Liu Yizhen seemed to vaguely guess Zhao Fusheng's mood. He had stayed in Beggar's Alley for many years and was very familiar with its people, scenery, and objects. After the ghost domain enveloped the area, he dealt with both humans and ghosts, witnessing countless matters of life and death.
In reality, the Beggar Ghost's killing rules were not difficult to figure out, but after the ghost killing incidents, no one had the courage to take the first step. Therefore, even though daytime was a period of absolute safety, most people felt the dark, damp houses were safer, preferring to hide inside and wait for the time of alms-giving to arrive, passively awaiting the ghost's appearance for hunting.
Today, the Beggar Ghost's hunting time had just passed, and it had only recently returned to Fuzi Temple. Yet, upon hearing the gong, everyone instinctively emerged from their houses without the slightest doubt. This showed that these people's bodies were still alive, but their spirits had already died from fear.
Zhao Fusheng was perhaps seeing such a scene for the first time, so she was still a bit unaccustomed to it.
"Don't like seeing scenes like this?" he asked while striking the gong.
Zhao Fusheng naturally wouldn't elaborate on such a question. She just shook her head and said, "No, I'm looking for someone."
After speaking, she stood on her tiptoes, looking around the surging crowd of zombie-like figures. Not long after, she finally seemed to spot something, her eyes lighting up: "Found him."
She clenched her fist and strode in the direction her gaze was fixed.
Zhao Fusheng walked in the opposite direction of the surging crowd. Many people had dull eyes, but instinctively dodged as she approached. Those who arrived at Fuzi Temple first saw Liu Yizhen with the gong, but they didn't see the familiar large cauldron for serving porridge.
The previously numb, apathetic crowd suddenly realized something was amiss. The eerily silent crowd finally broke into an uneasy stir.
"Everyone, there will be no alms-giving today." Liu Yizhen held up the gong and announced loudly.
Everyone stared blankly at him, as if they didn't understand what was happening.
"From now on, there will be no more alms-giving at Fuzi Temple," Liu Yizhen explained calmly, holding the gong hammer. "Two days ago, Official Zhao from the Demon Suppressing Division entered here. The ghostly disaster in Beggar's Alley has been resolved, the ghost domain has dispersed, and this place is safe. You may leave on your own."
As he spoke, the scene was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, with only the 'tap, tap' of Zhao Fusheng's footsteps as she walked against the crowd. Liu Yizhen looked at Zhao Fusheng, seeing her quickly rush into the crowd and lift a scrawny, short man by his collar. The man, lifted by her, curled up like a shrimp, his heels off the ground, his hands clutching his head, not daring to resist.
The ghost domain of Beggar's Alley had been present for a long time. Liu Yizhen gave alms daily and had almost memorized the faces of the survivors. With a closer look, he immediately recognized the identity of the person she had grabbed. This person was the one who, when Zhao Fusheng first entered Beggar's Alley, forcefully shoved a bowl of porridge into her arms.
Liu Yizhen hadn't expected Zhao Fusheng to remember this grievance after resolving the ghostly disaster and couldn't help but purse his lips. However, the Chief Envoy of the Demon Suppressing Division was like a local emperor. Zhao Fusheng could kill a beggar as easily as squashing an ant. He wasn't interested in this and was about to turn away—when he heard Zhao Fusheng coldly scoff: "Finally found you, kid."
Following that were two loud 'thuds.' Zhao Fusheng swung her fists, striking the beggar twice, making his nose bleed and his face contort. After venting her anger, she loosened her grip, and the beaten beggar fell to the ground with a 'thud,' curling into a ball, trembling incessantly. Zhao Fusheng shook her hand and 'hmph'ed: "Let's see if you dare to harm people again, kid."
This commotion finally broke the silence of the crowd. The beaten man, due to the intense pain in his face, also regained his senses, breathing softly, slowly crawling to his feet, looking somewhat bewildered and at a loss.
After beating the man, Zhao Fusheng felt refreshed, shedding the oppression she had felt since entering Beggar's Alley. With one hand on her hip, she announced loudly: "The Demon Suppressing Division is handling a case. The ghost domain here has been cleared. Everyone, leave quickly!"
"Hurry up!" As she spoke, she kicked the man who was still lying on the ground.
As her words fell, all the survivors awoke as if from a deep dream.
"What..."
"The ghost domain is dispelled?"
"Did the Demon Suppressing Division people come?"
Initially, a few scattered individuals asked questions, but after speaking, they seemed extraordinarily fearful, clasping their hands and tightly covering their mouths.
"..." The scene was quiet for a moment.
Liu Yizhen, who witnessed all of this, was stunned. He hadn't expected Zhao Fusheng to merely beat the man as an outlet for her anger, rather than taking his life. Given her intelligence, she should have understood the beggar's malicious intent when he shoved the porridge. Zhao Fusheng was often cunning and not one to suffer a loss, so for her to ultimately make such a move truly surprised Liu Yizhen.
But his astonishment was only momentary. As the crowd stirred, he also began to explain: "Everyone, the ghostly disaster here has been resolved. From now on, Fuzi Temple will no longer give alms." He held up the gong and struck it twice more.
The lifeless crowd gradually became infused with vitality. The belated survivors finally realized what had happened. Some were overjoyed, some disbelieving. Apart from a few who remained numb and blank, most had realized that they had escaped the nightmarish ghostly disaster unscathed.
"Res-resolved?"
"The ghost has been driven away?"
"Is the ghost domain gone?"
"Are we alive—"
...Many people asked questions.
Liu Yizhen thought of the Book of Fates, hesitated for a moment, and then said: "This ghostly disaster has been resolved. As for what will happen in the future, I cannot say for certain."
His words, when heard by the uninformed masses, were no different from the good news of a great pardon for death row inmates. Everyone rejoiced. Many then tried to look around and indeed saw the ghostly mist dissipating and the sky gradually brightening—this was a sign that the ghost domain had opened.
"It's dawn!"
"The ghost has left, we're safe."
"We can go!"
"I'll never come to Beggar's Alley again—"
The survivors joyfully began to disperse. Initially, their bodies were a bit stiff from prolonged curling up, but then they walked faster and faster, fleeing in all directions, as if afraid to stay in Beggar's Alley for another moment.
The man who had been limp at Zhao Fusheng's feet also realized something. He quietly crawled up from the ground and quickly blended into the crowd, as if terrified of being caught by Zhao Fusheng again.
"..."
Zhao Fusheng coldly watched his figure dart through the crowd like a loach. Soon, he was indistinguishable. Finally, she turned and glanced in Liu Yizhen's direction, also sighing in relief: "Time to go back!"
She didn't linger and walked back the way she came.
The gloom had dispersed. Outside Beggar's Alley, many people had gathered at some point. At the forefront were the Fan brothers, accompanied by the county magistrate and his aide, whom Zhao Fusheng had seen before. Liu Wu and other yamen runners, who had once driven her carriage, stood behind them. Nearby, a scattering of fearless onlookers also stood.
"Brother—"
Fan Wujiu nervously gazed at the direction of Beggar's Alley. The ghost domain had now been lifted, and the thick fog was dispersing. The stench of corpses, blood, and feces, which had been sealed within the ghost domain, was the first to escape, making people's faces change upon smelling it.
"How much longer do we have to wait?" Fan Wujiu's expression was exceptionally haggard: "The ghost domain has already dispersed..."
"Wait a little longer, there's still no movement." Fan Bisi said calmly.
The old county magistrate and his aide beside them exchanged glances, not daring to speak.
"Do you think Fusheng is still alive?" Fan Wujiu asked. No one dared to answer.
"I don't know." After a long silence, Fan Bisi shook his head. "How could the ghostly disaster in Beggar's Alley be so easily resolved?"
A somewhat obsequious voice spoke, and with a rustling sound, Zhang Chuanshi poked his head out from behind the Fan brothers: "I think Zhao Fusheng was heavily affected by the ghost, her mind isn't clear, and she's new to subjugating ghosts, lacking experience. How could she easily drive away a malevolent ghost?" As he spoke, he stood on tiptoes, peering intently towards Beggar's Alley with his small, bean-like eyes, forming a 'king' character wrinkle on his forehead. "Perhaps it's precisely because of her death that the malevolent ghost within her revived, coincidentally balancing with the Beggar's Alley ghost, thus inadvertently dispelling the ghost domain."
As Zhang Chuanshi spoke, his eyes rolled around. Although his lower face, hidden behind Fan Bisi's shoulder, wasn't visible, Fan Wujiu could hear the schadenfreude in his words. He glanced at his elder brother; Fan Bisi remained silent. But Fan Wujiu knew his brother's thoughts: he seemed quite wary of Zhao Fusheng, who had subjugated a ghost and not died.
Earlier that day, the two brothers had split up with Zhao Fusheng in the city. They, along with a group of corpse bearers, had sent the bodies of Zhao's parents overnight to Baocounty's territory for proper burial. They rushed back to Wan'an County by noon the next day, but Zhao Fusheng was nowhere to be seen. Later, Zhang Chuanshi from the coffin shop appeared, and the brothers learned from him that Zhao Fusheng had burned down Zhang the Paper Figure maker's mansion and had borrowed people from the county magistrate to send her to this place. Guided by an old woman selling wares at the intersection, they confirmed that Zhao Fusheng had entered Beggar's Alley—and for the next three days, the ghost domain did not disperse, and Zhao Fusheng's fate was unknown.
From two days ago, all the prominent figures in Wan'an County had been waiting here. Zhao Fusheng's life or death represented the coming and going of some people. If this last Chief Envoy of ghost subjugation in Wan'an County also died, the Demon Suppressing Division here would effectively be completely useless. Those with connections would naturally not want to stay here. The old county magistrate and his aide probably had the same idea. It so happened that the people of the Demon Suppressing Division could not leave due to the Soul Fate Scroll, Zhang Chuanshi was forced into the Demon Suppressing Division, and he feared Zhao Fusheng because she had severely offended Zhang the Paper Figure maker. At this moment, he deeply resented Zhao Fusheng, wishing she would die in this ghostly disaster.
"Old Zhang, don't talk nonsense," Fan Wujiu scolded, then turned again: "Brother—"
"I don't think Fusheng is dead."
Fan Bisi responded. As soon as he spoke, everyone's ears perked up. Even the county magistrate leaned half a step forward, wanting to hear him elaborate.
"Fusheng isn't dead?" Fan Wujiu was stunned for a moment, then raised his voice to ask.
Fan Bisi pondered for a moment, then said: "Fusheng's personality changed somewhat after subjugating the ghost. I always feel—" He couldn't find the right words to describe his feelings when interacting with Zhao Fusheng after she died and revived. But he felt that Zhao Fusheng was astute and cautious, yet bold and even somewhat reckless in her actions. Zhang Chuanshi said she burned Zhang the Paper Figure maker's mansion because she had gone mad, but Fan Bisi felt that it was something she could do—she would never suffer a loss, she would immediately avenge any grievance, unwilling to endure.
"For the past three days, there's been no movement in the ghost domain. I think she was hiding and exploring the ghost's rules. In short, I don't think she'll die here." Fan Bisi thought for a moment, still stating his conjecture.
Zhang Chuanshi heard this, first startled, then his slanted eyebrows twitched: "Even if she doesn't die, it's useless. You all know the situation with the malevolent ghosts of the Demon Suppressing Division. It's fine if she doesn't use the ghost's power, but if she does, she'll probably suffer backlash from the ghost." After speaking, he added: "Even if there's no immediate backlash, she might be affected by the malevolent ghost and become insane."
His words struck exactly at the hidden worries of the Fan brothers. Fan Wujiu immediately remembered the scene when Zhao Qiming's malevolent ghost went out of control, and his face turned grim.
"I..."
Fan Wujiu was about to speak when suddenly, from a distance, came the chaotic 'tap-tap' of footsteps, as if many people were fleeing.
"Shh—" Fan Bisi's eyes brightened, and he immediately called out, "Someone's coming."
The few who were speaking immediately fell silent. Through the thin mist, many ragged survivors were seen fleeing out of Beggar's Alley. Initially, there were only a few people, but then more and more appeared.
The county magistrate quickly ordered his yamen runners to stop the people and question them, but before the yamen runners could act, Fan Bisi seemed to see something and shouted: "Here she comes!"
Everyone quickly followed his gaze and saw Zhao Fusheng, unhurriedly walking out of Beggar's Alley, following behind a group of panic-stricken fleeing people.
"Fusheng—"
"Fusheng!"
The Fan brothers were first surprised, then doubtful, upon seeing her emerge. She had spent several days within Beggar's Alley and had bloodstains on her body, but her demeanor was not haggard, nor were her eyes wild. Her expression was calm, even a slight smile on her lips. It was as if this trip was not to deal with a ghostly disaster, but merely to visit a temple fair.
The people in front, while fleeing, frantically turned their heads to look behind, as if fearing ghosts were pursuing them. But she was calm and composed, extraordinarily at ease.
What exactly happened in Beggar's Alley these past few days? Since Zhao Fusheng was still alive, the resolution of the ghostly disaster must be related to her. Did she use the power of the malevolent ghost? Or did she use the ghost's killing rules to lure the ghost away from this place? Many questions flooded everyone's minds.
Fan Bisi suppressed the fear in his heart and was the first to step forward to meet her: "Fusheng."
Fan Wujiu followed behind him.
Zhang Chuanshi, who had previously been gloating, instantly widened his eyes upon seeing Zhao Fusheng appear, revealing an expression of disbelief mixed with despair. But the next moment, his face changed. He swept away his previous malice and scurried behind the Fan brothers, obsequiously calling out: "Official Zhao! Official Zhao, a good person has divine favor, you have quelled the ghostly disaster, truly a blessing for our Wan'an County—"
The county magistrate and others exchanged glances, all both surprised and delighted.
The waiting crowd surged forward, surrounding Zhao Fusheng as if she were the moon among stars.
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