“Hufff……”

Lao Zhang suddenly sat up in bed,

His body drenched in sweat.

He gasped for breath,

Then immediately grabbed the large bottle of mineral water from the bedside table, twisted open the cap, and started chugging it down.

In his past life, Lao Zhang had been injured during a pursuit operation, left immobile in a deserted place for over a day. The blood loss caused severe dehydration, but he had no water to drink.

It was so bad that even touching his lips would tear off a piece of skin. Although he was eventually rescued, Lao Zhang developed a habit;

That was, every night before going to bed, he would put a bottle of water on the bedside table, so he would feel secure.

Even though he often slept through the night without waking up to drink.

He downed half a bottle of mineral water,

Lao Zhang calmed himself down,

But soon,

His heart,

Clenched again!

Just now,

He fell asleep?

Ordinary people wouldn't find anything unusual about going to bed; they would all take it for granted.

But for ghost patrollers, it was the greatest torture and pain because they couldn't sleep. Even if they took sleeping pills, all they would achieve, besides killing themselves, was still not being able to sleep.

An even more extreme situation was fainting from a severe blow or injury, but that wasn't really sleeping…

And the bodies of ghost patrollers were based on ordinary people's bodies. If you get knocked unconscious every time you get hit, would you still want this body?

“Glug…”

Lao Zhang swallowed,

A great sense of fear washed over him,

This fear,

Came from the unknown,

From the loss of control of something.

He had indeed been too tired yesterday. First, a ghost entered his body, then he lingered in the Late Night Bookstore for a long time, and then he went to the hospital overnight, tossing and turning for a whole day and night.

When people are very tired, they often overlook many things.

For example, Lao Zhang had habitually lain down on the bed last night, closed his eyes, and should have been breathing and meditating as Attorney An had taught him,

But this time, he didn't even have time to do that,

And,

He fell asleep…

Lao Zhang wasn't naive enough to think that he had suddenly opened up his Ren and Du meridians and gained the kind of opportunity that even the boss and Attorney An couldn't master, and could sleep like a normal person.

Since,

This sleep was suspicious,

Then,

That dream just now?

That incredibly real dream?

Lao Zhang felt his breathing begin to quicken,

For a long time, although he was a ghost patroller, he didn't actually have much ability when it came to those supernatural things related to "ghosts."

But even if he hadn't eaten pork, he had seen pigs run, right?

He would sometimes chat with the old Daoist priest in the bookstore and listen to the old Daoist talk about those things and tricks of the trade.

Although the old Daoist often liked to boast and embellish himself, Lao Zhang could also "self-filter" to obtain useful information.

For example, regarding the boss's affairs in hell last time, the old Daoist boasted that he had burned incense and bathed for three days and three nights, praying to the Three Pure Ones to open the door for the boss so that he could escape.

For example, regarding the previous matter of Xu Qinglang's master, the old Daoist boasted that he had been unyielding in the illusion, stubbornly blocking the other party from continuing to pluck people from the bookstore one by one and throwing them into the illusion, thereby creating conditions and opportunities for the boss and the others to launch a counterattack.

These,

Lao Zhang certainly didn't believe!

But listening to these things too much, thinking about them too much, he got a sense of things.

He immediately got out of bed, not bothering to put on a coat, and rushed into the bathroom, turning on the faucet and starting to wash his face. He felt he needed to calm down.

“Hufff…”

He raised his head,

Looked in the mirror,

Then,

“Ah!”

Lao Zhang shouted,

His body quickly staggered backward,

His back slammed against the bathroom door.

Lao Zhang raised his hand,

The person in the mirror also raised his hand,

Lao Zhang's body trembled,

The person in the mirror also trembled,

But the one in the mirror,

Wasn't him!

The one in the mirror,

Was the face of a beast,

On top of its head,

Was also a unicorn!

“Xiezhi!” (A mythical unicorn-like creature known for its ability to discern guilt)

Lao Zhang blurted out!

“Oh? You recognize me?”

A calm voice came, echoing in the narrow bathroom.

Lao Zhang immediately twisted his body, glancing at the door with the corner of his eye, but didn't act rashly, because he knew very well that he wasn't the boss, nor was he Attorney An. They could naturally choose to fight or resist in the face of this situation, because they had the ability.

But he,

Didn't.

“It's not surprising. You're a police officer, a defender of the law. It's normal to know me.”

Xiezhi muttered to himself, giving Lao Zhang an explanation.

Lao Zhang opened his mouth, but said nothing. For an old criminal police officer, asking him to catch ghosts was very difficult, but when a ghost began to talk to you in a substantial way,

Years of interrogation and adaptability instincts came into play.

Some things, this one didn't seem to know, so he certainly couldn't say them, but what should he say?

Thoughts flashed in his mind, and Lao Zhang immediately opened his mouth, speaking with just the right tone and pace:

“I don't know why you've come to me. I haven't done anything wrong…”

“No, you're wrong. As a ghost patroller of the Yin Court, you're very weak.”

“……” Lao Zhang.

It was right; he couldn't refute it.

His ghost patroller job was really slacking off.

Under the deliberate indulgence, or even "pampering," of the boss and others in the bookstore,

His ghost patroller of Tong City,

Could indeed be classified as someone who held a position without doing any work.

“But you, are a good police officer.”

Hearing this,

Lao Zhang was even more puzzled.

“Forget it, I won't interfere in the affairs of the Yin Court. Whether you do a good job as a ghost patroller is none of my business either.”

It's not my department, I don't care.

But Lao Zhang knew in his heart that it was actually because he had been beaten up and kicked out by the one in the boss's body when he tried to interfere in the past, and since then he dared not extend his hand into hell again.

But clearly, this being didn't know the relationship between the bookstore owner and Ying Gou, nor did he know the real reason why his two incarnations in Tong City were destroyed.

Otherwise,

He certainly wouldn't have the leisure to be here and say these things to him.

“I just want to ask you…”

“Ask me what?”

As soon as Lao Zhang finished speaking,

Flames suddenly rose in the bathroom,

A scorching temperature began to assail him,

Lao Zhang instinctively retreated, wanting to leave, but the bathroom door wouldn't open no matter what.

Seeing this, Lao Zhang simply stopped resisting, turned around, and continued to stand there, but this scorching barbecue flavor was indeed hard to bear.

Eating barbecue is a very pleasant thing,

But if you were the one being put on the skewer instead of the palm treasure,

It wouldn't be so wonderful anymore.

“I just want to ask you, if you were given another chance to choose,

Would you still let yourself be buried in a sea of fire?”

The unicorn in the mirror had no expression,

But it carried its own majesty.

Lao Zhang hesitated for a moment. He was really thinking about this question, and it did take a little time.

After a while,

Lao Zhang said:

“I don't know.”

He really didn't know,

When he had made the move to die together with the criminal, he hadn't thought at all, because at that time the children in the classroom had also been splashed with gasoline, and once a fire started, the consequences would be unimaginable.

But people all have their own nature, and that is the true person.

Those who like to shout lofty ideals or say they'll donate a life for someone on the internet, just listen and watch.

“Very good.”

The Law Beast seemed very satisfied with Lao Zhang's answer.

The unicorn face in the mirror disappeared, and Lao Zhang saw his own face. The surrounding fire also disappeared, as if everything before had not happened and was just his illusion.

“Granting you the identity of a Law-abiding Walker in the Human Realm, with a wisp of soul sealed within you.

A soul, surpassing projection, surpassing incarnation.

Two things to entrust,

First, investigate the disappearance of my previous two projections in Tong City.

Second,

You can borrow my power to climb a little in the Yin Court.”

When Lao Zhang heard this,

When he looked in the mirror again,

He found that there was a red luster flowing in his eyes.

He gritted his teeth,

And said:

“I need to slow down…”

“You have enough time to adapt. The existence of a soul is too special, I cannot stay awake for a long time. I will fall into a slumber, and when you call upon me, I will awaken and lend you the corresponding power.

However, your eyes are my eyes, and your ears will also be my ears.

You are a good police officer. On you, there is something that I have already lost…”

The voice slowly disappeared,

The red in Lao Zhang's eyes also slowly faded,

He knelt on the bathroom's tile floor.

After a long while,

Lao Zhang suddenly stood up and rushed out of the police dormitory building, starting his car.

About twenty minutes later,

The car stopped in front of the Late Night Bookstore,

The little loli stood at the door, yawning, preparing to lock up.

The bookstore needed someone to watch the night, most of the time it was the old Daoist, he would stay up until the second half of the night before going to sleep, but now the old Daoist needed to take care of the monkey, and the little boy was occupied by Attorney An tonight.

Attorney An said he wanted to accompany him well and make up for what he owed him.

The little loli was too lazy to argue with Attorney An, so she simply came down to watch the night. Business was good, two ghosts came and were sent down.

What the boss wanted now was merit, he didn't value these performance points very much, but the little loli still liked them very much.

Seeing Lao Zhang's car driving over,

The little loli was stunned,

And said:

“Supper’s already over.”

It's the middle of the night, there's no free meal to cadge.

Lao Zhang didn't answer the little loli,

Instead, he took out cotton balls from the car, stuffed his ears tightly, then closed his eyes, pushed open the car door, groped his way out of the car, and almost fell.

The little loli opened the store door, folded her arms, and stood there, watching Lao Zhang "blindly feeling the elephant."

Finally, Lao Zhang staggered to the bookstore door.

He had seen the little loli before getting out of the car,

So he knew the little loli was here now,

He pointed to his mouth, then to his eyes, and then to his ears,

Finally,

He began to shake his hands frantically.

At first, the little loli had a mocking smile on her face, watching the fun,

But gradually,

The smile on her face began to disappear,

And gradually became serious…