I Can Devour Spirits

The next day, Duan Rong, Xiao Yu, and Huang Qing were once again busy inside the Document Library.

After the previous day’s adjustments, the coordination between the three had become much more seamless...

They worked tirelessly throughout the morning, and during lunch, Duan Rong agreed with them that the meal break would be only half an hour.

After quickly finishing their meal, they returned to work.

In the afternoon, after another two hours of work, Xiao Yu could still manage, but it was apparent that Huang Qing was struggling. Xiao Yu could tell his legs were shaky, and his walking had become unsteady. It was clearly due to physical exhaustion.

Huang Qing propped himself up with the wooden rack and stood up, preparing to hand the ledger he had just found over to Duan Rong.

At that moment, Xiao Yu grabbed the ledger from his hand, saying, ”Huang Qing, you should go rest for half an hour before coming back.”

”This...” Huang Qing hesitated as he glanced at Duan Rong, who was burying his head in the accounts on the other side of the desk.

Xiao Yu said, ”It’s fine. I’m here. You’re already having a hard time, don’t push yourself. Rest for half an hour and come back.”

Huang Qing nodded, looked at Xiao Yu gratefully, and walked out of the Document Library, intending to go to his seat in the hall and drink some water to quench his thirst.

Just as Huang Qing sat down, before he could take a sip of the tea, Wang De’an came rushing out from the east corridor.

Wang De’an immediately spotted Huang Qing and stopped, asking, ”Why aren’t you in the Document Library?”

Huang Qing immediately stood up, saying, ”I came out for a drink of water, I’ll head back soon.”

”Oh. Is everything okay over at the Document Library?” Wang De’an asked casually.

”No...” Huang Qing hesitated, considering whether to tell Wang De’an about Duan Rong’s actions in the Document Library.

But just as he was hesitating, Wang De’an had already turned and walked toward the exit of the hall, his pace hurried.

Watching Wang De’an’s retreating figure, Huang Qing sighed, sat back in his chair, and picked up the tea cup, only to find it empty. He hadn’t sat at his seat for two days, so how could there be any tea left? ”Have I been so busy I’ve lost my mind?”

Wang De’an’s heart was no longer focused on the Document Library or the account inspection. On one hand, he didn’t think Duan Rong and Xiao Yu could find any issues in their maze-like and tightly-kept accounts.

On the other hand, his mind was entirely preoccupied with Li Jun’s continued unconsciousness.

Today marked the second day, and despite having taken medicine and slept for a night, Li Jun had yet to awaken.

Li Jun’s father had already invited several doctors to the house, but none could figure out what was wrong. Some even speculated that Li Jun might be possessed by a ghost or had encountered something unclean...

Xu Shouxian asked him about Li Jun’s condition again this morning. Hearing that Li Jun was still unconscious, Xu Shouxian’s face grew even more displeased.

Wang De’an heard from his assistant, Xiao Wen, that near West Main Street, close to South City, there was a doctor named Gu Suxiu, who was skilled in the ancestral acupuncture technique and had some effectiveness with difficult conditions.

Thus, he immediately prepared to visit Suxiu Medical Hall, hoping to bring Gu Suxiu to Li Jun’s house for acupuncture treatment to see if it could have a miraculous effect.

As Wang De’an walked, he prayed to the Divine Buddha for Li Jun to wake up quickly, his concern almost surpassing that for his own son.

Wang De’an’s frantic demeanor stemmed entirely from his fear of Xu Shouxian.

Meanwhile, Wang De’an had already taken Gu Suxiu to Li Jun’s house for acupuncture.

And in the Document Library, Duan Rong, Xiao Yu, and Huang Qing had been checking accounts all day long.

When dusk fell, not only could Huang Qing not continue, but even Duan Rong and Xiao Yu also began to feel a bit fatigued.

The three dragged their weary bodies and went their separate ways.

The third day was much the same.

Even after Gu Suxiu’s acupuncture, Li Jun remained unconscious, and Wang De’an’s mood grew increasingly agitated.

No one paid attention to the Document Library side, where Duan Rong, Xiao Yu, and Huang Qing were quietly auditing accounts in a small dark room.

Xu Shouxian had delegated this matter to Wang De’an, feeling no need to interfere further. Besides, he had more confidence in the accounts than Wang De’an, given Wang De’an’s pragmatic nature, while Xu Shouxian’s ambition often led to arrogance.

Wang De’an’s mind was fully occupied with Li Jun’s situation, ignoring the Document Library as well.

In a blink, five days passed, and dusk fell once again.

Inside the Document Library, almost all four wooden racks along the south wall were emptied.

The narrow corridor of the Document Library was filled with stacks of ledgers, creating a rather impressive sight!

After racing against time, they finally completed the accounts for the entire last lunar month by the end of the fifth day.

Duan Rong let out a long breath, while Xiao Yu’s eyes revealed a deep exhaustion, and Huang Qing was so tired that he slumped against a rack, sitting on the ground, breathing heavily and swallowing his saliva...

Duan Rong looked at Huang Qing, saying, ”You’ve worked hard, Huang Qing, you should go back now. I’ll handle the final tasks. Thank you for your efforts these past five days.”

Huang Qing sat there, lifting his head, asked, ”Is it all done?”

Duan Rong smiled, ”It’s all done.”

Struggling to stand, Huang Qing felt as if his bones were about to fall apart. He staggered out of the Document Library, longing only for a good night’s sleep...

After Huang Qing left, Duan Rong turned to Xiao Yu, saying, ”I have something to tell you. Also, leave me the two keys.”

Duan Rong whispered to Xiao Yu, who then took out two keys and handed them to Duan Rong, before also leaving the Document Library.

As Xiao Yu left, he left the door of the Document Library ajar.

Duan Rong, looking at the Document Library illuminated by the twilight light, suddenly pulled a stack of notes from his pocket. He placed one note on top of each stack of ledgers.

These were detailed recalculations and discrepancy amounts for each account that he had compiled the previous night. With these, and the sorted relevant ledgers, it could be said that each discrepancy he had verified was backed by solid evidence!

Every time Duan Rong placed a note, he looked at the ledger to ensure he didn’t misplace it.

Once everything was in place, he picked up a lantern, navigating through the gaps between the stacks of ledgers, and walked out of the Document Library.

At the doorway of the Document Library, Duan Rong extinguished the lantern, left it there, then locked the Document Library door before heading out.

Exiting the rear courtyard account room, several apprentice accountants were still there with lights on, working busily...

By now, it was actually very late, and the outside had long been shrouded in deep night...

Walking in the dark night, Duan Rong felt a serene calmness in his heart. After leaving the Escort Agency, he had dinner at a street stall before returning to Liu’s House.

Lying on his bed, Duan Rong read some miscellaneous books by lamplight. As sleepiness crept in, he wrapped himself in the blanket and fell asleep.

Early the next morning, as the rooster crowed, Duan Rong leapt out of bed.

After washing his face in the courtyard, he left in haste, arriving at the doorway of the rear courtyard’s account room just as dawn broke.

The heavy copper lock on the main door of the rear courtyard account room hung there. Duan Rong took out the key and, with the snap of a spring, unlocked the heavy copper lock.

Duan Rong lifted the copper lock with one hand, opened the door, and placed the lock on a table just inside.

The hall inside was quite dark, but Duan Rong’s eyes scanned around as he moved a chair to the doorway of the Document Library on the west corridor. He lit the lamp he had left by the door the previous night, then sat down with one leg crossed over the other, holding the lamp there.