Chapter 250

Chapter 250

◎The Delicate Desk Partner◎

To find someone taken by a ghost, covering the whole city in surveillance cameras would be useless. Deploying more police force would be futile—only a Taoist could deal with something like this.

Ye Junxing’s team had a Taoist who was exceptionally skilled at tracking people, quite famous online for repeatedly helping reunite lost family members and rescue trafficked children. Like Bai Yilong, who was involved in the entertainment industry, he managed his own account and made money from private jobs.

When Ye Junxing brought him in, Peng Cheng was surprised: "Master Xu!"

Xu Xin smiled at Peng Cheng. "It’s been a while, Officer Peng."

Zhang Xi glanced between them. "Have you two worked together before?"

Peng Cheng nodded. "Three years ago, a major human trafficking case was solved. My mentor handled it, and I assisted. So yeah, we worked together."

Then, Peng Cheng lowered his voice and asked Xu Xin, "The two missing people might have been taken by a ghost. Can you still find them?"

Xu Xin: "It’ll be difficult. Yin energy can interfere with tracking objects, but we can try. At the very least, we can narrow down a general direction to help you focus your search."

Xu Xin began burning incense sticks to determine the approximate whereabouts of the missing Jiao Yiming and Wan Zai.

The police tape at Weng Man’s accident site was still up. It was a hillside curve where the car had plunged straight down, rolling until it was stopped by a few large trees.

However, the impact during the rollover had been severe, causing extensive damage to the vehicle. That was why Weng Man’s death was ruled an accident—broken neck. But whether she died in the crash or before—without a Taoist, the truth might never have been known.

Ji Nanxing got out of the car and looked down at the crash site, which had been cleared but still bore traces of the accident. He turned to Xiao Ye. "Wait here. I’m going down to take a look."

Xiao Ye glanced down and nodded. "Be careful. Tie a rope, just in case."

Not wanting to waste effort, Ji Nanxing fastened a climbing rope around his waist, with Xiao Ye and a bodyguard holding the other end. He agilely descended the slope, bracing against the trees until he reached the ones that had stopped the car.

The marks from the impact were still visible on the ground, along with scattered fragments of glass. But anything useful had likely been cleared away.

After surveying the area and sensing Weng Man’s remnant energy, Ji Nanxing found bloodstains and knife scratches on a tree root—likely discovered by forensics, who had scraped off the bark for testing.

Pressing his hand against the bloodstain, Ji Nanxing felt Yin energy surge beneath his palm, carrying the deceased’s lasting resentment. It showed him the most vivid images from Weng Man’s final moments.

Inside a wooden cabin, the floor was littered with liquor bottles. A girl in a torn dress was being assaulted by a group of drunken young men, her desperate screams lost in the chaos. Suddenly, another figure burst into view—Ma Yixuan, Weng Man’s best friend.

Ma Yixuan pushed past the drunk men, trying to pull the assaulted girl up and escape. But before they could flee the cabin, Jiao Yiming and Wan Zai blocked the doorway.

Struggles, screams, the stench of alcohol, and the blocked exit—Weng Man’s last sight was Ma Yixuan fighting back, smashing a bottle on a man’s head, only to be choked until she passed out immediately after.

Weng Man was held down and assaulted by several men. As she turned her head to see her best friend strangled unconscious, she was overwhelmed with regret—not just for sinking into this hell, but for dragging her closest friend into it.

Ji Nanxing opened his eyes, taking a moment to steady himself before tugging the rope. "Pull me up."

Xiao Ye immediately began hauling him up. Seeing Ji Nanxing’s pale complexion, he rubbed his hands together and cupped his face. "Did you overexert yourself? Let’s rest in the car."

Ji Nanxing nodded. As soon as he sat inside, Xiao Ye handed him a cup of hot cocoa. "Drink this."

After a sip, the warmth of the cocoa slightly dispelled the chilling impact of the visions. Ji Nanxing said, "Is there a beachside cabin nearby?"

Xiao Ye nodded, recalling the files he’d reviewed at the bureau. "Yes. If you go up this road and then down, there’s a beach with a campsite. One of the cabins was where Weng Man and those rich kids had their encounter. According to the investigation records, they’d been drinking heavily and got carried away. Weng Man needed the money, so she didn’t refuse. After it was over, she took the cash and left. But then she got into an accident on the way down the mountain due to drunk driving."

Ji Nanxing: "She might’ve really died in the crash. Judging by the blood at the scene, if she’d died before the collision, there wouldn’t have been so much blood. And postmortem blood doesn’t carry lingering resentment. Through Weng Man’s blood, I saw some of the most vivid scenes from her life—moments inside that beachside cabin."

Xiao Ye sat beside him, pulling him closer to transfer some of his Yang energy. "Did you see the moment she died?"

Ji Nanxing shook his head: "I didn't see hers, but I saw Ma Yixuan's—being strangled. The image faded before she died, but I only saw those drunk rich kids. Probably both Ma Yixuan and Weng Man died that night. It's likely Ma Yixuan died first, and Weng Man was unconscious..."

Ji Nanxing paused, feeling something didn't add up: "Wait, if Ma Yixuan was killed by those rich kids, then as a ghost, she should have gone after them first. What's the current status of those rich kids?"

Xiao Ye: "Detained and fined. They’ve been released now, laying low under family watch, but nothing’s happened to them."

Ji Nanxing pondered. Just because nothing’s happened now doesn’t mean it won’t in the future. If the lingering ghost is Ma Yixuan, by all logic, her first targets should have been those rich kids. Their killer intent wasn’t as strong as Jiao Yiming’s, making them easier to deal with than him.

But Ma Yixuan didn’t do that. The only explanation is that her killer wasn’t those rich kids—it was Jiao Yiming and his group.

After rounding the mountaintop, the sea and clusters of beach huts came into view.

Ji Nanxing turned to Xiao Ye: "If you were to kill someone here, how would you dispose of the body?"

Xiao Ye narrowed his eyes slightly: "Find a boat and toss it overboard. Within days, the fish would pick it clean."

Ji Nanxing followed up: "To make it easier for the fish, dismember the body before dumping it?"

Xiao Ye met his gaze and nodded: "Highly likely."

If the bodies were disposed of this way, even searching along the coastline would be difficult.

As they reached the beach, they saw the agency’s car pulling up. Peng Cheng was the first to jump out, surprised to see them: "What are you doing here? Did you find something?"

Ji Nanxing: "We’re almost certain the ghost is Ma Yixuan. Weng Man didn’t leave behind such strong lingering resentment. Why are you here?"

Zhang Xi, following behind, said: "We hired Master Xu Xin, who traced Jiao Yiming and Wan Zai to this area. They’re still alive."

Ji Nanxing scanned the surroundings: "In that case, we might need to rent a boat and head out to sea."

There were no caves nearby—this was a camping area with heavy foot traffic, making it unlikely to hide anyone. Even if Ma Yixuan used ghostly miasma to conceal them, the constant flow of living people would disperse it easily.

Given his earlier speculation about Ma Yixuan’s death, Ji Nanxing believed the victims were likely in the sea.

With a lead in hand, Zhang Xi rushed to rent a boat. Once aboard, though Ye Junxing was present—more skilled in combat—Zhang Xi, the technician, focused on scientifically gathering data. Peng Cheng wasn’t a Taoist, leaving Ji Nanxing, the jack-of-all-trades, to burn a seeker’s incense.

The boat entered a secluded inlet where the incense smoke curled into rings. Xiao Ye hunched over the rail, scanning the area: "Are they here? What’s that spot up ahead? Should we dock and search? It looks deserted."

Ji Nanxing shook his head: "They’re not onshore. There’s a ghost wall here."

As he spoke, he tossed out several talismans, swiftly weaving hand signs. The talismans arranged themselves in a Bagua array, their spiritual light interweaving until a massive array pattern solidified midair.

Ji Nanxing channeled power into his palm and struck the array, muttering, *Break!* The array instantly shattered.

A shockwave of energy burst forth. Peng Cheng was the first to spot a shadowy blob in the distance: "Over there! What is that?"

Zhang Xi grabbed binoculars and immediately identified it: "People—two of them, tied back-to-back to a pole."

He dropped the binoculars and gunned the boat forward. As they closed the distance, they saw the two men, hanging by a thread, bound to a bamboo pole driven into the sea. Their faces were gaunt, skin peeling like sun-baked fish from exposure.

Ji Nanxing frowned: "How long have they been missing?"

Zhang Xi: "At least half a month, but they couldn’t have been out here the whole time. Judging by their condition, maybe three to five days."

Xiao Ye glanced at the water: "Three to five days in the water..." The lower halves of their bodies must be rotting.

Ye Junxing looked at Ji Nanxing, who turned to Xiao Ye: "You’re up."

Xiao Ye: "I’ll give it a shot."

Ji Nanxing didn't press further: "Alright, but don't push yourself too hard."

Ye Junxing and Peng Cheng then entered the water to rescue the two individuals.

Ji Nanxing scanned the surroundings. Ma Yixuan's evil energy still lingered here, indicating she had been guarding this place and reinforcing the ghost wall. Yet, Ma Yixuan herself was nowhere to be seen—likely having fled upon sensing their arrival.

Such lucid and rational spirits are the hardest to deal with. They avoid direct confrontation with Taoists, instead relying on hiding to gradually build their strength.

Soon, the two men trapped in the sea were rescued. Xiao Ye mustered his courage to take a look, but the sight was so unbearable that he immediately rushed to the stern of the boat to throw up violently.

The lower halves of the two men had been nearly devoured by fish, with some parts gnawed down to the bone. Yet, they remained alive, left to endure the agony of being eaten by fish while fully conscious.

Even after being rescued, they wouldn’t survive long enough to reach the hospital. It was clear these two had borne the brunt of Ma Yixuan’s hatred, dying far more gruesomely than Wan Hao and the others.

Ji Nanxing walked to the stern and gently patted Xiao Ye’s back: "I warned you not to look. Next time something like this happens, just walk away. Usually, you wouldn't have to see scenes like this."

Xiao Ye rinsed his mouth with water nearby, his eyes red from throwing up as he looked at Ji Nanxing: "Are you used to seeing things like this?"

Ji Nanxing shook his head: "It's inborn. Some people are naturally empathetic, while others are naturally detached. The first time I saw a mutilated corpse, I was only six or seven years old. I’ve been unfazed ever since."

Whether it was an ordinary corpse, a dismembered one, or even one with guts spilled everywhere, they all looked the same to him. He never found any of it particularly repulsive.

Ji Nanxing suspected this was why his master had brought him to the Administration at such a young age—not to broaden his horizons, but to immerse him in the rules, ingrain the legal boundaries, and keep him from going too far.

Seeing Xiao Ye still struggling with reddened eyes, Ji Nanxing smiled faintly: "It’s alright. If you feel sick, just stay here. We’ll dock and head back soon."

Xiao Ye suddenly pulled Ji Nanxing into a hug. Ji Nanxing patted his back gently: "What’s wrong?"

Xiao Ye shook his head lightly: "Nothing. Just wanted a hug."

Ji Nanxing chuckled, allowing his squeamish deskmate to hold onto him for comfort.