Once everyone was in place, Ma Chenggong looked again at the well not far away.
"Come out, do I have to force you? Since you haven't yet taken a human life, you still qualify for transcendence."
But after twenty breaths, there was no response from the well. Ma Chenggong gave a cold smile: "This is disrespecting a toast and inviting punishment!"
He pulled a fist-sized sphere from his sleeve and, after tossing it in his hand, threw it directly into the well.
A moment later, a tumultuous fire erupted within the well, accompanied by a mournful shriek that gave most people in the courtyard splitting headaches.
"Still not willing to show yourself?"
Next, Ma Chenggong pulled out the rune spear from his back, throwing one after another unceasingly. Each one was powerful and resolute, unstoppable.
Ma Chenggong threw a total of seven spears, causing the ghost to let out two desperate screams. It was then that everyone could see a vague figure appearing in mid-air. It was a unkempt woman in white, with traces of burns all over her body, and two holes in her chest.
"Damn you, you should all die!"
After only a moment's hesitation, the woman in white disappeared again in a puff of ghostly wind.
At this time, most people were unable to make out the presence of this evil spirit. Only Li Xuan, who had pre-arranged a Demon Revealing Mirror, could catch some faint traces.
Surprisingly, the target of this white-dressed female ghost was not Ma Chenggong, but the kneeling eldest son of Lin's family. Yet just as it was about to enter the young man's body, yet another spear struck, piercing through her ghostly body.
Ma Chenggong's figure also appeared in front of her, blocking the evil spirit's path.
"The Grand Jin has its own laws, and we will not tolerate reckless behavior from you resentful spirits!"
As he raised his hand, a powerful wind gathered, forming a small cyclone with a diameter of three meters, forcibly pulling and dragging the 'body' of the evil spirit towards his hand.
But about ten seconds later, Li Xuan only heard a 'bang' as the cyclone created by Ma Chenggong exploded. The evil spirit broke free and started fleeing towards the river.
Li Xuan was thrilled, he had already harnessed his Zhenyuan to its utmost, waiting to show off his skills.
Seeing that the evil spirit was only about ten feet away from him, illuminated under the glow of the Demon Revealing Mirror, Li Xuan casually flung out a palm, using the 'Deep Freezing' technique.
Then there was a 'pop' sound, and a block of ice the size of a human's head fell to the ground.
Ma Chenggong was equally astonished, he looked at Li Xuan's feet with a surprised look.
At this point, not only was the evil spirit frozen in the block of ice, but at least thirty feet around Li Xuan's feet were also covered in ice.
"Damn!" Ma Chenggong couldn't believe his eyes as he looked at Li Xuan: "Is your skill really only at the second house level?"
※※※※
After leaving Lin's mansion, Li Xuan frowned, looking back at the estate.
"Sir Duwei, is this case closed just like that? I think there's something more to it."
"Maybe, but this is Ying Tian Government's Yamen's business, not ours."
Ma Chenggong didn't care much and hopped on his horse: "Dealing with monsters and ghosts is the responsibility of our Liudao Division. If we get too involved, it'll only invite criticism and trouble."
Li Xuan was stunned, then chuckled bitterly. Still adapting to his new identity, he — who had served in a criminal technical support team of the municipal public security bureau before — was not yet adjusted to the change in responsibilities.
The Liudao Division was neither a Yamen nor a police station, but simply a semi-official organization dedicated to slaying monsters and demons.
This Colonel Ma, like Jiang Hanyun, didn't demonstrate any arbitrary dominance either.
"Don't worry! Li Xuan, is still a very honorable man. The judges in Ying Tian Government's Yamen are also quite capable, they will definitely uncover the truth of this case," said Ma Chenggong, with a touch of admiration in his eyes as he looked at Li Xuan. "But you, Qianzhi, gave me quite a surprise this time. You were even able to tell that he was poisoned, it seems that your success in solving the case yesterday was not just a fluke. And aren't you just at the second house level of your cultivation? But the Cold Power in you is extraordinary, even the stones were covered with half a foot thick layer of ice, which even a Wu cultivator at the fourth house level wouldn't have been able to achieve."
Li Xuan had already accurately estimated the level of his Cold Power after contemplating on 'Liquid Nitrogen', but he remained humble, "I am far inferior compared to Colonel Ma, in terms of your 'Liudao Shenfeng Secret' usage just now. It's almost at the birth of Thunderbolt, I guess your Thunder Style cultivation will be embodied in a matter of days?"
This was from the memory of the original owner of his body, he actually couldn't tell anything about it. But six months ago, the original owner heard someone praised Ma Chenggong's 'Liudao Shenfeng Secret' as reaching a mastery level, and was likely to span over this critical step.
'Born of wind and promoted by thunder' it's not that simple," sighed Ma Chenggong, as he looked bitterly at the 'Soul Collecting Gourd' hanging on his waist.
"I still kind of envy you nobles, having such an extraordinary cultivation with a promising future. Despite my good 'Liudao Shenfeng Secret' being able to deal with enemies and battle all kinds of demons, if I can't cultivate to the Power of Thunder, I'm still like shooting cattle from behind a mountain, missing a layer. If that wasn't the case, there would be no need to ask for your help this time."
When the two of them returned to the Zhuque Hall to report, they learned that Jiang Hanyun had also gone out for an investigation. He left a message asking them to head to a ferry point at the outer Qinhuai River to handle a case. It seemed that a Water Ghost had caused trouble there, killing a young girl who had fallen off a boat.
According to Ma Chenggong, recently there seemed to be a lot of demon-related cases. Jiang Hanyun's 'Mingyou City' had one Xiaowei, two Six Paths Bureau Colonels and more than seventy Youjiao and Xunjian, almost all of whom were kept exceedingly busy.
If it wasn't for the shortage of manpower, Jiang Hanyun wouldn't have rushed to Lanyue House by himself yesterday.
However, this time when the two of them rushed there, they found nothing. The victim indeed died because of a Water Ghost, but they couldn't find the Water Ghost that had killed her.
"Among the ghosts, the Water Ghost is the most tricky one, they can easily escape by diving into the water, leaving no trace of their existence. Unless you have the Water Style technique, the Heavenly Eyes Divine Skill, or you can lure them to the shore. By the way——" Ma Chenggong glanced at Li Xuan: "Your family's Water Style technique is unparalleled in the world, and you have a pact with many Dragon Kings who control rivers. You can communicate directly with the Dragon King of the outer Qinhuai River to ask about the whereabouts of this Water Ghost."
Li Xuan sifted through the memories of his previous soul and then shook his head helplessly.
Ma Chenggong did not know the details of this matter, otherwise, he wouldn't have said that. The Earl Chengyi's mansion indeed has a pact with many Dragon Kings, but if he himself does not have a certain level of cultivation, even those Well Dragon Kings might not care for him.
Moreover, it will annoy those Dragon Kings if they are disturbed for minor matters like finding the 'Water Ghost'.
As for the Water Style technique of their family, even though it really is unparalleled in the world, the previous owner of his body hadn't learned it!
"So we're just going to let it go?" Li Xuan reluctantly glanced at the river and said, "I think this Water Ghost will hurt people again, we can't just let it be."
"Of course we're not going to let it go, if we can't handle it, we'll give it to someone who can," Ma Chenggong sighed: "But there really are not many hands left in the Liudao Division now, and haven't you seen that our Xiaowei is almost driven mad by the workload? Failing that, we can still pay money to ask those high-powered cultivators to take action."
Then he noticed Li Xuan's hesitant expression and couldn't help frowning: "What's up? Speak!"
"I have to ask for a leave," Li Xuan touched his nose, feeling a little embarrassed: "There is a garden party at Duke Xuguo's house, I have to go there, please allow me, Colonel."
"Duke Xuguo's mansion?" Colonel Ma's eyes were filled with longing: "Tsk, tsk! A banquet hosted by the top-notch prestigious family in Nanjing, I wonder what kind of spectacle it would be? I guess it's something I won't get to see in my lifetime. Damn, I really envy you guys who were born with golden spoons in your mouths."
Li Xuan looked helpless: "It's just a matchmaking party, it's very boring, you'll regret it if you go."
"Then don't go!" Colonel Ma sneered, "Who do you think you are, Li Xuan, Li Qianzhi? I don't believe your family will dare to force you."
Li Xuan looked even more helpless: "I can't not go, it's paid, my mother said she would give me a thousand teals of patterned silver as long as I show up."
Colonel Ma immediately pulled his reins, looking at Li Xuan with a complicated expression: "Forgive me for being blunt, but right now I really feel like giving you a beating."