Main Text, Chapter 72: A Nationwide Announcement! (Part Two)

Clap, clap, clap... Before he could think further, a burst of applause broke out, shattering his train of thought.

The third row was already filled, though fewer than twenty people occupied it. He looked up and saw seven figures advancing to the center stage. Each was at least fifty years old, none of them smiling. As they faced the applause from the audience, they merely nodded and took their seats.

"Hello. S9527." At that moment, a hand appeared in Qin Ye's line of sight.

It belonged to a young man, with an air of refined elegance. His hair was neatly parted, he wore black-rimmed glasses, and his suit was impeccably tailored. A perfectly measured smile hung on his face.

"S2328?" Qin Ye shook his hand. "Meeting you in person is quite different from your reputation..."

"...," S2328 thought to himself, unsure whether to voice his sarcasm.

"Su Feng," the other man said, adjusting his glasses. He squinted at Qin Ye for a moment, then spoke in a low voice, "Just now... did you sense it?"

Qin Ye turned sharply, locking eyes for several seconds before lowering his gaze and speaking in a measured tone, "Time... was erased?"

"You’re steadier than I imagined," Su Feng smiled faintly, reclining into the soft chair. "Completely unlike the musclebound pup you seemed online—maybe you project a persona there. I think I’ve found an interesting research subject."

"And you’re more audacious than I expected," Qin Ye replied, smiling as he leaned back. In a voice meant only for them, he asked, "No danger?"

Su Feng answered coolly, "There’s always danger. We investigated the fluctuations of the yin energy that night. Even the Underworld River only recorded a waveform lasting 0.001 seconds. And in Baoyuan City, with a history spanning nearly two thousand years, such a phenomenon had never occurred—until that fleeting moment."

"And we still haven’t found the source. But..." He glanced at the stage, then abruptly changed the subject, "Do you see? In the center is Lord Zhou, the Deputy Chief Investigator of the Special Investigation Bureau. Beside him are the Provincial Deputy Governor, the Mayor of Baoyuan City, the Deputy Mayor, and finally, the heads of the Bureau’s Finance, Administration, and Enforcement Divisions."

Qin Ye breathed out, "Seeing so many high-ranking officials puts my mind at ease."

If the sky were to fall, it wouldn’t be his responsibility to hold it up.

Moreover, since the other party had dared to come here, it confirmed his suspicion—the yin energy was dormant.

"Ahem." Just then, a surge of powerful true energy swept across the hall. The Deputy Chief Investigator was a rotund man with salt-and-pepper hair, exuding kindness. Yet in that instant, the entire hall fell silent!

It was as if an invisible hand brushed across the venue; even the birds ceased their cries, and the wind itself seemed to halt.

"Peak Arbiter," Arthas murmured, "Stronger than I am... From this, we can infer the Bureau possesses combatants at the Lord of the Underworld level. Kid, now that you’ve mingled with them, be cautious in your dealings."

The rotund man uttered no words; he simply coughed lightly and nodded to the audience, then smiled.

"Let’s begin."

Three simple words. No superfluous speech.

Almost everyone drew a deep breath and straightened their backs.

It had begun…

Today, the world of cultivation and the realm of spirits would be unveiled before the three million citizens of Baoyuan City.

Tick, tick, tick... At 9:10, not a soul walked the streets. Every citizen of Baoyuan City remained in their homes.

A fashionably dressed young woman sat before her computer, clutching a drink she did not sip, her eyes fixed on the screen.

Three middle schoolers in uniform sat together, their breaths barely audible, eyes glued to the television.

A family paused mid-breakfast, all movement stilled, the volume turned up to the maximum, waiting in anticipation.

Throughout the city, countless streets and households... As the LED screens on the streets flickered to life, displaying the same image, this historic moment was broadcast.

"Some civil servants may have heard of my department—the Special Investigation Bureau. Allow me to introduce myself: Zhou Xianlong, Deputy Chief Investigator." The rotund man spoke with a natural authority, his words succinct and direct. "This department is a top-secret agency of the Republic, responsible for all supernatural phenomena."

He nodded downward. Instantly, a ten-meter-wide, three-meter-high LED screen slowly rose from beneath the stage.

Before their televisions, elderly viewers gripped their canes, children stared wide-eyed over their lollipops, and countless young men and women remained silent, their eyes burning bright.

Baoyuan City was hushed.

A palpable sense of anticipation hung in the air—this department, with its extraordinary authority, would open a new door for them.

Shhh... The screen displayed an image of a snow-white book, thick—about an inch—and inscribed with stark, mechanical characters: "Record of Paranormal Cases."

Without giving anyone time to react, the camera panned out—another book, and another.

Four or five books formed a shelf, and as the shot widened, everyone saw... it was a vast room, filled with two to three dozen cabinets! Scientists in white lab coats moved among them, occasionally retrieving a book.

Each cabinet held dozens of such shelves! Hundreds or thousands of books were stored here!

Zhou Xianlong addressed the crowd: "All these books have identical covers."

"All are titled: Record of Paranormal Cases."

"They... document every paranormal event of small scale or greater that has ever occurred in the Republic. The last three bookshelves cover modern times—from the founding of the nation, through the Republic era, back to the late Qing Dynasty!"

"Further back: the Qing, Ming, Yuan, Song... In every dynasty, someone quietly recorded these paranormal cases!"

He stood, hands braced on the table, like a dragon awakening: "I dislike pointless talk, and you are impatient, so let’s move directly to the topic you most wish to know."

He drew a deep breath: "Beneath this world, in places unseen by ordinary people, entities have coexisted with us since ancient times."

"The common term is 'ghost.' The technical term is 'yin spirit.' Once they gain sentience, their craving for flesh becomes extraordinary. Since the founding of the Republic, the casualties at their hands number in the tens of thousands. The Special Investigation Bureau is the vanguard confronting them—we fight for humanity!"

"In places unbeknownst to you, investigators from the Bureau have sacrificed themselves silently. Soldiers have died heroically, their deeds rarely made public. Thanks to them, you can sit safely and listen to these truths!"

His chest heaved: "In these decades, warriors who fell in the predation zones number in the tens of thousands."

His voice thundered: "So, I do not accept skepticism! The Bureau does not accept it, nor does the nation!"

"Our sacrifices far exceed what you can imagine!"

His voice, broadcast through radio, television, and computers, entered every household. In that moment, hundreds of thousands fell silent.

Three days of psychological preparation, after tens of thousands in the city witnessed ghosts three days prior—everyone had expected this.

What they hadn’t expected was that the curfew they resented, the secrecy that angered them, had been paid for with so many lives.

They thought today would bring gentle words, reassurance, and gradual explanations—but it did not.

What they received was a sweeping, thunderous confession.

What they received was a brutal and terrifying truth.

The university television room was packed, even with girls who rarely ventured in. All gazed at the screen with complex expressions.

Those holding drinks no longer sipped; snacks were forgotten. Some bit their lips gently, others lowered their eyes in silence. Who knew how much time passed before a chubby student whispered, "That night... my house was right next to a combat zone..."

"I saw... so many soldiers carried away..."

Silence.

What makes humans human is conscience.

"It must be true..." After a long pause, a senior student at the front spoke in a somber tone, "Actually... I saw it too... I just didn’t dare believe it."

"I know many of you may not believe it," as if anticipating their feelings, Governor Gao stood up on screen, scanning the hall. Unlike the TV audience, everyone here—young and old—felt an urge for vindication, like clouds parting to reveal the moon.

Everyone in the main venue was a cultivator.

They had quietly stood behind humanity, facing misunderstanding, silently eliminating predation zones.

And today, at last, someone openly affirmed their identity!

If they died in battle, it would no longer be the usual "sacrificed in duty," but instead, their name, their cause, every deed they performed, and which ghost had claimed their life!

Governor Gao spoke clearly: "But all of this is true."

"Every investigator present has made unimaginable efforts so you can survive!"

"Likewise..." He drew a deep breath, "The curfew order and the paranormal broadcast were executed by me. The provincial and city governments do not accept doubts!"

"Ask yourselves, as you witness these truths, how many warriors died in the past nights?"

"I can tell you: it was... 491. Many were far younger than those watching this broadcast! It was their first time on the battlefield—they didn’t even know what they were facing!"

"They confronted a ghost that had haunted Baoyuan City for a century. Not a single one retreated!"

"Gulp..." At Qin Ye’s side, a sudden swallowing sound broke the silence. He looked over. Beside him sat an elderly man with white hair, dressed in a traditional tunic—a Soul Binder, about seventy years old, whose life would likely end at this rank.

Yet this white-haired elder, eyes red, Adam’s apple trembling, gripped the armrest so tightly that it creaked.

"That’s Section Chief Li of the Provincial Bureau," Su Feng whispered. "From a family of morticians—three sons died on duty, yet none could enter the Martyrs’ Cemetery... Newcomers like you can’t understand their feelings..."