Chapter 102: The Price of a Life-Saving Spirit

Chapter 102

A terrifying storm that should have swept through Bao County gradually subsided as the two ghost tamers, Zhao Fusheng and Zheng He, ceased their confrontation.

Bao County’s magistrate and the Fan brothers, who had been on edge, all breathed a sigh of relief at the temporary truce.

“The sun is out again.”

A laborer outside, unaware of the tense battle within, shouted loudly.

Recently, ghost calamities had plagued Bao County, often casting a gloomy shadow that blocked the sunlight.

It was dusk, and the sun was already about to set. During the fight between Zhao Fusheng and Zheng He, two ghosts appeared, filling the Demon Suppression Office with thick ghostly mist that dimmed the room.

At the laborer’s shout, everyone inside instinctively looked outside, and indeed, the fiery sunset drove away the gloom, instantly brightening the entire Demon Suppression courtyard.

Zhao Fusheng pinched a coin and strode without hesitation to the main seat, sitting down firmly.

The Fan brothers, now proud and confident, stood tall behind her.

Zheng He’s face was a mix of pale and flushed.

This fight had utterly shattered his dignity, but compared to his pride, his life was far more precious.

Zhao Fusheng’s prowess exceeded his expectations. When had Wan’an County ever produced such a formidable figure, especially one the court had seemingly abandoned?

Recalling the earlier clash, although brief, much had transpired.

Zhao Fusheng possessed a complete fierce ghost, whose aura pressed heavily upon him—at least at the lethal level.

Moreover, she commanded a ghostly arm under her control...

But none of these were the main point.

The crucial fact was that Zheng He suspected Zhao Fusheng had tamed not only this half-ghost but also another powerful spirit!

This explained why Zheng He quickly admitted defeat after Zhao Fusheng seized him.

At that moment, an unknown terror enveloped him. He felt impending disaster and faintly heard the clear chime of golden bells.

That bell’s sound calmed the ghostly head violently struggling in his chest.

Instinctively, Zheng He looked down at his chest.

The bones around his chest were sunken; the skin had a dry, gray-brown hue. A ghostly head, eyes closed in a deep slumber, was quietly embedded within his body.

Copper coin-sized brown spots covered its face, giving it a bizarre appearance.

Having coexisted with this fierce ghost for years, Zheng He knew its cruelty well. Yet upon hearing the golden bell, it showed absolute obedience.

Fierce ghosts lacked reason or thought; the only possibility was that it had been completely suppressed at that moment.

Zhao Fusheng’s eyes had been filled with killing intent. When he vowed to die alongside her, she claimed to have a way to kill him utterly and permanently suppress his fierce ghost.

At first, Zheng He thought she was bluffing.

But the behavior of the life-buying ghost he commanded later indirectly confirmed Zhao Fusheng’s claim was true!

She had a means to utterly kill him.

This thought shattered Zheng He’s defenses instantly, compelling him to surrender regardless of shame.

At this moment, Zheng He’s body twisted painfully; Zhao Fusheng had previously grabbed and wrenched, breaking his spine.

Yet such a fatal injury was trivial to a ghost tamer. He took a deep breath and forcefully arched his back.

Bones creaked ominously as they realigned. Zheng He adjusted his torn clothes, stood up, and quickly took a few steps to face Zhao Fusheng.

“I have failed to recognize greatness. Thank you, Lord Zhao, for sparing my life.”

Though deeply affected by the fierce ghost, terrified to the core, his face was pale and numb, showing little fear.

Zhao Fusheng returned the suppressed ghost arm into her sleeve.

Her action silenced everyone in Bao County; even Zheng He felt a chill.

While he was shocked that Zhao Fusheng commanded such a powerful spirit, that was not the most terrifying aspect.

More frightening was her ghost-taming skill.

Both had invoked fierce ghost power, yet she appeared unaffected, controlling it effortlessly and calmly.

In contrast, Zheng He had long merged his appearance with the fierce ghost’s visage.

How did she manage this?

Zheng He felt both fear and curiosity.

Zhao Fusheng did not answer but returned to cleaning the ghost coin named “Life-Buying Coin” by the Deity List, scrutinizing it for a long time.

Disgusted by the fierce ghost’s spittle on the coin, she wiped it on her sleeve.

“If I ask you nicely and you don’t answer, do you have to get beaten to feel comfortable?”

As she spoke, Fan Bisi’s gaze fell on Gu Jiansheng’s bandaged face.

Gu Jiansheng showed no embarrassment.

No one knew what Zheng He was thinking, but after taming a ghost, he seemed devoid of human emotions. He neither blushed nor grew angry but listened to Zhao Fusheng’s taunts with a blank expression.

None in Bao County spoke.

With these two officers fighting and one conceding, the county’s officials tacitly accepted Zhao Fusheng as the strongest. Such scenes were no longer surprising—after all, during Zheng He’s rule, subordinates had endured worse days. Verbal mockery was nothing.

“I thought it was a lie,” Zheng He explained.

“Officers may not leave the county without permission, so I didn’t expect a lord from Wan’an County to come personally.”

Seeing Zhao Fusheng still focused on the coin, Fan Bisi spoke for her.

“Our lord has a way to temporarily break free from the Soul-Life Register’s constraints,” he said, glancing at her expression.

Seeing no rebuke, he relaxed.

“I heard Bao County faced ghost calamities, so I came to help. Didn’t expect Bao County to treat guests like this?”

He asked sarcastically.

But Zheng He’s thoughts were not on a subordinate officer’s audacity.

When Fan Bisi mentioned Zhao Fusheng’s escape from the Soul-Life Register, Zheng He was even more terrified than by his ghost’s suppression.

As a veteran of the Demon Suppression Office, he knew far more about the Soul-Life Register than Fan Bisi.

Once entered, one’s soul and life were bound forever.

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