Chapter 259

Chapter 259

◎Welcome Back to the Fold◎

Ji Chuan, an undercover drug agent who had gone dark for three months.

Undercover agents usually avoid exposing themselves by refraining from casual communication unless absolutely necessary. Some remain out of contact for months or even years.

However, Ji Chuan had just passed along crucial intel that helped bust a cross-border drug ring before suddenly going dark. His handlers had begun suspecting he might have been killed, but they couldn’t investigate openly—just in case he was still deep undercover. A high-profile search might have endangered him further.

As feared, the worst had come to pass.

Ji Chuan’s body was the first to be dug up, right at the mountain he had been guarding daily. Mu Chun had already collected his soul beforehand, ensuring he wouldn’t witness his mutilated remains.

Due to his incomplete soul, Ji Chuan had gaps in his memory and appeared relatively calm and rational now. If he were to see the manner of his death, the shock could easily send him into a violent rage.

The commotion below the mountain hadn’t yet settled. For safety reasons, Ji Nanxing and the others were instructed to coordinate with the Bureau team. If it were just a renegade Taoist priest dabbling in dark arts, it wouldn’t be much of an issue—the disciples of the Yan family had never backed down from an arcane showdown.

But if this case involved other complications, even if Ji Nanxing didn’t care about his own safety, he had to consider his family. He absolutely couldn’t expose himself and invite disaster.

Xiao Ye, released from Ji Nanxing’s protective ward but unable to descend yet, didn’t stay idle. Using his strength, he helped the Bureau team dig up the corpses—some already decomposing, others reduced to skeletal remains. It was unclear how many years whoever set this up had been hiding victims here.

By dawn, the mountain finally quieted. With the Yin energy dispersed, communication devices worked without interference. After receiving updates from below, Mu Chun turned to Ji Nanxing and Xiao Ye. “I’ll arrange for a few team members to return to the Bureau. You two should go with them. They’ve captured quite a few people down there, and the police cordon is still up. They still need to conduct a mop-up operation, which will take time. You should head back early and rest.”

Ji Nanxing had burned through his energy reserves the previous night. Though there was still plenty of work left, two high school students weren’t needed to handle the corpses. It was better for them to rest.

Ji Nanxing nodded. Last night, he had expended tremendous energy breaking the mountain’s cloaking array and forcefully opening the Ghost Gate. If not for the balance of Yin and Yang within him and the additional surge of witch power, he would’ve collapsed long ago.

Xiao Ye handed the shovel to someone nearby, twisted open a bottle of water to wash his hands, then took Ji Nanxing’s hand. “Let’s go. We’ll head down first.”

Ji Nanxing nodded again, then glanced at Mu Chun. “Keep me updated if anything new comes up.”

Mu Chun waved with a smile. “Alright, leave the rest to the adults.”

After past the worst stretch of the mountain path, Xiao Ye crouched in front of Ji Nanxing. “Hop on.”

Ji Nanxing nudged him. “There’s not much left. If we take a tumble here, it’ll be a disaster. I can walk.”

Xiao Ye grabbed his hand, draped it over his neck, then hooked Ji Nanxing’s legs and scooped him up piggyback. “The rest of the way is easy—no steep slopes. Don’t worry, I won’t drop you. You’re tired, right? Close your eyes and rest for a bit.”

Ji Nanxing relaxed his body to avoid burdening Xiao Ye further. Despite the all-night grind and Xiao Ye’s own labor, his scent wasn’t unpleasant.

Maybe it was because they’d lived together long enough to grow accustomed, or maybe Ji Nanxing simply didn’t mind it. Resting his head against Xiao Ye’s shoulder, lulled by the rhythm of his steps and the familiar scent, Ji Nanxing gradually drifted off to sleep.

By the time they reached the foot of the mountain, the sun hung high overhead. The early morning commotion had drawn crowds—onlookers, reporters with cameras trained on the old tenement, cops and agents coming and going. The perimeter was sealed, but the periphery buzzed with noise.

Amid the clamor, even exhausted, Ji Nanxing was jolted awake. Under the cover of Bureau members, he and Xiao Ye piled into their ride and left through an alternate route.

After returning home, showering, and crashing hard, the outside world had already turned upside down.

Deputy Director Dai of the Bureau had initially assumed this operation would merely bag a dark-magic practitioner. Instead, it unraveled an entire drug network.

Even Xiao Ye’s older brother, Xiao Song, dragged out of bed in the early hours, had expected to confront ruthless criminals—only to end up dismantling a drug den.

Twenty-seven suspects were arrested, all hiding like rats in the old tenement. When Xiao Song’s team stormed in, the criminals, thinking they’d been exposed, fought back with weapons, turning it into an all-out shootout.

After a fierce battle, everyone in the tenement was detained and subjected to thorough screenings. Innocents were released, suspects were held, and those involved in the shootout, guarding the drug lab, or carrying narcotics were placed under strict confinement.

The tenement was torn apart brick by brick, uncovering enough evidence to sentence those involved to death a hundred times over.

The previously troubling new synthetic drugs had another source destroyed this time, and most importantly, an invisible drug trafficking route powered by ghosts that ordinary people couldn't see was also dismantled.

Xiao Ye later found out that the person engaged in the gunfight at the foot of the mountain that day was actually his older brother, Xiao Song. Terrified, he rushed home to check on the situation.

Coincidentally, his brother had just finished handling part of his tasks, leaving only the reports to be compiled and awaiting further orders to cooperate with the narcotics police. For now, he had a brief window to return home and rest.

Seeing that his brother was looking sharp and glowing with energy, Xiao Ye sighed in relief and teased with a laugh, "What's this? You were just chilling at home, and now credit drops in your lap?"

This incident was enough to earn his brother a commendation on the podium—a career-making bust that would be recorded in his file, boosting his promotion prospects.

Xiao Song looked at his younger brother, who had hurried back in a panic, and chuckled, "At least you still have some conscience, knowing to come back and check on me."

As for how Xiao Ye knew about this, Xiao Song wasn’t surprised. The operation that day wasn’t kept secret—the old tenement district was cordoned off openly, and many people had filmed videos. Recognizing the unit patches on the uniforms, it was natural for Xiao Ye to identify his brother’s team.

Hearing this, Xiao Ye wasn’t pleased. "What do you mean, 'some conscience'? So, are you about to get busy again?"

Before, though busy, there hadn’t been any major missions—just various drills. But now, with this incident and his brother already involved, there might be follow-up operations.

Xiao Song nodded. "Probably busy for a while. Stay home during this time and don’t wander around. Spend a few days apart from your best bud—it’s for his own good. The person caught this time is a major drug lord. The higher-ups just obtained a list. Until everything is settled and all suspects are apprehended, even you, as my family member, might not be safe. So, bear with it."

Xiao Ye: "No way. You’re busy, and so am I."

Xiao Song: "Busy with what? What could you possibly be busy with?"

Xiao Ye smirked. "Otherwise, how do you think that list was obtained?"

Xiao Song frowned. "What do you mean?"

Xiao Ye explained, "That list came from an undercover narcotics officer who had been dead for three months. This whole thing started with a dark spirit mage named Yang Hengzhou. To refine soul puppets, he needed strong souls. Killing so many people unnoticed would’ve drawn attention from either the police or the Occult Management Bureau. So, the best collaborators were those who didn’t value human life—evil forces. But after years of crackdowns in our country, no major underworld factions remained that he could work with. So, he teamed up with drug traffickers. He used ghosts to transport drugs—that’s the invisible trafficking line. The traffickers handed over captured undercover agents, uncooperative individuals, or those who needed to be permanently silenced to Yang Hengzhou. Those people were tortured to death and refined into soul puppets he could control, also helping transport drugs."

Xiao Song, who had been about to go upstairs, sat back down on the sofa. "So, the Occult Management Bureau was involved in this too?"

He knew of the Occult Management Bureau but had only heard of its existence, never collaborated with it. It was only after Xiao Ye grew closer to Ji Nanxing and even became a consultant for the Bureau that Xiao Song gradually learned more about it.

But for such a major case, how did Xiao Ye, a consultant, know so much? Surely the Bureau’s confidentiality wasn’t so lax that any member could access such information.

Xiao Ye: "It’s not that the Bureau was involved—it was primarily their operation. It started when Naonao heard the cries for help from lingering ghosts at night. Then, I went with him to the old district and found the ghosts. Later, we discovered a formation on that mountain—the one where they’re still digging up bodies—and realized there were likely many corpses buried beneath. We guessed the killer was nearby, probably hiding in the old district, so we called in the cavalry. We never expected not only to catch the dark spirit mage but also uncover such a massive case."

Xiao Song: "So, while I was arresting people below, you and Ji Nanxing were on the mountain? And the initial target wasn’t drug traffickers but that spirit mage?"

Xiao Ye nodded. "Exactly. So, while it was indeed dangerous for you—given the firefight—this achievement truly fell in your lap. We had no idea it would lead to so much. The undercover officer was half-mad after Yang Hengzhou extracted part of his soul. Luckily, you caught Yang Hengzhou, and those jars containing the stolen souls were recovered. We’ve been helping Ji Chuan restore his soul these days using the soul-recovery array, hoping he’ll recall everything soon—maybe even provide more leads. And those talismans for the soul-recovery array? All provided by me."

Xiao Song never expected to hear insider details from his younger brother that even he wasn’t privy to.

After listening, Xiao Song didn’t press further. He knew his brother’s temperament—occasionally reckless but reliable when it mattered. He simply warned, "Fine, I won’t interfere. Just stay on the sidelines if you must, but don’t get involved. Be careful when moving around—safety first."

Xiao Ye nodded. "Don’t worry. Here—a ward charm. Custom-made by me. It has two types: a peace charm and the most powerful offensive talisman, the Heavenly Thunder Talisman, capable of sweeping away all demons and ghosts. Keep it on you, and contact me if anything happens."

Xiao Song smacked him on the head. "'Contact me if anything happens'—your head’s getting big. Since you’re back, stay for a meal with Grandpa before leaving. I’m going upstairs to shower and change—still need to head to the precinct later."

Xiao Ye waved him off. "Go ahead. I’ll eat with Grandpa before leaving."

While Xiao Ye stayed home with his grandfather, Ji Nanxing was at the Occult Management Bureau, running point with the team to figure out how to help Ji Chuan regain his memories as soon as possible.

After recovering the severed soul shards Yang Hengzhou had extracted and smashing the soul jars that bound them, the souls naturally returned to their rightful places.

But Ji Chuan, unwilling to be controlled by Yang Hengzhou, had resisted fiercely even when his soul fragments were held captive. The struggle further damaged his spirit, and even after the fragments were restored, he couldn’t recall everything.

The only thing he could provide was the names burned into his soul—names he had repeated in his heart until his last breath.

These are the people who have committed so many underhanded crimes in secret, ruining countless lives and destroying numerous families. Among them are many prominent businessmen who outwardly engage in charity but are more wicked than anyone behind closed doors. Ji Chuan wanted to hand over this list until his dying breath, and it became an obsession that followed him beyond the grave.

Besides the list, he had also hidden critical evidence. It was because of this evidence that he exposed himself and was ultimately handed over to Yang Hengzhou by the drug traffickers, tortured to death by him.

But his memories were fragmented—he couldn’t even remember where he had hidden the evidence.

Ji Chuan was anxious. Every day of delay meant another day things could go wrong. Fortunately, the Taoists were helping him, setting up a spirit-recovery formation, providing charms and incense. Ji Chuan had no choice but to suppress his urgency and focus on restoring his soul first, so his memories could gradually return.

While Ji Chuan was nourishing his spirit, the special task force began their arrest operations. Those on the list Ji Chuan provided were left alone for the time being, as the concrete evidence hadn’t been secured yet—moving too soon might tip them off. However, those captured in the old urban district that day, unable to withstand interrogation, gave up their networks, both superiors and subordinates.

Those with concrete evidence were arrested immediately.

For a time, the entire Yulan City seemed to grow quiet. Ordinary people went about their lives unaffected, while those with some insider knowledge laid low. Even underground establishments that had been making illicit profits cleaned up their acts.

Online, a purge seemed to be underway—posts about the incident were almost entirely suppressed, with images and videos unable to be shared, causing the public attention to fade. But soon after, an official police announcement was released: several of the biggest drug lords were sentenced to death.

Others were still under interrogation, in hopes of squeezing out more information.

Among those sentenced to death was Xie Xiong, who, with Yang Hengzhou’s help, used ghosts to transport drugs—completely untraceable. Ordinary investigators wouldn’t even know where to begin, so his shipments always reached his clients effortlessly. This allowed Xie Xiong to expand his operations rapidly.

On the day Xie Xiong was sentenced, Ji Chuan looked at his photo, and suddenly, fragments of memory flooded his mind. He had seen their photos before—even Yang Hengzhou’s—but nothing had triggered his memory.

Perhaps it was the finality of the sentencing that eased Ji Chuan’s long-held tension and urgency, allowing his lost memories to return. He remembered how he had died, where he had hidden the evidence, and how—as an undercover narcotics officer—he had nearly been controlled by Yang Hengzhou to transport drugs for them.

Ji Chuan thanked Ji Nanxing a thousand, ten thousand times—the one who had heard his cries for help and hadn’t dismissed them. If Ji Nanxing hadn’t come looking for him, in just a few more days, eroded by the soul-devouring formation, he might have become an empty husk of a ghost, forced to do what he would rather have scattered his soul than do.

On the day the evidence he had hidden was successfully handed over, his superior came to the Bureau, bringing his uniform and medals.

The clothes didn’t need to be burned—they could be offered directly to him.

The tattered Ji Chuan changed into his uniform, and his entire demeanor transformed—standing tall, dignified, and full of vigor.

His superior, wearing the Heaven's Eye Charm, looked at Ji Chuan, whom he had personally trained. He had never expected their reunion to be one of eternal separation. Though he could still see him, he could no longer touch him—not even a pat on the shoulder to say, "Well done, comrade."

Ji Chuan had recovered his memories, completed his mission, and uprooted an entire drug empire. He felt it was all worth it. The Taoist said these were spiritual merits—though he hadn’t done it alone, he certainly had his share. A lifetime of service in exchange for a blessed next life—staying true to his convictions while holding hope for the future—Ji Chuan believed it was worth it.

Looking at the superior who had once personally entrusted him with the undercover mission, Ji Chuan smiled. "My mission is complete. You should be happy for me."

His superior, eyes red, gazed at the man now separated by life and death. "Ji Chuan!"

Ji Chuan stood at attention. "Sir!"

"Mission accomplished. Welcome home, hero!"

Ji Chuan raised his hand, fingers together, palm facing down. In the final moment of his existence, just as he had on the first day of his oath, he saluted the ideals he served one last time.