When Xia Baokun entered the Main Hall, his first glance fell on the Paolongkou, and his second on an old lady sitting below it with her hair similarly coiled and held by a pin. The old lady had a full head of white hair, was short and thin with a wrinkled face, but her eyes were so bright they were unsettling.
"Niangmu."
Xia Baokun put his palms together and gave her a bow.
The old lady looked at him and asked with a smile, "Officer Xia, are you here to arrest again?"
"Of course not, things aren't like they used to be…" Xia Baokun was a little embarrassed.
Back when he had just joined the force, he had arrested the old lady for promoting Feudal Superstition and swindling money.
He had visited several tis since, and she brought it up every single ti.
But this old lady truly had so skills, or else Xia Baokun wouldn't have co looking for her.
"Go on, what do you need from this ti?" the old lady asked.
The world was vast and full of strange things; not everything could be explained by science.
In his many years as an officer, Xia Baokun had encountered a few cases that science couldn't explain.
At tis like these, they would usually seek external help.
Over the years, they had arrested many swindlers and con artists, so of whom did possess genuine skills, but under the Human Path Torrent, no matter how great one's abilities, they still feared bullets.
Thus, many had died or fled, though of course, so survived, and were living quite well.
The old lady was one of them. She belonged to the local Li Ethnic Group, where she was deeply rooted and held imnse prestige.
Even back in the day, the Governnt Authorities didn't dare to be too harsh for fear of affecting Ethnic Unity, which was how the old lady managed to survive.
Although the Li Ethnic Group worshiped "Paolongkou," it was still fundantally a form of ancestor worship.
Even the "Paolongkou" was a composite image designed later by the Li ethnic elders based on the descriptions passed down in various villages.
In the beginning, the Li people worshiped the Stone Ancestor.
The so-called Stone Ancestor was a long, oval-shaped cobblestone. This type of fertility worship was also a form of ancestor worship.
Every Li Village would enshrine a Stone Ancestor, which was equivalent to the Earth God of us Han people.
Just as Xia Baokun ca in, he had seen a stone wrapped with a red ribbon in the Flower Bed; that was a Stone Ancestor.
The Li Ethnic Group was itself a Patriarchal Society, but the Huang Niangmu before him was special. Their Bloodline Inheritance ca from the Matrilineal line, passed down to daughters but not sons.
Only the won possessed the ability to Communicate with Ghosts and Spirits.
Furthermore, after awakening their ability, no matter their previous surna, they would all change it to Huang.
For example, the little girl who had led Xia Baokun in just now—if she truly was Huang Niangmu's granddaughter, then no matter her father's surna, she would eventually change hers to Huang.
That was because their branch of the bloodline was inherited from Huang Shengniang.
As for who Huang Shengniang was, or which deity she was, even Huang Niangmu herself probably couldn't say.
Seeing Huang Niangmu ask, Xia Baokun didn't beat around the bush and directly explained his reason for being there.
Hearing this, Huang Niangmu pondered, "It's very difficult for an ordinary person to see a ghost. Only if their Three Fires are Diminished, their Lifespan is nearing its end, and their Fortune has Declined to an extre degree would they have a chance."
"Is it that serious?" Xia Baokun's eyes widened in shock.
Huang Niangmu nodded.
"Unless the person herself is extrely special."
As she said this, she glanced at her granddaughter standing to the side.
Xia Baokun noticed it too, but paid it no mind, instead asking worriedly, "My niece is still very young, she has a long life ahead of her. Is there any way to save her?"
"What I said is only one possibility.
I'll have to et her to know for sure. Bring the person here first," Huang Niangmu said.
Upon hearing this, Xia Baokun said politely, "Then I'll have to trouble Niangmu to wait a mont. I'll call her now and have her co over."
With that, he walked straight into the Courtyard to make the call.
Seeing him go out, the little girl who had been silent all this ti finally spoke, calling out, "Grandma."
Huang Niangmu waved her hand.
"It's fine. People from the Governnt Authorities have backing, so they have confidence.
Naturally, they don't revere us like ordinary people do. You don't need to mind it.
The tis have changed; you were born in a good era."
When Jiang Xiyue received Xia Baokun's call, she was surprised but still obediently rode her motorcycle over.
"Captain Xia."
Seeing Xia Baokun waiting at the entrance, Jiang Xiyue quickly took off her Helt and greeted him.
"I'm friends with your dad. You can just call Uncle Xia," Xia Baokun said.
Jiang Xiyue complied readily and called him Uncle Xia, then asked, "What is this place?"
"Don't ask too many questions. Co in with ."
Xia Baokun led Jiang Xiyue into the house, and Huang Niangmu imdiately ca over.
"Is this the little girl?"
She abruptly brought her head close to Jiang Xiyue, startling her so much that she leaned back and was about to retreat, but her arm was grabbed by Huang Niangmu.
"Don't move.
Let have a good look." Huang Niangmu's hands began to touch and pinch her all over.
Jiang Xiyue looked toward Xia Baokun who was standing beside her.
Xia Baokun said with a calm expression, "Let Huang Niangmu have a good look at you."
Hearing the words "Niangmu," Jiang Xiyue knew who the other party was.
In the Qiong Sea region, only one type of person was called Niangmu—a Spirit dium who could Communicate with Ghosts and Spirits.
She also understood why Xia Baokun had brought her here.
Thinking of the little girl she saw yesterday, she, who had never believed in these things, obediently let Huang Niangmu examine her.
Huang Niangmu's examination was very thorough.
Not only did she touch and pinch her, but she even pulled open her eyelids to look.
Then her expression turned solemn.
This made both Xia Baokun's and Jiang Xiyue's hearts leap into their throats.
"How is it? Is the problem serious?" Xia Baokun pressed.
"Problem? What problem?" Huang Niangmu asked, surprised.
Hearing this, Xia Baokun gave a bitter smile.
"Niangmu, please stop keeping in suspense. Just say what's on your mind. I was wrong, okay? Please don't toy with anymore."
Huang Niangmu chuckled.
"She's fine, perfectly fine. Her Vital Energy is abundant. She's a good girl."
"Then she…?" Xia Baokun asked, puzzled.
"She has no problem, so naturally, it's the ghost that has a problem." As Huang Niangmu spoke, her expression grew serious.
"The ghost has a problem?"
"A ghost that can Manifest Form is a rare thing indeed," Huang Niangmu said.
Xia Baokun opened his mouth to ask more but was cut off by Huang Niangmu raising a hand.
"As long as the person is fine, that's what matters. Whether the ghost has a problem or not has nothing to do with you. You should go back now."
Just then, Xia Baokun's mobile phone rang again.
He had no choice but to gesture for the still-dazed Jiang Xiyue to leave with him.
"Hello, it's .
What is it?"
Xia Baokun answered the phone as he walked outside.
"There's another new Victim?"
Xia Baokun's head began to ache again.
With every new Victim that appeared, the pressure on him increased.
"Wait for , I'll be right there."
Xia Baokun pinched the bridge of his nose and walked toward his car, completely ignoring Jiang Xiyue who was following behind him, looking like she wanted to say sothing.
"The identity has been confird? It's Fang Yunlou, who's been missing for several days?"
Xia Baokun was a bit surprised to hear this, but not shocked. Ever since he learned that Fang Yunlou was a classmate of the previous Victims, he had a premonition that the next one might be him.
Sure enough, his guess was correct.
He stopped in his tracks and called out to Jiang Xiyue, who was just about to get on her motorcycle.
"Grandma, they're gone."
Seeing them leave, the Younger Sister closed the Courtyard Gate and returned to the house.
Huang Niangmu didn't reply; she was in the middle of her Worship to Paolongkou.
When she finished her Worship, she stood up and said, "Go ask your Grandfather if anyone special has co to Binhai recently."
The Younger Sister nodded and walked towards the Inner Room.
But the Younger Sister's Grandfather had actually passed away many years ago.
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