Chapter 110: Escape and Pursuit (3)

Qianying and Jack Chen originated from an orphanage in a remote region, a place that raised children only until they were eight or nine years old before selling them at high prices to individuals with twisted predilections. They did not spare the children they failed to sell, forcing them to beg on the streets or even, mimicking others, breaking their limbs to solicit sympathy.

Qianying had been bought, while Jack Chen had waited until just before he could be sold for elite detectives to raid and dismantle that orphanage. Yet, the seeds of hatred had long since been buried deep within their young hearts.

"The Chairman, the Ancient Rite, Baman, the black skull. Who exactly is this Chairman, and why does he know the language of the Dao? What is his relationship with the consciousness of the Heavenly Dao?" Wu Zui muttered to himself after regaining his composure.

At the same time, he secretly wondered if the black-robed figure and the lantern-wielding spirit mentioned were one and the same.

And then there was the "spirit-replenishing body" that had been devoured by the five skulls! According to the black-robed figure, that was merely the first stage of the Ancient Rite. Would subsequent rites require more spirit-replenishing bodies for sacrifice?

Wu Zui fell into deep contemplation once again.

A moment later, the Heart-Questioning Chain rattled. Commander Mao, who had been perched on it, tumbled down and was caught by Xiao Ke'ai. Wu Zui shot her a glare, and she stuck out her tongue in return.

Just moments ago, Wu Zui had tried to imprison Jack Chen and Qianying within the space inside the Heart-Questioning Sword to keep them from causing further harm, but the sword had signaled that living beings could not enter. If he wanted to keep them alive, he had to find a place to contain them.

Though Wu Zui sympathized with them, that did not justify them slaughtering people in prisons and orphanages once they grew up and acquired power. However, seeing Jack Chen’s willingness to surrender, Wu Zui felt that killing them outright was somewhat inhumane.

"Leave them for the great monk to handle. If they can be reformed, let them be; if they cannot, then end them."

"Take out Baman’s skull from your shadow. I will send you both to White Dragon Temple. Once there, let Great Monk Wuxiang watch over you. The World Purifying Society is not a good place; since you are human, do not entangle yourselves with them."

As he spoke, Wu Zui trapped Qianying in his karmic fire before loosening the chains on her body just enough to let her retrieve the item. This time, his karmic fire enveloped even the ground; he would not make the same mistake again.

Qianying was stunned, wondering how Wu Zui knew where she had hidden the black skull, or even how he knew the skull belonged to Baman.

"Little sister, give it to him! As long as we are alive, there is a future." Jack Chen, seeing Qianying’s hesitation, assumed she was reluctant to part with the skull and urged her.

"Alright."

Qianying reached into her shadow and produced the black skull, slowly placing it on the ground. This was the medium for the Ancient Rite, the very thing Wu Zui needed to restart it within three years.

The Heart-Questioning Chain coiled around the black skull and drew it into the space within the Heart-Questioning Sword, subjecting it to the endless karmic fire inside. Because of the subtle spiritual pollution emanating from it, Wu Zui felt that if left outside, it would constantly erode the minds of those around it.

As the karmic fire dissipated, Wu Zui bound Jack Chen and Qianying with the chains, and the group boarded the Soaring Dragon One, heading straight for White Dragon Temple in Yanjing. The transport went smoothly; the two were unable to escape due to the restraint of the karmic fire and remained docile.

A day later, at White Dragon Temple in Yanjing.

Upon arriving, Wu Zui identified himself and asked to see Great Monk Wuxiang, only to forget that Wuxiang was still in Binhai City dealing with the remains of sea-mountain anomalies, preventing the area from spawning more ghosts like the whale anomaly that had previously self-detonated.

With no other choice, Wu Zui had to wait at White Dragon Temple while keeping Jack Chen and Qianying bound. Two days later, Wuxiang appeared as a golden speck of light.

"What a coincidence to see the four of you here!" Wuxiang said with a slight look of surprise after seeing the group.

"It’s no coincidence! I’ve come specifically to deliver two people for you to reform!" For some reason, Wu Zui felt his mood sour upon seeing Wuxiang, and his tone was sharp.

"Let’s go, you two!"

Wuxiang, unoffended, glanced at Wu Zui’s chains before reaching out to tap the tops of Jack Chen and Qianying’s heads. A surge of golden energy instantly sealed the resentment of living beings within their bodies. Without that resentment to draw upon, the two could not escape White Dragon Temple on physical strength alone.

With Jack Chen and Qianying taken care of and his Heart-Questioning Chain retrieved, Wu Zui began to ponder how to obtain the remaining four black skulls.

According to Qianying’s memories, the other skulls were in the hands of the other three elders and the Chairman of the World Purifying Society. The three elders were scattered across the globe, and the Chairman was nowhere to be found.

Setting aside whether that Chairman was the black-robed figure from the Kingdom of the Dead, these three elders alone would require Wu Zui to travel around the world.

As for taking Xiao Ke'ai abroad—even if Wu Zui agreed, her father certainly wouldn't. At that moment, the girl had no idea she was about to be left behind, still busy playing with the blue, fluffy creature in her hands.

"Master, since these two are settled, shall we take on new missions in Yanjing?" Xiao Ke'ai, sensing something, suddenly looked up and asked Wu Zui.

"I may be heading abroad for a period of time. You should stay put with the Minister," Wu Zui replied truthfully after a moment’s thought.

"Ah! Master, you’re... abandoning me! You won't even take me abroad? I hate you!" Xiao Ke'ai hugged Commander Mao and yelled angrily at Wu Zui.

A blue blur flashed by.

Wu Zui grabbed the blue, fluffy thing that had jumped onto him, waving its claws, and said helplessly to Xiao Ke'ai, "Foreign countries are not as safe as the mainland. Besides, even if I agreed to take you, do you think the Minister would let you leave?"

Xiao Ke'ai naturally knew Wu Zui wasn't lying. If her old man found out she wanted to go abroad, he’d break her legs. A five-star spirit detective might not need to worry too much about safety, but abroad, she could be conscripted in a heartbeat!

Furthermore, with the World Purifying Society causing chaos everywhere overseas, she might end up as fodder for ghosts; the outside world was far more dangerous than the mainland.

In short, Xiao Anguo would never let her go.

"Master, what if we smuggle ourselves out? Once we’re out of China, Dad can’t send people to drag me back!" Xiao Ke'ai’s eyes lit up as she suggested this, a remark that nearly frightened Wu Zui to death.

Wu Zui put on a stern face. "Stand straight! Attention! Look at you, what kind of behavior is this? Smuggling? Are you unable to leave, or are you not allowed to leave? Stay in Yanjing properly, and I will tell the Minister to keep an eye on you!"

Xiao Ke'ai pouted, and just as her figure began to distort to slip away, Wu Zui grabbed her by the collar, stopping her.

"Master, you’re so annoying! I haven't even seen a spirit that isn't afraid of magnetic energy, and you’re already sending me back to soak in that bath! You won't take me out!" Xiao Ke'ai, held by her collar, said with teary eyes.

Wu Zui, hearing this, became even more immovable. If he hadn't run fast back in the Kingdom of the Dead, he would have been left there forever. Xiao Ke'ai wanted to go in and seek her own death? Forget it!

Wu Zui, still holding Xiao Ke'ai, shifted his form and in the blink of an eye returned to the floor above Xiao Anguo’s underground office. Because the magnetic field below was too powerful, even a five-star expert couldn't use a spatial singularity to enter directly, so they had to use the entrance.

After dropping Xiao Ke'ai off in her room and warning Xiao Anguo that she might try to sneak out, Wu Zui felt slightly more at ease.

Back in his own room, Wu Zui packed his luggage. Tomorrow, he would board a plane for the southern part of the Aier Kingdom; if all went well, Han Bo, the Second Elder of the World Purifying Society, would be there.

Through Qianying’s memories, Wu Zui knew Han Bo’s ability—he could turn himself into paper and possessed numerous paper clones. It was unknown what kind of ghost granted such an ability, but it was excellent for survival.

However, Wu Zui believed his own karmic fire would not be inferior.

"Let your paper scraps fill the sky; I’ll send you a few sparks. I’ll burn you to ashes!"

Wu Zui contemplated how to deal with Han Bo, not at all worried about failing to find members of the World Purifying Society, as they were notoriously arrogant abroad. This was one of the reasons he didn't need to bring Xiao Ke'ai.

As he pondered, Wu Zui slowly drifted into sleep.

At that moment, a blue dot of light quietly slipped into Wu Zui’s room...

The next day, at dawn.

Wu Zui woke up early, rose from his room, and prepared to bid Xiao Ke'ai farewell. But after knocking on her door for a long time, he realized she had no intention of opening it.

"Still angry? Hmm... maybe she hasn't woken up yet!"

Wu Zui turned back to his room, wrote a note, left it at her door, and instructed the patrolling detectives not to clear it away before going to say goodbye to Ming Rourou.

In her room, Ming Rourou, still wearing her silk pajamas, graciously invited Wu Zui in.

When Wu Zui explained his purpose, Ming Rourou said without the slightest concern, "Going abroad? I don't need souvenirs. If there are any new types of anomalous corpses, just remember to bring me back a piece!"

Ming Rourou’s sultry voice sounded pleasant, though the gift she requested was a bit chilling.

"Talking about it like it’s a piece of cake—is it really that easy?"

"Sure. I need a few resentment jammers now. Do you have any?" Wu Zui was not one to suffer a loss and immediately made his request.

"Why? Did you use up your limited-edition one already?" Ming Rourou asked in surprise. As a new product, resentment jammers hadn't reached mass production, so each person was limited to one, and they were incredibly expensive in points.

"Yes," Wu Zui replied, then held out his hand.

Ming Rourou stroked Wu Zui’s arm, licked the vein on his forearm, and looked at him with an intoxicated gaze. "So compliant?"

She then expertly began to disinfect, draw blood, and fill the vials.

One resentment jammer equaled two 100cc vials of blood.

Wu Zui exchanged for two resentment jammers; overall, it wasn't a loss. Catching the two small silver spheres Ming Rourou tossed to him, Wu Zui turned and opened the door, ready to depart.