Chapter Sixteen: Half True, Half False

Chapter Sixteen

The two brothers spoke ominously, and although Zhao Fusheng felt uneasy about the matter of vengeful spirits, she did not shrink away entirely. After all, she was now entangled with a vengeful ghost; even if she did nothing and waited passively for death, it seemed she would not live much longer. Yet the unexpected acquisition of the Divine Registry, though its origins remained a mystery, offered her a glimmer of hope. Such an opportunity could not possibly be abandoned.

“Fusheng, you should think carefully,” Fan Bisi tugged at the corner of his mouth. “These three cases were newly assigned to the Demon Magistrate over the past half year. Don’t even consider the earlier ones; even so, none of these three are easy to take on.” He tried to persuade her, “You survived by luck—such fortune won’t come twice. Take my advice: find a place to hide and stay out of these affairs.”

Zhao Fusheng smiled, not answering his words, instead asking, “Brother Fan, is there still a suitable burial ground to be found? My parents’ funerals must be handled simply and swiftly, and I might need to trouble you for help then.”

She remained highly guarded against Fan Bisi, but now was not the time to break with him openly.

Fan Bisi saw she would not heed his repeated warnings and grew impatient. In the past, Zhao Fusheng had been weak-willed and easy to manipulate, but now their positions were reversed. He was silent for a long time, finally swallowing his resentment and saying, “Fine. We brothers were indeed unkind before; let us handle your parents’ affairs.”

He was young, but shrewd and capable of endurance; Zhao Fusheng’s wariness toward him deepened.

Fan Bisi continued, “Still, you should consider my words carefully. The deal I spoke of earlier still stands. If you come around and are willing to retrieve our soul fates, we brothers will be forever grateful.”

“I will consider it carefully,” Zhao Fusheng nodded. Seeing Fan Bisi’s expression soften, she asked, “Are there records of the three cases you mentioned? I’d like to see them.”

Fan Bisi had thought her agreement meant she finally understood, but as she kept circling back to the three cases, he grew annoyed. “No,” he shook his head, suppressing his irritation, speaking curtly. “There have been many matters recently; no one kept records of these three cases.”

“What about past cases? Surely something is recorded?” Zhao Fusheng was undeterred by his refusal, pressing further.

“There are records of earlier cases, all stored in the left wing room. But they’re old; whether you can find anything is uncertain.”

“Which wing room?” Zhao Fusheng asked.

Fan Bisi’s patience frayed; he pointed with his hand. “The second room over there. If you’re not afraid, go look yourself.” He frowned. “If there’s nothing else, my brother and I must attend to your parents’ funeral.”

With that, he signaled his brother, and the two left the hall, exiting the Demon Magistrate’s office.

Zhao Fusheng watched their departing backs and, after a moment, smiled faintly. She did not focus all her attention on the Fan brothers; they were her enemies, and their current surface peace was merely temporary—not worth her undue concern.

What truly caught her attention were the three cases Fan Bisi had mentioned. Though she didn’t fully trust him, nor believed every word he spoke, the terrifying nature of vengeful ghosts had already been made clear by Zhao Fusheng’s own demise.

Of the three cases, the first two were shrouded in mystery, with no clues at all. She was currently too weak; to approach ghostly matters without understanding would be courting death.

Compared to the carriage case and the massacre of the seven-member family, Zhao Fusheng favored trying her luck at Beggar’s Alley. First, it was right in Wan’an County, not far away. Second, the case happened next to the Temple of the Scholar, which had also suffered ghostly disasters years ago. By intuition, Zhao Fusheng felt the two haunting events were likely connected—perhaps even caused by the same vengeful ghost.

She was not merely guessing. Fan Bisi had mentioned that a month ago, someone came to the Temple of the Scholar for help, referring to a “promise” made forty years ago, which indirectly proved her suspicion.

Forty years prior, the Demon Magistrate had dealt with the Liu family’s disaster; perhaps records remained. If she could find them, it would be better than stumbling blindly.

Most importantly, Zhao Fusheng gleaned clues from Fan Bisi’s words. He repeatedly urged her not to take the case, to wait for death—but when mentioning Beggar’s Alley, he let slip that he and his brother had gone there.

A month ago, the Demon Magistrate was barely holding on; Fan Bisi was not one to act without gain, yet he took the trouble to visit Beggar’s Alley. This was odd.

Fan Bisi had also pointed out that the court usually turned a blind eye to the Demon Magistrate’s negligence, but Zhao Fusheng was not foolish—she did not believe the court would endlessly indulge the local Demon Magistrate when it had the Soul Fate Register as leverage.

She had considered before that both sides must be wary of each other, keeping each other in check.

The Fan brothers’ eagerness to leave Wan’an County was abnormal. According to him, the county was being abandoned due to ghost mist, but if they could simply avoid cases and wait for death, why would they leave for other places? As he himself said, they wouldn’t live longer elsewhere, only have a slightly higher chance of survival.

And after the ghost case broke out in Beggar’s Alley, he and Fan Wujie went to investigate, which was even stranger. He was exceptionally shrewd and fearful of death; unless forced, why would he waste effort gathering information?

All these circumstances proved his words were half-truths.

Zhao Fusheng reasoned: the court cannot wholly control the Demon Magistrates, for those who command ghosts are eccentric and unruly. Though Ghost Speakers like Jia Yi can manage vengeful spirits, their powers still cannot be underestimated.

Conversely, local Demon Magistrates must also fear and guard against the court, but cannot escape its grasp.

So, both sides maintain a facade of peace. When ghost cases occur, Demon Magistrates weigh risks themselves; if the danger is too great, they do as Fan Bisi said—ignore it, and if serious, report it to the court.

The court, in turn, must have some means of restraint—perhaps not requiring every major case to be solved, but mandating a certain number of ghost cases to be completed each year or every few months.

That would ensure a delicate balance, explaining the Fan brothers’ motive for visiting Beggar’s Alley.

Wan’an County’s Demon Magistrate had been troubled for a long time. After Zhao Qiming’s death, the court abandoned rescue efforts, sending no more promising Ghost Commanders, letting the office self-destruct.

The Fan brothers’ soul fates were tied to the Demon Magistrate in Wan’an County. As time drew near, without resolving cases, the Soul Fate Register’s ghostly incantations could backfire. In desperation, the brothers went to Beggar’s Alley.

When they failed to solve the ghost case, they decided to leave Wan’an County, dumping the mess onto Zhao Fusheng, who had miraculously come back from the dead.