Chapter 60
"Buzz—!"
Space seemed to be gripped tightly by an invisible hand! The core of the black energy, which was struggling frantically and trying to condense into the form of a faceless female ghost in red, emitted a sharp shriek that could pierce eardrums. Like ice and snow thrown into a furnace, it melted and annihilated at a speed visible to the naked eye!
There were no earth-shattering magical clashes, no dazzling light and shadow effects, only an absolute and unquestionable erasure!
The crimson, malevolent light flickered a few times reluctantly before finally extinguishing completely.
The whole process was so fast it took only a breath. The lingering chill in the warehouse dissipated as quickly as the tide receded, and the air began to circulate again. Although it still carried the smell of dust, the suffocating stench of blood and despair had vanished.
The broken lamp by the door finally lit up steadily with a dim but normal light.
"Done!"
Shuangling jumped triumphantly on Zhuohua's shoulder, its little wings on its hips (if it had any). "Huahua's moves are clean and efficient! A million times better than those pretentious charlatans who just pretend to be great for a long time! A bunch of good-for-nothings!" It didn't hold back in criticizing the "masters" that Liang Hui had invited earlier.
Lu Xiao witnessed the entire process, and his heart was filled with overwhelming shock. He knew Zhuo Hua was very strong, but every time he witnessed such extraordinary methods, so effortlessly eliminating terrifying beings as if erasing a stain, he still felt a deep tremor in his soul. He gripped Zhuo Hua's hand tightly, conveying his amazement and reliance.
Zhuohua withdrew her hand, as if she were merely dusting off non-existent dust from her sleeve. She turned her head to look at the smug little guy on her shoulder, the coldness in her eyes completely melting away, replaced by an indulgent smile: "Well, Shuangling deserves the most credit, clearing the way, tidying up the area, and even giving us an 'extra meal'."
"Of course!" Shuangling proudly puffed out her little chest, her bright blue eyes sparkling.
Just then, Shuangling's little nose twitched. It flew lightly from Zhuohua's shoulder and landed on the ground where the black energy core had just been annihilated. There was a small clump of ash left there, emitting a faint, nauseating sulfurous smell.
Shuangling poked at the ashes with its tiny paws, a sharp glint flashing in its emerald eyes. It suddenly raised its head and looked at Zhuohua, its voice no longer the childishly fierce one, but carrying a serious yet innocent tone: "Huahua! Something's wrong! This isn't a naturally formed vengeful spirit! There are... remnants of a human curse in these ashes! A very insidious method! Someone is deliberately 'raising a Gu'!"
Zhuohua's gaze instantly darkened. She walked to the ashes, crouched down, and brushed her fingertips through the air. She caught a trace of extremely faint, almost imperceptible, chilling energy carrying a specific frequency of fluctuation.
“Deliberately guiding resentment to gather, inciting extreme fear, forming a ‘core of fear’…” Zhuohua’s voice was as cold as ice. “The method was crude, but the purpose was clear. It seems that the ‘minor troubles’ that occasionally pop up in this world are not necessarily coincidences.”
She stood up, a chill creeping into the depths of her azure eyes. The few supernatural events she'd encountered since her rebirth, though insignificant to her, seemed to be subtly increasing in frequency and intensity. Shuangling's discovery confirmed her vague suspicions—there was someone pulling the strings behind it all.
"Chirp! Which blind bastard dares to do such a thing behind my back? If I catch him, I'll freeze him into an ice sculpture and kick him around like a ball!" Frostfeather bristled and hovered angrily above the ashes, its small wings fanning out icy whirlwinds that completely dispersed the remaining remnants.
Zhuohua rubbed its little head: "Alright, let's go out first. It's dirty here."
She led Lu Xiao, along with the still sulking Shuang Ling, out of the warehouse. Outside, Liang Hui, along with several high-ranking officials from the station and shaken security guards, were anxiously waiting. When they saw them emerge unharmed, the warehouse lights stabilized, and the chilling atmosphere dissipated, they erupted in cheers of relief.
"Teacher Zhuohua! You are truly... truly a living god!" The station director was so excited that he couldn't speak coherently, shaking Zhuohua's hand vigorously. "Thank you so much! As for the payment! Don't worry, we'll arrange the male lead role for Teacher Lu Xiao right away! No, the best resources! The very best!"
Zhuohua subtly withdrew her hand, simply nodding slightly. "Yes. The resentment here has been cleared, but the source has been shifted. There shouldn't be any more anomalies in the short term." She left it at that, revealing no further information about the "human intervention." Making a scene was not her style.
Liang Hui and the others were too busy expressing their gratitude to listen to any talk of "transferring the root cause," and simply felt that the master was unfathomable.
Just as Zhuohua was about to leave with Lu Xiao, a sharp-looking young man in a black jacket strode over, followed by a young woman wearing glasses and carrying a tablet. The man's sharp gaze ignored the enthusiastic television crew and headed straight for Zhuohua, discreetly displaying an ID badge with a special emblem.
“Ms. Zhuohua, Mr. Lu Xiao, excuse me.” The man’s voice was steady, with a businesslike politeness. “I am Chen Feng, the leader of the Seventh Action Group of the National Paranormal Phenomena Investigation and Special Events Handling Bureau (referred to as the Paranormal Bureau). This is my colleague, data analyst Lin Wei.”
His appearance and identification instantly silenced the surrounding area. Liang Hui and the others exchanged bewildered glances, their eyes filled with surprise and uncertainty—the country even has such a department?!
Zhuohua didn't even lift her eyelids, as if she hadn't seen the ID the other person held out. Shuangling, perched on her shoulder, glanced at the newcomer with her emerald eyes and bluntly complained, "The Special Affairs Bureau? What an awful name. And so inefficient! They only arrived after Huahua finished getting ready; they couldn't even catch up with the dust!"
Chen Feng's expression froze for a moment, clearly not expecting this "bird" to be so sharp-tongued. Lin Wei pushed up her glasses, looking at the data on the tablet with shock and inquiry in her eyes, and whispered to Chen Feng, "Team leader... the residual energy reading... completely exceeds the known record limit... Annihilation level..."
Chen Feng took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and looked at Zhuo Hua with unprecedented solemnity: "Ms. Zhuo Hua, through a special monitoring network, we detected an unusually powerful peak of negative energy erupting here, far exceeding the scope of ordinary paranormal events. Thank you for stepping in to resolve the crisis and prevent greater panic. We hope to establish a communication channel with you to understand the situation, and... sincerely invite you to join the Advisory Group of the Special Psychic Bureau."
His tone was sincere, conveying an urgent desire to attract top talent.
Zhuohua finally looked at him properly, her gaze flat and indifferent, as if she were looking at an insignificant object. "Not interested."
She refused decisively, her voice cold, "Mind your own business. Don't bother me." With that, she took Lu Xiao's hand and walked straight past Chen Feng, not even sparing him a glance.
Shuangling even made an extremely human-like "contemptuous" face at Chen Feng: "Chirp! Dream on! Hua Hua doesn't have time to play house with you! We're going back for our date! You bastards, get out of the way!" Its little voice was twice as lethal when it cursed.
Chen Feng and Lin Wei stood there, watching Zhuo Hua and Lu Xiao's departing figures, and the arrogant little snowball that turned back and stuck its tongue out at them (if birds can stick out their tongues). Their expressions were incredibly complex: frustration, shock, and a hint of bewilderment at being completely crushed by overwhelming power.
"Team leader... this..." Lin Wei's voice was hoarse as she looked at the still ridiculously high energy residue data on the tablet.
Chen Feng's eyes were filled with complex emotions, which finally turned into a bitter laugh and a deeper solemnity: "...Notify the General Administration to activate the highest level of file encryption. Code name... 'Divine Descent'. In addition, investigate all recent abnormal and supernatural events with full force, focusing on 'human guidance' traces. This... is probably a true 'deity' walking among humans. Her attitude... is our direction." He paused, then added, "Also, keep a close eye on the target... Lu Xiao."
A cool night breeze dispelled the last vestiges of gloom over the television station. Zhuohua held Lu Xiao's hand as they walked back to the hotel. Shuangling nestled comfortably in the crook of her neck, purring softly, as if it hadn't been the one who had just been scolding her and discovering the earth-shattering secret.
"The Special Bureau of Spiritual Affairs?" Lu Xiao asked softly, with curiosity.
“A bunch of mortals trying to meddle in things they shouldn’t be.” Zhuo Hua said casually, as if discussing the weather. “Troublesome.”
"That...man-made curse?" Lu Xiao was more concerned about this.
Zhuohua paused slightly, turning her head to look at him. The glow of the streetlight danced in her eyes. "Just a little bug." She squeezed his palm, her tone reassuring yet tinged with a barely perceptible chill. "If it's jumping around too much, just stomp on it. Don't worry."
She leaned close to his ear, her voice instantly becoming sweet and soft, "Right now, I just want my boyfriend to go out for a late-night snack with me."
Lu Xiao's ears burned as he was charmed by her sudden change in mood and her straightforward words of love. The slight worry in his heart was instantly replaced by sweetness. He smiled and nodded, "Okay, what do you want to eat?"
Shuangling stirred in Zhuohua's neck and mumbled in a dreamlike voice, "...offal...sweet and sour pork..." which made Zhuohua and Lu Xiao exchange a smile.
The gentle night cast long shadows of the three figures (one human, one god, and one bird). The city's neon lights flickered, concealing the undercurrents beneath the calm surface. The Lingte Bureau's archives were brightly lit, and a new file marked "Top Secret" was solemnly opened.
Meanwhile, in some unseen corners, the mastermind behind the "Core of Fear" seems to have quietly shifted course due to the sudden annihilation of a key node. A new storm may be brewing silently in places no one knows about.
In a quiet, upscale residential area near Hengdian World Studios, sunlight streams through huge floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating the new home. A faint scent of new furniture and freshly painted walls still lingers in the air.
Zhuohua walked barefoot on the soft, plush carpet, looking with satisfaction at the spacious and bright space before her. The huge living room connected to the open-plan kitchen and dining room, offering excellent views.
This is where she and Lu Xiao decided to "settle down"—of course, they bought two adjacent large apartments, facing each other. The reason, in Zhuohua's own words, was: "It's convenient to visit each other, and it's also convenient for each of us to have our own space." Lu Xiao had no objection to this, and even thought she had considered it very thoughtfully.
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