Before long, the forensic team and the on-campus police officer, carrying a power drill, arrived. The small four-person dorm room quickly became too cramped to fit everyone.
Song Miaozhu and the others temporarily retreated to the empty dorm room across from 119, giving space for the team to excavate the corpse. The corridor on the first floor and the stairs near Room 119 were cordoned off by the campus police, so no students wandered over.
Before long, two detectives escorted a man in his sixties over. "Captain! We've got him—"
Before they could finish, one of them shuddered. "Why does it suddenly feel so cold?"
E Hongjuan drifted over from the opposite dorm, momentarily breaking free from the bounds of her yin residence. "You old bastard! So you finally get what's coming to you! Just wait—when you die, I will come watch you suffer in hell!"
Her voice was full of venom, but she didn't actually use ghost force to harm him. When the detectives mentioned the chill in the air, she realized her spiritual energy had leaked out in her fury and quickly pulled it back.
The old man, still trying to act tough at first, wilted the moment he saw the dorm room full of police breaking up the floor tiles.
"It's over… It's over… I never meant to kill her!" He collapsed to his knees, drained of strength, muttered incoherently.
At these words, a surge of resentment flickered around E Hongjuan, her eyes turning blood-red.
Song Miaozhu immediately extended her cane to block her path. "Calm down. Don't do anything reckless."
"Captain Li, take him away," Song Miaozhu said to the head officer. "His presence is provoking E Hongjuan."
The old man suddenly looked up, panic overtaking his dazed expression. "Who did you say? E Hongjuan?"
That name had haunted his nightmares for decades.
"You left her body here. Don't you know? Her spirit wants nothing more than to rip you apart right now," Song Miaozhu said coldly, deliberately scaring him.
"Gh—ghost?!" The old man trembled uncontrollably.
Captain Li barked at his men, "Get him out of here—quickly!"
If the man fainted, fell ill, or even died from fright, it would be too merciful.
E Hongjuan watched as they disappeared around the corner, then let out a cold snort before floating back to Room 119 to oversee the excavation of her corpse.
And the moment she arrived, she cried out in panic: "Master! Master! Tell them to stop drilling—they're about to crack my skull!"
"…"
Song Miaozhu sighed and returned to Room 119 to supervise the excavation. By the time E Hongjuan's remains were fully unearthed, it was well past midnight.
At that moment, even the most skeptical among them could no longer deny the reality of ghosts. Their worldviews had been irrevocably shattered.
Encased in concrete for ten years, the corpse still bore traces of its original appearance—matching the account Song Miaozhu had received from the ghost herself.
Lin Jiaojiao and Xu Xiaodan had already left. Only Song Miaozhu, members of the SEIU, the police, and school officials remained.
E Hongjuan returned to the underworld, and the forensic team took her body for further examination. The school officials and campus police stayed behind to wrap things up.
Song Miaozhu left with the police officers.
Captain Li said to Zhao Huoyan, "The evidence in E Hongjuan's case is… unconventional. The bureau will handle it as a special case. Tomorrow, we may need someone from your team to accompany her ghost to the station for a statement."
He hesitated before adding, "Also… we have several major unsolved cases. Could your team visit the crime scenes or victims' graves to see if… you know… the deceased have any leads?"
This was an unprecedented approach to solving crimes. While higher authorities had instructed all departments to accommodate the SEIU, they also expected the unit to assist other agencies where possible. They couldn't refuse.
But Zhao Huoyan glanced at Song Miaozhu—whom Captain Li kept subtly hinting at—and sighed inwardly. "She's not one of mine."
Still, Old Man Zhao could also see ghosts.
"We'll help," Zhao Huoyan agreed. "But our manpower is limited. Send us the case files, and we'll schedule the investigations."
Song Miaozhu noticed Zhao Huoyan's gaze but pretended not to. She wasn't about to volunteer—she wasn't a government employee, after all.
Still, she felt obliged to offer a warning.
"Group Leader Zhao, Grandpa Zhao hasn't cultivated spiritual energy yet. He can't actively defend against yin energy invasion. Try not to let him interact with ghosts too often. Yin energy in the body may only slow cultivation—but physical damage is much worse."
Earlier, while waiting during the excavation, she had felt tired and circulated her spiritual energy. That's when she realized some lingering yin energy had attached to her without her noticing—but her energy easily expelled it.
She'd also realized that coating her skin with spiritual power could block its invasion. Unfortunately, when her soul entered the underworld, she couldn't channel spiritual energy.
Zhao Huoyan's plan had failed. "Master Song, could you—"
"Contribution points," she cut in.
"No problem!" Zhao Huoyan said immediately. "I'll post an external support mission on behalf of the Lingcheng SEIU. The rewards are generous. Take your pick whenever you're free!"
He added earnestly, "Our unit is newly established and severely understaffed. We'd really appreciate your help, Master Song."
His tone was so deferential that Song Miaozhu couldn't refuse. "Fine."
Captain Li, who had been listening nearby, looked puzzled. "Wait, what do you mean? Master Song isn't part of your unit?"
Zhao Huoyan gave a helpless nod. "Master Song… values her independence."
"Master Song, the SEIU's benefits are incredible! If I had the talent, I'd transfer in a heartbeat. You really won't consider it?" Captain Li tried persuading her.
Song Miaozhu shook her head. As a wealthy underworld businesswoman earning 250,000 hell coins a day, why would she settle for meager government wages and orders?
Still, she had intervened in E Hongjuan's case—and she wasn't about to leave it half-done.
"Now that her body's been unearthed, her yin residence's also destroyed. Without that shelter, crossing into the living world damages a spirit's soul—especially after sunrise. If you want her statement, it'll have to be done at night. You'll also need to summon her near her body."
"Then let's make it tomorrow night. How about 8 PM? Does that work for you?" Captain Li asked.
Seeing the exhaustion on the detectives' faces, Song Miaozhu nodded. "Agreed."
Tonight would've been ideal, but the officers—unlike her—had no spiritual energy to sustain them. They were barely holding on.
Tomorrow, she could spend the day crafting paper offerings in the city, absorbing untapped spiritual energy. Most areas here were still rich with unharvested spiritual particles—a treasure trove waiting to be claimed.
With enough stock in her ghost shop's warehouse to last days, she could replenish the supply later.
After the detectives drove off, Zhao Huoyan escorted Song Miaozhu, Zhao Mumu, and Old Man Zhao back to their hotel.