Chapter 12

After getting up, Qi Xu still changed back into her own clothes. Xia Zhiming did not wear her pink daoist robe today, but instead put on a set of ordinary casual clothes. She stood together with Qi Xu. Although one could tell there was a bit of an age difference, the gap was not large. They looked just like two students.

After getting dressed, Xia Zhiming first held Qi Xu and channeled yang energy into her. Only when Qi Xu had been kissed dizzy did she pull Qi Xu out the door.

“We’ll first go to the Third Bureau to register you as an intern and get you a certificate. Then we’ll go find your counselor. After that, you can go back to your dorm to pack up your things and come straight back.”

Xia Zhiming’s words were logical and well-reasoned, leaving Qi Xu with no objections. Before leaving the apartment, Xia Zhiming first took a key from the shoe cabinet by the door. She went straight down to the basement level and got into her ride with Qi Xu—a rugged off-road vehicle. It was Qi Xu’s first time in an off-road vehicle, and she felt a bit excited.

She had not expected that Xia Zhiming, who seemed like such a girl who loved pink, would actually own such a beast-like rugged car.

“Wow, Xia Zhiming, why did you think to buy an off-road vehicle?”

In real life, very few people actually bought off-road vehicles. They were uncomfortable to sit in and uncomfortable to drive, with a very high viewpoint and large blind spots. Plus, the fuel consumption was shocking. Aside from a few rich and idle people, hardly anyone bought these hardcore vehicles.

Xia Zhiming’s answer made Qi Xu shut her mouth completely.

“Better for hitting people.”

“…”

Xia Zhiming smiled. “Just kidding. I’m a law-abiding citizen. How could I actually hit people?”

Qi Xu had just let out a breath of relief when she heard Xia Zhiming say, “Of course, I do occasionally hit ghosts, or trees, or walls.”

“Isn’t your work pretty dangerous?”

“It’s alright. Just two or three people die every month.”

Qi Xu swallowed hard. She always felt like her head was tucked into her belt right now. She was just an ordinary female college student. Was it still not too late to get out of the car?

In the end, Qi Xu did not voice that thought. She knew that if she said she wanted to get out and regretted it, Xia Zhiming definitely would not stop her. She would cut ties completely and let her turn into a ghost if she wanted. She might even scatter her soul to the winds the moment she did.

These past two days, Qi Xu had been pushed along without a choice. Last night, she had been so tired that she fell asleep especially fast. Xia Zhiming had said she even snored… She usually did not snore, but it could not be ruled out in a state of extreme exhaustion. Under those circumstances, she had no time to calm down and think.

Now, sitting in Xia Zhiming’s car, she finally had the time and mood to sort through the events of the past two days.

Qi Xu felt she was a bit unlucky. She had only wanted to go to the local temple fair with her friends, yet she ran into something like this and ended up half-human, half-ghost. She had harbored some resentment in her heart, wanting to complain that Xia Zhiming’s skills were not strong enough, leading to her current state. She also wanted to complain about her friends—if not for them, she would not have gone to the temple fair.

But those thoughts flashed by in an instant. She knew she could not blame anyone. In that situation, only Xia Zhiming’s actions could have saved her and her friends. She had agreed to go to the temple fair herself; no one had forced her.

No one had done anything wrong. No one wanted to end up like this. It was purely her bad luck.

What was done was done. There was no way to turn back time. Even if she had to tuck her head into her belt, Qi Xu accepted it. For now, she could only follow Xia Zhiming. At least Xia Zhiming was a good person. She had not abandoned her or left her to fend for herself. Instead, she had kept her around and was willing to help her find a way to become fully human again.

Xia Zhiming was truly a good person!

When Qi Xu thought of this, her eyes filled with gratitude toward Xia Zhiming. While waiting at a red light, Xia Zhiming glanced at Qi Xu and felt goosebumps all over her body.

Xia Zhiming’s apartment was not far from the Xintan City Spiritual Countermeasures Bureau Third Branch. After driving for about eighteen minutes, they arrived at the entrance. As they passed the security booth at the gate, the old granny inside stared at Qi Xu for a long time. That gaze made Qi Xu’s hair stand on end, and she unconsciously swallowed.

It was only when Xia Zhiming stuck her head out and said, “Open the gate,” that the old granny pressed the switch to open the electric retractable door.

Xia Zhiming parked the car casually in a spot and had Qi Xu get out. Once Qi Xu was out, she led her inside. From the moment Qi Xu entered, she looked left and right. It did not seem like an official organization at all. Instead, it felt like a factory.

By the time they reached the main building’s entrance, it looked even more like a factory. The automatic doors slid open to both sides. Xia Zhiming walked inside, with Qi Xu following closely behind. Looking ahead, she could even see a sign for some limited company. Qi Xu lifted her foot and took a step forward, crossing the threshold of the automatic door. In that instant, she felt the world spin.

This sensation felt a bit familiar to Qi Xu. She looked to her left and right, discovering that her wrists were bound again and she was suspended. But this time, it was not coarse hemp rope, but extremely thin, almost invisible threads. At the same time, she saw the dark ancient-style clothes on her arms…

After exchanging glances, she confirmed it: she had turned into a ghost again.

Looking down, her body lay directly on the ground.

At that moment, the originally very ordinary factory front desk changed appearance, completely different from what it had been outside. The interior had transformed utterly, turning into something that looked like an underground research facility from a sci-fi game—and a particularly large one at that. There were many mirrors around, emitting a eerie blue glow.

Qi Xu looked toward Xia Zhiming, only to see her clutching her stomach and laughing. “Hahaha, you’re suspended again!”

—This person was still taking pleasure in her misfortune!

Qi Xu was furious. She remembered that she was quite strong as a ghost—certified by Xia Zhiming herself. Even in front of the Stone Spirit, she could float in midair. So she simply exerted force with her hands, trying to pull her suspended arms over and snap the thin threads.

Unexpectedly, she actually seemed likely to succeed. The threads binding her stretched taut as she pulled, bending her hands down. But the next moment, someone yanked her hands back with force.

At that instant, a girl with closed eyes walked out from the darkness. She appeared even younger than Qi Xu. She came to Xia Zhiming’s side, her eyes tightly shut, brows furrowed deeply. Qi Xu’s ghost eyes were particularly sharp, and she quickly spotted threads extending from the girl’s ten fingers.

No need to say it—this was the culprit who had her suspended here.

The other girl turned toward Xia Zhiming and spoke directly. “Investigator Xia Zhiming, why did you bring a malevolent ghost into our bureau?”

Qi Xu really wanted to retort: I’m not some malevolent ghost.

She also looked at Xia Zhiming, hoping she would explain for her. Instead, she heard Xia Zhiming say, “Because I can’t handle her, so I wanted to see if Vice Bureau Chief, you could think of a way to subdue her.”

Qi Xu’s eyes widened in anger. At this point, she had no choice but to speak up. “You clearly said you were bringing me here to start work! I’m here to be an intern!”

“You actually believed what I said?”

As soon as those words landed, the girl’s hands moved. Originally, only two threads had been pulling Qi Xu’s hands. Now, ten threads bound her tightly, leaving only her mouth free to speak. “Wait! I’m not a malevolent ghost! I haven’t hurt anyone!”

As she spoke, Qi Xu felt the threads on her body tightening forcefully. Even the jade pendant set in front of her jingled from the motion. The girl’s voice was clear and brimming with a sense of justice. “All ghosts say that. I won’t be fooled by you!”

Qi Xu wanted to say more, but the next moment, an eerie blue light emanated from her body, burning away the threads. The bindings were destroyed, but she still floated steadily in midair. The girl—that is, the Vice Bureau Chief whom Xia Zhiming had mentioned—raised her head. Even with her eyes closed, Qi Xu felt her glaring furiously. “And you still claim you’re not a malevolent ghost?!”

Qi Xu shut her mouth, feeling like she could not explain herself even if she had reason on her side.

At that moment, she even had some doubts. Was she really too strong, and Xia Zhiming could not handle her, so she had tricked her into coming to the Xintan City Spiritual Countermeasures Bureau Third Branch? But on second thought, if that were the case, there would have been no need for all the kissing.

Qi Xu figured it out and looked at Xia Zhiming again. Those curved brows and eyes full of amusement clearly told Qi Xu: she was teasing people again!

Qi Xu was so angry. “Xia Zhiming, explain yourself clearly! Stop playing around!”

Xia Zhiming laughed again before patting the Vice Bureau Chief’s head. “Alright, I just wanted you to see how strong she is. She really isn’t a malevolent ghost. To be precise, she only turned into a ghost the day before yesterday. She hasn’t had time to harm anyone yet.”

The Vice Bureau Chief immediately swatted Xia Zhiming’s hand away, declaring righteously, “Don’t try to fool me!”

Qi Xu took it all in and instantly understood one thing: this Vice Bureau Chief had clearly been teased by Xia Zhiming plenty of times before.

“Hey, I’m serious. She just turned into a ghost.”

The Vice Bureau Chief pointed at Qi Xu. “She just turned into a ghost and she’s already this strong?!”

This was actually a question Qi Xu had always wanted to ask too. Xia Zhiming waved her hand at Qi Xu. “Anyway, go back into your body first.” Qi Xu glanced at the Vice Bureau Chief and could only comply. She dove back into her body. Unlike the previous dazed feeling, this time, as soon as she approached, she felt a powerful suction from her body.

After a moment, her perspective shifted to the low angle of lying on the ground.

When she climbed up, she heard the Vice Bureau Chief say, “So that’s how it is.”

“?” Wait, what exactly did you two say while I was returning to my body?!