DT |Chapter 7: Nineteen Coffins Seven

Dawn was approaching. National Security Group 7, an organization always on call, had irregular working hours. When there was nothing happening, they were idle, but once a case came in, they were busy day and night. However, Sheng Feng was an exceptionally good leader. Before leaving, he ordered everyone to go home and rest. After working continuously for two days, they could finally shut down their equipment and get a good night’s sleep.

Shen Yan did not immediately return to the Xiyi Realm. He patiently waited for the staff of the second interrogation room to get off work. As dawn broke, the corridors of National Security Group 7 gradually returned to calm. Shen Yan leisurely walked to the iron door of the second interrogation room, which was covered with talismans and sealed with a restriction.

Tian Nan Di Bei, leading a Little Mayfly girl with a candy in her mouth, had just walked out of his office when he witnessed a jaw-dropping scene. Shen Yan snapped his fingers at the exorcism lock of the second interrogation room, and with a ‘bang,’ the copper lock automatically opened. The talismans on the wall seemed to have no effect on Shen Yan. He simply pushed lightly, and the iron door opened.

Who exactly was this man? Tian Nan Di Bei pondered, his curiosity breaking free from its cage and igniting his fighting spirit. He gestured for the Little Mayfly girl to be silent and stealthily crept along the wall.

Shen Yan’s sudden arrival surprised Chu Xiao. She was not only astonished that this handsome man could easily break through the layers of talismans on the iron door, but also that he could ignore the restriction in front of her and walk right up to her.

Chu Xiao did not recognize Shen Yan as the one who had slapped her against the wall.

Shen Yan maintained a gentle smile on his face. His demeanor was impeccable, easily winning people’s favor.

“You… are you the evil ghost from the Xiyi Realm?” Chu Xiao’s hands, shackled in chains, trembled. “Did Shibi Nu send you?”

The moment she finished speaking, Shen Yan approached her, extending his slender hand to gently stroke Chu Xiao’s face like a feather. He smiled and said, “I wasn’t sent by Shibi Nu, but I am indeed from the Xiyi Realm, the most evil ghost.”

As soon as he finished speaking, his hand suddenly tightened, gripping Chu Xiao’s face firmly. Shen Yan’s strength was never small. With her hands shackled, Chu Xiao could not fight back and could only whimper softly to express her pain.

“Were you sent by that Sheng guy to test me?!” Chu Xiao struggled, her blood-red eyes glaring at Shen Yan.

Shen Yan’s smile deepened. He leaned down, whispering ambiguously in Chu Xiao’s ear, “Little girl, I suggest you speak with more respect. After all, I am not as magnanimous as Leader Sheng. My temper, Shibi Nu should have told you about it. If you say one word that displeases me, the Xiyi Realm has plenty of hungry demons waiting to tear you apart and eat you.”

After Shen Yan finished speaking, Chu Xiao immediately quieted down. Her once fierce eyes were now filled with fear and trepidation. Shen Yan did not know what his once “most loyal” subordinate Shibi Nu had told Chu Xiao, but over the centuries, the rumored Ghost King of Xiyi had never had a good reputation.

Shen Yan released Chu Xiao, standing with his hands behind his back. The smile on his face vanished, and he coldly said, “I came to ask you, where did Shibi Nu escape to? In this vast human world, why did he seek you out? What did that Taoist you mentioned steal from you?”

The sky was bright. After Sheng Feng drove home, he turned on the air conditioning, wrapped himself in a quilt, and collapsed onto the bed. He placed the jade pendant from his pocket beside his pillow. Without even taking off his shirt, he fell into a deep sleep.

In his dreams, he occasionally touched the cool jade beside his pillow. Its fine texture felt comfortable, so he held onto the jade pendant as he slept. Surprisingly, he slept soundly, with no signs of sleep paralysis.

Sheng Feng slept for a full twelve hours, only showing signs of waking up by evening. The house he lived in was bought cheaply, with poor lighting and ventilation. It was stuffy in summer and cold in winter, so during these seasons, the entire house relied on the only old air conditioner in Sheng Feng’s bedroom.

At this moment, the old air conditioner was still humming, blowing out cold air. Sheng Feng, half-awake, lay in the dimly lit bedroom, the heavy curtains blocking all sunlight.

Sheng Feng lay in bed for a while, rubbing his eyes and sitting up. He wanted to call Tian Nan Di Bei but remembered he had allowed them to rest today, so it wasn’t appropriate to discuss work.

Bored, he lay back in bed and browsed his phone, searching for “Yunhai University” on the browser. A bunch of admission brochures popped up. Sheng Feng quickly scrolled past these ads and brochures, occasionally seeing a news article: “Yunhai University top student He Bin, three-time champion of professional competitions, awarded numerous scholarships.”

Unimpressed, Sheng Feng continued scrolling. Another article: “He Bin, a top student in the eyes of teachers, an outstanding peer in the eyes of classmates.”

Sheng Feng read through thirty news articles about Yunhai University, with over ten focused on this “He Bin,” detailing his achievements and summarizing some eye-catching study methods. One section read:

“He Bin, a top student in design at Yunhai University, developed a great interest in art during middle school. Unfortunately, he failed the college entrance exam and could only apply to Yunhai University, which had a lower score requirement. Initially, his grades were average, but he unexpectedly became a dark horse in a professional design competition, winning the championship and a scholarship. He continued to win multiple competitions, once claiming: ‘I’ve received so many scholarships, my hands are full…'”

“He Bin…” Sheng Feng murmured, intrigued by this top student. He closed the current webpage and searched for Yunhai University’s alumni forum, thinking it wouldn’t discuss top students. To his surprise, half the posts were about He Bin.

“[Help] How can I get campus heartthrob He Bin to notice me?”

“Help, I saw He Bin today. He’s really handsome, my roommate wasn’t lying.”

“[Anonymous] I heard He Bin won another award. I knew him before, but it’s like his luck changed in college.”

“You’re just jealous. He Bin achieved success through his own efforts. You’re making it sound like he used some underhanded methods.”

Sheng Feng, lurking, watched the students bicker for over half an hour, enjoying the gossip. Suddenly, a phone call pulled him back to reality.

“Didn’t I tell you to rest? Why are you calling me?” Sheng Feng changed to a more comfortable position, lounging on the bed.

Tian Nan Di Bei hesitated on the other end of the line, unable to say anything. Sheng Feng grew impatient and asked, “What’s up? Just say it, don’t beat around the bush.”

“Leader… I don’t know how to tell you this…” Tian Nan Di Bei circled around the topic before finally choosing to honestly recount what he saw today, “Leader, I was really scared at the time. My legs were weak. Later, when I heard no sound, I peeked into the interrogation room and only Chu Xiao was left.”

“Shibi Nu?” Sheng Feng murmured.

“Yes, Shibi Nu. I heard those three words. It should be the name of an evil ghost,” Tian Nan Di Bei confirmed, then hesitated, “Leader, where did that ghost come from? You mustn’t trust him.”

Sheng Feng glanced at the jade pendant lying quietly beside his pillow, paused, and said, “His name is Shen Yan. He’s an ally sent by the Underworld. He was previously kept in a pouch by Fan Wujiu. For now, killing us doesn’t benefit him at all. We’re in a cooperative relationship. Once this case is over, he should return to the Xiyi Realm.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Sheng Feng heard someone knocking on his security door. He quickly hung up on Tian Nan Di Bei, got out of bed, put on his shoes, and ran to open the door.

Standing outside was a middle-aged man with thick eyebrows and deep-set eyes, dressed smartly, holding a large box of unknown brand supplements. He pushed past Sheng Feng and went straight to the living room, placing the supplements on the table.

“Shifu!” Sheng Feng, wearing slippers, looked at the middle-aged man who had just entered with a bewildered expression. “Why are you here at this time?”

“What, you little brat, do I need to report to you when I come?” Former National Security Group 7 leader Huang Rongxin sat boldly on the sofa, crossing his legs as he looked at his disciple. “You think I wanted to come? Your shimu recently got some supplements and thought you were staying up late working on cases, so she insisted I bring you some to boost your health.”

In front of Huang Rongxin, Sheng Feng lost all his commanding presence from National Security, becoming as docile as a harmless little lamb, obediently fetching tea leaves, boiling water, pouring tea, and listening to Huang Rongxin’s scolding.

“Hey, it’s been a while. You’ve learned to enjoy yourself, huh? Finally opened that Baihao Yinzhen tea,” Huang Rongxin said, sniffing the tea leaves on the table.

Sheng Feng, holding the teapot, refilled Huang Rongxin’s cup and said, “It’s not for me. My friend drank it. You know I don’t drink tea.”

Huang Rongxin’s eyes lit up. Sheng Feng was naturally good-looking. A few years ago, Huang Rongxin wasn’t worried about Sheng Feng finding a wife, but now that Sheng Feng was over thirty and still didn’t have any close female friends, he couldn’t help but worry.

Hearing Sheng Feng’s words, Huang Rongxin couldn’t sit still. This wooden kid made friends? Brought them home? Even gave them his precious tea?

“Made a friend, huh? How do they look?” Huang Rongxin tried to suppress his excitement, pretending to be calm.

Sheng Feng, indifferent, didn’t notice his shifu’s misunderstanding. He recalled Shen Yan sitting on the sofa drinking tea and said without thinking, “Looks pretty good, just talks a bit much.”

“Talking a lot is good! Lively! Otherwise, you’d be cooped up in this place, not making friends or talking. Your shimu and I were worried you’d become dull. It’s good to have someone lively to chat with you every day,” Huang Rongxin seemed to have already taken a liking to his future disciple-in-law.

“What?” Sheng Feng sensed something was off.

Huang Rongxin quickly took a sip of tea, smacking his lips, and changed the subject as if nothing had happened: “Let’s not talk about that. I heard you took on a tricky case recently. How’s it going?”