Chapter 63: The Gathering Storm

A group of people stared at Wu Zui’s fierce expression, instinctively growing fearful. Each of them obediently turned to face the wall, standing in neat rows, their demeanor wholly cooperative. At this moment, Wu Zui’s magnetic energy was almost completely depleted, barely enough to protect himself. So he moved to the side of Xiao Ke’ai, who looked at him with curiosity. He leaned in and whispered a few words in her ear, then handed his golden longsword to her.

Xiao Ke’ai blinked and nodded after listening. She took the golden longsword and positioned herself behind the left side of the first person in the group, from where she could see the shadows of everyone lined up like the stripes of a zebra.

At that moment, Commander Cat also appeared at the doorway. If any shadowy doppelgängers of the Shade Wraith tried to escape from here, it could hold them off for a while. Wu Zui, meanwhile, held a bottle containing his own blood as a second line of defense.

Xiao Ke’ai infused her magnetic energy into the golden longsword, causing it to glow with a radiant blue light—

“Hi-ya!”

As Xiao Ke’ai swung the longsword in a wide arc, a thread of blue magnetic energy, as fine as yarn and over ten meters long, slashed out, cutting across the shadows of every spectator. Among them, the shadows of a dozen individuals twisted and distorted, undergoing a bizarre transformation.

Xiao Ke’ai’s ability to wield magnetic energy in such a way was thanks to her recent practice in energy control, allowing her to unleash this strike.

From the warped shadows emerged a dozen doppelgängers of shadow mist, each the size of a watermelon, swiftly darting away in an attempt to escape. Perhaps because their numbers were few, Xiao Ke’ai managed to obliterate eight of them on the spot with her threadlike magnetic energy. The remaining shadowy forms were intercepted by Commander Cat and incinerated by Wu Zui with the blood he held, bursting into flames.

“You may leave now!” Wu Zui announced to the trembling group by the wall, once he confirmed that nothing had been overlooked.

Having witnessed the shadowy doppelgängers lurking within their own shadows, and having just survived the supernatural ordeal in the cinema, the crowd was more terrified of ghosts than ever before. Without delay, they fled from Tiansheng Cinema as if their lives depended on it, cursing their parents for not giving them more legs to run with.

“Although the Shade Wraith can hide its shadow mist doppelgängers in people’s shadows to enhance concealment, it’s fortunate that it isn’t true possession—these people can still be saved,” Wu Zui sighed in relief as he watched the group leave safely.

“We still don’t know how many stars the ghost king the vengeful spirit mentioned before its death had. It’s a pity we didn’t get to ask,” Xiao Ke’ai said, bounding happily to Wu Zui’s side, though a hint of regret tinged her voice.

“Oh no! Check your computer quickly. Among those who first escaped from Tiansheng Cinema, there must be people possessed by the Shade Wraith! I don’t know why it’s using such a peculiar method of possession, but it must be after something!” Wu Zui slapped his forehead, suddenly recalling the audience members who had escaped but were never checked for magnetic energy, as well as the patrolling spirit detectives who had yet to arrive.

Patrolling spirit detectives?

A sudden flash of insight flickered in Wu Zui’s mind, but he couldn’t quite grasp it.

Xiao Ke’ai had already dashed to their vehicle—Soaring Dragon One. Since her laptop wasn’t specially modified, she’d left it in the car to avoid interference from magnetic or resentful energy.

The confinement around Tiansheng Cinema had completely dissolved by now, so Wu Zui followed her to the car, waiting as Xiao Ke’ai checked the surveillance records. Meanwhile, the sky outside was growing dark and heavy, as if rain were imminent.

Wu Zui looked up, sensing something odd in the air.

Using the information from the case files, Xiao Ke’ai quickly identified the eight people who had escaped first using the drill rounds. She then tracked their locations by pinpointing their mobile phones.

Four were in a residential area, two had gone to the city hospital, one was near the coastline of Binhai City, and another was at a downtown shopping mall.

“Master, which one should we go after first?” Xiao Ke’ai turned the laptop toward Wu Zui, the map of Binhai City blinking with eight red dots.

“We’ll head to the downtown mall first, then the hospital, the coast, and finally the residential area,” Wu Zui replied after a brief consideration.

The hospital and mall were both in the city center, where crowds were thickest—any incident there could cause a calamity. And anyone who, after a supernatural event, still had the presence of mind to wander the coast was behaving most abnormally. People, when on the edge of collapse or in mortal fear, usually retreat to the place where they feel safest—most would go home.

Those who went to the hospital were likely more composed in dealing with crises, though seeing a doctor after a supernatural event was futile—and perhaps even more dangerous. However, hospitals always had spirit detectives on duty; if anything happened, they could hold out and call for reinforcements.

For once, Wu Zui handed the wheel of Soaring Dragon One to Xiao Ke’ai. With his own magnetic energy almost spent, he could only replenish it by drawing from the high-explosive magnetic energy grenades. Otherwise, if things went awry, not only would he be unable to banish ghosts—he might not even be able to protect himself.

Seated in the passenger seat, Wu Zui took the high-explosive energy grenades from Xiao Ke’ai and began to absorb the energy.

Xiao Ke’ai drove straight for the city center. Because of the seriousness of the case, she suppressed her urge to test the maglev mode of the vehicle.

Her expression was resolute.

Upon arriving downtown, Wu Zui handed the energy grenade back to Xiao Ke’ai, his own reserves now restored to nearly full strength, with plenty of stored energy remaining in the grenade. Currently, magnetic energy could only be replenished naturally, and the research institute had yet to make new breakthroughs. Thus, these grenades, which functioned like batteries, were far more useful than being expended as disposable weapons against ghosts.

Looks like I’ll have to stock up on high-explosive grenades, Wu Zui thought, resolving to buy a batch once he accumulated more merit points. He didn’t want to be caught in another situation where his energy was nearly depleted and the ghost still undefeated.

The two of them entered the shopping mall. The female audience member who had escaped from Tiansheng Cinema was there, wandering aimlessly—her intentions unclear.

As they passed a café, Xiao Ke’ai paused, her intuition stirring. She asked Wu Zui, “Master, with your magnetic energy now, could you deflect an oncoming car?”

This was the very spot where, with a cloud of pallid smoke overhead, Xiao Ke’ai had first faced mortal peril.

Wu Zui glanced at the café, instantly understanding the source of her question. He replied—

“Of course not! We’re spirit detectives, not gods. Deflect an oncoming car? If we hadn’t used a bit of clever skill to flip it that time, we’d have been pancakes. Enough daydreaming—let’s focus on the matter at hand... Is this the woman?”

He abruptly pointed ahead.

“Yes, that’s her!” Xiao Ke’ai gritted her teeth as she glanced at the woman.

Blockhead! she thought, fuming inwardly.

Without hesitation, Wu Zui fired two bursts of magnetic energy—one striking the woman’s back, the other her shadow on the ground. Nothing unusual happened; the energy slowly dissipated, drawing curious glances from passersby.

Though magnetic energy wouldn’t harm a normal person, its impact could still be felt. The woman immediately turned, staring at the two of them in their black, spirit-detective uniforms.

“Spirit detectives? You actually chased me here! Are you stalkers? Perverts? It wasn’t enough to harass my boyfriend with phone calls, and now you’re hounding me at the mall! What do you want from me?” the woman snapped, after a brief moment of surprise.

She was fashionably dressed, accentuating her alluring figure. With arched brows and captivating eyes, she was of at least average beauty, even charming when silent.

But now, scowling and glaring, one hand on her hip, the other jabbing an accusing finger, her attractive features contorted into a shrewish mask.

Her loud tirade quickly drew a crowd, eager for entertainment. It seemed a scene was about to unfold—spirit detectives bullying a helpless woman. The onlookers settled in as if preparing to watch a play, some even ready to act the part of righteous defenders if given the chance.

Seeing the swelling crowd, a hint of satisfaction crept onto the woman’s face. After the fright in Tiansheng Cinema, her mood had soured, but now, tormenting these two spirit detectives offered a twisted sense of pleasure.

Xiao Ke’ai fumed in silence.

“Zhang Yun, is it? You escaped from the scene of a supernatural incident and have not undergone magnetic energy screening. To prove you’re not possessed by a ghost, please report to the nearest Spirit Bureau for inspection at once,” Wu Zui said coolly, stepping between Xiao Ke’ai and the target as she reached for her weapon.

The air instantly grew tense.

Everyone recognized the standard magnetic-protective suit of a spirit detective—no one would dare doubt one’s word in such attire. Even those who might be skeptical wouldn’t risk their lives for a spectacle.

As the first onlooker slipped away, the crowd rapidly dispersed—quicker even than they had gathered.

“Come back! I’m not possessed by a ghost!” Zhang Yun, her vanity wounded, cried after them.

But at her words, those who hadn’t gone far hurried even farther.

How would we know if you’re possessed or not? was written on every face.

The mall soon announced over the loudspeakers that Zhang Yun must leave and report for screening, while merchants, hearing the news, barred her from approaching. In an instant, the entire mall seemed to turn against her.

Once happily shopping to soothe her nerves, Zhang Yun now had no choice but to leave in haste.