Volume One: The Five Ghosts' Life-Extending Spell Chapter Three: Allies Turned Against Each Other

Yaoguang stepped out of the forensic lab, climbed to the second floor, and entered a large office. The room was empty, and she made her way straight to the innermost desk. Gazing at the familiar arrangement, her heart beat a little faster—ten years had passed, and yet everything remained unchanged. So clean. Was it Xuan Chen who kept it tidy, or Tianyou?

“What are you doing here?” The voice startled Yaoguang as she was lost in thought at the desk. She turned to see a young policeman, seemingly in his twenties, standing at the door in plainclothes, still carrying a hint of student-like innocence on his face.

“Are you new here?” Yaoguang didn’t answer but asked in return.

“I’m asking who you are, and now you’re questioning me?” The young officer was irritated by Yaoguang’s indifferent expression. “Don’t you know unauthorized people are not allowed in here? Who are you?” he pressed.

Yaoguang couldn’t help but chuckle at his seriousness. “All the Heavenly Sword members act as they please, but where did they find someone as by-the-book as you?”

“You dare laugh at me? Do you realize that trespassing in a police station gives me the right to detain you?” The young policeman, further provoked by her laughter, strode towards her.

“Little brother, when I was running the streets, you were still an honor student,” Yaoguang said, making no effort to argue further and moved to leave.

“Stop right there!” Mistaking her movement for an attempt to flee, the young officer reached for her wrist, aiming for the pulse—a move that could make even a strong man cry out in pain if caught.

Yaoguang quietly raised her hand, shifting her body ever so slightly. She evaded his grasp and appeared behind him. The young officer, surprised at having missed, turned and launched a grappling move, aiming for the open space behind her back. Once again, Yaoguang slipped away, dodging his attempt to seize her shoulder. As his third move came at her, Yaoguang realized he wouldn’t let her leave easily today. Very well, she thought, she’d humor him for a few more moves. With a slight smile, she spun and avoided his attack for the third time. The officer shifted tactics, his moves becoming heavier as he realized this woman was no ordinary opponent. No matter how he changed his approach, he simply couldn’t lay a hand on her. Yaoguang focused on her footwork, evading without striking back. After ten minutes, the young policeman saw that the woman before him was as slippery as an eel, and despite exhausting his repertoire, he hadn’t even managed to brush her sleeve. Frustration welled up—a sense that he was being toyed with.

With a furious shout, the young officer formed his hand into a claw and lunged for Yaoguang’s chest. Her eyes grew cold at the sight of his move. With a leap, she twisted in the air. As she evaded his attack, she sent a wisp of spiritual energy into the back of his head. The officer spun around and attacked again, but Yaoguang continued only to dodge. They circled each other like spinning tops—one attacking, one evading. No matter how fierce his strikes, the officer couldn’t touch her. All the while, Yaoguang was observing him. In truth, she was waiting—waiting for the moment his anger peaked, for it was not just the young policeman she was provoking, but something inside him.

From the first shift in his moves, Yaoguang had sensed something was off. The officer’s techniques resembled standard police grappling and close combat, but there was something uncanny about them. As expected, when he saw he couldn’t catch her, his hands shifted to claws, and each attack carried an unnatural, sinister energy. Yaoguang was now certain—a malevolent spirit had possessed him.

Malevolent spirits were, in life, people with twisted hearts. Upon death, resentment lingered, and unwilling to enter the cycle of reincarnation, they wandered the world, still engaged in petty crimes—not for wallets and phones, but for people’s life force and years. Through these dark arts, they gradually formed spirit bodies. They were a troublesome kind of ghost—cunning, cautious, and hard to detect when possessing a human. The best way to deal with them was to infuriate them, for in anger, they would reveal their true form.

As Yaoguang dodged, she noticed the young policeman’s eyes turning blood-red, and a faint, ghostly face appeared above his head.

Now was the time. Summoning hidden force beneath her feet, Yaoguang soared over the officer’s head. In that instant, spiritual energy gathered at her right forefinger and middle finger, forming a sword gesture. She jabbed at the crown of his head, and as she landed, she spun around. A crisp “smack” rang out—a resounding slap struck the officer’s right cheek from a distance, sending him spinning and crashing heavily to the floor.

He clutched his face and howled in pain.

Yaoguang walked over lightly, crouched beside him, and said coldly, “With skills like yours, you dare show off?”

Before she finished, the officer’s hand shot toward her throat.

“Courting death.” Yaoguang snorted. With a swift motion, she tapped several vital points around his body. His outstretched hand froze mid-air, and then he fell to the ground, writhing and clutching his head.

She watched him coolly, then bent down, picked up the six-foot-tall officer as easily as a chick, and tossed him onto a single duty cot in the corner. With a wave of her hand, the hemp rope in the corner seemed to come alive and, in a few swift movements, bound the officer securely to the bed. He immediately began to struggle, but couldn’t break free, shouting, “What are you doing? Assaulting a police officer is a criminal offense!”

“Assault? For a malevolent spirit to use human laws to threaten me—how laughable,” Yaoguang sneered.

“Who are you?” the officer spat, glaring at her with hatred.

“Who am I? Don’t you know already?” As she spoke, crystal-blue light flashed in her eyes. The officer’s gaze faltered. Then, from his mouth, a different voice emerged—hoarse and venomous: “You want to destroy me? You dare not. If you do, he will die as well.”

“Oh? Is that a threat?” Yaoguang stared into his eyes, knowing it was now the spirit speaking. “I’m not afraid of you. Dealing with you is like crushing an ant.” Disdain colored her voice. “You think joining the Ghost Sect makes you untouchable? Let me tell you, I specialize in subduing the unruly.” As she spoke, spiritual energy surged around her, and a golden phoenix mark appeared at her brow.

“You… who are you?” The spirit trembled at the sight of the mark.

“Who am I? Haven’t you guessed?”

“You’re the Phoenix Deity?!” Now the spirit stuttered, its voice rasping like a bellows. “Why are you here?”

“Why? Weren’t you and your Ghost Sect the ones who invited me? Well, I’m here now—are you pleased?” Without giving it a chance to speak, she continued, “It’s time. For the petty crimes you committed in life and the evil you persist in as a spirit, the Fiendfire Command suits you perfectly. For the next hour, you’ll experience agony that tears your soul and burns every bone and sinew. The fiendfire will consume your power, then your spirit, then your very soul, and finally your essence. But rest assured, not a hair on this human body will be harmed. My Fiendfire Command works only on malevolent spirits—not on people. Enjoy it while it lasts.” With that, she formed a hand seal, and a streak of violet-red light shot into the officer’s crown, instantly enveloping his body in a glowing haze.

Shrieks of agony poured from the body as Yaoguang watched coldly.

Minute by minute, the pain worsened. The spirit felt as if countless needles pierced its soul—far worse than boiling oil. What kind of spell was this? It was not just annihilation, but judgment. The Phoenix Deity of Phoenix Spirit Mountain was rumored to be merciless to evil spirits. The stories were true. If only it had known, it would never have come to the police station as an undercover agent—even if the Ghost Sect’s leader had threatened its life. The Phoenix was far harsher than the Ghost Sect’s master. The pain intensified as the fiendfire burned through its essence. All the spirit could do was scream.

The ghostly wailing finally roused others downstairs. The door burst open just as the spirit’s essence was destroyed. The young officer’s eyes rolled back, and he collapsed, unconscious.

“Who are you? Why is he tied to the bed? Don’t you know assaulting a police officer is a crime?” A middle-aged officer at the door demanded.

Yaoguang ignored him and untied the ropes. She pricked her own finger and dabbed a drop of blood onto the officer’s brow, which vanished instantly into his skin. Yaoguang paused, realizing why this young officer had been assigned to the Department of Unusual Cases—he possessed the Ghost-Eye, a rare ability. No wonder the spirit had chosen him; those with Ghost-Eye have more yin than yang energy and are easily possessed, yet hard to detect. Yaoguang formed a protective charm over him—enough to keep out anything but the most difficult spirits.

Only after finishing did she glance coldly at the middle-aged officer. “Is he your subordinate?”

“Yes. Who are you?” the man demanded.

“Keep a closer eye on your men. He was possessed by a malevolent spirit and you didn’t even notice. What kind of outfit is this? How did Heavenly Sword come to accept any stray cat or dog? Truly a disgrace to the family.” With a contemptuous glance, she walked out.

“What do you mean by that? Stop right there!” The officer was so furious he shook, reaching to grab her. But a shorter officer entering behind him held him back. “Don’t. She’s not someone we can afford to provoke.”

The middle-aged officer stared, confused, at his colleague, then at Yaoguang, who was already striding down the corridor.

She continued on, and just as she reached the corner, a man approached from the opposite direction. Seeing him, Yaoguang smiled faintly.

“Phoenix, you’re back,” he said softly, unable to hide his excitement.

Yaoguang looked at him and replied gently, “Yes, Xuan Chen. I’ve returned.”