PCJ – Chapter 538 Reversal

“Meow!” The Fat Cat suddenly sprang up.

The lazy Fat Cat that had been lying on the ground got up nonchalantly, its fur bristling, ears pricked, and at that moment, its domineering aura burst forth.

Zeng Lei suddenly felt the oppressive pressure ease as if he had narrowly escaped death. His entire body was drenched in sweat.

“Ah!” Zeng Lei collapsed to the ground in a heap. It was as if he had just passed through the gates of hell.

Zhang Jiaohua was finally free to deal with the ghost infant.

“Roar!” The mountain leopard let out an angry roar.

But before they could act, the ghost infant cried out mournfully, “Wuuu!”, and fled in panic, blindly crashing into piles of wooden crates. The crates shattered, revealing golden Buddha statues inside.

Zhang Jiaohua and Zeng Lei were stunned. The room was filled with Buddha statues, glittering under the mine lamp’s light.

“Meow!” The Fat Cat meowed again and slowly walked forward.

The ghost infant seemed to have seen something terrifying and continued to flee in chaos. It had forgotten everything about this place—its once-familiar surroundings now obstructed its escape.

The Fat Cat wasn’t worried about the ghost infant escaping. It walked unhurriedly, as if moving any faster would drain too much of its energy. Clearly, it was putting on a cool act.

In the end, the mountain leopard couldn’t hold back. It lunged forward and effortlessly bit into the frenzied ghost infant, locking its jaws tight.

The Fat Cat was stunned—it hadn’t expected the leopard to shamelessly steal its credit.

“Waaah!” The ghost infant cried like a real baby.

The mountain leopard wasn’t afraid of killing it. The more the ghost infant cried, the harder it bit. It clamped down around the ghost infant’s midsection, its sharp teeth sinking deep into the ghostly flesh. Black blood oozed out, making the scene even more gruesome.

“Waaah…” The cries grew weaker and weaker.

Zhang Jiaohua didn’t stop the leopard. Although the ghost infant was pitiful, it had taken many lives. Zhang Jiaohua didn’t see himself as some justice-enforcing warrior, but he couldn’t tolerate such a murderous spirit.

A normal ghost infant wouldn’t possess such power—manipulating lingering spirits and raising giant rats. If left alive, it would bring endless harm.

Zhang Jiaohua formed a hand seal, and a spiritual sword floated in the air. With a wave of his hand, it shot out.

Whoosh! The sword pierced the ghost infant’s forehead.

Its crying stopped abruptly. The mountain leopard loosened its jaws, and the lifeless ghost infant dropped to the ground. Zhang Jiaohua cast a fire talisman. A small flame landed on the corpse, turning it into a blazing fire that soon reduced it to ashes. A glowing light rose from the ashes and shot into the cave ceiling, vanishing.

“What was that?” Zeng Lei asked.

“Maybe the ghost infant’s original soul. Sadly, it was blinded by hatred all along. Now, it’s finally over. It returns to where it came from,” Zhang Jiaohua said cryptically.

“Where exactly? The underworld or the heavens?” Zeng Lei pressed.

“How would I know? I’ve never been. Even if I had, who truly knows where they came from?” Zhang Jiaohua replied impatiently. He’d only heard old Taoist masters speak of such things, but who could say for sure where souls go?

Just like cultivation—since ancient times, who has ever known what lies beyond enlightenment? Unknown origin, unknown destination.

“Jiaohua, what do we do with these Buddha statues? Want them?” Zeng Lei asked.

“Are you trying to get me jailed? I don’t want them. I’ve got more money than I can spend. Even if they’re pure gold, I can’t eat them,” Zhang Jiaohua shook his head.

Zeng Lei breathed a sigh of relief. If Zhang Jiaohua had wanted them, he wouldn’t have known what to do.

“If Jiaohua did want them, would I have agreed to give him some?” Zeng Lei asked himself. But such hypothetical questions never have real answers.

“I’ll report this to my superiors once we’re out,” Zeng Lei said cautiously, still worried Zhang Jiaohua might say one thing and mean another.

“What’s that got to do with me? I’m not your superior,” Zhang Jiaohua replied irritably, his tone tinged with odd emotion.

Legend said ghost infants were created through a particularly cruel process, only performed by the most wicked of dark cultivators. The process was vicious beyond words. Zhang Jiaohua had heard his Taoist master mention them, warning that ghost infants carried immense resentment and should be approached with extreme caution.

He had thought they were just legends—until he encountered one in real life. All the ghostly activity had been the ghost infant’s doing. However, the dense yin energy in the tunnel wasn’t caused by the ghost infant but by an array set up by the dark cultivator to gather yin energy from the surroundings, forming an eerie nexus.

The ghost infant hated anyone who approached. That’s why everyone who entered the tunnel had been attacked. The deaths of the construction workers who tried to demolish the surrounding houses were caused by the ghost infant manipulating the yin energy.

“This kind of thing—I’m only doing it this once. Next time you’re courting death, even if I know, I won’t care. I only came this time because I wanted to see what the real culprit was,” Zhang Jiaohua suddenly said as they were leaving.

“Who’d willingly risk their life?” Zeng Lei said helplessly.

“Whatever. Your mess, you deal with it.” Zhang Jiaohua walked away, taking the mountain leopard, Fat Cat, and chubby monkey with him.

Zeng Lei borrowed Zhang Jiaohua’s phone to call the Municipal Bureau. Soon, people from the Bureau arrived. They were horrified by the scene in the tunnel and looked at Zeng Lei with a strange fear, as if he were responsible for all the deaths.

When Zeng Lei led them to the treasure room, everyone was stunned. Though the gold Buddha statues hadn’t been tested, their craftsmanship alone made them priceless.

“Zeng Lei, you’ve hit the jackpot!” said Shang Jiuyuan, now the deputy director of the Capital City’s Bureau. He had made a name for himself after solving a major tomb-raiding case in Meizi’ao, using leads from He Shouye and Long Wuyi. Now, thanks to Zeng Lei’s work as an undercover officer cracking such a major case under extreme circumstances, he too would be rewarded. Even Zeng Lei’s local station would gain recognition and honor thanks to him.