Knowing that He Xiuyu had ulterior motives, the authorities naturally would not sit idly by.
The Investigation Department immediately mobilized to go to Lingxu Temple to apprehend Cai Guang and Zhang Feng.
After seeing He Xiuyu's phantom projection, Cai Guang realized something was wrong. He returned to his dormitory intending to dispose of his electronic devices and flee, but the authorities arrived swiftly. Armed with the high-level talismans provided by Qi Quan, they quickly captured both the person and the ghost.
Zhang Feng: ???
He twisted his body, feigning confusion as he asked, "On what grounds are you arresting me?!"
The investigators: ...
Although you're an actor, there's really no need to keep up the act in this situation, okay?
Both the person and the ghost were taken to the interrogation room.
Simultaneously, the Longhai City Investigation Department also discovered traces of Gao Peilan. Like Zhang Feng, she was invisible to ordinary people, and monitoring equipment couldn't detect her ghostly aura.
The investigators only found her because she appeared at Pan Hao's residence, tormenting him.
Pan Hao's wretched screams echoed, alerting the investigators staking out outside. They rushed into the house and, unexpectedly, managed to apprehend Gao Peilan.
When the news reached the Central Department, Li Guoyan couldn't help but frown.
It was indeed too smooth.
It was as if someone was intentionally throwing pawns towards the Investigation Department.
Gao Peilan was one, and Cai Guang was another.
The Longjiang City and Longhai City Investigation Departments conducted interrogations simultaneously, with the entire process being livestreamed to the Central Department in Longjing.
Longjiang City Investigation Department.
Meng Yunzheng personally participated in the interrogation.
He first interrogated Zhang Feng.
Zhang Feng died five years ago and hadn't been following He Xiuyu for very long. Over these five years, he often mingled in film crews as an extra, appearing at first glance to be just a passionate minor actor.
He was utterly bewildered by his arrest.
"You've got the wrong person! I'm just a small-time extra, I'm truly a law-abiding citizen!"
Meng Yunzheng held a transparent evidence bag containing an ID card and said, "The fake ID is well-made. Where did you get it done?"
It was truly the first time he'd seen a ghost with an ID card.
Zhang Feng: "..."
"Stop pretending," Meng Yunzheng tapped the table. "You're a ghost, we all know that."
Zhang Feng said sheepishly, "Well, you see, I really love acting. I am indeed a ghost, but no one said ghosts can't act, right? I haven't harmed anyone. You can't arrest me just for that, can you?"
Zhang Feng's actions were similar to those in the Siren group.
He mingled among extras, seeking suitable targets, understanding their desires, and using that knowledge to lure them into stepping onto the altar, becoming nourishment for the Master's cultivation.
Those people went willingly, so what did it have to do with him or the Master?
After all, "suicide" isn't a crime.
Just like those in the Siren group, they used the name of "love" to lure targets, infinitely amplifying the desires in their hearts, making them sink into the quagmire of craving, step by step walking the path of sacrifice.
Before their death, the extreme emotions bursting from their souls would transform into energy, becoming the favorite nourishment for ghost cultivators.
That's right, ghost cultivators.
Zhang Feng referred to himself as a ghost cultivator.
They were different from other ghosts. Other ghosts could generally only gain energy by harming people, increasing their ghost power, while they used a unique cultivation secret method to enhance their own cultivation level.
The further they cultivated, the more they resembled living people.
He had only been dead for five years but could already eat and drink like a normal person, and his appearance was no different from a living person. Unlike those harmful ghosts with their pale, ghastly, ugly faces and slow cultivation speed.
This ghost technique was something he accidentally found in a book. He didn't know its name, but after cultivating it, he could sense other "ghost cultivators" and even developed a feeling of submission towards the Master.
Zhang Feng wasn't stupid; there's no such thing as a free lunch in this world.
He relied on the "Sacrificial Ghost Technique" to escape reincarnation, so naturally, he had to pay a price.
That price was placing invisible shackles upon himself.
That's why he looked down on Cai Guang.
Cai Guang was the only living person among them, and the Master paid more attention to him than to the others.
Take tonight for example,
Cai Guang could boldly go to the rear hall to see the Master, but they couldn't.
Wait—
Could it really be that idiot Cai Guang who exposed them?
A trace of anger flickered across his face.
That brainless brat really was, encountering a little trouble and running to cry to the Master. Look what happened now, cried his way right into the Investigation Department!
Meng Yunzheng scrutinized his expression and suddenly said, "Tonight, Cai Guang went to see He Xiuyu and said you don't take your work seriously, that all you know is acting..."
"He's talking nonsense!" Zhang Feng blurted out angrily. "He's the one who's not focused on his duties! All he knows is playing on the computer, he doesn't understand anything else!"
"Oh, so you do know He Xiuyu," Meng Yunzheng said leisurely. "Tell us, how did you meet Master He?"
Zhang Feng: "..."
In the interrogation room next door, Cai Guang stubbornly refused to speak.
He never expected that just going to see the Master once would lead to his capture by the Investigation Department.
Remembering the Master's earlier words about many eyes watching him, a tremor of fear ran through him.
"You're a ghost on the internet, you've spied on countless people," Tang Mian said coldly. "Now that you know you're being watched, how does it feel?"
Cai Guang bit his lip and remained silent.
He thought the Master would protect him as always.
But the Master didn't.
Before leaving, the Master just gave him a faint glance.
Tang Mian continued her psychological attack: "Your name is Cai Guang, yet you can only live hiding in the gutter. You're only seventeen. A child your age should be sitting in a bright classroom, dreaming of a bright future, not sitting in an interrogation room being questioned."
Cai Guang still didn't speak.
He leaned back in the chair, staring at a fixed point in the empty air, motionless.
Tang Mian continued targeting his heart: "Haven't you ever thought about finding your birth parents?"
Perhaps "birth parents" touched a nerve in Cai Guang.
He finally looked at Tang Mian, expressionless, and said, "I know who they are."
"Then you..."
"They are them, I am me. What does it have to do with me?"
Tang Mian: "..."
Cai Guang sneered, "I'm just an object, lost and forgotten. They aren't sad. They already have a perfect son. If I went back, I'd just embarrass them."
"..."
"Are you going to say that's not true?" The seventeen-year-old boy laughed mockingly. "You adults are so hypocritical. Don't try to persuade me with that set of theories; it makes me sick."
Tang Mian: "You haven't even tried. How do you know they wouldn't like you?"
Cai Guang: "Isn't your Consultant Qi a living example? She's so capable, but what happened after she found her birth parents?"
"..."
"Don't waste your time on me. Anyway, the Master is about to succeed. If Consultant Qi is also watching this interrogation, I'll give you a reminder: if you can't find the Master soon, you'll get to witness the birth of a Ghost King."
Lakeside Villa.
Qi Quan was indeed watching the interrogation.
Zhang Feng and Cai Guang remained tight-lipped, and Gao Peilan hadn't revealed anything either.
A moment later, she received a call from Li Guoyan.
"Master, I'm a bit puzzled."
Qi Quan: "Are you trying to say, since Gao Peilan cultivated a special ghost technique that shouldn't leak ghostly aura, why could that male ghost still detect ghostly aura from Shao Jing's phone, and why could we also detect Xiong Wangchun's ghostly aura during our previous investigation?"
"Correct." Li Guoyan replied gravely. "It seems like clues were intentionally left for us, guiding our investigation."
Yet everything had unfolded so plausibly; they hadn't sensed anything amiss before.
Qi Quan lowered her gaze. "It's a trap."
He Xiuyu's ghostly minions were already so well-hidden. As long as they continued the living sacrifices, his power would keep growing. So why would he reveal clues for them to investigate?
Especially last night—knowing full well he'd be exposed, he still manifested on the stone statue.
Either he was utterly confident, or it was deliberate guidance.
Qi Quan leaned towards the latter.
Li Guoyan understood. "The one he wants to guide is you."
"Not just me." Qi Quan said. "He once used Yan Fengqing and Ding Ji to suppress Lingsheng's fortune."
Lingsheng, sitting at the table drawing talismans, suddenly looked up when he heard her mention him, his eyes sparkling.
"Master, what is your plan?" Li Guoyan asked.
Qi Quan replied, "Becoming a Ghost King isn't easy; there must be extremely specific conditions. Everything he's doing is likely to fulfill the requirements for his ascension."
"Exactly." Li Guoyan sighed. "If I'm not mistaken, what he wants is you and Lingsheng."
"Mm."
By deliberately leaving these loopholes and clues, He Xiuyu wanted her to notice. It was an overt scheme, laid bare for all to see.
Everyone was aware of it.
But he lurked in the shadows. With no telling how many more people were being ensnared by him, they couldn't just stand by and do nothing.
No matter what, Qi Quan would have to confront him directly.
Qi Quan only knew that sacrificial rituals could give rise to a Ghost King, but the specifics of how a Ghost General becomes a Ghost King were unclear to her.
Besides sacrificing living beings, were other special conditions needed?
If He Xiuyu wanted to lure her and Lingsheng to him, why was he still hiding and delaying?
Perhaps he was waiting for the perfect moment.
People like Cai Ji, Ding Ji, Cai Guang, Zhang Feng, and Gao Peilan were all just his tools.
He didn't care about them at all.
"Lingsheng," Qi Quan suddenly looked at the young man, "can you find him?"
Since Lingsheng could sense fluctuations in her spiritual power, he should similarly be able to sense fluctuations in He Xiuyu's ghostly power. No matter how cautious He Xiuyu was, with the aid of the world's spiritual energy, he couldn't truly remain hidden.
Lingsheng shook his head and typed on his phone: [Too far away. Can't sense him.]
After He Xiuyu's image appeared, he had instinctively tried to commune with the spiritual energy of the entire Longjiang City but found no trace of the other.
He was acutely aware of this ghost's malice towards Qi Quan and himself.
He wanted to contribute his part too.
"He's not in Longjiang City." Qi Quan dismissed her earlier speculation. "He merely placed a stone statue in Longjiang City, using it to monitor the happenings here."
The more devotees the temple had, the more information he could gather.
The Taoist priests inside the temple and the devotees outside were all his eyes and ears.
Lingsheng lowered his gaze to type, a flicker of determination in his eyes.
Compared to a busy, rushing-about Qi Quan, he much preferred to see her lying leisurely on the courtyard lounge chair, basking in the starlight.
He extended his phone: [Together.]
Qi Quan raised an eyebrow. "Together for what?"
[Find him. Exterminate him.]
Qi Quan laughed.
From their first meeting, she had known Lingsheng wasn't as harmless as he appeared on the surface.
Compared to someone truly naive and incapable of handling matters, she much more appreciated someone like this, with whom she could fight side by side.
She nodded with a smile. "Alright. Let's exterminate him together."
Lingsheng's eyes grew even brighter. Gathering his courage, he slowly reached out his hand, inching towards her fingertips.
The system suddenly spoke up: [Master, someone sent you a private message on Weibo!]
[A plea for help?]
[Yes!] The system quickly said, [It's your reader 'Dutiful to Death' from under your story. She says she's on night duty at the hospital tonight and suddenly noticed many inpatients, not sleeping, all heading to the rooftop. She and her colleagues couldn't get a response no matter how much they called. They've already called the police, but the officers haven't arrived yet. She has a gut feeling those people aren't right and is worried something major will happen. She's at a loss and came to ask you on Weibo.]
Qi Quan: [Understood.]
She immediately called Li Guoyan to inform him. Li Guoyan instantly instructed the Longhai City Investigation Department to rush to First Hospital as soon as possible.
Previously, 'Dutiful to Death' had commented under the story saying she'd seen the talisman patterns. The Investigation Department had already checked her background and knew she was a nurse at Longhai City First Hospital.
Although she had called the police, it would take time for them to arrive. Moreover, typically, the police would only transfer a case to the Investigation Department if they discovered it was a supernatural incident they couldn't handle.
That would be too late.
Upon receiving the message, the Longhai City Investigation Department immediately headed to First Hospital to control the situation.
After Li Guoyan finished issuing instructions, Qi Quan continued, "Director Li, I'd like to know how many temples similar to Lingxu Temple exist nationwide, and if they have identical stone statues."
Forty years ago, the metaphysical community was largely dormant, and temples, shrines, etc., open to the secular world were not yet prevalent.
They gradually flourished later on.
Many temples were newly built or renovated in recent years.
Li Guoyan instantly grasped her meaning. "I'll have someone investigate and clarify as soon as possible, then send you the information."
"Alright."
Qi Quan hung up.
A hand suddenly brushed against her fingertips, then quickly withdrew.
Qi Quan: ?
She turned to look at Lingsheng. The young man offered her a smile.
"What is it?"
The young man handed over his phone: [Rest early.]
Then, head bowed, he got up and returned to his room, with a hint of fleeing in panic.
System: [Pfft.]
Qi Quan leaned back on the sofa, lowered her eyes in quiet contemplation for a moment, and couldn't help but smile too.
Back in his room, Lingsheng pressed a hand over his pounding heart, sat at the desk, and was lost in thought for a while. Suddenly remembering something, he took out the unfinished jade statue from the drawer.
Just as he was about to pick up the carving knife again, his phone rang.
It was the new group he had joined.
[Mom: Lingsheng, I heard traces of He Xiuyu were found in Longjiang City. You and Senior Qi must be careful. If you need anything, just ask.]
[Dad: Need talismans? Dad will draw some for you.]
Lingsheng paused for a moment, then slowly replied: [No need.]
He could draw them himself.
[Dad: I'll still draw a few more. They might come in handy sometime.]
[Mom: Right, right! I'll also have the family prepare more jade talismans, formation stones, and such, and send them over tomorrow.]
Lingsheng: ...
He was a bit puzzled, but didn't feel averse to it in his heart. He replied: [Have plenty. No need.]
The family storeroom was already packed full of such things. If they really sent more over, there'd be no place to put them.
[Dad: Alright then. Next time you and Senior Qi come to Longjing City on business, how about having a meal together?]
[Mom: [Penguin spinning in circles jpg]]
Lingsheng thought again and replied: [Okay.]
Next time they went to Longjiang City, he would still be the one cooking. Having a meal together would just mean two more sets of bowls and chopsticks.
[Mom: Wonderful! Lingsheng, if you have any questions you don't understand, you can always ask me. Of course, asking your dad is fine too.]
Lingsheng originally didn't have much to say, but upon seeing this message, he suddenly thought of something and asked very bluntly: [I like someone and want to be with her. What should I do?]
He often felt shy and flustered when facing Qi Quan, but when mentioning such matters to others, he had no concept of shame whatsoever.
It was the same with Steward Su, and also with Fu Jiuge and Xie Lanzhou.
The group chat fell silent for a moment.
Just as Lingsheng thought they wouldn't answer, a message popped up.
[Dad: Let's talk privately.]
Lingsheng: ?
He switched to the private chat page.
[Dad: First, you need to be obedient.]
Lingsheng quickly replied: [I am obedient.]
[Dad: ...Then, you need to have a career, can't be a freeloader.]
Lingsheng: [I have a career.]
[Dad: [Thumbs up] I've also heard that guys who can cook are more popular nowadays.]
Lingsheng: [I can cook.]
[Dad: My son is truly amazing! [Thumbs up]]
Lingsheng: [Is that enough then?]
Something felt a bit off.
[Dad: Of course not! The last one might require some natural talent. You need to be romantic, know how to pursue, and know how to win her heart.]
Lingsheng: Pursue...?
He asked: [How do I pursue?]
[Dad: That depends on knowing what she likes, hence it relies on talent. It needs to be analyzed case by case, can't really be taught.]
Lingsheng gained some understanding and replied seriously: [Thank you.]
[Dad: Wishing you success!]
He put down his phone, feeling he had found a direction. He took out a notebook and listed several plans.
[She likes cultivating the most, must keep the villa filled with spiritual energy at all times;
She also likes pure, unadulterated food, should prepare more;
She dislikes evil cultivators harming people, should accompany her to eliminate them;
She dislikes going out, in the future draw more high-level talismans for the Investigation Department, let them handle less serious matters;
She...]
He wrote slowly and earnestly, a hint of a smile appearing at the corner of his lips with each item he listed.
After finishing, he suddenly thought of something and added another line.
[Get a driver's license, so we won't need to hire a driver when going out in the future.]
He immediately went online to research getting a driver's license. Before long, he downloaded a test question app on his phone and started staying up late practicing the questions.
He practiced until the next morning. After taking five consecutive mock tests, each with a perfect score, he walked out of his room feeling quite satisfied.
He ran into Su Rong making breakfast again.
Steward Su asked with a smile, "Up so early?"
Lingsheng showed him his test results.
Su Rong raised his eyebrows in surprise and said, "I was actually planning to talk to you about getting a driver's license after breakfast. I didn't expect you were already prepared. Impressive, all perfect scores."
[Thank you.]
"I've found a suitable driving school. After breakfast, will you go register yourself?"
Lingsheng nodded.
His intelligence was never low; he just hadn't received any education and didn't understand the knowledge and social norms of human society.
Under the influence of Lakeside Villa, Lingsheng had evolved from a "primitive style" to a "highly educated style."
He had been capable of handling these things independently for a while now, but due to his identity and physical constitution, he never had the chance to put it into practice.
During breakfast, just as he was about to bring this up with Qi Quan, she received a message from Li Guoyan.
[Li Guoyan: Master, as you requested, all Taoist temples and Buddhist monasteries nationwide have been surveyed. Those with identical stone statues have been marked on the map.]
Attached was a map.
Qi Quan opened it for a detailed look and was suddenly startled.
Unlike the evil cultivators' hideouts, these stone statues weren't scattered across various cities. Instead, they formed concentric circles, spreading outward with one city at the center.
The center was in Longjing City.
There were nine concentric circles in total. Longjiang City was merely one among the outer circle.
Qi Quan's expression turned grave.
What He Xiuyu intended to do had exceeded their imagination.
She immediately called Li Guoyan.
"Director Li, notify the Investigation Departments in the cities where the stone statues are located to destroy them immediately. I'm heading to Longjing City right away."
Upon hearing this, Li Guoyan quickly issued the order before asking Qi Quan, "Master, is there a problem with the statues?"
"The statues aren't just mediums for He Xiuyu's appearances. Connected across cities, they form a massive array. Once activated, the consequences would be unthinkable." She paused, then suddenly asked, "What happened at the hospital in Longhai City last night?"
Li Guoyan felt a chill. "The patients' actions were stopped in time. Are you suggesting..."
Before he could finish, Di Meng anxiously knocked and entered, reporting, "Director Li, multiple Investigation Departments have sent messages. Last night, many patients in hospitals across several locations exhibited collective suicidal behavior. Although police arrived promptly, many patients had already... before they got there."
Li Guoyan's mood turned extremely heavy. "Why is this only being reported now?"
"Similar situations occurred in multiple hospitals across the cities," Di Meng explained. "Local Investigation Departments received reports from the police. They were short-handed and spent the whole night dealing with it. They've only just now compiled the current situation and casualty data."
Thanks to the private message from "You're Filial to Death" on Weibo, the Longhai City Investigation Department arrived in time to prevent the patients' suicide attempts. Otherwise, it would have been like other places, with unavoidable casualties.
Qi Quan heard everything clearly.
"Director Li, the statues must be destroyed to curb the spread of the situation."
Li Guoyan said gravely, "I've already issued the order. Master, since you're coming to Longjing, does that mean there's a problem here?"
"Uncertain for now. I'll know when I get there. Send me a detailed map of Longjing City, one with precise specifics."
"Alright, I'll send it immediately. I'll also have Meng Yunzheng send someone to pick you up."
Lakeside Villa.
Qi Quan received the map of Longjing City, with various architectural landmarks clearly marked.
She glanced at it and put down her phone.
"Steward Su, Teacher Xue, I need to go to Longjing with Lingsheng immediately. Please guard the house well."
Seeing her expression, Su Rong and Xue Hong both realized the seriousness of the matter.
"Master, rest assured, we will definitely protect the villa."
Qi Quan nodded and instructed, "I will set up a Spirit Gathering Array in the courtyard shortly. After I leave, if there's any movement in the array, you must place all the talismans from the storeroom into it. Understood?"
Xue Hong said earnestly, "Master, don't worry. We will keep watch over the Spirit Gathering Array at all times."
"Good." After saying this, Qi Quan added reassuringly, "I've already upgraded the villa's protective arrays to the Human Emperor level. No need to worry."
"Master..." Steward Su said with concern, "Please take good care of yourself."
Qi Quan chuckled softly.
She was just giving instructions, not delivering a last testament.
"I will."
Before the words faded, Lingsheng brought out the array stones and placed them in the courtyard.
Qi Quan began setting up the Spirit Gathering Array.
[Big Boss, what are you setting up this Spirit Gathering Array for?] the system asked.
Qi Quan: [He Xiuyu has upgraded the sacrificial ritual.]
[What do you mean?]
Qi Quan explained: [The characteristic of a sacrificial ritual lies in having others willingly offer their lives. This is also what He Xiuyu previously revealed to us through the Siren groups—he achieved Ghost King status through rituals of willing sacrifice.]
[What's wrong with that?]
Qi Quan continued her actions without pause: [He has deceived everyone. The Siren group was merely a smokescreen he released. His true purpose is not to become a Ghost King by exploiting this sacrificial ritual that can bypass the Heavenly Dao's loopholes.]
[Then what does he want to do?]
Qi Quan: [He wants to defy the Heavenly Dao.]
The system asked in surprise: [Why?]
[Perhaps, the so-called sacrificial ritual was never that easy to succeed in the first place.]
Qi Quan finished setting up the Spirit Gathering Array and placed a Unity Talisman within it.
[Big shot, can a Unity Talisman be bound to a Spirit Gathering Array?]
Qi Quan: [Upgraded version.]
Knowing there was a deeply scheming, powerful ghost lurking in the shadows, it was impossible for her not to make any preparations.
When dealing with someone like He Xiuyu, one could never be too cautious.
The Unity Talisman could previously only bind between people. After her modifications, it could now bind between a person and an array.
As long as the spiritual energy in the Spirit Gathering Array did not extinguish, the spiritual energy within her body would not be depleted. This was an insurance policy she had placed on herself.
The system said with concern: [Big shot, you're being very cautious this time. Is that ghost thing particularly difficult to deal with?]
[We'll know when we see it.]
Not long after, Shen Hui and Tang Mian arrived at the Lakeside Villa.
Qi Quan turned around, scanned the room, and asked, "Where's Lingsheng?"
"He seems to be carving jade tokens in his room," Su Steward replied. "Probably wants to increase his stock."
Qi Quan: "..."
She personally went to the carving room.
The door was not closed. The young man was bent over the table carving jade tokens. In the intervals while she was setting up the array, a stack of sparrow jade tokens had already piled up beside his hand.
His speed was incredibly fast. Not only did his carving tool fly, but his spiritual power also transformed into carving tools to etch the jade tokens. In just a few breaths, a fresh sparrow jade token was produced.
Qi Quan quietly waited for him to finish carving one before speaking to remind him: "Let's go."
Lingsheng stopped his movements, glanced back at her, then stuffed the carving tool and the unfinished jade tokens into his bag.
It seemed he planned to continue carving on the way.
Qi Quan did not stop him. She walked up to him, naturally took his hand, smiled lightly, and said, "Don't worry, I'm here."
Lingsheng instinctively clasped her hand back, then remembered his hand was still covered in jade dust. He used a cleansing technique, his eyes and brows radiating joy.
The two of them walked hand in hand into the courtyard.
Su Steward's expression faltered slightly. Teacher Xue raised an eyebrow, but neither said anything extra, only stating:
"Master, Lingsheng, we'll be waiting for you to return home."
Qi Quan and Lingsheng left through the villa's gate.
"Senior!"
Shen Hui and Tang Mian were waiting outside. Seeing the two holding hands, they weren't particularly surprised.
When the cleanup in Longlin City ended that day, Senior and Physician Lingsheng had embraced right in front of everyone. Holding hands was nothing in comparison.
The car drove all the way towards Longjing City.
"Senior, investigation departments everywhere are currently destroying the stone statues. The stone statues in Longjing City have all been destroyed," Tang Mian reported.
Qi Quan nodded, lowering her head to carefully examine the map of Longjing City.
Lingsheng sat beside her and began carving jade tokens.
The jade dust did not fly about randomly but, wrapped in spiritual power, fell into a pre-prepared bag, not touching Qi Quan in the slightest.
Seeing the two big shots treating the situation with such seriousness, Shen Hui and Tang Mian exchanged a glance, both seeing determination in each other's eyes.
No matter what happened this time, they would not retreat!
Qi Quan's full concentration was on the map.
The urban planning of Longjing City was quite particular. Whether in terms of layout or function, it was impeccable.
Her mind worked at high speed, trying to find clues from the map, but this was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Without any hints, trying to accurately extract information from a vast amount of data was truly not an easy task.
Longhai City Investigation Department.
In the interrogation room, Gao Peilan suddenly began to laugh softly.
The investigator noticed this and immediately entered the interrogation room to question her.
"What are you laughing at?"
Gao Peilan's long hair was disheveled. Her face was no different from a living person's, except she still maintained the eight-month pregnancy from the time of her death.
She originally had a bright and pretty appearance but had become sinister and ghostly due to hatred. When she looked up at the investigator, the upturned corners of her eyes were like snake tongues dripping with venom.
"You were very busy last night, weren't you?" she asked in a low, hoarse voice, tinged with a hint of pleasure.
The investigator: "You know about the hospital incident?"
Gao Peilan laughed: "Do you have some misunderstanding about me? I'm not that fool who was cheated and still helped count the money. If I didn't want to, you wouldn't have been able to catch me."
"If that's the case, why did you come to the Investigation Department?" the investigator asked sternly. "Once you're here, won't you be unable to witness the birth of the Ghost King firsthand?"
Gao Peilan stiffened.
"You trust him that much?" the investigator said. "It seems after all these years, you haven't changed."
Gao Peilan's face turned fierce: "What do you mean?"
"We treated your husband," the investigator said.
"He is not my husband!" Gao Peilan shrieked sharply. "He's a devil! He's a devil!"
The investigator: "If you hate him so much, why didn't you kill him?"
"Wouldn't killing him be letting him off too easily?" Gao Peilan sneered. "Besides, I am a law-abiding good ghost. I haven't harmed anyone. You can't find any evidence of my crimes, so you still have to let me out."
The investigator: "To go out and see the Ghost King being born?"
Gao Peilan chuckled softly, her eyes filled with anticipation.
"That might not be possible," the investigator said.
"Oh?"
The investigator explained: "We have discovered the stone statues in various places. All the statues have now been destroyed. Your method of using the statues to control people for sacrifice is no longer viable."
Without the sacrifices, the Ghost King cannot gain power.
Gao Peilan was stunned for a moment, then suddenly laughed, her whole body shaking with laughter. "You... you are too naive, hahahaha."
The investigator quietly prompted: "Naive?"
"Yes, naive." Gao Peilan twirled her hair with her fingers, humming a tune, and stopped speaking.
The investigator smiled and said, "We performed deep hypnosis on Pan Hao overnight."
Gao Peilan paused, her eyes lowered, and said nothing.
"Although he's insane, through deep hypnosis, we discovered something." The investigator's low words were like a thunderclap. "He simply didn't know he had ever given you to his superior."
Gao Peilan accidentally snapped off a few strands of hair.
After a moment of silence, she asked, "What do you mean?"
"It means he likely never did that thing." The investigator looked at her and said. "Is it possible that you were deceived?"
What the Investigation Department had previously found indeed indicated that Pan Hao had sent the pregnant Gao Peilan to his superior's bed. Pan Hao was already insane; no hypnosis technique would work on him. The investigator said this merely to trick Gao Peilan.
Gao Peilan had just revealed a very crucial piece of information. To save more people in time, they had to use this kind of rhetoric.
The investigator's confident expression made Gao Peilan's heart flutter with panic.
If Pan Hao himself didn't do it, then who could have done it?
She growled in a low, hoarse voice: "Impossible! Impossible! Is this how you shield criminals? For such a devil, you actually want to whitewash him?"
"You've been a ghost for so many years, you should know the methods of a Celestial Master," the interrogator said. "Creating someone exactly like Pan Hao wouldn't be difficult for a high-level Celestial Master."
Gao Peilan clenched her hands, nails digging into her palms, and said venomously, "You're bluffing me."
"Did you truly never have even a shred of doubt?"
Gao Peilan suddenly fell silent, her memories rushing back.
After she fell to her death, due to powerful resentment and hatred, she did not immediately reincarnate but instead became a ghost.
After becoming a ghost, she could not leave the place of her death.
The place of her death was right below their residence.
She saw Pan Hao's grief-stricken appearance before her spirit tablet, but at the time, filled with resentment, she thought he was just putting on an act.
Later, Pan Hao returned home every day looking lost and desolate. He never married and was praised by the neighbors for his devotion, which only deepened the resentment in her heart.
Until one day, she encountered a male ghost more powerful than her.
He looked no different from a living person, but he was undoubtedly a ghost.
She felt she had found her chance.
She asked the ghost, "Can I become like you?"
As long as she became such a powerful ghost, she could take her revenge.
The male ghost generously taught her.
After Gao Peilan cultivated ghost arts, she found herself connected to the male ghost by a faint thread. One could say the male ghost had become her master.
She wasn't surprised.
There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world. If she wanted revenge, she had to pay a price.
She soon cultivated into a powerful ghost and went to take revenge on Pan Hao.
She manifested before Pan Hao, expecting his terror upon seeing her, but unexpectedly, this man's mental fortitude was far stronger than she had imagined.
He wasn't afraid at all; he even tried excitedly to embrace her.
Gao Peilan had long lost patience with him.
She tortured him mercilessly.
So many years had passed, her memories had actually grown very fuzzy. She could only grope for residual images from the corners of her mind.
After the interrogator's counter-question, she truly began to doubt the events of that time.
The interrogator continued, "That ghost was a Celestial Master in life. As you know, the ghost arts he cultivated were very special. He used the energy of willing sacrifices to continuously strengthen his ghost power."
"So what?" Gao Peilan's voice was extremely hoarse.
Interrogator: "When you jumped to your death, the burst of resentful energy must have been considerable."
Gao Peilan: "..."
"You were just an insignificant pawn in his experiment."
Gao Peilan was stunned.
For so many years, she had grown accustomed to witnessing those scenes of men committing suicide "for love." She transferred her hatred for Pan Hao onto those disgusting men, watching them sacrifice their lives one after another, and she never felt any sympathy.
But what if her death was just part of a scheme?
She stared at the interrogator. "I'm just an ordinary person. Why would he specifically choose me?"
Interrogator: "Perhaps he just happened to come across you."
Gao Peilan's mind was in complete turmoil at this moment.
Having followed He Xiuyu for so many years, she had some understanding of him.
In his eyes, this world was merely his game and training ground. He manipulated everyone with ease, and those being manipulated were completely unaware.
Then what about her?
Was she also a pawn without even realizing it?
Was her death really just an accident?
Was it really Pan Hao who caused her to be violated?
The more Gao Peilan thought, the more she broke down.
The video of her interrogation was simultaneously transmitted to the Longjing City Investigation Department.
Di Meng couldn't help but ask, "Did Pan Hao really not do that thing?"
Li Guoyan: "It was too long ago. The specific circumstances are unclear."
"..."
"However, we still have doubts about whether He Xiuyu was involved in this matter."
He Xiuyu died forty years ago; Gao Peilan died thirty years ago.
Ten years was enough time for He Xiuyu to cultivate to a considerable level.
Master Qi had said that He Xiuyu had upgraded the sacrificial ritual. Could it be that the simple sacrificial ritual could no longer satisfy his needs, and Gao Peilan was just a test subject and sacrifice for the upgraded version?
This point could not be verified for now.
Just then, Gao Peilan spoke.
"There's no point in interrogating me further. The formation is already complete. No one can stop him now."
Interrogator: "What do you mean?"
Gao Peilan said, "I was only responsible for the Siren Queen group. I'm not clear about other matters. I don't believe what you said about Pan Hao being hypnotized. He might have truly liked me, but compared to his future prospects, I wasn't that important. No matter how much you say, I cannot provide more information."
Interrogator: ...
Li Guoyan's thick brows furrowed tightly.
He simply couldn't figure out what He Xiuyu was trying to do.
The phone suddenly rang.
It was Qi Quan.
"Found it."
"What?"
Her voice was as calm as ever.
"The entire city of Longjing will become his altar."
