Volume 2, Chapter 36 – Crossing Paths

Ten minutes later, Bai Xiang was sitting on the sofa, carefully going through the detailed materials Zheng Kang had provided.

Because there had been no fatalities at the start, not even actual injuries, Jinshui Construction hadn’t gone to a professional security consulting firm even though they knew it was a Demon Pool. They’d just posted a commission on the Jobs Directorate’s public board.

Security consultants were extremely expensive.

Among all the construction firms in the Chilong Circuit, Jinshui Construction was bottom-tier. Several work stoppages were already enough to affect how the Gold Bank evaluated them—that alone showed they weren’t strong and didn’t have the money to hire consultants.

Bai Xiang was looking at a photo.

In the photo was a middle-aged man with black curly hair, wearing a dark-blue cloud-patterned long robe. He held a wooden sword in one hand and a soul-guiding banner commonly seen at funerals in the other, standing in the doorway on the first floor of a bare concrete building, facing the camera.

His name was Zhao Shuyuan, the “expert” Zheng Kang had mentioned who’d “died last time.”

Zhao Shuyuan hadn’t joined any security consulting firm. Like Bai Xiang, he was a personal responsible party. The difference was that he had handled Demon Pools more than ten times—already considered very experienced in this field.

Basically, discounting the frauds, Zhao Shuyuan was the best option Jinshui Construction could find through the Jobs Directorate.

But he was dead.

And he’d died horribly.

According to the file, he’d gone in at night and been confused by the Demon Pool, then somehow gone berserk and hacked himself up. When they found him in the daytime, there wasn’t a single patch of intact skin on his body or head. He’d been chopped so badly he was essentially minced meat.

The Inspectorate had sent people to investigate, and at the time the Inspectorate officers concluded that the cuts on his bones matched the blade of the wooden sword Zhao Shuyuan had been carrying.

In other words, judging by the evidence alone, Zhao Shuyuan had hacked himself into pulp one sword stroke at a time.

But that conclusion was obviously wrong. No one could do that to themselves. The Inspectorate officers had laughed at their own report, but they still couldn’t resolve the problem here.

The Inspectorate was very busy.

The number of Demon Pool incidents after dark in the Chilong Circuit was far beyond what some people imagined. They’d looked over Jinshui Construction’s collected data and concluded that as long as no one provoked the thing, no one would die—and then they pulled out.

As for how Jinshui Construction was supposed to calm its workers, how they’d deal with the plunging evaluations driven by rumors, or later what to do when the building was finished but no one would buy because of the “ghost shadow” stories… what did that have to do with the Inspectorate?

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That wasn’t within Chief Inspector Zhang Daoming’s jurisdiction.

Ghost shadow…

Bai Xiang repeated the term in her mind, narrowing her eyes at the photo of Zhao Shuyuan, her gaze focusing on the darkness behind him.

Because the building was unfinished, the stairwell wasn’t fully fitted out. The first-floor lights probably had to be turned on from inside. Where Zhao Shuyuan stood, his shadow was thrown against the wall, disappearing into the dark, edges blurred.

Bai Xiang wasn’t sure if she was imagining it, but she kept feeling like, beside that hazy shadow, there was another one.

Is that it?

Or just a trick of the light?

Either way, Bai Xiang had decided to take the commission.

Zheng Kang knew who she was and that she was from Shenming Sword Dao. He especially knew the Bai family had already inquired about that unfinished building next to the dojo—that behavior was a clear signal to negotiate.

Bai Xiang was famous now, a favorite in front of the big names. Of course Shenming Sword Dao would want to expand. Even an idiot could see they wanted to buy the building and renovate it themselves.

So after talking to the higher-ups, Zheng Kang brought out the best offer Jinshui Construction could make.

As long as Bai Xiang could solve the problem for them, they would sell that building to the dojo for 120 million yuan.

That really was bleeding for it, because it was a seven-story office building, originally planned to go even higher. If it had been completed normally, with the sky-high property prices on Nanping Road, the price per square meter could easily hit thirty thousand yuan. That meant the whole building could not be worth less than three hundred million under any circumstances.

Two-thirds off—Bai Xiang felt it was worth fighting for.

With that in mind, she pulled out her Nokia, took the SIM card out, slotted it into the new phone, and used that device to call Bai Shengju, telling him everything in detail.

“You’re really confident?”

Bai Shengju was more concerned about Bai Xiang’s safety.

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Normally, for a first Demon Pool commission, you picked one that was almost harmless.

For example, there was a common Demon Pool called “Back Alley.” It referred to walking through a long alley at night and, halfway through, feeling a poke on your shoulder or someone calling your name.

At that moment, you couldn’t look back. If you did, you’d get dizzy and faint, and the Demon Pool would siphon away some of your soul and essence.

But it wasn’t fatal. Even if you turned around, it wouldn’t kill you.

A ghost-shadow Demon Pool like the one Jinshui Construction had run into had already been proven lethal—and the one it killed was a somewhat known solo expert. The risk level was much higher.

Bai Shengju couldn’t relax. He didn’t want Bai Xiang risking her life for money.

“Don’t worry, Grandpa. I’m not going alone.”

Bai Xiang decided there was no need to hide the Demon-Suppressing Bureau from him and roughly explained the invitation she’d received.

“The Demon-Suppressing Bureau?” On the other end, Bai Shengju stroked his beard and widened his eyes. “Then that’s acceptable…”

Bai Xiang even let him hear Yu He’s voice. Bai Shengju relaxed at once, telling them that “even so, you must be extremely careful,” then asking, “So you’re not coming back tonight?”

Bai Xiang nodded. “Right.”

“Then I’ll go sleep now.” Bai Shengju paused. “I’ll get up tonight. If anything happens, call me.”

Grandpa really is…

Bai Xiang frowned—couldn’t he let Second Uncle handle something like this?

“Your second uncle has a lot of disciples to look after. He’s tired too.” Bai Shengju chuckled. “I’m fine. My health is much better now, my back is straight. Staying up a night won’t kill me!”

Bai Xiang knew there was no point arguing.

Even if she convinced him to promise to sleep properly, he’d just sneak up later anyway.

He couldn’t be controlled.

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Nothing to be done.

After hanging up, she and Yu He went back into the office and confirmed with Zheng Kang—they would take the commission.

“Excellent!” Zheng Kang rubbed his hands in excitement. “Then… I’ll go tell them now. Right, are you planning to go in the daytime or at night?”

“We’ll head out in a bit,” Bai Xiang said.

“Then you’re going to—”

“The place Zhao Shuyuan went last time,” Bai Xiang added. “And we’ll stay there until dawn tomorrow.”

Zheng Kang’s face changed. He muttered, “All right… Here’s the contract. Please sign.”

That was the procedure.

Once the contract was signed, it was an explicit employment relationship. Any losses Bai Xiang suffered during the commission could be compensated at their discretion, but if she died, she couldn’t blame Jinshui Construction.

After signing, the deal was sealed. Bai Xiang and Yu He left the office and headed downstairs.

Zheng Kang walked them down himself and even had someone bring a sedan to take them to the site.

“Let’s hope this works out…”

Standing at the stairwell, wiping sweat from his forehead, Zheng Kang heard footsteps.

Turning, he saw a familiar face—Nanmu Consulting’s manager, Yin Hua, with a slick-haired man and a white-skinned, high-bridged-nose foreigner in tow, smiling as he reached out his right hand.

“Manager Yin, what brings you…?”

After shaking his hand, Zheng Kang looked curiously at the two behind him.

“Oh, let me introduce you. This is Mr. Li Rongwen, and this is Mr. Cerredo. They’ve both come a long way from the Sami Union.”

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Partners?

Zheng Kang guessed.

Competition among Great Yu’s security consulting firms was fierce, and the death rate high. Some firms chose to quietly expand overseas.

Was Nanmu planning to go abroad too?

“Here’s the situation.” Yin Hua adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses.

“Mr. Cerredo is an investigator from ‘Reef.’ We have some arrangements with them, and since this is Mr. Cerredo’s first time in Great Yu, he wants to experience some of Great Yu’s… specialties…”

Specialties?

Demon Pools?

Zheng Kang’s expression had already changed. He asked, “Manager Yin, are you planning to take our commission under Nanmu’s name?”

Yin Hua nodded quickly. “Exactly!”

Zheng Kang smiled. “Then you’re late, Manager Yin.”

“Ah…?” Both Yin Hua and the man called Li Rongwen changed expressions. “Don’t tell me…”

“It was just taken.”

Zheng Kang nodded.

“Very unfortunate.”

“Manager Yin will have to look elsewhere.”