In a daze, my head felt like it was about to explode. As I opened my eyes, the world spun and dazzling lights stung my vision. I scrambled up, looked around, spotted the bathroom, and rushed in, covering my mouth.
Suddenly, my eyes widened—Rachel Lan was slumped by the toilet, fast asleep, the air thick with the smell of alcohol. Fighting the nausea in my stomach, I dragged her to the bed and covered her with a blanket. It was a double room.
Then, in the bathroom, I vomited until tears and snot streamed down my face, my stomach twisting in pain. I had no idea how much I drank last night—my only memory was glass after glass with them, and then nothing.
My stomach was in agony. I checked the time—past 4 a.m. On the nightstand, I found some pills, took two, and saw Rachel Lan frowning, her eyelids fluttering.
"Ethan, what time is it?"
"It's four. Are you alright?"
I quickly helped her up, but Rachel Lan shoved me away and dashed to the bathroom.
"Qingyuan, help me—take the key." Suddenly, Rachel Lan handed me a key. I stared in surprise; she had actually managed to steal it.
"Detective Stone won't notice, right?"
"No... His nickname is 'the Barrel.' He drank a lot last night—he won't be getting up until at least tonight."
Both Rachel Lan and I were suffering from hangovers, but we forced ourselves to endure it. We were in the official team dormitory behind the main building. As we came downstairs, the streetlights were still on.
The night was still a bit chilly.
"Wait, Ethan." I turned around and saw Rachel Lan covering her mouth—I thought she was going to throw up again.
"No, there are security cameras. Be careful."
I grunted in response and didn't go any further. Then Rachel Lan walked to the back of the main building. With a flick, a Spirit Veil shot upward, and she motioned for me to follow.
Then the two of us were wrapped in the Spirit Veil, and in an instant, we were on the rooftop.
The rooftop was empty—bare and desolate, not even a way down.
"Here, Qingyuan."
Rachel Lan walked a few steps, squatted down, and pressed a brick on the side. A hidden opening appeared.
"Xiaowei told me about this before. She and I came to this rooftop once."
After going down, we found ourselves in a corridor lined with rooms, each labeled with signs for weapons, clothing, and the like. We reached the elevator, and Rachel Lan inserted the key. The elevator slowly descended.
"There are cameras inside, right?" I suddenly remembered.
Rachel Lan shook her head.
"This building only has cameras outside and at the entrance. There are none inside, because what's kept here absolutely cannot be leaked."
I grunted in response.
Just then, the elevator stopped. I glanced at the display—it was the first basement floor. As Rachel Lan was about to insert the key, the elevator doors opened.
"I've been waiting for you two for a long time." It was Detective Stone, sitting by a folding table, drinking tea and smoking.
"Detective Stone, we..." I felt a little awkward, while Rachel Lan walked out.
"When did you notice?"
Rachel Lan asked.
"Rachel, you never touch alcohol, but last night, you used researching as an excuse and tried to get me drunk at dinner. I knew you were here because of Xiaowei."
Rachel Lan nodded.
Detective Stone's sharp gaze made me lower my head.
"Brother Zhang, you don't need to blame yourself. Come with me."
I glanced at the cold capsule vault where Ironmask was kept, then followed them into the elevator.
"My name is Shi Jian. I'm just an ordinary man, but as the main person in charge of the Ghost Burial Squad, I've seen too many lives lost over the years."
The elevator stopped at the third basement level.
When the elevator doors opened, I stared in surprise. Inside, rows of capsule freezers were arranged, much sturdier and fewer in number than those on the first floor.
"These all contain wraiths—Shadow Ghost level. Brother Zhang, take a look at this one."
Detective Stone walked to a capsule freezer near the main entrance, labeled 0017.
"I'll never forget—this ghost took the lives of twenty-seven young people before it was subdued."
There was sorrow in Shi Jian's eyes.
"Back then, I was young, just started here, mostly handling paperwork. That was my first ghost case, and it was brutal. The Nether Syndicate and Brahma Order refused to get involved, so we had to grit our teeth and handle it ourselves. As you can imagine, that wraith was the Greenblood Wraith, and we paid dearly."
As Shi Jian spoke, I saw a lot of green stuff inside the capsule freezer.
Then Shi Jian shook his head and stepped into the elevator. We arrived at the fourth basement floor.
Inside, it was completely empty except for the lights. But I saw a huge circular seal array—three layers inside, three layers outside: one yellow, one blue, one green. The array was densely covered with talismans.
"This was the only time, decades ago, when the Ghost Burial Squad managed to subdue a Blue Wraith and seal it here. The price was heavy—of that batch of squad members, only two survived. They're still alive, but after that, they left the Ghost Burial Squad and never wanted to deal with ghosts again."
Shi Jian's voice was tinged with desolation.
"I've seen too much. Now, in this batch, there are only fifty-seven people left in the Ghost Burial Squad. More than half have been killed or wounded. Many have suffered mental breakdowns. That night, Li Xiaomang was sent to the hospital—just yesterday."
I remembered that night—the agitated squad member. His brother died during the operation, and his recklessness caused more teammates to lose their lives.
"The previous batch of squad members was my pride—the only time in years the Ghost Burial Squad could hold its head high. The death rate was less than twenty percent. But after the Lost Village Case, the squad declined. Now, the Brahma Order and Nether Syndicate just watch from the sidelines."
[System message skipped: Irrelevant to the narrative.]
Shi Jian squatted on the ground. Only then did I notice his hair was streaked with white, and his figure looked a bit aged from behind.
"Originally, I wanted a master from the Mount Mason Order to help train the new recruits, but practicing Mason techniques requires a pure heart and few desires. How many people like that can you find nowadays? Sigh. Sorry for making you two youngsters listen to an old man's rambling."
Shi Jian stood up and smiled.
"So, what do you really want?"
Rachel Lan bluntly stated our purpose: to destroy the Voidlock Barrier. She even mentioned John Chou. I kept my head down, unsure how to explain things to Detective Stone.
"It's alright, Brother Zhang. I've said before, you don't have to blame yourself."
Shi Jian spoke as he took out a cigarette and lit it, smoke swirling around him.
"This year, I've applied for retirement several times, but every time my paperwork gets shredded. Later, I wrote a resignation letter, but that wasn't allowed either."
Detective Stone (Shi Jian) gave a self-deprecating smile.
"Xiaowei might have betrayed the Ghost Burial Squad." Detective Stone suddenly said, his words landing like a blow. Rachel Lan's reaction was instant, her emotions surging.
"Impossible."
"Our Ghost Burial Squad may be a disgrace in the practitioner world, but anyone who chooses to face ghost cases is ready to die for it. Some fall, some go mad, some run away, but none of us would ever tarnish the squad's name. I trust Xiaowei completely on this."
"Then?"
"It was Xiaowei. She stole a top-secret document and then vanished. All the evidence points to her."
Detective Stone spoke, then stood up.
"Alright, let's go up to my office for a bit. I've made some soup—have a bowl, it'll make you feel better."
We took the elevator straight to the third floor above ground, into a spacious office with a soft sofa set. The moment we entered, the aroma of soup greeted us.
After drinking the soup, warmth spread through me. My stomach felt much better.
"Our Ghost Burial Squad may not be impressive, but here in the sixth basement level, we do have one treasure worth mentioning."
Suddenly, both Rachel Lan and I looked up at Detective Stone.
"Brother Zhang, John Chou probably wants that treasure, so he tricked you. It never belonged to him—it was left by a master hundreds of years ago."
A surge of anger welled up in me—John Chou had lied to me.
"But that thing isn't meant for humans. It's a ghost weapon, filled with malevolent energy. Ordinary people who get close are injured by its aura, so it's been sealed for many years."
I sighed, and at that moment, Detective Stone smiled.
"Brother Zhang, the only thing our Ghost Burial Squad can rely on now is the Voidlock Barrier. No ghost dares approach it, and that formation is crucial for sealing the Blue Wraith. If it's broken, and the Blue Wraith awakens, disaster will follow."
I nodded.
"What about Xiaowei?" Rachel Lan asked.
"John Chou said that when the treasure appears, Xiaowei will show up too. But now, it's a dilemma—though the two of you..." Detective Stone smiled at us.
"Miss Lan, you don't belong to the Underworld now, and you don't need to fulfill any mission. As for you, Brother Zhang, though you walk among ghosts, you're kind-hearted. How about joining our Ghost Burial Squad? The pay is pretty good."
I stared at Detective Stone. The moment I heard about the salary, my heart skipped a beat.
"That ghost weapon could be given to John Chou, but only if you, Brother Zhang, join the Ghost Burial Squad. After all, I'd like to retire soon."
I stood up and shook my head.
"I've walked among ghosts for too long, and my fate is sealed. I'm marked by the Sevenfold Curse—I'm afraid I'll only bring disaster to you all."