Chapter 157 Can ghosts eat ghosts? This question truly stumped Qiao Yan…
Can ghosts eat other ghosts?
This question truly struck a chord with Qiao Yanyu and her two friends. Wang Yu and Li Xia couldn't answer it because they lacked the experience and hadn't seen that many ghosts. In fact, they hadn't encountered any in their lives. But Qiao Yanyu could provide an answer:
"able."
The city they were in wasn't large, and their combat capabilities were excellent, which is why lower-ranking investigators had never seen anything like it. But Qiao Yanyu was a high-ranking investigator, and having been dispatched many times, the well-informed Qiao Yanyu was naturally able to answer.
"A ghost that can eat other ghosts is already very powerful. It would take several Level 1 Investigators working together to deal with it."
"If a ghost eats another ghost, will it become stronger?"
Qiao Yanyu nodded: "Yes, after a ghost eats another ghost, it can absorb the other's yin energy and become extremely strong. At the same time, it won't generate the karmic power that comes from attacking a human, but..." Qiao Yanyu glanced at Wang Yu, then shook her head: "But that red wedding dress shouldn't be the case. Because a ghost that even eats other ghosts certainly won't spare a human. Once a ghost indulges in the deliciousness of consuming life and soul, it will no longer be able to maintain its remaining humanity."
“Wang Yu is no match for that red-bridal-dress ghost. If it really is that kind of ghost, it has no chance of letting the two of you go. Plus, there are so many ghosts in front of your stall, it's like a buffet for it. There's no reason for it to just eat and leave.”
"Ghosts are not human. Once they abandon their humanity, they become monsters that only know how to act on instinct and greed. Even if they can disguise themselves, their ultimate goal is to eat. This instinct cannot be hidden, especially when the other party looks at you, you will instantly feel that this guy has bad intentions."
"I see."
Qiao Yanyu nodded: "But you did give us some ideas..." When He Zhao said these things just now, Qiao Yanyu had actually thought of it, that is—where did the group of ghosts that were missing in other cities go?
She had only had some doubts before, but now she was even more certain. The investigator's sixth sense was very accurate; he often acted based on it. Ghosts don't just disappear suddenly for no reason, unless their yin energy is completely gone. But natural decay wouldn't result in such a rapid and uniform extinction of ghosts.
They had initially assumed it was done by extraordinary individuals from the Tonghuan Society, but upon closer reflection, it didn't necessarily have to be human. Hua Hua had previously mentioned that the Tonghuan Society also created ghosts. However, Hua Hua's father underestimated them, thinking their creations were mere clay and clay, which was why he refused to cooperate.
But if the chickens and dogs are just a facade, and the real purpose is to use them to raise other ghosts? If Hua Hua's father uses people to raise Hua Hua, then those guys might use ghosts to raise another ghost.
Qiao Yanyu thought of this and wanted to check the intelligence from Jiuqing. They had much more information about the outside world than she did. Unfortunately, before she could speak, He Zhao silenced her: "I know you have to go, but you can't skip eating. What did you promise me? Everyone's here, eat something first, then go about your business."
"good."
Qiao Yanyu had promised He Zhao, and she couldn't possibly go back on her word. So, after a long time, she had a meal with Wang Yu and Li Xia. Li Xia was surprised to find herself included in the meal and was somewhat flattered: "There's even one for me? Thank you, boss."
Li Xia had eaten He Zhao's cooking twice, but she felt that her relationship with He Zhao was just so-so. She never expected that she would get a meal! The boss is so kind, really so kind! Li Xia usually cooks for herself at home and knows how troublesome it is to cook, let alone cook so much.
Besides, He Zhao's cooking is truly delicious; he's the kind of chef you can't hire anywhere else. Li Xia has never eaten anything better than He Zhao's cooking; once you taste it, you'll crave it again and again. If she were as close to Qiao Yanyu and He Zhao as Wang Yu, she would shamelessly try to get a taste of his delicious food too.
Each of them had a large round takeout box in front of them, containing the pork rib soup that He Zhao had stewed that day. He Zhao was generous with the ingredients, and the pork ribs were all carefully selected; the first piece Li Xia picked up was a baby back rib with cartilage still attached.
She opened her mouth and bit down without hesitation.
Today, He Zhao stewed winter melon and pork rib soup. Although it was light, it was very flavorful. The pork ribs were stewed until tender, but not so tender that they would melt in your mouth; they still had a bit of chewiness. After a few more bites, you could taste the cartilage inside. The cartilage was so crunchy that Li Xia could hear it cracking in her mouth as she bit into it.
Li Xia already enjoyed eating cartilage, but she genuinely felt that this piece of cartilage was the best she had ever tasted in all her years. Chewing it along with the pork rib meat and then swallowing it left her mouth feeling completely satisfied.
She picked up a disposable spoon and started drinking the soup. Actually, Li Xia didn't like drinking bone broth before because she knew very well that bone broth, pork rib broth, and even chicken broth were rich in purines and oils, which could easily make her gain weight and had little nutritional value.
Older generations love to make soup for children, always saying it's nutritious, but in reality... it's not very effective. Soup was indeed nutritious for people in the past because they rarely ate meat, but for people today who don't lack nutrition, this soup is somewhat unnecessary.
Moreover, the soup was full of oil, and it didn't taste refreshing at all. After drinking it, it always felt like drinking a layer of oil. But He Zhao's soup was different. Her soup was clear and bright, and you could tell that she had skimmed off the layer of oil when making the pork rib soup.
Taking a spoonful and putting it in my mouth, what I tasted wasn't a greasy liquid, but rather the unique sweetness and umami of the soup. The flavor wasn't overpowering; it was subtle and easy to enjoy. After a few sips, my tired body felt like it was soaking in hot water, my whole being, including my stomach, felt warm and cozy.
For the first time, Li Xia had the feeling that drinking soup was nourishing.
It tastes good.
Li Xia didn't put down her spoon, spooning after spoonful, and soon a lot of the pork rib soup was gone. A little reluctant to finish it all at once, Li Xia picked up her chopsticks again and started eating the side dishes in the soup. Besides the pork ribs, there was also winter melon.
Each piece of winter melon was cut into a uniform size. One end was soft and melted in your mouth with just a slight touch, while the other end was a bit firmer and required a few chews. Many restaurants, when making winter melon slices, would simply cut off the firmer outer layer, leaving only the softer inner part.
This way, the texture of the winter melon is indeed consistent. However, if you eat too much of it, you'll find that if it's delivered in a takeout box, the winter melon might be completely mushy by the time it arrives. You'll only see some broken pieces of winter melon in the pork rib soup, and you won't be able to see the shape of the winter melon at all.
Furthermore, standardizing the texture doesn't mean it will satisfy everyone who likes winter melon. Li Xia particularly enjoys the firmer part, which feels slightly raw but has a refreshing taste.
He Zhao kept this piece and made sure the two textures were perfectly matched, which satisfied Li Xia.
With just pork rib soup and a side dish, He Zhao didn't cook anything else today, but these two dishes were enough to make Li Xia and Wang Yu both show satisfied expressions.
Li Xia was aware that Jiu Qing had been targeting He Zhao. She was a meticulous person, much smarter than Wang Yu, and paid more attention to details. She was good at reading people, and even though Jiu Qing's targeting wasn't out in the open, only revealed in front of He Zhao and Qiao Yanyu, Li Xia still quickly noticed it.
Putting down her chopsticks, she still decided to remind He Zhao: "Boss, the head of the investigation team sent from above doesn't seem to have a good impression of you. He's always thinking of secretly investigating you." Li Xia, Qiao Yanyu, and Wang Yu all thought the same thing: Jiu Qing was just being nosy.
The boss is just an ordinary person, and a very nice one at that. He even helped the Countermeasures Bureau before.
Most importantly, the food is so delicious.
Li Xia, judging others by her own standards, knew that if she were part of the evil organization, she would never have let He Zhao go. With that kind of skill, she was genuinely afraid He Zhao would be turned by someone else. She would also be terrified that she would never have anything good to eat again. No matter what, logistical support must be carefully monitored; who would send someone from the cookhouse out as an undercover agent?
He Zhao nodded to indicate that he understood and thanked him.
Although He Zhao already knew about this and had even personally confronted Jiu Qing, Li Xia told him that it was purely out of good intentions. He Zhao wasn't the kind of person who couldn't distinguish between good and bad.
After finishing their meal, Qiao Yanyu was still somewhat worried. She pulled He Zhao aside and asked, "Have you felt like you're being followed lately?"
"No, the system didn't tell me. After I told you last time, no one has been following me anymore."
Qiao Yanyu breathed a sigh of relief, but she remained vigilant. She stared at He Zhao and said seriously, "You still need to have a good talk with your system and make sure it doesn't let its guard down. These are turbulent times. Besides Jiuqing, the Tonghuan Society might also be eyeing us covetously."
“I have a feeling that the Tonghuan Society has already come to our side. The situation in this city is different from other cities, which is evidence of their covert activities.”
He Zhao agreed to everything. At this moment, He Zhao was particularly well-behaved because she knew that Qiao Yanyu cared about her.
"I might be quite busy later on and won't have much time to spend with you. But if you encounter any problems, remember to call me anytime, and I'll definitely get to your side as soon as possible." Qiao Yanyu kept talking, muttering to herself.
Qiao Yanyu wasn't a particularly talkative person. So every word she uttered at this moment stemmed from her concern for him. Thinking of this, He Zhao suddenly felt a tickle in his heart.
She took a step forward, and under Qiao Yanyu's somewhat surprised gaze, reached out and touched her cheek, then pressed her lips to hers. They separated after a while.
Qiao Yanyu's ears were a little red. She didn't stop her, but said in a low voice, "There are cameras here...".
He Zhao chuckled softly, finding Qiao Yanyu incredibly adorable.
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