Chapter 125 - 125 One hundred twenty-five

Words : 1464 Updated : Sep 17th, 2025

125: One hundred twenty-five. Liu Wenwei’s second video 125: One hundred twenty-five. Liu Wenwei’s second video The Black Charcoal Ghost wouldn’t be suitable for this trip, attending the exchange meeting would be truly cruel for a single ghost. It’s like facing an emperor charging towards you with his three thousand consorts. She also didn’t want to go, preferring to watch TV dramas and harass Lu Li over meeting a big group of monks and priests. Yang Chunxue was the same, Lu Li wouldn’t summon her unless absolutely necessary. Lu Li wasn’t sure if what Old Taoist Lu referred to as “raising a little ghost” counted as a taboo in Buddhism and Taoism, whether it was considered evil cultivation or a demonic practice. As for Shen Yuqiao, she was simply a normal person, with limited spots available, she of course couldn’t bring her along, she was left behind to watch the house as usual. Thus, the only ones headed to the Mystical Culture Friendly Exchange meeting were Lu Li and Old Taoist Lu. The magazine was half full, only ten bullets remaining. Considering the possibility that enemies might not only be ghosts, it was necessary to bring it along. No need to mention the kitchen knife, it was a must to carry on oneself. The Intuition Atlas and Warm Atlas were equipped, the Psychic Atlas was optional, on standby. The Mother-Child Catalogue was responsible for harming the ghosts, with the ultimate weapon being the Shen Jingjing Catalogue which determined who would die faster. Beyond that, tools like Four Light Sources, an umbrella, bandages, anti-inflammatory medicine, spare knife, etc., were also essential. And the most unavoidable: A sturdy, durable non-smartphone as a backup, useful for calling for help. All was prepared. At ten in the morning, Old Taoist Lu called, having already arrived downstairs. He wasn’t very keen on going upstairs to face a room full of ghosts. The unchanging Lu Li left his boss chair, wrapped himself in a black coat, his demeanor calm as if he was doing nothing more than stepping out for a normal outing rather than attending a crucial meeting. Old Taoist Lu had meticulously groomed himself, his messy and greasy white hair now a tidy Taoist bun, his backpack plump and completely renewed. Even his Taoist robe was brand new, getting close, one could smell the mix of laundry detergent and cologne. The sky was still overcast, otherwise Old Taoist Lu might not have dared to wear the completely wind-proof Taoist robe. Lu Li exited the building, taking his seat inside the car. “You, my lad, spend a hundred thousand on a Magic Artifact for a cat without blinking, yet you skimp on buying a better car,” Old Taoist Lu grumbled as he settled into the back seat. “Because it’s not necessary,” Lu Li replied. To Lu Li, a car was nothing more than a means of transportation. Suddenly sensing something, he leaned forward slightly, his gaze peering through the windshield up at the building. At the window of the Detective Agency, Shen Yuqiao was propping her chin up boredly. Seeing Lu Li notice, she waved down at him then continued to support her cheek. Withdrawing his gaze, he pressed down on the accelerator, and the car gradually moved away from the building. The full name of the exchange meeting was the Lingling City Mystical Culture Friendly Exchange Meeting, also known as the Alms Giving Arena. The venue changed yearly, usually chosen among the participating sects. This year, it was Jinlongyu Taoist Temple’s turn, a place that sounded more like it sold oil than a Taoist temple. Jinlongyu Taoist Temple wasn’t large, comparable in size to Qianqing Temple, but it had the advantage of being staffed completely by people from the sect, unlike Qianqing Temple with only two members. Jinlongyu Taoist Temple was located in the old town district, situated on a gentle hillock surrounded by mountains and forests, and further out lay expansive farmlands. The road to Jinlongyu Taoist Temple was not smooth. Lu Li’s phone received a video message, sent by... Liu Wenwei. She had been appearing quite frequently of late, seemingly having grasped Lu Li’s weaknesses and intending to target them. Lu Li paused briefly, then reached to open the video. “I’m back.” The familiar voice emitted, tired and faint. “But I... wish I hadn’t come back.” The video was very dark, the background lightless, only the outlines faintly visible thanks to the red light of the camera. Apart from Liu Wenwei’s voice, there was also a background noise, like static interference. “Cough, don’t play with your phone while driving.” The Old Taoist Lu gave a slight cough from the back seat. Lu Li didn’t put away his phone, he drove his car to the roadside and stopped to quietly watch the video. The Taoist said nothing, driven by curiosity he craned his neck to peep and found that Lu Li hadn’t even turned on his phone. “...?” Rustle— A series of cloth friction sounds invaded the video, the silhouette in the darkness briefly changed, she was turning around to look around. “I don’t know where this is, I woke up here and have been trapped for a week already.” “After waking up, I searched around here, it’s an enclosed room with no windows, there are some tools, and the walls are damp. I found a door, but it’s metal and very thick, I can’t open it. The door is locked from the outside, and I can’t get out. There’s always the sound of water outside, this place might be near a stream.” On the road, the sound of cars driving by was noisy, Lu Li rolled up the windows to keep the inside of the car relatively quiet. “This place is safe but... my food has run out. Although I’m not lacking water, I can’t find anything to eat to stave off hunger. So...” The tiredness in her voice was growing stronger, in the darkness, a flicker of soul fire dimly lit, on the verge of extinguishing. “I want to say... don’t try to find me anymore, even I, cough cough... don’t know where I am. You must be curious about who I am, now I will tell you everything I know — is someone approaching?” The breath suddenly halted, the silhouette in front of the camera moved away, Liu Wenwei appeared to press against the door to listen. Lu Li now turned the volume to its maximum, aligning with Liu Wenwei in the video, and leaned in to listen. The magnified sound of running water, it seemed like the sound of trickling water arose. At first faint, then it became clear. The trickling sound was approaching here. After quietly waiting for a few seconds, an unexpected voice came through the iron door from the phone. “The agency can be taken over by you or managed by Shen Qian. I’m not sure how you will end after losing the Ghost Envoy and being incorporated into the Ghost Envoy Manual, just in case, you’d better find a new Ghost Envoy soon. Your best friend Sun Zhi might be a suitable candidate. She may not be suitable to be a Ghost Envoy, but she is fit to be your Ghost Envoy.” Lu Li’s dark eyes narrowed into pinpoints, and his eyebrows furrowed tightly. “...Lu Li? Lu Li? Is it you?” Liu Wenwei’s somewhat hoarse voice rose, she kept banging on the door shouting, trying to draw attention from outside, but outside the door... Lu Li was completely unaware. The voice from outside the door and the desperate shouting inside seemed like two separate worlds, having no interference with each other. The scene of despair lasted for several minutes before the last voice sounded from outside. “Let’s go back.” The sound of trickling water moved away. The enclosed room was once again left with only the sound of flowing water. Seconds later, a silhouette lunged at the camera, Liu Wenwei coughed violently, seemingly staring at the camera in the darkness. “I don’t know why you appeared here... Lu Li, if you watch the video, come back to find me, please...” “By then, I will tell you everything.” The video playback ended. Lu Li quietly watched until the end, did not play it a second time, and put away his phone. He drove away from the roadside, continuing toward the Jinlongyu Taoist Temple as if nothing had happened. This video revealed no useful information, it was all traps and emotions. The door was playing on Lu Li’s emotions, drawing him closer to it. Maybe it could also be understood that yesterday was a setup, today is the main event... What about tomorrow?

Chapter 125 - 125 One hundred twenty-five

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