Chapter 6: The Ponytail Girl of Yuetan Mountain

Mi Shihong's already pale face turned even whiter as a scene from four years ago flooded his mind.

Back then, he hadn't yet fallen into the grip of addiction. Running a bustling barbecue stand had earned him a decent fortune and considerable influence around the northern suburbs near the General's Tomb.

Never underestimate a barbecue stand. A popular one could slaughter three cows and two sheep daily. Once it scaled up and multiplied its stalls, the daily income would increase exponentially! It was absolutely comparable to earnings from big karaoke venues.

That year, Mi Shihong was riding high, gathering a bunch of idle hands to act as his underlings, becoming somewhat arrogant. Then one day, a random blond kid showed up out of nowhere and smashed up one of his shops—all over a plate of fried rice.

In the underworld, Mi Shihong valued his reputation above all. He couldn't swallow this humiliation, so he gathered a gang of men, vowing to destroy that blond kid.

He took three vans of men to deal with the guy, but the blond took them all out, leaving six seriously injured.

To this day, Mi Shihong could still recall the image of that blond kid, soaked in blood, grinning back at him. That smile haunted his nightmares for two months.

He never imagined that after four years, this blond would resurface, reformed and working at a funeral home!

"Master Lin…" Mi Shihong swallowed dryly. "It was all a misunderstanding back then…"

"Heh, Boss Mi, the past is the past. But today, let's settle the score for that punch and kick you gave me!"

BAM! A fist from Lin Feng smashed into Mi Shihong's jaw, sending him tumbling down the stairs, dazed. The afterlife didn't spare him from feeling pain; Mi Shihong gasped, feeling as if Lin Feng's fist were made of iron, nearly shattering his jaw.

Then Lin Feng lifted him up, landing a knee strike directly to Mi Shihong's most vulnerable spot...

Clutching his legs, Mi Shihong felt something in his groin shatter, and he sank weakly to his knees.

"Master Lin, let's… talk this through. That move is taboo on the streets!"

"Pfft! You're a ghost, and you dare lecture me about street taboo?"

Lin Feng's fists pounded down like a relentless storm. Initially, he thought Mi Shihong was somewhat formidable, with his grim aura and defiant expression. But not long into the beating, Mi Shihong's true colors showed.

"Master Lin! Stop… please…"

"Master Lin, I'm begging you, go easy on me!"

"Master Lin, have some professional decency—at least leave me with a complete body…"

Snot bubbles burst from Mi Shihong's nose. Who would've thought that even as a ghost, he'd suffer so much indignity? Encased in his own corpse, he still felt pain. That crippling ache in his groin was something he'd never experienced alive, and now he was learning what "a fate worse than death" truly meant.

"If no one were coming to pay respects in a few days, I'd cremate you tonight!"

Lin Feng gripped Mi Shihong's face, pressing his head against the wall, and with his other hand, made a grabbing motion. "Come out!"

With his command, Mi Shihong's soul was forcibly extracted from his body and trapped in an urn, accompanied by a shrill scream.

A reminder sounded in Lin Feng's mind: Ding! Containment successful!

Current Ghost Capacity: 2/9.

With Wang Qian first and now Mi Shihong, the urn held two spirits. Though Lin Feng possessed this powerful artifact, he held a deep respect for the cycle of reincarnation and dared not trap spirits recklessly or craft yin candles.

But it was different with ghosts who clung to him.

Mi Shihong had been the one to pick a fight. Any ghost daring to meddle in the mortal world was defying the laws of Heaven and Earth. This was something Niu Meng had told him: any ghost who clings to earthly matters, good or evil, breaks the cycle of reincarnation and loses the protection of universal laws.

Using these ghosts to craft "yin candles" was actually a meritorious deed.

In the urn, Mi Shihong pleaded in terror, but Lin Feng ignored him, putting his body back in place before leaving.

...

The gatekeeper, Uncle He, was listening to the radio, belting out The Peony Pavilion: A Tale of Resurrection, oblivious to the taxi waiting at the funeral home's entrance.

As Lin Feng exited, Qi was waving at him.

"Master Lin, all done?"

Lin Feng: "…"

"Hey… Qi, why are you here again?" Lin Feng lit a cigarette, confused.

Qi frowned. "I'm just checking for business opportunities here. Don't tell me I'm not welcome?"

Hearing Qi's serious response, Lin Feng's face twitched, at a loss for words.

You gotta be kidding!

Last time at the cremation, Qi's family had burned him twelve packs of hell banknotes, each valued at one billion, plus six money trees. His wealth was practically rivaling the god of wealth's. What kind of business could you still want? You're the one who scared Chen Yang into quitting, leaving me to work the night shift alone. I mean, can't you, as a ghost, take a hint and stop coming around?

"Forget it. Stop looking for 'business' and just take me to Yuetan Mountain in the northern suburbs. Here, this is for you."

Lin Feng pulled out a stack of hell banknotes, and Qi's eyes gleamed at the thick wad. "Of course! Master Lin, no need to be so generous. Even if you didn't pay, I'd still drive you!" Despite his words, Qi quickly pocketed the money with no intention of returning it.

Lin Feng saw Qi agree, then prepared to get in, only to find the door was still locked.

"Qi, you've taken the money; what's with the locked door?" Lin Feng asked, puzzled.

Qi grinned. "Master Lin, my car's afraid of fire, so please, no smoking."

Lin Feng ignored him, swiftly slipping in through the window. "Quit nagging, I'm in a hurry."

Qi sighed in defeat, repeatedly cautioning him to avoid flicking any sparks onto his car.

...

The taxi sped off, gliding silently like a ghost in the night. It had no engine roar or headlights, merely drifting along the road. The car reeked, likely due to the unclean 'business' Qi had taken over the past three months. If Lin Feng hadn't kept chain-smoking, he would have been knocked out cold.

In less than thirty minutes, they'd reached Yuetan Mountain Park in the northern suburbs. Qi waved as he bid Lin Feng goodbye.

Blue Task 2: Search for clues regarding the 13th November murder case.

Tonight, Lin Feng had come for precisely this reason.

Since Mi Shihong isn't the killer, the murderer must be someone else. Lin Feng's goal was naturally to reach Level 10 as quickly as possible so he could hire Horseface. The other two tasks were too difficult to complete, leaving this one as his only viable option.

At midnight, Yuetan Mountain Park was still bustling with a few night joggers, so it didn't feel too deserted. Lin Feng picked up his phone and dialed a number. A muffled voice answered from the other end, "Brother Feng? Still not back? I'm starving."

Always thinking about food!

Lin Feng replied, "Come to the North Suburbs, Yuetan Mountain. Something's going on tonight; it might be troublesome. I'll treat you to a feast afterward."

A feast?!

Niu Meng was delighted. Six months ago, an inexplicable force summoned him to the mortal world, where he became a ghost soldier working for Lin Feng. Initially, he had some complaints, but after sampling various offerings in the mortal world, he grew to enjoy it.

However, Niu Meng grumbled, "Brother Feng, you're not planning to capture another powerful ghost, are you? Let me be clear—I can't handle overly strong wild ghosts. Unless you bring me some useful tools from the underworld."

Oh? This guy was getting clever, learning to haggle!

Lin Feng checked his merit points, seeing only 30—barely enough for anything—so he replied, "This is about Horseface's whereabouts. Come if you want; it's up to you."

Horseface?

Niu Meng replied, "On my way!"

Lin Feng hung up the phone, found a secluded spot, and pulled Mi Shihong's ghost from his urn.

Mi Shihong screamed in terror, suddenly realizing he was in a familiar place.

"This is… Yuetan Mountain Park?"

Mi Shihong looked at Lin Feng, visibly afraid. "Master Lin… Are you actually a Taoist priest?"

Sitting on a park bench, Lin Feng ignored Mi Shihong's question and said, "From now on, you answer my questions. Otherwise, I guarantee you won't get another chance to come out!"

Mi Shihong was startled and nodded submissively.

"Last night, was it Qian Tieshan and his Criminal Investigation Squad who killed you?"

A flash of resentment crossed Mi Shihong's eyes. "Yes!"

"Then how did you know that, besides Qian Tieshan, the others weren't police?"

Mi Shihong glanced at Lin Feng, a bit surprised. "Master Lin, couldn't you tell? That group works in the same trade as you."

The same trade?

Did he mean they also worked at a funeral home?

Lin Feng almost cursed out loud but then realized what Mi Shihong meant.

"Were they Taoists?" Lin Feng asked suspiciously.

"Yes, but not quite. Those policemen seemed to have some powers. They could control talismans and summon smoke to form monsters! Believe me, I saw it with my own eyes!"

Mi Shihong spoke with such seriousness that he nearly swore on it.

Are there really people like that in the Nanyang Public Security System?

Lin Feng pondered. This sort of bizarre thing only happened in movies, like in the exorcism police films of Lam Ching Ying. But does it actually exist in real life?

Even if they were exorcism cops, why would they kill a drug dealer? And why was Qian Tieshan there?

"Why did they kill you?"

Mi Shihong speculated, "Drug dealing? But even if it's for drug dealing, there's no need to make such a big fuss."

Lin Feng couldn't figure it out either. Suddenly, his ears perked up as he heard footsteps approaching.

"Boundless Heavenly Honor, Heavenly Sight on Earth!"

Lin Feng raised a finger, drew a line down his forehead, and activated the "Heavenly Eye Technique." Even with his eyes closed, he could see a hundred meters around him.

Fifty meters behind him, someone was approaching.

Lin Feng flipped his hand, pulling out the urn and sealing Mi Shihong's spirit inside.

As Mi Shihong's aura disappeared, the footsteps quickened, and a nimble figure emerged from the bushes.

It was a young woman in her twenties. She looked around with slight frustration after landing, her brows furrowed.

"You! Did you notice anything strange around here?"

She wore her hair in a ponytail, was dressed in sportswear, and exuded the vitality of a fresh college graduate, though her tone was surprisingly seasoned. Under the park lights, her temples were damp with sweat, and her cheeks glowed with a rosy peach color, adding to her charm.

Pretending to be engrossed in his phone, Lin Feng looked up cautiously and said, "Yes, it's you! Are you here to rob me?"

The girl rolled her eyes at him. Seeing nothing unusual, she was about to leave but suddenly glanced at Lin Feng and decided to stay.

"The True Fire of Samadhi on you flickers, suggesting you're cursed by a lingering spirit. But judging by your energy, you seem perfectly fine."

She murmured to herself, taking Lin Feng's hand. As she touched his wrist, her body trembled slightly.

"What's your date of birth?"

The ponytailed girl's voice wavered a bit.

Why does she want to know that?

Lin Feng hesitated. However, she seemed to have something important to share, so he replied, "Wu Chen year, fifth month, ninth day."

Hiss—

"The toughest fate, paired with a black dog under heaven!"

The ponytailed girl took a sharp breath, her expression shifting unpredictably.

"Kid, give me your phone number." Her tone left no room for refusal.