Chapter 19: Phantom Soldiers? Martial Spirit?

Xu Ye greets Zhou Wuchang.

Xu Ye imitated the other ghost officers and clasped his hands in salute to Zhou Mang.

“The Bureau of Ghost Suppression is different from those pedantic scholars at the Academy. We don’t have so many rules.”

Zhou Mang waved his hand dismissively, then continued, “Including you and me, there are ten ghost officers across the three banners. Usually, three make a squad, and only in major cases do we mobilize the whole banner.”

He then pointed to the black-faced man standing beside him. “This is Sun Sixteen, ghost name ‘Ironface’. From now on, he will be your squad leader.”

“Greetings, Squad Leader Ironface.”

Xu Ye nodded slightly to the black-faced man.

“Brother Xu, come with me. There’s nothing urgent today, so I’ll show you around the office and tell you about our Confucian martial cultivation.”

Ironface grinned, baring his teeth, and gently patted Xu Ye’s shoulder.

Afterward, he glanced at Zhou Mang, as if seeking permission.

Despite his fierce appearance, Ironface’s smile was unusually warm.

“Go ahead. I have a case to finish here,” Zhou Wuchang nodded.

Hearing that Ironface would explain the ways of Confucian martial cultivation, Xu Ye’s curiosity was piqued, and he followed.

…

“Take care of this uniform and this Ghost-Slaying Blade. You’ll rely on them to survive from now on.”

Ironface collected a set of equipment for Xu Ye from the storeroom.

“Squad Leader Ironface, what special properties does this gear have?”

Xu Ye took the equipment, then asked with genuine curiosity.

“Just call me Brother Ironface,” Ironface corrected him, then pointed to the uniform and long blade in Xu Ye’s hands. “This uniform protects you from demonic miasma, keeping ordinary ghosts from possessing you. As for the Ghost-Slaying Blade, you should know that ordinary weapons can’t harm spirits—only ghost weapons or sacred artifacts can subdue them.”

“Ghost weapons?” Xu Ye encountered another novel term.

“Let’s talk as we walk.”

Ironface gestured to the path ahead and began explaining as they moved forward: “In this world, magical treasures are divided into two types: sacred artifacts and ghost implements.”

…

“Though both possess great powers, their forging methods are entirely different. Sacred artifacts are nurtured by the righteous aura of Confucian sages. Ghost implements draw their strength from the spirits sealed within them, then are further sealed and activated by Confucian energy. The forging methods originated with the Mohist masters, the sealing techniques were passed down by the ancestral saints, and now are mastered by all major sects including the Confucians.”

“A ghost weapon is a type of ghost implement, made specifically to deal with spirits.”

Hearing this, Xu Ye instinctively recalled the moment when Xu Jiughe had pressed that soul orb into his left eye.

“Could it be that my left eye has also become a ghost implement?”

He felt a chill in his heart.

“Don’t worry, the spirit sealed inside this Ghost-Slaying Blade has already been scattered and stripped of intelligence. Even if it escaped, it wouldn’t harm you.”

Noticing Xu Ye’s strange expression, Ironface assumed he was worried about the blade and smiled reassuringly.

“Oh, then I… I feel relieved,” Xu Ye replied, feigning embarrassment.

“Now, about ghost weapons: like sacred artifacts, they’re ranked in four grades, from lowest to highest: Dog Wolf, Ghost Tiger, Ghost Dragon, and Ghost God. The Ghost-Slaying Blade you hold is a Dog Ghost weapon.”

Ironface continued his explanation.

“So this is the lowest grade?” Xu Ye didn’t mean to disparage the blade; he was simply asking.

“That’s not because the Bureau is stingy—right now, you can only wield a Dog weapon. Otherwise, you might be overwhelmed by the spirit sealed within. The special thing about the Ghost-Slaying Blade is that it can gradually ascend in grade as you slay more spirits—just like how we ghost officers earn merit and promotions by solving cases. It’s the pride of the Heavenly Workshop.”

Ironface seemed to have anticipated Xu Ye’s question and answered calmly.

“It can be upgraded?” Xu Ye mused, nodding thoughtfully.

“All right, we’ve arrived at the Hundred Refinements Pavilion.”

Ironface halted, looking up at the plaque above the building.

“What is this place?” Xu Ye asked.

“It’s where we store the Bureau’s martial techniques and where ghost officers come to train.”

Ironface beckoned him, saying, “Come in. Let’s see if I can help you open your Martial Courage today.”

“Open Martial Courage?” Xu Ye encountered yet another unfamiliar term.

…

“You don’t even know what it means to open Martial Courage?”

Ironface was surprised.

…

“My family has always cultivated the literary path. We rarely discuss martial cultivation at home.”

Xu Ye truly couldn’t be blamed; there was nothing in his memory related to martial cultivation.

“That’s understandable. Confucian martial cultivation has always been looked down upon by the literati. Your family is renowned for scholarship, so it’s not odd you’re unfamiliar.”

Ironface sneered coldly.

The remark made Xu Ye sweat; he hadn’t expected his casual excuse to prompt Ironface to imagine so much.

“Let’s drop the subject. The dispute between literary and martial cultivation is none of our concern. I’ll explain what it means to open Martial Courage.”

Fortunately, Ironface didn’t linger on the topic; he waved his hand and explained, “Confucian cultivators: the literati cultivate the heart, the martial cultivate courage. With a developed literary heart, one can command the righteous aura and bend reality with words. Once Martial Courage is opened, the righteous aura nourishes the body—making one impervious to blades, able to move mountains.”

He glanced at Xu Ye’s astonished face and, as he pushed open the door ahead, his lips curled into a slight smile. “With Martial Courage, your body itself becomes a sacred artifact. As long as you have enough righteous energy, even if yesterday you were too weak to pluck a chicken, today you could tear apart a leopard with your bare hands.”

Ironface’s answer resolved Xu Ye’s lingering doubt—why ghost officers could take up their posts without prior training.

“We’re going to the place where Martial Courage is opened?” Xu Ye ventured.

“That’s right.” Ironface smiled and pushed open the grand doors.

…

Creak…

After opening three doors in succession,

Ironface finally led Xu Taiping into a room whose four walls were covered in densely written red seal script. The room was empty except for the very center, where a woman sat cross-legged, her hands and feet bound by chains.

She wore a bloodstained dress, sat with her legs folded, her clawed hands resting on her knees, head bowed, long hair obscuring her face and half her body.

Just by glancing at her, Xu Ye felt his hair stand on end, a chill creeping up his spine.

Before Xu Ye could ask, Ironface crossed his arms and pointed at the strange woman in the room. “This prisoner is a ghost wife named Zhen—an extremely formidable spirit. Though her most terrifying abilities have been sealed, there is one power that cannot be suppressed.”

He turned to glance at Xu Ye’s astonished face, then continued, “And that ability is precisely what’s used to awaken Martial Courage.”