Chapter 109: Nightfall Descends

Chapter 109

As soon as Zhao Fusheng entered Ding’an Tower, the anger on her face quickly vanished.

The steward of the Prince of Chu’s residence had arranged the best room in Ding’an Tower for her. The room was spacious, with a row of large windows at the back, offering a full view of the Shangjia River behind the tower.

The room had already been prepared with toiletries. Zhao Fusheng washed away the fatigue from her journey and stood by the window.

Perhaps due to the recent ghostly incidents in Bao County and the death of the prominent Sun family, many people had been frightened and dared not travel anymore.

Tonight, the river was pitch black, without the lantern lights previously mentioned by Zheng He from the painting workshop.

Zhao Fusheng stared intently at the river, pondering whether she had overlooked anything in the ghost case involving the Zhao couple.

At that moment, there was a sharp knocking sound at the door.

Upon hearing the knock, Zhao Fusheng’s back tensed, and instinctively, she clenched the ghost arm concealed in her sleeve.

But she quickly recovered and called out, “Come in.”

The door was pushed open, and the Fan brothers who had been waiting outside led in a man with his hands tied.

Zhao Fusheng’s gaze fell on the man, and she asked, “Is this the person who reported the incident at Kongyun Temple?”

Fan Bisi nodded.

Zhao Fusheng inquired about the situation at Kongyun Temple. The man trembled in fear upon hearing the name but, intimidated by the reputation of the Demon Suppression Division, he reluctantly answered several of her questions.

He was so terrified that his words were incoherent, and further questioning seemed pointless, so Zhao Fusheng soon dismissed him.

She then turned to Fan Bisi and asked, “How did the discussions go?”

Her question seemed abrupt, but Fan Bisi understood what she meant and replied, “In the end, it will probably be handled according to your instructions.”

This response was exactly what Zhao Fusheng had expected. She curled her lips slightly but said nothing.

Fan Bisi felt something was odd.

Normally, the officers of the Demon Suppression Division acted with their own authority, and ghost tamers disliked being questioned.

Whatever Zhao Fusheng decided, Fan Bisi should simply follow without asking too many questions.

But today, back at the Sun residence, when Fan Wujiu had asked about the ghost case, Zhao Fusheng had not been angry but had patiently explained, making Fan Bisi realize she was not an unreasonable or capricious person.

She acted with her own judgment and choices.

Regarding ghost cases, she was surprisingly willing to share her experience and views, almost as if consciously teaching the two men.

With this in mind, Fan Bisi cautiously asked, “My lady, why did you insist on luring the vengeful spirit at Ding’an Tower?”

Bao County was vast, and although places like Ding’an Tower were not common, they were not unique either—yet Zhao Fusheng had specifically chosen Ding’an Tower.

Zhao Fusheng glanced at Fan Bisi.

Her look made Fan Bisi’s heart skip a beat. Just as he was about to regret his curiosity, Zhao Fusheng did not show anger but instead asked, “Why did Zheng He refuse my proposal?”

“That…” Fan Bisi was momentarily stumped.

Wasn’t it obvious why Zheng He had refused? He had said himself that Ding’an Tower was a famous site in Bao County, once visited by the late emperor, and usually hosted dignitaries and literati.

Handling a ghost case in such a place risked turning it into a bloodbath, thereby ruining the historic and scenic landmark.

Zhao Fusheng was no fool and could easily anticipate such reasoning.

“Zheng He wants me to handle this ghost case, but he doesn’t want it done at Ding’an Tower simply because he doubts my ability.”

Zhao Fusheng chuckled softly and looked deeply into Fan Bisi’s eyes.

“He thinks I’ll die in this ghost case.”

As soon as she said this, Fan Bisi immediately understood her meaning.

Whether it was Zheng He, the steward of the prince’s residence, or the Fan brothers, their first reaction upon hearing Zhao Fusheng intended to handle the ghost case at Ding’an Tower was: she was crazy!

Then the Fan brothers felt pity for Ding’an Tower.

Their regret stemmed from the belief that many would surely die in this ghost case, and this ancient tower, once glorified by the late emperor’s visit, would be overshadowed by darkness.

No one trusted her!

Zhao Fusheng was keenly aware of this and wanted to compete with Zheng He to assert dominance.

“If I’m handling this ghost case, then everything should be under my control.”

Zhao Fusheng said calmly,

“Whether it’s Wan’an County or Bao County, they must obey me.”

She didn’t insist on using Ding’an Tower for the case, but this small dispute revealed that Zheng He was not as submissive as he appeared.

This case was fundamentally a struggle for authority, and Zhao Fusheng was not about to let go.

Fan Bisi immediately understood her implication and nodded, “I see.”

“What do you see?” Fan Wujiu, confused, asked.

Fan Bisi glared at his brother. “If you don’t understand, don’t speak.”

After scolding his brother, he said to Zhao Fusheng, “The man you saw earlier is also surnamed Liu. He is Liu Rong, a trusted aide of the Prince of Chu and currently in charge of Ding’an Tower.”

“After discussing with Zheng He, he was worried about the vengeful spirit’s mark and feared you might give up, so they ultimately agreed to lend Ding’an Tower for your use.”

Zhao Fusheng nodded in satisfaction.

She had left earlier, leaving the Fan brothers behind to give Zheng He and the steward time to adjust.

This was to let them understand her firm and unchangeable stance, and also to test the Fan brothers’ ability.

Fan Bisi said, “Tomorrow morning, Zheng He will submit the list prepared tonight, marking the selected individuals, who will be brought to Ding’an Tower before noon.”

“Good.”

“However, Zheng He asked me to ask a favor for him,” Fan Bisi glanced at Zhao Fusheng, choosing his words carefully.

“Did he give you a bribe?” Zhao Fusheng smiled and asked jokingly.

Fan Bisi’s expression froze. Just as he tried to explain, Zhao Fusheng said, “Don’t worry, I don’t meddle in those matters.”

Clear water has no fish.

The Demon Suppression Division dealt with ghost cases—a dangerous job.

Unless it involved principles or life-threatening issues, Zhao Fusheng was rather tolerant of other matters.

Her attitude surprised Fan Bisi. He paused, the tension in his face fading, and whispered, “Zheng He means that since this case is significant, some families marked by the vengeful spirit might not send the designated person, but rather another family member.”

“That’s acceptable.”

Zhao Fusheng nodded.

Her goal was simply to lure the vengeful spirit. Whoever served as bait was up to Zheng He.

“…” Fan Bisi sighed deeply.

He smiled, feeling much more relaxed.

After a moment, he suddenly said, “My lady, Zheng He invited Wujiu and me to the Hongquan Opera Troupe—”

“Go have fun.”

Zhao Fusheng caught his meaning and said, “I don’t want to join the festivities for now. You two go enjoy yourselves, then come back and rest. I’ll have tasks for you tomorrow.”

“Is it digging out those two door panels?” Fan Bisi asked.

“Yes.”

Seeing Fan Bisi’s curiosity, Zhao Fusheng explained, “Using only those marked by the ghost as bait may not lure out my parents,” she said calmly, “but if we add the two door panels that have become objects of great misfortune, the ghost will surely appear.”

Fan Bisi’s heart tightened.

“My lady, are you confident about tomorrow night’s operation?”

Zhao Fusheng chuckled lightly.

“Confident?”

“There is no certainty when dealing with ghosts. I wouldn’t dare act unless I had even a six in ten chance.”

“…”

“Go have fun. I need a good rest.”

Zhao Fusheng waved her hand, unwilling to talk further.

The Fan brothers obediently agreed. Before leaving, Fan Bisi hesitated and asked, “My lady, did you really intend to kill Deputy Commander Zheng at the Demon Suppression Division in the evening?”

“I don’t joke about such things.”

Zhao Fusheng replied firmly.

She had truly intended to kill Zheng He then.

On the carriage ride to Ding’an Tower, when Zheng He strongly opposed her handling the ghost case there, she had considered whether to eliminate him.

She might not be able to defeat every ghost tamer, but she was confident she could kill Zheng He.

The time-space ghost bell she had taken was a special artifact designed to counter Zheng He.

When the golden bell rings, the ghost carriage will come at the bell’s sound. Since Zheng He was on the carriage’s list, the moment it appears, it will take him away.

Before leaving, Fan Bisi mentioned that Zheng He had tried to please Zhao Fusheng by forcibly dispersing the painting boats and flower boats moored by the river, lighting them up immediately so she could enjoy the night view of the Shangjia River from Ding’an Tower.

Sure enough, after a short while, several shouts echoed.

Zhao Fusheng stood upstairs, watching as lights gradually appeared on the dark river. Soon, music from string and wind instruments began.

This was a lively scene created solely for Zhao Fusheng in Bao County, a bustling yet eerily quiet affair, with the faint sound of suppressed sobbing beneath the music.

Within the revelry lay a touch of the absurd.

“Ah!”

Zhao Fusheng sighed deeply, leaning against the window to watch this farce until midnight before going to bed.

Generally, it was difficult to sleep before a major event.

But Zhao Fusheng did the opposite.

While Zheng He and others stayed awake all night, she slept soundly until late morning.

The people at Ding’an Tower prepared toiletries and a hearty breakfast for her. Just as she finished eating and took a handkerchief from a servant to wipe her mouth, Zheng He arrived outside.

He hadn’t slept all night. Surprisingly, there were no dark circles under his eyes, but several coin-sized brown spots appeared on his cheeks, increasingly resembling the ghostly face that had pressed against his chest the previous day.

Zheng He carried a stack of lists and reeked of blood. Zhao Fusheng asked, “Have you been to the scene?”

“Yes.”

He nodded and said, “Last night, a family named Gu in the west of the city suffered an incident.”

Zhao Fusheng raised her chin, signaling him to sit and speak.

Zheng He pulled out a chair and sat.

“The Gu family has fifteen members. We checked the list of incense-offering visitors to Kongyun Temple last night and confirmed the widow mother had been there to offer incense, wishing for a grandson.”

He scoffed, “Well, that’s useless now. Not only was the prayer ineffective, but the line is cut off. Shows that praying to gods is pointless.”

“…”

Zhao Fusheng paused wiping her mouth, surprised to see some dark humor from Bao County’s ghost tamer.

“After the Gu family’s incident, I rushed there. They were relatively well-off, with a courtyard of one or two bays and two sets of double doors including the main gate. The outer gate was intact, but the inner door panel was removed and a corpse was placed on it.”

In other words, the corpses placed on the Sun family’s door panels had not been done by servants but were the scene left by the vengeful spirit after killing.

“A night watchman passed by before the Gu family’s misfortune and saw heavy negative energy and mist.”

Recently, the ghost disasters in Bao County had become widely known—impossible to conceal.

The watchman saw the mist and knew there was a ghost, so he abandoned his meal and fled immediately.

“That must have been around the start of the Chou hour (about 1 a.m.),” Zheng He said.

After the incident, the terrified watchman hurried to report to the Demon Suppression Division, allowing Zheng He to get the news in time and rush to the west side of the city.

“When I arrived, it was before the Yin hour. It took about half an hour to confirm the Gu family was the victim. By the time I reached their home, the ghost domain had dissipated. That was around the third quarter of the Yin hour (about 3:45 a.m.).”

Zhao Fusheng’s expression sharpened.

“At most, an hour passed, but since no one saw the ghost, I estimate it took less than half an hour from the ghost domain forming to the ghost killing.”

“Yes.”

Zheng He’s expression was grave.

“The vengeful spirit may have advanced again.”

“My lady—”

He was about to speak when shouts and digging noises suddenly came from outside.

Zheng He showed irritation but glanced at Zhao Fusheng and suppressed his impatience.

He explained, “Liu Rong ordered the removal of flowers and plants in the garden to clear space.”

Zhao Fusheng nodded. He looked around and tentatively asked, “Where are your two assistants, my lady?”

“I sent them to handle a matter. They should be back after noon.”

Zheng He rubbed his hands. Just as he was about to ask more, Zhao Fusheng interrupted.

“Is the list of those marked by the vengeful spirit all here?”

He replied, “I can’t say it’s 100%, but at least 90% are here.”

“I had someone copy it overnight and asked County Magistrate Wang to deploy all the officials to help round up people according to the list, at least one per household, to arrive at Ding’an Tower before noon.”

Zheng He was not good at handling ghost cases, but as an assistant, he was remarkably capable.

By noon, under the escort of officials, a large group of people marked by the vengeful spirit and recorded on Zheng He’s list arrived one by one at Ding’an Tower.

Once quiet, Ding’an Tower gradually became crowded. But due to fear, everyone found a corner to sit quietly.

They believed they were doomed; despair showed on every face.

Zhao Fusheng had no other duties besides handling the case and stayed in her room throughout the day. It was nearly dusk when she finally came downstairs.

The sky darkened quickly today, and the tower was silent.

Zhao Fusheng’s footsteps sounded unusually sharp as she descended. Those resting quietly immediately looked up at the sound.

Zheng He was among the crowd.

As night deepened, he grew increasingly fearful.

It felt as if an invisible guillotine hovered above his head, and he even imagined his heart pounding wildly.

He had arrived at Ding’an Tower at noon but, hearing from the servants that Zhao Fusheng was resting, he dared not disturb her.

His mood fluctuated, fueling various dark suspicions.

Only upon seeing Zhao Fusheng now did his anxious heart settle.

“Lady Zhao.”

“Lady Zhao—”

“Lady Zhao has appeared—”

“Lady Zhao, save us!”

“I don’t want to die—”

…

As soon as Zhao Fusheng appeared, cries erupted one after another.

The once quiet main hall suddenly became noisy.

Zhao Fusheng frowned.

Zheng He’s gaze remained fixed on her. Seeing the chaos, his heart leapt, and he shouted sternly,

“What’s all the noise about?”

He then decisively pulled open his robe, revealing a ghost head with closed eyes on his chest.

“Who dares to shout and make noise disturbing Lady Zhao? Before the vengeful spirit arrives, I will kill the troublemakers myself!”

His action was effective.

The noisy crowd was instantly stunned.

Though the ghost with closed eyes had not awakened, the ordinary people were deeply shaken by the ghost’s presence.

Fear of death silenced those who had been wailing.

A deathly silence fell inside and outside the tower.

Those gathered near Zheng He quickly stepped back, creating a clear space around him.

He did not close his robe but circled around, making sure everyone saw the ghost he controlled.

After this, he wore a dark expression and approached Zhao Fusheng, saying,

“Lady Zhao…”

“Have Fan Bisi and the others returned?”

Zhao Fusheng interrupted before he could speak.

Zheng He paused and shook his head.

“Not yet.”

Upon hearing this, Zhao Fusheng’s face turned serious. Zheng He’s heart jumped, and he hurriedly asked,

“Is the task you gave them very important?”

“Important.”

Zhao Fusheng nodded. Before she could say more, a shout came from outside,

“The two Fan officers have returned!”

At that call, Zhao Fusheng’s tense expression relaxed.

(End of Chapter)