Chapter 132: Something is Wrong with the Supernatural Disaster Bureau

As the old man stood up, the palm-sized Smoking Pipe in his hand had at some point transformed into a seventy- or eighty-centimeter Tobacco Pipe. Rested vertically on the ground, it could easily serve as a walking cane.

This was the true form of a Supernatural Item.

It was quite convenient; when not in use, he could still smoke from it.

Gao Tian recalled something Xu Yuan had once said.

If Old Man Sun discovered a certain S-Level Fierce Ghost early enough, he would send it flying with a single strike of his staff.

A single strike.

Xu Yuan must have crossed paths with Old Man Sun in the past. That meant the Supernatural Item Old Man Sun used was some kind of long, staff-like object.

There was a ninety-nine percent chance that "Wang Jianguo" was just Old Man Sun out for a stroll.

As the group walked out of McDonald's, Jiang Yang hung back, staring at the old man's military overcoat, his feet rooted to the spot for a long time.

Earlier on the Bus, when the old man claimed to be from the Supernatural Disaster Bureau, Jiang Yang hadn't believed him. He had acted crazy, nothing like a normal person.

Only now was he basically certain the old man was a big shot from the Supernatural Disaster Bureau. His personality was just a bit eccentric. He liked to act tough for no reason.

"Old gentleman, there is one more thing. It might not have anything to do with Longshu Temple right now, but I feel it's necessary to let you know."

Jiang Yang spoke up.

Standing at the entrance of McDonald's, Old Man Sun pushed open the glass door and squinted at him. "Is there something that absolutely must be said right here?"

"Can't it wait until I finish my business and come back?"

Jiang Yang replied, "Delays bring complications."

"It's very important. It won't take up too much of your time."

Mainly, Jiang Yang was afraid he might die early and be unable to pass this crucial intel to the old man.

Old Man Sun held a deep breath in his lungs, then exhaled heavily. "Say what you want to say."

Jiang Yang said, "Recently, many supernatural events have occurred in Shanghai City."

Old Man Sun lowered his Tobacco Pipe and leaned it to the side. "And so?"

"There are plenty of supernatural events all over the world. There isn't a single country that isn't adapting to the revival of Fierce Ghosts."

"Are you hoping this old man will go and solve every single supernatural incident?"

"Tell me, do I look like some omnipotent turtle in a wishing well? Do I look like an immortal?"

Jiang Yang replied, "True. Most small-scale supernatural incidents can only be handled by ordinary ghost hunters and the vigilance of the citizens themselves."

"But this time is different."

"Not long ago, I encountered a rather unique Meme-type contamination at a subway station. It's called the Woman in the Rain."

"This supernatural event—I can sense it is extremely dangerous. If she is left alone to continue spreading her contamination, there is a risk she might destroy Shanghai City."

"I don't know how the Supernatural Disaster Bureau evaluated this incident, but as of right now, it seems they haven't given it enough attention."

"If you don't mind, after we resolve the Longshu Temple situation, I can combine my personal experience with the posts of other victims online to report her infection methods and Killing Rule to you."

Hearing Jiang Yang's words, Gao Tian genuinely felt that his good brother was far too reliable.

Because of the Evil Buddha's poisonous oath, Gao Tian absolutely could not mention or hint at the matter of the Woman in the Rain to anyone.

Jiang Yang, however, was not bound by that rule. Out of his own volition, he had actually brought the subject up himself.

No matter how one looked at it, this couldn't be considered Gao Tian violating his oath.

He just hoped that once Old Man Sun learned of this intelligence, he would take it seriously.

Otherwise, when the time was ripe, the Woman in the Rain, the Artist, and Xu Yuan—three S-Level Fierce Ghosts—would descend upon Shanghai City simultaneously. The entire Supernatural Disaster Bureau would be uprooted. Even someone as strong as Old Man Sun, despite his heaven-defying abilities, would likely fall.

"I see. So this is what you wanted to tell me."

Old Man Sun picked up the Tobacco Pipe leaning against the wall, placed it in his mouth, and took a drag. "This 'Woman in the Rain'... I've seen her file a few times in the Bureau's intelligence department."

"The department had already dispatched ghost hunters to deal with it. The personnel who returned reported that, at the cost of one life, they successfully isolated the Woman in the Rain."

"At the time, I didn't take it to heart. I read hundreds of reports a day; ordinary supernatural events don't catch my interest."

"So this incident wasn't actually resolved."

"Understood. After we get back, I will look into it."

Hearing Old Man Sun's words, Gao Tian's heart skipped a beat. He felt a strong sense of foreboding.

A subordinate department of the Supernatural Disaster Bureau claimed the Woman in the Rain had already been contained?

That thing had never been contained. On the contrary, it was growing more severe by the day.

It was rapidly flourishing right now in Shanghai City.

There were two possibilities for the ghost hunters' false report to the Supernatural Disaster Bureau.

The first was similar to when Gao Tian had used the Urn—the Woman in the Rain had thousands upon thousands of Meme clones. The ghost hunters had only contained a fraction of them, yet reported to their superiors that the containment was complete.

But the Supernatural Disaster Bureau... shouldn't be making such a rookie mistake.

The second possibility was rather chilling.

The dispatched ghost hunters had returned and, without batting an eye, passed on false intelligence.

What was going on? Not a single person in the entire Supernatural Disaster Bureau had noticed something was wrong with the returning ghost hunters.

Had the dispatched ghost hunters been replaced, or had they been mentally contaminated?

Gao Tian didn't know the specific situation inside the Supernatural Disaster Bureau.

Things like this would have to wait until Longshu Temple was resolved. They could only investigate after returning from the Inner World.

Regardless, the most pressing matter right now was finding the 'Mother' on the Stargazing Platform.

The old man said, "Young man, where is this Stargazing Platform you speak of? Where is this monster that came from the stars?"

"Let's hurry up and deal with it. After we get back, I'll see what's going on with this Woman in the Rain."

Where exactly was Yusheng killed? In the previous loop, Yusheng hadn't mentioned it.

Jiang Yang took his time, pulling a quaint map from his coat. The moment he unfolded it, Longshu Temple, the nearby wilderness, the mass graves, and an abandoned high platform all popped up like a 3D hologram.

Further away on the map lay a thick fog that the naked eye couldn't pierce.

Jiang Yang explained, "For a certain price, this Supernatural Item can briefly display the nearby terrain."

"Of course, it only shows the terrain. The people and Fierce Ghosts moving across it cannot be displayed."

"I heard there are higher-tier maps that can even broadcast in real-time exactly what every Fierce Ghost is doing."

Now that they had found the location of the Stargazing Platform, things would be much easier.

There was no telling what sort of mood Yusheng had been in when he walked out the gates of Longshu Temple, retraced the small path he had walked countless times before, and slowly arrived at the Stargazing Platform by the cliff edge.

His master had gone to Pagoda Primary School, and the Time Wheel Crows had been placed in Longshu Temple. As long as he could stall the 'Mother', he could pass the baton to Gao Tian and the others rushing toward Longshu Temple.

From Yusheng's perspective, because of the time reset, he hadn't been killed yet; he had only just arrived here.

According to the normal chronological timeline, although Yusheng successfully stalled the monster, he still allowed it to unleash waves of bear-like death roars. Gao Tian and the others who entered Longshu Temple would definitely die at nine o'clock, triggering the time reset.

Atop the Stargazing Platform stood a gentle rural woman. Though she was speckled with blood and her hands and feet were filthy, the moment she saw Yusheng, a deep tenderness filled her eyes, exactly like an old mother looking at her own child:

—

"A Bao, you've come back. Mother stayed right here. I was worried you wouldn't have enough to eat while wandering out there."

Hearing the 'Mother' call him by his childhood name, her pronunciation thick with a familiar rural accent, he found her indistinguishable from his real mother. In a daze, Yusheng felt as though he had returned to when he was seven or eight. Back then, all the adults were still around. Although their little home was run-down, it was filled with joy and warmth.

In an instant, the cold wind blowing from the cliff of the Stargazing Platform snapped him back to reality.

Yusheng looked at the woman wearing the 'Mother's' face and simply said in a peaceful tone, "You are not my ma."

"My mother would not kill this many people."

The 'Mother' smiled and stepped off the Stargazing Platform. Her performance of maternal love had ended; she didn't care in the slightest about Yusheng's attitude toward her.

She slowly twisted her neck, looking toward Longshu Temple at a bizarre angle. "How strange."

"Why have so many living people suddenly arrived from the direction of Longshu Temple?"

"A Bao, you rest here for a bit. Mother will go over there and take a look. Once I've dealt with the guests over there, I'll come back and make your favorite dish."

Yusheng stood like a rock, coldly blocking the 'Mother's' path, showing no intention of yielding.

The 'Mother' gently pushed him. "A Bao, what's wrong with you? You're acting so strange."

"Make way and let Mother pass, alright?"

Yusheng turned a deaf ear. He simply lowered his head and began to chant: "Subhuti addressed the Buddha: World-Honored One, if good men and good women awaken the mind of supreme enlightenment, how should they abide?—"

Behind him, seven-colored Buddhist light flared brilliantly. This was his most powerful Supernatural Item. As long as he didn't die, no matter how powerful a Fierce Ghost was, it could not escape the Buddhist light. Even if he died, the light would continue to shine for five hours—enough time for everyone in Longshu Temple to safely evacuate.

Yusheng had already embraced the resolve to die in order to trap the 'Mother' here.

Feeling her body restricted, the gentle expression on the 'Mother's' face slowly changed, yet her voice remained peaceful. "A Bao, be good. Stop this nonsense. Let Mother pass."

"If you keep acting naughty, Ma will just break one of your arms first to punish you."

Yusheng's eyes reflected an acceptance of death. He calmly chanted, and layer after layer of seven-colored lotus flowers flew out from behind him. "You can kill me, Mother."

"My life was given by you in the first place."

"Go ahead and do it. I have no complaints."

"But I will absolutely not step aside from this path."

A deep shadow gradually fell over the 'Mother's' face.

She slowly reached out and placed her hand on the crown of Yusheng's head. "My child just returned from outside, and his heart has already gone wild. So disobedient."

"You deserve to die."

Just then, the hoarse voice of an eccentric old man rang out from behind. "When an old mother lives for a thousand years, hits her rebellious phase, and refuses to listen to reason, what do you do?"

"Just give her a good beating."