DT |Chapter 10: Nineteen Coffins Ten

“The rare news that the leader of National Security Group 7 lost his temper today has spread throughout the entire National Security Group. Except for the twentieth floor, which was silent, the other floors were bustling with activity. Bai Lingdang, from the interrogation department of Group 6, which is closest to Group 7, was curious enough to want to visit the twentieth floor for ‘consolation.’ However, she was sent back by Tian Nan Di Bei from Group 7 before she even got out of the elevator. In the end, Shen Yan didn’t clear away the food on the table. To put it bluntly, these things were nominally ‘offerings.’ People with light destinies might see them, but for ordinary people, Sheng Feng’s table was spotless. The paper bride was ordered to clean up the fire basin on the ground. Sheng Feng, considering her gossip-loving heart, tasked her with infiltrating the Yunhai University forum and student groups to gather all information about He Bin on campus, and finally, to submit a report. The paper bride was on the verge of tears, flipping through the forum pages at her workstation, while Little Mayfly sat beside her, bored, playing mobile games. In the leader’s office, Sheng Feng and Shen Yan were staring at each other, though it was mostly Sheng Feng looking at Shen Yan, as the latter shamelessly continued to work through the snacks on the table. Sheng Feng glanced at Shen Yan, his head seemingly filled with question marks: ‘What are you wearing?’ As if being handsome allowed one to do whatever they wanted. ‘It’s cool,’ Shen Yan replied impatiently, brushing his long hair back. His entire focus was on the snacks, occasionally picking at this and that, perfectly embodying the phrase ‘eating from the bowl while eyeing the pot.’ Like a starving ghost who hadn’t eaten in years, he picked up a spicy duck neck: ‘Hmm~ what brand is this? It’s delicious.’ Truly a starving ghost. Sheng Feng couldn’t be bothered with idle chatter and got serious: ‘Have you made any progress on the Soul-Leaving Nails investigation?’ Shen Yan, chewing on a chicken leg, skillfully stripped the meat off and spat out a bare bone. He swallowed the chicken and said nonchalantly, ‘No progress.’ Sheng Feng immediately felt deceived, his recently calmed anger flaring up again: ‘What the hell do you mean? You spent a whole day in the Xiyi Realm, confidently saying you knew people in the black market, and now you tell me there’s no progress at all?!’ ‘Captain Sheng, don’t be anxious. Isn’t the Xiyi Realm black market still closed? Where do you want me to find people to inquire?’ Shen Yan sat there calmly, gesturing for Sheng Feng to calm down. ‘It’s indeed my fault for not checking the dates. The black market in the Xiyi Realm has been closed since the day before yesterday. Captain Sheng, you know those sneaky types; they won’t show their faces unless the market is open.’ Sheng Feng asked, puzzled: ‘Isn’t the Xiyi Realm under your jurisdiction? How can the black market open and close so freely?’ ‘That’s where you’re mistaken, Captain Sheng.’ Shen Yan stood up with a large bag of chips, pacing the room. At this moment, Sheng Feng noticed something interesting. Even though Shen Yan was wearing such an odd outfit, his walking posture still retained the graceful demeanor of an ancient person. ‘The Xiyi Realm, Nugu Realm, and Evil Spirit Path form a tripartite balance, each governing their own territory. We are all wandering souls and ghosts exiled by the Underworld. In our world, there are no laws, only survival of the fittest. The Ghost King is not elected by the ghosts but is a king forged through battle. It’s just a temporary title. It’s not uncommon for three generations of Ghost Kings to emerge in a single day.’ Shen Yan spoke as if discussing something unrelated to himself. ‘For the Underworld, the birth of a Ghost King is only for deterrence, not suppression. So as long as no ghost challenges my authority, we all coexist peacefully, clearly defined.’ Sheng Feng had never been to the Underworld, let alone these three gathering places of evil ghosts. In his immature days, he had asked Huang Rongxin to take him down to see, but was flatly refused, leaving him frustrated for a long time. ‘Then you should know when the Xiyi Realm black market opens, right?’ Sheng Feng took a sip of water. Shen Yan slumped into the swivel chair, which creaked under his weight. He grabbed a handful of chips and snapped his fingers: ‘Of course I know. It’s on the 22nd of this month, the day after tomorrow.’ Sheng Feng checked the calendar on his phone and looked up at Shen Yan, who was swaying in the swivel chair: ‘The Ghost Festival?’ ‘Every year on the Ghost Festival, they hold a grand feast. In ancient times, it was a time for ghosts to run rampant and slaughter thousands. Now it’s much more civilized, turning into a place for the three major evil ghosts to gather for entertainment and trade. There will definitely be many coming to the Xiyi Realm to indulge in eating, drinking, and gambling. It should be easy to find out what you want to know.’ Shen Yan brazenly put his feet on Sheng Feng’s desk, only to retract them under Sheng Feng’s glare. He chuckled: ‘By the way, Captain Sheng, have you found out about the Taoist mentioned by Chu Xiao?’ ‘I have. He was a Taoist invited by Hong Dechang to perform rituals at Yunhai University. Now, the Taoist’s body is in the National Security’s underground morgue. He’s been dead for several days, his essence completely drained. We don’t know who killed him. But in my opinion, it doesn’t seem like Chu Xiao’s method of killing first and then dissecting. It seems more like… someone else’s doing.’ Sheng Feng paused, looking up at Shen Yan: ‘With such a straightforward method, the Ghost King has seen much. Do you know if there’s such a person in the Xiyi Realm?’ Shen Yan was taken aback by Sheng Feng’s sudden probing. His face quickly adjusted, and he smiled: ‘There are so many ghosts in the Xiyi Realm, and quite a few live by absorbing essence. Without a census, how would I know which one did it?’ ‘Really? I heard that yesterday morning, after I left National Security, the Ghost King had a long talk with Chu Xiao.’ Sheng Feng seemed unafraid of the king who had slaughtered countless ghosts, bluntly revealing the truth. ‘The Xiyi Ghost King has quite the presence, interrogating prisoners on his own, coercing information he wants and choosing to hide it. Shen Yan, your act of playing dumb is quite impressive. I almost forgot you’re the fiercest ghost in the Xiyi Realm.’ Shen Yan’s charming smile gradually froze, a hint of killing intent in his eyes. He gently placed the food in his hand on the table, walked over to Sheng Feng, and leaned down with a friendly smile: ‘I do have some information you don’t know, and I do have other purposes for coming to the human world. But I advise you, Sheng Feng.’ He pressed one hand on the armrest of Sheng Feng’s chair, lowering his voice: ‘Don’t dig too deep. You should know how easy it is for me to kill someone. You should also know that even if I accidentally killed you today, the Underworld wouldn’t dare say anything.’ ‘Then what are you waiting for? I’m right here. Kill me now.’ Shen Yan was completely unprepared for Sheng Feng’s response, his mind going blank, and the oppressive atmosphere dissipated instantly. In fact, he rarely killed. More often, just standing there would scare the opponent into retreating and begging for mercy. He had never encountered someone like Sheng Feng, who seemed eager to die, completely throwing him off balance. Actually, the slight pain when he first grabbed Sheng Feng’s neck wouldn’t have stopped Shen Yan from killing him. Shen Yan just didn’t want to hear the whimpering sound people made before suffocating to death. Shen Yan subconsciously glanced at the scar on Sheng Feng’s neck, feeling dizzy, so he quickly looked away, and the dizziness subsided a bit. Sheng Feng had spoken impulsively, and even he was startled by his words. Seeing Shen Yan’s silence, he thought the other was considering how to kill him, his heart in his throat, though he tried to appear calm. In less than two minutes, he had even planned his escape route. The two stared at each other in this strange posture for a while. Finally, Shen Yan released the armrest of Sheng Feng’s chair, stepped over to pick up the unfinished chips, and said: ‘What a coincidence, I don’t feel like killing today. Lucky you.’ Sheng Feng secretly breathed a sigh of relief, adjusted his breathing, and said: ‘Anyway… I don’t care what grudges you have with that Shi Bin Nu, but if he intentionally caused this case, National Security won’t show him any mercy.’ ‘I couldn’t ask for more.’ Shen Yan laughed mockingly, taking a sip of cola. ‘You want to kill him, I couldn’t ask for more. That traitor stole my waist knife, escaped the Xiyi Realm’s pursuit, and caused trouble in the human world, disgracing the Xiyi Realm. I used to value him so much, but now I wish I could tear him to pieces.’ As soon as Shen Yan finished speaking, the office door was pushed open by Tian Nan Di Bei from outside. Seeing his flustered state, Sheng Feng knew something bad had happened. He immediately stood up: ‘What’s going on?’ ‘Captain…’ Tian Nan Di Bei hesitated, glancing at Shen Yan sitting nearby. Sheng Feng said openly: ‘It’s fine, speak.’ With Sheng Feng’s permission, Tian Nan Di Bei took a charred little paper figure from his pocket. Sheng Feng immediately recognized it as the one he had deliberately attached to He Bin. He walked over, and Tian Nan Di Bei held the paper figure flat in his palm. The paper figure was already charred, its edges curled up, lifeless and unusable. ‘Where did it come from?’ Sheng Feng’s expression darkened. ‘Just now, while I was sitting at my workstation, it suddenly flew in through the window and knocked over a row of folders. When I picked it up, it was already burned like this.’ Tian Nan Di Bei spoke with a hint of reluctance. He knew very well that each paper figure Sheng Feng made carried a fragment of a soul, all little ghosts seeking refuge with Sheng Feng. Shen Yan, standing nearby, also became more serious: ‘Burned so thoroughly, it must have been tainted with heavy yin energy. Judging by the ruthlessness, it seems like Shi Bin Nu’s handiwork.’ Sheng Feng ordered: ‘Apply for a search warrant, take a team to Yunhai University, and let’s have a talk with He Bin.’