Chapter 26: The Mysterious Stalker

Things had escalated beyond control.

Yet, there was no choice but to grit their teeth and press on.

At the time, the Nationalist government could only keep increasing the budget, mobilizing more manpower to dig up the mass graves below. Worse hauntings began to occur, with entire work crews collectively losing their minds in supernatural incidents...

Desperate, the authorities scoured the land for anyone with special abilities. But most who came were mere charlatans—those who performed supposed rituals either died or went insane, harming both others and themselves.

Just as the government of River City was buckling under immense pressure from all sides, a wandering Taoist appeared on his own.

He claimed he’d passed through River City and sensed overwhelming resentment in the air, even signs of a terrifying nest of ghosts forming. He decided to act and suppress the evil.

Local officials, after witnessing his display of Taoist arts, were overjoyed and immediately agreed. They handed over full responsibility for the suppression and reconstruction of the mass grave area to this mysterious Taoist.

He explained that the region’s resentment was too heavy to be eradicated quickly; only suppression and sealing could gradually weaken it over time.

Following his instructions, the land originally destined for a public park became a dense forest. At its heart, an artificial lake was constructed as the “core of the array,” meant to seal in the malevolent aura.

On the day the forest and Lake Heart were completed, the mayor of River City gratefully invited the “sage from outside the world” to attend the dedication ceremony. The Taoist viewed the newly formed woods, laughed thrice into the sky, and ascended to immortality on the spot—dead.

And after that...

There was nothing more.

Originally, this account spanned about two pages. It seemed unfinished, and there should have been more. Yet when Zhao Shanshan turned the page, she found it had been torn out!

“What happened? Someone ripped out the next part?”

Zhao Shanshan frowned, her expression odd. “This is the archives—very few people ever come in, let alone consult these specialized books. Judging from the torn edge, it looks like it was removed not long ago…”

“So someone beat us to it before our investigation, deliberately cutting off our trail!” Fu Yang suddenly understood.

All three wore grim expressions: things had taken a turn for the worse!

Previously, they thought that if this was merely a supernatural murder, they could gather hidden information and strike decisively. But now, it seemed there was someone aiding from the shadows—someone with access to the archives, either a government official or someone with considerable social standing.

With humans entangled with ghosts, the situation became far more complicated!

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No choice—the clue ended here, and waiting was useless.

Zhao Shanshan suggested they return and see if the police made any breakthroughs.

Just then, Fu Yang felt an inexplicable discomfort, as if someone was watching them in the dark.

He instinctively turned his head, and through the gaps between rows of shelves, he saw a pair of strikingly black-and-white eyes staring fixedly from a distant corner!

“Someone’s following us!”

Fu Yang managed to whisper this into Zhao Shanshan’s ear before sprinting off in pursuit.

In his urgency, he forgot all about propriety, oblivious to the fact that a girl’s earlobe was among the most sensitive places. His intimate posture and the warm breath in her ear made Zhao Shanshan shiver, and Fu Yang’s words were barely heard.

Not until Ah Huang gave her a hard slap did she snap out of it, realizing someone was stalking them and must be chased…

By then, Fu Yang had already closed in on the corner where the stalker lurked.

From several meters away, he saw the figure dressed in a blue, cross-collared robe, cloth shoes—clearly attired as a scholar from the Republic era!

A black metal mask covered his face, two sharp fangs protruding from his lips.

“What the hell—how did this freak get into the archives? Is this a masquerade?”

Fu Yang had trained in martial arts for several years and was confident in his skills—handling two or three opponents was no trouble.

The stalker, realizing he’d been discovered, remained calm. He circled to the right, pushed open two doors, and slipped into the emergency exit—stairs leading down to the exit.

“Stop! Where do you think you’re going!”

Fu Yang shouted, accelerating and crashing through the emergency door into the stairwell.

Thump, thump, thump.

The chase continued, one in front, one behind, always maintaining a certain distance.

Rounding a landing, Fu Yang, quick-eyed, grabbed an ashtray from the windowsill and hurled it at the masked man’s head!

Whoosh.

The ashtray whistled through the air.

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The masked man didn’t even turn—almost as if he had eyes on the back of his head. He sidestepped, dodging the blow.

The ashtray shattered against the wall.

But that dodge slowed him down, and Fu Yang caught up!

“Leave it to me, you idiot!”

Fu Yang snorted, raising his leg high for a side kick aimed at the man’s head.

Unexpectedly, the other grabbed his ankle in a flash.

Fu Yang felt a piercing pain, as if his ankle were caught in an iron vise.

“Damn—he’s strong!”

But he didn’t give up, twisting his waist to spin himself in the air, bringing his other foot towards the man’s head.

The masked man released his ankle and retreated sharply, dodging Fu Yang’s powerful kick—had it landed, he might have been knocked out cold.

He stepped back, widening the gap again. The masked man turned to leave, but Fu Yang persistently closed in.

They grappled and fought.

Finally, Fu Yang managed a clever move, grabbing the hem of the blue robe and tearing off a palm-sized piece of fabric!

But in that brief moment, the masked man had reached the exit. It was too late to pursue.

Before stepping out, he glanced back at Fu Yang.

Those stark black-and-white eyes, peering through the sinister iron mask, gleamed with icy light, sending a chill through Fu Yang’s heart...

“What happened? Fu Yang, did you catch that damned stalker?”

Ah Huang and Zhao Shanshan’s voices rang out—they had caught up. Zhao Shanshan had already drawn her pistol, her cheeks flushed bright red—whether from the chase or Fu Yang’s earlier, unintended intimacy was unclear...

(First update ends!)

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