What do you mean by saying that the corpses I sew are all ominous creatures?

Looking at that withered corpse, my sense of crisis grew stronger.

I still don't understand what role the Soul-Stabilizing Pearl plays in the hands of the guardian of the cauldron.

It was just a corpse; you couldn't tell much from it.

But what I am certain of is that the guardian of the cauldron is extracting living souls.

Twenty minutes later, Lu Yan arrived.

Today she was wearing a long black trench coat, her hair was styled in a high bun, and she looked dashing and heroic.

When she saw me standing in the dissection room, she paused for a moment, then a knowing look flashed in her eyes.

"I knew it, whenever something strange happens like this, you're bound to be involved."

She walked over to me, glanced at the corpse, and frowned.

"Director Lu, how have you been?"

I smiled and pointed to the discarded bead on the tray. "Take a look at this. I think you should be familiar with it."

Lu Yan picked up the tweezers, examined them carefully for a moment, and her face instantly turned cold.

"The discarded Soul-Stabilizing Pearl... and this lingering aura..."

She raised her head, her eyes piercing: "It's the technique of the Soul Refining Cauldron."

Those lunatics who guard the tripod actually dared to carry out this kind of human sacrifice in Jiangcheng city!

"Soul Refining Cauldron?" I caught that key word.

"A kind of evil magic used only by the guardians of the cauldron, first recorded in the General Bureau's archives thirty years ago."

Lu Yan put down the tweezers and said in a low voice, "Using a living person as a cauldron and the Soul-Stabilizing Pearl as a guide, we extract the living soul to refine the Soul Pill."

It is said that this soul-soothing elixir can prolong life and even... bring the dead back to life.

Resurrected from the dead?

I narrowed my eyes.

The cycle of birth and death is the natural order of things, and it is absolutely impossible for someone to die and be reborn.

The guardian of the cauldron was definitely not refining this kind of soul pill for this purpose.

"Chen Yang, this matter is more serious than we imagined."

Lu Yan turned around and looked at me, her eyes showing a hint of seriousness.

"The deceased has been identified as Zhou Fuhai, an antique dealer from Jiangcheng."

It is said that he recently acquired a batch of funerary objects unearthed from the ground, including a Soul-Stabilizing Pearl of exceptional quality.

"Is possessing a treasure a crime?" I said calmly.

"Possibly. Moreover, according to intelligence, Zhou Fuhai met with a mysterious person wearing a black robe before his death."

Lu Yan lowered her voice: "That mysterious person is very likely one of the guardians of the cauldron."

"What do you need me to do?" I asked.

Lu Yan looked at me, a sly smile playing on her lips.

"Since they want the Soul-Stabilizing Pearl, then we'll give them one."

"You mean...fishing again?"

"That's right, don't you have one? Plus, with Jin Wanliang's big mouth, as long as the word gets out, you can say that you have a top-grade Soul-Stabilizing Pearl."

Let's see if we can make a breakthrough in this area.

I sighed and smiled helplessly.

"Director Lu, you're using me as bait."

Lu Yan shrugged: "There's nothing we can do. These people are too secretive. The bureau's intelligence network can't get any specific information about them right now."

You have old grudges against them, and since you possess a top-grade Soul-Stabilizing Pearl, it's a good opportunity to test their attitude towards you and the pearl.

If we can get them to make a move, I believe we'll achieve a breakthrough soon.

I rested my chin on my hand and thought for a while: "Okay, then let's do it your way."

The thought of these people lurking in the shadows keeps me from sleeping soundly at night.

After seeing Lu Yan off, I didn't leave the dissection room immediately. Instead, I took out my phone and dialed Jin Wanliang's number.

"Hey? Boss Chen, calling me at this hour, is there some big deal coming up again?"

On the other end of the phone, Jin Wanliang's voice was very noisy, with the background filled with the sounds of shuffling cards and shouting.

"There is indeed a business deal that requires your help."

I walked to the window, looked at the gloomy sky outside, and spoke calmly.

"Spread the word for me that I urgently need a large sum of money to buy medicine to heal my injuries and that I'm preparing to sell a top-grade Soul-Stabilizing Pearl."

The noise on the other end of the phone seemed to have subsided a bit, as Jin Wanliang had clearly covered the receiver and moved to a quieter place.

"fishing?"

This fat guy is indeed shrewd; he understands things immediately.

"Yes, Zhou Fuhai is dead, killed by the guardian of the cauldron. They wanted the pearl, so I gave them a chance."

I toyed with the scalpel in my hand, the blade dancing between my fingers.

"Make the show more elaborate, set the price high, the more outrageous the better, and make it seem like I'm in a hurry and desperately need money."

"Hey, this is something I'm good at!"

Jin Wanliang's smile was somewhat cunning.

"Don't worry, by tonight, the entire Jiangcheng black market will know that you, Chen Yang, are a spendthrift who would sell even such a treasure to save your life."

But... are you sure you can handle it? The guardian of the cauldron is a tough nut to crack this time.

"I know what I'm doing. Also, tell Li Qing not to show his face. I'll handle this alone. Having too many people around will only scare the fish away."

"Alright! Just you wait and see."

After hanging up the phone, I took a deep breath.

The net has been cast; now it's just a matter of waiting for the fish to bite.

Based on my understanding of these heretical people, greed is their nature.

My current claim of "serious injury" provides them with the perfect opportunity to kill and rob me.

However, things did not go as smoothly as expected.

The first day was calm and peaceful.

I went to work and came home as usual.

When I returned to my rented room that night, I deliberately didn't draw the curtains and placed the Soul-Stabilizing Bead in the most conspicuous place on the table.

He sat in the shadows, holding a bone needle in his hand, with a scalpel under his pillow, and remained in a light sleep all night.

At the slightest disturbance, my manipulation technique combined with bone needles can instantly seal off the entire room.

But nothing happened that night.

The same thing happened the next day.

Day three, day four...

On the fifth night, a freezing rain fell in Jiangcheng.

Raindrops pattered against the windowpane, making a crisp, crackling sound.

The temperature in the room had dropped very low. I sat on the sofa, looking at the Soul-Stabilizing Pearl on the table that still emitted a soft glow, my brows furrowed into a deep frown.

It's too quiet.

This silence is abnormal.

I know Jin Wanliang is efficient.

If he says the news has spread, then every sorcerer in Jiangcheng with any skills must know that I have the goods.

But the guardians of the cauldron haven't made a move at all. They're completely unmoved by me, the "fat sheep" who's delivered right to their doorstep.

"Could it be that they've seen through this trap?"

I muttered to myself.

This possibility cannot be ruled out.

After all, we teamed up to trick the Shadow Sect at the old shipyard last time. Since the Guardian of the Cauldron has a partnership with the Shadow Sect, he must be wary of me.

Just then, the cell phone on the coffee table suddenly vibrated, breaking the silence in the room.

The words "Ten Thousand Taels of Gold" were displayed on the screen.

I answered the phone immediately.

"Hey, Lao Jin, is there any movement?"

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone before Jin Wanliang's somewhat solemn voice came through.

"Chen Yang, something's not right."