Chapter 287: I Think I’ve Seen Them Somewhere Before

Bai Kai received a call from Lu Yibei while he was on the outskirts of Hua City, inside an old mansion that had seen better days.

This mansion, rich with history, had changed hands multiple times over the past century. Initially, it belonged to a local squire, then a military officer, later the local production team, and ten years ago, it was bought and converted into a homestay. Three years ago…

The squire returned!

The squire’s haunting was sealed by Bai Kai himself, so naturally, any issues were his responsibility.

Earlier that evening, he received a call from a member of the special task force responsible for patrolling the old mansion. Upon arrival, he discovered that three hauntings had been completely eradicated.

The remains were discarded in the dry fountain of the garden, and the core entity of the hauntings was nowhere to be found. The only clue left behind were a few black Gu worms, resembling fleshy maggots.

However, before Bai Kai could investigate the origin of these Gu worms, they seemed to sense something and self-destructed, dissipating into a wisp of smoke in the blink of an eye.

Their disappearance didn’t initially concern Bai Kai. After all, hauntings hunting each other was as natural as cats eating fish or dogs eating meat. It happened almost every night in different corners of different cities.

That is, if it was just simple hunting.

If, within a short period, hauntings or psychics were hunted using the same methods, the truth behind it would be intriguing.

Typically, from the end of one moonless night to the start of the next, roughly a month, a haunting only needed to hunt once to replenish its psychic energy.

Over-consuming the core entity of hauntings wasn’t necessarily beneficial. As power swelled, the core entity’s erosion of the will would follow.

Therefore, to avoid losing themselves and going mad, most hauntings would hibernate for a long time after consuming a core entity.

Multiple similar haunting incidents occurring in a short time could indicate various situations.

Whether it was a haunting recklessly devouring or someone deliberately collecting core entities for some unspeakable purpose, it signified a threat.

The scene Lu Yibei described over the phone, eerily similar to what Bai Kai saw at the old mansion, led him to some unsettling speculations, compelling him to investigate further.

“…”

He hoped his suspicions wouldn’t come true.

Bai Kai thought, confirming the address Lu Yibei sent him once more, then fully unleashed the power of the Spirit Pattern.

With a sound like a sword unsheathing, a brilliant silver light erupted.

In an instant, he transformed into a silver meteor, streaking across the city under the night sky.

Five minutes later.

Bai Kai traversed half the city, arriving at the location shared by Lu Yibei. As he stopped at the alley entrance and looked ahead, his expression changed slightly.

Ahead, in the pitch-black alley, a body lay face down on the ground. The thick scent of blood mixed with the stench of waste assaulted his senses, but Lu Yibei was nowhere to be found.

Only a battered electric bike stood by the roadside, marked with glaring bloody handprints.

Could something have happened to Yibei… Bai Kai’s heart tightened.

If a villain was indeed hunting hauntings and psychics on a large scale, with malicious intent, and Lu Yibei had stumbled upon it, his situation could be extremely dangerous.

Worry and panic clouded Bai Kai’s thoughts. He rushed forward, holding the electric bike’s handlebars, and cried out with a sob, “Yibei! My Yibei, you…”

“Hey! A branch of red apricot comes out of the wall!”

Bai Kai heard the secret code shared between him, Lu Yibei, and Lu Ming, and instinctively responded, “Neighbor Wang Er didn’t pick it! Yibei, where are you?”

Speaking, he searched in the direction of the voice, finally locking his gaze on a large banyan tree with a thick trunk and dense foliage not far away.

Yet, he still couldn’t see Lu Yibei.

Only when he extended his psychic sense did he confirm Lu Yibei’s location, causing the corner of his mouth to twitch uncontrollably.

High up in the thickest part of the banyan tree’s canopy, Lu Yibei clung to the trunk like a cicada, motionless, even camouflaging his jacket to blend with the leaves!

Did I overthink it? Bai Kai chuckled wryly, shaking his head. That’s my Yibei, always resourceful in self-preservation.

Seeing Bai Kai arrive, Lu Yibei swiftly climbed down from the tree, his jacket returning to its normal state after a brief wriggle.

Approaching Bai Kai, Lu Yibei looked him over anxiously, “Shui-Ge, at a time like this, you still have the mood to laugh. Hurry and check what’s going on over there!”

“Wasn’t this supposed to be a safe patrol route? How did it end up with a dead body? It’s terrifying!”

Bai Kai, previously worried about Lu Yibei’s safety, hadn’t had time to examine the body in the alley. Hearing Lu Yibei’s words, he snapped back to reality and headed into the alley.

Lu Yibei hid behind a utility pole, watching Bai Kai approach the body, crouch down, and check the man’s breath and carotid artery. Then he extended his psychic sense to probe the man’s internal condition, his expression growing serious.

The man’s injuries were severe, with long, deep wounds on his left chest, side abdomen, and underarm. Such injuries would quickly lead to death from internal bleeding or blood loss in an ordinary person.

However, for a psychic, these injuries weren’t fatal. The real cause of death was the trauma inflicted by those black Gu worms in his skull.

Bai Kai’s psychic sense revealed that the man’s skull was riddled with tiny holes, as if bored by worms. Most of the organic matter had been drained, leaving the brain a perforated, spongy mass.

The method was extremely cruel!

If it could be confirmed that this man’s death and the haunting at the old mansion were the work of the same person or haunting, it could be classified as a malicious hunting incident.

“How is it?” Lu Yibei asked weakly.

“Can’t say for sure,” Bai Kai replied. “It’s similar to what I saw over there. The Gu worms used in the attack have completely dissipated. We’ll have to call someone to take it back and let An Qing dissect it to see if there’s anything valuable.”

“So, there’s nothing left for me to do here?” Lu Yibei asked.

This matter might involve a very dangerous person or haunting, and Bai Kai didn’t want Lu Yibei to get too involved. After a brief pause, he told a small lie.

“That’s right. These are just two similar incidents; it doesn’t mean anything. Yibei, don’t overthink it. Go home and rest.”

Lu Yibei frowned, “But, Shui-Ge…”

“Don’t worry about me. I’m an experienced operator; I can handle this on my own,” Bai Kai reassured, waving his hand.

Who’s worried about you? Lu Yibei glanced at the electric bike parked in the alley, expressionless, “I was wondering if my electric bike is still rideable?”

Finally getting to enjoy life as a vehicle owner, only to encounter this, and now the bike felt tainted. It was frustrating for Lu Yibei.

Though the electric bike was slow, barely faster than jogging, it was a freebie!

He was reluctant to part with it.

“…” Bai Kai looked at the electric bike, then at Lu Yibei, and smiled indulgently, “I’ll get you a new electric bike tomorrow. If the supplies department doesn’t approve, I’ll pay for it myself. Now, hurry home!”

“Okay!” Lu Yibei replied reluctantly, looking back at his electric bike three times as he left the scene.

In a sealed basement, someone pushed open the door.

Ms. Rabbit, wrapped in bandages, gripped a crowbar, struggling to stand. Her blood-red eyes fixed on the figure until she confirmed it was her partner, then she relaxed, though she didn’t lower the crowbar.

The Eclipse Society couldn’t be trusted. In her current state, she could be tied up and taken back, adorned with bows, for some crazy experiment.

“How did it go?” Ms. Rabbit asked.

“Found it! This guy should be the one who attacked you,” Shu E replied.

As he spoke, he pulled a phone from his pocket and handed it to Ms. Rabbit.

The phone screen displayed a video. With a tap on the play button, the scene shifted to surveillance footage of an alley behind an old mall.

That mall was where Ms. Rabbit “worked.” On nights without operations, she danced there for extra cash, while scouting for potential hunting targets.

And that alley was a common route for women like her, who couldn’t be seen in the light, to take after work.

It was in that alley that she was attacked tonight.

The attackers were too fast, wearing masks, making it impossible to see their faces. They only said one thing to Ms. Rabbit, “Submit or die, choose one.”

Ms. Rabbit wasn’t having it. She was a haunting that valued freedom!

Her former master had taken over half of Hua City; she wouldn’t submit to two unknown figures.

Faced with such a situation, she didn’t hesitate, boldly telling them to “Get lost!” before continuing on her way.

Then…

Then she was brutally beaten.

It was too tragic. The surveillance camera witnessed it all, blood spraying over three meters, her head knocked askew.

If not for the “three burrows of a cunning rabbit” giving her certain traits, making her more resilient than ordinary hauntings, almost like having two extra lives, she would have died there.

In the silent basement, Ms. Rabbit, burning with anger, watched the surveillance video Shu E had obtained.

From her exit through the mall’s back door, to the sudden appearance of two shadows, then falling into a disadvantage during the counterattack, getting injured, fleeing… Finally, she couldn’t help but fast-forward the footage.

The defeat was too humiliating!

In the fast-forwarded timeline, the surveillance footage finally briefly captured the faces of the two attackers.

One was an extremely old-looking man, with sagging skin covered in brown spots, and eyes that were pitch black, exuding a sinister and cunning aura.

Ms. Rabbit paused the video, scrutinizing the haunting’s face, her expression changing slightly.

“How could it be this guy? Damn it, why did it suddenly attack me?”

Shu E looked at Ms. Rabbit with curiosity, “Do you know it? Any grudges?”

“I’ve heard of it,” Ms. Rabbit replied. “It used to be an old swindler who faked accidents at the biggest intersection leading to University Town. One day, it got hit by a young driver under the influence and was dragged for dozens of meters, ending up as a pulp. I heard the coroner almost threw up during the autopsy.”

“Shortly after, it became a haunting. It often appears as different people in the middle of the intersection, causing accidents. Two years ago, it was killed by Operator 02 of The Midnight Watchers Society in Hua City, but recently it has revived.”

Pausing for a moment, Ms. Rabbit seemed to recall something and added, “Oh, right. The day it revived, it caused a major traffic accident. I was nearby and went to check it out…”

“What were you doing there?”

“Handing out flyers…” Ms. Rabbit gritted her teeth, and the image of the thief who stole her The Witch’s Egg flashed in her mind.

If she hadn’t gone to watch the commotion that day, delaying her flyer distribution, she might not have encountered that thief. Without that encounter, her The Witch’s Egg wouldn’t have been stolen, and she might already be the Lady Witch standing at the top of the haunting pyramid in Hua City!

So, watching the commotion is truly the original sin!

“Do you recognize the other one?” Shu E pointed at the screen showing another haunting.

It was a haunting wrapped entirely in a black cloak, wearing a golden beak mask adorned with religious motifs like lotus flowers, leaping fish, and auspicious clouds.

“No, I’ve never heard of such a haunting in Hua City…” Ms. Rabbit shook her head, her tone heavy. “But it’s strong.”

She recalled the attack in the alley behind the old mall, where the nearly fatal injuries were mostly inflicted by this mysterious haunting.

Hearing this, Shu E stared at the screen showing the two hauntings, pondering for a long time, his face troubled. “Considering what they said, if they don’t have a past grudge with you, could they be hunting hauntings?”

Ms. Rabbit thought for a moment, understanding Shu E’s implication, and asked, “Does it conflict with our operation?”

“Yes!” Shu E nodded, agreeing with her. “This is troublesome. The sticky note from the Council of Elders didn’t say how to deal with such a situation! How should we handle this?”

Handle it? Ms. Rabbit was taken aback. You’re not thinking of confronting them, are you?

If you want to get yourself killed, don’t drag me into it!

Wait…

Ms. Rabbit suddenly thought of something, squinting slightly as her gaze subtly swept over Shu E, taking in his fair and handsome appearance, the chest muscles slightly bulging under his clothes, and his strong waist. She couldn’t help but lick her lips, revealing two sharp fangs.

Honestly, she’s been craving his body for a long time, just never had the chance to make a move.

If he really wants to get himself killed, Ms. Rabbit wouldn’t mind stabbing him in the back and then calmly absorbing his superior Spirit Pattern power.

That night, in the third bridge tunnel of the River-crossing Bridge in Hua City.

“OMG! This Gu has poisoned witch types before!”

“What are you waiting for? There are only fifty units available today, first come, first served. Hurry up, buy it, buy it, buy it!”

As the words fell, Gu Qianqian watched the order notifications on her phone jump continuously, a simple smile spreading across her face as she couldn’t help but calculate how many pig trotters today’s earnings could buy.

One times seven is seven, three times seven is twenty-one, four times seven is twenty-eight, seven times… seven times…

Then.

Her brain seemed to freeze.

After the last order was completed, Gu Qianqian closed the “Underworld Livestream” app recommended by the haunting chat group, contentedly sprawling on the second-hand sofa, gazing at the bridge tunnel overhead, and sighed, “Systems, I feel like my dream is about to come true.”

“What dream? To buy a pig farm that sells only pork, not pig trotters?” Systems retorted irritably.

It was really somewhat exasperated by Gu Qianqian. During the initial talent assessment when binding the system, the conclusion was that she was exceptionally gifted.

However, after spending these years together, it realized it was wrong.

Gu Qianqian could handle both the kitchen and the boardroom, outrun delivery guys, carry construction steel bars, help deliver cafeteria food, excel at agriculture in cursed spaces, and even master the lost alchemical formulas of the Great Serpent God perfectly.

Recently, worried about Lu Yibei’s revenge, she took the haunting chat group’s advice and started a livestream selling goods to hauntings and psychics, which was also thriving.

In short, she was good at everything, except fighting calamities, where she ranked dead last. Her talent wasn’t being used in the right place!

If I had her talent, I would have… never mind, let’s not mention it! Systems thought.

Systems pondered, suddenly sensing something, and hurriedly said to Gu Qianqian, “Oh no, Gu Qianqian, the audience is too enthusiastic and wants you to return. But we have nothing left to sell!”

Hmm, although Systems was somewhat displeased with Gu Qianqian’s current antics, the money still needed to be made!

“Out of stock? Hmm… let me think!” Gu Qianqian mused for a few seconds, her eyes lighting up. “Got it, I know what to sell!”

With that, she got up and walked towards the electrical well of the River-crossing Bridge not far away, soon returning with a Black-Cloaked Haunting tied up in each hand.

“Boom!”

Gu Qianqian threw the two hauntings heavily on the ground, saying seriously, “Let’s sell them!”

Shocked! Gu Qianqian, when did you start trafficking people? Systems felt Gu Qianqian had refreshed its perception of her today.

However…

“Where did you get these two hauntings?”

“Just before the livestream started, when you went to the bamboo slips illusion to fetch goods! They jumped out from the dark corners, trying to ambush me, but I knocked them down with one swing each.”

“This…” Systems was stunned, observing the two with swollen heads, eyes full of pleading and fear, and something flashed through its mind.

I feel like I’ve seen them somewhere before… Systems thought.