Chapter 309: Chapter 273: Research Institute

Hearing the old professor say this, Sang Que’s heart suddenly tightened.

Zheng Xuan is missing?

And it’s related to her?

What did Zheng Xuan say to the old professor?

Is the old professor also part of a relevant department?

Could it be that her aunt is also…

In an instant, many doubts arose in Sang Que’s heart.

The old professor thanked Sang Que’s current class leader, Li Zhaoqing, and asked Sang Que to talk with him outside.

The two walked one after the other out of the teaching building, heading to the shade of the trees by the playground. The surroundings were empty, with no classes having PE lessons; anyone approaching could be seen at a glance.

The old professor was named Ye Changqing, and he appeared kind and gentle.

“Your aunt was the most outstanding student I ever taught. It was because of a momentary oversight on my part back then that she met with disaster.”

Sang Que’s eyes widened slightly, “Wasn’t my aunt accidentally electrocuted to death?”

Ye Changqing sighed, “It was an accident, but not entirely. I suppose you already know that there are some unclean things in this world.”

Upon hearing this, Sang Que realized that Zheng Xuan had reported those matters of hers, and that indeed her aunt was part of a relevant department.

Ye Changqing had clearly come to find Sang Que with a purpose. To show sincerity, he first talked to Sang Que about some matters concerning her aunt.

Now, the research institute has basically determined that Sang Que has stepped into the hidden side of the world and possesses some special abilities and background. According to the usual practice, they can disclose some information and attempt recruitment.

“The so-called relevant department is actually a research institute. It has no prefix or alias, it’s simply called the research institute. The place where your aunt was about to start work back then was this research institute, specializing in studying existences that science can’t explain.”

“At that time, on the eve of her joining, we were investigating a new presence derived from technology. It was different from those we had encountered before. Previously, they all existed based on folklore, but this thing could disguise itself as a chat software, spreading recklessly online, tempting people step by step to commit suicide, or even inciting people to engage in all kinds of socially harmful activities through conversation.”

“On the day your aunt had the accident, we had already confined it within an old computer in the research institute, cutting off electricity, internet, and all possible avenues of dissemination, yet it still managed to escape. Its last appearance was in your aunt’s computer. After your aunt’s death, it disappeared as well.”

Ye Changqing glanced at Sang Que, noticing the rolling anger in her eyes.

“This indeed was our negligence, but we know too little about such existences, and the means to deal with them are also limited, especially for such new existences derived from modern technology. The experiences we’ve gained from folklore cannot deal with these new existences effectively.”

“Regarding your aunt’s matter, we are deeply sorry. What we could do for you is to have you and your mother move away from the Imperial City, away from everything related, trying to lead a peaceful life. It’s just unexpected that you have still stepped into the hidden side of this world now.”

Sang Que took a deep breath to calm her emotions. Ye Changqing’s words indeed answered some of her lingering questions.

For instance, why as an unmarried woman, her mother managed to adopt her so smoothly, why they, not being locals of Yu City, had their household registration procedures done so quickly, and her school admission was so smooth.

It must have been Professor Ye who did something behind the scenes.

Moreover, from Professor Ye’s words, Sang Que started to understand why the previous holders of the Yansheng coin, despite possessing the ability to change the Deceit Dynasty, did not do much and instead always maintained the Deceit Dynasty in the era of the Feudal Dynasty.

With the rapid development of modern technology, once new ghosts are born from technology, past experiences cannot deal with this kind of ghost, and they will certainly cause significant damage to human society.

During the search for a way to eradicate such new types of ghosts, there will inevitably be a lot of sacrifices made by personnel involved.

Her aunt was just one of them.

Therefore, for the Deceit Dynasty, staying in a Feudal Dynasty state ensures that the methods to drive away ghosts and kill ghosts passed down from the Feudal Dynasty era will remain effective.

Ye Changqing sighed, “After the disappearance of the thing that disguised itself as chat software nine years ago, there was indeed a period of calm within Huaxia, but similar existences still persisted overseas. It is only in the last two years that similar existences have begun to emerge again within Huaxia, among which is what your mother reported to us through Xu Shufen last time, the ’Story Relay Group.’”

“So you already knew!”

Ye Changqing nodded, “We know, but we can’t find the source. Currently, we have a researcher who has successfully infiltrated this group to help us identify some related individuals, but we can’t investigate further upwards.”

Sang Que was shocked, not expecting that the research institute had already done so much.

However, Ye Changqing didn’t mention her mother. Could it be because her mother is still just a probationary member of that group and hasn’t joined the official group, so she’s not within their investigative scope?

Sang Que thought for a moment and said, “Does this group have any connection to my aunt’s death?”

If she wanted to get the investigation data about this group, she needed to find a suitable reason first.

“Possibly. They’re both involved in terrifying transmissions through online chats, and it might be the same source of existence. Currently, there’s no way to be sure, we’re just speculating.”

“Can I see the data?” Sang Que asked directly.

Ye Changqing looked at Sang Que, not hiding the purpose of his visit, “Actually, I’m here this time to ask for help from you, or more accurately, from your mysterious master.”

Sang Que’s heart tightened, tentatively asking, “Did you investigate me?”

It seems Witch Lady’s concealment of her is indeed ineffective. As soon as she entered Ghost Level, she ran into people from Nine Songs over at the Deceit Dynasty, and now the research institute has come to find her in the modern world.

It looks like she’ll have to rely on herself from now on.

“We have studied the Talisman Collection you submitted, all of which are long-lost items. We’ve now arranged for relevant personnel to start learning them. If some of the talismans in there can be mass-produced, it would be vital for the life protection of the research institute’s mobile task force.”

“In this matter, we want to thank you and your master for your generosity. I know people like your master don’t like worldly disturbances, but we harbor no ill intentions towards him. You didn’t actually need to use filming as an excuse. You don’t have travel records, haven’t bought train or plane tickets, haven’t stayed in hotels. Anyone interested would find out you have issues with a simple check.”

Sang Que shifted her gaze guiltily. Back then, she only thought of being low-key, trying not to attract the attention of relevant departments. Who would bother to check her travel records unless they had nothing better to do? After all, she wasn’t some top-tier celebrity.

So now the situation is, Ye Changqing suspects her master is still alive but doesn’t like to interact with official people, and then when she’s not at school, she uses special methods to leave home to train with her master?

It seems… reasonable as well!

Then let’s confirm this!

“Professor Ye, since you’ve already figured it out, I have nothing to hide. I did lie before, mainly because the rules of my master’s sect are strict. Handing over the Talisman Collection was already against the sect’s rules. Luckily, the founding master didn’t blame us. If the old man doesn’t want to come out of seclusion later, I won’t be able to help.”

Ye Changqing understood, “I see, dealing with the dark side of the world is inherently very dangerous, and it comes with such prices as the Three Lacks and Five Harms. Xu Shufen’s lineage was almost extinct at her point; the Zheng Family, who had a long-standing relationship with the Xu Family, lost a child not long ago. In the younger generation, there are only Zheng Xuan and Zheng Wujun left.”

“The Zheng Family is willing to serve as consultants for the research institute, support the research institute, and help coordinate relations with other hidden families. So now that Zheng Xuan is in trouble, the research institute can’t just stand by, which is also one reason I’m here to see you. Last time, you managed to handle the Golden Child wreaking havoc in Huaxia alone; your master must surely have a way to deal with the true form of the Golden Child far away in the Southern Ocean.”

Sang Que felt no ripple in her heart. It wasn’t surprising that the research institute had discovered this matter.

“What exactly happened to Zheng Xuan?” Sang Que asked.

“It is also related to that Story Relay Group. Two months ago, our researcher received a task to become a formal member from a probationary member of that group. The sent video showed Zheng Xuan in an abandoned temple in the Southern Ocean, the site of a globally shocking corpse-hiding case.”

“In the situation back then, if our researcher didn’t write this story within the time limit, they would die. But writing it meant having to lay hands on Zheng Xuan. Fortunately, our researcher, whose main job is in research and side job is as an online writer, had a sudden inspiration and wrote a horror short story with an open-ended conclusion.”

Sang Que understood, “So Zheng Xuan still has a chance to survive?”

*

P.S. The matter of the female protagonist’s aunt will not be continued or deeply explored in this book’s main story. These are just background for the plot and characters, and there’s no need to dig into the previous book’s plot. Here it just provides the reason for the aunt’s crossing into this world. In this book, the aunt remains deceased, so those who haven’t read the previous book need not worry.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep