The doctor has arrived.”

“Take him out to treat his wounds. You two come with me this afternoon,” Zhao instructed calmly.

This case started because of the three of them—the Fan brothers’ misdeeds and the ghost calamity she had delivered.

Though such situations were not unusual, Zhao Fusheng now had the backing of the List of Deities and was determined to clean up the mess she had caused.

Fan Bisi was stunned by her words but looked at Zhao with understanding.

He had been sent out without knowing the full story, but Fan Wujiu’s fearful expression told him this ghost calamity was no ordinary affair.

Zhao insisted on going. Was she fearless or confident in resolving the case?

Having suppressed one ghost calamity, solved two ghost cases, and escaped a calamity of spirits above the disaster level, Zhao had already faced four ghost calamities.

Now she would frequently handle more.

What was she relying on?

Should he go with her?

If he did, would Zhao seek revenge, causing the brothers to perish in this calamity?

If not—

The thought barely formed before Fan Bisi dismissed it.

Zhang Chuanshi’s fate was a vivid lesson; Zhao Fusheng was strong-willed and uncompromising.

But Zhang’s example also showed that traveling with her wasn’t necessarily a death sentence.

Fan Bisi wavered only briefly, then nodded:

“All right.”