Chapter 187: The Arrival of the Masters

Approximately ten minutes later, the urgent wail of police sirens pierced the air. Seven or eight police vehicles, including armored patrol cars, streamed into Willow Cypress Garden. Immediately, a large contingent of fully armed SWAT officers disembarked, swiftly encircling Building Thirteen.

Every officer was clad in a bulletproof vest. The front ranks advanced with riot shields raised, while those behind them positioned their rifles, slowly closing in on the entrance. All potential escape routes had already been meticulously sealed.

Moments later, an officer with a megaphone boomed towards the apartment building: “Zhang! You are suspected of a heinous murder and an arrest warrant has been issued! We urge you to cease your resistance, lay down your weapons, and surrender immediately!”

He then reiterated, “Anyone unrelated to this case, please evacuate the building immediately to prevent any accidental harm!”

In fact, most residents of Building Thirteen had already evacuated due to the earlier commotion, even before the police arrived. Now, the few individuals who had remained hidden in their homes quickly scrambled out upon hearing the officers’ urgent shouts.

Furthermore, a substantial crowd of onlookers had gathered. These were not only residents of Willow Cypress Garden, but also people from nearby communities who had rushed over upon seeing the disturbance.

The police were actively gathering information from the surrounding populace. When they learned that the suspect was hiding in the second basement level’s cold storage, and had even annihilated a six-person ghost-hunting team, their expressions grew grave.

The police chief ordered the officers on-site to halt their advance and await backup. However, they did not simply wait idly; they began constructing makeshift fortifications. Snipers climbed to nearby rooftops, taking up positions, while the officer with the megaphone continued to address Building Thirteen.

Yet, all their shouts met with silence, like stones sinking into a vast ocean. Aside from the scattered residents of Building Thirteen who had fled, Old Man Zhang was nowhere to be seen.

The crowd of onlookers grew steadily larger, forcing the police to begin a dispersal effort. Still, they couldn’t manage a complete evacuation. Some even used the guise of dispersal to infiltrate, forming a perimeter from the outside. This was a precautionary measure, ensuring the police could respond swiftly and gain control of the scene immediately should any situation arise.

Unlike the curious onlookers, I had already returned home after the incident. Only my Golden Bee Gu remained at the scene, observing. I even knew that after Old Man Zhang moved the ghost hunters’ bodies back into the cold storage, he had sealed the door, and I had no idea what he was doing inside.

At this moment, I stared with a wry smile at the ancient brass key lying on the table before me, emanating an ominous aura. I had, after all, succumbed to greed. When Old Man Zhang had rushed out to pursue the two ghost hunters, I had instructed my Golden Bee Gu to retrieve this key.

A few more minutes passed, and three vehicles drove into Willow Cypress Garden. The lead car was another police vehicle, but the two cars behind it were rather high-end sedans. Once they had come to a stop, four oddly dressed individuals emerged from the latter two.

One wore a grey mandarin jacket, two were clad in Taoist robes, and the last was an elderly woman, wrapped entirely in a thick overcoat and wearing a headscarf, despite the weather not being cold.

‘How did *he* get here?!’ I exclaimed, staring at one of the men in a Taoist robe. It was Yi Zhiqiu, now back in the same Taoist robe and crane cloak he wore when I first met him.

The other Taoist beside him was dressed even more flamboyantly. He wore a tall crown, possessed a white beard and hair like a crane’s feathers, and his Taoist robe was exceptionally ornate, featuring turtle and snake patterns on the front and embroidered with the Taiji Bagua on the back. He looked less like a typical Taoist and more like a demigod or a specialized ghost-hunting master.

The police chief was already explaining the situation to the four. Seeing their peculiar attire, I understood immediately: these four were the reinforcements the police had called in, each a master in their own right.

Because six ghost hunters had been killed, the police suspected the suspect possessed spiritual power, or that the incident itself was supernatural. Hence, they had invited these four masters for support, likely bringing in collaborators from several nearby police stations.

Among the four, the old woman and the Taoist master were both over sixty years old. The burly man in the mandarin jacket was a middle-aged man in his forties. Only Yi Zhiqiu was a young man in his twenties, appearing more like an attendant.

Hearing that the suspect had slain a six-person ghost-hunting team, the masters dared not be careless. The elderly Taoist master quickly formed a hand seal and recited a section of a Taoist scripture.

Soon, spiritual light shimmered around the police officers in the front ranks. Their riot shields had also been enchanted by the Taoist master. Truly, a master’s actions were extraordinary.

With the Taoist master’s enchantments, these officers finally dared to push into Building Thirteen. Yet, they remained extremely cautious, as their opponent was either a vicious, deranged fanatic or a supernatural evil spirit.

The group entered the pitch-black stairwell, their numerous tactical flashlights illuminating it as brightly as day. They quickly discovered the ghost talismans drawn on the walls and the congealed bloodstains on the floor.

“These are talismans for suppressing evil, but they’re only of the folk variety,” the old woman remarked. “The sequence is jumbled, and some stroke orders are wrong. Whoever wrote these is an amateur. They likely don’t understand ghosts and simply wrote them here for peace of mind.”

There was a clear difference between an expert and a half-baked amateur. While the ghost hunters could only recognize these as ghost-hunting talismans, this old woman could deduce much more information from them.

“The smell of blood here is heavy. I wonder how many people have fallen victim,” the police chief said, looking at the congealed blood on the floor.

“This doesn’t smell like human blood,” Yi Zhiqiu interjected.

‘Not human blood? What then?’ the police chief countered. ‘The crowd earlier said the suspect killed a female ghost hunter and dragged her inside. Her blood hasn’t even completely dried yet.’

“No, there is indeed the lady’s blood, but the other blood doesn’t seem like… Why?” He couldn’t figure it out.

“Don’t worry about it so much. Go apprehend the suspect. You can interrogate or analyze later,” said the middle-aged man in the mandarin jacket, seemingly a person with a short temper or an impatient nature.

“The master is right,” the police chief agreed. Comparing his respectful attitude towards the middle-aged man and the two elderly masters to his demeanor with Yi Zhiqiu, it was clear he didn’t trust Yi Zhiqiu as much, likely due to his youth.

The police continued to advance cautiously, fearing traps or ambushes. So many people crowded into the narrow stairwell that if a machine gun were to open fire, there would be nowhere to hide; they could only raise their shields and endure.

Fortunately, their journey was smooth, with nothing untoward occurring. They successfully reached the second basement level. Facing the sealed cold storage door, the officers first arrayed themselves, awaiting orders from their superior.

“Captain, should we ram the door or use explosives?” a SWAT officer asked the police chief. They had brought a ramming tool, and given the severe nature of the case, they were also authorized to use explosive charges.

“No need for such trouble. I can handle it. You just need to open that large iron door, right? Please step back a bit,” said the middle-aged man in the mandarin jacket.

“Hmph!” He took a step forward, his robes seemingly billowing with an unseen force. Immediately, his muscles bulged and veins pulsed across his body, as he pushed a palm forward.

📚 Also on NHV Novels

Reborn as the Villain’s Loyal Dog, Trapped in a Never-Ending Shura Field

Book TransmigrationModernsystem

Read Now →
Not interested