"The ghost disaster in Beggars' Alley has been resolved."
The moment Zhao Fusheng saw the Fan brothers, her left eyebrow twitched upwards, but she immediately realized the reason these two brothers were waiting for her and smiled. Her tone was calm, no different from before. Everyone inwardly speculated, but no one dared to speak casually in front of her.
Although the previous Zhao Fusheng had successfully tamed ghosts, she still lacked practical experience and prestige, relying entirely on the malevolent spirits to awe people. While she later prevented the resuscitation of the Zhao couple's malevolent spirits, the Zhao couple had just died, and their spirits hadn't fully revived, so it could be said she was fortunate.
But the ghost disaster in Beggars' Alley was different. The ghosts here were related to the unsolved case forty years ago in the city's south. They were truly formidable Greater Ghosts, having already formed a ghost domain. She had entered alone, single-handedly, and managed to resolve the disaster. This ability alone was something even the previous Director, Zhao Qiming, wouldn't dare claim to surpass.
Although Zhang Chuanshi's words were intentional flattery born of fear, what he said indeed reflected the inner thoughts of many at that moment: Could it be that Wan'an County, in its desperation, had truly welcomed a bringer of fortune?
Zhao Fusheng's performance had awed everyone. Fan Bisi completely extinguished any dissenting thoughts in his heart, bowing his head submissively before her.
"The malevolent spirits here have temporarily fallen into slumber because I've decomposed them, but—"
Zhao Fusheng's words made everyone's heart sink. 'Decomposing malevolent spirits' sounded simple, but the Fan brothers, who had spent years in the Demon Suppressing Division and had a deep understanding of malevolent spirits, knew how incredibly difficult this was to achieve. The two brothers' faces turned pale, and their lips trembled.
Zhao Fusheng's gaze fell upon the County Magistrate. The Magistrate was sweating profusely, and under her stare, his body swayed. It was only when the Secretary next to him nudged him with his shoulder that he recovered, quickly pulling up his robes and stepping forward to respond: "Your humble subordinate's surname is Pang."
"The malevolent spirits are currently sealed within the Fuzi Temple. You will later send people to strengthen patrols there, to prevent anyone from accidentally entering," Zhao Fusheng instructed.
"Yes, yes, yes—" Magistrate Pang quickly responded.
Zhao Fusheng smiled faintly, remaining silent. At this moment, everyone had questions in their minds. Fan Bisi bravely ventured, "Fusheng, a few days ago, we..."
"We'll talk later."
Zhao Fusheng waved her hand. She smelled the aroma of soup. "Let me eat."
After speaking, she walked past everyone, heading towards the old woman's stall from that day.
"Your humble subordinate can set up a feast in the County Office to celebrate your achievements, esteemed one..." Magistrate Pang hastily shouted, but Zhao Fusheng paid him no mind.
Everyone dared not disturb her, watching as she exited the street and headed towards the small stall set up in the distance. Regardless of whether the ghost domain in Beggars' Alley had been lifted, the woman seemed to have remained there.
Seeing someone approaching from a distance, the old woman paused, then recognized Zhao Fusheng, and asked in surprise, "It's you—"
Her stall was deserted; since the ghost disaster in Beggars' Alley, no one had come to patronize it. However, on the second day after Zhao Fusheng entered Beggars' Alley, many strangers had arrived and taken turns guarding the area for twenty-four hours a day.
Zhao Fusheng approached the stall, her gaze sweeping over the messy setup. The old woman's face was a bit haggard, still wearing a worn apron that was damp. At her feet, there was a large wooden basin filled with unwashed bowls and chopsticks. The pot of soup nearby had only a thin layer clinging to the bottom. When Zhao Fusheng had come before, she had seen several small tables, but now only one remained. In the corner of the distant wall, several broken tables and chairs leaned against the wall. The ground was slippery, and muddy, water-soaked footprints led in countless messy directions, extending into the distance.
Zhao Fusheng's mind was incredibly sharp. She slowed her steps and nodded in acknowledgment. "Mm."
She sat down self-consciously at the sole remaining table, resting her hands on it, and looked back at the distance—Fan Bisi and the others stood obediently in their previous positions, waiting. Many in the crowd showed expressions of regret and fear. Seeing her turn her head, they recoiled and hunched their shoulders, not daring to meet her gaze.
"The day I entered Beggars' Alley, you promised to treat me to a meal."
She was well aware of the current situation but did not expose it. Instead, she looked at the old woman and grinned, "I've been hungry for days, and I've been thinking about your soup."
The old woman's eyes, filled with suspicion and uncertainty, looked towards the distance, only to see that those officials who had seemed fierce just a few days ago were now obedient and deferential, as if in great awe. Then, recalling that the young girl before her had entered the ghost domain alone and now emerged safely—the ghost disaster in Beggars' Alley resolved, and many survivors had fled—she instantly understood Zhao Fusheng's identity.
"Aye."
The old woman responded, quickly rubbing her hands on her apron twice, then fetched a clean bowl and a ladle to serve the soup. Only a thin layer of soup remained at the bottom of the pot, making it thick. It had been kept simmering on the stove, and the millet was cooked to a soft, mushy consistency, instantly causing Zhao Fusheng, whose nerves had been tightly strung in Beggars' Alley for days, to let out a great sigh of relief.
The soup bowl was slightly hot, but now that she controlled a malevolent spirit, her body temperature was low, so holding it actually felt comfortable. She drank the soup in small sips. In this dynasty, there were no abundant seasonings. The soup contained only the fragrance of millet, the astringency of wild vegetables, and some unknown mushroom crumbs mixed within, seasoned lightly with salt. For Zhao Fusheng at this moment, it was truly her first meal since being reborn into this world.
The hot soup warmed her stomach, the warmth spreading downwards, opening her digestive system and instantly relaxing the nerves that had been taut since her rebirth.
Initially, the old woman still nervously clasped her hands over her abdomen, uneasily watching her drink the soup, fearing she had further instructions. But seeing her eat with such relish, she gradually put down her inner apprehension. She still had many things to do.
The old woman's gaze occasionally fell upon the large stack of bowls and chopsticks in the wooden basin. She secretly glanced at Zhao Fusheng. After a long while, she finally tried to move her feet. Seeing that Zhao Fusheng did not reprimand her, she finally relaxed, squatted down, and began washing the bowls and chopsticks in the basin.
One drank soup, the other washed dishes, creating a harmonious atmosphere. In the distance, the Fan brothers, Magistrate Pang, and a group of yamen runners waited quietly. The old woman's nerves were initially taut, but seeing Zhao Fusheng's quiet demeanor, her movements gradually became much more agile.
"Elderly one, what is your surname? How should I address you?"
Zhao Fusheng drank her soup, suddenly breaking the silence. The old woman was caught off guard by her question. Her body trembled, and the bowl in her hand almost slipped back into the basin. She caught it in time, turned her head to look at Zhao Fusheng, and said with a conciliatory smile, "My husband's family..." She stopped there, then continued, "My surname is Meng. People who used to come here for soup called me Granny Meng."
"Are you from Wan'an County?" Zhao Fusheng asked again.
"No." Granny Meng shook her head. Perhaps it was because Zhao Fusheng was young, and their first meeting had left too deep an impression. At that time, Zhao Fusheng had entered the ghost domain alone. Granny Meng, seeing her thin figure, felt pity for her. Even now, knowing Zhao Fusheng's extraordinary identity, Granny Meng found it hard to feel any defensiveness towards her. Seeing her chatting casually with her, her tone gentle, Granny Meng's tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed, no longer as tense as before, perhaps thinking of something.
"I was originally from Changzhou, then married into Wuli County of Tongzhou, and only came here ten years ago."
The original Zhao Fusheng was just a country girl from Jiumen Village under Wan'an County, having never set foot outside Wan'an County in her life. She knew absolutely nothing about the counties and prefectures of the Great Han Dynasty. After listening, she had one thought: Granny Meng was not a local, perhaps she came here for other reasons.
"Who else is in your family?" Zhao Fusheng took a sip of soup and asked.
Granny Meng's dishwashing movements paused. After a long moment, she continued to handle the bowl in her hand. "I have a child, not with me. Now it's just me alone."
Zhao Fusheng nodded. After that, they didn't speak again. Zhao Fusheng finished her soup. Without her saying anything, Granny Meng, who was washing dishes with her back to her, seemed to hear her movements and quickly stood up to refill her bowl.
She drank two bowls, feeling warmth in her limbs. After standing up, she felt completely satisfied and said, "You said you'd treat me, so I won't be paying for this meal."
"..." Her words made Granny Meng look up at her, then purse her lips and smile. "No charge, it's on me."
Zhao Fusheng smiled: "Then thank you for your hospitality." She paused, then added: "In the future, if you need my help, come to the Demon Suppressing Division in Wan'an County and ask for me. My name is Zhao Fusheng. Just mention my name when you get there."
After speaking, she walked towards Fan Bisi and the others. While she was drinking soup, Magistrate Pang and the others had already prepared the carriage. Seeing Zhao Fusheng finish eating and approach, a group of people clustered around her to help her into the carriage.
Granny Meng watched as the carriage started, and those prominent figures from Wan'an County immediately followed behind it. A portion of the people stayed behind. As soon as Zhao Fusheng left, many rushed towards her stall, with many shouting: "Old woman, settle my bill from the past few days—"
...
Zhao Fusheng was alone when she came to Beggars' Alley, but when she left, she was escorted by a large retinue. The Fan brothers followed beside the carriage, looking at the gentry from Wan'an County trailing behind, and couldn't help but feel a sense of the Demon Suppressing Division's former prestige being restored.
"Fusheng, Magistrate Pang has set up a banquet to celebrate your achievement—"
"Not today."
Zhao Fusheng shook her head, reaching out to touch the cold ghostly hand hidden in her sleeve. This time, the resolution of the Beggars' Alley ghost disaster had given her some confidence. Having completed this ghost case, she had gained a total of 150 Merit Points. After deducting 10 points for suppressing the malevolent spirit, she now had 140 Merit Points. With these Merit Points, her aura was different from before.
"Save it for after the next case is handled," she instructed. "We're going directly back to the Demon Suppressing Division. Have Magistrate Pang find people to clean our yamen office, recruit some general laborers, and inform these gentry and influential families remaining in Wan'an County that as long as I am here for a day, Wan'an County will not suffer from ghost disasters."
Her words were too arrogant, causing Fan Bisi to be stunned. But he immediately realized that Zhao Fusheng probably had another reason for saying this. Just as he was about to speak, he heard Zhao Fusheng say, "Tell them not to leave. Those who stay will receive my protection in the future. If they leave now, it will be difficult for them to return later."
"...Yes." Fan Bisi nodded in agreement.
After that, neither of them spoke again. Zhao Fusheng no longer paid attention to Fan Bisi but focused her mind on her Investiture of the Gods List. At this moment, she had a total of 140 Merit Points. Activating the first divine position required 100 Merit Points, so her current Merit Points were enough.
However, Zhao Fusheng hesitated repeatedly and did not prepare to unlock the first divine position. Although the malevolent spirit she controlled was getting closer and closer, she clearly remembered the Investiture of the Gods List had hinted: Sha-tier malevolent spirits are not qualified for apotheosis. In other words, even if she activated a divine position, she temporarily had no way to send away the malevolent spirit on her. To apotheosize it, she first needed to upgrade and advance this malevolent spirit to the Disaster-tier—but a new problem arose: to advance a spirit, she needed to use its power, allowing it to complete its laws and gain something. And she had only 1/3 of her lifespan remaining, so she dared not use the malevolent spirit's power again.
"..." This felt like a paradox, bringing the problem back to square one.
After much thought, Zhao Fusheng decided not to activate the divine position for now, and instead focused her attention on Hell. When the Investiture of the Gods List was first activated, it had prompted her to open Hell, but at that time, her Merit Points were insufficient, and the activation ultimately failed.
She paused, then with a thought: Open Hell.
As this thought arose, the Investiture of the Gods List in her sea of consciousness immediately stirred. Zhao Fusheng's ears suddenly heard gusts of eerie wind, and her consciousness instantly plunged into an endless abyss. The Investiture of the Gods List's notification sounded simultaneously:
Deducting 100 Merit Points. Successfully activated the first layer of Hell!
First Layer of Hell: Can contain ghost entities of Calamity tier (Level) or below. Malevolent spirits entering Hell will be suppressed by Hell. (Note: This layer of Hell is still very shallow and cannot imprison multiple ghost entities of Ferocious tier (Fierce) or higher. Once the malevolent spirit's tier exceeds Hell's capacity limit, the malevolent spirit may escape.)
Zhao Fusheng's eyes lit up. The appearance of this Hell was like an invisible space for imprisoning malevolent spirits for her.
Fan Bisi and the others had previously mentioned that the Great Han Dynasty's methods for dealing with malevolent spirits were nothing more than: expulsion, decomposition, and sealing. But all these methods had hidden dangers and could not truly solve the problem of malevolent spirits. However, the Hell she had now activated could imprison malevolent spirits within it, and they would be suppressed by Hell. Did this not mean that any malevolent spirit she sent to Hell would, from then on, truly 'disappear' from the human world?
She suppressed the joy in her heart and immediately tried to control Hell.
Zhao Fusheng's thoughts quickly permeated the shadows. Wherever her consciousness reached, it would be covered by the first layer of Hell. The shadows spread like a tide, silently emanating from the carriage.
At this moment, Fan Bisi, Zhang Chuanshi, and others walking beside the carriage suddenly shivered. Previously, the light had been bright, but at some unknown point, dark clouds obscured the sun, and a pall of gloom enveloped the procession. A chill rose from beneath everyone's feet. Fan Bisi shivered, and Fan Wujiu rubbed his arms, calling out, "Brother, why is it suddenly a bit cold?"
As his words fell, the shadows spreading from underground quickly receded, transforming into a dark current that slowly crawled back along the carriage to Zhao Fusheng's feet, then drilled into her body, disappearing without a trace.
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