A shimmering white light penetrated the dark Ghost Domain, and the group from Headquarters successfully entered Yuzhou City, clearly seeing the city's interior.
Their first impression of the city was one of ruin. The Ghost Marsh incident had caused countless deaths and injuries, and Yue Renchun was known in the Supernatural community as the one who saved the city.
But... everything before us was far too desolate. Scattered dirt covered the street corners and nearby buildings, and it was eerily quiet, as if there wasn't a single living person in sight.
"I remember there were many survivors in the Ghost Marsh incident, and the country invested a lot of resources to help with reconstruction. How could this be..." Fu Youhua said with a serious expression.
Shen Jiliang sneered, "Deceiving superiors and subordinates, it seems there are many inside stories here, even Headquarters has been kept in the dark."
Fu Youhua suppressed his anger. "We'll talk about this later. Let's figure out how to resolve this Supernatural event first."
This is where things get a little awkward. Although it's hard to admit, the truth is that the mechanisms and patterns of many unknown Supernatural events are built upon the lives of ordinary people!
They won't intentionally harm others or force them to test things out, because there's never a shortage of unlucky people who accidentally trigger patterns.
But right now, what they lack is manpower. They can't possibly let the elites at Headquarters become cannon fodder. Are they just going to stand by and watch?
"If you ask me, Headquarters should make good use of the Secret Peeker instead of keeping them idle. It's such a waste to leave such a useful ability unused," Shen Jiliang sighed.
"You know perfectly well that Secret Peeker are prone to seeing all sorts of weird things, which can lead to mental breakdowns. Moreover, the secret information they reveal will most likely steer things in a direction that is detrimental to humanity." Fu Youhua also quite helpless, feeling a sense of frustration at having a treasure trove to guard but being able to look but not use.
Civilian Organization or individuals may disregard the negative effects of Supernatural phenomena, but the Headquarters is a national institution that must consider all aspects and cannot ignore even the slightest side effects.
"Send it to the Research Department so we can take a look." Shen Jiliang very serious, but Fu Youhua just thought he was joking. If the Research Department only did scientific research, then they could research whatever they wanted. Unfortunately, the Research Department was not just a research and development department.
"Did you hear any strange noises?" Xu Bo suddenly asked.
Everyone was startled and immediately stopped talking. The surroundings fell silent, and a faint "whoosh" sound could be heard, as if paper was being gently rubbed.
A few weeds quietly sprouted from the cracks in the road, adding a touch of new green to the dim city.
On the other side, Hu Jiu composed himself and stopped thinking about those unrealistic ambitions.
The mysterious Ghost Domain sealed off four cities. After discussion, the leaders of the cities decided to gather in Xihe City, the place where the abnormal phenomena first appeared, to start the investigation and handling from there.
Just as Hu Jiu was about to drive himself to his destination, a strange bus stopped near his house.
"Hu Jiu, right? I'm Shi Chang, the person in charge of Xihe City. Get in the car, I'm here to pick you up," the driver shouted.
After Xiao Mei confirmed Shi Chang's identity, Hu Jiu boarded the bus. He could tell that this bus was not an ordinary one.
The bus wasn't large, with fewer than twenty seats. The air inside was slightly dry, and a dim yellow light shone faintly from the ceiling, seemingly about to go out at any moment. The seats were filthy, the railings were rusty, and the windows had irregular cracks; at first glance, it looked like a completely wrecked vehicle.
Hu Jiu randomly chose a seat and sat down. The driver was a middle-aged man in his forties, who was overweight and had baldness that had formed a distinct M-shape.
Besides the driver and Hu Jiu, there were two other people in the car.
Behind the driver's seat was a tall, muscular man wearing a tight black hoodie that clearly outlined his muscular physique. He had a striking scar on his face that stretched from the corner of his eye to his chin.
Next to the burly man sat a middle-aged woman dressed as a housewife. Her eyes kept darting around, her hands were tucked into her pockets, and she kept her head down, appearing extremely uneasy.
"Everyone's here. Let me say a few words first," Shi Chang said slowly as he drove. "The person in charge in Yuzhou City and his team have all lost contact, so the four of us are currently the main force responsible for handling this Supernatural incident."
Shi Chang's words immediately carried the air of a leader holding a private meeting. Although he rambled on a bit, his core message was clear: ensure personal safety, adhere to realism, and under these premises, safeguard national interests and cautiously investigate the Source Ghost's intelligence.
This insightful statement was unanimously approved by those present.
Without moral blackmail or an overabundance of sympathy, this level of Supernatural event is beyond the reach of ordinary people. It would be quite an achievement if they could uncover even a little information. Whether for public or private reasons, their priority should be self-preservation; otherwise, the Fierce Ghost that rise from the dead will only worsen the situation.
There aren't that many fools in this world, especially when it comes to their own interests; they're all incredibly shrewd, Hu Jiu thought to himself.
"This vehicle is my Supernatural Item. It has excellent defensive capabilities and mobility, so don't worry too much. It's much safer inside the vehicle than outside. If all else fails, you should all have built your own 'golden houses' and 'safe houses,' right?"
Hearing Shi Chang's words, the three nodded.
The burly man's name was Zhao Duohui, and the middle-aged woman beside him was Zhao Ruying. They seemed to be relatives, both living in Peishui City.
After a brief self-introduction, the carriage fell silent. Hu Jiu carefully observed the environment outside the window. Although it was daytime, it was dark outside, and the visibility was getting lower and lower. Only the headlights of the bus illuminated a small section of the road.
Lush, green weeds were faintly visible by the roadside. Hu Jiu's gaze sharpened as something swiftly swept past and disappeared into the roadside grass.
At just one glance, Hu Jiu couldn't make out the thing's exact appearance, only vaguely discerning that it resembled a... human?
It had limbs, a body, and a head, but if you said it was a person, Hu Jiu felt something was off, because the thing's posture was similar to that of an ape, or more like a quadrupedal creature forcibly standing and running, its movements twisted and indescribably strange.
"What was that outside the window just now?" he asked, turning his head.
"What did you say?" Zhao Ruying seemed a little confused and turned to look out the window.
"Something that looks a lot like a person, didn't you see it?" Hu Jiu pointed.
"No!" Zhao Ruying shrank her neck.
"Don't be nervous, maybe I'm seeing things," Hu Jiu replied.
"You're not mistaken, I saw it too," Shi Chang said casually, showing no intention of stopping the car.
"Could they be Ghost Slaves?" Zhao Duohui frowned. "In such a vast Ghost Domain, people have probably already been killed. It's not surprising that they would turn into Ghost Slaves; we just haven't discovered them yet."
"Ghost Slaves are a threat to ordinary people, but Ghost Tamer can easily eliminate one with a single punch. These Supernatural derivatives are not much different from cockroaches."
"Oh," Hu Jiu replied perfunctorily.
The simple exchange broke the stagnant atmosphere. Zhao Duohui was not as fierce and aloof as he appeared; on the contrary, he was very friendly and talkative, chatting about strange tales and anecdotes from the Supernatural world.
"Did you guys see that post on the forum not long ago? Apparently, they caught a guy in America who claims to be a time traveler. He's acting crazy, saying there's a monster devouring time, the future has been swallowed up, and he can only escape back to the past to survive..." Zhao Duohui said with great seriousness.
Hu Jiu chuckled, "It sounds like it's made up. Ever since the Supernatural was proven to exist, there have been new stories being made up every day on the Ghost Tamer Forum, even more ridiculous than Zhihu."
"I think so too," Zhao Duohui said. "If this were true, the news would definitely be kept tightly under wraps. How could it possibly get out?"
"There's no shortage of people who spread rumors and fabricate stories in any era. The Water Monkey Case that caused such a stir six months ago, even alarming Headquarters, turned out to be just a farce. It turned out someone was using a Supernatural event to traffic people. Those people are truly despicable, daring to pin the blame on Fierce Ghosts." Shi Chang sighed deeply. "Such outrageous news is best treated as a joke; it has nothing to do with us anyway."
Zhao Duohui immediately perked up. "Wow, this is the first time I've heard such explosive gossip. It happened half a year ago? Were you already Ghost Tamer back then?"
Hu Jiu also became interested, but Shi Chang waved his hand reservedly, "The Water Monkey Case had a terrible impact. During this special period, Headquarters has been intentionally downplaying it. It's normal that you don't know the inside story. I've been quite lucky. I have some acquaintances and resources in Capital, so I haven't died suddenly after Ghost Tamer for half a year. If you don't understand anything, you can ask me."
"If I hadn't unexpectedly become Ghost Tamer, I would never have been to the Capital." Zhao Duohui wasn't highly educated, nor was he particularly quick-witted. If he hadn't mastered Fierce Ghost, his life would probably have been that of an ordinary laborer, occasionally showing off his skills online. Ghost Tamer is glamorous, allowing one to transcend social classes, but it's also incredibly short-lived...
Zhao Duohui visibly became more ingratiating towards Shi Chang.
Hu Jiu watched silently from the side. What Shi Chang had just said couldn't be proven true or false at all. It seemed more like he was deliberately boasting to increase his influence within the team, so that in special circumstances, everyone would be more mindful of his "status."
They drew a vague, ambiguous picture, hoping someone would take the bait, and decided to focus on overcoming the immediate difficulties first, dealing with the future later.
"It's getting dark outside, Brother Shi. Can you see the road now?" Zhao Ruying suddenly asked.
Shi Chang said confidently, "Don't worry, I know this road to Xihe City like the back of my hand. I could get there with my eyes closed..."
"Don't speak yet!" Hu Jiu stared outside. "Listen!"
"Help! Help!" The panicked cries for help reached my ears.
The bus continued to travel at a steady speed, but Shi Chang paid no attention.
Thud--
With a loud bang, the bus was forced to stop, and due to inertia, all four people fell forward.
"What happened?" Zhao Ruying asked in alarm.
"We hit something, there's a problem." Shi Chang's expression was grim; whoever could stop this car must be no ordinary person!
"Can you handle it?" Zhao Duohui asked hurriedly. It was getting darker outside, and lingering in this remote place was not a good thing.
"I'll try." Shi Chang attempted to restart the engine, but there was no response; it seemed completely broken.
"Is something wrong?" Zhao Duohui glanced out the window, a shadow falling over his eyes.
"I don't know, I need to get out and check." Shi Chang stood up and opened the car door.
The sky was extremely dark, the headlights were very dim, and the road ahead was empty, so they couldn't find what they had just hit.
Zhao Duohui got out of the car with Shi Chang. Zhao Ruying hesitated for a few seconds, but seeing that Hu Jiu was still sitting there, she stayed in the car, pulling her shirt tighter without saying a word, and moving away from the car door and windows.
Hu Jiu remained silent. It was normal for unexpected things to happen in a Supernatural event of this level.
"Help!" The cries for help grew closer.
This was the only source of light nearby; the dense darkness almost completely obscured everything, making Shi Chang and Zhao Duohui's figures appear blurry.
In the shadows where light and darkness meet, something seemed to lurk, wriggling and twisting slightly, peering at the bus like a lurking venomous snake, ready to pounce from the gutter and tear its prey apart at the first opportunity.
"Ah!!" A heart-wrenching scream suddenly rang out, and a figure scrambled to the front of the bus.
"Help me!" It was a very young boy, who looked like a high school student. His face and body were covered in blood, and something was vaguely chasing him from behind.
Thud--
Zhao Duohui drew his gun and fired a gold bullet, which struck an unknown object.
"What is that?" Hu Jiu tried to figure it out, and the next moment, a huge face loomed close to him through the car window.
Despite the cracks all over the windowpanes, they were very sturdy and showed no signs of breaking. But when the monster was pressed against his face, Hu Jiu instinctively reached out and pushed it forward.
Click--
The glass shattered instantly, a thick, foul-smelling liquid splattered, and a clump of something fell directly to the ground.
"What is it?" Hu Jiu took out his phone and illuminated the ground.
Shi Chang and Zhao Duohui immediately came over. Zhao Duohui didn't think much of it, but Shi Chang stared at the broken car window in astonishment for a moment before looking away.
The boy who had just called for help suddenly darted onto the bus, hiding in a corner, curled up with his head in his hands, and trembling.
Shi Chang glanced at it but did not stop it.
Lying on the ground was a humanoid creature. To be precise, it used to be a human, but Hu Jiu had smashed it to pieces, making it somewhat disgusting.
Zhao Duohui took a closer look and gasped, "Why is grass growing on his head?"
This statement is not an exaggeration or a joke, but a description of the fact.
The dead man had a head covered in green, with strands of weeds sprouting from his scalp and swaying gently in the wind.
"Get back in the car and turn off the lights. I have a bad feeling about this; we're probably in trouble!" Shi Chang hurriedly returned to the driver's seat, followed closely by Zhao Duohui, who closed the car door.
All eyes turned to the shattered car window. Hu Jiu remained remarkably calm, a White Sash ribbon appearing out of thin air to cover the tear. "It's alright, I'll sit here and keep watch for you. Nothing will break in."