“That's right, and there’s no trace of him in either the Yin-Yang Realm or the Human Realm, as if he vanished into thin air.”

This news was undoubtedly explosive. The “Ten Kings of Hell” were all top-tier ghost hunters, standing above the heads of every city’s leader, the highest power among ghost hunters traveling between the Yin-Yang and Human Realms, maintaining order in the ghost-hunting world. If something could make them disappear without a sound, its power would be unimaginable.

Mr. Cat was silent for several seconds, then took a deep drag of his cigarette. “So what does this have to do with me this time?”

“Ghost hunters should do their utmost to send spirits to the next world, and must not destroy their souls unless absolutely necessary, or else they will go against the will of Heaven.”

“Hey, hey... Why are you suddenly reciting these stupid rules to me? Who actually follows that? If someone comes to your door, it’s normal to destroy a few. Everyone’s had nights where they’ve killed ten or eight ghosts. Sending ghosts to the afterlife isn’t that easy.”

Blake Mason looked a bit strange as he replied, “It’s not me saying this to you, it’s Charles Carter who asked me to pass on his exact words. He also said that this time, thanks to Samuel Carter pleading for you, you’ll be let off the hook, but don’t let it happen again.”

“Huh? When did that old lady get so cocky?” Mr. Cat was now completely baffled.

“It’s not that old lady. The new Charles Carter took office not long after the Hundred Ghosts Massacre, and right now she’s also temporarily serving as George Washington. She’s been performing excellently and has solved quite a few major issues.”

“So she’s a new official making her mark, planning to use me, the classic bad example, to set an example?” Mr. Cat came to this conclusion, looking utterly disdainful as he reached for the cold coffee that had somehow appeared on the table.

Blake Mason gave Mr. Cat a look of pity and sighed, “Sigh... She’s also currently holding the highest title in Suzhou, ‘Thousand Winds’.”

With a “pfft,” Mr. Cat sprayed half a cup of coffee right onto Blake Mason’s face, then collapsed there, coughing uncontrollably. Blake Mason had every reason to believe that Mr. Cat was trying to choke himself to death right then and there—after all, even if he survived, life from now on would be pretty miserable.

Chapter 9: I Still Have to Take an Exam?

It was another bright and sunny morning. William Carter and Mr. Cat were sitting in a barbershop. Mr. Cat was getting a shave and reading the newspaper, while William Carter sat with his eyes tightly shut, feeling his long hair—untouched for over two months—being trimmed short.

“Hey, are you a grade-schooler? Shutting your eyes that tight is embarrassing…”

“Cut the crap! Instead of watching myself slowly change in the mirror, I’d rather wait until it’s all done and see the result at once. That’s more fun.”

“Hmm, that’s a pretty unconvincing reason… Oh, right, besides getting a haircut for school tomorrow, you need to prepare a few other things.”

“What else? If you mean getting some nice clothes, you’ll have to buy them for me. I don’t have any money.”

“It’s not that. I’ve already taken care of all your daily necessities, and I got your ID card reissued too. When I checked your account with your ID, I found you had tens of thousands in the bank, so I used your card to pay for everything this time.”

With a “whoosh,” William Carter jumped up from the chair. “What the hell! What exactly are you? A robber? No, a demon, right? You’re definitely not human! How could you get money out of my bank account? Even I can’t get it out without my ID, but you could?!”

“Calm down…” Mr. Cat listlessly shook the newspaper. “All the money was spent on you, so it doesn’t change the debt between us.”

William Carter twitched at the corners of his mouth, almost wanting to cough up blood. “Hey, old man, while you’re shaving, just slit his throat too. The Party and the people will thank you! Society will thank you! My whole family will thank you!”

“Sit down. If you move around during a haircut, you’ll just make things difficult for others.” Mr. Cat remained calm, completely ignoring William Carter’s complaints.

William Carter had no choice but to sit back down and tightly shut his eyes again. But then Mr. Cat immediately said something that made him choke with anger: “Actually, what I want you to prepare for is tomorrow’s entrance exam…”

“What did you say! An exam… ah, damn, hair got in my eyes, that hurts…” William Carter had to close his eyes and lower his head again. “I have to take an exam to enroll?”

Mr. Cat was still flipping through the newspaper, asking in a disdainful tone, “Do you have assets in the nine-figure range?”

“I just found out all my assets were swallowed up by some bastard.”

Mr. Cat asked again, “Any immediate family who are officials at the ministerial level or above?”

“My family’s just me, and I’m doing a job no normal person would ever do.”

Mr. Cat continued, “Any royal blood from any country?”

“If you had that, I’d bite you to death without hesitation…”

Mr. Cat sighed, “Well, there you have it. Since you’ve got nothing, you’ll just have to get in on your own merit.”