Chapter Thirteen: Two Oddballs (A Bonus Chapter for Falling Feathers Bury the Wind)

Shortly after the ominous ghostly domain that had shrouded Anhe Residential Complex in Daxia City vanished, chaos erupted throughout the entire headquarters.

Several regional leaders, led by Zhao Jianguo, were summoned for a meeting to review the recent events in Daxia City.

“What’s the current situation?” asked Wang Ting, captain of the Southeast region. Aside from Zhao Jianguo, he was among the most concerned, as his jurisdiction was close to Daxia City. No one knew if the malevolent spirit, once sated, might wander into his territory to wreak havoc.

What was suspected to be a Class A incident was, in the eyes of the Ghost Controllers’ Headquarters, effectively an unsolvable problem.

True, there were a few explosive countermeasures that might work, but they could not be employed recklessly. Most Controllers had yet to mature fully; their understanding of such eerie phenomena remained too superficial.

“The ghostly domain has been lifted; the suspected malicious spirit has either fled or been dealt with,” Zhao Jianguo reported based on the information.

“Who took action? Ye Zhen? Or Fang Shiming?” Zhang Ruisen, captain of the Southwest region, spoke bluntly. Without hesitation, only these two could be expected to handle a Class A incident, and the headquarters could barely mobilize them.

“Neither,” Zhao Jianguo replied. “Jiang Shangbai promised to intervene, but according to our satellite tracking, he has taken no action. I propose that the malicious spirit may have departed in a way beyond our comprehension. Ghostly domains hold many possibilities, and their terror remains beyond our full understanding.”

The others tacitly agreed with this theory. Across the nation, there were few Controllers outside headquarters’ jurisdiction, and most were insignificant—headquarters had no faith in any unknown monster quietly resolving a Class A incident.

“How many survivors?”

“The satellite infrared scans showed few life signs, optimistically less than 5% of the original.”

“What about Zhang Ming?”

Someone asked. Zhang Ming was respected—a former civil servant turned Controller, somewhat lackadaisical but deeply righteous, who had resolved many D-class and even C-class incidents for headquarters.

He had been part of Professor Wang’s experiment on controlling spirits.

“He’s dead. The life-sign tracking device we placed on Zhang Ming shows no response. That leaves two possibilities: he’s either dead, or he survives in a non-human state,” Zhao Jianguo said grimly, fully aware of what the latter implied.

That would mean Zhang Ming’s malicious spirit had awakened—a troublesome entity that, if left unchecked, could spell disaster.

But that was a matter for later. At least for now, the Class A incident weighing on them had dissipated.

“What about Dazhang City?”

Wang Ting’s question made Zhao Jianguo’s expression turn strange.

“It’s a Class A incident, code-named ‘Knocking Ghost.’ It has vanished, and Zhou Zheng is dead—his malicious spirit has revived. We sent people to search but found nothing.”

The captains showed little reaction; such outcomes were reasonable in a Class A incident. It would be strange if many had survived such a calamity.

“Any survivors?”

Zhao Jianguo’s face grew even stranger.

“Yes, seven in total. Among them, a boy named Zhang Wei allegedly led them to escape while still appearing as an ordinary person, even mastering a malicious spirit to become a Controller.”

An ordinary person? The room buzzed with surprise. Having witnessed many horrors after the Great Awakening, such a scenario was rare: a child rising from nothing to lead six others to survival in a Class A incident. Such innate ability was unparalleled in headquarters.

“Any other questions?” Wang Ting noticed Zhao Jianguo hesitating.

“That kid is a bit unruly and resistant to us. I suspect ‘Zhang Wei’ might even be an alias.”

A mischievous brat, everyone chuckled.

“Arrange rescue and medical teams immediately. Advise local officials to be cautious with their words and ensure proper care and accommodation for all survivors in Anhe Residential Complex. No matter what means they possess, we must find a way to manage them!”

That concluded the meeting, after which footsteps scattered.

Remaining in the conference room, Zhao Jianguo answered a call. After hearing the report, his expression turned peculiar once more.

Another strange kid.

---

To prevent accidents, Shen Lin used his ghost domain to relocate the group to an open area, borrowing some food to stave off hunger. Li Meng and the others had been starving for a long time and devoured it ravenously.

Shen Lin had thoroughly investigated the residents’ committee building multiple times. The black telephone remained, but oddly, he felt no supernatural energy from it. It was as if the eerie ringing, like a malicious spirit’s wail, had never existed.

Had it gone?

Uncertain, Shen Lin sealed off the area using his ghost domain. The so-called ghostly call was mysterious, with many unknown traits. Better safe than sorry.

Rescue arrived much faster than Shen Lin expected—medical staff trickled in, countless firefighters and police secured the scene. They were experienced, handling the situation with practiced skill.

Shen Lin attempted to revive Song Wan through the power of his imprint but failed. It seemed that the bond with the ghostly counterpart had dissolved. Although the reformed phantom still possessed a ghost domain, no imprint belonging to Song Wan could be found.

His gaze settled on the golden coffin. He was actually considering leaving.

But the energy of the Ghost Controllers’ Headquarters was unimaginable. Rather than evading forever, it was better to reveal himself openly and negotiate.

The golden coffin was so dazzling that no one could ignore its presence.

Consequently, the moment personnel entered, they immediately reported the situation. Soon, a sharply dressed middle-aged man arrived.

He glanced briefly at the golden coffin under Shen Lin’s command, sweat beading uncontrollably on his forehead despite the cool air.

“Hello, I’m Chen Zuo, one of the officials responsible for this area in Daxia City. May I ask if you are Mr. Zhang Ming?” Chen Zuo inquired cautiously. He had handled many similar incidents and would never forget the terror he had witnessed.

This made him understand why his superiors repeatedly warned against provoking these special individuals. Malicious spirits were terrifying enough; those capable of subduing them were far more frightening.

It was a simple truth.

“Zhang Ming is dead. I’m Shen Lin. Pleasure to meet you,” Shen Lin said, extending his right hand. He didn’t mind leaving a good impression on Chen Zuo. If nothing unexpected happened, they would have many opportunities to cooperate.

“Dead?” Chen Zuo was surprised; confirming Zhang Ming’s death was one of his tasks and was largely verified.

“So, Mr. Shen Lin, are you a colleague of Mr. Zhang Ming?” Chen Zuo asked delicately.

Shen Lin remained noncommittal. The situation was too complex to explain openly amidst so many eyes. He understood Chen’s tacit way of asking if he was a Controller and chose to tacitly agree.

“The situation is complicated, and I don’t have time to explain much. First, the coffin contains something extraordinary—I believe you know what it is—and it will be under my custody. Second, I have sealed off the residents’ committee building. I’d like you to establish a perimeter and ensure that without orders from your superiors or my instructions, no one opens it.”

“Understood, Mr. Shen,” Chen Zuo responded, glancing at the golden coffin beneath Shen Lin’s seat before carefully adding, “But Mr. Shen, headquarters has mandated that in cases like this, we must take custody and hand such items over for centralized containment. I hope you can understand.”

A chilling wind seemed to blow through Chen Zuo’s bones, making him shiver involuntarily.

“Mr. Chen, I think you misunderstand. This is a notification, not a discussion,” Shen Lin said, locking eyes with Chen Zuo, each word deliberate. He could never relinquish the golden coffin. No one understood the terror of the Ghost Mother better than him. This containment was purely accidental; if it happened again, even ten Shen Lins would face certain death.

“Very well, very well,” Chen Zuo wiped sweat from his brow, nodding repeatedly.

“That’s best.” Shen Lin stood up, ready to leave. He wasn’t merely talking to Chen Zuo but using him to convey his stance to headquarters—that was the purpose of his presence.

Li Meng’s family was wealthy, owning numerous properties in Daxia City; Anhe Residential Complex was just one. Out of sympathy for their plight, they generously agreed to provide temporary accommodation.

Malicious spirits’ powers could not be overused. Although the phantom’s weakness granted Shen Lin a brief respite, even great wealth couldn’t be squandered so recklessly. He had to plan for the future.

Li Meng extravagantly borrowed a staff member’s phone to call several vehicles, even arranging multiple trucks and a security detail to transport the golden coffin: one truck for loading, one to clear the way, and one as rear guard, to avoid mishaps.

Yet, just as they were loading the coffin onto the truck, a voice rang out.

“You may leave, but the coffin stays.”

It was a young man’s tone, brimming with arrogance. Even with his back turned, he radiated disdain.

The bodyguards, seeing their young master insulted, were about to act but were stopped by Shen Lin.

He looked coldly at the young man.

“Your name?”

“Jiang Shangbai. I’m new here. Given your experience, you probably don’t know what my name means yet. But I advise you to put the coffin down, and I’ll pretend none of this ever happened.”

Late-arriving Jiang Shangbai adopted a lofty posture. He guessed what was sealed in the coffin—it concerned whether he could master a second spirit. He was determined to have it.

Jiang Shangbai? Shen Lin’s expression shifted slightly as memories surfaced. Though scarcely depicted in the original story, this guy was formidable. More troubling, however, were the people supporting him.

He sneered at Jiang Shangbai, signaling those around to stand back, and said,

“You can try.”