The Piggy Worm and Kong Yiji’s Laughter

After approximately twenty minutes, Fu Ziyu finally met the legendary Anomaly Investigator.

It seemed the Anomaly Investigator’s words were cool, but their punctuality wasn’t quite as precise as promised.

Still, that wasn’t the main point. Fu Ziyu extended a hand, initiating a handshake.

“Fu Ziyu, Head of the Criminal Investigation Division at Chuanbei Police Department.”

The other man lowered his hood, revealing a somewhat gaunt face.

“Zhao Yunzhong, an Anomaly Investigator,” he stated.

Fu Ziyu remained impassive, yet inwardly, he speculated about the man’s connection to Director Zhao.

“Director Zhao is my uncle,” Zhao Yunzhong revealed.

In truth, Zhao Yunzhong was already familiar with Fu Ziyu, so he proactively clarified their relationship to facilitate future professional exchanges.

He offered a small smile.

“I’m also a native of Chuanbei, a graduate of Chuanbei Middle School, class of ’95,” he added.

With that simple hint, Zhao Yunzhong was certain Fu Ziyu would understand his meaning.

Indeed, a slight flicker crossed Fu Ziyu’s brow as he chuckled.

“A classmate of Ziqing’s, what a coincidence!”

Zhao Yunzhong echoed his laughter.

Then, Fu Ziyu’s expression grew serious.

He led Zhao Yunzhong to the hospital bed.

“Take a look at what’s wrong with Old Wang and the others first,” he instructed.

Zhao Yunzhong immediately entered a focused state, his eyelids drooping slightly as intricate, winding black lines appeared across the whites of his eyes.

He observed a faint wisp of black energy coiling around Old Wang’s head.

“They’ve had their brains invaded by ghost energy,” Zhao Yunzhong informed Fu Ziyu.

“Can they be saved?” Fu Ziyu asked.

Zhao Yunzhong nodded, then produced a small glass bottle from his pocket.

The bottle was perfectly clear, allowing Fu Ziyu to distinctly see its contents: a creature…

It was over an inch long, entirely dark green, plump and round, with two red antennae protruding from its head.

This creature, somewhat adorable in its own way, was a cabbage worm larva—a rather common sight.

As a child, Fu Ziyu had often caught them to scare little girls, a trick that never failed.

However, the tactic proved ineffective against Fu Ziqing.

She snatched the worm, then promptly tossed it into his pants, sending him into a screaming, tearful frenzy.

When he complained to his parents, he ended up getting another good beating.

This was one of the most embarrassing incidents of Fu Ziyu’s life, buried deep within his memory for years.

Precisely because of this, his impression of the larva was incredibly profound!

Thus, with just a glance, Fu Ziyu blurted out the name he had long wished to forget.

“Piggy worm!?”

He spoke in the local dialect of Jiangzhou City.

This sparked a sense of familiarity in Zhao Yunzhong, and his own speech took on a hometown accent.

“That’s right, it’s a piggy worm, but not just any piggy worm,” he said.

As he spoke, he twisted open the bottle cap.

He brought the bottle’s opening close to Old Wang’s nostrils, and the “piggy worm” inside immediately wriggled its plump body.

Then, its two red antennae began to sway gently.

Soon, wisps of black mist drifted out from Old Wang’s nasal cavity.

The “piggy worm” lifted its head, opening its tiny mouthparts to inhale all the black mist.

Fu Ziyu couldn’t see the black mist itself, but he clearly observed a slender black line appearing on the “piggy worm’s” dark green body.

Once no more black mist emerged from Old Wang’s nasal cavity, the “piggy worm” began to slowly roll around inside the bottle.

Fu Ziyu stared, somewhat dumbfounded.

Was this thing not full, rolling around to act spoiled?

Zhao Yunzhong then moved to Old Xu’s bedside, repeating the process.

Soon, all the ghost energy within Old Xu’s brain was also absorbed.

Consequently, the complexions of both men lying in their beds improved noticeably.

The “piggy worm’s” antennae in the bottle curled up, and the entire creature lay still, appearing full and ready for sleep.

Zhao Yunzhong capped the bottle and put it away.

“This thing… it’s quite eerie,” Fu Ziyu mused.

Zhao Yunzhong explained.

“Soul-devouring worms are considered relatively docile anomalous objects. As long as they’re returned to the Department of Anomalies for processing after they’ve formed a cocoon but before they emerge, there won’t be any issues. Most other anomalous objects, however, come with severe side effects.”

“You’re saying this thing is a ghost too?” Fu Ziyu asked, somewhat surprised.

“It’s a ‘Guǐ’ – the ‘Guǐ’ from ‘Guǐyì’ (anomalous),” Zhao Yunzhong clarified.

“They aren’t ghosts. They can restrain or even eliminate ghosts. However, they themselves are filled with anomalies; some are even more terrifying and incomprehensible than ghosts!”

Zhao Yunzhong’s tone was calm as he spoke, yet his gaze was intensely solemn.

He subtly glanced at the numbers displayed on the palm of his left hand.

“Alright, let me tell you about the strange occurrences here first.”

Fu Ziyu nodded, not pressing further, and began to recount the night’s bizarre events.

He detailed both incidents, at Jinxin Garden Estate and the County Hospital, to Zhao Yunzhong.

Finally, Fu Ziyu presented his own conjecture.

“Do you think these two incidents can be considered parts of the same case?”

Fu Ziyu’s suspicions were not unfounded; there had been no prior rumors of strange occurrences at the County Hospital.

Tonight, it began with Chen Jinquan, whose bizarre behavior led to his hospitalization.

Li Dong and Cao Yun inexplicably fell asleep, allowing Chen Jinquan to leave the hospital unchecked.

Subsequently, Old Wang and his companions collapsed at Jinxin Garden Estate.

Li Dong and his team arrived, transporting Old Wang and the others to the hospital, after which the hospital doctors began to laugh eerily without reason.

Coupled with Zhao Yunzhong’s discovery of “ghost energy” on Old Wang and the others, these interconnected events had given Fu Ziyu several ideas.

“No,” Zhao Yunzhong immediately replied, shaking his head.

Fu Ziyu showed no displeasure, patiently awaiting Zhao Yunzhong’s explanation.

After all, when it came to such anomalous events, the Anomaly Investigator was the professional.

“I trust Chief Fu has studied the text ‘Kong Yiji’ before, right?” Zhao Yunzhong inquired.

Fu Ziyu nodded in affirmation.

“‘Kong Yiji’s face flushed crimson, veins bulging on his forehead, as he argued… prompting everyone to roar with laughter, filling the tavern, inside and out, with a joyous atmosphere,'” Zhao Yunzhong recited.

Zhao Yunzhong had unexpectedly quoted a passage from the original text.

He continued, “Back then, teachers would ask about the purpose and meaning of this section. There were many answers, but essentially, they all pointed to Kong Yiji being an object of amusement for the patrons, who built their happiness on the suffering and misfortune of others. The author used this to portray their callous indifference and extreme boredom.”

“In our school days, we merely memorized the answers to pass exams. It was only after I became an Anomaly Investigator that I truly grasped its deeper meaning.”

Zhao Yunzhong did not elaborate on this “true meaning” he understood, but Fu Ziyu interjected.

“We are all Kong Yiji, and we are all the patrons,” Fu Ziyu observed.

“And that joyous atmosphere is everywhere.”

Fu Ziyu, wearing a profound expression, clapped his hands with satisfaction.

“Profound,” he declared.

Zhao Yunzhong’s lips twitched, but he remained silent.

“Don’t mind me, continue,” Fu Ziyu urged, gesturing for Zhao Yunzhong to proceed.

“Actually, the strange occurrences at the hospital were caused by an anomalous object… no, it should be two anomalous objects,” Zhao Yunzhong finally revealed the crucial point.

[Anomalous Object: Kong Yiji]

[Description: When “Kong Yiji” appears, it is accompanied by “Happy Air” in its surroundings.]

[Danger Level: Normal (How could a scholar’s affair possibly be dangerous?)]

[Anomalous Object: Happy Air]

[Description: A companion anomalous object to “Kong Yiji.” Upon its manifestation, it rapidly fills the surrounding space. Creatures that inhale it will uncontrollably “roar with laughter.”]

[Danger Level: Unknown (Laugh happily; it’s a simple yet effective way to release stress. But please be careful, for laughing someone to death is no joke.)]