Chapter 125: Sonic Marker

"The knocking sound is coming from Yu Weide's body?"

Zhao Fusheng found this case increasingly bizarre. The ghost’s method of killing this time seemed different from previous ones; the entity itself had not appeared, yet it seemed capable of marking those who heard the hammering sound. Magistrate Pang, Yu Weide, and others had all heard the noise, and even their family members showed signs of being affected, yet it seemed none of them had carefully investigated the source of the sound.

Firstly, the time was short; this ghostly incident had spread rapidly, and under the influence of fear, their judgment had plummeted. Secondly, it was possible that they were unwilling to suspect their own kin. Whether it was Magistrate Pang’s wife or Yu Weide’s son, they were their closest relatives; thus, in their panic and anxiety, the thought of investigating these individuals for clues never crossed their minds.

The people of Wan'an County viewed Zhao Fusheng as their only hope, yet they subconsciously resisted participating in the handling of this ghostly affair—the sheer terror of the ghost made it difficult for them to become active contributors to her investigation. However, everyone had their own roles. While the local gentry could not handle ghosts, they could contribute vast sums of money; Magistrate Pang and the other officials could assist in maintaining the operations of Wan'an County.

Zhao Fusheng was clear-headed about this. She looked at Yu Weide and ordered, "Pull open his clothes."

As these words fell, no one moved forward. They looked at one another, hesitating and afraid to act. By now, even a fool knew that Yu Weide was likely possessed by a ghost; who would be reckless enough to touch him? Since Zhao Fusheng had not singled anyone out by name, the others silently retreated, their feet shuffling backward. Even Zhang Chuanshi, who had been quite active over the past two days, shrank his head and hunched his shoulders, crawling backward on his knees.

"Brother Fan, you pull open Yu Weide's clothes." Zhao Fusheng’s gaze landed on Fan Bisi.

When he was first called, he felt a moment of nervousness, but he immediately recalled their recent trip to Bao County, where he and his brother had even hugged the cursed, demonic door planks. They had stared directly into the eyes of the ghosts of the Zhao couple while holding those planks—having experienced that extreme terror, and knowing that Zhao Fusheng had saved their lives from the dual ghosts, what was there to fear in undressing Yu Weide?

"Understood!" Fan Bisi adjusted his mindset and placed the lantern he was holding into the hands of a person nearby. "Hold this."

Strangely enough, the lantern, which had provided a normal flame while in his hands, hissed the moment it touched someone else’s, its light dimming significantly. Although Fan Bisi was not particularly brave, his strength lay in his obedience. Whatever Zhao Fusheng instructed, he would almost certainly do. He strode over to Yu Weide’s side. The old gentleman was curled up tightly, and when Fan Bisi crouched down to turn him over, he felt as though the old man’s body were bound by invisible threads.

Yu Weide’s limbs were curled inward like a sleeping infant; when turned, he remained with his four limbs held high, firmly shielding his chest. Fan Bisi took a deep breath, sat down on the ground, and used one leg to forcefully kick apart and pin down the old man’s legs, while his hands embraced the old man’s upper body. He grasped the thin, withered arms firmly and pulled with all his might—

With that effort, Yu Weide’s curled limbs were forced open. Once Fan Bisi had pulled Yu Weide’s body flat, he had no hands left to remove the clothing. Seeing a shadow shrinking to the side, he curled his lips into a sinister grin. "Old Zhang, come over and help."

Zhang Chuanshi wanted to hit him. "You—" His blood boiled with rage, and he muttered, "The official hasn't ordered me yet, but you're already bossing me around—"

"Old Zhang, go help him," Zhao Fusheng commanded.

"..." Zhang Chuanshi looked dejected, glared fiercely at Fan Bisi, and shuffled forward reluctantly.

"Perhaps—" Magistrate Pang, seeing the situation and wishing to ease Zhao Fusheng’s burden, looked in terror at the old gentleman pinned by Fan Bisi and hesitated. "Perhaps, let me—" Just as he spoke, the secretary, fearing he might do something reckless, advised, "My lord, you must not!"

Magistrate Pang then said, "Let my secretary do it—"

"My lord—" The secretary’s eyes widened in panic. Zhao Fusheng, however, said, "No need."

She shook her head and gave Zhang Chuanshi a warning look. "Catching ghosts and handling such cases is the duty of the Demon Suppression Bureau. We have an emissary present now."

"Oh—Magistrate Zhao—" Zhao Fusheng’s words moved the secretary to tears, and expressions of deep emotion appeared on the faces of those present.

Hearing this, Zhang Chuanshi knew he could not escape. He grumbled as he approached, cautiously reaching out to touch Yu Weide’s clothes. There were no nails on the old gentleman's clothes, and Zhang Chuanshi felt a wave of relief. He reached to pull at the collar— *Clang!*

At that moment, everyone, including Zhang Chuanshi and Fan Bisi, heard that clear, metallic hammering sound. Their gazes fell upon Yu Weide. Whether it was the dim light or a hallucination born of extreme terror, they seemed to see a small mound, an inch high, protruding from the center of Yu Weide’s chest—like a tiny grave rising from flat ground.

"Ahhhhhhh!!!"

Zhang Chuanshi’s hands shook in fear, and he released the clothing he had just grasped. He scrambled away on the floor, terrified to touch Yu Weide again. Fan Bisi was also deeply shaken. He held Yu Weide, whose body was beginning to stiffen, in his arms. When that *clang* sounded, he could clearly feel Yu Weide’s body shudder violently, as if someone had truly taken a nail and driven it into him, causing his entire frame to vibrate from the force of the strike.

This was followed by Yu Weide’s painful shivering, sensations transmitted directly to Fan Bisi through their physical contact. However, Fan Bisi’s mental fortitude was superior, far exceeding that of Zhang Chuanshi. Even with his scalp tingling in terror, he remembered Zhao Fusheng’s instructions and maintained his grip, holding Yu Weide tightly.

"My lord—" He looked at Zhao Fusheng for help, his heart thumping. *We survived the dual ghosts on the trip to Bao County; are we really going to stumble here today?*

Zhao Fusheng ignored him and glared fiercely at Zhang Chuanshi. "Truly useless."

"I am useless! I am useless!" Zhang Chuanshi did not mind the insult; instead, he crawled on his knees, retreating rapidly behind a chair, hoping to stay out of sight and avoid being caught by Zhao Fusheng again. "I’ll get out of the way immediately, I won't be an eyesore to you, my lord."

Like a large grey rat, he scurried behind the chair, leaving only half his head visible. Seeing Zhao Fusheng glare at him, he gave an awkward "Heh heh" and quickly pulled his head back.

"..." If not for the urgency of the situation, Zhao Fusheng would have struck him. This was not the time to bicker with a cowardly old man. She steadied herself and walked toward Yu Weide.

Zhang Chuanshi, who had just tucked his head behind the chair, saw Zhao Fusheng move away and immediately peeked out again. Seeing that she was occupied, he knew the danger had passed. No longer afraid, he glanced at Fan Bisi and spat softly, "Hmph! Toady." Then, he cried out urgently, "My lord, be careful!"

No one present paid him any mind. Under the watchful eyes of all, Zhao Fusheng grabbed Yu Weide’s clothes and tore them open with a forceful pull.

Summer clothes were thin. As the fabric ripped away, it revealed the old gentleman’s pale, emaciated chest. As one ages, the skin loses its elasticity; Yu Weide’s skin clung to his bones, the shape of his ribs clearly visible. But that was not what was horrifying. Right in the center of his chest was a black shadow the size of a goose egg, looking like a patch of mold growing on food, appearing strikingly prominent against his pale skin.

Just as everyone stared at the spot in horror, the hammering sound rang out again: *Clang!*

This time, everyone heard it with absolute clarity; it had indeed come from within Yu Weide’s body. As the sound rang out, Yu Weide’s body twitched violently, like a fish on a cutting board.

"Ah—" A faint, agonizing moan escaped his lips, but it was drowned out by the lingering echo of the strike. Before their very eyes, the flesh on his chest bulged high, as if a nail were hidden within his thoracic cavity, and an invisible hand had struck the other end of the nail with great force.

The nail pushed the flesh outward, and following that, the black patch spread rapidly. The shadow expanded, and several strands of black energy seemed to sprout like branches, spreading across his chest.

"W-what is the cause of this?" Magistrate Pang was not far away; he saw it clearly, and goosebumps broke out all over his body.

"It is as if someone is using a tool to hammer into his internal organs," Zhao Fusheng said calmly.

"Hiss!" Everyone shuddered at these words, subconsciously covering their own chests, as if they could feel the old gentleman’s pain.

"But do not worry," Zhao Fusheng said with a smile. "Naturally, it is impossible for someone to be hammering him with an actual nail; it must be the ghost—"

"..." Her words only terrified them further. Everyone trembled. Fan Bisi was also frightened and called out, "My lord—"

"It seems this ghost’s method of killing is different from the previous ones." She pondered for a moment and looked around. Every person her gaze fell upon shivered, as if a ghost were about to manifest wherever she looked.

"My lord, please don't scare me—" Magistrate Pang wiped his sweat repeatedly, finally unable to suppress his plea. "Could it be, could it be that the ghost—"

"No," Zhao Fusheng shook her head.

At her words, everyone exhaled in unison. Magistrate Pang’s hand, which had been wiping his sweat, paused, and his tense shoulders relaxed significantly.

"I suspect that this ghostly incident relies primarily on sound for its spread." Her words immediately caused the heavy stones in everyone’s hearts to rise back up.

Zhang Chuanshi instinctively covered his ears with both hands. But then he realized that if he covered his ears, he wouldn't be able to hear what Zhao Fusheng was saying, and if he missed any vital information, that would be disastrous. With a mournful face, he lowered his hands.

Zhao Fusheng continued, "I suspect that anyone who hears the sound is marked by the ghost, and once marked, there is a chance they will be chosen by the ghost at any given moment."

Because time was tight and the incident had occurred suddenly, Zhao Fusheng lacked sufficient information, so she did not know if there were any rules governing how the ghost chose its victims. However, what was certain was that the ghost seemed to possess the means to kill through sound.

"..." The crowd remained silent, looking at one another, despair gradually appearing in their eyes.

"Just like Magistrate Pang’s wife, Yu Weide’s son, and Yu Weide himself." Having said this, Zhao Fusheng pulled the old gentleman’s torn clothes back together.

Hearing that his wife had been marked by the ghost, Magistrate Pang became frantic. "I beg you, my lord, save my wife’s life!"

As a court official, Magistrate Pang knew all too well how terrifying ghosts were. Once marked, death at the hands of the entity was almost certain. Thinking of this, he was overcome with panic; his face drained of color, and he collapsed into his chair as if his bones had been removed. The others were also filled with panic. If everyone in Wan'an County had heard the sound, did that not mean everyone would die?

Some were filled with deep regret. "I should have left that day—"

"I don't want to die—"

The hall of the Demon Suppression Bureau was filled with wailing. Just then, Zhao Fusheng said coldly, "What are you howling about? It’s not time to attend Yu Weide’s funeral feast yet."

*Pfft!* Amidst the panic and wailing, a laugh rang out at an inappropriate moment following Zhao Fusheng’s words. Everyone froze and turned to look, only to see Zhang Chuanshi looking embarrassed. He had been so terrified and panicked that he had laughed unexpectedly, even blowing a snot bubble in the process.

"…My lord is truly humorous." Seeing everyone staring, he quickly forced a smile and tucked his head back in.

The respectable people of Wan'an County felt a mix of anger and hatred toward him and quickly looked to Zhao Fusheng. "My lord, you must save our lives."

"I believe that to untie a knot, one must find the hand that tied it." The ghost killed invisibly, its methods exceptionally cruel and terrifying. She could not forcibly stop the ghost from killing Yu Weide, but she could force the ghost to manifest and be subdued; then, the ghostly disaster in Wan'an County would naturally dissipate.

Thinking of this, Zhao Fusheng looked at Magistrate Pang. "Magistrate Pang, have you regained your composure?"

Magistrate Pang was still immersed in the fear of losing his wife. They had been a couple since youth and had stayed together until now; his wife had accompanied him to his post, and during the time he had lost his protection in Wan'an County, the only reason his mental state had remained stable enough to wait for Zhao Fusheng’s arrival was the gentle, soothing comfort of his wife. Now, hearing that his wife was marked and might die, his composure was completely shattered, and he was at a loss.

Zhao Fusheng demanded, "If you want to save your wife, besides finding the ghost’s rules of killing, you must at least find the ghost’s hiding place."

In truth, although this case was eerie, Zhao Fusheng did not find it difficult to solve. To calm a ghostly disaster, besides understanding the rules, one had to force the entity to manifest. While she had not yet fully grasped the specific rules, she had a rough idea, which gave her confidence. As for the ghost’s hiding place, Magistrate Pang had made it clear from the beginning: the Ghost Mausoleum in the west of the city.

The imperial court had last placed a seal there in the middle of the eighth month last year. Now it was the beginning of the eighth month; by the calendar, the time was right. But one could not rely entirely on speculation when handling ghostly cases.

Zhao Fusheng asked, "Are you certain it is the Ghost Mausoleum in the west of the city?"

"Certain!" Upon hearing that he could save his wife, Magistrate Pang desperately tried to pull himself together. He clutched his chest, sat upright, and nodded forcefully at Zhao Fusheng. "Magistrate Zhao, you must save my wife—"