Zhao Fusheng's eyes suddenly widened:
"These two people were so strong?! Or did they use a knife?!"
But as soon as she spoke, she immediately realized something was wrong.
This world had malevolent ghosts causing trouble, and on that day, during Liu Huacheng's birthday banquet, there indeed was a ghostly disturbance. According to Zhao Fusheng's original memories, iron items were strictly controlled at that time.
Without official authorization, privately selling daggers, swords, and other such items was illegal, punishable by exile for minor offenses and death for serious ones. Ordinary people rarely possessed iron tools.
Household items like kitchen knives, sickles, and hoes were treasured possessions, something that could be passed down through generations, and would certainly not be carried around, let alone brought into the continuous feast hosted by the Liu family.
If no knives were used, then malevolent spirits must have been present.
Her heart tightened, and she asked again:
"Was it a malevolent ghost at work?"
This time, she asked correctly.
Liu Wu's face was deathly pale as he nodded:
"Yes!"
The two men fought, overturning a table, and also knocking off the head of a neighbor at an adjacent table. At first, everyone didn't realize it was a ghostly disturbance; they thought it was a murder case.
At that time, Wan'an County had not yet been enveloped by the ghostly fog, and the Commander stationed at the Demon Exorcism Bureau was Su Long. This man was quite capable and of righteous character.
He governed the area well, resolved several ghost cases, and was renowned. Wan'an County was quite peaceful under his governance back then, and everyone felt no great threat from ghosts.
"After the incident, my grandfather was furious. He drew his knife and stepped forward, intending to seize those two troublemakers and hooligans. But, but, but—"
He started to fear again at the crucial point. Zhao Fusheng had to harden her expression and barked:
"But what! Don't stammer!"
Her scolding was more effective than comfort. The Demon Exorcism Bureau's reputation was formidable. Liu Wu was startled by her bark:
"But the headless corpse didn't fall. Instead, it rose from the long bench and walked towards the two people who were fighting."
Liu Wu's expression was blank:
"My grandfather approached and saw the headless corpse walk in front of the two fighting men, then extend its arms—" He reached this point, and the muscles in his cheeks twitched:
"Like picking a melon, it plucked the head off one of the fighting men and placed it onto its own neck."
'Hiss.'
Zhao Fusheng gasped.
'A headless ghost!' The name of the ghostly entity recorded in the files surged into her mind, corresponding perfectly with the malevolent ghost information Liu Wu was now mentioning.
Liu Wu didn't say the rest, but she could almost imagine the scene. During a grand birthday celebration, a headless corpse suddenly stood up and plucked a living person's head to attach to itself. One could imagine the immense shock this would cause at the banquet.
However, Liu Wu's words inadvertently filled in her missing information about the malevolent ghost of the Liu family. Zhao Fusheng felt both uneasy and somewhat fortunate.
"After that, the banquet descended into chaos. Everyone screamed loudly, and my grandfather and the others were also greatly frightened. Only then did everyone realize that the Liu family was plagued by ghosts."
Once a ghostly calamity occurred, ordinary people were powerless to resolve it, and it should naturally be handed over to the Demon Exorcism Bureau.
"My grandfather and the others immediately prepared to split up: one side was to inform the Liu family of this news, and the other was to notify the Demon Exorcism Bureau to come and resolve the matter." But unexpectedly, Liu Wu's grandfather, upon seeing Liu Huacheng, seemed not entirely surprised by the incident.
"His first reaction was to inform the Demon Exorcism Bureau."
Liu Huacheng had been prepared for this. The information revealed in Liu Wu's words vaguely corresponded with Paper Man Zhang's account. Liu Huacheng's dismissal from office and return home that year was indeed due to a
mistake during his tenure, bringing an incomplete malevolent ghost's body back to the Liu family. He suppressed the ghostly entity by some unknown method, but eventually the ghost revived, causing chaos at his birthday banquet.
"At that time, the birthday banquet was set up near the Liu clan's ancestral temple, which is now the Beggar's Alley area—at that time, Beggar's Alley wasn't called that name."
"Wenchang Road?"
Zhao Fusheng's heart stirred, and she asked.
Liu Wu quickly nodded:
"Yes, yes, yes, it was called Wenchang Road. Beggar's Alley was renamed later."
She frowned:
"Are you sure?"
"Sure! Sure." Although Liu Wu didn't know why she emphasized this question, he dared not neglect it and repeatedly assented:
"This Wenchang Road also has a history.
Old Master Liu of the Liu family held a very high official position in the imperial court back then. He was intelligent from a young age, passed the imperial examination, like a literary star descended to earth, so that road was named after him."
After speaking, he flattered:
"In recent years, many people in Wan'an County don't even know this name. Milady is indeed knowledgeable and clearly sincerely handling this case for the people of Wan'an County."
Wenchang Road.
Zhao Fusheng ignored his flattering words. Upon hearing him confirm that Wenchang Road was the former name of Beggar's Alley, she involuntarily let out a sigh of relief. The information in the archives stated that the Liu family's haunting forty years ago was in 'Wenchang Road.' Now,
forty years later, Beggar's Alley is haunted again. When she went to find Paper Man Zhang, wanting to pry information from him, she had felt suspicious when he definitively stated that these two ghost cases were actually the same one.
After all, although both haunted locations were related to the Liu family, the archives from forty years ago mentioned 'Wenchang Road' as the haunted place, while now it was Beggar's Alley near the Confucius Temple. The two road names were entirely different, and there might be something strange about that.
But now, Liu Wu's words corroborated the archives, resolving the doubt in her mind and temporarily easing her unease.
"Milady, is there something wrong with Wenchang Road?"
Liu Wu felt her expression seemed somewhat serious and asked nervously.
"Nothing, continue."
Zhao Fusheng wasn't one hundred percent trusting of him either. When she went to the county yamen for help, the Wan'an County Magistrate seemed to have temporarily appointed a constable to drive her. But this constable just happened to be related to Liu Huacheng from the Liu family ghost case forty years ago, and coincidentally, his grandfather was a witness to that ghost case.
Zhao Fusheng thought uneasily: 'This is too much of a coincidence.'
She also knew she was being overly suspicious, but this was a strange era, and she had no reliable, trustworthy people around her. After coming back to life, everyone around her, whether the Fan brothers, Zhang Chuanshi, or Paper Man Zhang, all harbored ulterior motives. If she wasn't suspicious enough, she probably wouldn't even know how she died in the end.
Liu Wu didn't know what she was thinking. Hearing her urge him, he responded:
"Aye."
After the ghosts appeared, the common people were terrified and scattered, fleeing frantically. But the ghostly calamity had already occurred, and a ghost domain appeared in the area of old Wenchang Road. Everyone was trapped inside, unable to get out.
"Instead, because of the chaotic fleeing, many people died one after another. The entire Liu family's premises were strewn with heads."
"..."
Zhao Fusheng imagined the scene: a joyful celebration turning into a massive ghostly funeral. Those who experienced that calamity must have been filled with immense fear.
Liu Wu paused here, then continued:
"But my grandfather said that Old Master Liu had a way. He actually left the Liu family, notified the Demon Exorcism Bureau, and when the Demon Exorcism Bureau arrived, they brought the situation under control."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Fusheng's heart stirred:
"How did your grandfather survive?"
Liu Wu's spirits lifted. "My grandfather originally thought he was surely going to die, but Commander Su Long of the Demon Exorcism Bureau was very capable. As soon as he arrived, he stopped everyone from scattering and gathered all the survivors together."
His words surprised Zhao Fusheng. Logically, if everyone gathered in one place, they would be easier targets. If the ghosts entered the crowd, wouldn't they just kill a large number of people?
"Commander Su said that this malevolent ghost's method of killing is to search for heads."
Initially, when people realized the ghostly calamity had occurred, it was also because two people fighting over a copper coin accidentally knocked off the 'taken' head of the malevolent ghost, forcing the ghost to seek a head and thus kill.
Zhao Fusheng nodded, then thoughtfully said:
"In other words, this malevolent ghost's main purpose is to seek a head, and killing is merely an incidental consequence."
"What does Milady mean by that?"
Liu Wu's thinking was rigid. At first, hearing this, he didn't understand and subconsciously asked. After asking, he worried that Zhao Fusheng might misunderstand that he was questioning her, which would anger the Demon Exorcism Bureau personnel. His face immediately showed panic.
But to his surprise, Zhao Fusheng was not angry. Instead, she said:
"You might not understand if I explain it this way. If I put it another way, perhaps you'll understand." She patiently explained to Liu Wu:
"From your words, this malevolent ghost has a body but no head. Its characteristic is to primarily search for a head. It removes people's heads and puts them on itself, and others who lose their heads will surely die."
"Yes..." Liu Wu still listened, half-understanding, but instinctively nodded at her words.
Zhao Fusheng smiled, then continued:
"Suppose we say this ghost has a head but no hands, or has a head and hands but no feet, or has lost its eyes, nose, ears, or other organs. It's possible it is searching for what it has lost."
And people who lose hands, feet, eyes, nose, ears, etc., would not die.
With her explanation, Liu Wu suddenly understood, saying happily:
"So that's how it is!"
He seemed to have discovered a great secret:
"I always thought the Demon Exorcism Bureau's work was mysterious and dangerous, but I never expected there to be such interesting patterns within it. Officer Zhao is truly amazing; without having experienced the ghost case forty years ago, you've described it perfectly."
Zhao Fusheng was not flattered by his intentional compliments. Hearing him, she merely shook her head:
"I am just summarizing patterns afterward; it's nothing remarkable."
However, Liu Wu mentioning this ghost case also gave her new insight, making her vaguely understand what Fan Bisi had mentioned: the meaning of 'malevolent ghost killing rules.'
"You continue." She signaled Liu Wu to keep speaking, and Liu Wu nodded:
"Yes!"
Perhaps it was Zhao Fusheng's calm and composed attitude that influenced him, giving him a bit more hope for this journey and dispelling his previous despondency:
"Commander Su gathered everyone and said that as long as everyone sat still, didn't move around, and especially didn't casually touch their own or others' necks, not giving the ghost an opportunity, this ghost might not kill indiscriminately."
Of course, malevolent ghosts are beyond reason. Su Long's words were merely speculation, and also contained a 'gambler's' mentality. Fortunately, he was ultimately very lucky and 'won' the gamble.
After no one moved around, the horrific deaths in the Liu family suddenly ceased. What happened afterward, Liu Wu's grandfather wasn't entirely clear about, but it was generally similar to the records in the Demon Exorcism Bureau's archives—eventually, the Envoy who accompanied Su Long died. Su Long, relying on the power of the malevolent ghost he controlled, miraculously survived and retreated embarrassingly from the Liu family's territory.
Zhao Fusheng already knew the situation afterward. Su Long originally dared not set foot in the Liu family again, but Liu Huacheng was remarkably decisive and willing to risk everything. He offered half of the Liu clan's accumulated wealth as a thank you gift, which finally persuaded Su Long and Zhang Xiongwu. The two sides joined forces and re-entered the Liu family, resolving this ghostly calamity, allowing the Liu clan to live in peace ever since.
After finishing his story, Liu Wu was silent for a moment. He glanced at Zhao Fusheng, who was deep in thought, and dared not interrupt her.
Zhao Fusheng was pondering Liu Wu's story. Fan Bisi was one thing, but Paper Man Zhang also harbored ill intentions. As a descendant of Zhang Xiongwu, he must have known some details about the Liu clan ancestral temple ghost case that outsiders didn't, but he hadn't mentioned them to Zhao Fusheng.
However, this was only human nature. There was already enmity between them; it would inevitably end in a fight to the death. From his perspective, speaking half-truths and concealing crucial information was the correct approach.
And Liu Wu's grandfather, as one of the participants in the incident that year, from his perspective, happened to fill in a missing piece of the puzzle regarding the case from the archives, Fan Bisi, and Paper Man Zhang's accounts, giving her a better understanding of the malevolent ghost she was about to deal with.
A headless malevolent ghost, primarily seeking a head, causing people to die from ghostly calamity.
Wenchang Road back then was the predecessor of Beggar's Alley, which was now shrouded in a ghost domain.
"Forty years..." Zhao Fusheng frowned tightly, guessing: 'What has trapped the malevolent ghost, making it linger in the same place, unwilling to leave?'
She now knew that the malevolent ghosts of the Great Han Dynasty were different from the malevolent ghosts she knew. In her understanding: legendary ghosts were mostly bound by karma, not entering reincarnation until grievances were resolved.
But this Great Han Dynasty had no hell, no reincarnation, and ghosts seemed to have no emotions, no thoughts, acting only on instinct. Such ghosts would hardly remain here due to 'obsession,' unless something was attracting them—similar to the ghostly calamity of the Wan'an County Demon Exorcism Bureau, where the people in the county were not completely dead, so it would never give up this territory.
From this inference, the malevolent ghost in Beggar's Alley might also still be there because it had not completely fulfilled its rule.
However, all of this was merely a simple inference based on Zhao Fusheng's rough understanding, and it was not necessarily accurate. Dealing with ghosts, she needed to be exceptionally careful and cautious, otherwise, she would lose her life.
She composed herself, then looked up at Liu Wu and said:
"Tell me again the reason for Wenchang Road's name change." She always felt there was some mystery within it.
Fan Bisi seemed cooperative, but might not tell the truth. Paper Man Zhang, needless to say, spoke in half-truths and held back information. She was at a disadvantage, having only recently been reborn and knowing nothing about this era. The lack of information put her in a passive position, so she could only try to extract more information, then integrate all their words to find clues and a path to survival.
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