Chapter 15: Ghost Dog and Demon Child (Part 1)

~Confidential Files~

On August 7, 2999, residents of No. 215 Gushui Street, Zhongting, reported nightmares of being chased and assaulted with blunt objects, experiencing intense pain. They claimed to be haunted by a "vengeful spirit." The on-duty team conducted an on-site investigation and determined the noise was caused by the building's age and disrepair. They appeased the residents and closed the case.

On November 20th, residents of No. 215 Gushui Street reported frequent visual and auditory hallucinations and emotional instability. The on-duty team suspected artifacts were causing the disturbances. After unsuccessful investigation, they reported the situation according to protocol. Starting that night, team members were assigned to monitor the situation day and night.

On November 21, it was confirmed that the illusion was real...

On December 30, the team member on duty reported emotional instability...

On February 4, 3000, the team member on duty reported experiencing weakness, accompanied by frequent auditory and visual hallucinations and cerebral pain. Headquarters' Ji Huaisu ordered the evacuation of all residents and the lockdown of Building 215 Gushui Street. Headquarters issued a release order, commencing a three-month special observation period.

·

"Chu Hengkong, let me warn you, spirits have a lot of tricks. Remember to clean up afterward, don't leave any messes behind..."

It was May 3rd, one day before the special observation period ended. Chu Hengkong stood in front of No. 215 Gushui Street, recalling Jie An's earnest instructions before he left.

This was an old apartment building, its exterior staircase rusted with rust, and the windows were covered in old-fashioned metal security grilles, which, from a distance, looked like a row of cramped cages. The team member leading Chu Hengkong was named Lu Xing, a seasoned veteran. He tore off the yellow seal on the apartment's iron door, his hands trembling from having apprehended countless criminals.

"There are some very evil things in the building, please be careful, Brother Chu." Lu Xing lowered his voice.

"Have you tried using the relics?" Chu Hengkong asked.

"We can't get to it with knives or guns. We don't have anything more advanced." Lu Xing shuddered and handed over a bunch of keys. "If it were you, I'd just tear this building down and put an end to it."

"Let's take a look at the situation first." Chu Hengkong took the key and went into the building alone.

Lu Xing felt a surge of respect, thinking that Inspector Chu was truly skilled and daring, daring to enter the house even though he knew there was a ghost. Little did he know that Chu Hengkong had no sense of danger at all. Firstly, after three months of observation, he had basically confirmed that there was no movement in the building during the day, and secondly, he had a talisman in his pocket...

【Ghost Pardon Talisman】

【Rating: Level 2】

[Origin: Longquan Township Chenjun Palace]

[Effect: The talisman strikes the spirit, and can restrain the spirit body with particle size 2 or less

The talisman is attached to a physical object, which can seal a phantom with a particle size of 2 or less; the physical object will be transformed into a relic, and the effect depends on the phantom's ability.

[Thinking: The soul is devastated, the ghost’s heart is muddy. The soul is calmed and the soul is relieved.

——Ji Qiufeng]

Just kidding, this is a ghost-chasing talisman drawn by Huaisu's father himself! This thing is probably more reliable than his daughter's own hand-painted one!

Holding a talisman and still being afraid of ghosts? That's a complete waste of time. Just look at the effect of this talisman and you'll understand what that mysterious "three-month observation period" is all about. Jie An is just waiting to fatten up some ghosts to use as artifact spirits. Therefore, Chu Hengkong wasn't nervous at all; he actually looked forward to the rewards of this mission. He ascended the iron stairs outside the building, the rusty steps creaking.

There was no elevator in the old building, so he walked all the way up to the sixth floor and used the key his team had given him to unlock the door to the water distribution room. Most of the room was occupied by cylindrical equipment, and next to the main switch was a small hole like a coin slot. Chu Hengkong took out ten beads, inserted them one by one into the small hole, and pulled the main switch.

Gulp.

The energy flow was connected, the circuits were connected, and a sound like a floodgate being opened could be heard. The lights in the corridors lit up one by one. The old building was alive again, powered by those small beads worth 1,000 Liuzhu. Chu Hengkong had come to understand over the past few days that there was no electricity in Huilong City, only "currents." The Liuzhu that stored the currents served as both currency and energy, supplying the energy through some incomprehensible mechanism that kept the city running.

I just don't know if the vengeful spirits still need water.

Chu Hengkong walked slowly down the hallway, the light revealing traces hidden by dust. Bullet holes of varying depths dotted the walls, indicating the site of more than one gunfight. Wood chips and iron chunks lurked in the corners, and the larger fragments still vaguely revealed their former forms, as if crushed and shattered by some immense force... Judging by the marks, the force wasn't as great as his, but it was enormous...

Chu Hengkong tried to piece together the iron blocks he had found. The wild cracks there reminded him of the wolves of the snowy mountains. But these iron blocks had once been part of a large shield. How big could such a wolf be to bite through a shield as tall as two men?

Chu Hengkong's nostrils flared slightly. He didn't smell the stench of wild animals, but rather the faint stench of garbage. The situation was more complicated than he had imagined. He stood up to investigate further when he heard a soft sound behind him.

The lights are out.

From back to front, the lights went out one by one. Chu Hengkong grasped a piece of scrap metal and slowly turned around. At the back, near the entrance to the corridor, a sliver of green emergency light still lingered. On the wall, illuminated by the green light, a gaunt face stared coldly at him. It was covered in blood and bruises, with two bloody wounds between its eyes, from which black blood oozes out, flowing like foul-smelling pus.

Not as scary as in the movies, but ugly.

Chu Hengkong took a step forward, and this step seemed to irritate the ghost face in the wall. She suddenly disappeared, and a young girl's voice was heard from the rooftop: "Don't... don't... come over here...!"

A strong wind swept through the corridor in an instant, and amidst the flying dust and wood chips, a black shadow as big as a car came roaring towards them!

Without a word, Chu Hengkong hurled the shard of iron, a fist-sized piece of metal striking the shadow's head. But it "passed" through it unimpeded, just as the stone had passed through the body of the fantasy demon. Ordinary attacks proved ineffective. The shadow darted across the corridor in a flash, its maw open and biting. The distinctly animalistic stench carried with it the strong wind, so overpowering it was almost suffocating.

The shadow missed, but Chu Hengkong was prepared. He smashed the window with his elbow and leaped out of the apartment building. Mid-air, his tentacles curled upwards and hooked onto the protruding security window.

Chu Hengkong hung by his tentacles outside the third-floor window, awaiting the vengeful spirit's next move. As the ominous shadow on the rooftop dissipated, he silently counted the seconds in his mind.

1, 2, 3...

boom!

Dust billowed through the building, the noise so loud that even the security windows shook. Three and a half seconds later, the mezzanine between the third and fourth floors suddenly collapsed, and the dark shadow smashed through the three floors, falling through the rubble and crashing into the glass windows. Chu Hengkong decisively let go and fell to the ground. The glass window was shattered by his bite as he landed, and the iron security window was also torn into pieces.

Chu Hengkong retreated a few steps, leaving the apartment building. A low growl echoed from the darkness, but no one pursued him. After a while, as if noticing the man had no intention of entering the building, the scent of the beast faded, but Chu Hengkong could still sense the creature's gaze. It was still watching him, ready to fight again if he entered the apartment.

Lu Xing, who was staying outside to guard the place, hurried over and asked, "Brother Chu, are you okay?"

"It's really weird." Chu Hengkong stretched his arms and said, "Tell the brothers to keep their distance. That thing can move even in the daytime."

Lu Xing's voice trembled: "Shall we start smashing it?"

"Don't be in a hurry..." Chu Hengkong pondered.

This enemy was difficult to deal with. Immune to physical attacks alone was easy enough; he could just find a good opportunity to cast a spell. But he saw clearly from outside the building that the ghost had "crashed" the roof and "bitten" the glass, but it could also cause physical damage. The evil ghost not only possessed an ethereal body but also possessed extraordinary strength. If he wasn't prepared, he'd be in for a setback. He'd better test its capabilities first.

Chu Hengkong thought of the girl's grimace and asked, "Have you checked any missing children cases in the surrounding area?"

"We checked at the end of last year, and there was one company that met the requirements..."

Lu Xing hesitated as he handed over a prepared briefing. Chu Hengkong glanced at it briefly and frowned, "The case was closed in just a week?"

"I didn't dare to check it carefully." Lu Xing added in a low voice, "I messed with the cat."

To mess with the cat is a slang term.

Places rich in history often have their own jargon. The most common terms used by the people of Huilong City are "Gray Marten," "White Cat," and "Crow." These seemingly harmless beasts actually refer to three untouchable forces within the city. The Gray Marten represents the swamp-dwelling cult known as the "Spirit Society," whose presence will ruin any future. The White Cat refers to the "Club" in the courtyard, a respected powerhouse in the city's gambling, luxury goods, and sex trades. The Crow represents the shady workshops in the sky, where arms dealers operate relentlessly and are known for their brutality. If you cross them, you'll be killed.

During the three weeks of investigating the case, Chu Hengkong also got to know about the three beasts in the city. He knew that the citizens were too afraid to call them by their names, but he did not expect that even the members of the Resurrection Corps were so taboo about it.

Chu Hengkong rolled up the file and hit Lu Xing, scolding him with a smile: "You're already a cop, and you're still afraid of criminals?"

"I wasn't afraid at first." Lu Xing laughed awkwardly, "But after doing it for a while... I became afraid."

Chu Hengkong nodded and didn't embarrass him: "Take me to see that family."

In a desperate attempt to speed up, they took a shortcut, passing a market crowded with street vendors. The sky was pitch black, not a single ray of light piercing through. The vendors used small lamps propped up on sticks for illumination. Smoke drifted in the dim lights, and the vendors' calls sounded faint, like routine. "Lost panacea," "Guaranteed relic," "Swamp treasure map," "True secret panacea"... Behind the stalls selling fake medicines and relics, legitimate vendors sold aquatic plants and frozen chickens and ducks. Old missing person notices and wanted posters were plastered on the walls, their faces blurred by the rain.

The family of the missing person lived in Bangxing Building, two blocks away. The building had 16 floors and an elevator, saving Chu Hengkong the trouble of climbing up and down the stairs. After knocking for a long time, the door finally opened. The man was about to yell in anger, but froze when he saw Chu Hengkong's tentacles.

"Sir, are you Inspector Chu?" The man's face was full of hope.

"Chu Hengkong from the Resurrection Corps." Chu Hengkong nodded, "I'd like to know about your family's situation."

The man's expression changed immediately, like a drowning man who saw a piece of driftwood. He grabbed Chu Hengkong's hand and said, "Inspector, please help me! My daughter has been missing for six months and can't be found anywhere. I beg you..."

The man was about to collapse. Chu Hengkong patted his hands and said, "Let's go inside and talk."

The man's name was Hein Lu, 23, and he often worked the night shift at a hotel four kilometers away. His daughter was named Tina, after their mother. His description was disjointed, spending most of the time describing his daughter's appearance, but he couldn't quite put his finger on her characteristics. He then began to recount how well-behaved and obedient she used to be, and then began to cry. He didn't know any details about the day she disappeared, except that she "didn't come home after school" and couldn't be found.

Emotional people are always like this. They can't provide much useful information and you have to rely on your own eyesight.

The house had clearly not been properly cleaned in ages. Several untied garbage bags lay piled by the door, and dog hair was hidden in corners and between the sofas. The daughter's door was closed, the man's bedroom door was open, and the closet door was also open, where a gaudy purple dress was covered in dust.

Chu Hengkong waited for Hai En to finish speaking, then asked, "What does your wife do for a living?"

Hain was silent for a moment: "...She's a housewife."

Chu Hengkong remained silent, staring into his eyes. Hai En retreated beneath his calm gaze. "My wife works as a bartender at the club...actually, it's just pouring drinks for customers, nothing like that..." He spoke softly, but any man who said that would be cowardly.

"Can I talk to the wife?"

"She passed away... She had an accident on the lower level last year..." Hein turned his head away, "She drowned in the swamp while walking at night."

There was no reason for the hostess in the atrium to walk downstairs at night. Chu Hengkong knew that Hai En himself did not believe these words.

"Please accept my condolences." "..." "What did your previous pet look like?" "A black dog... Very small, my daughter could hold it..." "Please describe it in more detail." "It was very obedient... My daughter loved it very much. She used her pocket money to buy a dog leash and a stone collar..." "Stone collar?" "It's made of stone, but it's very light." "Where did the dog go?" "It disappeared with my daughter..."

Chu Hengkong noted the details: "Do you know about the haunted story on Gushui Street?"

"Haunted?" Hein looked back blankly, "I haven't heard of it... I've never been there..."

What followed was some meaningless conversation. Have you tried to find your daughter after she disappeared? ... Use your free time to go to Bize to look for your daughter... Because his wife had an accident in Bize, his daughter is probably there too... I will try my best to look for her, please wait for news... Chu Hengkong stood up.

"Mr. Hein, you know it well enough," he said before leaving. "He's been missing for over half a year. There's not much hope."

The rotten board sank, and the man who had lost hope was drowned in the tide of sorrow. He sat alone, his voice as soft as a mosquito.

"At least... I want to bury her body with my own hands..."

"I'll do my best." Chu Hengkong closed the door and said goodbye.

He exited the Bangxing Building. It was a full 16 stories, yet incredibly cramped. The humidity was even worse than it had been two weeks ago, with water dripping all over the walls and floors. Even standing in the hallway was oppressive and suffocating. Even outside, the oppressive feeling remained. Under the curtain of water, the darkness was gloomy, and the weapons in the sky seemed ready to descend at any moment, pulverizing anyone.

The sunshine when I first arrived was good luck, this is the normal life in Huilong City.

Chu Hengkong took a deep breath and tilted his head to look up. The street was filled with narrow buildings similar to the Bangxing Building, crammed together like people bound in chains. Less than 100 meters behind the building was the commercial district, dotted with casinos and bars. The buildings there were spacious and brightly lit. Scantily clad women solicited customers, while well-dressed people strolled beneath colorful signboards, creating a bustling scene of feasting and revelry.

Standing in the narrow alleys between the skyscrapers, you can see the mottled old buildings and the colorful lights of the casino at the same time. Only a street separates them, but it feels like two different worlds.

Lu Xing, who was guarding the building, handed over a pack of cigarettes and said with great discernment, "Would you like one?"

"I've given up." Chu Hengkong shook his head. "Please bring me a spear to exorcise evil spirits."

(End of this chapter)