C14 His Reputation Was Notorious

The policewoman skeptically retrieved the piece of paper from the trash can. She had indeed heard about the previous night's events and had initially dismissed them as fiction. To her surprise, they were real. Recalling the Bureau Chief's behavior towards Ye Cheng, she considered the paper might actually be of use.

After her shift ended and night had fallen, she organized her belongings and prepared to head home. Exiting the Supernatural Bureau, she longed for a quick return to the comforts of a warm shower and her bed, so she opted for a shortcut.

The alley was cramped and poorly lit, devoid of streetlights. She rummaged through her bag for her phone. Unbeknownst to her, the paper Ye Cheng had given her slipped out. Ignoring the loss, she activated the phone's flashlight and proceeded.

Despite the darkness, the path wasn't lengthy. Yet, after about ten minutes of walking, she still hadn't reached the end. Glancing at her phone in confusion, she wondered how it was possible to have not found her way out yet.

Her puzzlement was interrupted as she looked up to see her flashlight beam illuminating a ghastly, ashen face mere inches from her own. The face, large as a grinding stone, featured bulging, bloodshot eyes and a neck riddled with bulging veins and snaking black lines. As it opened its mouth, a foul mix of thick blood and a nauseating stench poured out.

"Little sister, it's so dull to walk home alone. How about big brother keeps you company?" the ghost taunted.

Frozen with fear, her hand shook violently as she clutched her phone. In a split second, she spun around and dashed off, only for the ghost to swiftly appear before her, blocking her escape.

"Little sister, don't leave. Stay and play with big brother," it sneered.

Overwhelmed more by revulsion than fear at the grotesque visage and lecherous demeanor of the ghost, she frantically remembered the protective talisman Ye Cheng had drawn for her earlier that day. She scrambled through her bag in search of it.

What was happening? She was certain she had placed the talisman inside her bag. Could it have been left behind at the Supernatural Bureau?

With a heavy heart, the policewoman lifted her gaze to the ghost, steeled her resolve, closed her eyes, and charged forward.

Suddenly, she felt a pair of hands violently grab her ankle. As she looked down, her ankle was yanked backward by an overwhelming force, causing her to lose her balance and crash to the ground.

Her cell phone was flung away in the process.

The phone's flashlight cast a faint glow, and the policewoman spotted a piece of white paper not far away on the ground. The talisman was there!

"Little sister, how I've missed you."

The grip on her ankle dragged her slowly into the darkness. The policewoman's survival instincts kicked in fiercely. She thrashed her legs desperately, and just as she was about to reach the talisman, she was yanked back.

"I want to go home, I want to go home," she repeated over and over. Suddenly, her strength surged, and she lunged forward, managing to grasp the white paper.

In a frantic state, the policewoman unfolded the paper and shone it at the ghost behind her. The talisman on the paper emitted a brilliant golden light, vanquishing the ghost in an instant. The alleyway returned to normal.

With her heart still racing, she picked up her phone from the ground and ran home without looking back. Her heart continued to pound even after she reached the safety of her home.

Once she had calmed down, she examined the white paper, watching the talisman fade until it was just a blank sheet.

Could the talisman only be used once?

She was relieved that she had heeded her colleague's advice and carried the talisman with her. Otherwise, she might have died without a clue.

The next morning, upon her return to the Supernatural Bureau, she recounted the previous night's events to her colleagues. The story quickly spread throughout the Bureau, and her colleagues gathered around her.

"Is everything you said true? Did you really encounter a ghost last night?"

The policewoman nodded emphatically, clutching the now-blank piece of paper that had held the talisman. "If it weren't for the talisman Ye Cheng gave me, I might not have made it through the night! I saw the ghost get obliterated by the talisman with my own eyes."

"You're incredibly fortunate," one colleague remarked. "I've heard about ghost sightings in your neighborhood. It's a good thing you're alright."

The female officer suddenly realized she had lost her protective talisman. She needed to figure out how to get Ye Cheng to draw her a new one. Once her colleagues had cleared out, she made her way to the Supernatural Bureau's snack shop.

Recalling how Ye Cheng had eyed the Sprite in her hand the day before, she bought several bottles along with an assortment of snacks and headed to the bureau chief's office to find him.

Colleagues who had heard about the previous night's events saw her stocking up on treats and decided to follow suit, hoping to also secure a few protective talismans.

Upon entering the bureau chief's office, the officer found Ye Cheng sprawled on the sofa. Any other day, she would have found his posture unseemly, but today she saw it as a sign of his dedication to his spiritual practice.

"Ye Cheng, I've brought you some snacks. Would you like some?" she asked, placing the snacks carefully on the coffee table.

At the mention of snacks, Ye Cheng perked up and sifted through the pile on the table. Delighted to find his favorites, he immediately tore into a bag of potato chips.

Seeing her opportunity, the officer pulled out a pen and paper and set them before Ye Cheng. "Ye Cheng, could you draw me a few more protective talismans like the ones from yesterday?"

"Protective talismans?" Ye Cheng pondered for a moment before the memory clicked. Tempted by the spread of snacks, he nodded, sucked on his finger, and began to draw.

Within minutes, he had produced five talismans.

"Here, they're all yours," he said, handing them over.

The officer's eyes sparkled with uncontainable delight as she clutched the talismans and left.

He had only sketched a few simple drawings, yet she was ecstatic. Why?

The system sighed and rolled its eyes in exasperation.

Those were ghost-destroying talismans. No ordinary ghost could endure their power. Why must you act so clueless?

"Who's clueless? Who's calling me an idiot?" Ye Cheng challenged.

It was me, the system admitted, suddenly realizing its mistake. Damn, it had been outwitted by a fool once again!

Ye Cheng laughed softly as he sprawled out on the couch. "It's just a few pieces of talisman paper. She even gave me snacks in exchange. What's so bad about that?"

Using a ghost-destroying talisman comes with both benefits and drawbacks. The damage that ghosts can't endure is also unbearable for humans. Overuse can cause the user to suffer from the talisman's backlash.

"Backlash? What kind of backlash?"

It means getting sick.

"That doesn't make sense. Why should a ghost-destroying talisman harm people? No, no, that could hurt someone. I need to refine it."

Before the system could respond, an order from the higher-ups came through.

Congratulations to the host for gaining the ability to modify the talisman, which can lessen the backlash on the user.

System: "???"

Is this special treatment for Ye Cheng really necessary? Should his eccentricity warrant extra attention? Could this ability be given to anyone else?