Hunting Criminals in the Old Era, I Ascended to Immortality

Jiang Shuyun was once a noblewoman who died unjustly on her wedding night and became a vengeful spirit. After a thousand years of cultivation, she reached the rank of Ghost King but was blocked from ascending to Ghost Immortal by a heavenly decree banning spirits. To survive and continue her cultivation, she accepted a partnership with the Quick-Transmigration Bureau and the Supernatural Affairs Bureau. Her mission is to hunt down criminals who have bribed corrupt officials to escape justice by transferring their souls into new bodies in different worlds. She is accompanied by a system entity named Dou Dou, who assists in tracking targets and managing mission parameters.

Her first assignment takes her to 1975 China, where she inhabits the body of a young woman who died of a fever on a train. The original owner was an educated youth sent to the countryside after exposing her stepmother’s plot to sell her into marriage with a violent, mentally disabled man. Jiang Shuyun arrives at the Hongqi Brigade in Yuyan County, a coastal area near Hong Kong, which serves as a hotspot for fugitives attempting to flee the country. She learns that her primary targets are Jin Hao and his mother, who murdered Jin’s wife, Lili, and fled to this world using stolen identities.

Upon arrival, Jiang Shuyun meets a group of educated youths, including Liang Meizhen, who bears a striking resemblance to Lili. Jiang Shuyun identifies Lin Hua, a local villager with a wealthy background, and his mother, Zhang Suting, as the likely hosts for the fugitives. She discovers that Jin Hao possesses a golden finger ability called Win-Win, which allows him to duplicate objects. However, the ability requires sacrificing the life force of others to increase its usage limits. Jiang Shuyun deduces that the real Lin Hua and Zhang Suting have been used as fuel for this power, their souls trapped within the ability.

To expose the fugitives, Jiang Shuyun uses her ghostly powers to alter Liang Meizhen’s appearance, making her look like the murdered Lili. When Jin Hao and his mother see the ghostly reflection of their victim, they panic and reveal their guilt by screaming that Liang Meizhen is a ghost. This reaction confirms Jiang Shuyun’s suspicions and alerts the fugitives that their past has caught up with them. Instead of fleeing immediately, they become paranoid and begin plotting to kill Liang Meizhen to eliminate the threat, unaware that Jiang Shuyun is orchestrating their downfall.

Jiang Shuyun continues to gather evidence while maintaining her cover as a helpful fellow educated youth. She protects Liang Meizhen from harm, removing a curse that would have caused her infertility, thereby securing an ally. Meanwhile, the fugitives attempt to duplicate valuable goods to trade for gold and escape to Hong Kong. Jiang Shuyun monitors their movements, waiting for the moment when the world’s consciousness will detect their anomalies and expel them. Her goal is to capture their souls, extract the golden finger abilities, and consume their evil energy to advance her cultivation toward becoming a Ghost Immortal.

The story follows Jiang Shuyun’s methodical hunt as she navigates the social dynamics of the countryside brigade. She balances her supernatural duties with the mundane challenges of rural life in 1970s China. The fugitives, driven by greed and fear, make increasingly reckless moves, believing their golden fingers can protect them from both human law and spiritual retribution. Jiang Shuyun remains calm and calculating, using their arrogance against them while ensuring that justice is served for Lili and the other victims of their crimes.