Chapter 112: About to Begin

"Why this reaction? Old friends meeting, aren't you happy?" Fang Mu narrowed his eyes slightly.

The Iron Diviner snapped out of his daze, waving his hands quickly. "No, no, how could that be? I'm just still surprised. Brother Fang, how did you end up here? Is it also for the Mystic Ghost Ruins?"

Fang Mu made no attempt to conceal his intent, nodding. "I didn't expect you to have become some kind of neighborhood alliance leader, though your subordinates clearly lack discernment."

Seeing Chen Yan's face covered in blood, the Iron Diviner immediately understood what had happened. He gave a wry smile and said, "I owe this position as leader to you, Brother Fang; otherwise, I would have been dead long ago."

Chen Yan and the other five men didn't even dare to breathe loudly. The identity of the other party had been confirmed, and they finally understood who they had offended.

Back in the Ghost Market, the Iron Diviner had once warned them: never provoke the man who carries a Ghost-Eating Beast and a butcher's knife. In fact, they should do everything in their power to please him, or else it wouldn't just be a matter of suffering a little.

When they asked why, the Iron Diviner would recount the reason with a look of profound sorrow.

It was because the man with the Ghost-Eating Beast and the butcher's knife had a temper as erratic as a storm; he might be chatting with you pleasantly one moment, only to chop you in half with that butcher's knife the next.

It could be said that the mysterious man the Iron Diviner described left them with nothing but fear alongside their curiosity.

"Oh?" Fang Mu asked. "Why do you say it's because of me?"

The Iron Diviner explained, "It's all thanks to that great master. He chopped off the hands of the Ghost Market's owner, and that entire street was practically wiped out. Only I survived thanks to your reputation, Brother Fang. Afterward, the Ghost Market owner found me, told me to develop the abandoned street, and renegotiated our contract. Surprisingly, I gained the ability to sign contracts with other Mystics to inherit shops. That's how I developed these six, and along the way, I even reached the Fish-Leaping Realm."

When mentioning the Fish-Leaping Realm, the Iron Diviner looked proud. Because he managed a street, he had acquired a large number of blood-stained copper coins, which made his breakthrough remarkably easy. Although he had benefited from Fang Mu's reflected glory, it was still a result of his own efforts, wasn't it? The Iron Diviner knew his place well—a tool is a tool. Being able to sip some soup on the side made being a tool worth it.

Fang Mu shook his head. "Never mind that. You came here for the Mystic Ghost Ruins, and so did I. Do you have any leads?"

Hearing Fang Mu bring this up, the Iron Diviner's eyes lit up. "I do!" He clapped his hands. "I'm a fortune teller, you know. By my calculations, it should open in about five days."

Silence descended, broken only by the sound of the wind blowing through the woods.

Fang Mu said, "That's it?" After waiting for so long, all he got was a five-day estimate.

The Iron Diviner said awkwardly, "I'm only in the Fish-Leaping Realm; how much could I possibly calculate? But Brother Fang, since we've teamed up, our chances of success will increase significantly."

He knew exactly what time it was—it was time to cling to a powerful backer. As someone who had clawed his way up from the bottom, the Iron Diviner understood this principle perfectly. Only a fool wouldn't cling to a powerful leg when one was available.

Fang Mu rubbed his chin. "What are your plans?"

"The Mystic Ghost Ruins are a major event," the Iron Diviner whispered, his eyes darting shiftily. "Everyone who can sense them will come. By then, there won't just be Mystics, but also Ghost-Cultivators. Let's just stay here and observe the situation for now."

Fang Mu pondered for a moment and agreed. The two discussed things further and decided to wait at Qingyue Mountain for the time being.

While they were talking, at the distant headquarters of the Surveillance Bureau, Chief Wu looked at the letter in his hands and sneered.

"Come in," Chief Wu said, setting the letter down. "Bring me the file on Zhang Liu."

In the empty room, a figure slowly materialized and placed a booklet into Chief Wu's hand. Chief Wu opened the booklet and fell into deep thought as he read the contents.

[Name: Zhang Liu (Nickname: Zhang Six).]
[Gender: Male.]
[Position: Patrol Captain of the Surveillance Bureau.]
[Supernatural Ability: Short Blade Technique, Black Mist (can be imbued into short blades).]
[Weapons: Goose-Neighbor Blade, steel hand crossbow with twelve bolts, poison-tipped daggers.]
[Personality: Suspicious, ruthless, merciless in his strikes.]
[Background: Born to a common family, later entered the martial arts world to learn blade techniques, joined the Surveillance Bureau after awakening his supernatural ability.]
[Achievements: Slew 428 ghosts.]

Chief Wu sighed. "After all, he is a man of merit. Why must he walk down the wrong path? Can jealousy really change a person so much?"

After thinking for a while, Chief Wu stood up with the booklet and paced back and forth, eventually returning to the table and laying the booklet down.

"I'll give you one more chance." Chief Wu shook his head, picked up a brush, and wrote a letter. "Opportunities must be cherished. You can see my stance in this letter. Someone, come here!"

The figure appeared out of thin air in the empty room, standing respectfully to one side.

"Deliver this to Zhang Liu and tell him one thing," Chief Wu said coldly. "There is a first time for everything, but there shall not be a second."

"Understood!" The figure accepted it respectfully, then seemed to recall something. "Chief, Zhang Liu, he..."

Chief Wu frowned. "Speak."

"It seems Zhang Liu is currently on his way to Shengge County," the figure whispered, sensing the Chief's bad mood. "He sent word to headquarters saying he was going to resolve the situation at the Mystic Ghost Ruins."

"Hmm?" Chief Wu narrowed his eyes and took back the letter he had been holding. "You may leave. That is all."

The figure nodded respectfully and slowly vanished. The empty room was deathly quiet; one could hear a pin drop.

"Clap!" Chief Wu slapped the table and sneered. "It is hard to save a ghost determined to die. Since you have made your choice, your life and death are now in your own hands."

...

Qingyue Mountain should have been as quiet as still water, but in recent days, it had become noisy. If any common folk were to pass by, they would surely be astonished at how many people had suddenly appeared on the once-deserted mountain.

In a clearing, Fang Mu glanced at the people sitting scattered about in the distance and then looked away. No one knew each other, yet they sat together in a strange harmony, each minding their own business.

The Iron Diviner whispered, "Everyone is holding back their energy, waiting to unleash it once we enter the ruins. Brother Fang, this probably isn't even half of the people who will come."

Fang Mu frowned. "You mean there are Ghost-Cultivators who are afraid to show themselves?"

The Iron Diviner nodded, his expression grave. Once the crowd grew, the situation would become chaotic. Fang Mu fell into deep thought, deciding that he would wait for the ruins to open before making any further moves.

Just as everyone was keeping to themselves, the sound of footsteps echoed. Along with the footsteps came a voice.

"Oh my, everyone is here. Would you mind leaving a spot for a young lady?"

The others shivered upon hearing the voice, none daring to look toward the source. Only Fang Mu was different; he followed the sound and looked straight ahead.