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The two brothers spoke menacingly, and although Zhao Fusheng felt uneasy about the matter of malevolent ghosts, she did not completely retreat.
After all, she was currently entangled with a malevolent ghost. Even if she did nothing and just waited for death like a coward, it seemed she wouldn't live much longer.
And she had unexpectedly acquired the Investiture of the Gods. Although she didn't know its origin, it was, at least, a glimmer of hope.
She could not, under any circumstances, let such an opportunity pass.
"Fusheng, think it over carefully." Fan Bisi twitched the corner of his mouth.
"These three cases are new ones received by the Demon Suppression Division in the last six months. Don't even think about the earlier ones. But even so, none of these three cases are easy to take on."
He persuaded her:
"You were lucky not to die. Such luck cannot be repeated. It's better to listen to me, honestly find a place to hide. Why bother meddling in these affairs?"
Zhao Fusheng smiled but didn't answer his question. Instead, she asked:
"Brother Fan, I wonder if it's still possible to find a suitable burial place? My parents' funeral arrangements should be simple and handled as soon as possible. I might have to trouble you both then."
She was extremely wary of Fan Bisi, but it was not yet the time for them to tear off all pretenses.
Seeing her repeatedly ignore his advice, Fan Bisi also felt a little impatient.
The previous Zhao Fusheng was weak and lacked her own opinions, easily manipulated by him in everything. Now, their positions had reversed—
He remained silent for a long moment, finally swallowing his anger, and then said:
"Fine. We brothers were in the wrong first. We'll handle your parents' affairs."
This person was not old, yet he was not only deeply cunning but also capable of forbearance. Zhao Fusheng became even more wary of him.
Fan Bisi added:
"However, you should also seriously consider my words. The deal I mentioned earlier still stands. As long as you think it through and are willing to retrieve my brother's soul-life, we brothers will be eternally grateful to you."
"I will consider it carefully."
Zhao Fusheng nodded. Seeing Fan Bisi's expression soften slightly, she asked again:
"Are there records of the three cases you mentioned? I'd like to take a look."
When Fan Bisi initially saw her nod in agreement, he thought she had finally come around. Now, seeing her repeatedly circle back to the three cases, he instantly became annoyed.
"No more." Fan Bisi shook his head, forcefully suppressing his displeasure, and said stiffly:
"There have been many matters recently, and these three cases have not been recorded by anyone."
"What about past cases? There must be records of those, right?" Zhao Fusheng was not disheartened by his refusal and pressed further.
"There are past records, all in the side room on the left. However, it's been a long time, so it's uncertain if anything can still be found."
"Which side room?" Zhao Fusheng asked again.
Fan Bisi grew increasingly impatient and pointed:
"The second one over there. If you're not afraid, go see for yourself." After speaking, he frowned:
"If there's nothing else, Wujiu and I need to handle your parents' funeral."
As soon as his voice fell, he gave his younger brother a look, and the two brothers exited the main hall again, heading straight out of the Demon Suppression Division.
Zhao Fusheng watched their departing figures, and after a long moment, a faint smile touched her lips.
She didn't focus too much attention on the Fan brothers. These two bore her a grudge, and they were merely maintaining a temporary, superficial peace. They weren't worth too much of her mental energy.
Instead, the three cases of the Demon Suppression Division mentioned by Fan Bisi had captured her attention.
Although she didn't completely trust Fan Bisi, and what he said might not be entirely true, the terror of malevolent ghosts, exemplified by the original Zhao Fusheng's death, had already sounded a warning bell for her.
Among the three cases, the first two were bizarre and inscrutable, completely without a clue. Her current foundation was too weak; to venture rashly without a thorough understanding of ghosts would be to court death.
Compared to the carriage case and the case of the family of seven being annihilated, Zhao Fusheng was more inclined to try her luck in Beggars' Alley.
Firstly, this place was in Wan'an County, not far away.
Secondly, this case was right next to the Confucian Temple, and the Confucian Temple had also experienced a ghostly calamity in the past. Based on her intuition, Zhao Fusheng felt there should be some connection between these two ghostly calamities—perhaps even caused by the same malevolent ghost.
She wasn't guessing wildly, because Fan Bisi had mentioned that someone from the Confucian Temple had come seeking help a month ago, mentioning an "agreement" from forty years prior, which could indirectly prove this point.
Forty years ago, people from the Demon Suppression Division had dealt with the Liu family's calamity. Perhaps records had been left behind.
As long as she could find the records, it would be better than being completely in the dark.
Most importantly, Zhao Fusheng had picked up some clues from Fan Bisi's words.
He repeatedly advised her not to take on cases and just wait for death, yet when he mentioned Beggars' Alley, he had inadvertently said that he and his brother had been there.
A month ago, the Demon Suppression Division could barely protect itself. A person like Fan Bisi, who wouldn't act without profit, was yet willing to take the time to go to Beggars' Alley. This situation was not normal.
Fan Bisi had previously mentioned that the imperial court mostly turned a blind eye to the Demon Suppression Division's laxity in handling cases. However, Zhao Fusheng was not foolish; she didn't believe that the imperial court, with the sanction of the Soul-Life Register, would endlessly indulge the local Demon Suppression Divisions.
She had thought earlier that both sides must be wary of each other and have certain constraints.
The Fan brothers' eagerness to leave Wan'an County was unusual.
According to him, Wan'an County was affected by the ghost fog and gradually being abandoned by the imperial court. But if they could simply wait for death without taking on cases, why would they need to leave this place and go elsewhere?
As he himself had mentioned: going elsewhere wouldn't guarantee longevity, only a slightly higher chance of survival.
And after the ghost case in Beggars' Alley erupted, his and Fan Wujiu's trip to investigate was even stranger.
This person was exceptionally shrewd and, moreover, cowardly and afraid of death. If he wasn't forced by circumstances, why would he waste effort investigating?
All these circumstances proved that his words were half-truth, half-lie.
Zhao Fusheng deduced: The imperial court could not achieve complete control over the local Demon Suppression Divisions. After all, those who controlled ghosts were often solitary and perverse in nature. Even with a Ghost Whisperer like Jia Yi controlling malevolent ghosts, the power of these individuals could not be underestimated.
Conversely, the local Demon Suppression Divisions must also be both fearful and wary of the imperial court, yet unable to break away from it.
Both sides maintained a superficial peace. This meant that when ghost cases occurred, the local Demon Suppression Divisions had the right to weigh the pros and cons themselves. If the risk was too great, the local Demon Suppression Division personnel would likely adopt the method Fan Bisi mentioned—ignore it, or in severe cases, report it to the imperial court.
And the imperial court should also have certain constraints on the local Demon Suppression Divisions. That is, while not requiring every major or serious case to be handled, they must complete a certain number of ghost cases every year, or perhaps every few months.
In this way, a delicate balance could be achieved between the two sides, which could also explain the Fan brothers' motive for going to Beggars' Alley.
Trouble had been brewing in the Wan'an County Demon Suppression Division for a long time. After Zhao Qiming's death, the imperial court had completely given up on rescuing this place, no longer sending promising Ghost Controlling Commanding Officers to oversee it, leaving it to its own devices.
The Fan brothers' soul-lives were tied to the Wan'an County Demon Suppression Division. As time drew near, if they didn't complete any cases, they would most likely suffer a backlash from the Ghost Whisperer's curse on the Soul-Life Register. Therefore, in their desperation, the two of them went to Beggars' Alley.
After discovering they couldn't resolve the ghost case, the two brothers then wanted to leave Wan'an County, dumping the mess onto her, who had luckily survived death.