Detective Agency of the Bizarre
Chapter 96 - 96 Ninety-six

96: Ninety-six.

Enters the scene fierce as a tiger.

96: Ninety-six.

Enters the scene fierce as a tiger.

Temporarily, Wei Heping had overcome his inner fear—at least he was no longer as overly anxious as he had been at first.

However, the situation remained serious.

Black Charcoal Ghost, Kong Nanqing, likewise hadn’t sensed any yin energy.

This indicated that the ghost wasn’t following Wei Heping, or that it might not be a ghost at all.

It could be a spirit, or simply a figment of Wei Heping’s imagination.

Wei Heping hoped it was the latter, as it would be easier on his psyche.

Lu Li hoped for the former, as hysteria would mean Wei Heping’s symptoms were very severe.

He could catch ghosts, but he couldn’t cure illnesses.

“We have investigated and found no yin energy on you,” Lu Li revealed the truth to Wei Heping.

“This means there is no ghost on you, but it might also be because you haven’t looked in the mirror, so it didn’t appear and we couldn’t sense it.”

“Is it possible that you can’t see…”

“There is no such assumption.”

Wei Heping slumped in his seat, muttering helplessly, “What should I do now…”

You now have three choices, look in the mirror here for us to verify whether there is a ghost, go out to see a psychologist, or find another exorcist.

Wei Heping jerked in reaction, then fell into a dilemma.

Struggling internally, he looked at the two Brocade Banners hanging on the wall and, after a long hesitation, made up his mind and said through gritted teeth, “You’ll protect me, right?”

“Yes.”

A Ghost Envoy, an evil spirit, a half-step evil spirit.

If such a lineup couldn’t deal with the evil spirit in the mirror…

then the target didn’t need protection upon death.

Lu Li looked up, and without needing to say anything, Shen Yuqiao understood his meaning and ran to the bedroom to fetch a mirror.

It was completely dark now; the evil spirit in the mirror should be able to move about.

Soon, the mirror was brought over, and Shen Yuqiao handed Wei Heping the palm-sized dressing mirror with the reflective side down.

He took it shakily, looking up uncertainly, “Do I really have to do this?”

“Perhaps you can go home and look in private,” said Lu Li calmly.

“You don’t need to be afraid, ghosts are not as terrifying as you imagine.

They are all transformed from the dead.

You have no reason to fear them.”

“I know…

but I can’t get over this psychological hurdle…” Wei Heping forced an ugly smile that resembled a cry.

Without having experienced certain things personally, it’s difficult for ordinary people entrenched in their own beliefs to accept that ghosts are not to be feared.

If the first thing Lu Li had encountered weren’t those gaudy sluts but traditional ghosts, perhaps his attitude toward ghosts wouldn’t be much different from that of Wei Heping.

“Then I, I…

am starting…

You must protect…

protect me…”

Wei Heping’s hands trembled just like his voice as he slowly flipped the dressing mirror to the front.

His face reflected in the mirror, and he instantly squeezed his eyes shut, refusing to open them.

Three gazes fell on the mirror at the same time.

A single person and two ghosts felt the yin energy at the same moment…

emanating from within the mirror.

It wasn’t imaginary; the evil spirit in the mirror truly existed.

Lu Li exchanged a look with Yang Chunxue.

There was indeed a ghost in the mirror, with only the strength of a soul, defeatable.

“Do we act now?” Yang Chunxue asked in a low voice, keeping her energy to a minimum.

She was afraid of scaring away this ghost guide and fodder.

“It’s not the time yet,” Lu Li replied.

If it was as Wei Heping described, and the evil spirit in the mirror sought to replace him, it would certainly try to emerge from within.

“It’s here!

It has appeared!”

Peeking, Wei Heping shouted, his hands shaking so much that the mirror wobbled.

“We see it.

Keep steady.

We’ll catch it when it tries to emerge,” Lu Li replied, opening his knife sheath but not drawing the kitchen knife.

He wasn’t sure whether the aura of the kitchen knife would disturb the evil spirit in the mirror.

All three watched the unremarkable mirror surface.

If not for the yin energy that was becoming clearer, no one would know that the reflection in the mirror was a ghost.

An almost imperceptible yin energy seeped from within the mirror and spread out.

“Don’t kill me, don’t kill me, don’t kill me…”

Wei Heping muttered under his breath, his hands shaking more violently.

As time ticked by second by second, at a certain moment, the scenes inside and outside the mirror completely overlapped—

Suddenly, the image within the mirror stabilized, no longer trembling with his quivering hands.

Wei Heping’s face clearly reflected in the mirror, corners of his mouth lifted in a sinister smile—while the actual Wei Heping had his eyes tightly shut, his face deathly pale in fear.

The evil spirit appeared.

The evil spirit in the mirror seemed unaware of the other people present, and as both human and ghostly onlookers watched, it gradually approached the mirror, its eerie face inching closer to the glass, and then—

Its face was trapped by the palm-sized dressing mirror.

“…”

“…?”

“…I knew it.”

Lu Li was calm, the Black Charcoal Ghost appeared perplexed.

Yang Chunxue covered her face and sighed.

Quickly realizing this would not work, the evil spirit’s face retreated from the mirror, its hand, half-transparent, reaching towards it.

Ripples spread across the surface of the mirror like water, a pale, translucent hand reaching out from within the glass, grasping towards Wei Heping, who still had his eyes closed, muttering softly.

But at that moment, a pair of hands emerged beside it, seizing and ripping at the arm of the evil spirit in the mirror.

Ripping—

The arm extending from the mirror was torn off by Yang Chunxue, gradually dissipating into the air.

The moment Yang Chunxue took action, Lu Li drew his knife, the kitchen blade becoming a blur as it stabbed towards the dressing mirror.

The moment the knife point met the mirror, a sharp, agonized scream erupted from within.

Wei Heping, frightened, opened his eyes and dropped the mirror, which was caught by Lu Li, his hand gripping the kitchen knife tightly.

Large swathes of blood-red bubbles emerged and evaporated from the mirror’s surface, and after a few seconds, a warmth spread in Lu Li’s palm— a new illustration appeared.

Calm returned to the dressing mirror.

“How is it?” asked Yang Chunxue.

“It’s taken care of,” Lu Li sheathed his knife.

“Just another salted fish, let’s disperse, sigh…” Yang Chunxue drifted away with a sigh, Kong Nanqing, not quite understanding, followed suit.

Wei Heping’s eyes bulged, incredulous at the scene he had just witnessed: “Was that…

that ghost?

Did you all take care of it?!”

“Yes, now let’s talk about the fee for the assignment.”

The fee for the assignment was ten thousand yuan, with Yang Chunxue getting 10% and Kong Nanqing 5%.

Of course, ghosts also need money to buy the necessities of life.

Like game skins, like video memberships.

With three illustrations in hand, if it weren’t for the gloom brought by that door, this occasion would be worth celebrating.

But now, Lu Li had to reserve these three illustrations for his intuition rather than to strengthen Yang Chunxue.

Yang Chunxue said it was okay because she also wanted to consolidate her strength—fantasy novels generally suggest that increasing strength too rapidly can lead to an unstable foundation.

“Thank you so much, Master, thank you… I will recommend you to my relatives and friends!” Wei Heping reached out to shake hands.

Lu Li looked down at that hand without moving.

With an awkward laugh, Wei Heping retracted his hand, still showing respectful reverence as Shen Yuqiao escorted him out.

“Not a single one who can fight,” Yang Chunxue crossed her arms and huffed.

Suddenly, Lu Li spoke up: “Haven’t you noticed?”

“Noticed what?”

“The first step you take is with your right leg, pocket is usually on the left chest, handshake typically offered with the right hand.”

Yang Chunxue tilted her head, thinking, then asked puzzled, “What about it?”

Lu Li looked up, gazing at Yang Chunxue, and spoke calmly.

“The client’s first step led with his left leg, his plaid shirt’s pocket was on the right chest, and he extended his left hand to shake.”