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

The energy of that Xuan Yin Sha Crystal was indeed violent. Although I forcibly absorbed it, some slight stinging sensations still remained in my meridians.

However, this pain is gradually disappearing with each of my regular breaths.

In the afternoon, the funeral home gradually became more crowded.

The cries and funeral music came through the thick walls, sounding somewhat distant and indistinct.

I was sitting in the lounge, fiddling with that black bone needle.

Around 3 PM, my phone vibrated.

I picked it up and saw that it was a message from Lu Yan.

"Is Chen Yang in the museum?"

I replied, "Yes, just finished. What's up?"

A few minutes later, a phone call came in.

I answered the phone, and Lu Yan's cool yet slightly weary voice came through the receiver: "I just received an internal notification from the provincial bureau."

There have been unusual developments in Southeast Asia. In the past two weeks, a small group of sorcerers have been systematically attempting to enter the country from the borders of Yunnan and Guangdong.

Although most of them had been stopped by the local cultural affairs department and border control, the interrogation results showed that the number of people entering the country this time was higher than the reported number.

I tightened my grip on the phone slightly, but my tone remained calm: "Is this about the Jinxiufang incident?"

"Most likely," Lu Yan sighed on the other end of the phone.

"Hong Gu seems to have some connections in Southeast Asia. Her arrest and the confiscation of her account books cut off the source of income for many people."

These sorcerers are as petty as needlepoints, and they hold grudges for the slightest offense.

I've already strengthened border control in Jiangcheng, but these people are cunning, and there's no guarantee that some won't slip through the net.

I narrowed my eyes: "You mean I should be careful?"

"Yes, it's just a warning."

You are now a thorn in their side. Although no one dares to touch you openly, their underhanded tricks are hard to guard against.

Try to avoid going to remote places these next two days, and contact me immediately if you find anything.

I've already spoken to Li Qing about it. I feel more at ease knowing you two are together.

"Okay, I understand. Thank you for your trouble, Director Lu," I said softly.

"Chen Yang, don't be so polite with me. I'll hang up now, I have an urgent meeting to attend to."

After hanging up the phone, I stared at the black screen and fell into deep thought.

Southeast Asian sorcerers.

My understanding of this group of people mostly comes from the notes left by my grandfather.

They were a group of madmen who played with corpse oil, Gu worms, and evil spirits.

Although their methods are not as grand as those of our orthodox Taoist practices in the Central Plains, they are superior in their insidiousness and secrecy.

Their specialty is using the victim's birth date and time or personal clothing to carry out remote curses and killings.

However, I am no longer the person who was chased all over the mountains by Wan Die Gu in Huilongzhai.

I stood up and walked to the window.

The sky outside was somewhat overcast, with low-hanging clouds.

I touched the willow-leaf knife in my arms and then sensed the heavy, mercury-like malevolent energy within my body.

If those Southeast Asians really dare to come to Jiangcheng and cause trouble, I wouldn't mind having a few more "special" bodies in this funeral home.

At 4:30 pm, just before closing time, the museum suddenly delivered a rather strange corpse.

He was a middle-aged man who was discovered by fishermen on the riverbank.

When he was brought in, his whole body was swollen and his skin had an eerie bluish-purple hue.

Old Zhang, who was in charge of the shift, took a look and frowned, saying, "Xiao Chen, this body is a bit strange. The forensic doctor said it was drowning, but I think the skin color is not right. It looks like it was poisoned."

Be careful when handling it, don't get any bodily fluids on it.

I walked over and lifted a corner of the white cloth.

A faint, fishy odor wafted over.

However, it wasn't the smell of decay, but rather a smell similar to that of chemical agents mixed into a pile of dead fish.

I gently pressed my finger against the corpse's abdomen and felt that it was hard inside, not like water, but rather like it was filled with something.

A thought struck me, and I channeled my malevolent energy into my eyes.

In my vision, the corpse was shrouded in wisps of extremely faint black mist.

This black aura was very mixed, with a viscous feel, completely different from the evil aura found in our native land.

Black magic?

That word immediately popped into my head.

But I didn't show it. I just said to Lao Zhang, "Don't worry, Lao Zhang, I know what I'm doing. Put it in the freezer for now, and I'll deal with it tomorrow morning."

Without thinking much, Lao Zhang told people to push the body into the cold storage room.

I took off my work clothes, washed my hands, and walked out of the funeral home.

The city of Wuhan remains lively and brightly lit at night.

I drove around the city aimlessly for a while, and only after making sure no one was following me did I drive to the hot pot restaurant where I had arranged to meet Li Qing.

It's a long-established restaurant in the old town. The shop isn't big, but the food is absolutely authentic.

When I arrived, Li Qing had already found a seat and was enjoying a plate of tripe.

When he saw me come in, his mouth was stuffed full, and he greeted me indistinctly: "You're here? Hurry up, the beef tallow broth here is amazing, I'll eat it all if you don't come soon."

I sat down, poured myself a cup of tea, and looked at his starving expression, then chuckled, "Did Lu Yan call you?"

"I hit him."

Li Qing swallowed what was in his mouth, wiped his mouth, and his eyes became somewhat sharp.

"Those insect-playing guys from Southeast Asia want to enter the country? Heh, do they really think our Jiangcheng is a public toilet, where we can come and go as we please?"

Chen Yang, let me tell you, the most annoying thing about these people is that they like to use black magic.

Be careful what you eat and drink lately, especially when you're out and about. Don't accept anything from strangers.

"I know." I picked up a slice of beef and put it into the boiling red oil.

"The museum sent over a drowned body this afternoon; it looks a bit like the methods used over there."

Li Qing paused for a moment, then put down his chopsticks: "So fast? The ones who slipped through the net have already entered the city?"

"Not sure yet, just a suspicion." I chewed my beef slowly.

"The body hasn't been dissected yet; I plan to take a closer look tomorrow morning."

If this was indeed done by people from Southeast Asia, it means they've already set their sights on funeral homes.

"Damn, these bastards really know how to pick a spot," Li Qing cursed.

"Okay, I'll come back to your rented place with you tonight. You don't have any protective formations or defenses there, but if the other side tries something sneaky, you might not be able to take care of everyone by yourself."

I looked at him and felt a warmth in my heart: "Okay, then you'll have to sleep on the sofa tonight."

"Get out of here, I want to sleep in the bed!"

We ate and chatted, the topic shifting from the sorcerers of Southeast Asia to the willow spirit of Qianjia Village, and then to where that fat man, Jin Wanliang, had recently made his fortune.

The hot pot restaurant was bustling with noise and steaming hot.

After finishing our meal, I paid the bill and walked out of the hot pot restaurant with Li Qing.

The evening breeze was cool, dispelling the smell of hot pot from my clothes.

As we walked on the sidewalk, I could sense that although Li Qing appeared cheerful on the surface, his right hand remained hidden in his pocket.

My right hand was also loosely gripping the hilt of the willow-leaf knife hidden in my sleeve.

As I passed the entrance to an alley, I suddenly stopped.