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

His voice wasn't as smooth as usual; instead, it carried an unusual seriousness.

"These past few days, I not only spread the word, but I also had people stake out several underground gambling dens that specialize in buying and selling ghost items. And guess what happened?"

"What's wrong?"

"Nobody will take it."

Jin Wanliang paused for a moment and continued, "Not only has no one come to inquire about your beads, but even the middlemen who usually buy and sell Soul-Stabilizing Beads and Soul-Nourishing Wood have all disappeared in the past few days."

The entire black market in Jiangcheng, dealing in items related to "souls," came to a complete standstill, as if the power had been suddenly cut off.

I frowned.

Black market shut down?

This is like a vegetable market suddenly stopping selling meat. There's only one possibility—a super-large buyer bypassed the market and bought up all the meat directly at the source.

Or perhaps... they no longer need this resource.

"you mean……"

"Chen Yang, have you heard of 'extermination nets'?"

Jin Wanliang's voice was very low.

"I asked around among a few friends in the underworld and found out that things have been a bit chaotic in Jiangcheng these past few days."

Recently, many people have gone missing in the shantytowns in the north of the city, under the bridge near the train station, and in several old residential areas.

"They are all homeless people, lonely elderly people, and some marginalized people who have been living at the bottom of society for many years."

Because these people usually go unnoticed, very few reports are filed, and the police haven't yet combined the cases.

Hearing this, I took a deep breath.

It seems that the Soul-Stabilizing Pearls are not a necessity for the guardians of the cauldron, or perhaps they already have enough of them.

Furthermore, they are already harvesting the souls of ordinary people.

"Old Jin, can you pinpoint the approximate location?" I asked in a deep voice.

"It's difficult. These people are very clean; they leave no trace."

Jin Wanliang was somewhat annoyed.

"However, an old man who collects scraps told one of my underlings that he heard opera singing near that abandoned reservoir in the west of the city the night before last."

"Performing opera?"

"Yes, it's described as 'ee-yah-yah,' you can't make out what it's singing, but it gives you the creeps, like... a ghost's wailing."

Abandoned reservoir in the west of the city.

I know that place. Many people drowned there in the past, and it was abandoned afterward. There's hardly a soul around.

If the guardian of the tripod wants to hold any large-scale ceremony in Jiangcheng, that place is indeed an excellent hiding place.

"Thanks, Lao Jin. This information is crucial."

"You're going?" Jin Wanliang asked anxiously.

"Chen Yang, don't be impulsive. If it really is a large-scale disappearance, then it's not something you can handle alone."

Who knows how many lunatics guarding the cauldron are hiding inside, or perhaps a master is even in charge.

"Don't worry, I'm not that stupid."

I glanced out the window at the rainy night.

"I will call Lu Yan. This matter has gone beyond the scope of a folk dispute; it is a massacre."

After hanging up the phone, I immediately dialed Lu Yan's number.

The phone rang once and was answered.

"Chen Yang? I was just looking for you."

Lu Yan's voice sounded somewhat tired, with the sound of keyboard typing in the background.

"The bait plan has probably failed; the guardians of the cauldron have made no move these past few days."

"That's normal. This was a method we adopted on a trial basis."

But Lu Yan, I have something even more important to tell you now.

I said in a deep voice, "Have your men investigate the abandoned reservoir in the west of the city immediately."

In addition, compile data on all abnormally missing persons in Jiangcheng over the past week, with a focus on homeless people and elderly people living alone.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by Lu Yan's surprised and doubtful voice.

"You mean...?"

"They no longer need the Soul-Stabilizing Pearls, or rather, they have already collected enough pearls."

"We are currently collecting the souls of the living!"

"Damn it!"

Lu Yan cursed under her breath, her tone instantly turning sharp: "I'll mobilize the special operations team immediately, where are you?"

"I was at home, preparing things. Half an hour later, we met at the intersection leading to the West Reservoir."

"Okay! Be careful."

After packing up my gear, I didn't waste any time and immediately drove my Santana to the reservoir.

It rained harder and harder.

After driving for about twenty minutes, I finally arrived at the entrance of the West City Reservoir.

This area has been sealed off.

Several unmarked black SUVs were parked across the middle of the road, with several people in black raincoats standing beside them. Although they weren't using umbrellas, they stood tall and were carrying something in their hands.

As I saw an unfamiliar vehicle approaching, two powerful flashlight beams instantly pierced through the windshield and shone into my face.

"Turn off the engine! Get out of the car!"

A stern rebuke pierced through the rain.

I stopped the car, unbuckled my seatbelt, and got out.

Before I could say anything, a familiar figure emerged from behind the car.

"Let them go, they're one of our own."

Lu Yan's voice was as cold as ice.

Looking at her, I saw that she was wearing a full set of tactical gear and was even carrying a modified Type 95 assault rifle with dark red cinnabar runes faintly visible on the gun.

This woman is truly determined to kill.

"How is it?" I asked, wiping the rain off my face.

Lu Yan handed me an earpiece and spoke very quickly: "The thermal imaging shows that there are a large number of heat sources at the bottom of the reservoir, and the number of people is more than thirty."

The special operations team has completed the encirclement and is ready to launch a full-scale assault at any time.

"storm?"

I took the headset, but instead of putting it on, I frowned and looked towards the dark dam in the distance.

"Are you sure that's the main force of the guardians inside?"

Lu Yan was stunned for a moment: "The intelligence was provided by you. Jin Wanliang's source and our thermal imaging confirmed it, so it can't be wrong."

Moreover, I could sense that strange energy fluctuation even from two kilometers away.

"That's precisely why I'm worried."

I lowered my voice and spoke in a serious tone.

"Lu Yan, the guardian of the cauldron is not a fool."

They had been lying in wait in Jiangcheng for so long that they were able to kill even a wealthy businessman like Zhou Fuhai, who had bodyguards, without anyone noticing.

How could they suddenly cause such a commotion, right under our noses?

Lu Yan's eyes flickered: "You mean...?"

"Luring the tiger away from the mountain." I uttered these four words.

"Have you forgotten about Wang De from last time?"

What if this place is just a decoy used to draw fire, or a pawn they've thrown out, while the real core ritual is taking place elsewhere?

Once you commit all the main forces of the Folklore Bureau here, Jiangcheng will inevitably become vulnerable.

If they create another zombie zone, who will rescue them?

Lu Yan's face instantly turned ugly.

She is a decisive and efficient person, but she is by no means a reckless and impulsive person.

I had just been blinded by anger, but now that I've reminded him, he's immediately realized the risks involved.

"You mean, send someone in to investigate first?"

"Yes." I nodded, squinting as I looked into the depths of the rain.