Siheyuan: Hang Jia Dongxu, smash Banggeng to death!

"Besides,"

Master Yan put the spoon back into the earthenware jar and put the lid on. "We eat dog meat so that we can work better. Only when the source is sufficient can we consecrate their bullets."

If the case is solved, the police station will be too grateful to blame us.

If bullets can't kill it, then it just means the evil spirit is too powerful; we can report it to our superiors then.

"Old Yan truly lives up to his reputation!"

Master Wang gave a thumbs-up, his face full of admiration, "How come I never thought of that?"

Master Yan smiled smugly and lifted the lid of the iron pot.

The glutinous rice is cooked, each grain distinct and glistening with oil.

He opened the earthenware pot again and poked the meat inside with his chopsticks. It was stewed until tender and fell off the bone with a single touch of the chopsticks.

"That's about enough," Master Yan said. "Come on, serve the rice and let's eat."

The two of them busily served rice and meat.

Master Wang also pulled out a bottle of baijiu (Chinese liquor) from the cabinet; he didn't know where he got it from, as the label had been worn away.

"Old Yan, how about a couple of drinks?" Master Wang shook the bottle.

Master Yan's eyes lit up: "Let's do it!"

"Dog meat, once cooked, can make even immortals tremble; dog meat with wine, may your love last forever."

The two set up their meal in the kitchen, each with a bowl of dog meat, a bowl of glutinous rice, and a cup of white wine. They ate with grease on their lips and drank until their faces were flushed.

"Mr. Yan, to be honest..."

After his third drink, Master Wang started to talk more. "This case... do you really think it was... done by evil spirits?"

Master Yan picked up a piece of dog meat, put it in his mouth, chewed for a long time, and then said, "Does it matter whether it's an evil spirit or not?"

"Is it unimportant?" Master Wang was taken aback.

"The important thing is..."

Master Yan took a sip of wine. "The police station believes it's an evil spirit. They sent us to handle it, so we have to follow the normal procedures."

Rather, the deaths were bizarre, with no witnesses and no clues. Tell me, if it wasn't an evil spirit, who could have done that?

Master Wang thought for a moment and shook his head: "No normal person can do that."

"That's right."

Master Yan slapped his thigh. "If a normal person can't do it, then it's definitely not something a normal person could do. If it's not something a normal person could do, then it must be something an evil spirit could do. Doesn't that make sense?"

"Understood!" Master Wang nodded vigorously.

So,

Master Yan poured himself another glass of wine. "We'll hand over the consecrated bullets to them tomorrow. As for success or failure, that's up to fate, not us."

"What if... what if someone else dies?" Master Wang asked worriedly.

"More deaths?"

Master Yan sneered, "That means the evil spirits are too powerful, and our skills are insufficient. We need to invite someone more powerful."

In short, you have to make your point. In our line of work, it's one part skill and nine parts persuasiveness.

Master Wang suddenly realized, raised his glass and said, "Master Yan, I toast you. I've learned more from you this trip than I have in the past ten years."

"Cheers!" Master Yan clinked glasses and drank it all in one gulp.

The two ate and drank heartily, quickly finishing off a pot of dog meat and a pot of glutinous rice.

We'd drunk most of a bottle of wine and were feeling quite tipsy.

"Old Yan, do you think they can really slay the evil spirit tomorrow by using the bullets we've blessed?"

Master Wang lay on the table and asked indistinctly.

Master Yan let out a burp, his eyes half-open and half-closed: "So what if we can't suppress it? We were sent from above. If we can't suppress it, it's because the evil spirit is too powerful, not because we're incompetent. We can just ask for help."

"Wow...that's amazing..."

Master Wang gave a thumbs up, then lay down on the table and didn't move, soon snoring.

Master Yan couldn't hold on any longer. He stood up unsteadily, wanting to go back to his room to sleep.

As he reached the doorway, he suddenly stopped and looked back at the empty earthenware pot and iron pan.

What about the remaining half pot of glutinous rice and the mostly half pot of dog meat?

You should know that was the meat of two black dogs.

Could it be that evil spirits have arrived?

For some reason, Master Yan recalled what he had seen at Director Yang's house during the day, and the morgue at the police station.

Those twisted corpses, those terrified expressions, those bizarre ways of dying.

He shivered, and the effects of the alcohol sobered him up a bit.

Master Yan shook his head, feigning composure, and muttered to himself, "What are you thinking? Where do evil spirits come from in this world? It's all people scaring people, scaring people..."

He pushed open the kitchen door and staggered toward the room.

The corridor was quiet, with only the echo of his footsteps.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, casting dappled shadows on the floor.

Suddenly, he felt a chill down his spine, as if something was watching him.

Master Yan dared not turn back; a popular saying goes, "Never turn back."

The corridor was empty; there was nothing there.

But just as he turned to continue walking, he caught a glimpse of a shadow out of the corner of his eye.

In the shadows at the end of the corridor, there seemed to be a small figure standing there.

Master Yan's heart began to pound.

He rubbed his eyes and looked again carefully.

The shadow disappeared.

"A hallucination...it must be a hallucination..."

Master Yan muttered to himself, quickened his pace, and almost ran back to his room, slamming the door shut and locking it.

As for Xiao Wang, who was still lying on the table, Master Yan could only say: "Let each accept their fate. I've already said he only has a fraction of his ability."

Holding a half-pot of glutinous rice and fragrant dog meat, Lin Tian couldn't help but sigh, "I never expected that the experts in the special case investigation team that Director Zhao and Qin Ming mentioned would be two big liars."

Still have some skill left?

I think this score comes from memorizing a few more miscellaneous books and learning about Yin-Yang theory and ghost stories.

However, it must be said that he did have some remarkable qualities, managing to secure a government position during an era when the promotion of feudal superstition was prohibited.

However, I'll gladly accept the dog meat and glutinous rice; consider it payment for your lives.

After saying that, Lin Tian disappeared from the spot.

Half an hour later.

Qin Ming has arrived.

The bureau chief said that if they were to shift the blame onto the bureau chief, they would have to come and greet him and follow his orders.

After all, they are mortals; dealing with evil spirits is the job of a master.

"Master Yan, Master Wang, are you there? How's the consecration going?"

However, no one answered.

Qin Ming's expression suddenly changed. Could it be that something had happened to the two masters?

The police officer who just reported said they were stewing dog meat. Could the two of them be in the guesthouse kitchen?

Thinking of this, Qin Ming quickened his pace and went to the kitchen.

Inside the room, Master Yan hid under the covers. He heard the shouts outside the door, but dared not open it.

He is afraid of death.

If this is an evil spirit in disguise, it will open the door, get right up to your face, and kill you.

"Master Yan, Master Wang, are you there?"

Qin Ming rushed into the kitchen, only to find Master Wang lying motionless on the table. Had Master Wang been murdered?

"Master Wang, are you alright?"

Qin Ming shook himself, while Master Wang, as still as a dead pig, uttered, "Stop fooling around!"

"Phew, so he was just drunk. I thought he was dead!"

Qin Ming breathed a sigh of relief. Luckily, the pot hadn't been smashed. Now was not the time for that.

……