Chapter 508: Settling Down
Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations
"Come! Everyone, take a sip!
Fang Yuan took out a bottle of concoction and passed it to Ma Xiaoling and Detective Ma.
"This is the same concoction which I used previously. After drinking it, you will be able to remain hidden before the ghost. If you use it directly, it will be able to keep the ghosts and bay for a short while..."
"Blergh! This is smelly!"
After hearing about its properties, Detective Ma quickly took the bottle from Fang Yuan and gulped it down with a frown.
Seeing this, Ma Xiaoling prepared herself. She pinched her nose and licked a little before twitching. "This is disgusting... it tastes awful!"
"Be glad that you can drink this! Head to the door!"
Fang Yuan frowned. He was already prepared for his escape and therefore stole some seeds from the Ghost Garden. Even he was not confident of germinating the plants outside the Ghost Garden and therefore, his supply of the concoction was limited.
'Now that the both of them are hidden, I am the only living person in this place.'
Fang Yuan slowed himself down and soaked his hands with the concoction. He remained alert of his surroundings.
However, after that sneak attack, the female ghost seemed to have disappeared into thin air.
"Phew... We are finally here. Will we be safe outside?"
Detective Ma and Ma Xiaoling rain across the garden and arrived at the gate of the Chen Residences.
"Something's not right. Wait up!"
A hue of gold flashed across Fang Yuan's eyes. Suddenly, he rushed forward and pulled the both of them back.
"Kacha!"
Before them, the originally opened metal gate began to transform into the female ghost's... mouth!
The female ghost became extremely big in size as she opened her mouth and waited at the entrance.
Ma Xiaoling screamed.
If they had continued running, they would have ran into the female ghost's stomach.
"Get lost!"
Fang Yuan rushed forward and struck his fist out.
With the concoction-soaked fist, he finally managed to hit the body of the female ghost.
It was chilly!
A chill sensation started to spread from Fang Yuan's fists. The sensation slowly turned to a burning hot one.
The feeling of hitting a ghost was like hitting a metal person. Fang Yuan did not manage to harm her.
"Get... lost!"
Fang Yuan exclaimed. Using more force on both of his hands, he managed to push the female ghost away, revealing an opening.
"This is the time... run!"
Ma Xiaoling held her father and slipped through the opening. Finally, they ran out of the real gate and arrived outside.
At the same time, the sun started to rise in the East, spilling its golden rays across the land.
As they looked back, the Chen Residences remained sturdy. If not for the mess around, everything which happened last night only felt like a terrible nightmare.
"Phew! We're finally out."
Detective Ma stroked his moustache. Suddenly, he started to wail. "It's gone! Gone! My career... My task... all gone!"
"Father... shouldn't you be worried about the brother who saved us out?"
Ma Xiaoling spoke with contempt.
"I'll let him die for all I care..."
Detective Ma started to tear. "No, he should die!"
"That's right, then you won't have to pay me anymore, right?"
Fang Yuan stood at the side and snickered.
"Ah!"
Detective Ma leapt backwards and held his waist. "Are you human or ghost?"
"Of course I'm human! However, if you are not going to pay up, you will have to face the consequences of ghosts!"
Fang Yuan chuckled.
"Oh no, paying up is a small issue. Now that everyone in the Chen Residences is dead, every single one of us is going to be a suspect! We will be caught!"
Detective Ma knelt on the ground and held his head with both his hands.
"You're wrong. Only you will be caught!"
Fang Yuan made a cute expression. "Who will believe that two kids can kill so many people?"
With this blow, Detective Ma froze on the spot.
"Alright, brother, what else do you need Father to help you out with? Save him once more!"
Ma Xiaoling could not take it any further as she tugged at Fang Yuan's sleeves, pleading him to help once more.
"This is true... after all, you are still useful."
Fang Yuan rubbed his chin. "Don't be a crybaby just yet. As a detective, you must have your relationships in the police station, right? I can give you something so that they will visit the ghost themselves. Naturally, they will know that you are speaking the truth and at the same time, you will be able to publicize your reputation."
"Thank you, brother!"
Detective Ma quickly thanked Fang Yuan like a fish out of water. He held onto Fang Yuan's hands tightly.
"Your desperate look makes me think... Xiaoling, what is your father's name?"
"Ah, when my father was born, he had his fortune told by a blind person. The blind fortune teller said that he will become a talented person in the future and therefore called him..."
"Ma Wencai!?"
Fang Yuan sounded in disbelief.
"No, it's Ma Wencai[1]!"
...
After a week, in the office of Detective Ma.
Fang Yuan wore a checkered shirt and suspenders. Like a grown-up, he was eating breakfast as he browsed through the newspapers.
'The Ghost Killer in the Haunted Chen Residences!'
'The Government Heavily Rewards Professionals!'
'The Exclusive Interview of Ma Wencai, the Great Detective - How I Fought the Evil Ghost with Wits and Courage!'
On the printed text, there was also the photograph on Ma Wencai smiling like a fool.
"Xiaoling, your father is really ugly!"
Fang Yuan commented as he set the newspaper aside and began to eat his eggs and toast.
"My apologies. Credit goes to you!"
Ma Xiaoling seemed humble.
Fang Yuan paid no attention to her.
All he needed now was time to mature and grow without much attention.
"Wow... Ma Wencai the Great Detective is here!"
The door opened and a delightful Ma Wencai in a suit walked into the restaurant before displaying a pose. "How's this? Am I handsome?"
The two kids were speechless.
"Alright!"
Ma Wencai realised that no one was paying any attention to him. Lazily, he took out a document and placed it before Fang Yuan. "Brother, your identity is settled. You are an orphan adopted by me. Your name will be Fang Yuan!"
"Hmm, that's great!"
Fang Yuan scanned the document and nodded his head in satisfaction.
He would be a fool if he continued to use his identity as Tantai Mieming. Furthermore, he was not used to that name and it was better for him to re-use his original name.
"From today onwards, I will be part of the detective corporation!"
Fang Yuan smiled. "The both of you will handle the normal cases. If both of you are unable to deal with it, then leave it to me!"
"This is great!"
Ma Wencai nodded his head and rewarded Fang Yuan with a piece of bacon. "...About that, the Chen Residences is already sealed up as a restricted area and the prices of property in the vicinity have also fallen. They are now recruiting people to deal with the powerful ghost. Brother, are you interested in this?"
"Not at the moment!"
Fang Yuan lazily picked up the piece of bacon graciously which made Ma Wencai suspect if he was merely a young master who had left his own family.
"Take my advice. If you don't want to die, don't ever return to the Chen Residences! You were lucky the previous time to have encountered a restricted ghost who will only kill in the residences. However, it can still come out but it merely chooses not to. If you anger it, hehe..."
"I understand."
Ma Wencai shuddered in fear before stroking his moustache in confusion. "That female ghost seems to resemble the missing servant - Xia He. The newspapers have dug up the entire ancestry of the Chen Family. Although Chen Xinbo was a good father, his other hobbies were not that respectable. Even the housekeeper, Uncle Chen, was an accomplice! Could it be that Xia He has had enough of it and attempted suicide to become a ghost so as to take revenge? This does not make sense, the timeline is not right!"
"It will not be a ghost if you are able to understand it!"
After finishing his breakfast, Fang Yuan wiped his mouth with a piece of serviette. "That ghost might be Xia He or it might not be. The real Xia He might have been dead all along and a random ghost might have come along to impersonate her... It is even more unclear as to how the ghost had appeared and there is no reasonable explanation for it. According to my predictions, the most possible scenario is that Chen Xinbo had started a ritual to recall his daughter's soul, which became the source of all trouble. The ritual, together with the suicidal servant, might have created the powerful ghost!"
"If that is so..."
Ma Xiaoling shook with fear. "Mister Chen is rather pitiful... He might have been killed by his own daughter's soul..."
"How can a dead person be revived?"
Fang Yuan scoffed. "On the other hand, I am interested in that monk. We can investigate in this direction in the future."
The corporation was rather huge. Other than the offices, guest lounge and information room, the living quarters of the Ma Family was behind the office. There was also a small gym.
"This is not bad!"
Fang Yuan examined the exercise equipment in the gym and the sandbag hung before him before nodding his head in satisfaction. "The current plan will be to raise my physical stats to the limit of this realm before I reach 20. Also, through the corporation, I will encounter all kinds of spirits and undergo my research."
Fang Yuan had left the ghost in the Chen Residences in order to use it to train himself as well as act as a bait.
If was rare for such a thing to occur, and even more so that the ghost was binded to the location. Therefore, Fang Yuan would not seal it up and instead, he would make full use of it by studying it.
Furthermore, he could use it to test his own progress in martial arts as well as test the effectiveness of martial arts or spiritual spells in dealing with these ghosts.
Finally, the bounty placed on the ghost by the government was also a bait. He might be able to bait other exorcists to the residences.
"Alright, let's begin!"
Fang Yuan's arms started to move slowly as he practised Jujitsu.
To a 5-year-old kid, he could not attempt the most strenuous exercises.
He still had to test out the possibility of using spiritual spells in this realm as well.
Every day, he also had to experiment in growing the seeds which he had smuggled out from the Ghost Garden.
Life ahead for Fang Yuan would be exciting.
"It's this type of realm again!"
After training, Fang Yuan arrived at the window. Looking at the tall buildings, a reminiscent smile appeared on his face.
[1]: Different tones for both names.