On the way back, the world beyond the car window was a bustle of activity.
Renovation crews were rolling into one community after another, building hard.
After a moment's thought, he opened the community's WeChat group.
"So annoying—what's with all this community-defense business? A ghost has never once gotten into the city. Defend against who?!"
"Right, and cars can only park outside now—who's covering the parking fees?"
Scrolling up, there were supporters and there were complainers.
Chen Qing's brow slowly furrowed.
Community defense?
Last life, there'd been no such thing!
Could it be... that Great Tang's authorities had foreseen the Blood Moon's coming?
The idea was outlandish, but if he himself could be reborn, then others might not be unable to see ahead either.
"Um, handsome—are you Ghost-Control Army?"
His thoughts were still churning as the cabbie kept sneaking glances at him in the rearview mirror.
Chen Qing was in the blue-black Ghost-Control Army uniform.
"Yes."
Chen Qing nodded.
"Ah! What an honor!"
"The Ghost-Control Army—you're really something!"
"There was that talent test the other day, right? My son didn't make it, and it's got me so down I can't even enjoy my meals."
"I dream of joining the Ghost-Control Army, but no talent for it, sadly..."
"What'd your talent test come out as?"
The cabbie was a chatterbox, muttering on and on.
Soon they reached the Ghost-Control Army compound.
Chen Qing was about to pay when the cabbie waved him off. "No, no, no, no—how could I take money from the Ghost-Control Army? I wouldn't take it in this life."
Chen Qing nodded and let him be.
Many recruits were already here, all in Ghost-Control Army uniforms, chatting in twos and threes.
Monkey was already there. Spotting Chen Qing, he came right over:
"Chen Qing, you know some inside dirt, don't you?"
"Huh?"
"The second you said to stock up on food, I nagged my folks into buying a ton of stuff—rice, flour, oil, instant noodles, canned goods—stuffed the whole storeroom full."
"But they wouldn't agree to a safe house; too expensive. Still, the community-defense retrofit started yesterday, so—"
"So my dad had me ask you: is something really about to go down?"
Monkey was his brother, and last life he'd probably died because of him too.
He had to repay him.
"Yes!"
Chen Qing said solemnly, "Money that isn't spent soon will be worthless. If you're really short, I can lend you some."
Then added, "Don't tell anyone your family's got a big stockpile."
Monkey blanked for a moment, then caught a whiff of the meaning.
Don't tell? So people won't rob you?
Things would get bad enough that people would rob you for food!
At the thought, Monkey nodded gravely. "I get it."
"Chen Qing!"
Suddenly a woman's voice.
Chen Qing turned.
It was Hong Ya, in a Ghost-Control Army uniform.
Hong Ya stared coldly at Chen Qing. "I was going to go to the Martial School, but I've changed my mind."
"Wherever you are, I'll be!"
"Everything you dished out, I'll repay tenfold, a hundredfold!"
"Don't think your Grade A talent makes you so special. I may only be Grade C, but I can hold up this sky too!"
"I'll grind you under my heel—crush everything you have!"
"..."
Chen Qing was speechless.
That thick reek of teenage angst—how many self-help "never scorn a poor youth" books had this woman swallowed?
He waved a hand. "Oh."
He looked at Monkey and said quietly, "The safe house should cover both ghost defense and anti-personnel..."
Monkey nodded and asked, low, "And weapons?"
"Best get a bit of everything."
Hong Ya choked for a second.
The mood had built to this point; she'd expected some kind of clash, but Chen Qing just went "Oh"?
For a moment she didn't know what to say.
It was supposed to build to a climax in one burst, but instead it hung there, going nowhere.
So infuriating!
She could only give a hard snort, turn on her heel, and leave.
"Damn," Monkey said, watching her go, and cursed. "How'd these clowns end up together?"
Chen Qing turned to look.
Hong Ya, Chenkun, and a handsome young man were standing together, talking and glancing over at Chen Qing.
"See that guy with Chenkun?" Monkey's tone turned grave. "You have to be careful of him."
"I've never seen him."
Chen Qing was certain.
"His name's Ji Luo. Supposedly the strongest of our cohort—tested Grade SS, and I hear he's already reached the Soul-Stir realm."
Is Soul-Stir that hard?
Chen Qing was a little puzzled.
"Besides him, there's a girl—word is she's got a Fate Ghost."
At that, Chen Qing really was startled.
A Fate Ghost!
Ghosts and humans are mortal enemies, but a Fate Ghost is born intimately bonded to a certain person—close enough to reach near mind-unity.
A Fate Ghost doesn't take up a Ghost Master's pet slot, and never, ever betrays.
Most terrifying of all, it can share part of its power with its master.
It was the rarest of all ghost pets, its importance far outstripping an S-grade pet.
A Fate Ghost, no less...
He just didn't know what kind it was. If it was a powerful species, it was all the more fearsome.
"Quiet!"
A booming voice suddenly rang across the whole field.
He Qiang watched them all coldly.
The man was rather intimidating when he wasn't running his mouth.
In an instant, everyone on the field fell silent.
"This intake is 118 people, with 9 at Grade A or above—and even a recruit with a Fate Ghost! In both quantity and quality, the finest cohort in our history!"
"It's not possible, but I still hope every one of you earns your own Kunwu Saber."
Kunwu Saber?
Weren't they issued with the uniform?
Chen Qing paused, then understood at once: he'd been granted "guaranteed-pass" status.
"The Ghost-Control Army bears a heavy burden. In front, we cover the backs of our Ghost-Slaying Squad brothers!"
"Behind, we shield the countless multitudes of the common people!"
"Over the next twenty days, you'll spend them in high-intensity training."
"Pass the test, and you earn a Kunwu Saber!"
"Fail, and you go back where you came from!"
With that, Han Yuan thumped his chest in a military salute and left.
He Qiang stepped forward. "Now, on my command!"
"Everyone: ten laps, twenty-minute limit!"
"Report—"
"Speak!"
"This isn't fair!" Hong Ya stood ramrod straight. "Men and women are built differently! The training load shouldn't be the same!"
"A ghost won't go two shades gentler on you just because you're a woman!"
"In the Ghost-Control Army, there is no man or woman—only qualified soldiers."
He Qiang looked at her coldly. "The gate's always open. You can leave anytime!"
Hong Ya gritted her teeth, itching to storm off, yet unwilling to.
"Run!"
Chen Qing didn't dare say a word; he took off running.
Stamina was the foundation of everything.
By the very first lap, the gaps showed.
Because of innate physical differences, most of the girls fell behind.
Chen Qing didn't run fast or slow, naturally settling among the front dozen or so.
But to his surprise, the fastest wasn't Ji Luo—it was a girl.
Her movements as she ran were smooth and easy, as if she were holding plenty in reserve.
Ji Luo strained to catch her.
But he always trailed the girl by a wide margin.
Mind you, Ji Luo's physique easily matched a veteran of several years' service.
He couldn't stand losing face, and ran like his life depended on it.
Under that pursuit, the two of them pulled far ahead of everyone else.
He Qiang stood like a flagpole, hands behind his back, motionless, watching them all.
Time slipped slowly by.
Around the fifth lap, the first girl to fall appeared.
She dropped hard to her knees—and threw up!
"Yuan Shanshan, out!"
He Qiang called clearly, and struck a mark on the form in his hand.
Soon two soldiers came over, helped her up, and walked her all the way out the gate.
That scene set many a heart pounding!
They meant it!
Not even a second chance!
Everyone went cold inside, but stamina is little swayed by willpower.
And this was ten laps!
Not many ordinary people could run that far in one go.
Can't run means can't run.
The second washout, the third, the fourth followed in turn...
And by now, the girl who'd held first place the whole way had stopped.
She'd already finished the full course.