Meanwhile, inside Ping’an Ancient Town.

This is the new district of the ancient town, a tourist area later developed by investment from Zhongzhou City.

Feng Quan was left alone in this new district, as Yang Jian advised him not to step into the old district, fearing that some bizarre things might be lurking there, posing unpredictable dangers.

He also sensed that something was not quite right in the old district.

So he did not object to Yang Jian’s suggestion.

“The signals from everyone have disappeared,” Feng Quan said, checking into a characteristic inn, and he noticed the signal changes of several people via his satellite phone.

Just a moment ago.

All their signals vanished, including Yang Jian’s personal phone.

He stood by the window and took a look.

The direction of the old district in Taiping Ancient Town was dim and gloomy.

Although there were street lights, the light there seemed particularly dim, like old tubes with insufficient power, unable to light up the entire street like here, and this was especially noticeable after nightfall.

However, ordinary people would surely not notice this change.

“There is indeed a danger over there,” Feng Quan thought to himself.

However, at this moment.

Suddenly.

He heard some noises in the corridor outside his room; it was the sound of someone dragging something heavy along the hallway, moving towards downstairs.

Initially, Feng Quan didn’t pay attention.

But when the noise reached the stairway, he suddenly turned towards the direction of the sound.

Years of experience told him that this noise wasn’t from dragging an object, but from someone dragging a corpse, with the sound of its feet hitting the stairs.

Immediately.

He opened the door, walking over with a grim expression, holding a shovel covered in dirt.

A faint mist was inexplicably rising in the corridor.

Soon enough.

Feng Quan arrived at the stairway, and he saw two corpses wrapped in bed sheets, recently deceased, still fresh, with the arms exposed outside the sheets looking just like the skin color of a living person, with no difference, even retaining some body warmth, not fully cold yet.

The person dragging the bodies was a middle-aged man in his forties, wearing hotel staff attire, seemingly cleaning.

“Sorry, there’s a little garbage that needs to be taken down for disposal, hope I didn’t disturb you.”

The middle-aged man looked up at Feng Quan on the stairs, showing a sincere yet apologetic smile.

The smile seemed slightly stiff.

Very unnatural, but hard to pinpoint exactly what was off.

“Shouldn’t reporting the incident be the first thing when someone dies?” Feng Quan said darkly, staring at the middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man did not speak, continuing to drag the two corpse-wrapped sheets downstairs.

“In the absence of an official from Zhongzhou City, I am the person in charge here. You can report to me. If you can’t give me a reasonable explanation, I have the right to detain you.”

Feng Quan disclosed his identity and showed his credentials.

But the middle-aged man seemed not to hear and kept walking on his own.

“Since that’s the case, then…”

Before he could finish his sentence, thick fog instantly shrouded the corridor, and then beside the middle-aged man, suddenly a mud-covered shovel came crashing down, hitting him hard on the head.

A normal person would not say died, but at least be unconscious from such a hit.

The middle-aged man dragging the bodies staggered and fell directly onto the ground, stopping all movement.

Feng Quan emerged from the thick fog, grabbing the middle-aged man with one hand, intending to bury this guy first, as he was an unstable element not to be underestimated.

“So light?”

However, when he lifted him up, the middle-aged man in the hotel uniform felt oddly light, unlike the weight of a typical adult.

Turning him around.

Feng Quan’s face changed slightly.

This was not a living person at all, but a paper effigy used in ritual offerings for the dead.

“Leuk San’s doing?” Immediately, Feng Quan connected this with the paper effigy Leuk San.

But before he could think further.

The surrounding ghost fog was rapidly dispersing, and an elderly-sounding voice echoed: “The servant I bought for three dollars during a sale was killed by you with just one swing of the shovel. What you did there is not right, customer. You’ll have to pay for it.”

“Who is it?”

Feng Quan shouted lowly, then quickly pursued the direction the voice came from.

He ignored the two corpses on the ground, hurried downstairs, and reached the lobby of the small inn, just about to step out when he suddenly paused.

Then he turned his head to look towards the side of the counter.

Atop the counter was an old kerosene lamp emitting a dim yellow light, and a man in his sixties, wearing an old cloth hat and with a wrinkled face, was leaning there, now slightly raising his head to look at Feng Quan.

Their gazes met.

One looked stern and cautious, the other wore a slightly smiling expression, as if greeting.

“Old resident of Taiping Ancient Town?” Feng Quan immediately gathered some information from the man’s outfit.

“Your shovel is really something, it took one hit to kill my servant, quite extraordinary.”

The man said, “How do you plan to compensate me? I’ve used this old object for decades; one less if it breaks, and I don’t have extra money to get a new one.”

“Who are you?” Feng Quan held the shovel, with flickering lights in the lobby.

Thick fog gradually appeared, soon completely blanketing the nearby door, then vanished from sight.

Everything around was enveloped by the fog, but the area around the inn’s front desk lamp remained flickering, the fog unable to approach, seemingly blocked by an invisible supernatural force.

“I’m the owner of this inn. You can call me Boss Liu.”

After saying that, the man grinned, seeming a bit proud.

It looked like being a boss made him happy and proud.

“Boss Liu?”

Feng Quan immediately recognized this was an unimportant fake name, and said, “Are you a ghost tamer too?”

“Ghost tamer? I’m not, don’t slander me, I’m an honest businessman.” Boss Liu quickly shook his head to deny.

“If you’re not a ghost tamer, how can you have supernatural objects?” Feng Quan asked.

“Bought it, passed down from my ancestors,” Boss Liu replied. “But you, so young, looking neither like a person nor a ghost, aren’t you afraid of scaring others when you go out?”

“Were those two people upstairs killed by you?” Feng Quan didn’t answer and asked again.

Boss Liu strongly denied: “Nonsense, I’m doing honest business, how could I kill people, especially customers? Those two didn’t know if they were lucky or unlucky, they blundered into Ghost Street and took something from there, naturally, they had to pay a heavy price. During the day, I originally intended to refuse them lodging, but business has been slow lately, so I made an exception.”

“I didn’t expect them to die so soon, thought it would take a few more days. Seems they took something extraordinary.”

Feng Quan’s eyes shifted: “Ghost Street? What is that place?”

“Taiping Town’s Ghost Street, a very famous place, you don’t know it? Oh right, you’re not a local, it’s normal not to know. Ghost Street was an extraordinary place with all sorts of unusual things for sale…”

At this point, Boss Liu sighed: “Unfortunately, times have changed, once bustling Ghost Street is now ruined and declined. It seems this era no longer belongs to them. Luckily, I switched trades quickly, opened an inn, earn about a million a year; after a few years, I can retire and enjoy life. Hope before I die, I can save up to buy a coffin. I heard cremation’s trendy lately, wonder if the Coffin Shop will go out of business due to poor sales.”

Feng Quan noted several pieces of information.

Ghost Street, Coffin Shop, saving to buy a coffin…

“You’re indeed not simple, knowing many things. Do you know about Ghost Lake?” Feng Quan asked.

Mentioning Ghost Lake, Boss Liu immediately changed his expression.

No longer relaxed, becoming somewhat gloomy.

But soon, Boss Liu squinted with a smile: “First pay up, with the money, you can ask whatever you want, I know what I know.”

“How much?”

Feng Quan asked, “Name a price, I can transfer to you whatever amount.”

He also has the authority to mobilize Dachang City’s operational funds, billions at ease.

“I want that thing,”

Boss Liu pointed at the shovel in Feng Quan’s hand: “It looks like an old object, very valuable, might sell for dozens.”

“Do you think I will give it to you?”

Feng Quan said, “And by taking this thing, you’re provoking a captain. Do you still want to live peacefully into old age?”

“That serious, huh?”

Boss Liu waved his hand and said, “Forget it, forget it. A captain sounds like a big deal, and I’m just a small-time boss. Just give me three or four pieces as a token, and I won’t mind it’s little.”

He rubbed his fingers, making his intentions clear.

“I don’t have the three or four pieces you’re talking about,” Feng Quan wasn’t stupid; he knew what this boss meant wasn’t ordinary money.

After thinking for a moment, he pulled out a red Ghost Candle, “I can give you this candle in exchange if you’re willing to tell me the secret here.”

“Let me check the goods first.”

Boss Liu looked at the red candle, a bit curious. His eyes lit up slightly as if he’d seen something novel.

“Alright.” Feng Quan tossed him the red Ghost Candle.

Boss Liu caught it deftly and repeatedly sniffed it from top to bottom several times in front of his nose.

“There’s ash, corpse oil, fresh blood, and…”

Suddenly.

He put down the red Ghost Candle and chuckled, “Not bad, it’s a good item. Unfortunately, it doesn’t burn long but still worth some money. Just one isn’t enough, how about another one? This isn’t a rare item, if I had the materials, I could make it too.”

“Just one, that’s all,” Feng Quan said.

“Your iron shovel is an antique, quite rare. Give it to me, and I won’t hold you accountable for killing my worker earlier. I’ll also give you seven bucks, how about that?” Boss Liu fished out a piece of paper money from somewhere.

Colorful.

It was a seven-dollar bill.

Identical to the one Yang Jian had before.

“This is a seven-dollar bill, a rare sight in one’s lifetime. Smell it, a genuine money scent. It’s so fragrant. I’ve spent half my life saving this for my burial fund, and I’m offering it all to you now.” As he spoke, he kept eyeing Feng Quan’s iron shovel.

Clearly, in his eyes, nothing was as important as that shabby iron shovel.

“I already said it’s not for sale. If you want it, come and take it by force. Kill me, and it’s yours. Let’s see if you have the ability to do so, boss,” Feng Quan replied.

There’s no way he would sell this supernatural item, which was his means of survival.

However, Boss Liu didn’t seem to have any intention of taking it by force. He sighed, quietly putting away the seven-dollar note and the red Ghost Candle, “Forget it, forget it. I’ll take a loss today, and let’s drop the matter of my worker. Out with the old and in with the new, there will always be a day when things wear out. Besides, arguing with you youngsters doesn’t seem reasonable.”

“You might not mind, but my question isn’t over yet. You’re a person of Taiping Ancient Town, involved in the supernatural circle. How much do you know about Ghost Lake?” Feng Quan asked seriously.

“Headquarters has already sent several captains to investigate. Whether you say it or not, the secrets here will eventually be uncovered. If you cooperate, it might reduce some impact, saving a few lives.”

Boss Liu’s eyes darted around, “I’m known to have a loose tongue, but there are things I dare not speak carelessly. Speaking out would only harm you young folks. Ghost Lake, that thing is beyond handling. It’s best to retreat quickly. It’s not something you should be involved in. If you’d come here any earlier, I would’ve definitely stopped you from going to your death.”

“What do you mean?” Feng Quan pressed on.

Boss Liu glanced outside the shop.

Yet everything was obscured by dense fog, with even the shop’s entrance concealed within it.

Only then did Boss Liu slowly take out a teacup from under the counter and fill it with water, “This is what you’re calling Ghost Lake.”

Then he grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds from a small dish nearby, “These are ghosts.”

He then tossed the sunflower seeds one by one into the cup of water, “When ghosts enter Ghost Lake, they’ll sink.”

A seed dropped into the cup quickly sank to the bottom.

“One or two isn’t a problem, won’t affect much,” Boss Liu continued tossing seeds one after another.

“But when there are too many, the water in the cup overflows.”

After throwing in seven or eight seeds, the water in the cup spilled over the edge, flowing onto the counter.

“The spilled water is what you call a supernatural event. But if this continues, the water will keep overflowing,” Boss Liu said, tossing more seeds into the cup one after another.

Seeing this, Feng Quan’s heart tightened, “Is this the truth behind Ghost Lake losing control?”

Ghost Lake had carried too many ghosts, causing it to lose control.

No wonder the Ghost Lake incident seemed insignificant at first. Yet the situation gradually intensified, evolving into today’s S-class supernatural event.

Boss Liu chuckled, “The water’s not drinkable, and the seeds are tough to crack. Everything operates within limits. What must happen will happen, inevitably. Do you understand? I’m also unlucky, caught between youth and old age. Not young enough to be young, but still able to live another ten or so years. Who knows what the world will be like then.”

“No way to resolve it?” Feng Quan asked.

“There’s no way to cure the root cause, but the symptoms can be treated.” Boss Liu reached into the cup, taking out all the seeds, then took a sip of water.

The water level in the cup lowered, no longer overflowing.

“That’s definitely not achievable,” Feng Quan understood Boss Liu’s method.

Fishing ghosts out of Ghost Lake and then reducing its supernatural effect.

This way, it could delay the outbreak of this supernatural event.

But even so, it’s extremely, extremely difficult.

“So, I’d better keep my head down, run my shop to earn money, and keep saving up for my burial fund. No pointless fussing,” Boss Liu shook his head.

Feng Quan said, “Are there any other methods aside from this? You mentioned before that everything’s for sale on Ghost Street. Is there any way there to solve Ghost Lake…”

Before he finished, Boss Liu suddenly shushed, “Quiet, someone’s coming from the town.”

“Hmm?”

Feng Quan’s expression shifted slightly as he immediately looked towards the direction outside the door.

The thick fog was parting.

Like a crack opening up.

A small path emerged, just enough for one person. At that moment, a light appeared on the street outside, and a slightly hunchbacked, one-eyed old man carrying an oil lamp pushed the door open and entered.

Once inside, a smell of burnt paper wafted through the air.

As if he had just returned from burning paper.

“Boss Liu, why haven’t the dead been carried out yet?” The one-eyed old man said sternly.

“My employee died, causing some delay. I’ll take them out in a moment,” Boss Liu hastily replied, smiling politely.

The one-eyed old man’s pale, one eye eerily rotated, looking at Feng Quan, and then at the iron shovel in his hand, “Someone buried more than halfway into the ground, quite rare.”

“An old resident of Taiping Town?” Feng Quan wore a cold expression, “You’re also in the supernatural circle?”

“He’s just staying at the inn, and he hasn’t been to the town,” Boss Liu chipped in at this point.

The one-eyed old man spoke no more, merely holding the lamp as he turned to leave, “The bodies can’t stay here, they must be taken out quickly.”

“I’ll get right to it, I’ll get right to it,” Boss Liu nodded repeatedly.

The door closed.

The dense fog closed in, and the one-eyed old man left.

A dim oil lamp swayed on the street outside, untouchable by the Ghost Fog.

“Don’t worry, guest. His temper’s not good, but he can only manage the town. This place doesn’t belong to Taiping Ancient Town, it’s beyond his jurisdiction. He was just passing by to ask about the situation, nothing to do with you,” Boss Liu said as he picked up the kerosene lamp and stood up.

“I’m going to move those two bodies now. Care to lend a hand?”

Feng Quan’s eyes flickered, hesitated for a moment, “Alright.”

The surrounding Ghost Fog quickly dispersed as he followed Boss Liu and turned to walk upstairs in the inn, preparing to move the two bodies that hadn’t been moved out yet.

However, he wasn’t aiming to move the bodies but was taking this opportunity to better understand the secrets here.

Despite this, Feng Quan felt heavy with worry.

The actions of the captains at this moment must be dangerous and going poorly.

His worries were justified.

At this moment.

Above Ghost Lake.

Yang Jian, Shen Lin, Li Jun, Leuk San, and Ah Hong were standing on a small black wooden boat. Around them on the lake, countless floating corpses spread densely.

Not a single one of these bodies was decayed.

And as time passed, some of the corpses had started to exhibit unusual behavior.

One female corpse suddenly opened her eyes, dull and ghostly white.

Another female corpse opened her mouth, emitting a strange laughter, like a murmuring dream.

Others turned over in the water, splashing waves.

At the stern of the boat.

The white Ghost Candle had burned more than halfway but had not extinguished.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by novlove.com

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