Chapter 28

Chapter 28

As Yu Wei felt that chill against his neck, disbelief flashed in his eyes.

But he quickly smiled, his eyes crinkling. Not the slightest anger appeared on his face; instead, it brimmed with joy. Yu Wei laughed heartily. “Good, very good. You’re improving quickly. Whether it’s a feint or a trick, if your opponent can’t understand your approach during a fight, you’ve already won half the battle.”

“Remember, the techniques and movements you haven’t used yet are always the most frightening. Never let your opponent see through you easily.”

Yu Wei showered her with praise, his voice brimming with joy and the satisfaction of knowing someone could carry on after him.

He had assumed Xie Qingling merely possessed exceptional fighting talent and that her unusual profession let her easily overcome stronger opponents and inflict tremendous damage. Now, however, it seemed her talent went beyond that.

On a battlefield, the person an opponent should fear more than a berserker with tremendous damage was a calculating strategist. No matter their circumstances, a strategist could rapidly analyze both sides’ strengths and weaknesses, then formulate a corresponding plan.

Such people could often turn seemingly hopeless situations into triumphs, overcome the great with the small, and win through surprise.

Yu Wei saw those qualities in Xie Qingling.

Xie Qingling moved Bloodsworn away and smiled. “It’s because Brother Yu taught me well.”

Yu Wei rose from the ground and brushed away dust that did not exist. “We’ll stop here for today. I feel like you’re almost ready to graduate from my instruction.”

“I still need more practice.” Yu Wei’s skill level was extremely high, and Xie Qingling wanted to continue sparring with him and learning from him, so she maintained a humble attitude.

The two concluded their spar and emerged from the training room drenched in sweat.

Xie Qingling felt physically depleted and hungry. She took out a piece of hard candy and held it in her mouth to replenish some energy.

She had bought the candy while out on field duty. Its sweetness was refreshing rather than cloying.

She had just begun to throw the wrapper into the trash when Yu Wei said, “Can I have it? The wrapper.”

“Huh?”

She had not expected a middle-aged man like Yu Wei to have such a girlish hobby.

He hid it well!

Xie Qingling froze, but quickly adopted an expression that said, I may not understand, but I respect it.

“My daughter will probably like it,” Yu Wei said, somewhat embarrassed.

Xie Qingling immediately understood and felt a little embarrassed herself. She handed the candy wrapper to Yu Wei.

This nostalgic cellophane wrapper scattered rainbow-colored light under the sun, glittering and sparkling beautifully.

Little girls generally enjoyed collecting them. Xie Qingling had too when she was young.

She remembered owning an extremely battered mooncake tin at the orphanage that she used specifically to store such strange little objects.

As a child, she had treasured them all.

She simply had not expected Yu Wei, who looked so sharp and murderous, to have a daughter – or to dote on her so thoroughly.

He even wanted to save something this trivial for her.

Xie Qingling said enviously, “Brother Yu, you’re a wonderful father.”

Yu Wei smiled and reached out to accept it, saying nothing.

—

The next day, it was Xie Qingling’s turn to go out on field duty.

Ling Fang gave her a task. “Since the last operation to eliminate the Carrion Ghosts, your forensic medicine department’s teaching building has been under repair. The restoration work is almost complete. I’m assigning you to place the anchor.”

“Understood,” Xie Qingling said.

Over the past several days, she had familiarized herself with the Department’s daily routine.

Going out alone to place an anchor was no challenge for her now.

Ling Fang took out a completed statue of Ksitigarbha and handed it to Xie Qingling.

The statue felt heavy and substantial in her palm.

Beyond that, Xie Qingling keenly sensed a mysterious, forbidden power within it. This had to be the sorcery Ling Fang had prepared in advance.

Seeing this, Xie Qingling could not help asking, “Director, sorcerers are so powerful. Could you teach me a few tricks too?”

Xie Qingling had already figured out every member’s abilities.

Ling Fang was the most unusual among them. He was a sorcerer.

He was neither an Innate Spirit nor an Acquired Spirit. His body belonged to an ordinary human, but by studying sorcery, he could create these strange and unusual objects.

Objects crafted through ancient sorcery often possessed certain miraculous abilities.

Ling Fang relied on these mysterious sorcerous objects to compensate for his lack of combat ability.

Ling Fang smiled. “No.”

“Huh? Why not?”

“Being a sorcerer isn’t as wonderful as you imagine,” Ling Fang said. “Such is the way of heaven: whatever one gains, one must also give. If an ordinary person acquires power beyond the ordinary through sorcery, then they must inevitably pay a price.”

He said, “I came to sorcery after starting out on a different path.”

[The Complete Book of Lu Ban; the Five Afflictions and Three Deficiencies. His unborn child and wife fell to their deaths from the flying Wooden Hawk he had built. Lu Ban, master of mechanisms and sorcery, left behind a peerless book – and a curse with it. An ordinary person opened that door where fortune and calamity depend upon each other, gaining Lu Ban’s power while also bearing Lu Ban’s curse. Of the five afflictions – widower, widow, orphan, childless, or disabled – and the three deficiencies – lifespan, authority, or wealth – they must suffer at least one.]

Xie Qingling fell silent, took the statue of Ksitigarbha, and left the office.
An ability that came with its own curse. Being a sorcerer truly was a high-risk profession…

She remained silent throughout the journey and mounted her own motorcycle. She knew how to ride now and could travel independently.

Before long, Xie Qingling arrived at the gates of the University of Science and Technology campus.

Carrying the statue of Ksitigarbha Ling Fang had given her, she made her way to the forensic medicine department’s teaching building.

The half-collapsed east wing was visibly under reconstruction, while the west wing remained in normal use.

At the construction site, the crew had opened a path that faculty and staff could freely use, while yellow tape sealed off the rest.

With the stone statue of Ksitigarbha on her back, Xie Qingling entered through the path and reached the east wing under reconstruction.

There were no particular taboos concerning where an anchor could be placed, but it needed to remain somewhat concealed. Otherwise, someone who couldn’t keep their hands to themselves might spot it and be unable to resist damaging it. Having to return for maintenance later would be troublesome.

Xie Qingling found a secluded corner, then asked a cement worker to build the statue into the wall. After waiting roughly ten minutes, the worker finished.

Unless someone inspected the wall very carefully, they would never notice that a stone statue was embedded inside it.

Xie Qingling checked the details requiring attention afterward. Once she confirmed everything had been handled properly, she left the campus and headed to her next patrol location.

After a full day of field duty, Xie Qingling returned to the office to find that everyone assigned to remain behind had already left.

She took off her clothes and entered the bathroom for a shower, relaxing her body. Then she sprawled across the bed and picked up her phone, intending to unwind for a while.

But after turning on her phone, she discovered that Jiang Lulu had sent her a WeChat message at roughly four in the afternoon:

Ahhhhhhh Qingling help me!!!!!!

Xie Qingling frowned, and her heart suddenly gave a violent thump.

When she left the university, Xie Qingling had told Jiang Lulu to contact her if she encountered anything strange.

There was no way she could ignore a message like this from Jiang Lulu.

Xie Qingling immediately replied, asking what had happened, where she was, and what the situation was now.

Roughly half an hour passed. Xie Qingling’s messages sank into silence without a single response, and now she truly began to lose her composure.

She picked up her phone and called Jiang Lulu.

The ringing tone sounded over and over, every pulse seeming to strike directly against Xie Qingling’s heart.

After roughly thirty seconds, someone answered.

Jiang Lulu’s voice came through. “Hello.”

“Lulu.” Xie Qingling said anxiously, “Why did you call for help on WeChat? You scared me to death!”

Still, her heart settled.

That was Jiang Lulu’s voice.

“Um… It’s nothing.” Jiang Lulu spoke vaguely. “I was just joking. Don’t take it to heart.”

“Don’t make jokes like that again. I’ll take them seriously.” Xie Qingling repeated the warning solemnly, then said, “Work is keeping me busy right now, so I don’t have time to stay in touch with everyone. Here, I’ll send you my work address. If anything comes up and you need my help, you can come find me directly.”

Xie Qingling had spoken vaguely, but Jiang Lulu had fought the Shanxiao alongside her. She would certainly understand.

Both Dong Jia and Jiang Lulu were the kind of people who never troubled others lightly. Xie Qingling was not worried that Jiang Lulu would pester her – unless something had truly happened.

“Okay.” Jiang Lulu agreed readily.

What Xie Qingling had not expected was for Jiang Lulu to arrive the very next morning.

—

At dawn, the first light of day had just begun to brighten the sky.

Xie Qingling woke early. As usual, she completed her incense offering before considering what to have for breakfast.

When she opened the door, intending to buy breakfast from the steamed-bun shop on the neighboring street, she saw a disheveled figure sitting outside the small Western-style house.

The woman sat on the steps without going inside, staring blankly ahead, lost in unknown thoughts.

Xie Qingling was shocked. “Lulu? Why… Why are you here?”

As if startled, Jiang Lulu raised her head toward Xie Qingling. Only then did Xie Qingling discover that Jiang Lulu’s face was terrifyingly pale, with a faint bluish cast. She looked as though she had not seen the sun in a very long time, utterly devoid of vitality.

At the sight of Xie Qingling, Jiang Lulu visibly relaxed. Her somewhat vacant eyes shifted as she said, “I finally found you. I was starting to think I’d come to the wrong place.”

“Come inside first. We can talk there.”

But Jiang Lulu shook her head violently. “No, no. I won’t bother you. I just… I just…”

Yet after a very long time, she still could not explain what she meant by “just.”

Xie Qingling’s brows drew into a deep frown. It seemed Jiang Lulu had encountered some extraordinary trouble.

Seeing her trembling like a badly frightened bird, Xie Qingling could not bear to press her. Instead, she said, “All right. Then come out and buy breakfast with me.”

One behind the other, the two reached a breakfast shop on the neighboring street.

Xie Qingling ordered millet porridge and two meat-filled buns for herself, then ordered the same for Jiang Lulu.

After they found seats, Xie Qingling lowered her head and ate while waiting for Jiang Lulu to explain why she had come.

Jiang Lulu merely held a bun in her hands without eating it, looking conflictedly at Xie Qingling as unknown thoughts churned through her mind.

After a stretch of silence, Xie Qingling finished breakfast. She slowly wiped her mouth and asked directly, “Lulu, did you… see a ghost?”
Jiang Lulu’s eyes widened instantly, and her entire body seemed to stiffen.

The two stared at one another for several moments before Jiang Lulu finally gave a bitter laugh, relaxed, and asked, “How could you tell?”

[One may paint a tiger’s skin but never its bones; one may know a face but never the heart behind it. The Painted-Skin Ghost despises its ugly body and longs to possess a perfect painted skin, using it as a disguise to wander the mortal realm. But human skin is a gift heaven bestowed upon humanity. No matter how deeply the Painted-Skin Ghost envies and covets it, it is destined never to possess one… No. It will always find a way.]

This Painted-Skin Ghost sounded troublesome.

It would always find a way? What way? By stealing one? Stealing human skin?

The mere thought made Xie Qingling’s scalp prickle.

Xie Qingling said, “If you hadn’t encountered a ghost, you wouldn’t have come looking for me.”

They had only just graduated and each found an internship. They were all insanely busy, wanting nothing more on weekends than to merge with their beds and occasionally send a message in the group chat to prove they were alive. Who had time to meet privately and maintain friendships?

Besides, Jiang Lulu looked completely distracted… After living together for so long, Xie Qingling had never seen her like this.

Jiang Lulu had not even filled the group chat with laughter for a long time.

A little thought made it obvious that something had happened to her.

Jiang Lulu said bitterly, “I didn’t know what to do… I could only come to you… But I was afraid I’d drag you into it.”

“Don’t be afraid. Coming to me was the right decision.” Murderous intent filled Xie Qingling’s voice. “It’s my duty to put down ghosts and monsters that wreak havoc in the human world!”

After speaking, Xie Qingling remembered something, and her voice softened. “Don’t be afraid. Just tell me everything you know.”

Jiang Lulu remained badly frightened, still burdened by heavy worries. Under Xie Qingling’s gentle coaxing, she seemed to remember something terrifying and shuddered from head to toe.

She stammered, “All I wanted was to find an internship at a law firm. After sending my résumé everywhere, I found an internship at one firm. And then… my nightmare began.”

“My boss was a charming, distinguished middle-aged man, but…” At this point, Jiang Lulu grabbed Xie Qingling in terror as though some horrifying scene had appeared before her. “But later, I learned he wasn’t human… He was a ghost. I… I saw it change skins.”

She buried her face in her hands and sobbed painfully. “It was terrifying. It’s a ghost, and it wanted my skin. But because I’m a woman, it hesitated. It still didn’t let me go, though. Later, somehow, an idea appeared in my head – it wanted me to help it kill someone.”

“It wanted me to help kill a man and peel off his skin… I don’t know how it influenced me. Now my head is filled with nothing but… killing someone. I have to kill someone…”

Jiang Lulu raised her head and looked at Xie Qingling, her bloodshot eyes filled with agony. “Tell me, is there any hope left for me?”

Xie Qingling’s heart sank. No wonder the normally carefree Jiang Lulu had been frightened into this state. Watching a Painted-Skin Ghost change skins had to be quite the experience.

Jiang Lulu and Dong Jia were different from Xie Qingling.

Strictly speaking, they had only stumbled by accident onto the tip of the supernatural world’s iceberg.

These horrifying incidents had to be far beyond what they could psychologically endure.

Xie Qingling took her hand and soothed her. “Don’t be afraid. Calm down first. I’m here, and I won’t let it hurt you.”

“I’m going to ask you several questions. You need to answer honestly.”

After Xie Qingling wrapped her hand around Jiang Lulu’s icy fingers, some warmth returned to them. She nodded. “Okay.”

“The Painted-Skin Ghost has a physical body and can live normally under sunlight, correct?”

Jiang Lulu nodded. “Yes. On the surface, my boss is a successful middle-aged man who works and lives normally. If I hadn’t… If I hadn’t fallen asleep at the office and stayed late that day, I never would have discovered anything unusual about it.”

At this point, Jiang Lulu nearly started crying again.

So it was another kind of ghost that did not fear sunlight.

Xie Qingling asked another question. “Why does it want you to help it kill someone?”

Jiang Lulu was an unarmed, defenseless woman. Going to such lengths to make her help find human skin was terribly inefficient.

Jiang Lulu said, “It wants me to beguile a human man and keep him from becoming frightened, then peel off his skin while he isn’t paying attention. Otherwise, the removed skin will be useless and won’t be capable of producing lifelike expressions. I don’t know anything beyond that. Those are the orders it gave me. I only need to carry them out.”

“I understand. Stay with me for the next few days… Wait. Let me ask my superior first,” Xie Qingling said.

She stood and moved farther away from Jiang Lulu, wanting her to learn as little about this world as possible.

Once there was some distance between them, Xie Qingling immediately activated her earpiece and contacted Ling Fang.

“Director, we have a situation,” Xie Qingling said. “My friend saw a ghost.”

“It’s a Painted-Skin Ghost. It uses human skin to make painted skins and disguises itself to live among humans. I estimate there has already been at least one victim.”

Ling Fang responded quickly. At the same time, he connected every member of the Department. All six of them could instantly hear one another, sharing information in real time.
Ling Fang said, “Emergency. All members of the Special Incident Response Department, assemble.”

Yu Wei: “Understood.”

Shen Huaizhou: “Understood.”

Ye Anran: “Understood.”

Dai Xingyu: “Understood.”

Xie Qingling was preparing to join them when Jiang Lulu grabbed her hand and asked anxiously, “Where are you going?”

“Back to work. Don’t worry. I won’t let anything happen to you.” After some thought, Xie Qingling asked Ling Fang whether Jiang Lulu could remain at the office while they carried out the operation.

Whether one considered Jiang Lulu’s mental state, like that of a badly frightened bird, or her thoughts already under the Painted-Skin Ghost’s control, leaving her outside was far too dangerous.

It was dangerous both to her and to other people.

Ling Fang said, “She can.”

Jiang Lulu, however, was unwilling to go inside.

She frowned. “No. Right now, I don’t trust anyone except you. Let me stay by your side. I… Unless I see the Painted-Skin Ghost destroyed with my own eyes, I’ll never be able to sleep. I’ll spend the rest of my life terrified.”

“I… I can help you too. I know where his law firm is, but it’s the weekend and he isn’t working. He should be home now. His home is in Xingfu Residential Complex, Qinghua District. I’ve seen it.”

Jiang Lulu spoke haltingly, looking extremely anxious. “I also know it goes by the name Yang Zhenhua. Its phone number is 1345XXXX5678.”

“I know a great deal of information about it. Maybe I can help you.”

Xie Qingling frowned, conflicted.

Had they ever brought an ordinary person on an operation before?

She had no idea whether Ling Fang would agree.

Xie Qingling sighed. “Wait here for me. I need to meet with my superior before I can give you an answer.”

Jiang Lulu nodded, then watched Xie Qingling return to 221 Central Street.

Roughly ten minutes later, every member of the Department had arrived.

Xie Qingling walked beside Ling Fang, reporting the other information about the Painted-Skin Ghost while asking about Jiang Lulu.

“Her thoughts are currently under the Painted-Skin Ghost’s control. Leaving her alone would indeed introduce an unpredictable risk.” Ling Fang frowned. They did not know what other abilities the Painted-Skin Ghost possessed beyond controlling human thoughts, and Jiang Lulu’s current condition truly was troublesome.

She might cause the next casualty.

“Then let her come. She’ll stay with me, and I’ll watch her,” Ling Fang said. “I’ll hold the rear and control the field this time.”

Xie Qingling nodded. “Understood.”

At the same time, everyone else entered the second-floor preparation room and removed their personal cases from the shelves. The silver cases bearing an emblem of two snakes with intertwined tails were mandatory equipment for every operation.

Xie Qingling had seen what was inside them. Their standard contents included clay figurines of Ksitigarbha, a Ghost-Binding Banner, an empty palm-sized shrine, and two bottles of medicine.

Xie Qingling still did not understand the medicines’ exact effects.

Ye Anran had only said that the pink medicine was for drinking when one felt they had a single breath left and might still be saved.

The white bottle was to be used only after one became certain survival was impossible. It was administered by injection.

Besides the silver case and her weapon, Bloodsworn, Xie Qingling took a handgun from the weapon rack and secured it in a strap on her lower leg.

She strapped a spare pair of daggers to her other leg, ensuring that an unexpected situation would not leave her without a weapon.

After training over the past several days, Xie Qingling’s skill with a handgun had also improved. At the very least, she no longer missed the target every time. In terms of difficulty, modern firearms were still the simplest and most convenient weapons – certainly easier than Shen Huaizhou’s throwing knives.

Once everyone finished preparing, Ling Fang told Dai Xingyu, “Groom, open the way. Go ahead and scout the area first – ”

Suddenly, Ling Fang stopped.

During every previous operation, Dai Xingyu had taken the lead. As a Groom, he was fast and could sense ghosts and monsters.

They only needed to evacuate the other civilians and deploy the Killing Field. The ghost would then be a fish trapped in a net, ready for them to attack.

But this ghost was different.

It could openly live within an orderly, normal society. It could be touched and seen, and it possessed its own social identity.

They obviously could not clear the area using the same method.

Xie Qingling also realized the problem. She said, “The Painted-Skin Ghost disguises itself as a human, holds a normal job, and lives according to human social order. It appears to be an ordinary ‘person.’ Could it have other social relationships? Or rather, does it have a family? Does its family know it’s a Painted-Skin Ghost?”

Ling Fang’s brows drew into a deep frown.

Statistically speaking, a successful middle-aged man would probably have formed a family.

If the family knew nothing, they might be the Painted-Skin Ghost’s hostages.

If they knew, then they probably were not human either.

Either situation would make matters difficult.

Ling Fang told Dai Xingyu, “First, determine Yang Zhenhua’s social relationships, especially his family relationships.”

Dai Xingyu answered, “Understood.”

“Everyone else, come with me to Xingfu Residential Complex.”

“Move out,” Ling Fang said.