The Patient Who Died Long Ago

The red 918 sped along the city streets. Chen Xue's long, shapely legs, clad in jeans, were on full display as she drove. While watching the road, she kept stealing glances at Jiang Chen.

For him to possess such strength at his age, talent alone could not explain it. An expert must have trained him.

"Jiang Chen, would you mind telling me a little about your grandfather? He might be one of the senior figures in our Unusual Person World. That would also make it easier for you to trace your roots and find the clan you belong to," Chen Xue said.

Part of her was curious, but she also meant well.

Someone as gifted as Jiang Chen would go much further with a clan supporting his development.

Jiang Chen shook his head. "The old man won't let me talk about him."

He knew perfectly well that Old Zhang was just a corpse mover at a funeral home. What expert?

Still, Jiang Chen was not making things up. Every time they went to peep at a widow, Old Zhang would repeatedly warn him not to rat him out if he got caught.

At those words, Chen Xue's expression grew solemn. She understood now. Jiang Chen's grandfather probably really was someone of renown. He must have repeatedly warned his grandson not to mention him to keep the grudges of the Unusual Person World from dragging the boy into trouble!

She was a smart woman. Once she had figured that out, she asked no further questions.

"You said the two biggest powers in the Nine Provinces were the Netherworld and the Dao Alliance. Why does the Unusual Person World have two law enforcement agencies?" Jiang Chen asked, voicing his own confusion.

The reasoning was simple. In any given territory, either there was no leader and everyone competed for control, or there was only one leader who called the shots.

Two tigers could not share one mountain!

"Yes, in the past, the Dao Alliance alone governed all Unusual Persons and handled Paranormal Incidents across the country." Chen Xue nodded and continued, "Around a hundred years ago, the Netherworld suddenly rose to prominence. Over the course of history, it went by several names."

"The Demon Suppression Bureau, the Demon Extermination Guard... only in modern times was it renamed the Netherworld and took over the Dao Alliance's duties."

"The Dao Alliance could finally breathe a sigh of relief."

Jiang Chen was taken aback. Someone had stolen its position at the top, and it was relieved?

"Heh, you really don't know anything about the Unusual Person World." Chen Xue shook her head. "Unusual Persons and clans stand above ordinary people, but they also bear pressures most people could never imagine."

"Every eruption of yin energy, every outbreak of unrest in a living person forbidden zone, has to be paid for with the lives of Unusual Persons!"

"A living person forbidden zone?" Jiang Chen glanced at his phone. A pinned message in the Underworld App warned that yin energy was erupting and unrest in the forbidden zones might begin ahead of schedule, asking Unusual Persons rated C+ and above to help guard them.

Those who lacked sufficient strength were asked to hunt ghosts wherever possible to ease the strain on the Netherworld's understaffed forces.

This matched his earlier suspicions. There were so many murders on the news because the department handling Paranormal Incidents no longer had enough people.

But Jiang Chen had yet to learn what a living person forbidden zone was.

"There's a detailed explanation in the Underworld App. You can read it later. Simply put, a living-person forbidden zone is a place connected to a terrifying space. There are six in the entire world, with a classification code of SSS-Class!" Chen Xue said gravely.

Jiang Chen's expression changed in shock.

He knew that E through S-Class were known as threat levels, used to classify the strength of Unusual Persons and ghosts.

The most terrifying beings in the world today, ghost kings, had a threat level of S-Class.

The three S's assigned to a living person forbidden zone meant that, in the eyes of all Unusual Persons, its threat ranked two levels above even a ghost king!

A ghost king was already a nation-destroying disaster. Did SSS-Class mean world-destroying?

"By the way, I have a group mission in four days. Are you interested, Jiang Chen?" Chen Xue suddenly asked, a sly glint in her eyes.

"A group mission?" Jiang Chen looked at her.

"Yes. Some large-scale Paranormal Incidents take several people to handle. This time, that guy from the Qin clan took the lead in accepting the mission and gathering everyone. He's one of the strongest members of the younger generation in Jiangbei City."

"Also, this mission has a D+ threat level. That means there are multiple vicious ghosts and resentful spirits. Whether we might even run into a Vengeful Ghost is still an open question. It's pretty dangerous, so why don't you think it over?"

After only a brief pause, Jiang Chen nodded. "Sure. Let me know when it's time."

Whether he found Paranormal Incidents through the Underworld App or the news, there was no way to be completely certain of a ghost's strength. There was always a risk.

After all, if someone could determine a ghost's strength and still get out alive, they could probably kill it outright.

Working with a group of Unusual Persons would undoubtedly reduce the risk. Naturally, Jiang Chen was willing.

"Great! I'll pick you up when the time comes!" A gleam flashed through Chen Xue's eyes, and she looked delighted.

Jiang Chen had no backing. If he went with her, it would be tantamount to telling everyone that he had close ties to the Chen Family.

That was Chen Xue's little scheme. She wanted to win Jiang Chen over.

Before long, the 918 stopped outside the Jade Garden Residential Complex.

Jiang Chen went home, showered, lay down on his bed, and opened the Underworld App.

He began searching for a suitable Paranormal Incident, intending to gather a thousand ghost qi as soon as possible and see whether he could unlock a stronger Monster Transformation Card.

Incident name: The Patient Who Died Long Ago

Description: Ever since that patient arrived, increasingly strange things have happened at the hospital. Several critically ill patients died overnight, and a nurse on duty killed herself in the stairwell. Most terrifying of all, their bodies disappeared from the morgue after their deaths. The doctors reviewed the surveillance footage and compared the numbers of people entering and leaving the hospital, only to discover a horrifying truth: the bodies were still hidden somewhere in the hospital!

Threat level: D+.

Mission type: Solo.

Base reward: 100 points.

In the end, Jiang Chen settled on this incident. A D+ threat level meant he was highly likely to encounter a top-tier vicious ghost. But since this incident had not been designated a group mission, the available information suggested there was only one top-tier vicious ghost.

An ordinary Unusual Person, however, might choose a different mission after reading the description.

The disappearance of so many bodies meant there was more than one ghost in the hospital now. Either a C-Class expert would have to go, or a group would have to form to ensure their safety.

But this incident was exactly what Jiang Chen was looking for.

The Monster Transformation Card he had on hand was something of a trump card. Using it on an overly simple Paranormal Incident would be a waste.

"I'll get some sleep first, then head over after class tomorrow."

Lying in bed, Jiang Chen's eyelids grew heavier and heavier until he fell into a deep sleep.