Chapter 116: Intimidating the Multitude

Chapter 116

The ghostly arm pressed against the book, flipping a page forward. Sure enough, a name appeared: Zhao Fusheng!

Zhao Fusheng's eyes lit up, but in a moment, the three characters "Zhao Fusheng" quickly faded, replaced once again by the name "Zheng He."

Unwilling to give up, she used the ghostly arm to flip through again—*crack!*

A snapping sound came from the ghostly arm’s knuckles.

The book flipped several pages ahead, and another name appeared at random: Liu Honghong.

But soon after, the name "Liu Honghong" vanished, and Zheng He's name reappeared on the ghostly register.

"Forget it."

Zhao Fusheng grimaced slightly, lifting the ghostly arm. She noticed that the fist, once tightly clenched, was now barely able to hold together. The entire arm had turned a lifeless gray, and the malevolent aura surrounding it had faded considerably, exuding a faint stench of decay.

"It seems Zheng He’s fate is sealed."

She could not save him.

The principles governing the ghost register were immutable—or more precisely, her current strength was insufficient to forcibly alter the rules of the ghost carriage. She would have to find another way in the future.

Yet Zhao Fusheng confirmed that the ghost carriage no longer harmed her. One person and one ghost coexisting in the same room, and the vengeful spirit harnessing the ghost carriage showed no reaction whatsoever.

She circled the carriage, memorizing the features of the vengeful spirit. After some thought, a sudden idea struck her: if she disregarded restrictions on her freedom and the feelings of those around her, then in a sense, the Ding’an Tower could be considered an absolute safe haven for her at this moment.

The ghost carriage no longer held any control over her, and being a disaster-level deterrent, even if she recklessly forced the vengeful spirit within to obey, the lower-level malevolent spirit would not dare awaken in its presence.

“What a pity.”

Zhao Fusheng sighed. She could not take the ghost carriage with her now.

Her hell realm only had two layers at present and could not contain a disaster-level vengeful spirit.

Once the ghost carriage was absorbed into hell, combined with the temporal ghost bell, it would break through hell’s barriers—at which point, Zheng He downstairs was doomed.

However, the arrival of the ghost carriage was also good news. The Liu ancestral hall could rest easy for now. If Liu Yizhen heard such good news, knowing she had resolved this trouble for him, he would surely be grateful to the point of kowtowing.

Zhao Fusheng shook her head regretfully.

At that moment, a knocking sound came from outside the door.

“Who is it?”

Zhao Fusheng put aside her wandering thoughts, steeled herself, and called out sharply.

The person outside seemed intimidated by her aura and hesitated before timidly responding after a moment:

“There was a noise upstairs just now. Lord Zheng and Manager Liu are worried something has happened to you—”

Before he could finish, Zheng He’s voice interrupted:

“Lady Zhao—”

As he spoke, the previously motionless ghost driver twitched its fingers.

The ghostly register clenched in its hand began to bleed from the characters spelling "Zheng He," indicating the vengeful spirit sensed its target nearby.

But without the golden bell to guide it, it could only sense Zheng He’s presence, not pinpoint his exact location.

The ghost horse kicked restlessly, its hooves striking the wooden floor with a clattering sound.

“Zheng He, get away!”

Zhao Fusheng sensed danger and shouted fiercely:

“Get downstairs immediately!”

“Yes, yes! I’m leaving right now—”

Hearing her anger, Zheng He didn’t think twice and hurriedly retreated with a series of hurried footsteps. The vengeful spirit, which had been on the verge of awakening, fell silent once more.

The remaining servants of Ding’an Tower trembled in fear at Zhao Fusheng’s outburst:

“M-Ma’am, Lord Zheng ordered hot water sent up—”

“Leave it at the door and leave immediately.”

Once Zheng He left, the crisis dissipated, and Zhao Fusheng’s tone returned to calm.

After giving her instructions, the person outside replied and quietly went back downstairs.

Soon, peace returned to the upper floor.

After a while, Zhao Fusheng took out a firelighter and rekindled the lights inside the room.

Perhaps because the ghost horse carriage hidden in the room affected the lighting, the lamps were dim. She opened the door and saw several buckets of hot water placed outside.

Besides the hot water, there were also new toiletries and a fresh set of clothes.

Zhao Fusheng brought the items inside and, after washing up, looked through the hole the ghost carriage had broken in the wall to see the distant painting workshop by the Shangjia River was already lit.

Unlike the previous night, after the ghost case was solved, the dark cloud hanging over County Magistrate Bao was cleared. When the painting workshop reopened, the faint, sorrowful cries no longer lingered amid the sounds of music.

Today’s scene was no longer tainted by fear and grief.

Zhao Fusheng smiled softly.

She stepped outside, carefully locked the door, and went downstairs.

When she came down, Zheng He and the others were still there.

A worried expression showed on Zheng He’s sallow face.

He had earlier felt a sense of dread, as if a natural enemy had appeared, filling him with unease;

But that feeling soon vanished. Just as he thought it was a mere illusion, an even more terrifying presence suddenly emerged.

The fear struck his soul, threatening his life in an instant, making him even more afraid than when he saw the ghostly couple appear.

Just as he was anxious, a loud noise came from upstairs, followed by the sound of wood breaking.

The entire Ding’an Tower shook twice. The conversations in the main hall stopped abruptly, and a shower of wooden debris clattered down.

Zheng He realized it was no illusion—something had happened.

At this time, the upper floor was empty except for Zhao Fusheng.

Curious and uneasy, Zheng He worried something terrible might have occurred upstairs that involved his life. Using the pretext of checking on Zhao Fusheng, he attempted to go upstairs, only to be turned away before entering.

Zhao Fusheng’s serious tone had made him worry she might hold a grudge later, but seeing her come downstairs calm, his anxiety eased.

Fan Bisi smiled upon seeing Zhao Fusheng but didn’t immediately inquire about the noise upstairs.

“Ma’am, the ghost case in County Magistrate Bao is resolved. Just now, Lord Zheng and others discussed holding a celebration banquet for you.”

Fan Wujiu chimed in:

“Manager Liu has already sent word; the painting workshop by Shangjia River is already preparing.”

Tonight’s workshop was not under duress.

News of Zhao Fusheng solving the ghost case would surely attract all the local gentry and wealthy families in County Magistrate Bao.

They were eager to curry favor with her, and tonight’s banquet would be lively.

Zheng He forced a stiff smile:

“The time is tight, so we couldn’t prepare much. Otherwise, rare delicacies—anything you name, Ma’am—we would try to arrange. Perhaps you could stay a few more days in County Magistrate Bao—”

“No.”

Zhao Fusheng shook her head.

She did not reject their kindness in holding a banquet but refused Zheng He’s suggestion to stay:

“We’ll rest tonight, but at dawn, we’ll depart for Wan’an County.”

Upon hearing this, Zheng He wasn’t sure whether to feel relieved or regretful.

Zhao Fusheng was incredibly powerful!

To Zheng He, her presence was both a boon and a threat.

Having witnessed her drive away the ghostly couple, he never underestimated her. Before this, he had thought that if Zhao Fusheng took a liking to County Magistrate Bao, he might have to request a transfer from the court.

But he had grown accustomed to this place and considered it his retirement home, making parting bittersweet.

Unexpectedly, it was all just his overthinking. Zhao Fusheng had no intention of staying.

Hearing she planned to leave, Zheng He finally relaxed but soon began worrying about future ghost cases.

“Ma’am, why the rush?”

He quickly said.

“This ghost case just ended. Why not rest here for two or three months?”

Wan’an County was currently shrouded in ghostly mist, plagued by disasters. Zhao Fusheng must have found a way to break free from her constraints—he guessed she wasn’t listed in Jia Yi’s soul register. How could she return to such an exile?

“Wan’an County isn’t peaceful.”

Zheng He sighed.

Zhao Fusheng shook her head:

“Wan’an County is my territory.”

Because of the unrest there and the rising ghost cases caused by the mist, she was more worried that staying away too long might let things go wrong.

“I must return to handle the cases.”

“More cases to handle?!”

Zheng He was startled.

He had heard from Er Fan last night that Zhao Fusheng had solved several cases before arriving at County Magistrate Bao, and he knew it was no exaggeration.

How could a ghost-taming officer handle so many major cases?

From Fan Bisi’s tone, the vengeful spirits she dealt with were formidable, far beyond ordinary ghosts. Was she not afraid of death from an awakening spirit? Or was she so fearless because she had nearly died once?

“As officers of the imperial court, of course we have cases to handle.”

Zhao Fusheng gave him an odd look.

Seeing she was determined to leave and not joking, Zheng He rubbed his hands nervously:

“But Ma’am, tonight’s ghost case—”

At the mention of the ghost case, those sitting farther away—Xu Yachen, Liu Rong, and others—narrowed their eyes and tensed, instinctively holding their breath and glancing this way.

They were naturally concerned about the safety of County Magistrate Bao.

“What about tonight’s ghost case?”

Zhao Fusheng saw through his meaning but feigned ignorance.

She walked to a chair, where someone poured tea and handed it to her.

“You know the rules of vengeful spirits killing people. Many in County Magistrate Bao were marked by ghosts—”

Zheng He stood beside her, smiling:

“The spirits have left tonight, but the killing rules haven’t changed. If they return, the consequences will be unthinkable...”

Before he finished, Zhao Fusheng took a small sip of tea, then exhaled deeply.

“No need to worry about that.”

She said calmly:

“The ghosts won’t be coming back.”

“W-What do you mean?”

Zheng He was puzzled.

Fan Bisi, sharp and attentive, saw Zhao Fusheng’s calm and recalled her earlier dismantling and sealing of vengeful spirits. A bold and incredible thought struck him.

He exclaimed:

“Could it be that Ma’am has already sealed the ghostly couple?”

“What?!”

Before Zhao Fusheng could reply, Zheng He interrupted:

“Sealed? Impossible—”

He shouted reflexively:

“Disaster-level vengeful spirits can’t be sealed so easily.”

“They’ve actually reached disaster level.”

Zhao Fusheng reminded him.

All those qualified to enter the Ding’an Tower’s main hall trembled at the word "disaster."

Leaning on his cane, Xu Yachen’s old eyes gleamed brightly. He bit his cheek hard as if making a decision, then tapped his cane on the floor.

The thud startled even himself.

Fortunately, everyone’s attention was on Zhao Fusheng, so no one noticed his momentary lapse.

In fact, hearing "disaster-level ghost calamity" filled everyone with lingering fear.

“Disaster-level—”

Zheng He was shocked speechless.

Zhao Fusheng nodded:

“After a series of massacres, the vengeful spirits have advanced to the disaster level. Once the door panel was retrieved and their powers pieced together, they indeed reached disaster-level standards.”

The rules of the Investiture List were strict.

Though Zheng He was considered an experienced old officer in ghost cases, he only controlled malevolent spirits of the "malefic" level. Living in County Magistrate Bao limited his exposure, so when facing spirits above the malefic level, he could only sense danger but not accurately discern their rank.

If a higher-ranking imperial official had come, they would have recognized the ghostly couple’s calamity as beyond disaster level.

“What now?”

Though he suspected this case was extraordinary, hearing "disaster-level ghost calamity" still made Zheng He’s heart pound.

The joy of resolving the ghost case faded, replaced by fresh worries:

“I must report to the imperial court and request reinforcements to take over County Magistrate Bao.”

He could no longer stay here; if the vengeful spirits returned, the whole county would be in danger.

“That won’t be necessary.”

Zhao Fusheng smiled and sipped her tea.

“Why not?!”

Though a question, Zheng He already had a guess.

He glanced at Fan Bisi, who was holding back his excitement while looking at Zhao Fusheng.

“Senior Fan has already said it: these vengeful spirits have been sealed by me. As long as I live, the ghosts won’t appear again.”

Zhao Fusheng said calmly.

As soon as she finished, the entire Ding’an Tower’s main hall fell into a deathly silence.

“...”

Everyone stopped talking and held their breath. For a moment, it felt as if their throats were choked, leaving them standing dumbfounded.

“Sealed...”

Gu Jiansheng finally reacted, eyes shining.

“Actually, it’s not really a seal.”

Zhao Fusheng’s words eased Zheng He’s heart somewhat. He had thought so!

A disaster-level calamity composed of two vengeful spirits could not be sealed so easily by a new official who had been in office less than a month and had no guidance from veteran officers. If that were true, the imperial generals would be stunned, and the emperor would surely summon such a talent to the capital, keeping them close.

(End of Chapter)