Chapter 147: Declaration of War

"A challenge scroll?"

I was utterly baffled, completely bewildered by this Zhang Wushang. I didn't know him at all, and this was our very first meeting—why on earth was he handing me a challenge scroll?

"What is the meaning of this?" My tone turned gloomy, as the whole situation felt absurdly inexplicable.

"My superiors sent me to find you to administer an assessment for joining the Paranormal Investigation Bureau. If you meet my standards, you will be permitted to join us."

I laughed, replying that I had never once thought about joining any Paranormal Investigation Bureau, nor had I ever heard of such an organization before. Why on earth should I submit to their assessment?

"You have no choice!"

I froze. I had a lingering sense that there were hidden implications in Zhang Wushang's words, so I immediately asked, "Why do I have no choice? Could it be that your Paranormal Investigation Bureau can cover the sky with a single hand, forcing anyone you choose to join you? Isn't that a bit too overbearing?"

"Do you know why my superiors sent me to find you?"

"Why?"

"Because of the Curse of the Nine-Yin Destined Veins on your body!"

I was startled. I never expected that Zhang Wushang would know about my Curse of the Nine-Yin Destined Veins. Back then, Qin Yu had publicized the fact that I possessed a Nine-Yin destiny, and given the influence of the Paranormal Investigation Bureau, perhaps they could uncover that much. But nobody knew that I had the Nine-Yin Destined Veins, yet this Zhang Wushang actually knew. What did this imply?

A sudden sense of vigilance rose within me. I demanded, "How do you know about my Curse of the Nine-Yin Destined Veins?"

Zhang Wushang replied that he himself did not know, but that there was a master diviner within their organization who could calculate all of my information, including a heaven-shaking secret hidden deep within me.

At that exact moment, my heart began to hammer wildly against my ribs. I dared not doubt the truth of Zhang Wushang's words, because the mere mention of the Nine-Yin Destined Veins was enough to confirm he wasn't lying. And the great secret concealed within me had to be the Book of the Yellow Springs and the Imperial Seal of Hell. If even these had been calculated by someone, wasn't that master diviner hiding inside the Paranormal Investigation Bureau far too terrifying?

Seeing my unsettled expression, Zhang Wushang gave a faint smile and said, "Rest assured, apart from knowing you possess the Nine-Yin Destined Veins, I am unaware of the secret hidden within you. However, the Heavenly Secrets told me that this secret is to be used as a bargaining chip to make you enter the Paranormal Investigation Bureau. Therefore, you have no choice!"

"The Heavenly Secrets you speak of—is that the master who calculated the secret on me?" I let out a dry laugh. "Is this the tactic your Paranormal Investigation Bureau uses to recruit people? But your so-called Heavenly Secrets must be an undeserved reputation, because I have no secrets other than the Nine-Yin Destined Veins!"

With that, I directly raised my hand, intending to push the challenge scroll back toward him, and say goodbye—I, Wu Dao, despised threats above all else in this life.

Just as I raised my hand, Zhang Wushang suddenly lunged forward, clamped his hand down onto mine, and a flash of malevolence appeared within his pitch-black, deep eyes. "Don't assume you'll be at a disadvantage by joining the Paranormal Investigation Bureau. Since you aren't afraid of threats, how about we talk about the benefits?"

"What benefits?" I asked.

"The Cursed Bone!"

A shock ran through my heart, and I instinctively blurted out, "You know the whereabouts of the Cursed Bone?"

Zhang Wushang slightly pursed his lips, then withdrew his hand and said, "I don't know, but the Heavenly Secrets can calculate it. As long as you pass my assessment, I will tell you where the Cursed Bone is!"

Having said that, Zhang Wushang turned around and walked back toward the side of the ghost servant. "Whether you sign this challenge scroll or not is up to you, but I will give you three months at most!"

Without a moment's hesitation, Zhang Wushang turned and left, closely followed by the ghost servant. The two of them quickly vanished into the boundless nocturnal gloom.

Holding the so-called challenge scroll in my hand, I remained dazed for a long time before regaining my wits. At that moment, Peng Li arrived by car with two members of the paranormal investigation team. Seeing the scene before him, Peng Li's face was plastered with astonishment.

"What is going on here, Brother Wushang? Why are you lying on the ground? Were you beaten up by that ghost?" Peng Li anxiously asked, looking at the fat man lying on the ground, drenched in sweat.

The fat man didn't answer. He sat up, constantly wiping the sweat from his forehead, looking as though he had been thoroughly terrified by that ghost servant moments ago.

"Brother Peng, don't ask anymore. He's an impostor. The real Zhang Wushang is already on his way to your police station." After saying this, I looked at the fat man over there and said thoughtfully, "Are you a pickpocket?"

The word "pickpocket" seemed to touch a sensitive nerve in the fat man. He glared at me instantly, then said with extreme displeasure, "What pickpocket? Young master here is the God of Thieves, a descendant of Chu Liuxiang!"

"Damn it!" I cursed under my breath, then asked, "What's your name?"

"Chu Ge, the God of Thieves!"

I chuckled darkly and remarked that he really was a descendant of Chu Liuxiang, and that title sounded immensely badass.

"That goes without saying." The fat man wore a smug expression as he continued, "I'm not boasting, but there is nothing in this world that young master cannot steal. Even King Yama's Book of Life and Death—if young master is willing, I can snatch it right out of his hands!"

"Truly formidable." I sighed with genuine admiration, not really doubting the truth of the fat man's words. After all, it was obvious how powerful Zhang Wushang and the ghost servant were. The fact that he was able to steal the official orders from them and then have the audacity to come to the police station to scam free food and drink was enough to prove that this fellow was definitely extraordinary.

Glancing at Peng Li, who was still looking somewhat bewildered, I explained the situation to him directly and told him to handle it however he saw fit.

Upon hearing my account, Peng Li's brow furrowed deeply. Without a hint of mercy, he delivered a kick to the fat man's body and cursed, "You goddamned bastard, you've got some nerve. You even dare to pull stunts like this."

After the scolding, Peng Li immediately slapped handcuffs on Chu Ge and shoved him into the police car he had driven over.

Chu Ge panicked instantly, shouting endlessly for mercy from the officer. Watching him flounder helplessly inside the police car, I smiled. I had no idea how Peng Li would ultimately deal with this audacious fat man, but one thing was certain: this fellow was in for a rough time.

That night, upon returning to my dormitory, I immediately took out the so-called challenge scroll Zhang Wushang had given me and opened it to read the contents.

The text was very short, consisting of just a few sentences. The general meaning was that I was to fight him within three months. If I could defeat him while he used sixty percent of his power, I would be permitted to join the Paranormal Investigation Bureau and receive news of the Cursed Bone. If I failed to defeat him, there was a high likelihood he would beat me to death on the spot!

Reading the contents of the challenge scroll, I felt a wave of uncertainty wash over me. Rather than a challenge scroll, this was more like a pact of life and death. If I won, I would have a chance to find the Cursed Bone to prolong my life; if I lost, I would be beaten to death by Zhang Wushang!

I had only crossed paths with Zhang Wushang once, and I had no idea how formidable his true strength was. Although he claimed he would only use sixty percent of his power against me—which carried a hint of looking down on me—I didn't dare to be careless in the slightest. In fact, right now, I probably wasn't even a match for Zhang Wushang at sixty percent power!

At the same time, I grew suspicious of the truth behind Zhang Wushang's words. Even Zuo Daoyin, the divine diviner, could not calculate the whereabouts of the Cursed Bone; could that Heavenly Secrets he spoke of really help me find it?

Furthermore, Zhang Wushang mentioned that the Heavenly Secrets had calculated a secret concerning me—could it be related to the Book of the Yellow Springs and the Imperial Seal of Hell? If he truly had calculated that, was his invitation for me to join the Paranormal Investigation Bureau actually a plot to get his hands on those treasures? If that really was the case, joining the Paranormal Investigation Bureau would be no different from walking straight into a tiger's den.

The more I thought about it, the more chaotic my mind became. In the end, I simply gave up thinking altogether. When soldiers come, block them with general; when water comes, earth covers it. Whatever his purpose was, we would cross that bridge when we came to it.

Moreover, judging by the current situation, the challenge scroll Zhang Wushang gave me wasn't entirely a bad thing. After all, he hadn't forced me into a life-or-death battle immediately; if I chose not to sign the scroll, there was nothing he could do to me.

As a result, if I ever reached a desperate impasse because of the Nine-Yin Destined Veins, this scroll might actually turn out to be a lifeline for me.