These two brothers clearly intended to stand by and watch.
Zhao Fusheng laughed coldly:
"My parents died unjustly. Aren't you afraid of provoking corpse transformation and more malevolent ghosts appearing?"
Hearing this, Fan Bisi couldn't help laughing out loud:
"Fusheng, you don't know. One mountain cannot contain two tigers. Ghosts also have their own rules. Higher-level malevolent ghosts have certain suppression over ghost entities in the same domain. If your parents transform into malevolent ghosts, they might mutually constrain each other, actually forming a perfect situation."
Finally, he paused and added:
"If only one ghost resurrects while one person truly died, then you're the Demon-Suppressing Bureau's chief magistrate. You said yourself you want to revive the Demon-Suppressing Bureau. Then solving ghost disasters is your responsibility. What does it have to do with us?"
From his words, Zhao Fusheng extracted two useful clues:
First, in this era, dead people could indeed transform into ghosts. This way she'd also found the source of malevolent ghost formation. But this made the situation even worse.
Because if people dying with grievances and resentment would turn into ghosts, ghost appearances would be impossible to prevent. Especially since Fan Bisi mentioned 'ghost fog' appearing—this thing seemed very favorable for ghost birth, but correspondingly very unfavorable for humans.
According to Fan Bisi, humanity's method of dealing with malevolent ghosts was only borrowing ghost power to fight ghosts. But the consequences of humans dealing with ghosts were severe, with high death probability—if malevolent ghosts frequently resurrected, Wan'an County had almost no way out.
She frowned with some headache, then contemplated the second possibility Fan Bisi mentioned.
Fan Bisi said after Zhao Fusheng's parents transformed into malevolent ghosts, they might mutually constrain each other.
According to her previous understanding, people who died and became ghosts should have memories from life. But from Fan Bisi's words, it seemed that here, people who died and became ghosts would lose memory and rationality, only knowing how to instinctively create slaughter.
However, this was just her speculation.
After learning she was unwilling to remove their life-souls, Fan Bisi obviously wouldn't tell her extra information. But she could verify this point later when dealing with ghosts.
"So ghosts are indeed transformed from dead humans." She responded.
Fan Bisi's expression turned ugly. He laughed coldly and didn't speak again.
"Since the Demon-Suppressing Bureau has no money and you brothers have no solution, and aren't afraid of malevolent ghost resurrection, my parents' funeral still must be held." Zhao Fusheng said calmly.
Hearing this, Fan Wujiu was about to speak when Fan Bisi looked at him and shook his head.
Zhao Fusheng acted as if she hadn't seen the two brothers' exchange and added:
"Why not borrow two coffins from Old Zhang at the coffin shop first? Once the Demon-Suppressing Bureau gets back on track, we'll repay the money."
"..." Her previous timidity and weakness—now she actually dared to ask people to loan property on credit. This somewhat made Fan Bisi look at her differently.
"Can't borrow." But even so, Fan Bisi still shook his head with some regret.
"Can't borrow?" Zhao Fusheng was now truly displeased. "You two are people of the dignified Demon-Suppressing Bureau. You don't look like any law-abiding good citizens. How could you not borrow two coffins?"
Fan Wujiu said:
"We truly can't borrow. Why do you think that coffin shop still hasn't moved?"
The Demon-Suppressing Bureau now had a bad reputation. In a short time, almost everyone in the bureau died, scaring nearby merchants so much they fled overnight.
"The reason Old Zhang hasn't moved is purely because he can't. When we initially handled funerals, we always borrowed coffins from him on credit. Now we owe a lot of money, which is why he's forced to stay here under pressure."
Fan Bisi nodded:
"What Wujiu said is correct."
"Since you've decided to revive the Demon-Suppressing Bureau, there's actually one matter—Old Zhang says we owe quite a bit from before. Now that you're the Demon-Suppressing Bureau's magistrate, he says to see when you have time to settle the Demon-Suppressing Bureau's previous debts."
"I have to repay money too?" Zhao Fusheng raised her voice to ask.
"Don't dare not repay." Fan Bisi pulled at his mouth corner. "His surname is Zhang."
"Zhang?" Hearing this, looking at Fan Bisi's expression, a person suddenly came to Zhao Fusheng's mind:
"You mean Boss Zhang?"
She'd just been reborn into the Great Han Dynasty, unfamiliar with people and places. But this Boss Zhang alone—she'd already heard the Fan brothers mention him several times.
Fan Bisi seemed quite wary of him. Earlier, he'd even presented introducing this person to her as a condition for trading with her.
"Correct." Fan Bisi didn't hide it and spoke frankly:
"They're from the same clan. I advise you not to offend him either. As for the coffins, you'd better think of another solution. Can't borrow them on credit. Right now, Old Zhang only accepts cash, absolutely no credit."
His manner was arrogant, his words carried provocation, as if deliberately trying to provoke Zhao Fusheng's true anger.
Hearing him say this, Zhao Fusheng fell silent for a long while, then suddenly laughed coldly:
"Have Old Zhang from the coffin shop come here."
Her performance was beyond Fan Bisi's expectations. Fan Bisi was stunned, then also laughed coldly and turned his head:
"Wujiu, call Old Zhang over."
Fan Wujiu listened to him very much. Hearing this, he stood at the gate and shouted loudly:
"Old Zhang, come settle accounts!"
His voice was loud and clear. Once he called out, everyone nearby could hear clearly. Not only did Old Zhang from the coffin shop poke his head out, but people from the incense, candles, and spirit money shop also emerged.
Fan Bisi just smiled, his eyes somewhat unkind:
"Fusheng, I forgot to tell you. Because of previously handling funerals, we didn't just owe the coffin shop money. The incense, candles, and spirit money shop is also owed quite a bit—"
"It's fine. Call them all together."
Zhao Fusheng pondered briefly, then nodded.
She looked unhurried and composed, completely calm. Fan Bisi looked at her somewhat suspiciously, his brows furrowing, but he didn't speak again.
Old Zhang from the coffin shop quickly brought over a bone-thin assistant.
Old Zhang had a half-bald head, red-tipped nose, and narrow eyes that occasionally flashed with shrewd light. With his rat-like face, people instinctively felt disgusted at first sight.
At this moment, suddenly called to the Demon-Suppressing Bureau by the Fan brothers, not knowing what scheme these people had planned, he stared at Zhao Fusheng with alarm and uncertainty.
He wasn't unfamiliar with Zhao Fusheng. His relationship with Boss Zhang meant he'd long known Zhao Fusheng was just a scapegoat the Fan brothers found. Yesterday's incident where the Zhao family of three died at the malevolent ghost's hands in the Demon-Suppressing Bureau couldn't be hidden from him. But he hadn't expected the dead person would appear before him early this morning.
When he saw Zhao Fusheng, he thought he'd seen a ghost in broad daylight, which scared him badly on the spot.
"You..."
He stared at Zhao Fusheng with alarm.
At this close distance, he could naturally recognize that though Zhao Fusheng's complexion was pale, her eyes were bright and alert, her breathing even—clearly a living person.
"I heard our Demon-Suppressing Bureau owes quite a bit of money?" Zhao Fusheng didn't acknowledge his probing gaze but asked in a low voice.
She was thin, wearing obviously ill-fitting clothes. But her manner and tone when speaking were completely different from before. Her gaze no longer dodged. When looking at people, her expression was calm.
Old Zhang could open a coffin shop on this street—naturally he wasn't ordinary. Thinking of her situation, the same thought emerged in his mind as Fan Bisi's: ghost controller.
This girl who should have been lured away by disaster had instead been 'blessed' by misfortune, successfully controlling that out-of-control malevolent ghost?
He contemplated in his heart but kept responding verbally:
"Yes."
"How much is owed? Calculate it."
Zhao Fusheng said.
Old Zhang was puzzled but still summoned the pot-bellied assistant following him.
That person had a wooden expression, holding an account book and shuffling forward.
He looked very strange—his four limbs thin and long, his cheeks only skin wrapped over bone, eyelids drooping. But his belly was big as a basket, making his movements somewhat sluggish.
When he stood before Zhao Fusheng and lifted his eyelids, those yellowed eye whites and somewhat cloudy eyes were visible.
Getting closer, Zhao Fusheng faintly smelled a trace of corpse stench lingering on his body.
Whether because she herself was entangled by a ghost, Zhao Fusheng was extraordinarily sensitive to 'ghost' qi. Being looked at by him, she immediately felt hair-raising, sensing that standing before her didn't seem like a living person.
But compared to Zhao Fusheng's tension, that assistant was even more uneasy. A 'hehe' sound came from his nasal cavity. Inside that big belly, something seemed to be wriggling, pushing up his clothes and constantly moving across his stomach.
Seeing this scene, Old Zhang actually relaxed.
He signaled the assistant to put down the account book and waved for him to retreat.
That assistant quickly retreated woodenly. Not until he'd retreated outside the gate did the assistant barely regain some composure, no longer spinning around like a headless fly.
"The Demon-Suppressing Bureau's past debts are all here."
Zhao Fusheng withdrew her attention from that assistant, her gaze falling on the account book. She didn't check the accounts but asked:
"How much in total?"
Seeing her straightforwardness, Old Zhang was stunned, then showed a smile:
"Starting from last year, the Demon-Suppressing Bureau had an incident..." He said this much, turning to glance at the Fan brothers.
Fan Bisi nodded imperceptibly. He silently breathed a sigh of relief, then added:
"A total of thirty-two coffins were used. Each coffin, according to past rules, totals three taels of silver." The old man, when talking about money, swept away his cowering feeling:
"So thirty-two coffins should be ninety-six taels of silver."
After speaking, he sneakily lifted his eyelids to glance at Zhao Fusheng:
"You calculate whether it's correct."
Zhao Fusheng knew nothing about Great Han prices at this time. But her intuition was sharp and her observation meticulous.
She also turned to look at Fan Bisi, showing a meaningful smile.
In Fan Bisi's conversation with her, he'd mentioned a very key issue: when he purchased Zhao Fusheng to send to her death, he spent five copper coins.
If one human life only cost five copper coins, then one coffin could purchase six hundred Zhao Fushengs—this obviously wasn't reasonable.
However, her goal wasn't the price. Hearing Old Zhang's words, she generously nodded in agreement:
"No problem!"
Old Zhang was stunned by her agreement. After a long while, he raised his voice to ask:
"Are you serious?"
"Yes."
Zhao Fusheng nodded:
"Add two more coffins, for a total of 102 taels of silver. What do you think?"
Hearing her say this, Old Zhang first felt joy, then an ominous premonition.
If Zhao Fusheng wasn't quick to react, she must have prepared in advance.
But the coffin price was something he said casually. How could she know how much he'd charge per coffin?
At this moment, she calculated without error, clearly not someone who couldn't count.
But the Fan brothers clearly found her from the countryside. It was said the Zhao family of three were illiterate. Old Zhang had seen her before too—she was indeed timid and shrinking, not daring to interact with people. How could she have this appearance of fluently conversing with him?
He grew suspicious, instinctively wary:
"It's possible, but how will you pay this money?"
"I have no money."
Zhao Fusheng said frankly.
"What?" Seeing her speak of 'having no money' with such a calm appearance, Old Zhang immediately felt absurd:
"Then aren't you just toying with me?" After speaking, he made as if to call his assistant to take the account book away.
"Not at all." Zhao Fusheng pressed her hand on the account book, stopping his movement:
"We can discuss this. I temporarily have no money, but I'll borrow 110 taels of silver from you in the Demon-Suppressing Bureau's name—"
Her words made Old Zhang laugh in anger. He even forgot Zhao Fusheng had a ghost attached and quickly said:
"That won't do. To be honest, what authority does the Demon-Suppressing Bureau have now?"
If it were the past, when Zhao Qiming and other magistrates were still alive—these people were experienced and quite capable. When they 'borrowed money,' Old Zhang believed in their 'repayment' ability while also truly not daring to refuse.
But now—
Old Zhang from the coffin shop kept shaking his head:
"Can't lend, can't lend—"
The Fan brothers crossed their arms, watching the show from the side.
Zhao Fusheng wasn't discouraged by his refusal and asked again:
"Then can I borrow two more coffins and repay the money later?"
"Also can't." Old Zhang still shook his head.
Zhao Fusheng, after being refused again, didn't get angry but made another suggestion:
"How about this—you extend the time a bit more. Later, once I've taken control of the Demon-Suppressing Bureau, I'll borrow some silver from Wan'an County's wealthy families and gentry to repay you."
"I can't wait for later. Wan'an County's situation is wrong. After collecting this debt, I'm taking my whole family away from here..."
He clearly didn't believe in Wan'an County's future.
While speaking, the boss from the incense, candles, and spirit money shop also arrived.
This person was a hunchbacked old man with a somewhat gloomy expression. Most eerie were the two strange 'children' following him.
The two 'children' had red cheeks, grinning mouths, and stiff expressions. They didn't seem like real people. They also had ghost qi on them.
Just as Fan Bisi said, on this street, those who remained probably mostly had their own self-protection methods and couldn't be underestimated.
Zhao Fusheng glanced once but didn't pay attention, instead staring at Old Zhang:
"This won't work, that won't work. Then what do you want?"
"I want..."
Hearing this, shrewd light showed in Old Zhang's eyes. He subconsciously opened his mouth, then saw Zhao Fusheng's half-smiling expression.
Seeing this scene, he immediately realized something was wrong.
"The Demon-Suppressing Bureau suffered ghost disaster. Everyone else left, but you didn't. You really had other plans." Zhao Fusheng said with a smile:
"I didn't even know the Demon-Suppressing Bureau had anything worth you coveting so much."
After speaking, she added:
"Speak. What do you want?"
"..."
Old Zhang's expression fluctuated between dark and light, his eyes showing regret. He secretly hated that she'd extracted information with just a few words.