Chapter 107: The Red Spring Troupe

Zhao Fusheng nodded and said, "It is indeed inconvenient to disperse our forces."

Half a month had passed, and many people had died in Baozhi County. If the malevolent spirits used doors as their medium for killing, then the number of people marked by them was even greater. Although Baozhi County had many personnel, most of the agents had joined because of Zheng He's reputation, and they were a mixed bag. Zhao Fusheng had just arrived and had not yet vetted them; she did not know how they would perform in a supernatural case. Even if most of them were excellent, their strength and courage would be diminished once they were dispersed. Most importantly, the dual ghosts this time had reached at least the Sha level, and if they merged, they could potentially reach the terrifying level of a Calamity.

Zheng He, sensing that she did not intend to let the matter rest, felt uneasy. "My Lady, you mean..."

"Compile a complete list. Find everyone who has had contact with the victims or touched the doors, and bring them to report to the Demon Suppression Bureau."

If they could not be dispersed, they would simply be concentrated. As she said this, Zhao Fusheng recalled the squires and wealthy merchants who had been clamoring to see Zheng He inside the bureau. "Xu Yachen and the others are anxious to find you; I suppose they are terrified by the death of Squire Sun, aren't they?" She smiled.

Zheng He was still struggling with her earlier proposal. Hearing her change the subject, he replied reluctantly, "They are all of one mind, birds of a feather, and Sun..." He paused, suddenly understanding Zhao Fusheng's implication. "—these people could also be the next targets of the malevolent spirits!"

Having said that, Zheng He closed his eyes and grimaced, his stiff face showing a rare, human-like expression of pain. "I invited Xu Yachen and the others to watch me handle the case, but these old men are too cowardly to move. It seems fate has willed it; after my time in Wan'an County, there will be a few more wealthy taxpayers dead."

"My Lady—" Zheng He was usually bold and eccentric, but at this moment, hearing Zhao Fusheng's words, his vision went dark. "This doesn't seem right..." He suspected Zhao Fusheng was planning something massive. If she gathered so many people together and the two spirits arrived, and if Zhao Fusheng had been bluffing and could not repel them, everyone would be wiped out in one fell swoop!

Baozhi County was a major county in the province. While Xu Yachen and the others were elderly, many of them came from influential bureaucratic families with deep connections in the imperial court. If they all died in Baozhi County, it would cause a shockwave throughout the capital. Zhao Fusheng’s family had been wiped out, leaving her with nothing to lose, but before Zheng He had become a spirit-controller, he had a family. His relatives remained in the Imperial Capital, so he never dared to act as recklessly as she did.

"What is wrong with it?" Zhao Fusheng asked him coldly.

Zheng He had been controlling spirits for years and considered himself someone who had seen great storms. Dealing with ghosts, what kind of terrifying scenes had he not witnessed? But at this moment, Zhao Fusheng's words refreshed his understanding. He refused inwardly and racked his brains for an excuse. "The day is late; how can we possibly compile the list in time—"

Zheng He felt that Zhao Fusheng had truly gone mad. He had initially thought she was unaffected by the spirits and acted with composure. But now, it seemed she had been deeply influenced and was only calm on the surface; otherwise, how could a normal person dare to be so reckless? Bringing everyone who might be marked by the ghosts together—was this not using bait to lure fish, openly presenting a target and inviting the ghosts into the trap? "..." She was truly insane!

Zheng He shook his head desperately, secretly hating Gu Jiansheng for his incompetence in bringing such a disaster to Baozhi County. She certainly had a way with investigating cases, but this method was too impulsive. Had he known, he would have let Baozhi County be haunted; at worst, he could have found another way later. Zheng He was filled with regret.

Just as he was feeling frustrated, Zhao Fusheng nodded. "The day is indeed late, but the list must not be delayed. Have people work through the night to compile it and hand it to me tomorrow morning."

Seeing Zheng He about to speak again, she raised her arm to stop him and commanded, "There may be more cases tonight—"

She paused for a moment. It was a long pause. Zheng He, who had been listening helplessly, looked up in surprise when she did not continue, only to hear her continue as if nothing had happened: "Have people find out as quickly as possible the friends, neighbors, and contacts of those affected by the ghosts tonight, and inform me tomorrow."

She looked at Zheng He. "Do you understand?" Her tone was gentle, but she was not consulting him; she was telling him exactly what to do.

"Does My Lady really intend to do this?" Zheng He asked with an ugly expression. Since she had spoken so clearly, she was obviously not joking.

She turned her head and stared fixedly at Zheng He, until he felt a chill down his spine and instinctively took a step back, assuming a defensive posture. Only then did Zhao Fusheng smile. "You just need to follow my instructions; do not ask anything else. Do you understand?"

Her tone carried no threat. Yet, Zheng He recalled their initial encounter, where her killing intent had made even the spirit he controlled recoil. He could neither defeat her nor find a way to counter her. Realizing this, he deflated like a punctured ball. He gave a helpless nod.

"Let's go." Zhao Fusheng stepped over the threshold.

"Is My Lady going back into the Sun residence to investigate?" This action surprised the others. Zheng He hesitated for a long moment before following.

"I want to take another look."

"Haven't we already seen it?" Fan Wujiu also found the empty Sun residence eerie. He scratched his head and said, "You have already deduced the origin of the spirits and found the connection in the killings; why bother going in for an empty walk?"

Zheng He paused, waiting for a show. He hadn't known Zhao Fusheng long, but through their interactions, he had branded her in his mind as stubborn, overbearing, somewhat clever, reckless, disregardful of the big picture, and intolerant of questioning. He expected Fan Wujiu’s question to be an affront to her authority, and that she would likely punish the twins on the spot to establish her dominance.

But the conflict Zheng He imagined did not happen. Hearing Fan Wujiu's question, Zhao Fusheng replied, "That is not entirely correct." She shook her head. "Everything I said before was based on my deduction after seeing the pair of doors. Although I am seven or eight parts certain, I still need more clues to confirm it."

She turned to look at Fan Wujiu. These two brothers had a grudge against her, but Fan Bisi was clever and had realized she had successfully controlled a spirit, showing his loyalty several times. On this trip to Baozhi County, knowing the danger, they had still followed, which proved they were decisive. Wan'an County now needed manpower, and she could not always act alone in future cases. Intending to groom the brothers, she said, "Supernatural cases are highly dangerous; one mistake could cost you your life."

"Although I am somewhat confident in this case, it is not ten parts certain." Malevolent spirits could not be truly killed, but if she slipped up, it would mean certain death. "If you are careless, even if you survive once, there is no guarantee you will escape every time." She paused for a moment before continuing, "I will have many cases to handle in the future, and I will often need you to accompany me. Relying only on luck will not keep you alive for long."

Fan Wujiu scratched his head, but Fan Bisi understood the implication in her words. His eyes lit up, though he remained silent.

"..." Zheng He looked at Zhao Fusheng with a strange expression, thinking she was truly a bizarre person.

The group entered the Sun residence, leaving Gu Jiansheng outside. He did not want to enter. But once Zhao Fusheng left, the area in front of the grand mansion was eerily silent. Perhaps the memory of the red-doored ghost had left a mark of fear on him; he remembered his own ignorance in pushing the door, and wondered if his fingerprints were now left on it—he had been one of the agents who came to inspect the scene after the incident at the Sun house.

It was as if the past was repeating itself; the ground was covered in blood. The thick, pungent smell made his eyes sting. He didn't know where he found the strength, but he leaped up and shouted, "My Lords, wait for me—"

He feared the Sun residence, but he feared being left behind even more. Fear gave him strength. Gu Jiansheng, who had been trembling, now ran at full speed, charging into the house and even pushing past Zheng He to follow closely by Zhao Fusheng’s side.

"..." Zheng He clenched his fists repeatedly; if not for Zhao Fusheng’s presence, he would have liked to give Gu Jiansheng a few punches.

The group entered the house. It was a mess, with the remains of the tragedy still visible. Most of the relatively intact bodies had been collected, and the Sun family's wealth had been looted, leaving only blood-stained footprints and shredded silk and satin on the floor. In just half a month, a wealthy and prosperous family had been wiped out.

Fortunately, Zhao Fusheng saw the door panels Zheng He had mentioned. As she had expected, these panels appeared in pairs; the bodies had been moved, but the brownish-black bloodstains revealed the brutality of the case.

"The removed door panels almost always appear in pairs, while the single-sided doors remain intact." This matched the characteristics of the Zhao couple appearing together.

Having viewed the general situation of the Sun residence, there was no point in staying longer. The day was late, and Zhao Fusheng turned to walk out. "Let's go, back to the Demon Suppression Bureau."

The smell of blood had not dissipated even after half a month. The larger and more luxurious the Sun residence had been, the more empty and horrifying it felt now that everyone was dead. The others, having wandered behind her for a while, were already feeling uneasy. Hearing her say they were returning, they all let out a long sigh of relief.

"Is My Lady not going to look anymore?" Zheng He asked hypocritically.

"I had an idea in my mind already; this was just to be safe and confirm it from multiple angles. There is no need to look further," Zhao Fusheng said. Using the properties of her Time-Space Golden Bell, she had already found the ghost's image on the door, identified the entity, and discovered the pattern the ghost used to search for humans from the fingerprints. The rest was up to Zheng He to investigate whether the Sun family and the other victims had any connection to the Kongyun Temple. Once confirmed, the case would be nearly thirty percent solved.

"I want to get a good rest tonight, prepare tomorrow, and aim to conclude this supernatural case by tomorrow night!"

What a bold claim! Zheng He was frozen in place by her words. Although the Fan brothers also found her statement incredible, they had seen her handle previous cases brilliantly. Furthermore, the brothers knew she had escaped the capture of the Ghost Carriage, so they had a certain confidence in her strength. Thus, although her words were exaggerated, the two Fans did not speak, silently following behind her.

The group left the Sun residence and boarded the carriage. Only then did Gu Jiansheng let out a long breath, then began sniffing his clothes incessantly, feeling as though he were covered in the scent of blood.

Once they were seated, Zheng He smiled and said, "Since Lady Zhao has come from afar, I will have someone set up a few banquet tables at the Wangchun Tower in the county this evening—" He forced a smile. "A troupe just arrived in the county recently, bringing a few fresh and popular plays from the Imperial Capital. There is a young dan actor in the troupe who has a wonderful voice. I specifically kept them in Baozhi County; since you are here, why don't we go listen tonight?"

"Little Lark?" Gu Jiansheng, who was shaking out his clothes, asked with bright eyes.

Zheng He ignored him, but Fan Wujiu was quite surprised to hear the name "Little Lark." "Is it the troupe from the Hongquan Society?"

Although Fan Wujiu was only an agent, he was from Wan'an County, and Zheng He gave him a modicum of respect, replying coolly, "Yes."

"It really is the Hongquan Society." Fan Wujiu turned, excited. "Brother, five years ago, the Hongquan Society went to the Imperial Capital too. Brother Qiming took us then, do you remember?"

"I remember." Mentioning the past, the usually mature Fan Bisi showed a rare smile. But the brothers quickly remembered that Zhao Qiming was dead. Things had changed, and the beautiful memories, when recalled, only brought sorrow. Fan Bisi's smile froze, the light in his eyes faded, and he returned to his usual reserved, solemn self.

"Fusheng, the Hongquan Society is very famous. Their master was a martial actor in his youth and is very talented. Five years ago, they had a dan actor named Lark who had a great voice. This Little Lark—" He turned to look at Zheng He.

Hearing him call her "Fusheng," Zheng He finally learned her given name. He was surprised that an agent would be so presumptuous, yet Zhao Fusheng did not fly into a rage or demand his life, which was truly strange. However, he could not judge the affairs of Wan'an County. Seeing Fan Wujiu looking at him, he replied, "She is Lark’s apprentice."

Fan Wujiu was excited and said to Zhao Fusheng, "Fusheng, let's go together."

Zhao Fusheng looked at the brothers with interest. One was mature beyond his years, the other was lively. They were ruthless, and she had always been wary of them, but seeing Fan Wujiu’s desire to have fun, she suddenly realized they were still young, only eighteen.

She smiled and said, "You go ahead, I won't go." She was not interested in such things until the case was closed. "Go enjoy yourselves for two hours, then come back to me. I have tasks for you."

After saying this, she told Zheng He, "They will attend the welcome banquet on my behalf."