Chapter 56

When the lights went out earlier, Zheng Haiyang simply assumed it was a normal power outage or blackout, which was not uncommon in the countryside these days.

Tan Wenbin’s heart skipped a beat. His previous experience eating at the dead family’s house had left a deep shadow in his mind. Still, his hand holding the chopsticks only trembled a few times, and he managed to convince himself that he was being overly sensitive.

Runsheng held his chopsticks steadily with his right hand, chewing even as the lights went out. His left hand, however, had already gripped the handle of the Yellow River shovel resting against the bench beneath him.

The moment the lights came back on, Runsheng glanced at the cauldron on the table, then immediately fixed his gaze on Li Zhuiyuan, who sat opposite him. As long as a single look from Li Zhuiyuan signaled it, he would not hesitate to pick up the shovel and smash the heads of the two elders beside him.

In fact, when the lights went out, Li Zhuiyuan’s ears had caught a slight tremor and waver in the two elders’ voices. The sound of the large bowl being set down earlier, presumably containing the main dish, had also made him feel something was off. Whose bowl bottom would be supported by several sharp tips? They were eating at home, not in a large restaurant, so there was no need to fear the dishes getting cold and placing an iron stand beneath with solid alcohol to keep them warm. If Li Zhuiyuan hadn’t been able to consistently pinpoint the location of Zheng Haiyang’s grandparents’ voices, he couldn’t help but wonder if, when the lights came back on, their heads might be in this newly served container. Since it was called a “head dish,” putting a real human head in it would also be understandable. Because he had once been blind, his hearing was now truly perceptive.

But even though he had noticed something was amiss beforehand, he still dared not act prematurely. In an unfamiliar environment, he might have told Runsheng to flip the table before the lights even came back on. Yet, no matter what, this was Zheng Haiyang’s home, and Zheng Haiyang was his classmate, Tan Wenbin’s good friend; he had just lost his parents and was very pitiful.

The instant the lights came on and he saw the cauldron, an intense sense of repulsion welled up within Li Zhuiyuan. What was the point of such meaningless emotional ties? It was truly foolish! Fortunately, Li Zhuiyuan came to his senses in time and suppressed this instinctive emotion, preventing himself from having an attack at such a critical moment. The boy pinched the flesh on the back of his left hand with the fingers of his right, twisting hard. The pain was secondary; most terrifying was that this confirmed their current environment was not a spiritual journey, a dream, or hypnosis. This was real.

This presented the choice again: since Zheng Haiyang’s grandparents could present the cauldron as a serving dish, it proved they were no longer normal. Dreams could be woken from, but once things in reality were changed, they often could not be restored. A similar dilemma reappeared. But this time, Li Zhuiyuan didn't hesitate. He immediately raised his eyelids and gave a meaningful look to Runsheng across from him. Runsheng immediately swung up his shovel.

“Thwack!”

The lights went out again.

Throughout the entire room, from the bedroom door to the yard, all the talismans pasted there turned black and fell. Everything happened too fast. What immediately followed was a distortion and folding of personal space. Although Li Zhuiyuan hadn't moved and was still sitting on his chair, it felt as if he were on a roller coaster, sitting backward, his body rapidly moving backward.

“Thud!”

Three consecutive sounds of falling echoed. The sounds varied in loudness, some close (about five meters away), others far (twenty meters or more). They must have all risen in surprise and then lost their balance, falling to the ground. Only Li Zhuiyuan, still seated on his chair, managed to maintain his stability.

“Ah!”

This was Tan Wenbin’s scream. The scream was first distant, then close, then distant again, as if echoing in a hollow valley. The next moment, Li Zhuiyuan heard footsteps behind him. The person was wearing cloth shoes and was light-footed. Among their four, only Runsheng wore cloth shoes, but Runsheng was heavy-footed, and especially in such an emergency, he wouldn’t be tiptoeing. Li Zhuiyuan supported himself with both hands on the long bench and slipped down.

“Whoosh!”

A very sharp sound of air sliced through the space above him. Was it a knife? Although the surroundings were pitch black and he could see nothing, Li Zhuiyuan could imagine an old man or an old woman standing behind him, having just horizontally chopped at the spot where he had been sitting with a cleaver. Li Zhuiyuan spun around, dug his heels into the ground, instinctively taking a horse stance, then grabbed the long bench with both hands and pushed it forward forcefully. He had diligently practiced the horse stance and breathing exercises taught by Uncle Qin every day. Over time, it had produced noticeable effects; his lower body was more stable, and when he exerted force, it was greater and more sustained. Limited by his age and underdeveloped body, he was still smaller than his fully developed classmates in senior high, but for his age group, he could have dominated primary school.

There was an impact from the long bench. Hitting the knee area could easily make an opponent lose balance, so the opponent must have fallen. But before Li Zhuiyuan could make any further moves, an intense feeling of spatial disorientation assaulted him again. He immediately closed his eyes, trying to minimize the impact by sealing off his sensory channels, but then he suddenly realized that standing still was very dangerous. He immediately opened his eyes again, opening all his senses, then instantly lost track of up, down, left, and right. He fell and began to roll uncontrollably. It was because of this that he heard continuous chopping sounds again; clearly, the elder he had knocked down was frantically chopping at the spot where Li Zhuiyuan had been moments before. Li Zhuiyuan couldn't help but wonder if they were slow to react, or if they themselves couldn't see either.

“Click!”“Click!”

Two flames rose, one close and one far away. Runsheng and Tan Wenbin both carried matches, and they were using this method to attract their companions. But why did they strike sparks at the same time? Although they were eating inside the house, even if the lights were out, there was moonlight outside, but now, there was no sign of any external light. Therefore, why would *it* allow them to light a fire at this moment? The match flames continued to burn. Runsheng's voice came: "Xiaoyuan, Xiaoyuan!" It was indeed Runsheng's voice, but the fluctuating distance of the sound made it impossible to distinguish which flame it came from. "Xiaoyuan Ge, Xiaoyuan Ge!" This was Tan Wenbin's voice, and again, it was impossible to tell which flame it was.

Li Zhuiyuan immediately got up, avoided the nearby match light, and ran towards the distant one. One of these two lights must be a trap! Because neither Runsheng nor Tan Wenbin, even if they coincidentally thought of lighting matches at the same time, would foolishly stand still when they saw another match light. Specifically, Runsheng might choose to stay still to attract and wait for him, but Tan Wenbin had screamed earlier and was probably injured; upon seeing Runsheng's flame, he would definitely move towards Runsheng for refuge. Tan Wenbin knew very well who was the strong one among them, and who was safest to be next to. He would crawl there if he had to. Indeed, when Li Zhuiyuan had run a certain distance, the flame in his sight became clear. He saw Runsheng and Tan Wenbin, who stood beside Runsheng with a pained expression. They had both lit matches and were waiting for him. As for the other match, it was a trap.

Suddenly, Li Zhuiyuan heard footsteps behind him. It was still the light patter of cloth shoes, but it sounded a bit further away.

“Xiaoyuan, watch out!”

Runsheng let out a shout, picking up his Yellow River shovel and swinging it. Runsheng’s shovel was aimed directly at Li Zhuiyuan. He saw him, but he was affected by the spatial perception. He had told him to watch out, and combined with the footsteps he heard, it meant that from Runsheng’s perspective, the danger was behind Li Zhuiyuan. His shovel was aimed at the person behind Li Zhuiyuan. But from Li Zhuiyuan’s perspective, it was coming straight at him. This was like solving a problem; you had to understand the examiner's intent. It wanted him to be killed by Runsheng. So, if he dodged backward now, he might just enter Runsheng’s attack range. Of course, this could also be a Russian nesting doll, predicting your prediction. However, while understanding the examiner’s intent, one also had to grasp the examiner’s level, just like those two match flames earlier; the opponent's trap was relatively “straightforward.” Therefore, without considering other possibilities, Li Zhuiyuan not only didn’t dodge but actively rushed towards Runsheng’s shovel. The shovel swung down, and before Li Zhuiyuan had run much further, he directly collided with Runsheng. He had judged correctly. Runsheng was right in front of him; he couldn't retreat from that shovel.

“Xiaoyuan!”

Runsheng continued to hold the shovel with his right hand, while his left hand grabbed Li Zhuiyuan’s arm. Once they had substantive physical contact, it at least ensured that there would be no more spatial dislocation between them. Li Zhuiyuan pushed upwards with his hand. Runsheng understood, lifted his left arm, and placed the boy on his back. The boy wrapped his arms around Runsheng’s neck.

“Runsheng Ge, close your eyes.”

“Alright!”

Runsheng closed his eyes, completely entrusting command to the boy. Li Zhuiyuan also closed his eyes, focusing solely on his auditory perception.

“Ten steps straight ahead.”

Runsheng immediately took measured strides forward. Tan Wenbin, grabbing Runsheng’s vest, followed behind them.

“Turn left.”

Runsheng turned left.

“Walk twelve steps forward, then turn right and walk six steps.”

Runsheng immediately followed the instructions. Around them, the light footsteps of cloth shoes continuously sounded. It was clear that the two elders holding cleavers were anxious, but they dared not pounce. With the boy’s guidance, Runsheng could chop them dead with his shovel even with his eyes closed, simply by being told the direction of the approaching person. These two elders merely held a visual advantage; essentially, they were still just two old people.

“Straight ahead, chop with the shovel. This is the kitchen door.”

Runsheng raised his shovel and began to chop. Ahead, no sound of chopping could be heard; it must have been deliberately “moved” very, very far away. After continuous chopping, Runsheng also kicked a few times.

“Advance fifteen steps.”

Runsheng began to move forward. The layout of Zheng Haiyang’s house had the dining room and kitchen together. From the kitchen door, one entered the living room, and only by passing through the living room could one truly exit the house. This was a dark labyrinth game, but Li Zhuiyuan had played it before during his time as a blind person.

“Turn right, twelve steps. It’s a bit far. Smash the door. There’s glass on the living room door, be careful.”

Runsheng followed the instructions, moved to the location, and continued to smash the door. According to Li Zhuiyuan’s speculation, this special environmental structure was probably only confined to this building. Even if the range was larger, it didn't matter. Once they were out of the house and down the yard, it would be much wider outside, and neighbors lived far apart. If worse came to worst, he would just have Runsheng run wildly in the fields; he couldn’t believe they wouldn’t be able to escape its range.

Tan Wenbin also understood what Li Zhuiyuan wanted to do. He had the heart to remind him that one person was still missing and hadn’t been found among the four, but he also knew that Xiaoyuan, being so clever, wouldn’t forget Zheng Haiyang. Xiaoyuan chose not to look for him and to first escape the danger to a safe area; he could understand. Most importantly, he was now just a mere “pendant” on Runsheng; he had no right to demand anything. He could only leave here first, then ask Xiaoyuan to find a way to save Haiyang.

“Alright, it should be smashed through, Runsheng Ge, let’s go out—”

“Ahhhhh! Ahhhhh!”

Zheng Haiyang’s screams came from not far behind them.

“No, no, no, save me, save me!”

Tan Wenbin bit his lip tightly, to the point of bleeding, but he still said nothing, not even daring to increase his grip on Runsheng’s vest. His friend, whom he had always protected, was now in terrible danger, but he could only choose to ignore it. He wasn’t afraid; if he were alone here at this moment, even knowing the danger of turning back, he would unhesitatingly run back to save him. But now, he was worried that doing so would implicitly bind Xiaoyuan and influence Xiaoyuan’s judgment.

Zheng Haiyang’s scream did make Li Zhuiyuan pause, but only for a moment. Then came the continued, firm command:

“Go out, run twenty long steps, jump!”

Runsheng began to run, and Tan Wenbin also began to run. Runsheng began to jump. Although Tan Wenbin tried his best to count Runsheng’s steps, he found it very difficult to keep up with Runsheng’s pace. Finally, when Runsheng jumped, he was too slow. A sharp pain shot through his knees, and he fell backward, landing heavily. But when he opened his eyes, he saw the stars in the night sky and the surrounding vegetable fields. They were out!

Tan Wenbin looked in front of him. Around Zheng Haiyang’s yard, except for the sloped sections, there was a small concrete fence less than a meter high. Xiaoyuan had calculated the distance earlier, which was why he had Runsheng jump. He himself hadn’t successfully jumped and had directly crashed into it and tumbled over. Fortunately, it was just a painful scrape; not a big problem. Runsheng turned his head and looked at the yard they had just emerged from. Li Zhuiyuan patted Runsheng’s shoulder. Runsheng supported the boy with one hand, helping him land steadily.

“Runsheng Ge, use your vest to bandage Binbin Ge.”

“Okay!”

Runsheng took off his vest, tore it into strips, and bandaged Tan Wenbin’s left arm wound, barely stopping the bleeding. Earlier, in the darkness, his arm had been cut by a cleaver. Although it had bled quite a bit, it wasn’t a major problem, as it wasn’t cut by someone with Runsheng’s physique. Li Zhuiyuan and Runsheng, on the other hand, were completely unharmed. Li Zhuiyuan had dodged based on his hearing, while Runsheng had continuously swung his Yellow River shovel, not allowing the two elders to get close even though he couldn’t see. Tan Wenbin was also lucky; he had struck the match and had reached Runsheng’s side in time. Originally, he should have been one of the two most dangerous ones. As for the other, he was probably still inside the house.

“Runsheng Ge, my compass.”

Tan Wenbin immediately said, “It’s in the bag, still inside the house.” Earlier, the equipment bag had been at Runsheng’s feet. He had deliberately pulled out the Yellow River shovel and placed it within reach, learning from his previous experience at Zhou Yong’s house. But after it went completely dark earlier, he only had time to continue holding the Yellow River shovel, not enough time to get the other equipment. However, Runsheng reached into his pants pocket and pulled out the purple compass.

“Xiaoyuan’s compass, I always carry it with me.”

Li Zhuiyuan took the compass and began to deduce the current layout. Then, he quickly discovered something.

“We haven’t escaped its influence; we’re still inside it.”

Runsheng quickly bent down, ready to carry the boy on his back again. Tan Wenbin’s expression immediately tensed. Could everything they were seeing now also be fake?

“It’s not a big problem. The area we are in now is external, not internal. Outsiders can’t see the changes in our location. Although we are still inside, we have left the most dangerous area.”

Runsheng and Tan Wenbin both breathed a sigh of relief. Tan Wenbin timidly called out, “Xiaoyuan…”

“I know.”

Li Zhuiyuan continued to deduce with his head down. As long as he could figure it out, the darkness inside would be like having light bulbs reinstalled, and danger would no longer be danger.

Li Zhuiyuan had originally intended to tell Tan Wenbin to run out now and find Tan Yunlong. Yes, since they were here to salvage something tonight, how could they not inform Tan Yunlong? If they didn’t inform Tan Yunlong, who would he turn over the salvaged items to the state? In fact, Tan Yunlong had been monitoring the perimeter since the afternoon, accompanied by four plainclothes police officers. When the four arrived from school, they hadn’t gone to greet them because they weren't on the same mission. Tan Yunlong, no matter what, would continue to stand guard through the night. However, looking at Tan Wenbin’s wounds, Li Zhuiyuan felt that this thing was fierce; the effect of the "plaque" might not be enough here. Rashly calling Tan Yunlong and his team would only increase their danger once they entered.

“Ah!”

Just then, Zheng Haiyang also stumbled out from the shattered living room door. He had multiple knife wounds and was covered in blood. Zheng Haiyang was clutching a stool, frantically waving it to ward something off. Behind him, his grandparents, holding bloody cleavers, were approaching him step by step. Tan Wenbin immediately shouted with all his might, “Haiyang, Haiyang, Haiyang, come this way!” If he reached the edge of the yard and came down, he would be safe. Because as long as he could see, Runsheng alone could easily deal with the two elders. In fact, even without Runsheng, Tan Wenbin himself could do it.

Li Zhuiyuan: “Shut up!”

“Huh?”

Tan Wenbin didn’t understand at first, but he quickly caught on. Sound, even its propagation within, could be manipulated. Zheng Haiyang seemed to have heard Tan Wenbin’s voice, but the “direction” was wrong. Not only did he not continue to move towards Tan Wenbin and the others, but he seemed to be drawn by the sound, moving diagonally backward, leaving his side exposed to his grandparents. The grandparents each raised their cleavers and chopped down. The grandfather’s knife was faster and struck. Zheng Haiyang let out a scream and immediately rolled on the ground, almost using his animal instinct to survive. Fortunately, he rolled quickly, allowing him to dodge his grandmother’s knife. But when he struggled to get up again, he was now completely covered in blood, and his steps began to falter. Yet, because of that roll, he was closer to the edge of the yard, almost within arm’s reach. Zheng Haiyang slowly retreated two steps. His body was only a decimeter away from the small concrete fence at the edge of the yard. But he stopped, not continuing to back away. Instead, he began to move to the left, still clutching the stool, very nervous, while also shaking his head constantly—a sign of blood loss and blurring consciousness. His grandparents, meanwhile, held their knives, pressing closer, getting nearer and nearer.

At this moment, Li Zhuiyuan looked up and placed the compass face down. Tan Wenbin was overjoyed, thinking Xiaoyuan had already figured it out. He stared at the boy, hoping the boy would speak. But the boy didn’t speak, only calmly looked ahead. Tan Wenbin made as if to extend his right hand, not fully extending it; there was still a distance from the railing’s edge. He only needed a nod from the boy, and he would grab Zheng Haiyang and pull him to safety. Li Zhuiyuan patted Runsheng’s arm. Runsheng immediately raised his hand and swatted away Tan Wenbin’s extended arm. Tan Wenbin’s eyes widened. He dared not look at Li Zhuiyuan again, only softly knelt down, his face filled with struggle and pain. Zheng Haiyang’s grandparents continued to approach, and Zheng Haiyang had lost his ability to react, merely maintaining a stance.

Li Zhuiyuan, on his side, began to retreat step by step. As he retreated, he glanced at Tan Wenbin kneeling on the ground. Runsheng also retreated, but grabbed Tan Wenbin’s clothes. Tan Wenbin lay on the ground, being dragged along. Fearing that making a sound would affect Zheng Haiyang, Tan Wenbin had to suppress his emotions, but tears and snot had already flowed. After retreating a certain distance, Li Zhuiyuan stopped, stood behind Runsheng, and just poked his head out, continuing to look towards the yard. Runsheng also pulled Tan Wenbin backward, letting him lie on his back. Tan Wenbin took a deep breath, struggled to get up, waved to Runsheng to indicate he was fine, then looked at Li Zhuiyuan and nodded vigorously at the boy. His gaze became firm again; although the pain was still evident, there was no longer any hesitation or struggle. This made Li Zhuiyuan both surprised and somewhat unsurprised. Perhaps this was Tan Wenbin’s style: he could be vulnerable like ordinary people, but after his vulnerability, he could quickly adjust himself and become strong. Lord Ye Loves Dragons is a derogatory term, but daring to keep loving dragons is also an excellent quality.

Zheng Haiyang’s grandparents finally reached him. However, Zheng Haiyang’s previously lost eyes suddenly became firm. He reached out, took a knife from his grandmother, turned to face outside the yard, and threw it towards Li Zhuiyuan and the two others. Runsheng blocked it with a swing of his Yellow River shovel. With a “bang,” the cleaver was deflected. Zheng Haiyang’s grandfather also raised his cleaver and swung it. Unfortunately, the old man was old and in poor health; the cleaver landed one meter in front of the three of them. Immediately after, Zheng Haiyang and his grandparents lined the fence, standing side by side, staring coldly at the three outsiders. In the evening breeze, the bodies of the two elders and the young one swayed gently with the wind. Water continuously seeped from their eyes, ears, mouths, and noses, completely soaking their clothes.

Tan Wenbin was utterly shocked. Although he had a guess in his heart when Xiaoyuan retreated, when the facts and truth were laid bare before him, he still found it hard to accept. His good friend was actually controlled as well? Earlier, Zheng Haiyang had been so close to the fence; wasn’t that just enticing him to reach out and pull him? And if he had really reached out to grab him and save him, what would have been his fate? No, if Runsheng hadn’t slapped away his outstretched arm, at that earlier distance, Zheng Haiyang could have picked up the cleaver, turned, and chopped him. If Xiaoyuan hadn’t pulled back in time, those two thrown cleavers wouldn’t have been so easy to defend against. Tan Wenbin suddenly remembered what Zheng Haiyang had told him last night: that he felt no sadness about his parents’ deaths. He had consoled him, but now, recalling it, perhaps something had already been wrong with Zheng Haiyang at that time.

“Xiaoyuan Ge… you already knew?”

There were two matches lit; one was lit by Runsheng and Tan Wenbin, so who lit the other one that attracted him? Just as they were about to break through the living room door to exit, Zheng Haiyang’s screams conveniently came, attracting them to turn back and save him. They escaped from the house, leaving the range of the “darkness,” but Zheng Haiyang also happened to escape through the living room door and reached the yard. This entire performance, who was it for? The examiner’s skill was not high, and its intent was not hard to guess. But all of this was merely Li Zhuiyuan’s feeling and speculation; he had no evidence to prove that Zheng Haiyang had been controlled and was standing on that side. The real reason that prompted him to leave Zheng Haiyang to die was that he didn’t want to gamble. His relationship with Zheng Haiyang wasn’t that good, nor was their friendship that deep; there was no need to put himself in such great danger to save him. He and Runsheng had taken risks before, and had almost capsized, but those were risks they actively chose to experience, different from being forcibly involved. However, this reason was not suitable to tell Tan Wenbin; it would make him sadder. Therefore, Li Zhuiyuan responded faintly:

“Mm.”

Tan Wenbin clenched his teeth, pointed to the yard in front, and asked, “Xiaoyuan Ge, then, can they still be saved?” Li Zhuiyuan looked at the corner of the yard and the door frame; he couldn’t find his talismans anymore. “I don’t know what’s supporting the ‘darkness’ inside, but it shouldn’t last too long. At least, at dawn, things here will return to normal.” Tan Wenbin said with some reluctance, “No… no hope?” Zheng Haiyang had just lost his parents, and now he would lose his grandparents—no, even he himself would…

Li Zhuiyuan shook his head. He didn't know if they could be saved, but he had no ability to save them. Moreover, throughout the books written by Wei Zhengdao, there was no mention of people transforming back after becoming such things. If there were such a method, the one buried under the peach tree would have already used it on himself. Li Zhuiyuan could try “walking in the shadows” now, using methods from the black leather book to control one of the two elders and the young one, but doing so would be meaningless.

Tan Wenbin vigorously wiped his face, his jaw clenched tightly. In his ears, the words Zheng Haiyang had screamed when he suddenly collapsed, streaming with water and losing consciousness after school that day, echoed: “A bastard turtle, buried beneath the sea; whoever dares to disturb it, their whole family will die!” What kind of thing was that beneath the seabed, so ruthless? This was true; it spared no one, truly wanting the whole family to die!

Suddenly, Li Zhuiyuan’s ears twitched slightly. Runsheng also turned around, instinctively shielding the boy behind him. A figure was running quickly. He ran very fast, like a leopard. However, he was running towards the yard from another direction and did not pass by the three of them.

“Xiaoyuan?”

Li Zhuiyuan didn’t respond. He didn’t think it was necessary for Runsheng to intercept this suddenly appearing person. In fact, in the area where the three of them were currently, ordinary people outside couldn’t easily enter; otherwise, Tan Yunlong and his team would have already noticed something was wrong inside and rushed over. At this moment, the running man suddenly turned his head and looked over. Half of his face was severely swollen, and his eyeballs seemed to have been squeezed out long ago, leaving only empty, dark eye sockets. But he seemed to be smiling. His single eye focused heavily on Li Zhuiyuan among the three. Li Zhuiyuan didn’t recognize him, but the other’s gaze told him that he seemed to recognize him. An answer, an answer about the other’s identity, rose in his heart.

Zhu Changyong! The one who had gone into that area of the seabed with Zheng Haiyang’s parents and then came ashore. Also the person Xu Wen was trying to find. Although he was still agile now, he was hardly human anymore. But why did he appear at this moment? Li Zhuiyuan turned his head again to look at the yard. He suddenly realized that the enemy relationship… seemed to be wrong.

Zhu Changyong jumped onto the yard, entering the “darkness.” His arms began to grope; he seemed to have some difficulty adapting at first, but he quickly let out a laugh. This laughter was very strange; his vocal cords must have also been affected. He was now like a piece of rotting human flesh constantly deteriorating. Zheng Haiyang and his grandparents, meanwhile, all faced him. Zhu Changyong pounced. The darkness was useless against him. He rushed at Zheng Haiyang’s grandfather, knocking him down with a punch. Then, facing Zheng Haiyang’s grandmother and Zheng Haiyang himself, who pounced and bit him, he quickly knocked them over too. His skills were excellent. If he had been the one attacking the three of them in the dark house earlier, they would have had no chance of survival. On the yard, it was like four maddened beasts fighting, but the beast king successfully suppressed the three.

Zhu Changyong pried open Zheng Haiyang’s mouth, then directly reached his hand inside. Soon, when he pulled his hand back, he clutched a very small living creature. “Pop!” Zhu Changyong pulled this thing out and tore it off. Then he moved on to Zheng Haiyang’s grandparents. The two elders were frightened and tried to escape frantically, but they were both knocked down again. Zhu Changyong also pulled a living creature out of the grandmother’s mouth and twisted it off. Finally, the grandfather stood upright, his neck straightened, and a tumor appeared on his neck. Because the height was sufficient and the angle was clear, Li Zhuiyuan and the others, even from a distance, saw the thing that escaped from his mouth: a baby turtle. But unlike other baby turtles, its shell was gray-purple, reflecting eerie patterns in the moonlight. As soon as the baby turtle crawled out, Zhu Changyong leaped forward and grabbed it. As he landed, he pulled its head from its shell, pulling it very long, and finally, with a “pop,” tore it off!

Immediately, Zhu Changyong ran into the house. Soon, he ran out, clutching the cauldron. He raised the cauldron and smashed it violently against the sharp corner of the concrete railing at the edge of the yard. “Bang! Bang! Bang!” Under continuous forceful impacts, the cauldron cracked open. A sea bowl-sized turtle flew out and directly stuck to Zhu Changyong’s chest. His clothes instantly ripped, and Zhu Changyong’s chest could be seen to have caved in. Zhu Changyong tried several times to pull it off, but it was useless. This turtle seemed to know what consequences it would face once it detached, so it clung tightly to Zhu Changyong like a suction cup.

“Ahhhhhh!!!!!”

Zhu Changyong spread his arms, threw his head back, and let out a roar like a wild wolf. The skin all over his body began to crack at this moment. But he immediately lowered his head again, jumped off the yard, and began to run again. It was almost the same route, returning the way he came. As he passed the previous spot, he still turned his head and glanced at the boy.

“Runsheng Ge, chase him!”

“Okay!”

Runsheng bent down, and Li Zhuiyuan jumped on. Runsheng also began to run. But even though Runsheng was running very fast, his shoulder blades hitting Li Zhuiyuan painfully with each arm swing, he still couldn’t catch up to Zhu Changyong and was gradually left behind. This was because Zhu Changyong’s running posture was no longer human-like. Normal humans simply couldn’t move and twist their joints like that.

At this moment, Li Zhuiyuan heard the sound of a motorcycle starting. He turned his head and saw Tan Yunlong. Although they had done sufficient preliminary investigation, the development of events was still unbelievable. This made Li Zhuiyuan recall what Tan Yunlong had told him yesterday: that handling cases would encounter very strange twists, and the strangeness would come from the people involved, not the case itself. But eventually, on the convergence line, it returned to the predetermined “right track.” Tan Yunlong had finally waited for the Zhu Changyong he was looking for. However, Zhu Changyong was not running on the road; he took a very strange route, drilling into the woods. Li Zhuiyuan generally looked into the distance and realized he was going to the riverbank! Tan Yunlong’s motorcycle quickly couldn’t go on; he had to abandon the vehicle and began to run and chase. But Zhu Changyong’s speed did not decrease but increased in the woods. When Li Zhuiyuan, Runsheng, and Tan Yunlong chased him out of the woods, they saw his figure already appearing in the sand quarry by the river below. At that time, environmental protection had not yet received enough attention, and sand quarries were everywhere and very active. Even at night, the machines were still on.

Zhu Changyong stood at the machine gate, turned around, and looked at the three pursuers. He seemed to have no intention of escaping further; he was deliberately waiting here. And at this moment, the turtle, which had been unwilling to leave his chest, now became frightened and wanted to escape, but Zhu Changyong held it tightly to himself with both arms.

“Must… must…”

He struggled to make a sound, but it was like a hoarse wail in the dark night. His single eye stared at Li Zhuiyuan, and he continued to shout and express forcefully. Originally, Li Zhuiyuan thought the other wanted to express a warning, urging them not to go to that seabed. However, Zhu Changyong shouted:

“Must… must go there… and get it!”

After speaking, he voluntarily jumped into the gate below. Instantly, large amounts of flesh and liquid splattered. Even Tan Yunlong, with his rich experience in handling cases, was shocked by this scene. His instinct told him that the other person had come here for this very reason, to die in this way! He had chased criminals countless times, but this was truly the first time he had seen such a situation. The two workers from the sand quarry heard the commotion and walked towards them. Tan Yunlong immediately ordered them to shut down the machines. The machines stopped, but people, however, were already everywhere.

Li Zhuiyuan and Runsheng returned to Zheng Haiyang’s house, arriving at the yard. Tan Wenbin knelt there, looking at Zheng Haiyang’s body in front of him, his expression numb. Hearing footsteps, Tan Wenbin turned to look at the newcomers, then pointed to the three bodies lying on the ground in front of him:

“Xiaoyuan Ge, he’s dead.”

He had eaten blanched shrimp, but had never actually seen skin peeled off. He had seen the deceased, and witnessed corpses in the river, but had never had a bloody process presented before him. What’s more, this time, it was his good friend.

“Binbin Ge, this is the other side of the world you wanted to see. It’s not as interesting or fun as you imagined.”

“Mm…”

“You can still quit now.”

Tan Wenbin fell silent.

“Runsheng Ge, go get our things and collect all the talismans.”

Tan Yunlong walked up at this moment, looking at his son kneeling on the ground, his eyes showing heartache, but he still restrained the urge to comfort his son and turned to Li Zhuiyuan: “Xiaoyuan, tell me, what exactly happened?”

“Uncle Tan, if I don’t tell you, how will you report it?”

“I can only report what I saw, which is that Zhu Changyong killed people and then committed suicide while escaping.”

“Report it that way, Uncle Tan. But don’t mention us.”

“But that’s not the truth, is it?”

“Uncle Tan, when you report it, another group of people will come to ask you for the truth. At that time, you can tell them your suspicions. They will come.”

Tan Yunlong immediately thought of Yu Shu, who had appeared not long ago. That person had also been accompanied by him and his team to several places last time, and it was clear that he wasn’t there to investigate criminal forensics.

“Xiaoyuan, will there be?”

“Yes, there will be, as long as you report Zhu Changyong’s name and tell them what he shouted before he died; apart from the three of us, Uncle Tan, you don’t need to hide anything.”

“I understand.”

Tan Yunlong understood. Sometimes, knowing the truth beforehand made it inconvenient for investigation and questioning. This child wasn’t trying to hide anything from him but was thinking for him. Li Zhuiyuan walked behind Tan Wenbin and patted his back:

“Binbin Ge, we’re going home now.”

Runsheng had already placed their belongings on the tricycle and was waiting. Li Zhuiyuan got into the vehicle. The tricycle hadn’t driven far when it stopped. Because someone had grabbed the vehicle from behind. Li Zhuiyuan turned his head and saw Tan Wenbin running after them, his eyes filled with determination, as if he had made some kind of resolve. He knew that the thing that truly killed Zheng Haiyang came from that seabed. For the first time, Tan Wenbin mentioned the nickname Li Sanjiang had given him without a playful smile. He said very seriously:

“Why didn’t you wait for me? Zhuang Zhuang wants to go home too.”