I am the Ruler of the Kingdom of Mysterious-Chapter 144 - 118: The Ghostly Fog of Pinghu Village
He Buning took one last look at Xia Chan, instructed Xiao Wu and Xiao Liu to handle the subsequent matters, and turned to leave the Evil Suppression Bureau.
Xiao Wu and Xiao Liu exchanged a glance, both sensing that He Buning was in a bad mood.
Although Xiao Liu was unaware of his Colonel’s true origins, he knew that his Colonel had been searching for his mother and sister, who left home many years ago.
His Colonel had complex feelings towards this sister he had never met because their mother insisted on leaving back then, abandoning him when he was only five and still in need of her. There was some resentment in his heart.
So every time during an investigation, his Colonel would soften towards women who never abandoned their children. The last time, he saved a widow in Black Mountain Village and encountered a Curse Ghost that same night, which showed that the widow was ungrateful.
Fortunately, He Buning was not the real name on his Colonel’s Life Scroll, so the Curse Ghost’s rules couldn’t take effect directly, and his Colonel drove it away, averting an incident.
Actually, his Colonel was aware that his sister hadn’t been born yet at that time, so resenting her was pointless.
Therefore, his Colonel was conflicted and unsure of how to face his sister, especially after seeing Xia Chan’s state of mind, which further complicated his emotions, leading him to temporarily avoid the issue until everything was thoroughly investigated.
At this moment, Xiao Wu and Xiao Liu also felt conflicted. If Xia Chan was indeed his Colonel’s biological sister, sending her to Pinghu Village for danger seemed inappropriate.
However, since their Colonel hadn’t issued any orders, they didn’t dare act on their own accord.
"Yu Da, you’re familiar with the situation in Pinghu Village, please explain it to them."
Xiao Liu pushed the responsibility onto Xiao Wu and Yu Da, then went after his Colonel.
Whenever He Buning was upset, he would go eat sticky rice cakes, and Xiao Liu knew where to find him.
Xiao Wu stayed behind to briefly introduce Sang Que and Qin Ze to the others.
Afterward, Yu Da led a few of them to the Merit Office to consult the archives on the ghostly fog in Pinghu Village. They passed through the front courtyard, walked down a few corridors and paths until they reached the very back of the Evil Suppression Bureau where they saw a building embedded into a vertical mountain wall.
An elderly woman with graying hair was squatting in a corner, continuously tossing paper into a brazier. The firelight flickered across her face, giving her an inexplicably eerie appearance.
When they approached, Yu Da greeted the elderly woman with a cheerful smile, "Granny Zhuang, we’ve come to ask about the ’ghostly fog of Pinghu Village’."
Granny Zhuang acted as if she didn’t hear them, continuing to separate the sheets of paper filled with writing next to her and tossing them one by one into the brazier, picking them up with a stick to ensure they burned thoroughly.
Sparks flew with the ash, and Granny Zhuang squinted her eyes, burning the papers with focus.
Yu Da didn’t dare disturb her further and turned to Sang Que and the others, saying, "Granny Zhuang is a veteran at the Merit Office in Wangshan City, managing all archives of paranormal cases. The rule of the Evil Suppression Bureau is that unresolved cases can be archived, and aside from relevant investigative personnel and Granny Zhuang, these archives are not to be disclosed to anyone else."
"Once a paranormal case is resolved, the files have to be destroyed here by Granny Zhuang. Though the archives are destroyed, if reconfirmed later, Granny Zhuang can recite it word for word. Don’t be fooled by her age; she has had an extraordinary memory since childhood."
Qin Ze and his peers nodded slightly, recognizing that the Evil Suppression Bureau doesn’t keep idle people; without some skills, one wouldn’t stay long.
Qin Ze’s body was constantly dripping water, with red waterweed occasionally protruding from his sleeves and collar and then retracting.
Xia Chan pinched her nose, showing disdain for the fishy smell on Qin Ze. Kou Yushan silently observed while Sang Que carefully observed Granny Zhuang, contemplating how to extract details about ’Fengning City’ from her later.
Though the Yin Child hadn’t said anything, Sang Que already sensed that for the Yin Child to advance to the Ghost Level, she would have to find her missing eyes, tongue, and heart.
To find these things, they’d inevitably have to start investigating Fengning City, and also look into the origins of this troublesome kid.
They waited for about ten minutes before Granny Zhuang finally finished burning the old files. Yu Da immediately went over to help her up, handing her the cane on the ground.
Granny Zhuang didn’t retrieve the archives but walked leisurely to the stone table under the willow tree beside her, sat down, patted her legs, and began speaking slowly.
"The paranormal case in Pinghu Village occurred half a year ago on February 19, reported by the Day Traveling Envoy of Bailong County’s Evil Suppression Bureau, Yan Da. It stemmed from a quarrel between a Zhang Family couple in Bailong County. The wife, Qiao Ying Niang, left the child and went back alone to her maternal home in Pinghu Village. Eight days later, Zhang Yuanzhong went to Pinghu Village to pick up Qiao, urged by his young son’s longing for his mother."
"Upon nearing Pinghu Village, Zhang Yuanzhong discovered a thick fog around the village, undispelled even under the blazing sun. He dared not venture inside, so he returned to Bailong County to report to the Evil Suppression Bureau. Yan Jiu, stationed Day Traveling Envoy, went to investigate and vanished, never to return."
"Later on, Bailong County successively sent three Day Traveling Envoys. Initially, they observed from outside; every night, lights were seen within the fog, indicating villagers were present. Approaching a bit closer, voices could be heard, but anyone entering Pinghu Village invariably disappeared."
"The three Day Traveling Envoys left no valuable records before disappearing. The source of this case remains unknown. Through six months of observation, it’s evident that the ghostly fog isn’t Hidden Realm’s Hidden Mist, which causes one to disappear upon contact. Staying beyond the fog’s range is safe, but with the Night Traveler’s limited manpower, the case hasn’t been pursued."
"Last month on the 15th, Bailong County reported that the fog in Pinghu Village seemed to be expanding outward. If you wish to investigate, inquire at Bailong County’s Evil Suppression Bureau branch, ask for Xu San—more detailed archives are kept there, and Zhang Yuanzhong is still alive."
After speaking, Granny Zhuang stood with her cane, waved to everyone, and slowly walked away.
The chubby Yu Da watched her leave for a moment, then turned to the others, "That’s the situation. Decide among yourselves whether you want to investigate. If not, you’re welcome to join us in the Day Travel department."
Qin Ze and the others exchanged hesitant glances but didn’t back down, with a hint of eagerness in Qin Ze’s eyes.
Kou Yushan looked troubled and called Sang Que aside, "The Pinghu Village paranormal case sounds unusual. I won’t go. I’m afraid I’d only drag you down and can’t be of any help. I’ll stay with the Day Travel side and help look after Little Chan."
"I want to follow sister!" Xia Chan immediately expressed, "If sister is going somewhere dangerous, Little Chan wants to protect sister."
More than the Evil Spirits, Xia Chan feared people. Plus, there was better food following her sister, and she wasn’t foolish enough to decline.
Sang Que frowned, pondering for a while, realizing they were without any substantial leads.
"Where is Pinghu Village located?" Sang Que asked Yu Da, knowing Qin Ze and the locals must be aware of its location, but she was utterly ignorant.
Yu Da casually replied, "Continue along the West Yue Mountain Range to the northwest for three days, and you’ll reach Bailong County; Pinghu Village is in the Lake District south of Bailong County. The village has traditionally made a living through fishing. Oh, and Pinghu Village’s southwest is Fengning City."
Sang Que’s pupils trembled slightly. Fengning City had issues a year ago, Pinghu Village half a year ago, and the two places were close. Could there be a connection between them?
Just as she thought of this, Yu Da said, "We suspected that the ghostly fog in Pinghu Village might be related to Evil Ghosts that escaped from Fengning City. This is why we didn’t send more personnel to further investigate. Currently, only the Night Traveler has the capability to explore this case." 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎
Sang Que took the opportunity to ask, "Could we see the detailed files on the Fengning City incident?"
Yu Da shook his head, "That’s a top-secret file of the highest level, not even the two Colonels at the Evil Suppression Bureau have access. All I know is that the Evil Ghost appears as a little girl. If encountered, flee immediately without hesitation."
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