Chapter 9: The Ship Will Sink When It Reaches Its Destination  

Abolish the Bureau of Tribulation Transference?  

The ghosts of the Bureau were all shocked and angrily protested, “The Bureau was established by Shangheng Chongjun! How can it be abolished so casually?! Stop spouting nonsense!”  

Zhang Que chuckled. “Indeed, Chongjun’s wish was to liberate all Calamitous Spirits in the world. Now that the Calamitous Spirits have dispersed and the Three Realms are at peace, those lingering malevolent ghosts and vengeful spirits can hardly be called ‘calamities.’ Since there are no more calamities, what purpose does the Bureau serve? Or do you plan to survive another three hundred years by stealing cases from other offices?”  

The ghosts of the Bureau screeched in fury, but their tongues were clumsy, so they could only stare tearfully at Li Changsheng, their eyes pleading, “Director! Director, you must uphold justice for us!”  

Li Changsheng: “Uh…”  

He barely managed to suppress the twitch at the corner of his lips, not letting the whining ghosts realize he was actually in cahoots with the Punishment Enforcement Bureau. Clearing his throat solemnly, he said coolly, “Let me see the Nether Decree.”  

Zhang Que flicked his fingers, and a jade token that seemed carved from ice silently floated before Li Changsheng.  

Li Changsheng glanced down. Hmm, he couldn’t quite understand it.  

But he was just going through the motions anyway. Lazily running his thumb over the token, he put on a reluctant expression. “Since this is a Nether Capital decree…”  

The ghosts froze for a moment, then nodded vigorously in understanding.  

Li Changsheng let out a long sigh of relief. Before he could blurt out, “Then take them away,” the ghosts exclaimed tearfully, “The Director has just taken office and hasn’t even established himself in the Nether Capital, yet he dares to defy the Nether Decree for our sake! We vow to follow the Director for eternity and let the Bureau shine for another three hundred years!”  

Li Changsheng: “?”  

He had no intention of defying the decree.  

Zhang Que narrowed his eyes. “For centuries, no one has dared to defy a Nether Decree. Truly, the Heavenly Dao’s chosen sixteenth Director is far more prideful than his predecessors.”  

Li Changsheng: “…”  

He wasn’t defying it!  

If not for fear of losing face, he would have tearfully handed over the decree with both hands and let them take the fierce ghosts away.  

Trapped in a dilemma, Li Changsheng had no choice but to maintain the Director’s “pride.” He scoffed, “The Punishment Enforcement Bureau is acting too hastily. Since the Ghost Festival is for settling Karma, and there are still five days left, how can you kick us while we’re down before the dust has even settled?”  

Zhang Que let out an amused “Oh?” “Zou Ji caused a huge scene in Nanyuan City not long ago, thoroughly offending the city lord. Now the city gates even have signs saying ‘Bureau of Tribulation Transference Members and Dogs Not Allowed.’ You can’t even enter the city—how do you plan to investigate cases?”  

Li Changsheng flicked the hovering decree with his finger, sending it spinning through the air before it whistled back into Zhang Que’s hand. “That’s none of your concern.”  

Zhang Que continued grinning. “Director Li, today we’ve come under orders to take this ghost back. We hope you won’t make things difficult for us.”  

As soon as he finished speaking, the large ghosts of the Punishment Enforcement Bureau behind him abruptly drew their blades, the metallic clangs ringing out as icy blue glows flashed.  

The Punishment Enforcement Bureau had finally moved past “courtesy” and onto “force.”  

Li Changsheng raised an eyebrow.  

The Nether Palace’s people were this arrogant?  

The ghosts hiding behind Li Changsheng, full of faith in their new Director, bared their teeth and jeered.  

“Our Director was chosen by the Heavenly Dao! Dealing with you is child’s play!”  

“Have you ever seen Golden Merit?! Or a Director Seal that recognizes its master?! Just one strike—one strike will send you sprawling! Smashed to pieces!”  

“Surrender now! Prepare to die!”  

Li Changsheng: “…”

Zhang Que raised an eyebrow, eyeing Li Changsheng’s frail appearance. With a slight motion, he summoned a heavy black mace, its tip lightly touching the ground and instantly reducing the stone slab to dust.

“Chosen by the Heavenly Dao? Then I dare to test your skills.”

Li Changsheng: “?”

Wait, hold on!

The ghosts of the Bureau of Tribulation Transference scattered in an instant, leaving ample space for their Director.

“Director! Show them what we’re made of!”

“Been itching to put those Punishment Enforcement Bureau folks in their place!”

Li Changsheng: “?”

Zhang Que clearly held a high position in the Punishment Enforcement Bureau, his aura thick with killing intent. Even before he approached, the suffocating pressure was enough to make one dizzy.

His movements were lightning-fast, darting forward like a hawk swooping down on prey.

Li Changsheng’s heart skipped a beat. “Is this Feng Hui’s doing?” he wondered.

Knowing full well he was a powerless mortal, was Zhang Que using “testing skills” as an excuse to publicly eliminate him in the Bureau of Tribulation Transference?

Zhang Que’s ghostly eyes burned crimson, his murderous aura unmistakable—this was no friendly spar.

Before Li Changsheng could even think of retreating, his vision blurred.

A flash of red darted out from the side like a nimble swallow, landing with a thud in front of him and kicking Zhang Que back.

Li Changsheng froze.

The “swallow” was clad in red, bright as a blazing sun. She perched gracefully on the railing before Li Changsheng, crouching with a raised eyebrow, the scent of sticky rice cakes wafting from her.

With a single move, she had repelled the murderous Zhang Que—her cultivation was undoubtedly formidable.

Could she be the infamous deputy of the Bureau of Tribulation Transference?

“Aiya,” the “sticky rice cake” chirped. “So this is our new Director? Truly a face chosen by the Heavenly Dao. This subordinate, Zou Ji, pays her respects.”

Li Changsheng: “?”

Li Changsheng was taken aback.

Zou Ji?

The one Zhang Que said had caused chaos in Nanyuan City?

Zhang Que crashed to the ground from the kick but steadied himself with his mace, his previously smiling expression gone. “Is assaulting colleagues with Spirit Attachment the Bureau of Tribulation Transference’s signature move?”

The red-clad girl grinned, standing protectively in front of Li Changsheng. “Naturally. If there are no evil ghosts to fight today, why let the Spirit Attachment go to waste? Might as well teach a colleague a lesson. Chong Jun would be proud.”

Zhang Que: “…”

Zhang Que sneered. “I’m here on the Sealed Palace Master’s orders to retrieve someone. Dare you interfere? Or do you want another century added to your sentence?”

“Oh, I’m terrified,” Zou Ji said, narrowing her eyes. “But if I kill you here, who’d ever know?”

Zhang Que rolled his eyes. “Spare me. You’ve got five days left to strut. Once the Ghost Festival passes and the Bureau is disbanded, I’ll be waiting for you to come begging.”

Zou Ji clicked her tongue. “Enough chatter!”

Her patience clearly thin, Zou Ji flipped down from the second floor, the two black bell-like ornaments in her hair silently coiling around her wrists.

Then, flames erupted.

Zou Ji gripped a saber wider than her waist, swinging it down with a howling gust. The black bells scattered orange-red sparks as she moved.

Bang!

Without blinking, Zou Ji brought the saber down. Zhang Que barely raised his mace in time to block.

With just one strike, the force nearly split his palm open, sending him stumbling back several steps until his foot thudded against a pillar.  

Zou Ji swung her long saber with effortless grace, the fiery red hem of her robes flaring like flames, accentuating her bold brows that shone as brightly as the sun.  

The Spirit Attachment manifested as intricate talismanic patterns coiling around her slender yet powerful wrists, golden lines flowing with a sharpness far more formidable than Yu Qingjian’s half-baked attempts.  

Zhang Que, having suffered many defeats at her hands, surrendered immediately after just one exchange: “Stop! I didn’t come here to fight you!”  

Zou Ji arched a brow, the black bells in her hair still flickering with flame. “Such tough talk. Just admit you can’t win.”  

Zhang Que: “…”  

Li Changsheng, who had been observing the skirmish, judged the moment right and feigned authority. “Zou Ji, stand down.”  

Only then did Zou Ji retract her saber, leaping lightly to the second floor with a single step.  

“Since you bear a Nether Decree, take him,” Li Changsheng said coolly. “I only hope the Punishment Enforcement Bureau can extract some leads and solve the case in Nanyuan City soon.”  

The ghosts froze, then began murmuring in protest, hoping their Director would heed their whimpers.  

The Director remained mercilessly indifferent.  

Zhang Que raised a brow, surprised by his compliance—perhaps it was pride.  

“In that case, many thanks, Director Li.”  

Li Changsheng gave a reserved nod and ordered a nearby ghost, “Fetch the… the fugitive ghost.”  

Though reluctant, the ghost, bound by the Hex Suppression Command the Director wielded, trudged off to the prison.  

Li Changsheng exhaled softly.  

Five more days. Once the Bureau of Tribulation Transference was disbanded, he could leave the Nether Capital and no longer fear the false Dragon God’s vengeance.  

As Zhang Que waited, he seemed to recall something. “Ah, I nearly forgot to congratulate the Director on assuming leadership of the Bureau. The Nether Palace’s Lord specially sent a generous gift.”  

Li Changsheng stiffened, his neck aching again.  

A “generous gift” from Feng Hui? Since when was anything from him good?  

This boded ill.  

Li Changsheng declined. “No need for the trouble.”  

“Oh, but it’s necessary.” Zhang Que withdrew a slender, gold-engraved box from his sleeve, floating it silently toward Li Changsheng with Spiritual Power. “The Lord insisted you open it personally.”  

Li Changsheng: “…”  

He feared opening this box might cost him his life.  

He reached out, planning to toss it into the Yellow Springs once Zhang Que left, but the box seemed welded in midair, immovable.  

Zhang Que repeated, “The Lord was very clear. Please, Director, open it yourself.”  

Li Changsheng: “…”  

Cornered in front of so many, a wave of reckless resignation surged in Li Changsheng. Fine. If he had to open it, then so be it. Surely the false Dragon God wouldn’t kill him publicly.  

He shot Zhang Que a glance, then pressed a pale finger lightly against the box.  

Before he could exert any force, the box seemed to sense his touch, clicking open on its own.  

Li Changsheng’s eyelid twitched.  

Expecting a lethal trap or Magical Artifact, he had braced to retreat—yet the box revealed nothing of the sort.  

He glanced inside and froze.  

Lying within was a dagger.  

Carved from bone, white as jade, its surface was etched with intricate talismanic incantations, violet-gold light slithering across it like living veins.  

It looked priceless.  

Li Changsheng was at a loss.

Feng Hui wanted to kill him for revenge, so why would he gift him a top-tier Magical Artifact?

Just as Li Changsheng was puzzling over this, the two ghosts sent to retrieve the fugitive came floating back in a panic, their legs practically a blur: “Director! Director, something terrible has happened!”

Li Changsheng barely managed to snap out of his thoughts: “What’s wrong?”

The two ghosts gasped for breath—though Li Changsheng had no idea where they got their breath from—and cried out in alarm: “The ghost we brought from Nanyuan City… he’s dead, dead, dead!”

Li Changsheng frowned: “Dead?”

Can a vengeful ghost even die?

Soon, the fugitive ghost from Nanyuan was carried out.

Normally, vengeful ghosts don’t bleed, but Nether Cultivators who have taken human form are no different from ordinary people.

Now, the fugitive ghost’s eyes were wide open, devoid of any life force—his soul had already scattered. It looked like he had suffered extremely cruel torture before his “death,” leaving behind only a bloody corpse.

Zhang Que stepped forward quickly to examine it, his expression darkening instantly: “You all—”

Before Zhang Que could even begin his interrogation, Zou Ji, who had been standing nearby, spotted something amiss with the corpse and swiftly turned the tables.

“Well, well, Punishment Enforcement Bureau! Can’t have him, so you destroy him, is that it? This vengeful ghost was perfectly fine in the Bureau of Tribulation Transference for half a month, yet he dies within moments of your arrival. I wouldn’t be surprised if you knew you couldn’t take him and deliberately destroyed the evidence. The Punishment Enforcement Bureau is clearly targeting the Bureau of Tribulation Transference!”

Zhang Que: “?”

Zhang Que’s handsome face was practically screaming “wronged.”

He had seen plenty of fugitive ghosts die—this was unmistakably Yu Qingjian’s handiwork!

That bastard must have tortured the fugitive ghost, and who knows, he might’ve even extracted the clues already!

Zhang Que sneered in fury: “If I wanted to target the Bureau of Tribulation Transference, would I do it secretly? Seems you’ve all forgotten—during the Ghost Festival’s Nine Bureaus assembly, when Karma is evaluated, as the Director of the Punishment Enforcement Bureau, I have the authority to approve not a single drop of Karma for you.”

Zou Ji immediately straightened up: “Brother, brother, what nonsense are you saying? The Nine Bureaus of the Nether Capital are one family—why split hairs between yours and mine? That’s too cold.”

Zhang Que: “…………”

Li Changsheng: “Pfft.”

Zhang Que shot him a deadpan look.

Li Changsheng hadn’t expected this imposing ghost to be the Director of the Punishment Enforcement Bureau. He barely suppressed the smile tugging at his lips and feigned concern: “Director Zhang, with this fugitive ghost’s soul scattered, the clues from Nanyuan are lost. What do you think we should—”

Zhang Que scoffed coldly: “Five days from now, I’ll be waiting to see the Bureau of Tribulation Transference’s grand performance.”

With that, he stormed off, his sleeves flaring in anger.

Li Changsheng inwardly cheered—Heaven helps those who help themselves!

With the clues gone, in five days, he’d finally regain his freedom.

Zou Ji asked, puzzled: “Director, are you… smiling?”

“Not at all.” Li Changsheng pressed his lips into a firm line and sighed theatrically. “I’m just worried that with the clues lost, the Bureau of Tribulation Transference might not survive this ordeal.”

Zou Ji hadn’t expected the new, beautiful Director to care so deeply about the Bureau. Moved, she reassured him: “Don’t worry, Director. The Bureau of Tribulation Transference will definitely pull through safely.”

Li Changsheng: “…………”

Her absolute confidence gave Li Changsheng a sudden, ominous premonition.

Author’s Note:

Changsheng: Why is resigning so damn hard?!