Chapter 248: Can You Bear to Part With Her?
The young woman had always held Old Master Wu in great respect, following his every command without question. Yet, this time, she did not act according to his wishes.
“Old Wu, we cannot hand this Evil Spirit over to them. She has only just coalesced into a spirit; she hasn't devoured any other ghosts, nor does she have any human lives on her hands. If the Spirit Police take her away, she'll lose even the chance to reincarnate. Open your Ghost Eye and you'll see I'm not lying—she's truly pitiful, she—”
Before the woman could finish speaking, she was interrupted by Zhou Fudui's voice.
“While she may not have any human lives on her hands yet, she soon will. There's still someone inside the house, trapped within the illusion she cast. The moment she frees her hands, that person's death will be upon them. Even if she suffered immensely in life, she is dead now and has transformed into an Evil Spirit. Have you ever seen or heard of a compassionate Evil Spirit? ”
Old Master Wu's smile had vanished. His brow was deeply furrowed, and he remained silent. As for the young woman, she was momentarily speechless, unsure how to refute Zhou Fudui.
“From the moment she became an Evil Spirit, she changed. She is no longer the person she once was. Have you ever heard the fable of the farmer and the snake? If you pity her with your kindness, you'll never know what hit you, and you might even end up harming more people because of it! ”
At this, Zhou Fudui gave a cold chuckle and continued, “We're taking her back for study, simply to research effective methods for dealing with powerful ghostly entities. We'll use these special methods to maintain Lecheng's stability and protect more ordinary people from harm. What's wrong with that? Besides, do you really think she'll be able to reincarnate if she returns to the Underworld Office? She's an Evil Spirit, not an ordinary ghost. Whether she can reincarnate or not is still an unknown. ”
Zhou Fudui's words left the young woman utterly speechless. Although she didn't know how to refute him, she still didn't move, her body remaining steadfastly in front of the female ghost.
Seeing that the young woman still had no intention of moving aside, Zhou Fudui's brow furrowed slightly, and the expressions of some of the Spirit Police officers also turned grim.
The atmosphere instantly grew tense. However, at that very moment, a voice rang out, shattering the strained silence.
“Whether an Evil Spirit can reincarnate depends on what she did before her death, and what she did after. Not all Evil Spirits are devoid of a chance at reincarnation. ”
It was a man's voice, slightly muffled, as if he were chewing on something.
As the voice sounded, a crescent moon appeared in the otherwise pitch-black sky. Though merely a sliver, it cast a faint glow upon the dark earth.
Under the moonlight, a young man held a rabbit leg in one hand and a beer in the other, ceaselessly chewing as he walked towards Zhou Fudui and the others.
His hair was rather long, and though it appeared clean, it was clearly overdue for a haircut, giving him a disheveled look.
The night wind ruffled his long hair, revealing an ordinary face framed by greasy stubble. He looked like a slovenly uncle, and a drunkard to boot.
This person was none other than Yang Haoran, who had been watching the spectacle from afar.
Though Yang Haoran's appearance was unassuming, his arrival caused a stir. Old Master Wu and the young woman, in particular, were filled with both surprise and joy once they recognized him.
Even Zhou Fudui's expression couldn't help but shift slightly.
All the Spirit Police present, including Zhou Fudui, recognized Yang Haoran, regardless of whether they had encountered him before.
Ever since learning that Yang Haoran was Lecheng's newly appointed Emissary of Death, the Spirit Police had compiled a detailed dossier on him, recording everything from his appearance and personality to his hobbies and interests.
Every Spirit Police officer was required to memorize this information. This wasn't because they intended to move against Yang Haoran, but rather to ensure each officer had a better understanding of this Emissary of Death—at the very least, knowing his appearance and personality—to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings should they meet him without recognizing him.
Although Yang Haoran's hair had grown considerably over the past two months, his facial features remained unchanged, allowing the Spirit Police to recognize him at a glance.
Upon seeing Yang Haoran again, Wang Yiming also showed signs of excitement. However, given the current circumstances, he found it inappropriate to speak, let alone actively greet Yang Haoran.
It was Old Master Wu and the young woman who exclaimed in joyful surprise:
“Boss! ”
Old Master Wu's reaction was somewhat more restrained. Though surprised and delighted, he didn't allow his emotions to fully burst forth.
The young woman's reaction, however, was far more intense than Old Master Wu's. Her voice was not only brimming with delight, but her face was also flushed with excitement.
Yang Haoran stopped, smiling as he glanced at Old Master Wu, then at the young woman, a silent acknowledgment to both.
Next, he turned his gaze to Wang Yiming, then to Child Tong, offering them a similar smile without a word.
Finally, he looked at Zhou Fudui, took a bite of meat, a swig of beer, and chuckled, “My apologies, I arrived in a bit of a rush, so I didn’t bring anything for you. But once this is over, I can treat you all to a drink. ”
“Heh heh, Yang Shenshi, I’ve long heard about you. It's just that you're always so elusive, like a divine dragon seen only by its head, never its tail, so I never had the chance to meet you. To think I'd see you here tonight—what an honor. ”
Zhou Fudui said with a smile to Yang Haoran, taking a few quick strides to appear directly in front of him.
Only after approaching Yang Haoran did Zhou Fudui realize that a faint black aura enveloped Yang Haoran's body.
Just now, he had felt utterly perplexed. Why hadn't he sensed Yang Haoran's presence at all? No trace of Yin Qi, no power fluctuations, not even a glimmer of life—the other party had simply materialized out of thin air, like a wisp of smoke.
In his view, this was naturally abnormal. With his level of vigilance, he should have sensed even an ordinary person approaching, let alone Yang Haoran, who was anything but ordinary.
It was only upon seeing the faint black aura surrounding Yang Haoran that he understood what was happening. Yang Haoran had temporarily sealed all his aura and power fluctuations within his body, allowing not a single trace to leak out. That was why Zhou Fudui hadn't sensed anything at all.
Yet, achieving such a feat was no easy task. Without absolute power, it was impossible to seal one's aura as perfectly as Yang Haoran had, leaving no trace. From this alone, it was evident that the man currently gnawing on a rabbit leg before him possessed formidable strength.
As for just how strong he was, Zhou Fudui couldn't say without having witnessed it firsthand. But he was certainly curious to know the true extent of this newly appointed Emissary of Death's power.
Zhou Fudui didn't urge the other Spirit Police officers to continue their assault on the female ghost. His entire attention was now fixed on Yang Haoran. After speaking, he extended a hand to Yang Haoran in a gesture of friendship.
Yang Haoran, however, simply looked at him with a wry smile, an apologetic expression on his face.
“This is truly awkward, you see, both my hands are full, and quite greasy at that. I'm afraid I'd dirty your hand, you know. ”
Zhou Fudui hadn't expected Yang Haoran to directly refuse him. A flicker of displeasure arose in his heart; he felt that Yang Haoran was deliberately trying to embarrass him.
Zhou Fudui didn't show the displeasure he felt. He gave an awkward chuckle and withdrew his outstretched hand.
“Heh heh, my apologies, I was presumptuous,” Zhou Fudui said with a laugh.
“No worries, no worries at all. I'm the one who should apologize. Look at me, talking to you like a starving ghost. But I have my reasons, you see. I haven't eaten anything for almost two months, I'm truly on the verge of starvation, so please, don't mind it, okay? ”
Yang Haoran said to Zhou Fudui, still chewing his rabbit meat, a smile of apology on his face.
The moment he uttered those words, the young woman standing in front of the female ghost burst out laughing. Her laughter instantly changed the flavor of Yang Haoran's words.
Old Master Wu immediately shot the woman a glare. The woman seemed to realize that laughing at that moment was highly inappropriate; she stuck out her tongue and quickly clamped her mouth shut.
Not only had Yang Haoran subtly refused Zhou Fudui's outstretched hand, but he was also drinking and eating while speaking to him—a highly impolite act. How could Yang Haoran not know this? Yet, he did it anyway.
Everyone present knew why he acted this way, but no one had voiced it. However, with the young woman's laugh, that layer of unspoken understanding was shattered.
Zhou Fudui's discomfort intensified, and the smile on his face became increasingly unnatural. Some of the Spirit Police officers present also wore grim expressions.
As if oblivious to the changes in Zhou Fudui's expression, Yang Haoran took another bite of the rabbit leg, then mumbled with a chuckle, “Right, about this Evil Spirit, could you perhaps bear to part with her and let our Underworld Office have her? You know, we in the Underworld Office, this is how we make our living. ”
The Spirit Police officers, whose expressions were already rather sour, instantly turned even uglier upon hearing Yang Haoran's words.
It was no wonder their reaction was so strong. They had expended a great deal of effort to weaken this Evil Spirit to her current state. Now, Yang Haoran also wanted to pick this fallen peach? Of course, they were unwilling.
However, this time Zhou Fudui didn't directly refuse Yang Haoran. His attitude towards Yang Haoran was entirely different from his attitude towards Old Master Wu.
“Heh heh, since Yang Shenshi has spoken, it would naturally be difficult for me to refuse. After all, Yang Shenshi also sent a great gift to our Spirit Police two months ago; we truly keep that kindness in our hearts. It’s just that—” Zhou Fudui said, a smile on his face, trailing off as if hesitant to speak.
Yang Haoran didn't seem to mind. He swallowed his meat, took a sip of beer, and asked with a smile, “Just what? ”
“It's just that I'm quite curious about Yang Shenshi's strength, and I'd like to see it for myself. I wonder if Yang Shenshi would grant me this opportunity? ”
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