Chapter 151: The Ghost Path Ahead

Chapter 151

Zhao Fusheng smiled and asked, "Shaochun, now that you know the beginning and end of the ghost case, do you still hate fierce ghosts?"

"Yes!" Wu Shaochun answered resolutely.

Yet, after speaking, he hesitated slightly, vaguely feeling that something was amiss: "...What does Your Honor mean by this?"

"I am not familiar with past ghost cases; without having experienced them, I have no right to speak." The ghost cases recorded in the archives consisted of mere strokes of a brush. To most officers, binding ghosts was both a stroke of fortune and a misfortune.

Although dealing with ghosts brought fame and wealth, it also meant meeting a tragic death in an extremely short span of time.

Every time they handled a ghost case, they carried a clinging attachment to life and a deep-seated fear of death. Toward fierce ghosts, they felt resentment, hatred, and disgust, but above all, fear—so much so that they had no desire to understand the ghosts' mortal lives.

Had it not been for the necessity of uncovering the rules governing fierce ghosts, they wouldn't have even wanted to learn about the mortal experiences of these revived entities.

Under such circumstances, it was difficult for the archives to document a fierce ghost's entire life.

The very moment those fierce ghosts revived, they brought bloodshed to the world, leaving behind an impression dominated solely by fear.

Zhao Fusheng could glean some experience from the archives, but deeper comprehension eluded her. However, the Dog-Head Village case was one she had handled personally, and her impressions of it were exceptionally profound.

Hearing Wu Shaochun's reply, she calmly stated, "In my view, the case of Dog-Head Village illustrates one truth: fierce ghosts are not natural disasters, but the result of human disaster."

"Human disaster?" Hearing this, Wu Shaochun froze, repeating the phrase in a daze.

"Disasters and blessings have no set gates; people bring them upon themselves." Zhao Fusheng smiled faintly.

At this moment, she was different from her usual strong and overbearing self. Fan Jiujiu scratched his face, wanting to speak, but upon deeper reflection, he felt her words made complete sense.

"Had Wu Datong not forcibly abducted that woman, this calamity would never have brewed," Zhao Fusheng said indifferently.

"B-But that was Wu Datong's fault! What does it have to do with the rest of us villagers?" Wu Shaochun retorted, feeling somewhat unconvinced. "My parents were kind-hearted and never harmed anyone. If there truly is karmic retribution, the fierce ghost should go exact vengeance on Wu Datong alone. Why indiscriminately slaughter people?"

"When the woman was abducted, her family members came looking for her." Zhao Fusheng's expression turned slightly stern. "Yet the villagers were heavily bound by clan mentalities, huddling together for warmth. I will not judge whether this behavior was right or wrong."

In times like these, if villagers were as scattered as loose sand, they would easily fall prey to bullying.

A chaotic era fostered clans; only when an entire village acted with one heart could they survive such a terrifying world.

"When that girl's family came searching, the villagers knew Wu Datong's conduct was foul, yet they chose to conceal it. This led directly to the woman dying a difficult death in childbirth, and it is also the reason why the Double's unspeakable killing rule was formed."

Everyone knew of its existence, yet it remained unspeakable and unmentionable. Once spoken of, one would be marked and flayed.

"Those who knew of the ghost's existence would be marked by the fierce ghost. This was the primary reason Dog-Head Village was collectively marked. As for the flaying method of execution, it involves having one's very existence erased—dying with one's features, face, and identity wiped away. All of this aligns with the plight the fierce ghost experienced while alive."

Zhao Fusheng's words offered a breath of fresh air to everyone inside the carriage. Even Zhang Chuanshi, who was driving, seemed enlightened, wearing a pensive expression.

"So ghost cases can be unraveled using this kind of approach—" Zhang Chuanshi muttered reflexively, before repeatedly spitting to ward off bad luck: "Bah, bah, bah! I don't want to understand any more of this. The fewer cases like this, the better. It's best if you don't call upon me next time. I know nothing at all."

Too lazy to bother with him, Zhao Fusheng continued, "Therefore, tragedy was destined to befall Dog-Head Village. This was a disaster seed sown long ago."

What did a fierce ghost understand?

Once a person died and a fierce ghost revived, there was no longer any thought, memory, hatred, or preference. Everything was reduced to instinctual action.

"Thus, the Dog-Head Village ghost case was brought upon the village by its own hands. Saying it originated from human disaster is entirely accurate. The villagers brewed a bitter fruit, and ultimately, they merely reaped what they sowed."

"..."

Wu Shaochun suffered a heavy blow.

Zhao Fusheng's words overthrew his past perceptions. He wanted to refute them, yet he found himself lacking any argument.

From a rational standpoint, he understood that Zhao Fusheng's words made sense; but emotionally, he could not accept such a reality—that his own kind-hearted parents had also been accomplices and enablers of "evil." This was something he found difficult to admit.

"My mother is not that kind of person," he said awkwardly. "I feel she shouldn't have met such an end."

As he spoke, Wu Shaochun did not dare meet Zhao Fusheng's eyes, fearing he would see contempt in her gaze.

Yet, after a long while, no mocking words rang out. He raised his head to look across from him, only to find Zhao Fusheng's expression calm and unruffled, as if she cared nothing for his rebuttal.

"..." Wu Shaochun lowered his head, a sudden stinging sensation filling his eye sockets.

Though he had previously struggled to come to terms with his mother's death, for reasons unknown, he now felt a strange sense of clarity compared to before.

"We have no way to sway the actions of fierce ghosts." She could not demand justice for the dead; among the people caught in these ghost cases, some were innocent, while others were silent accomplices just like the people of Dog-Head Village. "After all, we cannot beg on our knees for a ghost's pity or mercy. We can only do our utmost to remedy regrets after a ghost disaster has formed, and minimize tragic occurrences like your mother's death."

The bridge of Wu Shaochun's nose ached, and tears spun in his eyes. After a long silence, he gave a soft response:

"Understood."

***

Fan Jiujiu and Zhang Chuanshi both trembled.

They were not like Wu Shaochun, who felt completely led astray by Zhao Fusheng's few words.

Sitting beside Wu Shaochun, Fan Jiujiu even felt that at this very moment, the young man had developed an infinite sense of reverence and enthusiasm for the profession of an Enforcement Officer because of Zhao Fusheng's words...

This sensation was no hallucination, for Wu Shaochun's next words confirmed his suspicion: "Your Honor, rest assured! In all future ghost cases, I will accompany Your Honor to minimize the recurrence of such regrets!"

"..."

"..."

"..."

This time, it wasn't just Fan Jiujiu and Zhang Chuanshi who trembled; Zhao Fusheng shook as well.

She hadn't expected that a casual remark of hers would actually serve to inspire Wu Shaochun.

Wu Shaochun's gaze was clear and his expression devout. Overwhelmed by a rare sense of awkwardness and a guilty conscience under his stare, she involuntarily reached up to rub the bridge of her nose.

"G-Good, then—"

"This kid has truly lost his mind," Zhang Chuanshi whispered.

"Shut your mouth!" Zhao Fusheng turned her head and scolded him.

"Not saying a word, not a word—" Muttering to himself, he blankly looked ahead. "Wait, this—this road seems a bit strange."

Amidst their idle chatter, the carriage had long since driven out of Wanan County, setting onto the direction leading toward Kuailang Village.

After traveling for a considerable time, pale mist suddenly materialized ahead of them.

Intermingled within the fog were the faint, elusive scents of blood and stagnant mud.

Zhang Chuanshi was no stranger to ghost cases, and having once had familial ties with Paper-Person Zhang, he was exceptionally sensitive to the aura of ghostly malice and spirits.

The moment the mist rolled in, a bad premonition arose in his heart. Reflexively pulling on the reins, he shouted:

"Whoa—!"

Having shouted, he instinctively wanted to turn his head, only to catch sight of Old Man Zhuang sitting motionlessly beside him. Startled out of his wits, he violently jerked his body in the opposite direction, peering inside the carriage instead:

"Your Honor, something feels a bit wrong."

"Wrong?"

Zhao Fusheng had also keenly caught the faint scent of blood. However, the corpse-stench exuded by Old Man Zhuang had previously masked the odor, and coupled with their casual conversation, the smell had been ignored.

At this moment, leaning her head out toward the carriage door and looking past the figures of Zhang and Zhuang, she saw that a thick fog had materialized ahead of the carriage out of nowhere.

"Your Honor—"

Fan Jiujiu was about to speak when Zhao Fusheng pressed her left index finger against her lips.

"Hush."

Fan Jiujiu immediately fell silent.

Silence reclaimed the carriage interior. Within this eerie quietude, an elusive sound brushed against their ears—*splash, splash.*

It sounded like running water.

"It's a branch of the Shangjia River."

Ever since bringing up the past memory of Sister Zhuang the Fourth attending a wedding feast, Old Man Zhuang had remained silent, wrapped in an eerie hush. Now, he suddenly spoke, shattering the stillness of the carriage.

"The Shangjia River?"

Gou Lao Si was startled and opened his mouth to speak, but Old Man Zhuang acted as though he hadn't heard. His voice suddenly pitched slightly higher:

"We're almost at Zhuang Family Village."

Speaking had already become rather laborious for him. Accompanied by gurgling sounds of water—as if water bubbles had surged all the way up to his throat—his articulation was severely hindered.

At this moment, he seemed quite happy, his tone carrying a blend of stiffness and lightness:

"Your Honor, I am almost home."

"So fast?"

Zhao Fusheng looked somewhat surprised, glancing at Zhang Chuanshi, who was driving. "Did we pass Wuli Shop Tunt?"

"N-Not yet, surely—" Zhang Chuanshi said with a trace of terror.

His entire body shook uncontrollably as he spoke. "I reckon we only left Wanan County two or three quarters of an hour ago, and Magistrate Pang said Wuli Shop Tun is more than twenty miles away from the county seat."

Mountain roads were difficult to navigate. At their current pace, it should have taken at least a little over two hours just to reach Wuli Shop Tun.

And upon reaching Wuli Shop, they would still need to figure out a way to reach Kuailang Village, which should take another hour or more of travel.

Yet Zhang Chuanshi remembered very clearly that they had only just left the city. Logically speaking, Wuli Shop Tun should still be far away. How could Old Man Zhuang claim they were about to reach Zhuang Family Village in mere moments?

Zhang Chuanshi was only capable of doubting others; he never questioned his own judgment. Suppressing his terror, he turned his head to glare angrily at Old Man Zhuang:

"Are you talking nonsense just to scare me to death?"

"No, gurgle—no, gurgle—"

Old Man Zhuang waved his hands repeatedly, an expression of aggrieved grievance actually appearing upon his corpse-like visage.

"We really are about to reach Zhuang Family Village. Respected Official, please look—"

The moment his voice fell, a bizarre phenomenon occurred.

Within the span of just a few breaths, the surrounding mountain forests and fields were engulfed by a blanket of gray, hazy fog.

The area ahead of the carriage was shrouded in whiteness, obscuring the path forward, while the path behind them was similarly sealed off by the mist.

Yet, as soon as Old Man Zhuang finished speaking, the fog ahead suddenly seemed torn apart by some mysterious force.

A broad, black avenue pierced through the mist, extending from the distance straight to the base of the carriage.

The dark horizon stretched endlessly, resembling a bottomless abyss that emanated a heart-palpitating terror.

Yet, deep within that utter darkness, a strange, eerie glow forcefully resisted the pitch black, causing the dark avenue to cease being purely black and instead bleed with an ominous red shadow.

"W-What is that—" Zhang Chuanshi blurted out in horror.

"A black-and-red highway," Zhao Fusheng observed with a brief comment.

"..."

Given that she still had the leisure to make casual remarks at a time like this, the strange pressure radiating around him caused Zhang Chuanshi to honestly start trembling.

"Y-Y-Your Honor, what should we do now?"

"What do you mean, what should we do?" Zhao Fusheng countered.

"Do we go forward, or not?"

Taken aback by her question, Zhang Chuanshi stammered out another query.

If they went forward, the road ahead was visibly a dead end; venturing into it meant there would likely be no return.

But if they didn't go, where could they retreat?

Zhang Chuanshi's buttocks remained stubbornly glued to the driver's seat as he turned his head backward, attempting to find a route of escape.

However, the space behind the carriage was a vast expanse of gray mist, concealing a malicious gaze that seemed to warn that if the carriage dared retreat even half a step, it would plunge straight into the abyss...

"Your Honor, what do we do?"

Anxiety clearly crept into Zhang Chuanshi, his expression flashing with deep regret, as if he had boarded a pirate ship.

Regarding this ghost case in Kuailang Village, the moment water had dripped from Old Man Zhuang's head, turning him into a carrier for a fierce ghost and nearly driving Zhao Fusheng to a ghost relapse, he had known this case would be exceptionally perilous.

Yet Zhao Fusheng had successfully handled several ghost cases, resolving them all cleanly and efficiently, which had fostered a侥幸 (desperate hope) within him.

The moment they plunged into a ghost domain, however, he completely lost his wits.

The surroundings were dead silent, but the gurgling sound of running water echoed endlessly from all directions. In a daze, the carriage felt as though it were bobbing about, creating the illusion that Zhang Chuanshi himself was caught in the vortex of a rushing torrent.

For a brief moment, he drifted into a trance. Then, Zhao Fusheng's calm and composed voice reached his ears:

"What else can we do? Naturally, we ride straight ahead."

Her words carried a cold, razor-sharp edge that instantly shattered the illusionary soundscape woven by the bizarre flowing water.

"Ride straight ahead?"

Gazing at the blood-red highway ahead, Zhang Chuanshi shrank back in cowardice.

The path ahead was clearly the entrance to a deeper ghost domain, harboring terrifying fierce ghosts, while seated right beside him was a living corpse—no, calling him a living corpse no longer felt accurate.

Zhang Chuanshi cast a sidelong glance across Old Man Zhuang's face.

Ever since entering the domain's sphere of influence, Old Man Zhuang's complexion had grown even worse, making him virtually indistinguishable from a dead body.

There were ghosts ahead, and a ghost beside him; by now, he deeply regretted taking on the job of driving, racking his brains for an excuse to back out.

"Yes."

Zhao Fusheng nodded. "We were originally heading to Kuailang Village to handle a ghost case. Now that a twist of fate has brought us straight into the ghost domain, arriving at our destination earlier than estimated is a good thing."

"I don't think this is a good thing..." Zhang Chuanshi mumbled under his breath. "We haven't even passed Wuli Shop Tun yet, and our manpower isn't quite sufficient either—"

"It is already sufficient." Zhao Fusheng answered patiently. "Handling ghost cases is the duty of the Demon Suppression Bureau in the first place. The original plan to borrow people from Wuli Shop Tun was merely meant to deter the villagers of Kuailang Village. But looking at it now, I'm afraid deterrence won't be necessary."

The path leading into the ghost domain was utterly lifeless, devoid of even a trace of human presence.

A worst-case scenario bloomed in Zhao Fusheng's mind: had the ghost disaster in Kuailang Village erupted so fiercely that within these past seven or eight days, both Zhuang Family Village and Kuailang Village had been entirely wiped out by the fierce ghosts? With the ghost domain expanding outward, perhaps the entire Wuli Shop Tun had been swallowed up as well, resulting in massive casualties.

At this thought, her heart sank, and her expression instantly darkened considerably.