"How is that possible? Brother Bai is an S-rank Contract Anomalist. He could contain even an anomaly capable of destroying an entire city!"
An anomaly with a Semi-Complete Ghost Domain could be contained by a B-rank Contract Anomalist.
Forget an S-rank Contract Anomalist—even an A-rank one would be more than enough to suppress this kind of anomaly.
"Well, Bai Zuo's rank is a little unusual."
Ji Wu looked troubled. Bai Zuo's circumstances weren't exactly a secret within the Aberration Association. Xu Zhou himself had been marked as a contractor by Bai Zuo, and there was a close connection between them.
The Aberration Association had also trusted Xu Zhou to Bai Zuo because of that connection. Otherwise, given Bai Zuo's disregard for human life, the association wouldn't have felt comfortable putting Xu Zhou in his care.
If Ji Wu explained the situation, he would have to bring up Xu Zhou's identity. Xu Zhou's mental state wasn't very stable right now.
Ji Wu wasn't sure whether telling him now would make it worse.
Xu Zhou asked, "Unusual? But aren't Contract Anomalists ranked according to their strength?"
"That's right. Normally, they are. But the anomaly Bai Zuo contracted is unusual. His S-rank is actually meant for dealing with something other than anomalies. It's meant for... people!"
People?
Xu Zhou was startled, then quickly understood.
"Looks like you've figured it out."
Ji Wu explained, "The anomaly he contracted is powerful, but its strength is mainly effective against people. It can use its overwhelming power to suppress weaker anomalies. But when facing one of a similar rank, he needs a powerful contractor to fight the anomaly for him, while he slowly invades its mind."
Ji Wu saw Xu Zhou's crestfallen expression and realized he was overthinking things again. "You're still a rookie. It's perfectly normal that you can't deal with an anomaly of this rank. You've already done much better than most people."
"Once we get out, we'll report this to the Aberration Association and have them send reinforcements."
Xu Zhou managed a strained smile and replied, "Okay."
Ji Wu walked ahead, carrying the Soul Lamp.
Xu Zhou kept a wary eye on their surroundings. Hu Xingde was terrified and stayed huddled close to Ji Wu.
They didn't encounter the Funeral Procession or anything else unusual along the way. At last, they reached the abandoned bridge.
Xu Zhou glanced down by chance. Beneath the bridge flowed a great river surrounding Anyang Island. It was called the Anyang River, and its waters were clear and fast-flowing.
Xu Zhou rubbed his eyes. "There seems to be something in the river."
"Where?" Ji Wu asked.
Ji Wu edged toward the bridge and looked down.
The water was so clear that the things floating in it could be seen plainly.
Twisted faces bobbed on the surface—miserable, despairing, sorrowful, and resentful heads wailing in anguish.
Their bodies sank beneath the water, leaving only their heads exposed. Trapped in the river and unable to pass on, they suffered in torment.
Even just looking at them, Xu Zhou could feel the deep, heavy resentment they exuded.
The hair on Xu Zhou's body stood on end!
Almost at once, cold sweat broke out across his forehead.
"Su-Supervisor Ji..."
Ji Wu stopped him. "Come on. Don't look down."
Hu Xingde was even more timid. The moment he heard that something unclean was in the river, he turned his head away. If closing his eyes hadn't made it hard to walk, he wouldn't have dared open them at all.
The Soul Lamp burned brightly, its light cutting through the White Mist ahead and revealing many hidden oddities.
They kept their eyes straight ahead and pretended not to hear, even when someone behind them called their names.
At first, Hu Xingde couldn't resist. He wanted to turn around and look. The call seemed to carry some inexplicable allure, making him want to answer.
Fortunately, Xu Zhou noticed in time. He grabbed Hu Xingde and snapped him out of it.
Hu Xingde was drenched in cold sweat too. He thanked Xu Zhou again and again.
Who knew whether he might have left his soul behind if he'd turned around?
Thankfully, nothing else happened as they crossed the bridge, and they made it safely to the other side.
Hu Xingde glanced back at the bridge shrouded in White Mist and wiped the cold sweat from his brow, vowing to himself that he'd never go near the place again.
He also spotted his bicycle parked by the roadside. He hurried over, unlocked it, and climbed on. "Um, I'll head home first!"
With that, he pedaled away in a panicked rush. He rode as if he were about to make sparks fly from the bike.
Xu Zhou watched him leave, knowing that once Hu Xingde got home, he wouldn't be able to resist telling people everything he'd experienced.
But neither Xu Zhou nor Ji Wu was worried.
For one thing, without experiencing these things firsthand, few people would believe they were real. Most would think Hu Xingde was telling a story, bragging, or making things up.
As soon as Ji Wu had left the area and his phone had a signal again, he sent the message he'd already drafted to the Aberration Association.
It included what they'd seen, as well as their theories about the anomaly.
Next, the Aberration Association would send Contract Anomalists with suitable abilities to contain it.
Then Ji Wu began bombarding Bai Zuo with calls again. He was furious, and seemed ready to keep calling until he blew up Bai Zuo's phone.
Xu Zhou watched with his mouth twitching, not daring to make a sound for fear the fire might spread to him.
Finally, after more than twenty calls, Bai Zuo picked up.
"You little brat! If you don't give me a proper explanation this time, you're writing a report!"
"Hahahaha! What are you talking about? I can't hear you!"
"Don't pretend you can't hear me! Why is it so noisy over there? Where are you?"
"I'm on Anyang Island! It's so lively here. There are so many people playing with lanterns!"
"Wait! Lanterns? How did you get in? Do you have a Soul Lamp?"
"There's an event going on on Anyang Island! There are lots of people here. Places with lots of people are where you can gather more evil."
Figures. This was exactly the sort of thing he would do.
Xu Zhou exclaimed into his phone, "Supervisor Ji, there's a famous local festival on Anyang Island today—the Lamp Mansion Festival!"
He handed the phone over. Ji Wu saw a video playing on the screen: an official promotional video for the event, released by Anyang Island.
The Lamp Mansion Festival was a well-known ceremony on Anyang Island, with a long history. No one knew which dynasty it had originated in.
The festival was held mainly to worship Yama. People did so to accumulate merit for deceased family members, hoping they would suffer less in the underworld and be reincarnated sooner.
To take part in the Lamp Mansion Festival, participants had to prepare a lantern and write a message for their family members on it. During the procession, local people would lead the parade, chanting incantations that reached the underworld. The festival was considered over once the lamp oil and candle inside the lantern had burned out.
"What does that Ghost Domain have to do with this festival?" Ji Wu asked after watching the video and searching up some information about the festival's cultural heritage.
Ji Wu wouldn't claim to know Bai Zuo all that well, but after keeping an eye on him for so long, he knew Bai Zuo wasn't as simple as he seemed.
Sometimes, even an offhand action turned out to have deep significance when you thought back on it later.
Before you continue