Chapter 31: Qian Family Village (1)

Binhai City Detective Bureau

The sky was already growing dark. Wu Zui and Xiao Ke'ai had only just arrived at the Binhai City Detective Bureau when the sound of helicopter rotors echoed from above. The two made their way to the rooftop to wait.

It wasn't long before several guards descended from the helicopter. Two of them carried the familiar briefcases Wu Zui recognized, a magnetic energy field emanating from within and enveloping the surrounding area. These were the very devices that had protected Xiao Ke'ai all the way back to Yanjing. The guards searched the area, and once satisfied, Xiao Anguo emerged from the helicopter. Surrounded by his entourage, they escorted him from the rooftop to the meeting room, with Wu Zui and Xiao Ke'ai following close behind.

"Where is the crystal?" Xiao Anguo immediately inquired upon seeing them.

"What crystal?" Wu Zui and his companion were puzzled. Xiao Ke'ai spoke up.

"It's that thing from inside the body of the three-star anomaly you killed. The research institute says it’s of great importance. With a supercomputer, they might analyze the changes behind magnetic energy, so magnetic energy won't need to accumulate slowly over time anymore," Xiao Anguo explained hurriedly.

This item was now incredibly valuable. For some reason, other investigators who had slain three-star anomalies hadn't reported finding such things—whether out of oversight or something else was unclear.

"Is that so... Here you go!" Wu Zui rummaged through his pocket, found the reflective object, and placed it on the table in front of Xiao Anguo.

A guard quickly handed over a case. Xiao Anguo picked up the crystal and placed it inside, then took it in hand.

"These are for you. The department never takes things for free. Two special phones, immune to weaker magnetic fields. And this—your weapon was destroyed, wasn't it? Here’s a new golden longsword," Xiao Anguo said, handing over a case and the sword.

Xiao Ke'ai eagerly opened the case. Besides the items Xiao Anguo mentioned, there were two keys and two bank cards.

"What are these?" Xiao Ke'ai pointed to the cards and keys.

"Your salary cards—one hundred thousand Huabi per month for each of you. If you find more crystals like this, the department will buy them with whatever you desire. The car is a custom vehicle for investigators—still en route, but these are the keys," Xiao Anguo declared with a swagger that exuded generosity.

"So generous? If every investigator is equipped like this, can the state budget handle it?" Wu Zui frowned. If everyone awakened magnetic energy, the number of investigators would skyrocket—would they all get cars?

"We’ll prioritize allocation according to each investigator’s abilities! I must take the crystal back now. Ai’ai, be careful here; the celestial phenomena haven’t fully erupted yet. Even on missions, don’t stray too far from each other!" Xiao Anguo advised Xiao Ke'ai with evident concern.

"Don’t worry, Dad! I’m strong!" Xiao Ke'ai patted the golden hammer on her back, brimming with confidence.

Xiao Anguo was speechless. If he ever found out who convinced his precious daughter to use a hammer, he’d surely have words—or worse—with them.

"As for the problem of ghost spirit resurrection you mentioned, I've consulted the institute. They have no solution yet; after all, research on magnetic energy only started recently," Xiao Anguo said with a hint of helplessness, looking at Wu Zui.

"Let it stay with me for now, then," Wu Zui replied without pressing the issue. Wang Hu's body had long since been burned, so resurrection would not be easy.

With the helicopter’s roar, Xiao Anguo disappeared into the sky with the crystal left behind by the lizard anomaly.

Xiao Ke'ai gazed up, only speaking when the helicopter vanished entirely, "The nuisance is finally gone! Master, how about finishing dinner at my place?"

"Alright," Wu Zui agreed. They went to Xiao Ke'ai's home beside the bureau. She reheated the packed food, and the two feasted once more.

Now that they were investigators, they weren’t required to stay at the bureau constantly. Their schedules were flexible, which was a definite perk—at least they could enjoy their meals regularly.

That night, Wu Zui stayed in the guest room after dinner. They anticipated that the Monster Handling Center would assign new tasks tomorrow. The location at the city center was convenient for heading anywhere.

Meanwhile, in a small village beyond Binhai City’s outskirts, something strange was unfolding.

Qian Family Village was in the midst of a funeral. The deceased was the daughter-in-law—healthy and without illness, yet she died suddenly of a violent illness last night. The family neither sent her to the hospital nor called the police, simply preparing to cremate her without further ado.

It was a peculiar affair, especially since the Qian family was known for their stubborn traditions. They had a family shrine and cemetery behind the village, and their dead were never cremated—always placed in coffins, left for seven days, then buried in the hills behind the village.

Yet now, neither vigil nor burial—the surrounding households had plenty to gossip about.

"Is the old Qian family finally breaking away from feudal superstitions?"

"Nonsense! That daughter-in-law gave birth to three girls, and the lineage still isn’t passed on. I think the son killed her and plans to remarry!"

"Hey, you might be onto something! I saw old Qian hired a wandering priest, setting up a ritual. Maybe they're afraid she’ll return as a vengeful ghost!"

"A wandering priest? Didn’t the TV news say to call 888 for the Monster Handling Center if you encounter ghosts? They said priests are useless against such things!"

...

The Qian family paid no heed to the rumors.

Inside their courtyard, a priest dressed in bright yellow robes, slightly overweight, paced before the coffin, stepping in an uncertain pattern resembling the Eight Trigrams. His lips moved in constant muttering, the meaning unclear.

"Ha! Wicked ghost, prepare to die!"

Suddenly, the priest shouted, startling everyone with chills. He scattered a stack of yellow talismans, struck one with his peachwood sword, and all the talismans ignited at once. The burning paper left a black, human-shaped ash mark atop the coffin.

"This evil ghost has been vanquished by me. Tomorrow at noon, burn the body, seal the coffin, and you may rest easy," the priest announced, sheathing his sword and stroking his beard in an air of immortal dignity, before leisurely approaching the family.

"Thank you, Master. There’s a banquet prepared in the house, and we’ll trouble you again tomorrow!" A frail-looking man gestured toward the house, addressing the priest.

"Very good, very good," the priest replied, taking no airs, and promptly entered to eat.

Once the priest was inside, a woman in the crowd raised her eyebrows and sneered, "Priests drink and eat meat? Second Brother, is the master you hired a fraud?"

Before the man could reply, an elderly man in his sixties barked, "Shut up! Worthless woman, what skills do you have to feast here? You should’ve left long ago!"

"Tch! What era is this, still playing by these rules? What’s wrong with daughters? I won’t indulge your madness!" The sharp-tongued woman spat and left the Qian family courtyard.

The old man gasped in fury, pounding his cane on the ground, muttering, "Worthless woman! Truly worthless! Should have... should have strangled her... strangled her at birth!"

"Father, calm down! Don’t argue with big sister!" The man hurried over, patting the old man’s back, acting the dutiful son.

[Old fool, once I sort out the will, you can hurry up and die.]

Whatever he truly thought, the old man could hardly guess.

Soon the courtyard was empty, save for the coffin at its center—not yet sealed. Red rust began to spread along the seam between lid and base, turning the once-black wood to a rusty hue.

Then, strands of black, hair-like threads poured from the seams, rushing toward the chickens and ducks in the yard.

The black threads pierced their bodies, drawing out red substances from within. The chickens and ducks did not resist, tangled tightly by the threads, and within moments, vanished without a sound.

Inside, people were still toasting and drinking, faintly heard complimenting the priest. The black threads gradually encircled the entire courtyard, then seeped through window and door cracks into the house.

A few terrified screams echoed from within, but were quickly silenced. Red substances were delivered once more into the coffin at the center of the yard...

In less than a moment, all within the house had vanished, and the black threads had returned to the coffin. The rusty red coffin reverted to black, as if nothing had happened—save for the absence of any living thing in the Qian household.

After a long time, the black coffin again became rusty red. Black threads burst forth, reaching toward other homes in the village...

While unrest simmered in the outskirts, the city was hardly peaceful.

After Sun Ming’s son died, he was ordered by superiors to cremate the body immediately. The incident at Binhai No. 1 High was no minor matter; provincial leaders were watching closely. Sun Ming could only hasten the cremation and burial.

Now, the moon hung high, its pale light flooding Sun Ming’s house.

Sun Ming and his wife lay in bed, tossing and turning, sleep eluding them. Married for years, Sun Lang had been their only child. Now, white-haired parents had buried their black-haired son—there was no way to describe the sorrow in their hearts.