title note: it’s the sound of birds
Wu Rong still didn’t know what Su Zheng had seen during the soul searching that night because Su Zheng had subsequently fallen seriously ill. Wu Rong was surprised to learn that even ghosts could get sick. Su Zheng’s soul suddenly weakened, and black spots appeared on it, something between corrosion and mold. Even when they left Jieyang, he hadn’t fully recovered.
“I told him that you have a very powerful Ghost King, but my brother just wouldn’t believe it,” Su Xiaomi sighed as they traveled back. He followed the tradition of burning ashes with sigils and drinking the sigil-infused water to ward off evil spirits: “See? Now he’s scared out of his soul.”
“Scared out of his soul” was a term used in folk traditions. It referred to when a child or someone with a weak constitution experienced a particularly frightening event, like being scared by fireworks or nearly being hit by a car, and subsequently developing a high fever and losing consciousness, often in a state of delirium. In this state, it was believed that the person’s soul had been frightened away and could only be retrieved through the help of a shaman or a Heavenly Master.
However, for a ghost, being scared out of their soul was a more serious matter. After all, a ghost was essentially a soul. Having one’s soul frightened away could be seen as a severe injury and, in severe cases, could lead to the ghost’s death.
Luckily, Su Xiaomi’s brother seemed to be seriously injured but not on the brink of dissipating.
“I never expected the ghost you’ve raised to be this powerful,” Su Xiaomi continued after drinking the sigil-infused water. He exhaled and his eyes sparkled as he looked at Wu Rong. In a lowered voice, he added, “To have scared my brother out of his soul, it must be at least a five-star Ghost King.”
In cases where there was a vast disparity in power between two supernatural beings, such situations could occur. If Su Zheng were a two-star Ghost King, the entity that had scared him out of his soul must have been at least a five-star ghost.
Wu Rong didn’t comment on Su Xiaomi’s words. Was Su Zheng’s severe reaction solely due to suddenly encountering the Big Ghost that night?
He clearly remembered that the coldness representing Su Zheng that night hadn’t gone to his left arm, but rather, it had delved deep into his soul, arousing an intense and chilling coldness.
Subconsciously, Wu Rong rubbed his fingertips together, and a dark, fire-like light flickered in the gaps between his fingers, unnoticed by others.
“In the villa, it’s not very convenient to do something. When we get back, Brother Rong can rent a training room,” Huang Mao suggested. “Then, you can release your ghost, and let Su Xiaomi’s brother have another look.”
A ghost’s soul without Ghost Qi can only be a living soul. Could it be that Nan is not a ghost after all, but a holy soul? Wu Rong couldn’t help but wonder if the golden needles and threads had not only sealed his powers but also concealed his true essence.
“What the heck, what happened to Yangjiaping?!”
At this moment, Huang Mao exclaimed, and then pressed himself to the car window, staring outside in disbelief. As they left Jieyang, Bai Gu gradually regained consciousness, although he remained physically weak and unable to speak. At this moment, he also looked out the window, with a touch of wonder in his eyes.
No wonder everyone was shocked, the scene they beheld was strikingly different from when they had departed. The most significant change was the total clearance of the Ghost Territory around the safety zone, replacing it with safety barriers. Countless special police officers had eradicated all the ghosts within the Ghost Territory and leveled the ground. Several small customized water trucks were spraying pale gray talisman water, diluted black dog’s blood, and an unknown white substance.
With such a generous move, the entire Ghost Territory had been cleansed of its Yin Qi and resentment, effectively turning it into a prohibited area for the ghosts. Multiple additional checkpoints were set up on the way to the safety zone, and countless vehicle convoys came to a halt, struggling to move forward. Wu Rong and his group were unable to enter the city and were blocked from the outside.
“The higher ups are planning to keep the Lantern Ghost King out, and the battle should take place outside the safe zone as much as possible.”
A colleague of Director Zhou Xun from the Public Security Bureau, Kang Jianbai, who had met Wu Rong at the No. 444 Tiankeng, rushed out to pick them up with the Public Security Bureau’s credentials. He appeared particularly fatigued, with dark circles under his eyes, stubble on his chin, and clothes crumpled like dried vegetables.
“Mr. Wu, your Federal Special Agent ID is still being processed. Once the ID is issued, you will be able to enter and exit normally.”
Wu Rong responded, “Wu Rong.”
“Ai, Wu Rong.”
Kang Jianbai patted his head, a deep concern evident on his face, and explained, “A portion of the residents have been evacuated from the area, but many remain within the safety zone. Initially, Ms. Wu was meant to be sent away in the first batches, but she… is very stubborn…”
Kang Jianbai looked cautiously at Wu Rong, sighed, and ran his hand through his hair. “These days, we still have convoys. Wu Rong, please take care of her,” he said.
The warriors who stayed behind to guard Yangjiaping have the right to prioritise protecting their families. Wu Rong had just filled out his special police application form when he was still in Jieyang. The Yangjiaping Public Security Department received a notice and went to talk to Wu Rong’s mother, Wu Cui. However, Wu Cui was a very intelligent woman and sensed something unusual from the tone of the officials. She closed her funeral parlor without waiting for their second visit and, carrying her luggage, went to live in Wu Rong’s villa with a calm demeanor.
Clearly, she was indicating that if Wu Rong wouldn’t leave, neither would she.
“You’ve got a big snake guarding your villa, so we couldn’t barge in even if we wanted to.”
The little green snake has probably shed its skin successfully.
Wu Rong had a good idea about what Kang Jianbai was referring to. The Qingling Gu was raised by the Wu family and was only close to the Wu family’s bloodline. Even when he wasn’t around, he would still listen to his mother’s orders.
After dealing with these trivial matters, Kang Jianbai turned serious and said to Wu Rong, “Comrade Wu Rong, the organization appreciates your sense of duty. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to report it. The organization will do its best to provide what you need.”
With just over twenty days left until the arrival of the Lantern Ghost King, orders were issued from above to mobilize all the ghost keepers, Heavenly Masters, and other ability users in Yangjiaping to clear the Ghost Territory and fortify the defense system. As for those top-tier individuals like Wu Rong, who were about to face the Ghost King directly, the highest-level private training rooms in Yangjiaping would be made available to them unconditionally. They would be provided with various talismans, medicines, spiritual artifacts, and ghost weapons, all in an effort to ensure that they were in the best possible condition before the big battle.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Mbg lcvlnlvejir ktbrf utbra kfjqbcr kfgf vjwjufv jcv cffvfv ab yf gfqjlgfv ys j wjrafg mgjoarwjc, bg atbrf ktb kfgf bc atf yglcx bo j utbra yjmxijrt jcv gfdelgfv Gjblra werlm ab reqqgfrr la, atf tlutfg-eqr kbeiv vb atflg yfra ab wffa atflg cffvr jcv qglbglalhf atflg kfii-yflcu.
Xlnfc Bjcu Aljcyjl’r jrregjcmfr, Qe Ebcu vlvc’a tbiv yjmx. Lf cbk tjv tlr bkc “qbilmf lvfcalolmjalbc” jcv tf ibuufv lcab atf lcafgcji cfakbgx bo atf Ueyilm Vfmeglas Degfje ab reywla tlr gfdelgfwfcar.
One is pure gold things, or information about pure gold things.
The second are the products of the Great Tiankeng, including the relics of the Nine Heroes.
First, he requested items that were purely of the gold element or information related to such items.
Second, he requested products from the Great Tiankeng, including the Nine Heroes’ legacies and the like.
Wu Rong had no idea how many people would be left flabbergasted by the requests he submitted. After filling out the form, he spent some time browsing the internal network. The Public Security Bureau’s internal network was a higher-level forum for the exchange of information among ability users, more advanced than even the Ghost Keepers Forum. It wasn’t limited to just ghost keepers but also included heavenly masters, gu masters, shamans, mediums, monks, and other ability users with strong abilities.
At the top of the task board, Wu Rong saw a red-highlighted “[Defend Yangjiaping Recruitment Order]” labeled as an S-class mission with an extremely high number of views. Scrolling down, he found they were all at least B-level missions, where even the lowest-ranked mission was involved in dealing with special evil spirits (those with distinct evil spirit characteristics and strength reaching the level of resentful ghosts).
After checking out the mission section, Wu Rong turned his attention to the trading section. The posts there were even more diverse, including everything. There are those who collect skeletons of ability users, those who collect powerful ghosts, and those who collect black cats and dogs of special years.
Wu Rong planned to post the picture of the hang up woman's skin along with the small box, but he wasn’t looking to sell them for money. Instead, he wanted to exchange them for information about the Nine Heroes. Wu Rong didn’t intend to rely solely on the Public Security Bureau; he also wanted to have a backup plan as well.
The woman’s skin was a terrifying ghost weapon with power equivalent to a Ghost King, and Kang Jianbai was left flabbergasted when he learned that Wu Rong intended to sell it. The car that was originally planning to take Wu Rong directly home took a detour on its way, heading straight to the Public Security Bureau. This allowed Wu Rong to collect his official officer’s card and a solid gold badge representing the Federal Special Police.
By the time everything was finalized, the sun was already setting, and Kang Jianbai couldn’t help but reflect. Who would have thought that just half a year ago, Wu Rong was an ordinary person with no discernible talents? Yet here he was now, transformed into a Federal Special Police officer who was about to fight for the safety of Yangjiaping’s security zone, ready to fight against the Lantern Ghost King.
For example, the Yangjiaping Public Security Bureau had interacted with Wu Rong frequently and had witnessed his growth. They couldn’t help but feel a mixture of emotions. Some people are truly incomparable, and seeing Wu Rong’s transformation was awe-inspiring.
Kang Jianbai was deeply moved, and the Ghost Fights live streaming platform head office over there was also dumbfounded.
Who would have thought that the young anchor who they originally signed would suddenly transform into a federal special police officer!
This incident directly alarmed the company’s senior management, and they even held a serious meeting. The district supervisor who was originally responsible for Wu Rong was solely responsible for him. The money Wu Rong borrowed from the platform was also generously wiped out by the higher-ups.
“We cannot let the warriors who defend the people lose heart.”
The senior management said with profound meaning. Now that information networks were developed, in order to prevent riots, ordinary people do not know about the news that the Lantern Ghost King is about to cross the boundary, but almost all the people above already knew it, and they also knew that the federal special police officers who have chosen to stay in Yangjiaping was essentially synonymous with making a sacrifice.
A five-star ghost king wasn’t child’s play, let alone what they had to do, which wasn’t escape from the ghost king’s attack or to kill the ghost king at all costs. Instead, they had to fight against the Ghost King and protect the Yangjiaping safe zone, which made things extremely difficult. Moreover, the people above understood that the change of the Lantern Ghost King was due to the loosening of the seal of the Youpotan Tiankeng. If this was the case, the Lantern Ghost King only had to leave the scope of the Youpotan Tiankeng.
But that wasn’t actually the case.
The Lantern Ghost King showed no signs of stopping and kept walking eastwards. It wasn’t like it was leaving to hide, but more like. . . . . . escaping.
It was as if there was some kind of existence that made the Ghost King fearful and panicked.
A Ghost King in this state would definitely be furious or even go berserk if it is blocked, and if there was really something trailing behind the Ghost King, what kind of powerful monster would it be if it could make even a five-star Ghost King tremble in fear?
It was this knowledge that made Director Zhou still fearful even though he knew that masters such as Master Kuchan and Master Ling Yun would come to help. Under these circumstances, they were evacuating civilians from Yangjiaping and the surrounding safety zones. The Federal Special Police officers who chose to participate in the upcoming battle were given the best possible treatment.
Wu Rong may not be aware, but he was already enjoying special treatment typically reserved for ‘martyrs’, even though he hadn’t died yet. The Public Security Bureau sent a dedicated car to take them back. While Su Xiaomi and Bai Gu stayed with Huang Mao, Wu Rong stood in front of his home with a heavy heart.
Even Federal Special Police officers sometimes had to face things they didn’t want to, such as a mother sitting comfortably on a wicker chair, surrounded by black cat ghosts, cradling a white Persian cat and having a massive green snake coiled at her feet.
“I had no idea that in just one trip out, you’d manage to resolve such significant matters in your life.” Wu Cui raised her raised eyebrows, her gaze passing casually over Wu Rong. She seemed to smile but it had an underlying sense of pressure. “When are you going to bring him home for Mom to see?”
Wu Rong: ?!?!
Wu Rong hurriedly processed the information in his mind, making sure that the civil affairs bureau’s online registration was only known to the two parties involved and wouldn’t notify family members. He was certain in his heart and calmly opened his mouth, “Mom…”
Mother Wu interrupted him before he could finish, “Alright, Xiao Qing was very hot a few days ago, I already knew that.”
She complained dissatisfiedly: “Why are you coming back alone, where’s the other one? Shouldn’t you come and offer me a cup of tea?”
The Qingling Gu felt hot? This means, this also applied to the Black Rock Wolf Spider… and even to Bai Gu, Huang Mao, and the others…
Wu Rong froze. He had originally planned to keep the registration with Fu Qing a secret between the two of them forever. However, things seemed to be getting out of control, and more and more people were finding out about it, for some unknown reason.
Even though he considered himself open and honest, a strange and ominous feeling arose in his heart. With a wooden expression, he carefully recounted the situation to his mother. The main focus was on how “Zhong Gu was closer to hatching after acquiring the Zhengyang Fire” and that “their Yin-Yang contract was established solely for the Zhengyang Fire.” He also emphasized that “Fu Qing is a good person, who selflessly helped them, and he and Fu Qing are good brothers for life.”
However, Mother Wu seemed to be focusing on something different. She had a complex look on her face as she glanced at Wu Rong’s belly and muttered to herself.
Wu Eong wasn’t sure if he heard correctly. “What?”
“I said it’s a good thing you’re a boy.”
Mother Wu glanced at her son, who looked confused, and said irritably, “Otherwise, I might have become a grandmother by now!”
How could that be possible?
Wu Rong wanted to correct his mother’s misconception. He and Fu Qing were just friends, and this time it was Fu Qing who had offered to help. But the more he spoke, the angrier Mother Wu became. In the end, she dropped the cat she was holding and cursed him. She went into the house, not even noticing when she stepped on the tip of the snake’s tail.
Wu Rong looked at his mother’s angry back and suddenly remembered a post that Huang Mao had shown him in his previous life.
[Is it really possible to have purely platonic friendships between men and women?]
But he and Fu Qing are both men! Why was it that nobody believed in pure friendships between men?
Changing his mother’s deeply held beliefs would be very difficult. This was true of Fu Qing’s relationship with him, and it was also true of persuading her to leave and go to other safe zones.
“I’m not leaving,” Mother Wu said calmly as she watched the water boil and prepared to cook the noodles. “My son is fighting here, so why should I leave?”
Her attitude was clear: either Wu Rong left and she left, or they both stayed. Wu Rong knew how stubborn his mother could be, and he didn’t think he could persuade her. He had considered the option of knocking her out and sending her away, but before the thought could fully form in his mind, Mother Wu gave him a cold snort.
“Don’t come up with any stupid ideas.”
Once the noodles were cooked, she added vinegar and sesame oil, then filled a large bowl for Wu.
“You’re my son, and you think I don’t know what you’re thinking? Don’t treat your old mother like a fool.”
“Eat up, and when you’re full, go to bed.”
His mother’s determination was hard to change, and Wu Rong understood that. After eating, he didn’t stay at home but went directly to the training room. During this time, he was preparing to immerse himself in the training room to enhance his strength. Wu Rong didn’t have a complete understanding of how powerful the Five-Star Ghost King was, but with his mother choosing to stay in Yangjiapiang, he was also determined.
With his badge as a Federal Special Police officer, Wu Rong directly booked the highest-level single-person training room. There were a total of seven rooms, and three of them were occupied. Wu Rong noticed that two of the training rooms were sealed with red ropes soaked in cinnabar, and the gaps were covered with red symbols, while the one in the middle was even sealed with deep purple talismans.
“These are purification symbols that can isolate Ghost Qi,” the supervisor, who had brought him, explained with a smile. “Guests here, like you, are all Federal Special Police officers. They choose to prepare themselves under the pressure of a Five-Star Ghost King for the upcoming battle.”
“A Five-Star Ghost King’s pressure?” Wu Rong was surprised, not expecting that these training rooms would also provide this feature.
“Our Red Star training room is a global chain, located all over the Asia Union, European Union, and American Union. Items related to Five-Star Ghost Kings are extremely rare, and only we have them,” the supervisor said proudly. “Our big boss brought this from the European Union specifically to provide it free of charge for the heroic Federal officers participating in the defense. You can choose to experience it.”
“But the quantity is limited. I can put you on the waiting list, and I’ll notify you once these three guests finish their experiences.”
“What is it?”
Wu Rong was a little curious, after all, this item was from a rare Five-Star Ghost King.
“It’s a fragment of a burial shroud.”
The supervisor’s tone became solemn as he took out a tablet and played a video. The video was blurry, dim, yellowed, and constantly shaking, as if it had been secretly recorded. On the screen were high priests wearing religious attire and saints clad in white robes. It should have been an exceptionally sacred and solemn scene, but it became eerie and sinister because of the item in the center.
It was a small black and silver coffin.
The coffin wasn’t large, and it appeared to be made specifically for children. It had silver nails and a liquid gold seal, and it sat quietly in the center of the candlelight, exuding an exquisite, art-like quality.
But in the next moment, the high priests and saints officiating the ceremony all turned to face the camera, with numb eyes, their pupils were completely black and they had sinister expressions. There was a small piece of pale yellow bandage wrapped around their throats. With a terrifying scream, the video abruptly cut to black. Even though he had seen this video countless times, the supervisor was still scared and shivered, lowering his voice.
“The third-ranked Five-Star Ghost King on the global supernatural recovery rankings. No one has truly seen its appearance, and it disappeared without a trace after destroying half of the churches in the European Union. It became a Five-Star Ghost King a hundred years ago and was personally sealed by the Pope of the Vatican. Its whereabouts are unknown.”
“Codename: Mummy.”
Wu Rong was quite curious about experiencing the strength of the oppressive aura from the terrifying Mummy’s burial shroud. However, he had just received a notification when he got in line, and it was from Kang Jianbai.
“Regarding information about items of pure gold attributes, we are still searching. Once we find anything, we will notify you first,” Kang Jianbai said. “As for information about the Nine Great Heroes’ relics, the authorities are currently in contact. However, there is one individual who is a descendant of a hero, and you can try contacting her. She currently resides in the Asia Union, and her father is Sir Leo.”
“Does Sir Leo have many bloodline descendants?” Wu Rong thought of Inspector Angus; his grandfather also seemed to be Sir Leo.
“Sir Leo has over a hundred children, and more than two hundred grandchildren and great-grandchildren,” Kang Jianbai smiled and said, “He was a philanthropist, and all of these children were adopted and supported by him before he became a hero. They all call Sir Leo their father. Although many of them have passed away during the supernatural revival, some are still alive. This lady is one of the daughters adopted by Sir Leo during his time in China and his last moments were spent with her before he went to the Great Tiankeng. If we’re talking about hero relics, she is likely to have one.”
“However, this lady has quite a peculiar personality,” Kang Jianbai added with a wry smile. “She’s a hero’s orphan, and even the Public Security Bureau can’t order her to hand over anything. We can only try to negotiate.”
Wu Rong received a string of ID numbers from Kang Jianbai, and after entering them in the internal network of the Public Security Bureau, he found posts in the trading section. The one with the most replies was a post titled “Colecting Jade and Various Types of Jade” that indicated a preference for high-quality items. The poster was a five-diamond user, which meant that they had a trading volume that exceeded five billion US dollars and had excellent credibility.
Wu Rong browsed through her other posts and found that many ability users lamented that they had arrived too late. Previously, this individual bought all kinds of jadeite, as long as the quality was passable, and paid a higher price than the market rate. However, it seemed that she had finished collecting such items, and now she was only interested in the highest quality jade. She had a discerning eye, rejecting pieces with slightly lower mineral density or more significant flaws.
Wu Rong thought for a while, then checked the email address left by this person, searched for a photo of the best red jade from his photo album and sent it. This red jade was not very large, resembling a ripe plum, and it was extremely valuable because it had ample mineral density and few flaws. Additionally, it had a strong fiery nature, making it beneficial for those with a weak constitution and excessive Yin Qi. It could help delay the backlash from evil ghosts and was as effective as a high-level monk’s consecrated item. Its value was difficult to estimate, and once it appeared in an auction house, it would undoubtedly trigger a frenzy of bidding.
And this piece of red jade was the smallest piece from the batch of jade that Zhou Jin had given to Wu Rong. On the day they were at the execution ground, even though Wu Rong had rejected Zhou Jin’s gift in person, Zhou Jin still didn’t give up. He even sent the small velvet box to Wu Rong before leaving. He really wasn’t afraid of him losing it halfway through.
The velvet-lined small box didn’t contain jewelry like rings or earrings, but rather a plain silver key. However, the meaning behind this key was anything but ordinary. It opened a safe deposit box at the Tiandi Bank, containing Zhou Xinhong’s collection of the finest jade he had gathered over many years. Each piece was unique, rare, and incredibly valuable. With this key, even if Zhou Xinhong abandoned everything and fled Jieyang, he could quickly make a fresh start.
The allure of the finest jade was irresistible even to formidable individuals, as it was something that could save their lives.
However, Zhou Jin had no greed for these jade pieces and gave them all to Wu Rong. He thought that Wu Rong came to participate in the Stone Gambling Conference because he needed top-notch jade, but now that the Stone Gambling Conference ended unexpectedly, Wu Rong didn’t win anything. So he decided to give him this key and handed the transfer process over to Tiandi Bank.
While Wu Rong was still in Jieyang, he received a call from Tiandi Bank, and they sent him a catalog of the jade pieces stored in the safe deposit box. From that point on, Wu Rong became the owner of these jade pieces. If he sold them all, he could instantly become a billionaire.
Wu Rong wasn’t sure if this particular piece of red jade could catch the attention of the mysterious jade collector. However, on the same day he sent the email, he received a response. After confirming that Wu Rong had more top-quality jade, the collector invited him to meet at No. 45 Foch Road.
The author has something to say:
Codename: Mummy
Nickname: Bandaged Little Man
[Can men have pure friendships?]
(Of course! We are all socialist brothers, after all!)
Editor: Cloud Chip Cake
Mom knows all, loving Mom.
Wu Rong: Scaring a two star ghost king out of his soul
Wu Rong’s Mum: I won’t even tell you to hold my tea, ’cause it’s the only reason I’m not using my hands to bash your head in for not bringing home the son-in-law. Ghost King who?? You try to make me leave the house, in the minuscule off chance you manage it, you WILL wish I didn’t.
Hahaha his mom so right if he was a girl fu would have directly made this a marriage 😂😂
lol girl or not Fu Qing prob wanted to make it a direct marriage either way if there was a high percentage Shan Rong would agree 😂😂 😂
And Wu Rong, my brother, how could it possible that you ardently deny that you perhaps not straight?? You are so down bad with the same shitty man for at least 2 lifetimes, never has interest in women despite middling in the dark side of society for a long time, and doesn’t even deny it when the shitty man you simping on was viewed as your ‘nurtured’. All of that sh*t are real and had happened, yet you are still flabbergast when people put the fact in front of your face?
Well, it doesn’t have to be Shan Rong is specifically gay, he could be pan, bi, or anything really, maybe not specifically gay, like he might not know whether he’s gay or if he’s just pan or bi, I feel like Shan Rong is the type to take a liking to anyone and will be devoted to that person, and just because your gay in a certain time period doesn’t mean you will be gay forever, it really depends on the person you meet actually.