Chapter 29 - 28: Shocking Court Wood Investigation Team

Chapter 29: Chapter 28: Shocking Court Wood Investigation Team

Li Mingyue froze for a moment:

"The Anomaly Administration Bureau?"

’So there really is an official department that deals with incidents like the Ghost Government Office.’

’The Anomaly Administration Bureau responded so quickly tonight. Their system must be well-established.’

’This means that the Xia Kingdom must have experienced other anomalous incidents before, and they caught the government’s strong attention.’

Cao Ye said grimly:

"Three years after its founding, the New Xia Kingdom experienced its first anomalous incident."

"In Bai City, in the Northeast Region, a cat-faced old woman appeared and began attacking passersby at dusk."

Li Mingyue froze again, looking at Cao Ye in disbelief:

"Are you talking about the Cat-Faced Old Woman?"

She was from the Northeast. She had only moved to the South Sea with her mother after her parents divorced.

Li Mingyue, of course, knew the legend of the Cat-Faced Old Woman.

She had always thought it was just a scary story adults told to trick kids.

’It was actually real?!’

’If that’s the case, how many of those legendary horror stories actually happened?’

Cao Ye took out a cigarette and lit it:

"That’s right. The thing was impervious to blades and bullets. The government even had to deploy the army."

Cao Ye looked at Li Mingyue and asked, trying to build suspense:

"Do you know who the true culprit behind the Cat-Faced Old Woman was?"

Li Mingyue shook her head, looking lost.

Cao Ye slowly exhaled a puff of smoke, his eyes burning with intensity as he said:

"A cat."

Li Mingyue’s eyes widened:

"A cat?"

Cao Ye nodded:

"Yes. A black cat with a red-tipped tail."

"This cat possessed a strange, mystical power. It could transform the dead into cat-faced zombies."

Li Mingyue’s eyes were filled with shock.

’A cat... could turn the dead into zombies with cat faces?’

A smile played on Cao Ye’s lips as he shook his head:

"This world holds too many secrets that our modern technology can’t comprehend."

"To unravel these secrets, the authorities created a special department—the Anomaly Administration Bureau."

"That cat is now in the Anomaly Administration Bureau’s archives."

Li Mingyue stared at Cao Ye, astounded:

"You subdued that cat?"

Cao Ye pursed his lips:

"Not ’subdued,’ exactly. We’ve just figured out its temperament."

"As long as it doesn’t see anything dead, it won’t go berserk. It’s just like a normal cat."

"Oh, right. The cat can also talk. It calls itself—Taboo."

Li Mingyue raised an eyebrow:

"Taboo?"

Cao Ye nodded:

"According to the cat, there are many Taboo Items in this world, and it’s just one of them."

Li Mingyue felt like the door to a new world had just opened:

"Taboo Items?"

Cao Ye said:

"Every Taboo Item possesses an unimaginable power."

"An army can’t contain them, nor can a squad of Sheriffs and Military Officers."

"Fortunately, the country has poured resources into the Anomaly Administration Bureau, giving it a substantial foundation."

"Every Investigator in the Anomaly Administration Bureau is a battle-hardened Warrior equipped with advanced weaponry."

"The Bureau also has experts, doctors, and professors from every field."

"For nearly a hundred years, we’ve been striving to unravel the secrets of the Taboo Items, and we’ve made some progress."

A slightly relieved smile appeared on Li Mingyue’s face:

"So, we have the power to subdue Taboo Items, then?"

Only after experiencing the Ghost Government Office could one know how terrifying Taboo Items were.

Knowing the authorities had a way to subdue Taboo Items was a true comfort.

Cao Ye stubbed out his cigarette butt:

"No. Taboo Items cannot be subdued by mortals."

"Only a Taboo can defeat a Taboo."

Li Mingyue’s smile froze.

Suddenly, she remembered the mysterious owner, Jin Meiting, and the old man in black she’d met tonight.

’Are they also Taboo?’

’No, Jin Meiting is my classmate. I know her inside and out. How could she be a Taboo?’

She couldn’t figure it out.

Cao Ye continued:

"So, with that cat’s help, we have successfully contained four Taboo Items over the past fifty years."

"The Human Skin Drum, the Mother-Child Black Coffin, the Five Emperors Poison Coin, and the Wooden Ox and Flowing Horse."

Li Mingyue’s eyes widened:

"That cat... helps you?"

Cao Ye said:

"Once you understand a Taboo Item’s ’taboo’—what it avoids—you can contain it, or even... use it!"

After saying this, Cao Ye took a sip of water to wet his throat and continued:

"Take that black cat, for example."

"The black cat’s taboo is that it can’t see the dead."

"As long as we station a high-energy Investigator by its side, we can suppress its vicious nature."

"What’s more interesting is that, after a long period of trial and error, we discovered the cat likes antiques."

"As long as you give it antiques, it’s willing to help us out."

"It’s the same with the other Taboo Items."

"If you find the right approach, they won’t cause chaos."

"If you find the right method, they can be used by us."

When he finished, Cao Ye glanced at the deeply shocked Li Mingyue, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth:

"Officer Li, are you willing to join the Anomaly Investigation Team?"

Li Mingyue was taken aback:

"Me?"

’I just graduated, and I haven’t even finished my internship at the police department. How could I join such a special unit?’

Cao Ye said:

"I’ve seen the footage from tonight. Your on-the-spot reactions were excellent, and your psychological fortitude is very good."

"I’m planning to establish the South Sea Shocking Court Wood Investigation Team, and I hope you will be one of its members."

Li Mingyue blinked:

"The Shocking Court Wood Investigation Team?"

’What a strange name.’

’They could have just called it the Ghost Government Office Investigation Team!’

Cao Ye said:

"The cat at the Bureau said the Ghost Government Office incident was caused by a Gavel."

"If its powers weren’t only effective on corpses and living people, I would have brought it with me."

Li Mingyue understood.

’So that’s where the name ’Shocking Court Wood Investigation Team’ came from.’

As for the fact that the case was caused by a Gavel, she no longer found it strange.

After what happened tonight, nothing would seem strange anymore.

Cao Ye, a heavy smoker, lit another cigarette and continued:

"Taboo Items are extremely dangerous to the nation."

"Every time a Taboo Item appears, the Anomaly Administration Bureau suffers heavy casualties."

"At the same time, Taboo Items are also an opportunity for the Xia Kingdom."

"I want to unravel the secrets of the Taboo Items and bring them completely under our control!"

A flicker of fear appeared in Li Mingyue’s eyes.

The Ghost Government Office tonight was truly terrifying.

If it weren’t for those three, she most likely wouldn’t have survived the night.

Jin Meiting, the mysterious owner, the old man in black.

A complicated look appeared in Li Mingyue’s eyes.

’What’s the deal with Jin Meiting?’

’Who is that mysterious owner, really?’

’Should I... tell Cao Ye about this?’

’If Cao Ye got this information, it would count as a major contribution, right?’

Li Mingyue quickly shook the thought from her head.

First, Jin Meiting was her classmate. She wasn’t the type of person to sell out a friend for money and promotions.

Second, the mysterious owner saved her tonight. He was her benefactor; she couldn’t betray him.

Third, if she betrayed them today, would she even be alive tomorrow?

’How terrifying are the Ghost Constables? I experienced it firsthand!’

The three of them dealt with the Ghost Government Office so easily. She wouldn’t be foolish enough to think they would be easy to handle just because they looked human.

Cao Ye said:

"The Anomaly Administration Bureau has exhausted all its efforts to probe the mysteries of the Taboo Items, yet we’ve barely made any progress."

"The three anomalous humans who appeared tonight possess great power."

"I suspect they already have a way to perfectly master Taboo Items."

Li Mingyue nodded to herself.

’Those three were definitely after the Taboo Item.’

’The secrets of the Taboo Items are like an online game.’

’Those three are beta testers, while the government officials are just beginners.’

’No, Jin Meiting isn’t a beta tester. The mysterious owner and the old man in black are.’

’Jin Meiting just latched onto a beta tester’s coattails.’

Li Mingyue couldn’t help but ask,

"You’re not planning to investigate those three mysterious people, are you?"

Cao Ye took a long, hard drag from his cigarette:

"Yes. I need to know the secrets of the Taboo Items."

Biting down on his cigarette, Cao Ye narrowed his eyes:

"We must find the three of them."

"I want to cooperate with them, or... subdue them!"

"You witnessed the entire event tonight. The Shocking Court Wood Investigation Team needs you."

Li Mingyue looked at Cao Ye in horror.

’Become an enemy of the mysterious owner and his group?’

Cao Ye stood up and walked behind Li Mingyue:

"The Sheriffs said the rain was too heavy tonight, and they couldn’t get a clear look at anyone."

"The one they saw most clearly was the strange old man who looked like a dragon."

"That Succubus was strange, too. Everyone only remembers that she was enchanting, but they can’t recall her face."

"Actually, I don’t care about those two. The one I’m most interested in is the man holding the umbrella."

"The Sheriffs said his face was blocked by the umbrella, so they couldn’t see what he looked like."

"And, hmm, your camera didn’t capture it either."

Li Mingyue’s mind raced, and her eyes darted about nervously.

Suddenly, two hands landed on her shoulders, and Li Mingyue trembled!

She slowly turned her head and met Cao Ye’s face as he leaned down.

He was smiling widely:

"You were there for so long. Did you get a good look at his face?"