Chapter 59: Private Secrets
An autumn rain swept through Shanming City, scattering countless red leaves. Every street and alley looked as if it had been carpeted in a somber red.
The rain had not yet dried, mixing with the fallen leaves underfoot. Pedestrians stepped on them, the ground soft and unreal.
The weather was growing colder, especially along the moat. There, three men and a woman stood on the bank, exhaling misty breaths.
Each dressed differently, yet all wore somber expressions. It was 8:30 a.m. on October 27, the start of a new day. But the four of them had just endured hours of life-and-death trials and now stood fatigued, gazing into the distance.
"Ji Li, from what I know of him, he shouldn't die."
A gust of wind stirred Yu Guo's hair. He hugged his coat tighter and exhaled a puff of mist.
Beside him, a middle-aged man with a cigarette raised the collar of his trench coat against the cold wind, his eyes dark and contemplative.
"Ji Li has a great secret. I want to see if he can survive such a situation."
This explained why they had been waiting all this time. No one truly worried about Ji Li's survival—what mattered was understanding how he could live through it.
The smoke mixed with the mist, drifting toward the other pair on the bank.
Chang Nian wrinkled her nose in distaste, glaring at the man beside her. Like Fang Shenyan, Tongguan also held a cigarette.
Growing impatient, Chang Nian snatched the cigarette from Tongguan's hand and threw it to the ground.
"Smoke, smoke, smoke! Why don't you just die from it!"
Tongguan frowned, annoyed, and glanced at her. Since returning Xiao Qi home, his mood had been unsettled.
Xiao Qi was a pitiable girl—her father had died in a supernatural mission, her mother long gone, leaving only an elderly grandfather. Tongguan felt sympathy but could do nothing.
While waiting for Ji Li, he sensed something quietly brewing, leaving his thoughts scattered. Chang Nian's interruption only disrupted him further. He lightly pushed her aside and, without a word, drew another cigarette from the pack.
Chang Nian's temper flared further. Again she grabbed the cigarette and tossed it away.
"I said, let me smoke!"
"If you dislike the smell, why did you marry me?"
"Nonsense! Weren't you the one who stubbornly proposed to me?"
Yu Guo and Fang Shenyan nearly exploded. Throughout the hours of waiting for Ji Li, the couple had spent almost half their time arguing. They had purposely kept some distance, but the quarrels only grew more extreme.
"How have they managed to endure this long?"
Fang Shenyan, watching through the autumn wind, looked bewildered at their behavior. He could not understand such a lifestyle.
Yu Guo, however, stared with a mix of longing, admiration, and sorrow. Softly, he muttered, "If only I could be like them."
Fang Shenyan turned to look at Yu Guo, recalling the name Yu Guo had repeated upon their first meeting: 'A-Lian'.
He silently drew a drag from his cigarette, saying nothing more.
Gradually, the cold wind rose again. The sun released its pale light, and a distant figure appeared.
The figure was wrapped in a black trench coat, moving unsteadily, limping, appearing pale and frail.
Long hair whipped in the wind, yet his shoulders remained steady. A single red leaf landing on him stayed in place as he moved.
Fang Shenyan and Yu Guo immediately focused on the figure, their expressions confirming their expectations.
They had always believed Ji Li would return. Both knew him well and understood he was no ordinary person.
Ji Li appeared slightly dazed, at least outwardly. Four thin shadows on the ground hinted at another soul added to him, though he remained vigilant.
The mission was complete. He only needed to identify one ghost to leave. Returning from the Broad Valley Building meant that out of the six ghosts from this mission, some had vanished.
Six staff members, six ghosts—five returned. Five ghosts were delivered.
The sixth, perhaps, remained within Ji Li himself.
Hearing Fang Shenyan and Yu Guo calling, he turned toward the moat. They approached quickly while Tongguan and Chang Nian seemed still entangled in their quarrel.
Ji Li exhaled deeply, facing the approaching pair filled with questions. He waved them off before they could speak.
He revealed the right side of his leg by pulling open his coat, showing pants soaked completely in blood—the leg nearly ruined during his return.
Dragged back, Ji Li felt his mind slipping; fatigue washed over him. He collapsed, but Fang Shenyan and Yu Guo caught him by the arms.
Tongguan and Chang Nian also approached. Seeing Ji Li pale and unconscious, they nodded.
"It's clear he barely made it."
...
In the hotel lobby, the main doors were thrust open with a loud bang. Fang Shenyan and Yu Guo supported the severely injured Ji Li as they entered first, followed by Tongguan and Chang Nian.
Inside, it felt like an entirely different season. Warm breezes brushed their faces, faint fragrances filled the air, soothing the fatigue of their long night.
'Congratulations to the Branch Seven of Tianhai Hotel. Staff members Fang Shenyan, Yu Guo, Tongguan, and Chang Nian have returned safely…'
The familiar welcome announcement played again. The female voice of the broadcast was sweet and clear, like a refreshing rain to the listeners.
Of all of them, only Ji Li was injured, and even his wound was not difficult to treat.
While Ji Li tended to his injuries, red lights suddenly shot out from the bodies of Fang Shenyan, Yu Guo, Tongguan, and Chang Nian, converging in the air to form a red handprint with four fingers.
The last red light from Ji Li's semi-conscious body flew out on its own, joining the phantom hand, completing its form.
However, the handprint was still neither engraved with hotel markings nor assigned a room—it continued to hover in the air.
Within that supernatural power, Ji Li replenished his vitality and healed his wounds. Slowly regaining full consciousness, he lay in the lobby, opening his gray-black eyes and staring at the hotel ceiling.
At the same time, the hotel broadcast spoke again, directly addressing Ji Li:
'Congratulations to the Branch Seven of Tianhai Hotel. Acting Manager Mr. Ji Li has successfully returned.'
'However, you may not conceal any part of the ghosts—you must submit them all to the hotel.'
You can read Eerie Overseer ahead by 50+ chapters ad-free and for free at htt ps://ravenarchives. com/book/eerie-overseer]. Bulk uploads are a bit tricky, so updates here might be irregular, but they'll keep coming.