"An A-rank mission, asking me to investigate what happened here."
"Going by the rule that the fewer words there are, the bigger the problem, this lousy place might even be connected to the Fishbone Temple outside."
Li Xin stood at the intersection, observing without immediately entering the alley.
"Single-story houses on one side, a corridor-style apartment block on the other. The houses are mostly blocked off, so the natural light must be terrible. But at least the main road is right outside their doors. Relatively speaking, they're less gloomy than the apartments."
He glanced at the pitch-black apartment block.
On the side facing the alley, each floor had roughly six rooms. All the windows were tightly shut, with curtains drawn inside.
On the first and second floors in particular, strange things had been stuck to the glass of many windows. Mugwort, sweet flag, dogwood—all herbs traditionally used to ward off evil.
It must have taken some effort to find those things in times like these.
Unfortunately.
Against vicious ghosts, they were utterly useless.
Nothing but wasted effort.
At most, they offered some peace of mind.
Still, judging from the condition of the herbs and how they contrasted with the windows, Li Xin figured they had not been there long. They had probably only been hung up in the past few days.
"These residents might have seen things they shouldn't have."
"But they had time to hang up herbs and didn't move out immediately. So there must be some reason they feel safe living here. Either it isn't too serious, or the authorities made them some kind of promise."
Li Xin had previously spoken with several mid-ranking members of the official Patrol Brigade and learned quite a bit about Ping An Lane.
For instance.
Twenty-eight families actually lived in this alley.