Wei Huanyang has been arrested!
This news struck like a thunderclap, causing shockwaves throughout the mystical sects.
Who is Wei Huanyang?
The closed-door disciple of the Hengfeng Sect's sect master, a quasi-fifth-level Celestial Master at twenty-five, and fourth place in the Grand Mystical Tournament!
Given his status and abilities, among the worldly Celestial Masters in Longlin City, he could be considered an authority of extraordinary stature.
And the authorities just arrested him, just like that?
A quasi-fifth-level Celestial Master, captured so easily?
Are the authorities' talent reserves really that strong?
Whether it was the various sects, the great families, or the independent cultivators affiliated with the Celestial Master Association, everyone was on high alert.
The Special Case Investigation Division had been arresting Celestial Masters involved in illegal activities across the country, but most were just small fry, not yet touching the foundations of the various mystical factions.
But Wei Huanyang was different.
He was a microblogging celebrity, known by basically every Celestial Master in the mystical world; he was also the fourth-place winner of the Grand Mystical Tournament, with a prominent reputation; furthermore, he was the closed-door disciple of the Hengfeng Sect's master, holding a lofty position.
Such a person naturally garnered more attention than other Celestial Masters.
Like Yan Wu, an "old-timer" who served his family from the start, even as a sixth-level Celestial Master, his arrest didn't cause much of a stir.
The major powers were all watching and waiting.
They were anticipating the game of chess between the Hengfeng Sect and the authorities.
Compared to the deeply rooted sects and families, some independent cultivators without backing were filled with anxiety and fear.
In the independent cultivators' group chat.
【Baldness Daoist: Are the authorities serious this time? Even Wei Huanyang has been taken in. Can we still protect ourselves?】
【Toe-Picker Daoist: What are you afraid of? You haven't broken any laws.】
Baldness Daoist: Thinking back carefully, it seems when I first started, I wanted to try flying and earth-traveling, but lost control and floated up outside a window on the tenth floor, accidentally seeing a man taking a shower.
【Whale Daoist: Tsk, you're both men, so what if you saw?】
【Baldness Daoist: But I... am a woman.】
【Toe-Picker Daoist: ???】
【Whale Daoist: !!!】
【Melon-Eater Daoist: [Black person question mark.jpg]】
Whale Daoist: Whoa, even Brother Melon has been shocked into appearing! @Baldness Daoist, your melon is really ripe!
【Toe-Picker Daoist: In that case, you might as well offer yourself to him in marriage.】
【Baldness Daoist: ...Who told him not to close the window while showering!】
【Whale Daoist: That's not reasonable. He lives on the tenth floor; who would think someone could float up to the tenth floor?】
Melon-Eater Daoist: That doesn't count as indecent assault; at most, it's disturbing public order. Don't be afraid, fifteen days detention max.
【Toe-Picker Daoist: Brother Melon, given the current situation, do you think many of our colleagues will have to go in?】
【Melon-Eater Daoist: I don't acknowledge law-breaking criminals as my colleagues. Wei Huanyang should have gone in for ideological re-education long ago.】
【Whale Daoist: Only you would dare say that.】
【Baldness Daoist: Brother Melon is always brave. Last time you even posted on Weibo mocking Wei Huanyang. Aren't you afraid of retaliation?】
【Toe-Picker Daoist: Second place in the Grand Mystical Tournament, what's to fear?】
【Melon-Eater Daoist: What second place? I didn't even force Yan Huai to unsheathe his sword.】
【Whale Daoist: Don't be too hard on yourself. What family background does Yan Huai have? He's from the Yan family, the top family in Longjing! For an independent cultivator like you to take second place is already something to be proud of in the mystical world.】
【Baldness Daoist: Exactly, exactly!】
【Toe-Picker Daoist: What do you all think the mystical world will become in the future?】
【Melon-Eater Daoist: The mystical world shouldn't take itself too seriously. If everyone obeys the law, everything will be fine.】
...
【Whale Daoist: Brother Melon's awareness remains as high as ever!】
Hengfeng Sect.
After receiving the notification from the young disciple, the senior brother immediately called a meeting with several fellow disciples.
"The Sect Master and elders are in secluded cultivation. We shouldn't disturb them for now. Now that Junior Brother Wei has been taken by the Investigation Division, what are everyone's thoughts?"
They looked at each other.
"Senior Brother Feng," someone said, "we'll all follow your lead."
"Yes, we'll follow you."
Feng Ke: "..."
He sighed inwardly, maintaining a calm expression. "The Investigation Division must have a reason for arresting Junior Brother Wei. My thought is to first clarify that reason, then decide on the next step. Right now, someone needs to go to the Investigation Division to inquire. Who is willing to go?"
"Senior Brother Feng, I think there might be negotiations and mediation with the authorities later. It definitely requires someone with prestige from our sect. You are the most suitable candidate."
"I agree."
"Senior Brother Feng is undoubtedly the most suitable."
Feng Ke: "..."
No one wanted to get involved in worldly affairs; they all preferred to stay in the sect and cultivate in peace. It seemed he would have to handle this matter personally.
As the Sect Master's head disciple, it was his responsibility to take charge.
The moment Feng Ke left the sect, the head of the Investigation Division received notification, and other factions also learned the news. Instantly, all eyes were focused on him.
He was well aware of the many little tails following behind and the numerous prying eyes watching from the shadows.
He had no time to bother with them.
This contact with the authorities would determine the future development of the Hengfeng Sect. He could not afford to be careless.
Feng Ke arrived at the Investigation Division.
As a fifth-level Celestial Master, higher in rank than anyone at the Investigation Division, he unleashed his full aura the moment he stepped out of the car.
The staff: "..."
Feng Ke: "I'm looking for your person in charge."
Under his pressure, a staff member struggled to speak. "The Director is on the third floor."
A fifth-level Celestial Master... could they really contend with him?
Feng Ke went straight up to the third floor.
The director's office door was wide open, rather like an "open invitation" setup.
Compared to the Hengfeng Sect, this place was truly too simple and crude.
No high-level formations, no abundant spiritual energy, and even the investigators' levels were so low. Feng Ke didn't understand how they had managed to capture Wei Huanyang.
What confidence did the authorities have to let such a plain Investigation Division stand against the Hengfeng Sect?
Feng Ke stepped into the office, meeting the director's composed gaze.
Neither spoke.
Under the pressure of a fifth-level Celestial Master's aura, a fourth-level Celestial Master would find it very difficult to hold their ground, but the director seemed completely unaffected.
His gaze remained calm, his demeanor composed, not losing ground at all.
How could this be?
Feng Ke was slightly startled inwardly. Was he deliberately concealing his cultivation level?
No, why would a director need to conceal his level?
He didn't know that the director was currently enduring with great difficulty.
The authorities trained special personnel, not cowards. Before joining, they had undergone countless training sessions. Among these, spiritual energy cultivation was actually the least emphasized.
They had to participate in various arduous tasks under conditions of depleted spiritual energy, including enduring the pressure of high-level Celestial Masters, learning how to maximize the utilization rate of spiritual power within their bodies, and so on.
They got used to it through practice.
The people at the Investigation Division, despite their seemingly low individual levels, were each elite soldiers and fierce generals. They were well-trained, cooperated seamlessly, and at the same level, were definitely more combat-capable than other Celestial Masters from the mystical sects... This was their unique advantage.
A Celestial Master's spiritual power would eventually be exhausted. Once it was depleted, what mattered was physical strength.
The Celestial Masters from the major sects and families had smooth sailing in their cultivation since childhood, basically never experiencing hardship. They lacked firm willpower and robust physiques. Once they lost their spiritual power, they were a bunch of weaklings.
For example, Ding Ji, whose first reaction upon encountering an enemy was to beg for mercy.
Take Chu Changyi for example, who only knows how to retreat when faced with trouble.
The person in charge has undergone countless training sessions. To sit in this position, he must have some real skills. If he couldn't withstand Feng Ke's pressure, he might as well go home and sell sweet potatoes early.
Feng Ke: ???
For the first time, he deeply realized that the official Investigation Department was not as incompetent as he had imagined.
He subconsciously withdrew his pressure.
The person in charge curled his lips into a smile. "Master Feng, please have a seat."
Feng Ke sat down opposite him.
"Would you like something to drink?" The person in charge made a move to stand up. "I only have ordinary tea and water here."
Feng Ke's expression turned somewhat unpleasant. "That won't be necessary."
He got straight to the point: "I just want to know why your department arrested my junior brother, Wei Huanyang."
The person in charge didn't waste words either, directly tossing him a file. "This is our investigation report on him. Take a look first."
While cultivating talent, the official side has also been secretly investigating typical Masters from various regions, gathering evidence of illegal activities, waiting for the right moment to make arrests.
Feng Ke opened the investigation materials.
The further he read, the tighter his frown became.
He had long resided within his sect, focusing on quiet cultivation. Although he had heard some rumors about Wei Huanyang's conduct outside, he only thought it was due to youthful arrogance and a lack of tact.
Who would have thought he had done so many things that crossed the line!
But—
He couldn't just believe this one-sided account.
Steadying his mind, he said, "Are you sure all of this is true?"
The person in charge raised an eyebrow. "To be honest, our department has no grudge against him. There's no need to fabricate charges. We are just an official law enforcement unit. Whoever commits a crime, we arrest them. He broke the law, so he must accept punishment. Moreover..."
He paused. "Wei Huanyang believed the authorities couldn't do anything to him, so he never concealed his actions. Investigating him was easy."
Feng Ke: "..."
"Master Feng," the person in charge leaned back slightly, "I don't believe you are unaware of the increasingly rampant behavior of Masters in recent years."
"..."
"You are Masters, possessing special abilities and considering yourselves different from ordinary people. I can understand that. But there are some lines that cannot be crossed. If you insist on pleading his case, why not come with me to see for yourself."
"See what?"
"The interrogation."
Feng Ke: "..."
Inside the interrogation room, Wei Huanyang's spiritual power was suppressed, forced to sit in a chair answering the Investigation Department's questions.
He originally didn't take it seriously. But under the interrogator's intensely oppressive barrage of questions, and with no rescue from his sect in sight, he finally began to feel fear.
When it came down to it, his past pride stemmed solely from others' flattery and his sect's indulgence.
Although he was a twenty-five-year-old quasi-fifth-level Master, his mental fortitude was severely underdeveloped.
"Eight years ago, you helped a member of your clan suppress the soul of a victim, correct?"
Wei Huanyang: "..."
Eight years ago? How could he possibly remember something from so long ago!
He racked... his brains, finally dredging up the incident from the depths of his memory.
"There seems to have been something like that," Wei Huanyang said with a frown. "At the time, someone from the family came begging for my help, saying a malicious ghost was haunting him, trying to take his life. But he didn't want to destroy the ghost, just suppress it, so I helped him suppress it."
Interrogator: "..."
"You helped him suppress it without clarifying the cause and effect?"
Wei Huanyang: "What cause and effect? I'm a Master. I deal with ghosts."
"What if the ghost was the victim and the person was the perpetrator?"
"Isn't catching bad guys the police's job?"
"..."
Outside the interrogation room, separated by a pane of glass, Feng Ke was speechless.
He knew very well in his heart that there were many Masters who shared Wei Huanyang's way of thinking. Even he himself had to admit that when facing ghosts, he wouldn't waste time figuring out the cause and effect of a situation.
The person in charge said, "To be honest, there are many lawbreakers who, under the protection of Masters, evade legal sanctions. And the Masters, by aiding and abetting, inflict secondary harm on the victimized ghosts. The authorities are in a difficult position too."
Otherwise, they wouldn't be cracking down so hard.
Feng Ke: "..."
Inside the interrogation room, Wei Huanyang confessed to several more actions that crossed the line. Feng Ke couldn't bear to listen any longer and asked the person in charge, "If all these things are true, what punishment will he face?"
Person in charge: "Sheltering a criminal suspect is punishable as the crime of harboring. The other charges will also be adjudicated and sentenced according to the law, with combined punishment for multiple offenses in the end."
"..."
As the head disciple of the Hengfeng Sect, Feng Ke still had certain principles. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been entrusted with managing the entire sect while the sect leader was in seclusion.
He had no face to stay any longer. He cupped his hands towards the person in charge and left quickly.
After he had gone far, the person in charge let out a long sigh of relief.
Fortunately, this Feng Ke was relatively reasonable.
Feng Ke's departure sparked much speculation among the various forces in the metaphysical community.
"Is the Hengfeng Sect planning to abandon Wei Huanyang?"
"What exactly happened to Wei Huanyang?"
"Did Feng Ke not put up any fight at all?"
"Is the Hengfeng Sect deciding to bow to the authorities?"
"Hengfeng Sect..."
The rumors grew rampant.
None of this had anything to do with Qi Quan.
Arranged by the Wei family, she moved into an unoccupied villa. Shen Hui and Tang Mian stayed with her.
"Master, here is your bag." Zhang Chengyan stood at the door, handing the bag back to her, reluctant to part. "Master, I'll come see you again tomorrow."
He was going to stay at his uncle's house tonight to keep his frightened little cousin company.
Qi Quan: "..."
She did not require visits, thank you.
[Great One, 'Miracle Master' has gifted you two thousand 'Deep Waters'.] The system reported calmly.
Receiving 'Deep Waters' no longer brought the initial surprise; it had become routine.
Qi Quan sat on the bed and opened the exquisite bag. Inside were the snacks prepared by Steward Su.
The assorted preserved fruits emitted a sweet and fragrant aroma.
She was happily eating the preserves when she suddenly froze. She immediately got up, went to the window, pulled back the curtain, and looked out at the city under the pitch-black night sky.
Something's wrong.
At the same time, a sharp alarm sounded at the Longlin City Investigation Department.
The person in charge looked up in shock.
Someone rushed anxiously into the office, face pale, and said, "Director, it's a Level Six alarm!"
Everyone at the Investigation Department knew what a Level Six alarm meant.
It signified the appearance of a Level Six Red Ghost!
...Why so sudden?
The person in charge gritted his teeth and quickly ordered, "Immediately report to higher-ups and request assistance! Mobilize the field teams!"
"Yes!"
The sudden appearance of a Level Six Red Ghost caught them completely off guard.
Even if the Investigation Department deployed all its field teams, they would be no match for a Level Six Red Ghost.
"Hurry, contact Shen Hui! Ask him if that senior is willing to intervene!"
But that senior was at most Level Six as well. Could she withstand a Level Six Red Ghost?
Judging by the alarm, this Red Ghost's power was even close to Level Seven!
"Director, should we request aid from the Hengfeng Sect?" someone asked.
The Hengfeng Sect had several Level Seven Masters. If they could be persuaded to act, the threat of the Level Six Red Ghost could naturally be eliminated.
But would the Hengfeng Sect be willing?
The person in charge furrowed his brow, a sudden flash of insight crossing his mind.
Was the appearance of this Level Six Red Ghost really just a coincidence?
Hengfeng Sect.
Feng Ke had just finished explaining the matter of Wei Huanyang to his fellow disciples when the sect's alarm bell suddenly rang out.
"Senior Brother Feng!" A disciple rushed over in a panic. "The Level Six Red Ghost in the wetland park is about to break free!"
Feng Ke's heart skipped a beat. "Quickly gather people to go suppress it!"
Wasn't that malevolent ghost being properly suppressed? How could it suddenly be about to escape? Could the sealing array have loosened?
He was just about to head to the storeroom to prepare high-level talismans when a familiar voice sounded from behind him.
"Ake."
Feng Ke turned around in pleasant surprise. "Master!"
It was Yu Lanzhi, the sect master of the Hengfeng Sect.
"Where are you going?"
Feng Ke reported, "Master, the malevolent ghost at the wetland park is emerging. Before the suppression array completely fails, I wanted to take my fellow disciples to reinforce it."
"You, a Level Five Celestial Master, can confront a Quasi-Level Seven malevolent ghost?" Yu Lanzhi asked calmly in return.
Feng Ke asked hopefully, "Does Master intend to take action personally?"
Yu Lanzhi was a Level Seven, First Tier expert. Dealing with a suppressed Quasi-Level Seven ghost would definitely be more than sufficient.
Instead of answering, he asked, "How is your junior brother Wei?"
"Junior Brother Wei is undergoing interrogation at the Investigation Department."
Yu Lanzhi: "Have you negotiated with them?"
"Yes." Feng Ke lowered his head in shame. "It was my lapse in management that allowed my junior brother to cause this trouble."
He had actually warned his junior brother, but the latter hadn't listened.
Yu Lanzhi sighed lightly, his tone sorrowful and compassionate. "The malevolent ghost's emergence requires significant talismans and array stones to suppress again. Our sect's talisman supply is insufficient. Huanyang is proficient in talisman arts. Call the Investigation Department and have them release him for now."
"Master?!" Feng Ke looked up in astonishment.
Yu Lanzhi's expression was unreadable. "Hmm?"
Feng Ke's heart pounded with fear. Bracing under the pressure, he asked, "Does Master intend to exchange suppressing the fierce ghost for Junior Brother Wei's freedom?"
"It's merely a coincidence," Yu Lanzhi said indifferently, sweeping a glance at him. "Go handle it."
"...Yes."
Yu Lanzhi stood on the high platform, gazing into the distance at the soaring black aura, his expression inscrutable.
The Investigation Department had directly arrested Wei Huanyang, showing no regard for their face at all.
If the official authorities wanted to make an example of the Hengfeng Sect first, how could he allow the other factions of the Mystic Arts world to laugh at them?
Investigation Department.
Upon learning the Hengfeng Sect's stance, the person in charge snapped the pen in his hand in two.
His eyes were bloodshot, the muscles on his face trembling.
"What a fine Hengfeng Sect!"
He had thought the matter was settled after Feng Ke's visit. Now it seemed the Hengfeng Sect was blatantly challenging the official authorities!
Truly audacious and unafraid!
Did they really think the authorities had no way to deal with a Level Six Red Ghost without them?
"Headquarters... any instructions? What did Shen Hui say?"
"Director, headquarters' instruction is to follow Advisor Qi's command for this operation entirely. Investigator Shen also sent word that Advisor Qi has already set off for the wetland park."
"And then?" the director asked.
"And then what?"
The director: "Didn't they say to follow command? Don't we need to dispatch personnel?"
"Investigator Shen said Advisor Qi's instruction is: if the department is interested, they can go observe the Level Six malevolent ghost, participate in the suppression, broaden their horizons, and enrich their experience."
The director: "..."
Wetland Park. A crescent moon hung like a hook in the sky.
"There's a swamp inside, it's a restricted area," Shen Hui pointed at the sign ahead.
The park staff had already clocked out, the main gate shut tight. They had simply "floated" in.
Inside the park, the trees were lush and dense. With few neon lights nearby, the deep night was exceptionally eerie and sinister. Pale silver moonlight bathed the park, faintly revealing large bird nests on the tree branches.
Within the restricted area, a dense black aura almost blotted out the moonlight.
Tang Mian frowned. "It's about to break out. Should we go in?"
"Mm."
Qi Quan channeled her spiritual power, rising into the air. The spiritual energy enveloped her body, flowing over her surface like water, allowing her to avoid the park's surveillance cameras.
Her toes touched the treetops, leaving no trace, her movement ethereal and graceful, like a fairy under the moonlight.
Shen Hui and Tang Mian exchanged a glance, both seeing awe and admiration in each other's eyes.
Merely being a Level Six Celestial Master wouldn't allow for such control of spiritual power!
The two followed closely, but their movements were noticeably heavier, causing leaves to rustle as they passed over the canopy.
Qi Quan alighted on a tree beside the swamp, looking down at the array on the verge of being destroyed by the black aura.
The operation of an array required spiritual energy to sustain it. This Level Six Red Ghost had been suppressed here, requiring a large amount of spiritual energy daily, presumably all supplied by the Hengfeng Sect.
A precise machine, missing any single component, could cause the entire system to collapse.
The same was true for arrays.
Once a flaw or omission appeared in any part of the array, its effectiveness would greatly diminish, giving the malevolent ghost a significant chance to break through and re-emerge.
Qi Quan asked, "Since they could suppress it with an array, why not simply exterminate it?"
Shen Hui said, "This ghost was suppressed decades ago. I've only read about it in the Investigation Department's files. It's said that back then, the Celestial Masters' levels weren't high enough. This malevolent ghost was jointly suppressed by several Level Six Celestial Masters from the Hengfeng Sect. They were even injured in the process. After the suppression, they went into seclusion to cultivate, probably having gained some insights from the battle. Not long after, they broke through to Level Seven."
With several Level Seven Celestial Masters as pillars, the Hengfeng Sect rose to become the third major sect in the Mystic Arts world.
"Since they broke through to Level Seven, why continue suppressing it?" This ghost was nearly Level Seven, had committed countless killings, and should have been annihilated long ago. Why keep it, wasting spiritual energy to maintain the array?
Shen Hui shook his head. "I don't know about that. However, with this fierce ghost here, the Hengfeng Sect's status in Longlin City has always been transcendent."
"Hmph." Tang Mian scoffed.
System: [Wow, they couldn't have kept this ghost on purpose just for this very situation, could they?]
The official authorities' attitude towards the Mystic Arts world wasn't something the sects were completely unaware of, but due to their special abilities, the sects hadn't paid it much mind.
Take the wetland malevolent ghost, for instance. Once it broke free, the citizens of Longlin City would undoubtedly be harmed. The official authorities couldn't just stand by and watch. If they couldn't subdue the fierce ghost, they'd have no choice but to request the Hengfeng Sect's intervention.
Thus, they would be forced into a weaker position.
It had to be said, it was quite a clever open stratagem.
They just lacked a good beating.
The black aura at the center of the swamp had already formed a vortex. The fierce ghost's figure gradually became visible. It roared, crashing against the greatly weakened array, its expression excited and frenzied.
Qi Quan shot out a spirit talisman, landing on a damaged array stone.
The array suddenly glowed brighter, becoming more stable.
Fierce Ghost: ???
Realizing something, it abruptly looked up at the three figures atop the tree.
"ROAR—" It howled in rage, pounding the array with fist after fist. Its powerful ghost force struck, making the array sway precariously.
This array was only Level Six, a rather old and crude one. It probably couldn't withstand such a frenzied assault from the malevolent ghost.
Qi Quan remained perfectly calm. She asked the two nervously watching, "Want to give it a try?"
"Try what?" Shen Hui asked, bewildered.
Qi Quan smiled. "Back then, the Hengfeng Sect's Level Six Celestial Masters broke through to Level Seven after battling this malevolent ghost. Don't you want to achieve a breakthrough through combat as well?"
The two: "..."
They did want to, but the level gap was just too huge!
One was Level Two, the other Level Three. Facing a Level Six malevolent ghost, wouldn't they be pulverized to dust before they even got close?
Qi Quan drew a talisman in the air, and a pale golden talisman merged into the bodies of the two individuals.
"Go," she said, waving her hand and sending both of them into the formation.
Before they could even react, they found themselves face-to-face with the malevolent ghost.
The oppressive aura of a Level Six malevolent ghost was utterly terrifying.
However, both of them had undergone professional training and managed to withstand the pressure with steely resolve.
Since they were already here, they might as well give it their all!
They didn't know what kind of talisman Qi Quan had drawn, so they didn't dare to rely on luck. Instead, they summoned their strongest abilities to confront the ghost.
The Malevolent Ghost: Aaaaaah! To think he was being used as a training dummy for two low-level Celestial Masters! He was furious!
He swung his dark energy, striking the duo who seemed sent just to be defeated.
Shen Hui and Tang Mian were both sent flying, coughing up blood. It felt as if their internal organs had been displaced.
The dark energy closed in again.
The two rolled on the ground, swiftly dodging, then with astonishing agility, leaped up from the ground and once again thrust their peachwood swords at the ghost!
The peachwood swords were magical tools they carried with them, usually only palm-sized, but they would enlarge when infused with spiritual power.
Their shallow spiritual power clashed with the thick dark energy, and they were sent flying back once more.
After several such exchanges, even if they weren't dead, they were seriously injured.
After observing a few rounds, Qi Quan calculated their critical limits. Just as the ghost was about to strike again, a talisman shot into the formation like a meteor and stuck firmly onto the ghost's body.
The Malevolent Ghost: ???
His ghostly power had suddenly regressed to Level Three, Third Tier!
The dark energy visibly thinned.
Tang Mian, being a Level Three Celestial Master, was the first to react. She shot an utterly astonished glance at Qi Quan before re-engaging in the fight.
To so effortlessly "manipulate" the ghostly power of a quasi-Level Seven malevolent ghost—what a terrifying level of cultivation!
Shen Hui was equally incredulous, but the battle was right before him, and he couldn't give up.
When the head of the Investigation Department arrived with his team, they saw the two locked in fierce combat with the ghost.
Wasn't it supposed to be a Level Six malevolent ghost?
Weren't Shen Hui and Tang Mian only Level Two and Level Three Celestial Masters?
Was this even scientific?
The other investigators also wore expressions full of question marks.
Only when Shen and Tang had exhausted their spiritual power and were about to resort to hand-to-hand combat did Qi Quan pull them out of the formation.
They collapsed to the ground, utterly spent, yet their spirits were extremely exhilarated.
During the fight, both had gained new insights.
The department head looked up and asked, "Senior Qi, what should we do now?"
Qi Quan looked down at the ghost and said calmly, "Exterminate it."
Why keep it around for the New Year?
The department head felt a surge of... heroic passion welling up inside him. As long as this ghost was eliminated, the Hengfeng Sect would no longer be able to put on airs!
"You give the order, and we'll carry it out!"
Qi Quan glanced at the eager investigators, hesitated for a moment, then moved her fingers, adjusting the ghost's level to Five. "Anyone who wants to try can enter the formation," she said.
It seemed a bit wasteful to exterminate it directly. Better to make use of this piece of trash.
Seeing how fiercely Shen Hui and Tang Mian had fought, the others naturally had ideas of their own. Hearing Qi Quan's words, they excitedly jumped into the formation, unleashing all sorts of attacks on the ghost.
The Malevolent Ghost: ???
So he was being used to farm experience points?
With a furious roar, he charged at these Celestial Masters who didn't know the meaning of death.
The system asked curiously, [Big shot, what was that talisman you gave to Shen Hui and Tang Mian earlier? Why didn't you give it to these people?]
Qi Quan: [It wasn't a talisman. I just tricked them.]
The system: [...Then why not trick this group?]
[They've already been fooled by Shen Hui and Tang Mian.]
[True.]
The system looked at the investigators in the formation who were fighting as if their lives depended on it, feeling a deep sense of sympathy for them.
Hengfeng Sect.
Yu Ranzhi waited and waited, but still hadn't received any plea for help from the authorities.
He stood with his hands behind his back on a high platform and asked, "Has the call come?"
Feng Ke shook his head. "No."
"Could it be they plan to stand by and do nothing?" Yu Ranzhi was surprised.
Feng Ke said, "I heard the head of the Investigation Department personally led a team to the wetland park."
"He's only Level Four. How dare he?"
Feng Ke: "I'm not sure."
An inexplicable sense of unease stirred in Yu Ranzhi's heart. The dark energy in the distance seemed to have thinned. The bright moonlight poured down, gradually covering the ghost's dark aura.
What on earth was going on?!
Wetland Park.
The group in the formation fought until they had used the very last bit of their strength before Qi Quan waved her hand and pulled them out.
Not just them—even the ghost was somewhat at his limit.
Although his ghostly power was strong, he had been suppressed to Level Five by that terrifying woman. Surrounded and beaten by a group of low-level Celestial Masters, he had consumed most of his ghostly power. It was enough to make him vomit blood.
This was the greatest humiliation of his ghostly existence!
He glared viciously at Qi Quan, about to spew curses, when a small peachwood plaque carrying immense force slammed into his ghostly form.
In the next second, the malevolent ghost vanished.
The peachwood plaque returned to Qi Quan's hand.
She said, "I'm heading back first. Do as you please."
Then she turned and left with a cool and composed air.
Everyone: "..."
After a good while, an uninformed investigator quietly asked, "Director, who exactly is she? It feels like that quasi-Level Seven ghost was completely outmatched in front of her, like a minor sorcerer meeting a grandmaster."
"Watch your words!" The department head would have given him a knock on the head if he could lift his arm. "Who are you calling a grand sorcerer?"
"My mistake, that's just how I meant it. That ghost didn't even have a chance to perform in front of her."
"Yeah, yeah, she even suppressed the ghost's level!"
"She's a true grandmaster."
The department head said cheerfully, "Heh, she's our headquarters' consultant. With her here, our Investigation Department is set!"
"The head consultant!" the investigator exclaimed in awe. "Where did the higher-ups dig her up from? With cultivation like that, she could walk sideways anywhere she wanted, right? And she's willing to join the Investigation Department?"
Look, would those old monsters from the sects and families be willing?
The department head: "She has noble character and sterling integrity, far beyond what those scum can compare to. Don't sully the head consultant's name."
"My apologies."
The dark energy in the wetland park completely dissipated. Celestial Masters observing from the shadows were all filled with suspicion and doubt.
Cultivator Chat Group (Unofficial).
[Pay-to-Win Taoist: Holy crap, how did it suddenly disappear? Did Hengfeng Sect fix the formation?]
[Toe-Picking Taoist: No way, no way? Did the Investigation Department compromise? Did Hengfeng Sect gain the upper hand?]
[Hair-Loss Taoist: Sigh, I have a feeling those sects and families are going to become even more unrestrained.]
[Pay-to-Win Taoist: To be honest, the Celestial Masters Association is now controlled by those major sects and families. Life isn't easy for us rogue cultivators either. Just look at my nickname. If you want to take on jobs and build a reputation, don't you still have to send some "gifts" upwards?]
[Hair-Loss Taoist: It's best not to say such things at a time like this, in case someone finds out and makes things difficult for you.]
[Pay-to-Win Taoist: I just want to do some practical work and not waste this cultivation.]
[Toe-Picking Taoist: Just lay low. Has Brother Melon gone silent?]
[Hair-Loss Taoist: But I haven't heard that Wei Huanyang was released. Could it be that Hengfeng Sect had a change of heart this time?]
[Pay-to-Win Taoist: Unless Feng Ke had a change of heart.]
[Melon-Eating Taoist: I'm not silent, I'm over the moon!]
Toe-Picking Taoist: Brother Melon has been driven mad by the blow. One second of pity.
[Melon-Eating Taoist: Latest news: The Longlin City Investigation Department subdued the Level Six Red Ghost! Hengfeng Sect's plan failed! Hahahahaha!]
[Pay-to-Win Daoist: Are you still dreaming? The person in charge of Longlin City is only level four, right? Subduing a level six Red Ghost? Cheating, huh?]
[Hair-Loss Daoist: Brother Melon, tell us more!]
[Melon-Eating Daoist: Don't you all know that the Investigation Department has hired a top expert as the Chief Consultant?]
[Toe-Picking Daoist: How top? Higher than a level six Red Ghost?]
[Melon-Eating Daoist: Mhm.]
[Hair-Loss Daoist: Really? Is this for real? That must be level seven then?!]
[Pay-to-Win Daoist: Even if it's level seven, it shouldn't be that easy, right? I heard the Wetland Malevolent Spirit is quasi-level seven.]
[Melon-Eating Daoist: Even the authorities don't know exactly how high her cultivation level is.]
[Hair-Loss Daoist: Brother Melon, are you sure you didn't mistype? Her? A woman?]
[Melon-Eating Daoist: No mistake.]
[Hair-Loss Daoist: Oh my heavens! From now on, the Chief Consultant is my goddess! I want to follow in her footsteps! Friends, I want to join the Investigation Department, any of you have the same thought?]
[Pay-to-Win Daoist: Before that, I have a question.]
[Toe-Picking Daoist: I also have a question.]
[Melon-Eating Daoist: Want to ask why I know the Investigation Department's affairs so clearly?]
[Pay-to-Win Daoist: Yes.]
[Toe-Picking Daoist: Exactly.]
[Melon-Eating Daoist: It's exactly what you're thinking.]
[...]
[Hair-Loss Daoist: So, Brother Melon is already on the government payroll? Sob sob sob, please introduce me! I want to join! I want to see the goddess!]
Longjing City Investigation Department.
The young man put down his phone, rubbed his buzz cut, and hummed a cheerful tune.
Suddenly, someone knocked on the door.
"Come in."
"Captain, a level four Red Ghost has appeared at Longjing University."
The young man stood up briskly, twirling the peach wood hammer on its thin cord with his index finger. "Grab one more person, let's go together."
Longjing University, Girls' Dormitory.
Su Nuanuan clutched the gourd-shaped jade pendant around her neck, hiding in a corner and desperately tapping her phone.
Perhaps due to a magnetic field disturbance, her phone had no signal at all.
Her roommates were already unconscious, and her jade pendant had several cracks. It probably wouldn't hold out much longer.
In the darkness, a pair of sinister crimson vertical pupils stared coldly at her, occasionally emitting low growls. Yet, wary of the gourd jade pendant, it dared not approach.
...
The gourd jade pendant emitted a faint halo of light, but this halo was quickly fading.
Ning Zhi and Chen Feilu, being nearby, sensed the sinister aura and rushed to the scene immediately.
They had looked for Su Nuanuan during the day, but she seemed fine then. Her roommates had only suffered minor injuries before, and no trace of ghosts or monsters was found on campus, so they had to put the matter aside temporarily.
Who would have thought the ghost would appear tonight.
"Level four Red Ghost." Ning Zhi pulled out his peach wood sword, spiritual power coating his body, and whooshed towards the third floor.
He hovered in mid-air and knocked on the balcony door.
"Su Nuanuan, it's me."
The campus was silent in the dead of night, all lights in the dormitory building were off, not a glimmer of light.
Under the shroud of the ghost's dark energy, the other dorm rooms couldn't hear any commotion.
In her moment of despair, Su Nuanuan heard Ning Zhi's voice.
She looked towards the outside of the balcony in pleasant surprise.
His body, enveloped in spiritual energy, glowed faintly, especially conspicuous in the pitch-black night.
Clutching her pendant tightly, ignoring the frantic shrieks of the creature with crimson eyes, she rushed to the balcony door and quickly opened it.
Ning Zhi didn't barge recklessly into the girls' dorm. He stood on the balcony, his peach wood sword striking like lightning towards the Red Ghost in the corner. The Red Ghost let out a piercing wail, its crimson eyes dimming slightly, even revealing a hint of pleading.
The sword tip hesitated.
Ning Zhi's expression turned serious. "Binding Spirit Talisman, go!"
The talisman hit the Red Ghost, which was then unwillingly sucked into the talisman.
The viscous dark energy instantly dissipated.
Ning Zhi put away the Binding Spirit Talisman and immediately turned around. "It's safe now. You should go back and rest."
Only then did Su Nuanuan notice she was wearing pajamas.
Oh my goodness!
She quickly crossed her arms in front of her chest, her face slightly flushed. "Thank you."
Ning Zhi: "That jade pendant of yours is about to lose its effectiveness. You'd better get a new one."
"But Sister Quanquan gave this to me!" Su Nuanuan said, heartbroken. "It's very powerful!"
She knew the pendant was almost spent, but she couldn't bear to part with it. Besides, such a valuable item—how could she have the nerve to ask Sister Quanquan for a new one?
Ning Zhi: "..."
He said nothing more and simply jumped down from the balcony.
Just as he landed, before he could even speak to Chen Feilu, three people appeared before them.
"Captain, the Red Ghost is gone," one of them said, looking at Ning Zhi and Chen Feilu.
Ning Zhi looked up, his gaze falling on the young man with the buzz cut, a hint of surprise in his expression. "What are you doing here?"
"You can be here, why can't I?" The buzz-cut young man twirled his peach wood hammer, snorting with a laugh.
Ning Zhi: "I study here."
Buzz-cut young man: "..."
His two teammates secretly covered their mouths to stifle laughter.
Chen Feilu smiled, breaking the awkwardness, and asked Ning Zhi, "Ning-ge, your friend? Aren't you going to introduce him?"
Ning Zhi opened his mouth.
"Not friends," the buzz-cut young man extended his hand, his handsome, rugged face wearing a somewhat roguish expression. "Di Meng. Ning Zhi's opponent from the Mystic Arts Competition back in the day."
Chen Feilu smiled and shook his hand. "So it's the runner-up from the Mystic Arts Competition! My apologies, my apologies!"
"Pfft—"
The teammate ultimately couldn't hold back and laughed out loud.
Di Meng: "..."
This kid is sharp. How did he end up with Ning Zhi?
"Alright, enough chit-chat," Di Meng withdrew his hand and looked at Ning Zhi. "Was it you who captured the Red Ghost just now?"
"Yes."
"Since you still have to study, I'll take it back to the department."
Ning Zhi didn't refuse and handed him the Binding Spirit Talisman.
...
"By the way, I heard you were questioned by the Taoist Master Association for colluding with a dark cultivator, and that's why you had no choice but to join the Investigation Department?" Di Meng looked at him with a teasing glint in his eyes.
Ning Zhi said earnestly, "It wasn't 'had to.' It was 'turning over a new leaf.'"
"I like that answer!" Di Meng patted his shoulder. "To be honest, back at the Mystic Arts Competition, you were the one I admired the most. Keep it up, do well!"
Ning Zhi suddenly asked, "Did you join a long time ago?"
Di Meng smiled, leisurely twirling the thin cord. "Definitely earlier than you."
"I'll give that same line back to you," Ning Zhi said solemnly.
Di Meng: "What line?"
"My most worthy opponent."
Di Meng was surprised. "Not Yan Huai? He was first place!"
"Aren't you too?"
"I lost to him, it left a shadow!" Di Meng complained. "He's like a human weapon!"
Ning Zhi: "..."
"Forget it, let's not talk about him," Di Meng waved his hand. "How about you tell me about that 'dark cultivator' in Longjiang City?"
Ning Zhi: ...
"It's very late. You should take the Red Ghost and head back."
Di Meng: "I'll look you up when I have time later!"
Only the air answered him.
A teammate asked, "Captain, are you interested in dark cultivators?"
"What dark cultivator? That's a senior master!"
"..."
At that very moment, in a manor house dozens of kilometers away in the suburbs.
Yan Huai stood tall and straight, his expression stern and cold. Seated opposite him was a middle-aged man with a refined, scholarly face.
"Yan Wu has been arrested. You know, right?" the man asked.
Yan Huai: "I know."
"Although he is not a member of our immediate family, he still bears the Yan surname. I must understand the circumstances," the man said calmly. "Go to Longjiang City and investigate thoroughly."
"Yes."
"And, do not neglect your cultivation while on this assignment."
Yan Huai: "Understood."
He turned to leave.
"Wait." The man stopped him. "Remember my words clearly. You are going to investigate, not to pick a fight. Avoid antagonizing the Investigation Department if possible."
"Yes."
"Also, the Level Six ghost in the Longlin City wetlands has been subdued. Inquire about who was responsible for that."
"Mm."
The man: "..."
He waved his hand in resignation. "Forget it. Have Yan Geng accompany you."
Yan Huai offered no reply, turning and leaving the room.
