What do you mean by saying that the corpses I sew are all ominous creatures?

"Old Jin, stop looking and eat first."

I tapped the rim of the bowl with my chopsticks and said.

"Ah, Brother Chen, I'm feeling really uneasy."

Jin Wanliang sighed and forced himself to eat a bite of wide rice noodles.

"The undercover agents I deployed have started losing contact with people one after another since half an hour ago."

This has never happened before.

The moment he finished speaking.

The three cell phones and the tablet computer on the coffee table started flashing frantically almost simultaneously.

The piercing vibrations sounded particularly jarring in the quiet hall.

Jin Wanliang froze abruptly, and the chopsticks in his hand fell directly onto the table.

He didn't even bother to pick up the chopsticks; his hands flew across several devices as he connected to voice calls and checked encrypted information.

As the intelligence gathered, his once composed, chubby face visibly grew serious.

I put down my chopsticks, took a tissue, and slowly wiped my mouth.

I didn't urge Jin Wanliang; I just watched him quietly.

Five minutes passed before Jin Wanliang finally raised his head and swallowed.

"Brother Chen, Li Qing... something terrible has happened."

"Take your time," I said, leaning back in my armchair with my hands crossed in front of me.

Jin Wanliang took a deep breath and pointed to the Jiangcheng map on the tablet computer, saying:

"In just the last ten minutes, I received at least seventeen urgent tips."

The entire city of Jiangcheng is in chaos.

He quickly tapped on several areas marked with red dots: "First location, the First People's Hospital of the city."

The refrigeration system in the morgue suddenly malfunctioned, but the temperature dropped to minus twenty degrees Celsius.

The security guard on night duty reported that he saw dozens of corpses push open the freezer and sit up.

The entire second basement level is now sealed off by yin energy; no living person can get in.

Li Qing's expression changed, and he put down his chopsticks: "Zombie resurrection? And on a large scale?"

"more than."

Jin Wanliang continued to swipe the screen.

"The second location is the crossroads in the city center, which is the former site of the Caishikou execution ground."

Several drivers who were stranded in their cars due to the heavy rain sent in videos, saying they saw a group of ghostly soldiers dressed in ancient armor and carrying tattered flags trying to pass through the road.

Every vehicle that blocked their path inexplicably broke down and stalled, its windows covered in frost.

The third location is an unfinished building in the High-tech Zone in the north of the city.

It used to be a mass grave, but the developer went bankrupt.

My people were taking shelter from the rain over there when they heard the sound of gongs and drums coming from the unfinished building. It sounded like a grand opera performance, but all the songs being sung were soul-summoning tunes.

The stray dogs around were frantically banging their heads against the wall, committing suicide.

Jin Wanliang rattled off seven or eight locations in one breath.

The unusual phenomena occurring at each of these locations would normally be enough to put the Folklore Bureau on high alert.

Now, however, these events are erupting simultaneously in various corners of Jiangcheng.

"This isn't a ghost story..."

Jin Wanliang wiped the cold sweat from his face and muttered to himself.

"This is simply... a parade of a hundred demons at night."

As soon as Jin Wanliang finished speaking, the hall fell into dead silence.

Only the self-heating hot pot was still making a faint "gurgling" sound.

At that moment, Li Qing suddenly turned his head to look at the bill.

The compass, which had been calm, was now emitting a sharp buzzing sound, its needle spinning wildly.

"Grass!"

Li Qing cursed under his breath.

"The earth's energy has been completely disrupted, and all these wandering ghosts, evil spirits, and malevolent entities have been catalyzed by the yin energy surging from the ground."

The concentration of yin energy in Jiangcheng is now more than ten times higher than usual!

I sat in the chair, looking out the window at the still raging hail, my eyes heavy.

"It seems that Lu Yan's premonition was correct."

After whispering something, I stopped talking.

The hail outside pounded harder and harder, each sound like a blow to the nerve endings.

Although I spoke in a calm and unhurried tone, a shadow of gloom couldn't help but rise in my heart.

What worries me most is not our Tingyuxuan, which Li Qing has turned into an iron barrel, but Lu Yan and the Jiangcheng Folk Customs Bureau behind her.

Lu Yan had previously said on the phone that they should tighten their defenses and hold the supply depot and archives at all costs, which sounded like the most rational choice.

But given the current situation, this idea is unlikely to be feasible.

Ultimately, the Folklore Bureau is an officially established law enforcement agency.

Their duty is to maintain stability and protect ordinary people from supernatural forces.

Strange phenomena are now occurring in many parts of Jiangcheng: corpses turning into zombies in hospitals, ghostly soldiers making their way through, and evil spirits performing...

Each and every one of these incidents causes enormous social panic and casualties.

When those terrified calls for help flooded the police station, and when blood flowed through the streets and alleys, could Lu Yan, as the branch director, really sit idly by?

Most of the folklore bureau staff in their uniforms were also young people with undiminished passion.

Driven by their duties and mission, they will inevitably be led by the nose by this chaotic scene of a hundred ghosts roaming at night, and will be scattered to every corner of the city to put out fires.

This will further weaken Jiangcheng's already strained official resources, until it is completely mired in a quagmire.

And this is probably exactly the situation that the mastermind behind the scenes wants to see.

"Old Chen, what are you thinking about?"

Li Qing's voice came from behind, carrying a unique air of nonchalance.

"I'm thinking about Lu Yan."

I turned my head and said in a deep voice.

"Given her position, she probably won't be able to stay peacefully in the office tonight."

This parade of a hundred ghosts is a calculated move, specifically targeting people like them who have principles and a sense of responsibility.

Li Qing pursed his lips and muttered, "That's why I don't like dealing with officials; there are too many rules and too many concerns."

Like us, we can just guard our own little corner of the world and let whoever tries to take advantage of us have their way. How carefree we are!

But Lao Chen, you don't need to worry too much.

If anything happens to Director Lu, I'll go with you to fight my way out.

Although we may be lying low, we would never abandon a friend in distress.

Just as we were talking, the entire Tingyuxuan suddenly shook violently.

This shaking is not an earthquake, but a violent collision of qi.

In an instant, visible ripples of air spread out from the entrance of Tingyuxuan.

"They're here."

My eyes narrowed, and my right hand had already quietly reached for the hilt of the willow-leaf knife at my waist.

The three of us looked out the door.

By the light of the hall, and through the cracks in the door and the windows, I saw two figures appear in the maze surrounding Tingyu Pavilion.

They were two people dressed in dark gray robes, their faces hidden in the shadow of wide hoods, making it impossible to see their features.

Unlike the evil cultivators before them who tried to find the life-saving gate of the formation, they adopted the most primitive method—a direct assault.

The man on the left was burly, holding a short, black axe in each hand.