Chapter 100: Meeting Zheng He

Chapter 100

The road to Bao County was truly a government-maintained thoroughfare—broad and smooth—far easier to travel than the route Zhao Fusheng had taken to Dog Head Village.

Because Wan’an County was now sealed off by ghostly mists, the road was completely clear, with no pedestrians in sight.

The group arrived at the outskirts of Bao County earlier than expected.

Unlike the half-deserted state of Wan’an County, there were soldiers guarding the city gate of Bao County. Beneath the gate, a dozen or so townsfolk waited in line to enter the city.

“Bao County is truly prosperous,” Zhao Fusheng murmured, resting her eyes during the journey. Upon arrival, she showed no signs of fatigue. Peering out from behind the carriage curtain, she sighed as she observed the line of people waiting to enter.

In the corner, the attendant Gu Jiansheng’s lips moved slightly, as if wanting to speak but hesitating nervously, emitting a faint sound from his throat.

Fan Wujie, who had also been peeking outside, heard the noise and turned, pinching his nose with furrowed brows and a fierce expression.

“How dare you pass gas in front of the master?!” he growled.

“N-no! I didn’t!” Gu Jiansheng was startled, then frantically waved his hands.

“I was just trying to clear my throat,” he stammered.

Fan Bisi twitched his eyelids, and Zhao Fusheng glanced back at him.

“What did you want to say?” she asked.

Her eyes shone brightly, lips curling slightly, an air of brisk determination about her—not sinister or forbidding as one might expect from a ghost master. There was no intimidation emanating from her, yet Fan Bisi recalled the deadly grip Zhao Fusheng had wielded with her ghostly hand; their eyes met, and he felt a prickling unease, his legs going numb and restless.

Taking a deep breath to steady his fear, Gu Jiansheng replied, “There are fewer people now than before.”

Compared to neighboring counties, Bao County had been fortunate—almost no ghost disasters had occurred in recent years.

In such troubled times, maintaining peace for two years was a true haven for those long suffering from relentless ghostly afflictions.

Especially since many wealthy and influential families were eager to relocate there.

More merchants meant a flourishing local economy.

“If it weren’t for the ghost troubles, the line to enter the city would stretch endlessly every day,” Gu Jiansheng said with a hint of pride.

After the ghost calamity struck Bao County, Zheng He swiftly implemented countermeasures. However, due to the massacre of the powerful Sun family, news leaked. Many affluent landowners and gentry in the city were now watching, preparing to flee.

The once prosperous city now showed signs of decline.

The orange sunset bathed the foot of the city walls, casting a somber glow on the listless, silent townsfolk entering—emaciated, ragged, and with hollow expressions.

The soldiers guarding the gate wore fierce looks and cursed the people coming in. Nearby, a bamboo basket sat filled with copper coins and miscellaneous items.

From this perspective, although Bao County seemed livelier than Wan’an, it was still far from the peaceful place the Er Fan brothers had imagined. Disappointed, the two lost interest in surveying further.

“Sir, we should drive straight through,” Fan Bisi suggested.

As members of the Demon Suppression Bureau, they naturally did not need to queue like ordinary folk.

Moreover, Zhao Fusheng was here to handle a ghost case for Bao County. Fan Bisi felt that even if Zheng He himself came to welcome them, it would be only right. He was unwilling to waste time now.

Zhao Fusheng nodded faintly.

“We’ll go straight in.”

Gu Jiansheng explained that the fierce ghosts in Bao County often appeared at night without any prior sign, catching the county authorities off guard.

Usually, only the next day would neighbors discover the ghostly attack.

Since it was still early, Zhao Fusheng wanted to reach the city center to inspect the scene, search for clues, and analyze the ghost’s murderous patterns to find a lead.

After she agreed, Fan Bisi instructed the coachman.

The coachman flicked the reins and shouted, “Drive on!”

“Hey! Hey hey hey!” The carriage had barely moved before the two soldiers guarding the gate noticed and shouted to halt.

They had been watching the carriage’s arrival and exchanged several malicious glances.

Though Wan’an County was poor, Zhao Fusheng was the head of the Demon Suppression Bureau, supported by the county magistrate and local gentry who provided well for her needs.

This carriage, though not luxurious, stood out among the impoverished crowd, appearing as a fat sheep to the guards—no chance to let it pass easily.

The two soldiers stopped the carriage, quickly setting up wooden spikes to block the gate, brusquely driving the townsfolk away, then shouted toward the carriage:

“Get down! Get down!”

One soldier swaggered forward, belt in hand.

“Want to enter the city? Pay the toll—three qian for men, two for women, one for children. No money? Jewelry or cloth will do—”

Before he could finish, Fan Wujie, intolerant of his attitude, jumped down and slapped him twice across the face.

“Are you blind? How dare you block our master’s carriage!”

Fan Wujie had endured much under Zhao Fusheng’s watchful presence; now he finally had a chance to vent.

The two slaps left the toll collector bleeding and dazed, stumbling and clutching his face, too stunned to reply.

“Look at the emblem on our carriage—Demon Suppression Bureau! You blind mutt!” Fan Wujie cursed, kicking the cowering man until he curled up in pain, groaning.

The other soldier was frightened by this sudden turn.

Zheng He, deputy magistrate of Bao County, was well-known, with many followers in recent years.

He had publicly declared that anyone entering his jurisdiction under his protection must abide by his rules and laws.

Therefore, merchants and nobles alike gave him respect; those collecting tolls at the gate were usually tolerated, their fees quietly paid.

Most tolls were passed up the chain, with only a small portion kept by lower ranks.

Guarding the gate was typically a lucrative post, fiercely sought after by those with connections. These men were used to swaggering about, but today they hit a brick wall.

Seeing their comrade beaten, the other soldier was both fearful and angry, about to shout when Gu Jiansheng quickly poked his head out from the carriage, brandished a token, and scolded:

“You ignorant yellow-eyed dogs, look who I am. These are guests invited by Deputy Magistrate Zheng. How dare you block the road and cause trouble?”

Zheng He had managed Bao County for years, developing his own loyal faction and running things quite effectively.

The Demon Suppression Bureau had a distinctive badge representing authority.

Upon seeing it, the soldiers who had tried to act tough immediately panicked, while the beaten man dared not utter a word and knelt, begging.

Fan Wujie wanted to kick him again, but Zhao Fusheng stopped him.

“Enough. Don’t waste time here.”

Fan Bisi saw her calm demeanor and lack of anger at the soldiers’ behavior, then motioned to his brother.

“Wujie, just have them move the spikes.”

Fan Wujie snorted.

“You’re lucky our master is patient today. Hurry up and move those spikes!”

The two soldiers scrambled to remove the wooden obstacles as Fan Wujie climbed back into the carriage.

No one dared to stop them again. The carriage proceeded smoothly into the city.

After this small incident, Zhao Fusheng’s interest in Bao County’s prosperity waned.

Such surface-level flourishing, when examined beneath, revealed that Deputy Magistrate Zheng was not a benevolent ghost master but rather a greedy manipulator of power and wealth.

She no longer looked at the street vendors but sat silently inside the carriage.

Gu Jiansheng was anxious, fearing to provoke this commanding officer.

Fortunately, once inside the city, no one dared impede them, and after about half an hour, they arrived at the gates of Bao County’s Demon Suppression Bureau.

“Sir—” Gu Jiansheng exhaled in relief as the carriage stopped, his tense nerves relaxing.

He cautiously looked at Zhao Fusheng.

“We’ve arrived.”

The Er Fan brothers jumped down first; Zhao Fusheng alighted last, stretching her arms. From the corner of her eye, she saw several people hurrying out from the bureau but did not turn to look, instinctively tilting her head upward to read the signboard.

Compared to Wan’an’s, the two government office plaques were nearly identical in size and appearance: black base with gold lettering.

However, Wan’an’s sign was blurred, as if shrouded in shadow; the gold paint was mottled or obscured, making the characters indistinct.

In contrast, Bao County’s sign was clear; although somewhat grayish, the gold paint was intact, appearing newer and brighter.

While she examined it, seven or eight men briskly emerged from the bureau.

As they were about to speak, Gu Jiansheng, fearing they might say something offensive, slipped out beside Fan Bisi and called out:

“It’s me, I’m back! Go quickly and inform Lord Zheng that Deputy Magistrate Zhao from Wan’an County has arrived in person.”

Hearing this, the men were startled.

But recognizing Gu Jiansheng’s voice, their fierce expressions softened. They exchanged looks before urging each other to promptly fetch Zheng He.

Although Zheng He was nominally head of Bao County’s Demon Suppression Bureau, he had long since established a separate residence outside the bureau. By the time he was summoned, a quarter of an hour had passed.

Zhao Fusheng sat inside Bao County’s Demon Suppression Bureau office, accompanied by Gu Jiansheng.

She had not brought the soul register to verify her identity, but Fan Bisi and Fan Wujie served as excellent proof. Coupled with Gu Jiansheng’s words, the bureau's attendants dared not be negligent, having already served her tea and incense, waiting quietly by her side.

When footsteps sounded outside, the room fell silent; everyone’s breathing caught, their faces visibly tense.

Zheng He had been a ghost master for some time, deeply affected by malevolent spirits. His temper was sour and cruel; subordinates trembled at the thought of offending him.

Upon his arrival, he grabbed a servant and demanded:

“Where are the people from Wan’an County?”

“Here,” Zhao Fusheng answered promptly.

She set down her teacup and rose, walking outside.

Everyone followed her, making the recently returned Zheng He seem like an outsider.

Though Zhao Fusheng’s rebirth was recent, she had already caused trouble for Bao County’s deputy magistrate more than once.

In a way, the two neighbors had already crossed paths covertly, a strange sort of fate, but this was their first real meeting.

Zheng He was about forty, not old-looking.

He wore a lake-green brocade robe and a golden sash, resembling in some vague way the blue-robed man Zhao Fusheng had seen in the ghost carriage the night before.

But this was not what surprised her.

Zheng He appeared human but lacked any trace of humanity.

His complexion was an eerie mix of blue and yellow; his skin stretched tight and shiny as if coated in bronze.

His gaze was cold; his lips bluish; his expression stiff and lifeless—like a walking corpse.

As Zhao Fusheng sized him up, he returned the stare without emotion, exuding the aura of a fierce ghost. To meet his gaze was to feel as though one stood in a ghostly domain.

He was so deeply corrupted by evil spirits that he was half-ghost himself.

The Er Fan brothers, who had long admired Zheng He’s reputation, felt a chill upon seeing him and instinctively stepped behind Zhao Fusheng.

Interacting with ghosts gradually turns one into a ghost.

Seeing Zheng He reminded them of their time with Zhao Qiming in later years—mood swings, no longer human needs, marked by malevolent spirits, sending chills down the spine.

After Zhao Fusheng replaced the Wan’an County magistrate, although she commanded ghosts, her emotions remained stable.

The Fan brothers were wary of her but no longer terrified as before. Meeting Zheng He again reminded them that not all demon masters were like Zhao Fusheng.

“Are you the magistrate of Wan’an County?” Zheng He asked coldly.

Though he seemed emotionless, his actions were unpredictable.

One moment he could be talking; the next, he might kill.

The Demon Suppression Bureau personnel in Bao County held their breath, and Zhao Fusheng sensed their fear.

That those around Zheng He reacted this way proved he was not someone to be trifled with.

Thinking this, Zhao Fusheng shook her arm slightly.

Her ghostly arm silently emerged from her sleeve, clenched tightly in her hand.

She nodded.

“Yes, I am the magistrate of Wan’an County. And you must be Zheng He?”

“Good.” Zheng He stepped forward, reaching to grab Zhao Fusheng’s collar.

His palm was icy cold; his nails a bluish-gray, gleaming like steel spikes rather than human nails.

Zhao Fusheng did not tolerate this. She struck his palm with her ghostly hand.

“I’m asking questions. Just answer.”

The sharp *thud* made Gu Jiansheng and the others shudder.

The fear of Bao County’s magistrate was because Zheng He represented supreme power here, holding life and death in his hands.

Gu Jiansheng’s terror stemmed from once suffering the ghost hand’s wrath.

“Everyone, calm down—” he tried to speak, but was too late.

Zhao Fusheng never intended to reason with a ghost master.

When her ghost arm struck, the law was triggered, her fist expanding and locking with Zheng He’s fingers.

This unexpected move caught Zheng He off guard.

Though deeply corrupted, he showed no overt fear. Realizing he was caught, he knew trouble was brewing.

The aura of ghosts surged, stirring the malevolent spirits he commanded, who teetered on the edge of awakening.

A strange rustling sounded.

Zheng He’s flat chest began to heave violently, as if hiding some creature within.

Those who knew the truth understood this was not a creature but a fierce ghost.

“Let go! Let go!” he barked coldly.