On a road in the West City Suburb of South Sea.
Several police cars were speeding down the road.
In the lead van sat the members of the Criminal Investigation Division’s First Team.
Right now, they were staring, dumbfounded, at a computer screen.
If the footage hadn’t come from their colleague’s camera, they would have thought it was from a horror movie.
"Ghosts?"
"How could they be ghosts! There’s no such thing as ghosts in this world!"
"If they’re not ghosts, what are they?! Take a good look!"
Luo Quan took one drag after another from his cigarette, glaring irritably at his subordinates.
"What’s all the commotion! We still have a colleague in the hands of those... those things!"
Everyone fell silent.
This was the first time they had ever encountered something so bizarre.
They knew how to deal with criminals.
But dealing with Fierce Ghosts? Were they supposed to find a Daoist?
Fatty spoke up after a moment of thought.
"Mingyue might not be in any danger."
Luo Quan looked at Fatty, waiting for him to elaborate.
Fatty said,
"That male victim was killed because he tried to bribe the Ghost County Magistrate in court.
Although this Ghost County Magistrate’s methods are a bit too harsh, doesn’t that also mean he operates on some kind of principle?"
Mingyue is very pure and innocent. She should be fine."
Everyone agreed with his assessment.
This Ghost County Magistrate was likely an upright official when he was alive, which is why he continues to purge evil after death.
Luo Quan took a deep drag from his cigarette.
"Have someone look into this Ghost County Magistrate’s identity when he was alive."
Fatty pulled out his laptop and said,
"Okay. Judging by his official robes, he’s from the Qing Dynasty.
Back then, South Sea was called Water Mansion.
We have a time and a place, so I should be able to find something."
A female team member spoke up cautiously,
"Should we report this information back to the station?"
A complicated look appeared in Luo Quan’s eyes, and the cigarette in his hand burned down faster.
’How am I supposed to explain this to the chief?’
Luo Quan irritably tossed his cigarette away.
"Don’t any of you run your mouths. Wait for me to talk to the chief."
The van fell so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
’Is this the legendary Spiritual Qi Revival?’
’What’s happened to the Xia Kingdom for all these Demons, Devils, and Ghosts to suddenly appear?’
’Or... have these things always existed, and the Xia Kingdom’s government has been monitoring them all along?’
Luo Quan took a deep breath, picked up his phone, and dialed a number.
"Chief, requesting backup."
...
Inside the dilapidated temple.
The County Magistrate’s withered finger pointed at the heavily made-up woman, his eyes wide with fury.
"Do you confess to your crimes!"
She had seen with her own eyes what had happened to the man.
She had run into ghosts. A Ghost Government Office, a Ghost County Magistrate, and Ghost Constables.
She was trembling like a leaf, digging her nails into her thighs, terrified that if she screamed, she would meet a similarly gruesome end.
The woman knelt on the ground, sobbing.
"I’m not guilty! I’ve never hurt anyone in my entire life!"
The County Magistrate snorted coldly.
"This official asks you, what is your relationship with that scoundrel!"
The woman swallowed hard, her voice trembling as she answered,
"He... he was my client."
’Prostitution wasn’t illegal in ancient times, was it?’
The County Magistrate slammed his Gavel down.
"You adulteress! It has not even been three years since your husband’s death! His bones are not yet cold!
Instead of mourning for him, you engage in such illicit acts!"
The woman’s face was a mask of misery.
"My son is sick! I don’t have money for his treatment!"
...
Back in the van, everyone was watching the live feed from Li Mingyue.
The woman was indeed in a pitiful situation.
Her husband had just died, her son was gravely ill, and she had turned to prostitution out of desperation.
Many of the officers present had come from the vice squad.
They would make arrests in such cases, but they wouldn’t give them a hard time.
In fact... some of the more soft-hearted colleagues would even turn a blind eye, as long as they weren’t responding to an official report.
’That Ghost County Magistrate seems to operate on principle, so he probably won’t give her a hard time, right?’
Fatty, who had been working on his computer, suddenly cried out in alarm.
"I found him! I know who this Ghost County Magistrate is!
We’re screwed. How could it be this guy?!"
Everyone quickly looked at Fatty’s laptop screen.
Early Qing Dynasty, Cao County Magistrate of Water Mansion, Zhang Zhishun.
The screen was filled with text about him, and between the lines, one word was written over and over: ’Greed’!
During his time in office, Zhang Zhishun used fabricated charges to seize the assets of merchants, extorting an untold amount of wealth from the common people.
Most disgustingly, he even had a temple built for himself and forced the populace to sing his praises.
Countless homes were demolished to build that temple, and countless innocent people were worked to death.
That winter, an unknown number of people froze to death inside that very temple.
His deeds were not recorded in the official histories, but they were seared into the memories of the people.
During the Republican era, the people made a statue of him—a kneeling one—and placed it in the temple he had built for himself.
Luo Quan’s eye twitched.
’So it’s this hypocrite!’
Li Mingyue was in danger.
...
Ghostly flames flickered in the County Magistrate’s eyes.
"Still trying to argue! You unfaithful, immoral adulteress! You deserve to be beaten to death!"
The woman was scared out of her wits, crying and shouting,
"Don’t, don’t kill me! I beg you, please let me go! My son is still in the hospital, he’ll die without me!"
The County Magistrate roared,
"This Lord Qingtian sees all, and I would never misjudge a single case!
You are a vile adulteress, and death is too good for you!
If your gravely ill son were to learn that the money for his treatment came from such acts, he would surely die of shame!
Men! Drag her away!"
The woman’s face was ashen. The hem of her skirt was wet—she had wet herself from fear.
"Stop!"
A clear voice shouted.
The Ghost County Magistrate snapped his head toward the source of the voice, his face full of venomous hatred.
"Who is this insignificant whelp making a scene! How dare you interrupt this Lord Qingtian while he is conducting a case!"
The Ghost Constables’ heads twisted one hundred and eighty degrees, all turning in unison to look at the temple entrance.
Li Mingyue’s legs began to tremble violently again.
It was impossible not to be afraid when stared at by so many terrifying ghosts and monsters.
Especially the Ghost Constable holding her, who looked at her with a greedy expression, as if it wanted to devour her flesh and blood.
Li Mingyue took a deep breath.
She knew that if she didn’t step forward now, the woman would surely die.
She was a Sheriff.
She couldn’t just stand by and watch an innocent person be bullied and killed by evil.
Even if the enemy was an unbeatable evil ghost.
Li Mingyue’s eyes gradually cleared, and she spoke,
"I am a South Sea Sher—"
Li Mingyue paused, choosing her words carefully.
"I am a Government Official from the South Sea Government Office."
The County Magistrate narrowed his eyes, suspicious.
"You also eat the court’s grain?"
Li Mingyue replied,
"Zhang Qingtian, it has been a long time!"
She didn’t actually know who this Ghost County Magistrate was.
Normally, ’Lord Qingtian’ was an honorific used by the common people for a just official.
Who would be so shameless as to call themselves ’this Lord Qingtian’?
She was taking a gamble, betting that this Ghost County Magistrate was the notoriously corrupt official, Zhang Zhishun.
The same hypocrite who built a monument to his own virtue!
Fortunately, she had bet correctly.
When the Ghost County Magistrate heard the two words ’Zhang Qingtian,’ a look of pleasure spread across his face.
Li Mingyue breathed a sigh of relief.
’Looks like my flattery hit his G-spot.’
The ghostly flames in the Ghost County Magistrate’s eyes dissipated, and he said with feigned authority,
"Step forward and speak."
Li Mingyue shot a fierce glare at the Ghost Constable restraining her.
’You ghostly thing,’ she thought. ’Sooner or later, I’ll find a monk or a Daoist to take care of you.’
The Ghost Constable released its grip, its eyes filled with reluctance and a ravenous greed for flesh and blood.
Li Mingyue walked into the courtyard, went over to the woman who was paralyzed with fear, and knelt down.
She took off her jacket and gently tied it around the woman’s waist, covering the embarrassing dampness.
Li Mingyue gave the woman a reassuring look.
"I’m a Sheriff. You’re safe now."
Some color returned to the woman’s face, and tears streamed down her cheeks.
She used to be terrified of hearing the name ’Sheriff,’ but now that single word brought immense comfort.
.....
I’ll be adding another Chapter in a bit, bros.