Despite the kind reminder, Xie Yizhi couldn't ignore it.
So he opened the ticketing app, intending to see if there were still tickets available for the East Station.
But by then, time was too tight; the last bus had already sold out.
“What should I do?”
Xie Yizhi scratched his head. Xie Feng Village was too remote, practically in a mountain gully.
Taxis weren't willing to take fares there because it would definitely be a one-way trip, and they wouldn't pick up anyone on the return.
Therefore, he could only take a long-distance bus.
After a moment of thought, Xie Yizhi decided to pack his things and head for the bus station.
No matter what, he still had to go back to celebrate his dad’s birthday; all the preparations were already made.
He simply slung on a backpack, bringing two changes of clothes and his streaming equipment.
Just in case, he also brought noob. If he really encountered trouble, he could just close the door and let noob out.
…
Meanwhile, at Rongcheng Police Station.
The conference room door opened, and the officers of the Third Detachment had just finished their meeting and were coming out, Tan Yuxi among them.
She held a notebook, densely filled with the key points of the meeting.
On it, some crucial information had been circled by Tan Yuxi with a red pen: 'South Station', 'License Plate LC1675', and so on.
Returning to her seat, Tan Yuxi opened Xie Yizhi’s chat page again. Seeing that he hadn't sent any more messages, she closed her phone and let the screen go dark.
She let out a deep breath.
Just then, Zhang Qi, the captain of the Third Detachment, patted her shoulder and comforted her, “Don’t be nervous; adjust your state.”
“It’s normal to be a bit flustered on your first mission. You’ll get used to it gradually. Have some coffee.”
“However, don’t be too relaxed. The mission you’re responsible for today is crucial; whether the case can be thoroughly investigated depends on your performance.”
Tan Yuxi nodded, indicating she understood.
Immediately after, another middle-aged man, who looked to be around forty, wearing casual clothes and sporting a full beard, walked over.
He handed a circular jade pendant to Tan Yuxi.
Tan Yuxi was momentarily stunned. She took the jade pendant; a crooked, illegible character was carved on it.
“Remember to keep this protective pendant with you at all times; don’t lose it,” the man instructed.
Tan Yuxi examined the jade pendant closely. It turned out the character on it was ‘Protection’ (hu, meaning protection). It looked quite old, but its quality was still excellent.
So, she couldn’t help but tentatively ask, “Hehe… Yan Guwen (Advisor Yan), is this for me?”
“What are you talking about? It’s an ancestral protective pendant; you definitely have to return it to me after the mission!” The man, referred to as Yan Guwen (Advisor Yan), quickly waved his hand.
There’s no such good thing as casually giving away such a large jade pendant.
Tan Yuxi: “…”
She had been happy for nothing.
She thought that since her mission today was so arduous, she might gain some benefits.
Even Captain Zhang Qi and Yan Guwen (Advisor Yan) had specifically come over after the meeting to further elaborate on the mission details for her.
As for why Yan Guwen (Advisor Yan) was at the police station still in casual clothes, it was because he was a specially appointed Spiritual Consultant.
Among the daily reports the police station received, there were often non-natural cases that their officers couldn't handle.
At such times, the intervention of a Spiritual Consultant was needed.
Of course, to be specially appointed as a Spiritual Consultant, one must have achieved a certain level of accomplishment in special fields.
Yan Xu, for example, was a genuine Taoist priest. He converted to Taoism in his teens, descended the mountain after seven years of cultivation, and was certified.
Now in his forties, he has been cultivating Taoism for nearly thirty years. Everyone who meets him calls him a master.
There are a total of three Spiritual Consultants in Rong City, and Yan Xu is the most authoritative among them. Most non-natural cases are handled by him.
And the Third Detachment, to which Tan Yuxi belongs, is specifically responsible for liaising with and assisting Spiritual Consultants in handling cases.
“After my contact with several victims,”
“I can conclude that the recent strange cases occurring on buses are unlikely to be human-made.”
“You must be careful once you get on the bus.”
“Try to find a way to get the bus to stop at Xiufeng Slope, and get off immediately. We will be there to meet you.”
Yan Xu instructed.
Over the past two weeks or so, many passengers on the bus with license plate LC1675 from South Station have experienced mental problems after returning home.
They become mentally deranged, lose their sanity, and exhibit strange actions without warning, even self-harm.
Additionally, dark red, purple, and brown spots of varying sizes appear on their bodies.
After being admitted to the hospital for treatment, no significant abnormalities were found in their various physical indicators.
Doctors said that the patients were likely startled, leading to stress disorder and mental derangement.
The unexplained spots on their bodies might be bruises caused by self-harm after their mental state deteriorated.
Yan Xu received the commission and went to the hospital for an examination, finding that what the doctors said wasn't entirely wrong, but it wasn't that simple.
The patients were indeed startled and had lost one of the three souls and seven spirits, as people commonly say.
The three souls refer to: Fetal Light, Clear Spirit, and Hidden Essence.
And the seven spirits refer to: Corpse Dog, Bowel Arrow, Sparrow Yin, Thief Swallower, Non-Poison, Filth Remover, and Stinky Lung.
In cases of mental derangement like this, it's likely they lost the 'Clear Spirit,' which is the main deity among the three souls.
In other words, they might appear to be alive and well, but their minds are broken.
In reality, these people are no longer complete, just like losing one of their internal organs.
To put it more bluntly, they appear to be alive, but in fact, they are already dead.
The marks on their bodies are actually lividity.
As time passes, if the lost soul cannot be retrieved in time, the lividity will gradually spread throughout the entire body.
No matter how you look at it, there is already 'something' present on the bus. Whether the passengers' lost souls were eaten or went elsewhere is unknown.
In short, as long as it's caught, the case will be solved.
Of course, it's not 100% certain that it's a ghost. If there are righteous cultivators in the world, there must also be evil cultivators.
It's not impossible for them to engage in shady dealings for profit or other purposes.
Therefore, until the real culprit is caught, it remains classified and cannot be disclosed.
Tan Yuxi and another female police officer were assigned to ride the bus as passengers for this mission.
As for why they were chosen… there was no other reason.
It was because they had just started their internships, and their eyes were still very clear and naive, making it difficult for them to be identified as police officers.
If Yan Xu went, it would easily alert the target.
So, Tan Yuxi and her partner's mission was to find a way to make the bus stop when it passed through Xiufeng Slope.
Yan Xu and his team would ambush there in advance, and once the bus stopped, they could immediately trap the 'thing'.
At the same time, the area around Xiufeng Slope is rarely visited and quite desolate, making it less likely to scare or accidentally harm others.
“Understood.”
Tan Yuxi nodded heavily.
After giving instructions, Yan Xu turned to leave but was called back by Tan Yuxi, “Wait, Yan Guwen (Advisor Yan).”
“I have a question I’d like to ask you.”
Yan Xu paused and turned back around.
Tan Yuxi pulled out her phone and asked, “Can you tell if there’s a ghost in a video just by watching it?”
The screen displayed was clearly a recording of Xie Yizhi's live stream from last night.