Chapter 48: Night Candle, Grade D Ghost Messenger, Martial Courage Awakened

“Talk as we walk.”

Iron Mask glanced around, then hooked his arm around Xu Ye’s shoulder. Striding briskly toward the Three Banners’ office, he began, “A few days ago you asked me to find out why Lord Yan sent that case back for retrial. I’ve got the answer.”

“Why?”

“That day, Sun Wuchang of the Sixth Banner was supposed to bring the scholar to claim merit. It was a fierce ghost, after all, and the credit would’ve been substantial. Everything seemed normal, but just as the case was about to close, Lord Yan suddenly brought out the Record of Redressing Wrongs. Guess what happened?”

“What happened?”

“The moment Lord Yan started writing, resentment surged straight up to the ceiling from the record, and the sound of ghostly cries filled the air. Such phenomena never appear unless there’s a grave injustice!”

“How did Lord Yan react?”

“He was furious. He scolded the Martial Judge and Sun Wuchang bitterly, then ordered the three of them to resolve the case within seven days. Two days have passed already, and the Three Banners still haven’t a clue.”

At this, Iron Mask grinned so widely his smile nearly reached his ears.

Xu Ye didn’t smile. Instead, his face showed lingering fear; in his view, had Lord Yan not used the Record of Redressing Wrongs, this case would have been forever buried in the archives of the Ghost Suppression Bureau.

“What attitude does the Martial Judge have now? Is he still letting the Sixth Banner continue investigating?”

Xu Ye asked again.

“I hear he’s very anxious. If the case isn’t solved in seven days, Lord Yan will punish him first. He’s now gathering all the banners to confer on the matter. Our Three Banners would have been called if Zhou Wuchang hadn’t been away handling another case.”

Iron Mask replied.

“Zhou Wuchang should be back today, right?”

Xu Ye sought confirmation.

“That’s right. He’ll return to the office at the latest by afternoon. Then the Martial Judge will surely summon us.”

Iron Mask nodded.

“But this case is so tricky, Xiao Ye, you’d best not get involved. Even if your deduction is correct, you might not find the real culprit in five days.”

He had waited at the door today just to warn Xu Ye to stay away from the case.

“Don’t worry, Brother Iron Mask. I know my limits.”

Xu Ye smiled, neither affirming nor denying.

“Come, I happen to have time today. I’ll take you to the Hall of Rewards and Punishments to record your ghost name in the Register of Merits and Demerits.”

Iron Mask said nothing more, just patted his shoulder and led him forward.

…

The Register of Merits and Demerits is a ghostly artifact commonly used by various departments of the Great Liang court, mainly to reward and punish officials. Once registered, merits are rewarded, faults punished. Unless the emperor issues a decree, entries cannot be altered.

The rewards and punishments of the Ghost Suppression Bureau’s ghost officers are also managed through the Register of Merits and Demerits.

Only, the Bureau’s register, like the one in the Academy Palace, allows some rewards and punishments to be directly administered through it.

For example, the transmission of skills and knowledge.

Once the register determines your reward, if it is a technique or a sacred blessing, it can directly impart it to you.

That was why Iron Mask had told Xu Ye not to worry about learning the Ghost-Slaying Blade—it would be granted automatically.

“After opening your martial courage, as soon as your ghost name is entered, you’ll automatically receive the Seven Forms of Ghost-Slaying, along with the essential formulas for nurturing the blade and refining pills.”

Inside the Hall of Rewards and Punishments, Iron Mask pointed to a thick tome on the counter.

The book’s cover was half black, half white: one side bore a ghastly pale, unsettling smile of human skin; the other, a crying face.

“Whose ghost name is to be registered?”

At that moment, a frail young girl in white standing at the counter timidly interrupted.

“It’s me, Xu Ye, ghost name Night Candle.”

Xu Ye stepped forward, declaring his name and ghost alias, and placed his badge on the counter.

“Alright, please wait a moment.”

The girl nodded, took the badge, and stuffed it into the mouth of the smiling face on the book’s cover.

To Xu Ye’s astonishment, the smiling face suddenly opened wide and swallowed his badge in one gulp.

“Delicious.”

The smiling face savored the badge.

“Disgusting!”

Moments later, the crying face on the other side shouted, spitting the badge out.

“All done, Night Candle. Please take your badge.”

The girl returned the badge to Xu Ye.

“So that’s it?”

Xu Ye felt no change.

“Don’t rush, Xiao Ye. That just confirmed your identity as a ghost officer. Once Miss Nan Zhi writes your ghost name, your reward will appear.”

Iron Mask laughed, patting Xu Ye’s shoulder.

“Alright, just a moment.”

Miss Nan Zhi nodded.

Xu Ye then watched as Nan Zhi rolled up her left sleeve, revealing a twig-like arm and a shackle locked around her wrist.

“The script on that shackle looks just like what I saw on the Ghost Widow’s body. Could it be—Miss Nan Zhi is also…a ghost?”

Feeling a chill down his spine, Xu Ye glanced unobtrusively at Iron Mask.

Iron Mask, sensing his doubt, nodded subtly.

“She really is a ghost.”

Xu Ye kept his composure and looked back at Nan Zhi.

At that moment, Nan Zhi solemnly used a delicate dagger to slice open her wrist, letting her blood drip into the inkstone.

When Xu Ye saw her blood—black and thick as ink—he no longer doubted her identity.

Then Nan Zhi used her own blood as ink, writing “Night Candle” on the register.

As her brush touched the paper, both faces on the cover spoke in turn:

“Night Candle—Grade D ghost officer, martial courage awakened.”

“Reward: Seven Forms of Ghost-Slaying, Essentials of Weapon Nurturing Volume One, Essentials of Pill Refining Volume One.”

“Punishment: None.”

Immediately, Xu Ye felt a gust of wind from the register, as if a woman’s embrace enveloped him.

Then, strange information flooded his mind.

“Hiss…”

A moment later, he shivered; the sensation of being held vanished, and the unfamiliar knowledge began to blend seamlessly with his memory, as if it had always been there.

“This method of imparting skills is faster than transferring data from a hard drive.”

Xu Ye was amazed.

“See, Xiao Ye, your Iron Mask brother didn’t lie—once your martial courage is awakened, you’ll never have trouble learning any technique.”

Iron Mask smiled, claiming credit.

“It truly is wondrous.”

Xu Ye nodded.

“And thank you, Miss Nan Zhi.”

He turned to the frail girl in white.

“Huh? Oh, no need to thank me, it’s just my duty.”

Nan Zhi, arranging her sleeve, was momentarily stunned; then, realizing what he meant, she smiled shyly and shook her head.