Detective Agency of the Bizarre
Chapter 100 - 100 One Hundred

100: One Hundred.

Pingling City Friendship Exchange Meeting 100: One Hundred.

Pingling City Friendship Exchange Meeting “Sorry about this, my uncle is sick in the head, lost his marbles—you don’t need to take him seriously.” The young Taoist ran over to the bedside in embarrassment, grabbing the old Taoist’s robe and pulling him down: “Uncle, this gentleman came especially to see you, please be nice and don’t disgrace our Qianqing Temple.”

“I won’t!

Today I shall slay demons and exorcise evil, to eradicate harm for the people!” The old Taoist held up the chicken leg, his gaze unyielding as he stared intently at Lu Li.

The young Taoist coaxed him: “All right, all right~ once lunch is ready and you’ve eaten, then you can go slay demons and exorcise evil.”

The old Taoist turned his head, spraying spit: “You’re so annoying, can’t you see I’m eating?”

The young Taoist grinned, not a bit offended: “One cooked chicken leg isn’t enough for an elder like you.

Today the cafeteria is making potato beef stew.”

“That…

well, alright then.

For the sake of the beef stew.”

The old Taoist hesitated for a long time before half-reluctantly sitting back on the bed.

The young Taoist walked backwards to the door, whispering softly: “Benefactor, you can just talk to Uncle Lu if you need anything.

I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll be leaving.”

“Mhm.”

Watching the young Taoist leave the room and walk away, Lu Li withdrew his gaze.

“Are you a Taoist?” Lu Li asked.

“I’m an exorcist.”

The old Taoist leaned on the short table beside the bed, dumped the chicken leg onto a plate, casually wiped his greasy palms on himself, and huffed: “Kid, what do you want from me after all the trouble of looking me up?”

“It didn’t take much effort.” Lu Li replied.

The old Taoist’s temper flared, he shifted his sitting position and snapped: “Who’s talking about whether it took effort or not, I’m asking you what you want!”

“I have some questions and was hoping you could clear them up.”

The old Taoist turned his head and snorted coldly: “I don’t care!”

“…Does your sister know about your secret crush on her?” Lu Li spoke after a brief silence.

The old Taoist suddenly fixed his almost cloudy eyes on him: “Are you threatening me?”

“Yes.”

The old Taoist harrumphed twice, cornered: “Ask your question, I’ll answer if I feel like it.”

Lu Li nodded and voiced the questions he had prepared: “I’ve been in this line of work for less than half a month.

Until now, I’ve been working alone, and you’re the second ghost catcher I’ve encountered.

Are there many others like us?”

“After seeing me, you should have your answer, right?” The old Taoist countered.

“Yes, now I’m sure.” Lu Li nodded.

If there’s one exorcist, it means there are more out there.

Shen Yuqiao pushed her glasses up, not quite understanding the edge in their conversation.

“Second question, you told me that the Black Charcoal Ghost will eventually turn into a Fierce Ghost.

What’s that based on?”

The old Taoist sneered, but he answered the question.

He pointed at his temple, then at the top of his head: “It’s based on my experience and the lessons passed down from my ancestors.”

Lu Li frowned slightly: “Please be more specific.”

“Don’t be fooled by how lucid it appears now, no different from a living person.

In not too long, you’ll find that she starts losing her three souls and seven spirits, growing unconscious.

Souls and spirits must cling to a body.

A bodiless soul and spirit are like a tree without roots, water without a source— they won’t last long.”

After sizing up Lu Li, the old Taoist’s tone shifted to one of persuasion: “Looking at you, you must have caught two or three ghosts already, probably the kind that recently died and don’t have much resentment.

I can understand if you don’t know the rules of this business, probably because the person who taught you wasn’t reliable and didn’t teach you much.

Ghosts are inherently opposed to humans.

Humans are yang, and ghosts are yin.

If ghosts really are harmless and benign…

why have we been tackling them for hundreds and thousands of years?”

Lu Li’s silence made the old Taoist think his advice was effective, so he continued: “Even if they do nothing and just stay by your side, their yin energy would still affect you.

I’ll give you a piece of advice, find a way to properly send off that piece of Black Charcoal you’ve saved.

None of the spirits that die evil are to be trifled with.”

Lu Li thought of Shen Jingjing.

If it weren’t for his guidance, she might not have chosen to seek revenge against her primary aggressor.

There was a high chance she would’ve killed indiscriminately until an exorcist who heard the news came to deal with her.

“It might not,” Lu Li replied, confident in his role as a Ghost Envoy.

“The last one said the same thing.”

“Which one?”

“The one who lived with ghosts.”

“And what happened?”

“The ghost became delirious and started killing people, and incidentally killed him too,” the Taoist clicked his tongue a few times, then casually lay down on his side, one leg cocked and swinging: “If you want to save yourself and those around you, you’d better send that evil spirit to be reincarnated as soon as possible.

That’s for its own good too.”

“I have one last question,” Lu Li said, avoiding the previous topic and quietly watching the old Taoist with his calm, dark eyes.

“Do you know of the door?”

This was another reason he was searching for an exorcist.

At Shanjiao Village, it was the exorcist’s methods that created illusions to keep Lu Li and the others delayed.

The old Taoist, being an exorcist, might know something about it.

The old Taoist looked puzzled and scratched the back of his head: “What door?”

“A door with a key in it.”

The old Taoist’s head shook like a rattle: “Never heard of it, not interested.”

“That door is looking for me.”

Lu Li continued on his own: “It’s sought me out three times, possibly more.

As I fall asleep at night, I often hear whispers by my ear, they tell me—”

“Enough!” the Taoist suddenly bellowed, cutting off Lu Li’s words.

He pointed at Lu Li, his withered palm shaking uncontrollably.

“You bring disaster, kid.

I must have forgotten to check the almanac before I left the house yesterday!”

Lu Li remained calm, “I know more, would you like to hear it?”

“I thought you were just a lay practitioner, but I didn’t realize…” The Taoist gazed deeply at Lu Li, as if looking at someone about to die, then sighed deeply after a long moment.

“Do you really want to know?”

Lu Li replied, “If I don’t even know what the door is, how can I talk about avoiding it?”

The old Taoist sat up straight and began to speak slowly: “I’m not clear on that matter, but don’t rush—I know of a group that deals specifically with doors…

In half a month, in half a month the local exorcists will be dispensing charity at their Taoist rite.

You might get a chance to meet them there.

But now, the rite is renamed to the Lingling City Exorcists Cultural Friendship Exchange.”

“They seldom appear, this is your only chance.”

There may be many more opportunities, but Lu Li might not last that long.

Lu Li pondered.

Just then, a voice rose up from behind.

“Uncle Lu, you’re deceiving tourists again.”

The young Taoist stepped over the threshold with a complaint and turned to Lu Li and the other, “Benefactors, it’s about to rain soon, you would do well to descend the mountain now to avoid the rain.”

“Okay,” Lu Li nodded, said his goodbyes, and left.

Outside, a fine rain had already started to fall.

Passing through the clearing and by the Merit Box, Lu Li took out several hundred yuan he carried with him, not counting the amount, and put it all into the Merit Box.

The Taoists continued on as before, not paying Lu Li any heed, with some practicing their martial arts and others meditating.

It was as if it was always like this, day after day.