Free Web NovelChapter 109: Chapter 108: Ministry of Internal Affairs Special-Level Folklore Research Institute
Four new black sedans with hard, clean lines rolled over the bluestone road, driving slowly into a deep alley.
The convoy stopped beneath a century-old locust tree, its trunk so thick it would take several people to encircle it. Men in matching dark, short jackets with cold, sharp features filed out of the cars. One of them hurried to the lead vehicle, which was marked by a golden hood ornament. He bowed slightly and respectfully pulled open the door.
The door opened, and a shiny black leather shoe stepped out onto the damp stone slabs.
Following it, the shoe’s owner emerged from the car. He was a handsome Young Master in a dark gray suit, with a stately posture and a calm gaze.
He stood at the entrance to the mottled alley, looking like a priceless Western oil painting suddenly placed in a shabby room. His entire being radiated a noble air that was utterly at odds with the dilapidated surroundings.
"Young Master, we’ve arrived."
Fu Juemin gave a slight nod and surveyed his surroundings. The moment he stepped out of the car, the tower-like figures of Big Cat and Kitty had already appeared silently behind and to his side. They were like a pair of guardian stone lions that had suddenly materialized, adding an intangible sense of pressure to the already narrow space.
「The old district. South Market Street. Inside the Confucius Temple.」
This was the Confucius Temple area. A few old folks had been sitting under the old locust tree at the end of the alley, sorting vegetables and making small talk. Upon seeing the sudden arrival of these uninvited guests, they stared blankly for a moment before snatching up their low stools and scrambling away.
From the windows of the old residential buildings on both sides of the alley, curious gazes occasionally peeked out, only to be quickly yanked back. Doors and windows were shut tight.
Seeing the commotion, Fu Juemin decided against asking for directions, fearing he would disturb the neighbors further.
So, he counted the numbers on the old buildings as he walked, "111, 112..." and soon found the plaque for number 113.
The number plaque hung on an unremarkable black-lacquered wooden door. The paint was peeling, and the door knocker was speckled with rust.
Fu Juemin took two steps closer and saw what looked like inked characters on the lintel. Though the writing was blurry, he could at least make out the character "Ji." He figured he had found the right place.
A long wooden plank stood by the door. Fu Juemin gave a look, and one of the Qinglian Gang men strode forward, lifted the plank, and turned it around. Written on it were the words: "Ministry of Internal Affairs Special-Level Folklore Research Institute."
"The Ministry of Internal Affairs, huh..."
The man holding the plank couldn’t help but sneer.
Fu Juemin gestured for him to knock. But as soon as the man’s hand lightly touched it, the paint-stripped wooden door swung open on its own with a CREAK.
The entryway beyond was dim and deep, its destination unknown. The doorway was very narrow, barely wide enough for one person to enter.
The man who was about to knock started to step forward but was stopped by a hand. Fu Juemin gave a quiet order, "Big Cat and Kitty will accompany me inside. The rest of you wait out here."
The Qinglian Gang men acknowledged the order and lined up like guardian deities at the entrance. Someone handed over a Fire Stick. Big Cat, half-stooped, walked expressionlessly through the door.
Fu Juemin followed him over the threshold. Inside was a corridor that was no longer narrow, but the lighting was terrible. Even in broad daylight, you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face.
Big Cat led the way, holding the Fire Stick. Suddenly, Fu Juemin’s eyelid twitched. A faint tremor passed through his heart.
He paused and subconsciously glanced to his left, catching a fleeting glimpse of a figure in his peripheral vision.
His eyesight was excellent, yet he still couldn’t get a clear look. It seemed to be a woman in an old-fashioned cheongsam, holding an umbrella, hurrying through the darkness.
He thought he could also hear the crisp PATTER of bare feet on the stone floor.
’A woman... indoors... holding an umbrella...’
’It must be one of the Ghost Race, no doubt.’
But the feeling this member of the Ghost Race gave Fu Juemin was nothing like the Painted Ghost he had encountered before. It was so weak he couldn’t even be bothered to release the aura of the Soul Seed within him.
"Young Master."
Big Cat’s voice came from up ahead. Fu Juemin’s expression was calm as he replied coolly, "It’s nothing."
The three of them continued forward.
After walking a bit further, some light began to appear ahead. Their path was ultimately blocked by another old wooden door.
Big Cat blew out the Fire Stick and pushed lightly with his hand. With a sharp SNAP, the bolt behind the door broke, and the entire door was torn from its frame.
Fu Juemin glanced at Big Cat, who gave him a slightly helpless look. He casually set the dislodged door aside and then led Fu Juemin inside.
Once inside, he discovered a huge, open room, like the foyer of an old mansion.
A square skylight was set in the center of the ceiling. Directly below it, a small platform had been cobbled together from long benches and a few door panels, probably used for drying things.
Behind the pillars on all four sides of the skylight, dark wooden filing cabinets lined the walls, stretching all the way to the ceiling.
A few worn-out beechwood desks were scattered haphazardly around the vast space, most of them piled high with all sorts of manuscripts and books. One corner had even been set up to resemble a chemistry lab bench. Fu Juemin could even see a microscope, petri dishes, and some sealed glass jars with specimens soaking in formalin....
He couldn’t describe what kind of place this was. He only knew the air was filled with a strange mixture of old paper, mildew, medicinal herbs, and the faint scent of disinfectant.
’Strange. Very strange.’
Just like its facade—beneath the lintel of the Ancient Examination Garden of the Former Dynasty stood the sign for the "Ministry of Internal Affairs Special-Level Folklore Research Institute."
’Neither traditional nor Western.’
"Who are you looking for?!"
A voice rang out abruptly in the spacious room.
Fu Juemin followed the sound and saw a young man who had, at some point, stood up from behind a pile of books to the left.
He looked to be around thirty, wearing a frayed, old red sweater. He wore a pair of black-framed glasses, both sides of which were wrapped with white adhesive tape.
He had rather delicate features, but his dark circles were severe, and he looked like he hadn’t gotten enough sleep. His hair hadn’t been washed in who knows how long; it was greasy and matted, giving him a sloppy, disheveled appearance.
"Are you... r-robbers? Let me tell you, there’s nothing here worth stealing!"
The young man had probably seen Big Cat’s "door-demolishing" feat and was now quite flustered. Though his words tried to sound composed, his body subconsciously moved to the desk, and he used his hands to shield the messy pile of books on it.
"I’m here to see Director Gu."
"There’s no Director Gu here!"
"Miss Zhou from the Wenjin Newspaper Office sent me..."
The young man fell silent.
Fu Juemin ignored him and walked over to the beechwood desks on his own. Amidst the jumble of items piled on the tabletops, he saw thread-bound ancient texts, periodicals in foreign languages, local county gazettes, and yellowed, blurry old photographs... He even saw a few Yellow Paper Talismans covered in what looked like nonsensical, ghostly scribbles!
’Indescribable.’
Fu Juemin looked up and glanced at the rows of dark wooden filing cabinets stacked to the side.
As he got closer, he noticed that nearly every cabinet had a paper label on the outside. Most of them looked newly applied, while a few were stiff and yellowed, clearly showing their age.
"Jiangbei Corpse Shadow," "Southwest Exorcism Skill," "Yin Sui," "City Monster," "Water Anomaly," "Wood Spirit," "Hu Huang"....
Fu Juemin read a few labels and gradually became engrossed by the notations on them.
Many of the labels were blurred from dampness and were hard to read, but he could make out that each one specified a place name and a category. There were also words circled in red ink—Special Armor, Xuan Yi, Huang Bing—that seemed to be some kind of classification system.
Fu Juemin was lost in thought until a chaotic, shrill noise suddenly rang in his ears.
"...I... I—"
"HISS—"
It was like the harsh static from a radio losing its signal, or like someone screaming hysterically!
Fu Juemin snapped his head around and saw a ghastly white, blood-drenched, and ferocious woman’s face lunge at him.
Before he could react, Big Cat’s massive, wall-like figure had already moved silently to block his path.
"WHOOSH!"
"AHH—"
A panicked, frantic scream seemed to flash through the air. The ghostly figure vanished abruptly, and a small door nearby SLAMMED shut with a loud BANG.
Fu Juemin reached out and gently patted Big Cat’s tense, muscular arm. Expressionless, Big Cat slowly moved aside.
Looking back at the young man, Fu Juemin saw that his face was now bright red. He stammered as he shouted, "W-Who are you people? I... I was just talking to you, didn’t you... didn’t you hear me?"
Fu Juemin narrowed his eyes, studying the young man before him again. He glanced at the small door that had just made the noise, and for a moment, it seemed as if he understood something.
