Collision!

Across the corridor, Gao Ming saw the corpse.

The fatal wound was in her chest. A spent Killing Talisman was stuck to the dagger that had pierced her heart.

The talisman paper Situ An had obtained from the Spirit Medium had not been used to hunt Vengeful Ghosts, but to kill Yan Hua.

The person who had rescued Gao Ming from certain death half an hour ago was now lifeless.

The hand that had once grasped Gao Ming's had lost its warmth. The shoulders he had stepped on to climb out of the deep pit were bound with rusty chains. She had become his stepping stone and been left behind.

"You're looking for him, aren't you?" Situ An pulled the dagger from Yan Hua's chest, and the Killing Talisman on its blade crumbled to ash. "Killing him was no easier than killing a Vengeful Ghost. I lost a lot of people."

The gleaming blade slid lightly across Yan Hua's face, cutting away the Giant Ghost tattoo.

"I gave her a chance to surrender. I even considered having her work for me, but she refused every offer." Situ An looked at the tattoo in his palm. "I'm curious. Why would someone who didn't care about money or power, who had no interests at all, help you so devotedly?"

Gao Ming said nothing. He gripped the chain in his hand.

When he had learned of Qin Tian's death, it had felt unreal. After joining the Lishan Investigation Office to take Qin Tian's place, he had sat in Qin Tian's seat and felt traces of his presence everywhere. Through the Work Logs, photographs, and videos Qin Tian had left behind, he had slowly pieced together a picture of the man. But by then, Qin Tian was never coming back.

Later, he had personally