Chapter 35

The black fog that slowly spread out enveloped the entire pedestrian street, allowing everyone to experience the sudden drop in temperature by more than ten degrees. Many people nearby rubbed their hands and stamped their feet to fend off the discomfort from the cold.

The investigator had already noticed that the hot breath she exhaled condensed in front of her. The black fog was exceptionally thick, making it impossible to see the scene ahead for the moment. Black fog was rare to begin with, and she also heard ordinary people in the fog shouting in panic over there: “What’s going on? Why is the fog black? It’s not poisonous, is it!?”

“Seriously, could it be a gas leak!?”

The pedestrians’ worries were not unfounded. Even though goosebumps covered her body and her hairs stood on end, the investigator had to forcibly suppress the panic in her heart and strive to stay calm. She spoke steadily: “First, find your companions and hold hands so you don’t get separated, then try to stay in place and don’t move! Turn on the lights on your phones! Make sure your position is safe!”

Upon hearing her instructions, everyone hurriedly turned on their phones. In fact, at the first moment, they had thought to call the police, but unexpectedly, even though they were in the city, their phones showed no signal. Even without a signal, some still tried to call the police, but the calls wouldn’t go through.

This was not a mere lack of physical signal—it had already been covered by a Ghost Domain! The investigator knew very well that this vast expanse of black fog was that ghost’s Ghost Domain! Even more terrifying was that this ghost’s Ghost Domain was mobile, just like the Ghost Taxi!

As a member of the Spiritual Countermeasures Bureau, the investigator actually had communication methods available. But using them now would undoubtedly attract the attention of the monster in the black fog. She didn’t even know what the other party was yet, and rashly drawing its attention might get her killed.

In this situation, if she died, that was one thing, but she worried that after her death, the ordinary people around her would have no way to escape and would all die too!

The investigator bit her lip tightly, her gaze scanning the surroundings as she tried to pinpoint the direction the ghost was coming from. At the very least, she could warn the people nearby to avoid it and not crash straight into the monster.

At that moment, she saw shadowy figures and a massive shadow emerging from the black fog. The investigator understood—this was the true form of that ghost! The black shadow brought her tremendous pressure, and the eerie yin energy gradually eroded toward her, enveloping her completely and making cold sweat pour down her body like rain.

The figure drew a bit closer, almost right in front of her, when the investigator realized it wasn’t a human figure at all. It was clearly a malevolent ghost draped in a shapeless skin, mimicking a panicked human as it walked. Yet it held a signboard in its hands, one plaque on each side, with the words “No Living Allowed” written from top to bottom.

Further back, the malevolent ghost roared hoarsely, leading a procession while beating gongs and drums, yet not a single sound emerged—silently parading down the street.

As for the massive black shadow, it was a sedan chair, darkly looming over a cluster of malevolent ghosts as it advanced. Faintly atop the sedan, one could make out a person sitting there.

There was no need to guess—this person was undoubtedly the greatest malevolent ghost behind this entire spectral farce.

【Kneel.】

The malevolent ghost roared, and its soundless voice echoed in the investigator’s mind. Neither fully human nor beast, both male and female, its guttural croak was utterly grating. When the voice rang out, the investigator desperately wanted to bash her head against the ground to shake it off.

【Why not kneel?! Kneel!】

The roaring grew even more pronounced in her mind. Unable to resist, the investigator knelt directly, her head slamming onto the ground. Only then did the voice in her mind fade. The others around her, clueless, clutched their ears and shouted: “What is that thing?! What’s in my head? It hurts so much!”

The voice was actually hard to make out, far too strange with an odd pitch. Ghosts spoke like this. Having gone so long without human speech, even their words came out in tones unintelligible to the living. It was like a long-deaf mute suddenly cured—one day they spoke, but no normal person could understand it.

The investigator, experienced in dealing with ghosts, quickly discerned what the voice was saying. For ordinary people, it would take some time to comprehend it.

The investigator feared that without a response for too long, the ordinary people would go mad from the voice assaulting their minds directly. She gritted her teeth, pulled a silk thread from her pocket, and hid it within the black fog, extending it to every person still standing. With a yank, her spell coursed through the thread, forcing everyone to drop to the ground at the same moment.

This wasn’t kneeling, but the unknown voice seemed satisfied and did not resound in their minds again. The ordinary people realized that as long as they didn’t stand up, they’d be fine, so they obediently crouched on the ground.

The numerous malevolent ghosts in the black fog carried the sedan past the investigator. She didn’t dare lift her head and could only see the thick black fog roiling. Once the procession had moved farther away and the fog thinned a bit, she finally raised her head.

The investigator’s eyesight was sharp; she quickly spotted a taxi parked at the end of the pedestrian street. A taxi appearing in a Ghost Domain at a time like this could only be the Ghost Taxi. The investigator widened her eyes, staring intently at the Ghost Taxi, trying to figure out if it was in the same camp as this inexplicably appearing great ghost.

To her surprise, the Ghost Taxi didn’t make a sound before it was swallowed by the black fog and vanished.

After the procession in the black fog passed, the investigator scrambled up for a look and saw only the Ghost Taxi’s wrecked frame. She immediately grabbed her phone and called the Vice Bureau Chief. She recounted the events in detail, and the Vice Bureau Chief said she understood. The ordinary people didn’t need to worry; with so many surveillance cameras around, someone would soon be sent to erase their memories of this night. The urgent matter now was for the investigator to pursue and ensure the black fog didn’t cause any uncontrollable incidents.

When the investigator heard the order, she was momentarily stunned. Her first reaction was: Huh? Me, go?

But then she realized manpower was short and no one else could be spared. Thus, determination filled her face, and she replied gravely: “Vice Bureau Chief, understood.” She hung up and chased after the direction the black fog had vanished.

The investigator’s name was Zhang Ziyue, and her ghost-catching techniques were passed down in her family. But doing this work too long inevitably invited karma. When Zhang Ziyue was fifteen, her parents were killed by a malevolent ghost. She had been rescued by a senior from the Spiritual Countermeasures Bureau and carefully trained for years. Zhang Ziyue had long known that one day, she too would die at the hands of a malevolent ghost.

This line of work meant living with their heads on the line. Today was Zhang Ziyue’s day to lay down her life.

She couldn’t help but think that she had planned to go cosplaying with friends during the National Day holiday in October, and her account info hadn’t been cleared. She hoped no one would publicize her cringey online posts later.

But contrary to Zhang Ziyue’s expectations, the black fog seemed to be—chasing the Ghost Taxi. The black fog moved fast. Zhang Ziyue hopped on her scooter, twisting the throttle to the max, barely keeping up with its tail. This was only because the black fog occasionally paused to deal with the Ghost Taxi, allowing her to catch up.

Each time she chased the black fog past the Ghost Taxi’s wrecked vehicle, Zhang Ziyue couldn’t help thinking: Does this black fog ghost have a grudge against the Ghost Taxi?

Wearing earphones, she continued calling the Vice Bureau Chief and reported the situation. The Vice Bureau Chief asked: “Did you get a clear look at the ghost sitting in the sedan?”

“Couldn’t see. It was pitch black inside the sedan—nothing visible.”

“Got it… Where’s the black fog heading now?”

Zhang Ziyue checked the map on her phone and replied: “Toward People’s Square. Are there Ghost Taxis over there?”

“—Yes.”

Sure enough, the black fog ghost was after the Ghost Taxi. Zhang Ziyue suggested a cheeky idea: “Then let the black fog ghost fight the Ghost Taxi ghosts, and we sit back and reap the rewards?”

“Zhang Ziyue, in your description, you clearly noted that the Ghost Taxi seemed to be absorbed. If the black fog ghost can autonomously absorb yin energy, imagine how powerful it’ll become after taking in so many Ghost Taxis. We can’t let it meet any more Ghost Taxis.”

The Vice Bureau Chief hung up and switched to Xia Zhiming. Upon learning about the black fog ghost, Xia Zhiming fell noticeably silent. When she spoke again, she clearly tried to change the subject, but the Vice Bureau Chief caught her.

“Xia Zhiming! You know what that black fog ghost is, don’t you?! What is it?! Its Ghost Domain isn’t even fully deployed. Zhang Ziyue thinks the black fog is the Ghost Domain, but clearly, it’s just roaming around casually. What kind of ghost is that level?!”

When she received the call, Xia Zhiming was driving wildly, ramming into a Ghost Taxi. Hearing the Vice Bureau Chief’s roar, she blanked out for a moment and actually let the Ghost Taxi escape. Xia Zhiming was a bit annoyed. She slammed on the brakes, pressed the horn, and emerged from the Ghost Taxi’s Ghost Domain onto a road outside a residential complex.

Xintan City’s residents went to bed early; by midnight, there were hardly any cars outside. Her honk drew curses from the complex: “Honking in the middle of the night? Disturbing people’s sleep!”

Unfortunately, Xia Zhiming had no manners. She immediately yelled back: “What’re you yelling for? Does your family own the main road?! Get back to bed!”

The scolder clearly hadn’t expected Xia Zhiming to be so aggressive, but under her roar, they didn’t dare retort and shrank back inside. Xia Zhiming sat in the driver’s seat, leisurely unwrapped a lollipop, popped it in her mouth, and sucked on it for a bit before saying: “I know what it is, and you know it too.”

The Vice Bureau Chief shot back instantly: “I don’t know it. None of the ghosts I’ve encountered are like that.”

Xia Zhiming chuckled lowly: “You know her. She’s from our bureau—you registered her yourself.”

The Vice Bureau Chief’s mind turned quickly, and she immediately grasped the key point. Right then, Xia Zhiming heard a sharp, piercing screech from the Vice Bureau Chief.

Xia Zhiming held the phone farther away to protect her eardrums from the scream: “Xia Zhiming! You didn’t tell me she was this strong!”