Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 67: The Rights We Hold
"Do you think I would?"
"Brother Qi, I'm sorry. Women really aren't worth much. It was you who facilitated my relationship with her in the first place. She urged me to drive you away and then bought a car for Peng Hai..."
I sniffled, forcing a bitter smile at Fatty. "You learn from your mistakes. If you don't know how to recognize people, you'll end up suffering. I won't kick you and her out. The sign of Ma Wu Funeral Home is still there. I'll rent the shop to you; you just need to pay me rent every month. Manage the business well, and be cautious in your dealings with others. Just make sure Ma Wu Funeral Home doesn't close down."
"Brother Qi, Brother Qi, I'm so sorry," Fatty said as he suddenly knelt on the ground, but I had already walked away with long strides.
With Grandpa's affairs settled, I didn't take much with me—just the Spirit Tablet of rice and Grandpa's Spirit Tablet—as I left Ma Wu Funeral Home calmly.
Mi and I lived on New South Street in A City, officially becoming members of the Special Cases Unit at the A City Bureau.
I deleted all information related to Fatty. In the days that followed, no matter where I went, Mi was always with me, and it became a bit overwhelming for her. It had been some time since Mi Touqi had passed, but due to her lingering attachment, I had to remain vigilant against the Underworld Ghostly Enforcers discovering her existence and issuing a kill order against her.
Finding a rental place was my first priority—settling her in wasn't too troublesome. As long as I stored her soul in the Spirit Tablet and lit an incense stick, once she absorbed enough ghostly energy from the scent of the incense, she would come out to talk with me.
That first night, I began studying the first case file Qin Jian had handed me.
On a Friday in a certain year of 2001, one person died in a car accident on Xingxi Road South Section. Similarly, on another Friday in 2014, another person died in a car accident on Xingxi Road. Then again, on yet another Friday in 2015, another death occurred due to a car accident.
What was strange about Qin Jian's report was that all these incidents happened in the same location across different years; the months and dates were almost identical, with accidents occurring every year during this month.
This was the first point of suspicion. The second point was that all three deceased were men whose extramarital affairs led to marital breakdowns. The surveillance footage failed to capture what transpired during these events; it only showed static until it clearly revealed the fear etched on the deceased's faces at the moment of their deaths.
The bizarre part was that we couldn't see what happened during those incidents—the events coincided precisely with when the camera malfunctioned. This led higher-ups to determine that these incidents were not ordinary traffic accidents.
I immediately dialed Qin Jian's number.
The phone rang for quite some time without an answer; he was likely in a meeting or busy with something else.
Around noon, I heard someone knocking at the door.
I live in this place, and aside from Qin Jian, no one else knows about it—not even Chi Xinrong.
Recently, it seems Chi Xinrong has been busy; she didn't even come when my grandfather passed away. If it's not Chi Xinrong and not Qin Jian, then who could be knocking on the door at this time? With a mind full of questions, I opened the door and was surprised to find a man dressed entirely in black standing outside.
The moonlight illuminated the sculpted features of the man in black. His straight nose appeared rugged under the light, exuding a chilling aura. His pitch-black eyes resembled two bottomless pits, with pupils occasionally flickering with an elusive dark shadow, mysterious and unpredictable. He radiated a coldness that ordinary people did not possess. Without a second thought or any questions, I immediately shut the door.
Retreating back into the house, I stared at the door for a long time, fearing he might break in.
If our assumptions were wrong, he could be the Ghostly Enforcer. Too focused on the situation outside, I jumped when Qin Jian's call came through.
I answered the phone, calling out, "Qin Jian."
He was perceptive and immediately sensed something was off in my voice. "Are you okay?"
"Why would I call you if I wasn't? I wanted to ask about the details regarding Case 01."
"I'm driving. Just talk; I'm using Bluetooth."
"On the stretch of road where the Nian Fa accident happened—did something similar occur there?"
"How do you know?"
"Just a guess." In truth, it wasn't merely a guess; how could there be an effect without a cause? When unusual events happen consecutively on a stretch of road, it usually indicates something sinister is seeking a substitute.
Many people know that ghosts who die by being hit by cars will experience being hit three times; those who jump to their deaths will jump three times; those who drown will drown three times. Those who understand this realm or are mediums can see it.
In such cases, unlucky individuals or those with low vitality who encounter ghosts repeating their deaths may fall victim themselves. They could become substitutes for Deadbeats, repeating the death patterns of the previous victims while those previous ghosts find release to their respective Underworlds.
However, this bizarre accidental death case doesn't seem as simple as just seeking a substitute. Firstly, there are several commonalities among the deceased: they were all male, all experienced marital issues, and they all came from relatively well-off families.
"Ma Qi, you understand this. Just tell me how to cooperate with you directly."
"I want to go to that place and experience death."
Qin Jian asked in surprise, "The accident site?"
"Yes."
"What happened there?"
I checked the time; it was exactly nine o'clock in the evening. It was the perfect moment to go. I turned to Qin Jian and said, "Let's go now."
Qin Jian agreed to my request and said he would drive over to pick me up right away.
I got ready and went to light a stick of incense for Mi.
Mi appeared.
She affectionately wrapped her arms around my waist. "Brother Qi, let me go with you! I can help you find clues."
"No, you have to stay home. Don't go out for a while," I replied, hanging a miniature Bagua Mirror and a Talisman on the doorframe. Unless it was a person, no lifeless evil spirit could enter and harm Mi.
In our house, there were countless photos of Mi and me together, as well as some of her alone looking beautiful.
No one knew about my relationship with Mi, not even Qin Jian.
"Brother Qi, I really want to go," Mi said, reluctantly holding onto my hand.
There were Ghostly Enforcers outside; I couldn't take Mi into danger. I gently pried her fingers off mine and instructed, "Be good and stay home. I'll be back soon."
"Okay."
Mi obediently agreed and vanished from sight. I stepped outside, gripping the doorknob as a bone-chilling chill swept over me. My heart sank; was that figure still outside? I opened the door, and the cold wind rushed in again, a tall shadow blocking my view.
"Are you still here?"
"I'm here to collect something." The person's voice was as cold as the chill emanating from him.
Collecting something—catching ghosts.
This was the jargon of the Underworld.
"You've got the wrong place." I intended not to get entangled with this "person," so I tried to bypass him to get on with my business. Qin Jian would be here soon, and although he might not be able to see this "person," it would be bad if time was wasted.
"Qin Ye told me to find you."
My master. He knew my master's name, and it was my master who had sent him. Did my master find out about my secret stash? As I pondered this, the visitor reached out his hand. I felt a strange movement on my body, and in an instant, the Eighteen Cubes hidden in my inner pocket flew out and landed directly in his hand. He remained expressionless, extending his palm and spreading his fingers around the Eighteen Cubes. They emitted a buzzing sound, and with a flash of brilliance, the Eighteen Cubes returned to my hand.
The visitor continued in his icy tone, "Sorry for the disturbance." With that, he vanished in a flash.
Comment 0 Comment Count