Chapter Nine: Another Unexpected Turn

County Public Security Bureau compound, duty office.

“Hey, Xiao Sun, tell me about that time you captured the ringleader of those spies,” a bespectacled young clerk asked the tall man beside him.

“Hush! Comrade Xiao Shen, what happened to your sense of confidentiality? If Captain Zhao hears you talking like this, the two of us will be in trouble again. Watch out, or we’ll both end up in detention!” Clerk Sun quickly stood up, looked around, and only let out a long sigh once he was sure no one else was around.

“All right, all right, relax. Captain Zhao’s gone to celebrate his mother-in-law’s birthday tonight. He definitely won’t come by.” Xiao Shen waved off his concern. If he hadn’t been temporarily assigned to the provincial office to organize files during the last operation, he might have caught the criminal himself. He’d been itching ever since he found out he’d missed such a major case, so even just hearing about it would be a small consolation.

Seeing that Clerk Sun was still hesitant, he pressed him, “Come on, just start talking. Why are you dawdling?”

“All right, all right, I’ll tell you. But you mustn’t breathe a word of this to anyone, or if the captain finds out, we’ll be in for it.”

“Fine, fine, you’re so naggy. Am I that kind of person? Out with it!”

“Let me have a sip of water first.”

“Why are you acting like an old lady?”

“What’s your hurry? I’m about to speak.”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake…”

Suddenly, with a loud clang, the sound of a bicycle crashing echoed from the courtyard, followed by hurried footsteps coming up the corridor.

“Is anyone here? Comrades, something’s happened! Something’s wrong!” A figure stumbled into the corridor, clutching the wall and gasping for breath, shouting.

Sun and Shen both jumped up, hurrying to support the newcomer.

“Comrade, what’s the matter? Take your time. This is the County Public Security Bureau.”

“I—I need to report a crime... I’m Liu Laisheng, the warehouse manager at the Fertilizer Factory... something’s happened...” The newcomer, with his large protruding ears, spoke in broken, breathless phrases.

Only then did Clerk Sun take a closer look. Wasn’t this his uncle, Liu Laisheng? Why was he here? Could something have happened at home? The thought clenched at his heart.

“Uncle, what’s wrong? Did something happen at home?” he asked anxiously.

Liu Laisheng finally caught his breath and said, “Xiaotian, quickly—there’s a group of tomb raiders up on Longyan Mountain!”

“Uncle, are you sure? Are you certain you saw them clearly? How many people? Which direction did they go?”

“There were five or six of them, I’d say. They seemed to be around Huang Family Ridge.”

Hearing this, Sun Xiaotian realized this could be a big case. Right now, there was a crackdown on tomb raiding, and for someone to still dare commit such a crime meant they were no ordinary people. If they acted quickly, they might uproot the entire gang.

“Uncle, are you certain? This isn’t something to joke about.”

“Xiaotian, you don’t believe your own uncle? With my revolutionary vigilance—after all, I was a militia man—each of them looked just like this…” As he spoke, he gestured animatedly.

From his gestures, Sun and Shen understood the seriousness of the matter. They didn’t hesitate any longer, deciding to report to the captain and chief immediately.

“The moment I saw them, I knew they were up to no good. Not a decent person among them. So I kept an eye out. As soon as they left, I told Old Duan to follow them from afar and leave markers along the way. I came straight here without stopping for a moment…”

Liu Laisheng, the warehouse manager, was gesticulating wildly, spittle flying as he exaggerated his account.

“Uncle, this is great! This is a major case, and you’ll get credit for it. We’ll report it and mobilize immediately.” Sun Xiaotian was also excited—it had been a long time since he’d had a big case fall into his lap.

“Xiao Shen, gather everyone at once. I’ll inform the higher-ups.” Sun Xiaotian grabbed the phone and dialed rapidly.

“Got it!” Xiao Shen dashed out like a whirlwind.

“Xiaotian, Old Duan and I agreed on leaving markers. I know the mountain well; I’ll guide the comrades…” Liu Laisheng continued to prattle in Sun Xiaotian’s ear.

Deep in the mountains, beneath an ink-black night, autumn had arrived.

A waning moon hung in the sky, casting a pale, cold light that left patches of white on the ground—desolate and lonely.

A wild hare perked its furry ears, listening intently, then darted into a nearby clump of grass.

“It’s done. Phew, withdraw!” The old man in black let out a long breath, withdrew his hands, and his tightly furrowed brow finally relaxed. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, and he looked somewhat weary.

On Lao Wu’s forehead, the talisman gradually faded, emitting a gentle yellow glow. At last, even the lingering deathly aura receded from his face, sinking into the talisman, which fell still.

“Master, I…” Lao Wu struggled to lift his head.

His body had mostly returned to normal—those terrifying arms had shrunk back to normal size, no longer resembling giant pythons. Only one arm was missing a hand, the wound gruesome and bleeding, a sight to chill the heart. His face was pale, drained of strength. If not for the person supporting him, he would have collapsed long ago.

“Lao Wu, you son of a gun, you’re finally back to yourself. Any longer and I’d have turned you into firewood and sent you straight to the afterlife,” Scarface growled in his deep voice.

“Hey, Lao Wu, check your pants—see if everything’s still there. Don’t want to be missing any parts,” Second Brother snickered wickedly.

“That’s enough out of you two. If you can’t keep your mouths shut, get lost,” the old man in black snapped.

“Master, my… my hand… it hurts…” Lao Wu grimaced.

“Lao Wu, you’re lucky to have survived today. As for the rest, nothing can be done. The wound’s been treated. Rest, and in time you’ll recover,” the old man said helplessly.

The living have their rules; the dead, their order. After so many years in this trade, he knew anything could happen—life and death were decided in an instant, teetering on the edge of order every day. Fate was unpredictable.

To survive one day was no guarantee the path home would be traversed again tomorrow. Life and death were in the hands of fate. All one could do was enjoy the fleeting wealth of today, like a dream of golden millet—let the world be as it may.

A flash of green light danced in the darkness like a ghostly wisp, flitting and pausing, then suddenly shot like an arrow straight into Lao Wu’s crown.

A sizzling sound.

In an instant, the talisman on Lao Wu’s forehead burst into green flames. The gentle yellow light was quickly devoured by the green, the scene utterly uncanny.

That talisman had been painstakingly forged, and once complete, was impervious to water and fire. Yet now it disintegrated into powder, then slowly drifted away as ashes.

Suddenly, Lao Wu’s entire body changed again. The green light in his eyes surged out, brighter than before, like two blazing orbs set into his face. His body swelled, flesh ripping open to reveal glimpses of bone. Under the immense power, the corpse-binding chains began to crack, and it looked as if he would soon break free.