Chapter Twenty-One: Traces of the Malevolent Spirit

“It’s all right. Waiting a while is no issue, but about the situation with the Clear River fiend…”

For the time being, Zhou Bai was unable to refine his life-bound ghost artifact, and his strength had reached a bottleneck. He had little means to defend himself against the fiend.

Wang Zhen shook his head and tapped his finger on the table. “There are many tangled matters involving this fiend. I can’t intervene for now. Let Lin Danian and Wen Meng handle it. You need only assist them.”

The three grain merchants killed by the Clear River fiend had all participated in the famine relief in Xu Province. There must be unspeakable secrets hidden among them.

If the goal was merely to destroy the ghost, the Department of Nether Rituals could easily accomplish it. But Wang Zhen’s presence in Hangdu was more about investigating what lay behind it.

“Don’t worry. If there’s no other way with the Clear River fiend, I’ll step in.”

With the promise of the Nether Warden, Zhou Bai hesitated only a moment before agreeing. “Very well, I’ll go search for the fiend’s trail.”

Wang Zhen was generous. With a flick of his finger, a spirit talisman landed in Zhou Bai’s hand.

“Keep this on you. It will save your life in danger. Once you leave Nether Street, let Lin Danian and Wen Meng accompany you. Both are candidate seal bearers and have the strength to face the fiend.”

“You’re not yet officially employed by the Department of Nether Rituals, so this mission won’t earn you contribution points. But the materials you need for your life-bound artifact are rare—even I will have to go to some trouble to find them. It’s not a bad deal.”

Contribution, as Wang Zhen mentioned, was the department’s internal currency. All transactions on Nether Street were settled with contribution.

“Thank you, Master Wang.”

Once the conversation was done, Wang Zhen waved him out, and Zhou Bai rose and left the room.

Lin Danian had been waiting in the courtyard. After a brief discussion, the two decided not to delay further and immediately returned to Hangdu to search for the Clear River fiend.

On the way, Zhou Bai tried to learn more about the fiend.

After slaughtering two prominent households, the fiend had entered a dormant phase. In a city as densely populated as Hangdu, a ghost could easily remain hidden, making even Wang Zhen powerless.

Though Zhou Bai’s Yin-Yang eyes could spot traces of ghosts, searching the vast city inch by inch was simply unrealistic.

When they reached the end of Nether Street, both vanished from sight. The feeling of the world spinning surged once more.

In a daze, Zhou Bai found himself back before the stone gate beneath Hangdu. He instinctively felt his pocket, silently confirming his suspicions.

Before leaving Nether Street, he had deliberately picked up a piece of broken stone, but upon returning to Hangdu, it had vanished without a trace.

No matter where you entered Nether Street from within the Nine Provinces, you would return to the same spot. Anything not inherently yours disappeared upon departure.

Fortunately, Wang Zhen’s spirit talisman had transformed into a pattern branded on Zhou Bai’s arm.

Thus, after buying things on Nether Street, there was a delivery process—buyers couldn’t simply carry items back themselves.

But as Lin Danian explained, anything consumed and absorbed by the body wouldn’t vanish upon leaving Nether Street.

When the two entered Nether Street, the sky was still dark. By the time they emerged, several hours had passed and it was already midday.

The coffin shop they emerged from was usually closed, though it occasionally took customized orders. Most of the time, it didn’t open, so their appearance caused no commotion.

Lin Danian led Zhou Bai to the agreed rendezvous point with Wen Meng, an old clinic, only to find it empty.

Wen Meng, living there as a barefoot doctor, was mainly using it to better track the Clear River fiend.

There were only a few people in the clinic, and they seemed surprised when Zhou Bai and Lin Danian burst in.

Lin Danian casually grabbed a clinic apprentice and asked, “Has Doctor Wen been seen?”

The young man, intimidated by the towering figure glaring at him, stammered, “I… I’m not sure. But Doctor Wen left a letter, said… said if someone came looking for him, I should give it to them.”

Lin Danian glared, nearly scaring the youth to tears. “I’m here for him. Give me the letter.”

“Y-yes…” The apprentice hurried off to fetch the letter, almost tripping but dared not delay.

Once they had the letter, the two left the clinic without reading it, finding a secluded corner to examine its contents.

The letter smelled strongly of ink, clearly written recently.

Lin Danian opened it to find a yellowed slip, upon which some ambiguous words had been scrawled.

He channeled a trace of nether energy through his finger, brushing it across the letter. The characters began to shift, rearranging themselves into new text.

Zhou Bai was no longer surprised by the Department of Nether Rituals’ methods. Even if Wen Meng hadn’t left a letter, Lin Danian could surely contact him by other means.

The letter’s main message was that another grain merchant in Hangdu had begun acting strangely—doors tightly shut for days, and a night watchman had nearly been frightened out of his wits at midnight.

Unable to reach Lin Danian, Wen Meng had decided to act without delay.

“Let’s go to the Wang family and see what’s happening.”

The two immediately set out. The Wang residence was some distance from where the previous two households had died, but all were along the Clear River.

The Wang family was downstream—a good half city away from the previous sites.

In the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Zhou Bai and Lin Danian arrived outside the Zhang residence, which was already cordoned off by constables.

Compared to the other two households, the Zhang residence was rather shabby—less than half their size, the courtyard rundown, walls overgrown with tangled vines.

Chief Sun stood at the main gate, surveying the scene. Upon seeing Zhou Bai, he approached, but Lin Danian’s presence at his side made Sun hesitate.

Lin Danian asked straight away, “We’ve met before. Where’s Wen Meng?”

“I’ll notify Master Wen at once.”

Sun sent his men to deliver the message, then leaned close to Zhou Bai and whispered, “Zhou Bai, what are you doing here? This isn’t something you should be involved in. Go home. Your family line is single-handed—don’t let the line end with you.”

Zhou Bai replied vaguely, “I’m cooperating with the Department of Nether Rituals. It’s not too dangerous.”

“You know what that department deals with, right? Let me just say—”

Sun started to say more, but Wen Meng emerged from the corridor beside the residence. Lin Danian and Zhou Bai quickly went to greet him.

Watching Zhou Bai and the two department agents converse like old friends, Chief Sun felt utterly astonished.

Could it be that the butcher from West City would someday be addressed as ‘Master’ by him?