Ghost: “Catch the Ghost”

Mister Mao had assigned Wang Xu the first mission, which was going to a school to investigate a murder case that happened twenty years ago. At that time, due to no clues, the case hadn't had any progress.

With the same reason, more bloody cases had been followed in twenty years later.

"What? You want me to enroll in the Soaring Wings Institution?" As soon as Wang Xu shouted and asked this question, Mister Mao knew he had already got trapped.

The Soaring Wings Institution was a university located in the S City. This was no longer an ordinary school. It was a giant tree of the knowledge. Being a student who studied in this old school could prove one thing: either they were geniuses who had passed the inhuman exam or they belonged to rich and powerful families.

Every year, graduates from the Soaring Wings Institution were nearly on top of the pyramid of the society. Regardless medicine, chemistry, astronomy, education, business or politics, even military and philosophy, all of them had received and admitted the exceptional contributions of this school. Although the library of this school was not as good as the ones in England, professors of this school were extremely outstanding. Teaching facilities and classroom quality of this school could be classified as five-star resorts. It was so luxurious and flashy that golden bachelors, elegant ladies, or idol stars felt inferior and worthless compared to it. Exceptional students in the Soaring Wings Institution were only considered ordinary students, and ordinary students could not exist in this Institution. Numerous powerful bureaucrats tried their best to get their children into this gilded school. The graduation diploma of this school was like a superman's passport.

While Mister Mao was explaining eagerly, Wang Xu got affected by his words and temporarily delayed his fleeing plan.

"So … tell me if the mission this time is dangerous or not?" Wang Xu hesitatively asked.

Mister Mao bowed his head to light a cigarette. With this gesture, his bangs had covered his whole face that Wang Xu did not notice a tricky smile hidden behind his hair. "Ah, it's not dangerous at all. Frankly, twenty years ago, there was a passionate couple, who were madly in love. They encountered some difficulties and then died. Recently, they have jumped out and scared people without any known reason. This mission is very easy to be accomplished. You just need to disguise yourself as a student to learn about the high-class life, and enhance your basic knowledge of Devil Ravine Arts by the way. In the school library, you can look up some documents from the Warring States Period. You can translate and study based on them."

At that time, of course, Mister Mao had convinced Wang Xu. However, he felt a little strange. If Mister Mao let him have that big benefit, there were surely some problems here, "If it is that simple, why don't you do it yourself?"

"Hehe, I am more than thirty years old now. This senile uncle cannot disguise as a student. Not to mention ghost hunting happens only at night. Of course, I can sneak in to investigate, but I have a mission, which is as strict as the protecting leaders of the country. I am afraid I can't be back on time. Not to mention it is not practical to find out the investigating place at night. If you can disguise as a student of the school, it will be much more convenient."

As he saw Wang Xu saying nothing, Mister Mao immediately added, "Two months ago, you graduated from high school. At the same time, you decided to stop the job at the underground casino. You are currently a homebody, also at the exact required age for enrolling in the school. First, I will help you to pay the school fee."

Mister Mao came closer, patting Wang Xu's shoulders, "Moreover, I will also help you pay the police, the lessor to shut his mouth, your wound treatments, food and drinks at the bar downstairs, your clothes, and other expenses … I believe with your experience working in the casino, you already knew what would happen to those who are in debts and unlikely able to pay their debts."

With Mister Mao's favor, although Wang Xu had not really known those things in detail, he still had to nod his head accepting the mission.

Later at night on the same day, Mister Mao's detective office received a visitor. He was even scruffier than Mister Mao. While Mister Mao's beard was not shaved clean, this more than forty-year-old man did not even bother to shave. His hair was exactly like a pothole. He was wearing a ragged shirt with a worn-out swim shorts.

As soon as the door knocking resounded, in the bar downstairs, the dangling glass of wine on Uncle Wu's hand was suddenly motionless.

"An exceptional visitor." After that brief statement, he continued his work.

"Haizz, I knew it, I knew it." Since he had opened the door, Mister Mao kept repeating the same sentence with his feeble voice.

"I haven't say anything. What do you know?" The scruffy man kicked away all the messy things on the floor to make his way then sat down on the sofa, taking out a cigarette.

Mister Mao walked over to light his cigarette up; he then sat down next to the man and also lit a cigarette for himself.

"I've known clearly you wanted to tell me about the mass ghost-slaughter, which happened two weeks ago, right?"

"So, do you want to explain?"

"Recently, my detective office has just recruited a new staff. This thing happened due to the excessive challenge that I have given him. As I am the person in charge, I alone will accept all punishments from the superiors."

The scruffy man puffed deeply on his cigarette, then said, "I want to remind you, as a good brother, not a superior. Listen to me, Gu Chen. If you are too sentimental in solving problems, sooner or later you will encounter a catastrophe."

As Mister Mao listened to him, he knew that thing had been settled. He laughed and said, "Hehe, I have King WuGuan [1] here, what should I be scared of?"

Xue Lian shook his head nonstop, said, "No, the situation has been very messy recently. Do you remember Song Emperor?"

"How come I don't remember? That old buffer is very cunning. Ahem, you want to talk about that elder of great wisdom? Haha, I used to receive a lot of his attention though."

Xue Lian did not care about Mister Mao's manner. He continues, "Song Emperor has gone missing not long ago."

"What? Ten Courts of Hell could be also missing?"

"That's right. It is like he has completely disappeared. Either in this Human world or the Dead world, there is no news about him."

This news was undoubtedly unexpected.

The Ten Courts of Hell was a group of the most outstanding ghost hunters in the ghost-hunting world. They ranked even higher than all the cities' leaders. They were the supreme forces that maintained the order of the ghost-hunting world. They often appeared in the Human world and the Dead world. If there were some existence that could make them go missing without any trace, it would be something unimaginable.

After keeping silent for a while, Mister Mao puffed deeply till he had burnt half of the cigarette, then said, "So, what is this related to me?"

"The ghost hunters should pay attention to send off ghosts to another world. Unless it is unavoidable, you can't destroy their souls. It actually goes against the god's will."

"Hey, why do you suddenly tell me about this rule from nowhere? Is there anyone who follows it? Once being pushed to the door, killing some of them is normal, even killing ten of them in one night has also happened commonly. 'Sending off ghosts to the western paradise [2]' is never an easy stuff."

Xue Lian's complexion was very strange as he replied, "These are actually not my own words. This is exact what King Chujiang wanted me to deliver to you. She also said because King WuGuan Xue Lian had begged her to spare you, she forgave you this time. There would not be any exception next time."

"Oh, since when that old hag has become so arrogant?" Mister Mao started to feel incomprehensible.

"Of course, it is not that old hag. King Chujiang of the next term has just taken up the appointment right after the mass ghost slaughter. She is also concurrently undertaking the position of Song Emperor. Her performance is excellent and she has already solved some big troubles."

"She has just taken up the appointment, and already wants to throw a cigarette to burn me to death?" Mister Mao came to a conclusion like that, thus his next gesture was blowing his nose contemptuously.

He lifted a cup on the tea table and took a sip of coffee which had been cold for so long.

Xue Lian released a long sigh. He spoke with a pity feeling for Mister Mao in his voice, "Haiz, she has also undertaken the title of Thousand Wind in Su Zhou."

"Ptui!" Mister Mao spat half of the coffee out on Xue Lian's face then started dry coughing nonstop.

Xue Lian totally had reasons to believe that Mister Mao would die because of choke. Anyway, Mister Mao's life would not be very comfortable from now on.

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[1] King WuGuan: The king in charge of the fourth court among the Ten Courst of Hell

[2] Western paradise: literally means death