The Resentful Spirit of the Underground Mall

At 8:50 in the morning, Shen Jingye was in his office leafing through meeting materials. Three meetings were scheduled for today, expected to take up the entire day, with the first starting at nine o'clock sharp. Shen Jingye had emphasized repeatedly that these meetings were of vital importance, yet he hadn't looked at any of the materials beforehand, choosing only to skim through them during the ten minutes before the meeting began. Shen Jingye often repeated a favorite saying: "The purpose of a meeting is not to solve problems, but to raise awareness." From the overall quality of the materials alone, one could discern how deeply relevant personnel understood the meeting and how seriously they took it; one could see— *Trill, trill!~ The landline rang. Seeing the incoming number, Shen Jingye fell into deep thought. He thought for merely five seconds, because he knew time was of the essence. He pulled out his cell phone at once and called his driver directly, telling him to get the car ready; he needed to head out to conduct field research at a subordinate unit. As for postponing the meetings, he could notify the relevant personnel after getting into the car. Shen Jingye hung up, stepped out of his office immediately without even locking the door, and walked straight toward the elevators. He pressed the down button. The elevator doors slid open, and Li Qi stepped out. Shen Jingye went silent for less than a second before a smile promptly surfaced on his face. "Director Li, you're back! It must have been a tiring journey. I'm just rushing out the door; let's chat once I return." Shen Jingye stepped calmly and smoothly toward the elevator, only to be yanked back by Li Qi. "Little Shen, come to my office for a moment." *** Sitting inside Li Qi's office, Shen Jingye wore a somber expression. Li Qi frowned. "I truly never expected that after I traveled all this way back, you would greet me with such an attitude!" Shen Jingye adjusted his expression. "Director Li, I truly have urgent work on my hands." "What work could be more important than what I need to deal with right now? I signed a covenant deed with the Inner States. Don't you want to take a look?" Shen Jingye was dying to know the outcome of Li Qi's negotiations with the Inner States, but at the same time, he couldn't afford to know. "Director Li, that task was primarily completed in Puluo Province. The responsible entity should be the Garrison Office. The person who should really hear about the progress is Chief Envoy Liao." Li Banfeng chuckled. "Meaning you don't want to hear it?" "That's not it. I just believe Chief Envoy Liao should have firsthand information." "You want to dump this onto Liao Zihui?" "I definitely have no intention of dodging responsibility, but jurisdictional divisions must be clearly defined." "Meaning you don't want to manage this matter anymore?" "I really don't..." Shen Jingye's lips turned slightly pale. Li Banfeng shoved the covenant deed toward Shen Jingye. "Take this and write up the report." Shen Jingye took the deed, not wanting to read a single word of it. Yet he had no choice. Li Qi had already thrust it into his hands, and he couldn't very well claim to be illiterate. Fortunately, the outcome was favorable. Following the Garrison Office's withdrawal from Qishuiyao, the Inner States promised to drop the Gatekeeper incident, temporarily defusing the threat of war between the two sides. Li Qi took a sip of tea and continued, "I've also settled things with Lüshuigong. He won't be coming to the Outer States again anytime soon." Shen Jingye wasn't entirely satisfied with this result. "Director Li, what does 'anytime soon' mean? Shouldn't there be a specific timeframe?" Li Qi shook his head. "Right now, it's impossible to define. Lühuazi has always been capricious. This matter will require continued follow-up. Getting him to promise never to come again is completely out of the question. Our side also needs to come up with our own positions and strategies before I can continue negotiating with him." Shen Jingye pondered for a moment. "If that's the case, we'd best report this together to Director Du." Li Banfeng nodded. "No problem. Bring him over to see me. My schedule over the next couple of days isn't too packed; I can spare some time to meet him." Shen Jingye looked troubled. "Wouldn't that be inappropriate?" Li Banfeng paused. "What's inappropriate about it? Hasn't he recovered from his illness yet?" "He has, but in terms of rank..." The fact that Du Wenming had recovered piqued Li Banfeng's interest. "Was it Kang Zhenchang who cured Director Du?" Shen Jingye didn't hide it. "At present, he's the only one with that ability." "What tier of Healer Cultivator is Kang Zhenchang?" "Tier seven, of course!" Shen Jingye replied very naturally. "Kang Zhenchang possesses the greatest ability among all diagnosticians, so naturally he holds the highest tier." 'Diagnostician' was the Outer States' term for Healer Cultivator. In the general understanding of the Outer States, the limit of dark ability was tier seven, so Shen Jingye had given a standard official answer. Of course, Li Banfeng knew this answer was utter nonsense. How could a tier-seven Healer Cultivator possibly cure the lesions left behind by Lüshuigong? "I'd like to meet Doctor Kang. Could you arrange that for me?" Shen Jingye shook his head. "That would be exceptionally difficult. Kang Zhenchang is a special talent under special protection. Even when our bureau requires his cooperation on missions, we have to submit an application well in advance." "Does the bureau have any files on Kang Zhenchang?" "There are some materials, but they're classified as top-secret. Procedurally speaking..." Mid-conversation, both their phones chimed simultaneously. A mission. An 'autonomous conscious dark-energy aggregate' had appeared in Menghao Underground Mall, requiring immediate response from the Dark Star Bureau. Li Banfeng looked at his phone. "What is an autonomous conscious dark-energy aggregate?" Shen Jingye explained, "It's the product of leftover consciousness after the end of life aggregating with dark energy. In the parlance of Puluo Province, it's called a resentful spirit." Li Banfeng frowned. "Did you really need to specify Puluo Province? Don't the Outer States have the term 'resentful spirit'?" "Because the concept of a 'resentful spirit' isn't scientific in itself, so we rarely use the term. Director Li, I would very much like to join this mission, but given that your work has yielded significant results, I hope you'll accompany me to Director Du's office to deliver a debriefing." Li Banfeng shook his head. "Such an important task as reporting should be left to you. I'll head to the scene to take a look." *** Inside the minibus, Tangyuan briefed him on the situation on-site. "A group of dark-energy enthusiasts held a gathering in Menghao Underground Mall and were attacked by an autonomous conscious dark-energy aggregate. The attack left three dead and two injured. All survivors have already been evacuated from the scene." Li Banfeng shook his head. "Drop the 'aggregate' jargon; just call it a resentful spirit. Does the Dark Star Bureau have a clear definition of how this type of resentful spirit differs from ordinary deceased spirits?" He needed to know what kind of combat capability this resentful spirit possessed. Hearing Li Qi's question, Tangyuan moved to sit beside him and whispered an explanation: "The residual consciousness left behind after life ends is a deceased spirit. What is born when a deceased spirit combines with dark energy is a resentful spirit. Resentful spirits originate from two sources: one is an ordinary deceased spirit coming into contact with massive amounts of dark energy, and the other is the deceased spirit of a dark-energy user, because dark-energy users carry massive amounts of dark energy within themselves to begin with." Li Banfeng thought for a moment, then frowned. "That doesn't seem to have much to do with resentment at all." Tangyuan's voice grew even quieter. "That's precisely why 'resentful spirit' shouldn't be used to refer to an autonomous conscious dark-energy aggregate." She had chosen to sit next to Li Qi partly because he hadn't been back to the bureau in a long time and she wanted to be close to him, and partly because she didn't want others to realize Li Qi's lack of common knowledge. In truth, she knew that Li Qi possessed far more knowledge about dark-energy practitioners than any of them, but Li Qi operated under an entirely different system of knowledge. Li Qi didn't feel there was anything embarrassing about it; if he didn't understand something, he simply asked. "Does 'dark-energy enthusiast group' refer to civilian dark-energy users?" "They aren't dark-energy users, but through certain channels, they've acquired some knowledge of dark energy, possess some dark-energy resources, and know a few spells and rituals related to dark energy. These organizations generally fall into two categories: one studies the folklore of our nation and neighboring regions, while the other studies Western witchcraft and black magic. The group we're dealing with today is called the Chamomile Wizard Association. The president and three core members are Ravshans, with a total membership of sixty-three..." The minibus drove all the way to Menghao Underground Mall. From the 1990s through the early 2000s, underground malls had been wildly popular across major cities, with dining, entertainment, and retail thriving beneath the streets. Tangyuan continued her briefing: "Ten years ago, underground malls gradually went into decline. A fire at Menghao Underground Mall dealt a devastating blow to the merchants who were barely staying afloat, and the mall has been abandoned ever since. Over the following years, it became a gathering spot for dark-energy enthusiast groups. Rumors circulated among these groups calling this place an area rich in spirituality, or a fountainhead of dark energy. Although we intervened multiple times to prevent similar—" Before she could finish, Li Banfeng suddenly heard shouting. A tall, thin, blond man was yelling in an awkward accent: "You have no right to keep me here! I'm not one of your people! You have no right to restrict my freedom!" On-site law enforcement personnel introduced him as Cheriviko, the president of the Chamomile Wizard Association. He was shoving the enforcement officers and shouting at the top of his lungs. Li Banfeng glanced over and ordered, "Cuff him." Tangyuan froze, Lightbulb blinked, and Mingxing pretended not to hear. Zhong'er walked forward holding a pair of handcuffs, but was intercepted by Director Wang. "Director Li, foreign affairs are no small matter. We can't act rashly here." Li Banfeng repeated, "Cuff him." Zhong'er stepped around Director Wang, walked straight up to Cheriviko, and grabbed one of his arms. Cheriviko shook off Zhong'er's grip and yelled, "What do you think you're doing? What right do you have to do this? Do you know who I am? You are not qualified to touch me—!" Zhong'er kicked Cheriviko down, twisted his arms behind him, and clamped the handcuffs over his wrists, locking his hands together. "You will pay for this! You must pay for this!" Cheriviko screeched. Li Banfeng said, "Put him in the van." Zhong'er hauled Cheriviko up and tossed him into the vehicle. In the process of being thrown in, Cheriviko hit his head and went quiet. The other three Ravshans were still yelling, but Zhong'er produced another pair of handcuffs, and the three quickly quieted down as well. Deputy Director Wang was terrified. He quickly dialed Director Shen: "Director, Director Li was far too impulsive! He cuffed them indiscriminately, and they aren't even citizens of our country—" He recounted the entire incident. Shen Jingye went silent for a moment before saying, "Understood. I'm aware of the matter." A simple 'I'm aware', and that was it? Deputy Director Wang asked, "How should I handle things on my end?" "You don't need to handle anything. Follow Director Li's commands on-site." Shen Jingye hung up the phone. Director Du asked, "What happened?" Director Shen said, "A resentful spirit appeared at Menghao Underground Mall. Nothing major." "If it's nothing major, set it aside for now. Let's discuss the report in detail first. This covenant deed with the Inner States is crucial. Is it true that no substantive documentation could be obtained from Lüshuigong?" Shen Jingye had lost count of how many times he had already answered this exact question. He was exhausted. Truly exhausted. *** Li Banfeng led his team into the underground mall. Karaoke parlors, dance halls, billiard halls, arcades, and internet cafes—iconic entertainment venues from the turn of the century—stretched out before them. Guided by the personnel on-site, the group entered a karaoke parlor. The Wizard Association's gathering site was in a private room near the entrance. Zhuang Shuxing, a Spiritualist from the security detachment, found an incantation dropped on the floor. It was written in Ravshan. As soon as the translator produced the translation, Zhuang Shuxing recognized its origins. "This is a contract used by Spiritualists to summon battle spirits." Li Banfeng took a look as well. Because it was a literal translation, many phrasings were obscure and awkward, but the general meaning was indeed similar to a covenant deed between a Demon Cultivator and a ghost servant. The final sentence was slightly unusual. The battle spirit they wished to summon was a handsome man from the Old World. "What does 'Old World' mean?" Li Banfeng looked at the translator. The translator wasn't clear on the exact meaning either, and could only offer a guess: "In some countries, Puluo Province is referred to as the Old World." They wanted to summon a battle spirit from Puluo Province? What was the reason for this? Li Banfeng's first reaction was that yet another deceased spirit from Puluo Province had drifted into the Outer States. "And what constitutes the standard for a 'handsome man'?" Li Banfeng looked toward Zhuang Shuxing. Zhuang Shuxing thought for a moment, then shouted toward the doorway, "Hey, handsome!" Lightbulb, Zhong'er, Mingxing, Zhuizi, and Huajia all turned their heads at the same time. Zhuang Shuxing said, "See, Director? There isn't a single man in this world who doesn't consider himself handsome. There's a glaring flaw right in their summoning chant. "I've seen plenty of this sort of thing before. This was originally our own summoning contract, written in the Huan language. Someone translated it into Inglish, and it leaked overseas. "Then Inglish was translated into Hispani, Hispani became Ostri, and Ostri was translated into Ravshan. After seven or eight rounds of back-and-forth translation, it circled back to us as 'foreign witchcraft.' Isn't that pure nonsense? "When a Spiritualist summons a battle spirit, it relies on technique and control. These raw beginners don't know a thing; they mashed Western witchcraft together with our contract deeds and ended up summoning God knows what." Li Banfeng inspected the three corpses at the scene. All their wounds were on the throat, every single one slain by a single strike. "Was the murder weapon found?" The law enforcement personnel present shook their heads. A forensic investigator said, "Judging by the appearance, the three wounds seem to have been caused by three different weapons, or perhaps the weapon used by the culprit shifts form in different positions." Li Banfeng looked at a shattered television screen. At the end of the previous century, LCD screens were not yet widespread, and many karaoke parlors still used glass CRT monitors. He checked the positions and distances of the bodies, then said to the investigator, "Search among the shattered glass on the floor." Zhong'er said, "Director, do you mean the resentful spirit they summoned picked up shards of glass to commit the murders?" Li Banfeng shook his head. "No picking up was necessary." He had seen combat like this in Puluo Province. "The deceased spirit shattered the television screen with a single punch, and the flying shards slit the throats of all three." Zhong'er couldn't believe it. "Is that really possible?" "You're a brawler. Once your tier advances, you'll be able to do it too." Zhuang Shuxing was also astonished. "Just how high of a tier would that take? Does Big Head have that kind of ability?" Big Head didn't have that ability; a tier-five Martial Cultivator couldn't accomplish such a feat. Chen Changrui remained silent. He knew Li Banfeng had found the right direction. Yet identifying the weapon did not seem to be of much help to their current predicament. "They've brought disaster upon themselves," Li Qi said with a grave expression. "They summoned a high-tier Martial Cultivator, and right now, no one knows where this cultivator is." Chen Changrui shared the same concern. He asked the officers, "Have the other areas of the underground mall been checked?" An officer replied, "Only a rough search was conducted." Li Banfeng left the scene to the forensic team and led the group deeper into the karaoke parlor. This parlor had been abandoned for years. The hallway tiles were broken, layered with dust and cobwebs, and insects occasionally scurried past. The parlor was quite large, with over twenty private rooms of various sizes lined along the depths of the corridor. As they were about to reach the end of the hallway, a burst of laughter suddenly drifted from a private room on the left. "Boss Wang, have another drink, just one more!" "Sweetheart, give me a little kiss, and I'll drink a whole glass!" Who was Boss Wang? Li Banfeng turned his head toward Director Wang. Director Wang said in horror, "That's definitely not me!" There was someone inside that room. Faint singing drifted out from within—wildly off-key, heavy with echoing reverb, the quintessential sound of a karaoke lounge. "Didn't anyone check this room?" Director Wang looked at Chen Changrui. Chen Changrui was equally stunned. Even if the officers had overlooked this room, someone singing inside would have been impossible to miss. Besides, this parlor had been abandoned for years. How could the sound system still be running? Zhong'er drew his pistol to advance and investigate, but Li Banfeng pulled him back. "Full alert!" Li Banfeng issued the command. "Take your positions!" The security detachment's combat strength was debatable, but they were well-trained after all, and quickly fell into defensive formations along the corridor. A surge of intense malice crashed over them, causing Li Banfeng to break into a cold sweat. He pushed the door open and stepped into the room. The singing and laughter abruptly ceased. The room appeared no different from any of the others, covered in a thick layer of dust and layers of cobwebs. Li Banfeng touched the glass screen. The hairs on the back of his hand stood on end. Static electricity. This screen had been in use just moments ago. He activated Golden Eyes of Keen Detail and swept his gaze across the room, but found nothing out of the ordinary. Anything capable of eluding Golden Eyes of Keen Detail was of no low tier—at the very least, it exceeded Li Banfeng's current level. He quietly stepped back out of the room and immediately ordered, "Evacuate the underground mall and cordon off the surrounding area!" *** By noon, Shen Jingye arrived on-site to personally direct the investigation. Ten fully equipped investigators carrying specialized detection equipment entered the underground mall, searching until seven in the evening before obtaining preliminary findings: The Chamomile Wizard Association had used a Spiritualist summoning ritual to conjure an autonomous conscious dark-energy aggregate. The aggregate was a high-tier brawler whose current whereabouts were unknown. The voices Li Qi and the others had heard in the karaoke parlor likely originated from a dark-energy carrier possessing illusory properties. The tier of this carrier was unknown, and its whereabouts were likewise unknown. "Little Shen, are you suggesting there's a treasure capable of illusions inside that room?" Shen Jingye nodded. "That is the only reasonable explanation available at this stage." What kind of 'reasonable explanation' was that? If it truly was a treasure, just how high would its tier have to be? Even Pan Dehai couldn't evade Li Banfeng's Golden Eyes of Keen Detail. Could the thing be hiding in a dark-dimension space? Li Banfeng wanted to find an opportunity to go in and test it with his alms bowl, but Shen Jingye was far more worried about another matter. "Where on earth did that brawler's resentful spirit go?" Li Qi asked, "What did the eyewitnesses say?" Shen Jingye handed the witness statements to Li Qi. "They didn't provide much valuable information. This gathering was hosted by their president. He bought the summoning text through a similar organization in Ravsha and conducted a seance using the knowledge their association possessed. "According to their descriptions, during the initial phase of the ritual, the lights in the room suddenly turned on and the temperature plummeted. The enthusiasts were thrilled at the time. "Later, however, the room showed signs of warping and collapsing, and the enthusiasts fled outside. During their escape, a man with physical form appeared among them. Two eyewitnesses were injured after coming into contact with him. "The three deceased were wounded by sharp objects. The weapon has already been confirmed, completely matching your deduction: shattered glass from the floor. If he truly killed three people in a single strike, the situation is terrifying beyond measure." It was rare to see Shen Jingye so devoted to a case, and Li Banfeng found himself somewhat admiring his professionalism. "What do you plan to do next?" Shen Jingye said, "I've already reported the situation to higher authorities. They've initiated an operation—a highly specialized one. Neither you nor I are permitted to inquire about the details." Li Banfeng was surprised. "Specialized to that extent?" Shen Jingye lowered his voice to a whisper. "As far as I know, the higher-ups have deployed someone whose identity is under maximum secrecy. This person has a way to track down the resentful spirit and eliminate it." Li Banfeng frowned. "Little Shen, can't you disclose even the slightest hint?" "It's not that I'm withholding information; I genuinely don't know. That person's identity is top-secret—impossible to guess!" *** "What's so impossible to guess?" After hearing Li Banfeng's description, My Lady scoffed dismissively. "Dear husband, where did that contract they used to summon the vicious ghost go?" Li Banfeng replied, "Given to Shen Jingye, and he said it was handed over to the higher-ups." The gramophone let out a cold laugh. "And here I thought it was some brilliant technique—isn't it just a Curse Cultivator's tracking trick? That contract is tied to the vicious ghost, and the connection runs deep; it acts as his voucher for arriving in this realm. A Curse Cultivator can exploit that link to place a curse on him." Li Banfeng nodded. "That's a sound method as well. If the curse succeeds, will it eliminate the deceased spirit?" The gramophone puffed out a wisp of steam. "Hard to say. It depends on their respective cultivations." Li Banfeng thought about it. "The deceased spirit has already died once, so his strength must have suffered." The gramophone said, "The Curse Cultivator isn't casting the curse directly either; they have to channel it through the contract. That extra layer of indirection weakens the curse as well. "In a situation like this, neither side holds an inherent advantage. If the Curse Cultivator's cultivation exceeds that of the spirit, they stand a chance of cursing him to death. "However, if the Curse Cultivator's cultivation falls short and the spirit withstands the curse, the spell will fail, and the Curse Cultivator will suffer a severe backlash. "Still, the Curse Cultivator pathway is indeed skilled at assassination. In Puluo Province, every faction harbors deep hatred toward Curse Cultivators, executing them on sight, so very few cultivators of that pathway remain. "I doubt there are many Curse Cultivators in the Outer States either. Even if they occasionally manage to find one or two, they have to deploy them with great care. Who knows when such a person might turn traitor and stab them in the back without anyone knowing? It's only reasonable that they'd keep this operation cloaked in secrecy." With the cause and effect laid bare, Li Banfeng grasped the situation clearly. "We'll wait a couple of days. If there's no news, it means the Curse Cultivator successfully struck the spirit down. If the Curse Cultivator failed, Shen Jingye will definitely come looking for me. "My Lady, I suspect the danger in that karaoke room is connected to an unnameable place. I plan to take the alms bowl and investigate." "Dear husband, this humble servant feels this matter cannot be rushed. You have already reached the second tier above the clouds; an adversary capable of making you break into a cold sweat is certainly no ordinary figure. "Regardless of whether this foe resides in an unnameable place, this servant believes they are undoubtedly connected to that deceased spirit. Once the spirit is captured and interrogated, it won't be too late to investigate further." Li Banfeng pulled the gramophone into his arms and rubbed against her horn affectionately. "Where else could I ever find such a wonderful, virtuous wife?" The gramophone spoke coquettishly, "Dear husband, don't hold me so tightly." Hong Ying called out in a delicate voice, "Brother Qi, can you fly yet?" The oil can Li Banfeng had just raised was set back down. He hung his head and exited the companion dwelling. The gramophone raised her wooden board. "You wretched woman, why must you always mock my husband?" Hong Ying lay down beside the gramophone. "I just can't stand watching you two be affectionate!" "What's wrong with us being affectionate? We are lawfully wedded husband and wife! Why shouldn't we—" The gramophone felt something amiss and nudged Hong Ying with her board. "Get away from me first." *** The following morning, Li Banfeng was gathering his documents to head out for a meeting when Shen Jingye knocked and entered the office. "Director Li, I have work to report to you." "Little Shen, you've improved again. But I'm very busy right now; let's reschedule for another time." "Director Li, where are you off to?" "To the meeting! Didn't you issue the notice yesterday?" Shen Jingye stopped Li Qi. "The meeting has been postponed." Li Banfeng looked deeply concerned. "Postponed until when? You're going to disrupt my work rhythm like this." "It doesn't matter if we don't hold the meeting at all. Listen to me on an urgent matter first. The higher-ups have handed the task of hunting down the resentful spirit back to us. This is a sign of their trust in us." "Why didn't they trust us before?" "Let's... not dwell on the past—" Li Banfeng chuckled. "Things fell apart, didn't they? The curse failed, right?" Shen Jingye pressed his lips together. "I'm not entirely clear on the specifics." "Then go find out. Find out how it got botched, what tier that Curse Cultivator was, what method they used, and what their current status is. Compile it into a report and hand it to me." Shen Jingye sighed. "It's really hard for me to bring this up with the higher-ups." "And it's easy to bring it up with me?" Li Qi's face darkened. "Don't come back to see me until you've investigated it thoroughly!" Shen Jingye left with his head hanging low. He investigated from morning until night before finally securing the information. The operative sent by the higher-ups was a tier-seven Curse Cultivator. Using the contract deed to channel the curse, he struggled for more than two hours before suffering a lethal backlash and succumbing to his wounds. *Was he truly tier seven?* Back at his residence, Li Banfeng carefully reviewed the files. The publicly acknowledged ceiling in the Outer States was tier seven, but this Curse Cultivator's actual tier might have been even higher. The fact that he had suffered a fatal backlash proved that the deceased spirit's cultivation surpassed his own. Where was he supposed to find this deceased spirit? Li Banfeng couldn't think of a good approach for the moment. Suddenly, the projector opened its film compartment. "Director Qi, there's a call for you from Tang Changfa." Li Banfeng returned the call. Tang Changfa whispered from a cinema booth, "Boss, someone just brought goods to Fourth Mother Yin." "Where is the person?" "Just entered the booth." "Hold your positions and don't make a move until I fly over!" Li Banfeng threw open the window and jumped out. *Thud!* A cloud of dust billowed as Li Banfeng picked himself up from the residential area's greenbelt, then sprinted toward the Cultural Palace.