The Keeper of Myths - Chapter 5

Pei Xueting had a small apartment in the city, and the monsters and demons from the Action Department had all come by to check out the place.

To accommodate brothers and sisters of different species, the housewarming celebration was scheduled for midnight. That day, Bai Yin deliberately dressed in festive red, nearly scaring the old man next door into a faint.

At this moment, Si Nan stood among a group of appliance company workers, carefully pinching his tail.

Pei Xueting hooked down her sunglasses with one finger, methodically directing the workers to move a person-tall air purifier, the health mattress trending online, and a voice-controlled heater into the guest bedroom.

Household appliances and furniture gleaming with the radiance of RMB were stuffed into the newly renovated guest room. Si Nan looked at Pei Xueting with eyes full of admiration.

“Why are you looking at me?” Pei Xueting glanced at him curiously.

“Boss, I heard the last person who was this flashy got sentenced to over forty years.” Si Nan held up four fingers, whispering mysteriously by her ear, “Don’t be too ostentatious.”

“I’m using my brother’s card.” Pei Xueting flicked his forehead, “Shut up and get to work.”

Si Nan went off to help the workers assemble furniture, aggrieved. Pei Xueting turned around and saw Tan Zhen standing at the entrance, still holding his glass of milk, curiously surveying the apartment.

Pei Xueting paused, recalling Lu Wu’s instructions.

Tan Zhen’s body was extremely frail now. Ever since the Bronze Coffin was opened, it was as if time was slowly eroding his body. So wherever he stayed for long had to be kept at a constant temperature and humidity, with good air circulation-any virus could easily take his life.

So not only this apartment, but even the Action Department was equipped with a bunch of exquisite home appliances.

She’d basically invited a Princess and the Pea to live here. Pei Xueting silently complained in her heart, handing Tan Zhen a pair of slippers.

“That’s your bedroom. If you think it’s too small, you can stay in the master bedroom-I’ll move your things over.” Pei Xueting nodded toward the guest room, “There’s milk and fruit in the fridge. Heat up the milk, let the fruit come to room temperature before eating… Do you know how to use a fridge?”

Tan Zhen nodded slightly, “They taught me.”

“They” naturally referred to the people who had brought him to the sanatorium.

Pei Xueting nodded. It seemed those higher-ups were still friendly enough to the “Nation-Destroying Celestial Master of the late Da Zheng,” and hadn’t decided to dissect him and soak him in formalin.

“Where do you sleep?” Tan Zhen suddenly asked.

Si Nan poked half his head out of the guest room, answering quickly, “When there’s a case, she sleeps in the office. When there’s no case, she sleeps in the living room-once, Bi Fang came looking for her, and she was curled up asleep on the carpet, almost got her head stepped on by Bi Fang.”

Tan Zhen didn’t wait for Pei Xueting to explain, just nodded thoughtfully.

Pei Xueting instantly lost the desire to explain.

—

Late at night.

The bar street in the business district was ablaze with lights, and even the most expensive soundproofing couldn’t block out the wailing of the revelers.

Three or five young people staggered out, clutching streetlamps and vomiting, still holding beer bottles. One who was still relatively sober stood by the roadside, waving for a taxi. Another, seeing his companion’s sorry state, cursed with a laugh and turned into the alley to relieve himself.

The young man hummed a tuneless song, when suddenly a viral internet hit blared from the alley, startling him so much he splashed his own shoes. Annoyed, he looked over and saw a phone glowing faintly on the ground, its cold white light illuminating a twisted, ferocious face.

“Ah-”

A scream pierced through the drunken haze.

—

“Ah ah ah, Fifth Ring-”

Pei Xueting shot up from the sofa, grabbing her phone that was screaming its lungs out. In their line of work, a phone ringing in the middle of the night was never good news. When Pei Xueting first joined the Special Investigation Bureau, she’d boldly put her phone on silent at night, and got her ear twisted by Lu Wu enough times to break that habit.

“Hello?”

“Department Head Pei, there’s a dead body at 17 Chaoyang Road.” Bai Yin’s voice was light and quick on the other end, “The police have requested assistance from the Special Investigation Bureau.”

“I’ll head over right away, you…” Pei Xueting had half her jacket on when she saw Tan Zhen standing at the guest room door, having opened it at some point.

He was wearing silk pajamas, looking very thin, his expression tired but watching her intently.

Pei Xueting was immune to all forms of beauty, but that cool gaze almost made her bite her tongue.

“What should I do first, Department Head Pei?” Bai Yin, not hearing her reply for a long time, urged.

“Go ahead and secure the scene.” Pei Xueting hurriedly hung up, looking at Tan Zhen, “Did I wake you?”

Tan Zhen didn’t answer, instead looking at the phone she’d tucked into her jacket, “Something happened?”

“Mm, I need to go out for a bit. You go back to sleep.” Pei Xueting said, heading for the door.

“I want to…”

“No, you don’t.” Pei Xueting cut him off decisively, refusing him with conviction, “The doctor said you need nine hours of sleep a day. It’s only four o’clock, you’re still three hours short.”
After she finished speaking, she closed the door firmly to show her resolve.

Tan Zhen blinked slowly at the tightly shut apartment door.

17 Chaoyang Road was far from Pei Xueting’s home. Normally too lazy to drive and preferring to squeeze onto the bus, Pei Xueting had no choice but to take her car. Fortunately, there weren’t many cars on the road late at night, so she made it to the scene smoothly, with enough energy left to think about the people at home.

Tan Zhen was so quiet he seemed almost obedient, never making any requests, which made Pei Xueting suspect that Lu Wu’s claim-“He wants you to take responsibility for him”-was pure nonsense.

Tomorrow, she would definitely have to ask Lu Wu for clarification.

Pei Xueting pushed open the car door and got out. The scene was already cordoned off. 17 Chaoyang Road was a bar called “Liao Ren,” and the crime scene was in the alley beside the bar.

Bai Yin wore a long white dress, a thick coat, and a silk scarf around her neck to hide the stitches. She was talking to the police at the scene, and when she saw Pei Xueting from afar, she nodded at her.

“Action Department, Pei Xueting.” Pei Xueting showed her badge to the police. “We’re all colleagues here, thank you for your hard work. We’ll be taking over now, and someone will follow up with the subsequent procedures. You can all clock out.”

The Special Investigation Bureau had certain special privileges. This police officer was clearly experienced and understood the drill, so he immediately withdrew his team.

Pei Xueting squatted down in front of the corpse. The body lay on its back, as if struck head-on and knocked to the ground. It was a woman of some age, her makeup smeared by tears into a riot of colors, like a palette overturned, but she still wore a tight skirt that outlined a fairly graceful figure.

Her wallet, phone, and bag were scattered not far away, as if she had thrown everything within reach in a moment of crisis.

Her hands were clamped tightly around her own neck, gripping so hard her nails broke the skin, her eyes wide open, staring at the sky.

“She strangled herself to death?” Pei Xueting asked, somewhat incredulous.

“That’s what it looks like for now,” Bai Yin nodded and replied.

“Interesting. This is the first time I’ve seen such a clean crime scene.” Pei Xueting took off her latex gloves. “Looks like the vengeful spirit here has been influenced by modern civilization-no blood and gore, unlike those slaughterhouse scenes. What’s her story?”

“Her name is Cheng Hong, 37 years old, with a blind daughter and a husband at home.” Bai Yin paused, then handed her a phone. “This family is actually quite famous online. Their selling point is their clever, pitiable daughter and their warm, healing daily life. In the beginning, they even received donations.”

On the phone screen was a girl of about twelve or thirteen, dressed in a simple white cotton dress, playing “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” on the piano. When the person filming called her, she turned and smiled sweetly at the camera with her misty gray eyes.

—

The Merpeople in the Action Department were extremely picky eaters. Because last night’s dinner wasn’t fresh enough, today it angrily slapped its tail in the water, soaking Song Xiaoming, who was feeding it. The Merpeople bared a mouthful of teeth rivaling a great white shark’s, then smugly rolled up its breakfast and sank into the water.

Pei Xueting entered with a jianbing guozi in her left hand and soy milk and youtiao in her right, turning herself into a human shopping cart, a stack of files tucked under her arm. She was well aware of the Merpeople’s tendency to bully the weak and fear the strong, so she sighed helplessly and told Song Xiaoming to change his clothes and come out for breakfast.

As soon as Pei Xueting walked in, she drew the attention of the entire department. She spread her breakfast and files across the table; Si Nan, hugging his PSP and gaming, and Xuanwu, sunbathing by the window, both came over, even the Merpeople in the aquarium pressed up against the glass to join the fun.

“I know this family. I’ve seen their videos before,” Si Nan said, grabbing a jianbing guozi and taking a big, satisfied bite. “They seem to have a great relationship, and lots of fans.”

“Fake,” Pei Xueting said offhandedly.

“What?” Si Nan was taken aback.

“I said their family’s good relationship is fake,” Pei Xueting replied nonchalantly. “What kind of loving family has the wife dying in an alley next to a bar in the middle of the night? Song Xiaoming even dug up her spending records at the bar.”

Song Xiaoming had also pulled the bar’s internal surveillance footage. In the video, Cheng Hong, still attractive in her mature years, danced on the bar counter to a hot track, twisting her waist like a seasoned clubber. But on her own social media account, she played the role of a gentle mother and virtuous wife, always buttoned up to the very top.

Si Nan was still unconvinced. “Maybe she just enjoys the occasional indulgence?”

Pei Xueting glanced at him. “Want to bet?”

“A month’s worth of breakfast,” Si Nan bared his white teeth in mock threat.

“Cheng Hong’s wedding ring is very new, meaning she regularly has it cleaned and maintained. But her husband’s is old, with no pale marks on his knuckles, clearly rarely worn. Cheng Hong doesn’t care about him.” Pei Xueting tossed out two close-up shots of the wedding rings, both taken from the couple’s social media accounts.
“Cheng Hong died near a bar. In the police statement, her husband didn’t question or deny the location, which means he’s already used to his wife going out late at night to get drunk and have fun. This couple is definitely just putting on a show for appearances.”

Pei Xueting gave a simple and clear conclusion.

Si Nan was stunned.

“Breakfast for a month, low oil and low salt, and it has to be hot,” Pei Xueting said as she casually flipped a page of the file. “Just for one person is fine.”

At the other end of the office, Song Xiaoming, now changed into different clothes, was walking over. The Merpeople in the aquarium were getting restless again. Pei Xueting curled her fingers and flicked them in the air. A pebble from the flowerpot on the table flew up and hit the aquarium, making the whole tank tremble.

The Merpeople whimpered and hid behind the water plants.

“If you bully your colleagues again, I’ll put you in the same tank as the Henggong Fish from the Execution Department and stew you both with two sour plums in one pot,” Pei Xueting said without even looking up.

—

Tan Zhen was wearing loose, smoky gray loungewear, sitting cross-legged barefoot on the carpet. After waking up in the ICU, Lu Wu had specially arranged for someone to teach him some basic knowledge. Now he could barely use some household appliances and cash, but using a mobile phone was still difficult for him.

The TV in the living room was playing a currently popular idol drama. Pei Xueting had glanced at it before and had sharply commented in the synopsis, “The only thing worth looking at is the face,” which got her chased by the Bifang Bird for a week.

Tan Zhen was quite interested in these open romantic relationships and the almost intellectually challenged logic. The more he watched, the more he felt that morals were in decline and the world was about to end.

The phone on the side rang, and the screen flashed the name “Pei Xueting.”

When leaving the Deep Mountain Sanatorium, Lu Wu had stared into his eyes and saved this number for him, repeatedly emphasizing that Pei Xueting was his guardian. If he did anything dangerous, Pei Xueting would be in serious trouble. Tan Zhen had only smiled at the time and said nothing.

This person had run out in the middle of the night, and only now remembered there was a living person at home.

“Hello?”

“It’s me, Pei Xueting,” said the person on the other end. “Have you eaten?”

Tan Zhen looked at the scattered toast on the dining table and answered truthfully, “I ate the bread slices from the fridge. Not good, very cold.”

Pei Xueting pinched her brow, speaking with a headache, “Then I’ll order takeout for your lunch. Someone will deliver it to your door, you just need to open the door and take it.”

“I don’t eat takeout,” Tan Zhen suddenly became stubborn. “The TV says all takeout uses gutter oil.”

Pei Xueting said helplessly and with a laugh, “Not all of it does. I’ll order you the best, most expensive, and cleanest food, okay?”

Tan Zhen fell silent. He looked up at the TV, where a delicate girl was tearfully saying to the male lead, “Don’t be angry with your sister-in-law because of me. For you, I’m willing to do anything.” The male lead then hugged her in pain and anguish.

Tan Zhen suddenly understood-so this is what people like nowadays. He lowered his voice, making it even a bit sticky, and said, “Alright. I’ll eat whatever you order, and I’ll listen to whatever you say.”

On the other end, Pei Xueting suddenly froze. She had always had a weak sense of morality, but for a moment, she actually felt a little sorry for Tan Zhen. After all, he had been lying peacefully in his coffin, and not only was he inexplicably awakened, but she had also seen him completely naked.

Lu Wu had told her at the Deep Mountain Sanatorium that during Tan Zhen’s brief moments of clarity, he had only ever asked about one person. Maybe, in the eyes of this millennia-old living fossil, Pei Xueting was his only lifeline in this vast and unfamiliar society.

But what had she done? She left him at home alone, letting him eat frozen toast.

For the second time in her life, Pei Xueting felt the guilty thought: “I’m really not a good person.”

“Forget it. Do you want to have a meal with me? I’ll have someone pick you up, okay?” Pei Xueting softened her tone. “Change your clothes yourself, it’s a bit hot today.”

—

Si Nan looked on in horror as Pei Xueting spoke gently-almost kindly-on the phone, as if the person on the other end was made of glass and a slightly harsher tone would shatter them.

He nervously sidled up to Xuanwu and said warily, “Look at the boss. What kind of bold demon dares to steal our boss’s heart?”

Xuanwu looked at him with pity. “Silly child, if you knew when to keep your mouth shut, you wouldn’t get scolded more often than Song Xiaoming.”

“Si Nan,” Pei Xueting suddenly looked over. Si Nan jumped and immediately stood up straight.

“Did you step on the power switch?” Pei Xueting teased him lightly, then said, “Go to my place and pick up Tan Zhen. Remember not to set the car’s air conditioning too low; his health isn’t good.”

Si Nan’s eyes widened. He thought to himself, Hah! Male fox spirit!