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

I reached into his clothes and touched a hard box.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be an antique bronze box.

The box was engraved with intricate cloud patterns and had a golden seal affixed to it.

"What is this?" Li Qing leaned closer, took a look, and his expression changed slightly.

"This talisman... is it bird script from the pre-Qin period? Where did this bald monk get such an ancient artifact?"

I looked at the talisman on it, but didn't dare to peel it off. Instead, I gently turned it over with my hand, trying to see the whole pattern.

At that moment, the bone needle in my chest suddenly trembled violently, emitting an extremely strong warning.

That feeling was like facing some kind of prehistoric beast.

I immediately stopped and handed the box to Lu Yan: "This thing is strange. It has a lot of yin energy, and... it seems to be alive."

Take it back to the station and seal it up; don't open it here.

Lu Yan took the box and also felt that heart-pounding aura.

She nodded and carefully placed the box into a specially made isolation bag.

"Good. This time we've had a great haul. We not only took down the stronghold, but we also intercepted some key items."

Lu Yan looked at me and said in a light tone, "Chen Yang, you deserve the most credit this time. You'll definitely get a bonus and merit points later."

I smiled and said, "Forget about the bonus, could you do me a favor?"

"you say."

I looked at the sky in the distance. The rain had stopped, the dark clouds had dispersed, and a sliver of sunlight had appeared.

I recall a few fragments of memory that flashed through my mind when I recently put myself in Zhang Xiaohua's shoes.

His parents divorced early on, and his father was the breadwinner and the only son in the family.

Only the elderly grandparents remain in the family...

"I don't need the money right now. I want your help to get this prize money sorted out and distributed to Zhang Dazhu's family as compensation in the name of the government."

After a moment of silence, I said softly.

Upon hearing this, Lu Yan was slightly taken aback.

She looked at me with a complicated expression: "Okay, I'll help you with this."

I nodded. "Thanks."

At this moment, Li Qing patted me on the shoulder: "Alright, great philanthropist."

"Let's go, I'm starving. I heard there's a good mutton soup place nearby, shall we go have a couple of bowls to warm ourselves up?"

I touched my empty stomach and realized I was indeed a little hungry.

"Let's go. But you'll have to treat us."

"Damn, you're making so much extra money, and I still have to treat you?"

"My money is for my future wife, I can't touch it."

"You don't even have a wife..."

We continued bickering as we walked out of the factory.

Behind them, folklore officials were busy moving bodies and evidence through the ruins.

This battle, while not particularly dangerous, left me with incredibly mixed feelings.

And I know in my heart that this matter is not over yet.

That bronze box, and the true purpose of the Southeast Asian forces, have probably only just begun to reveal themselves.

That mutton soup restaurant is not far from the cold storage plant.

Although there weren't many customers due to its remote location, the owner still diligently served us three large bowls of steaming hot mutton soup.

Li Qing was truly a reincarnated starving ghost; he didn't care that it was too hot to drink and slurped down most of the bowl as soon as it was served.

I drank slowly, the warm soup flowing down my throat into my stomach, bringing a sense of warmth.

Lu Yan barely touched her chopsticks.

She kept fiddling with her phone, constantly replying to encrypted messages from the Folklore Bureau, the coldness between her brows never fading.

After we finished eating, we got into Lu Yan's black SUV.

As soon as Li Qing got in the car, he slumped into the back seat, a toothpick dangling from his mouth, looking utterly hopeless.

I sat in the passenger seat, watching the desolate factory buildings rushing past the window.

The car drove smoothly on the highway. Lu Yan gripped the steering wheel with both hands, her eyes fixed on the road ahead. The atmosphere inside the car was somewhat heavy.

"Chen Yang, Li Qing, this matter is not over yet."

Lu Yan spoke first, her voice exceptionally clear in the small space.

"Na Kong holds a high position in the Black Serpent Cult of Southeast Asia. A protector of his rank would not act without a few subordinates."

According to intelligence gathered by the Bureau of Folklore, he was not the only member of the Black Serpent Cult to infiltrate Jiangcheng this time.

I turned to look at her: "You mean, he has someone waiting for him in Jiangcheng?"

"Definitely."

Lu Yan nodded, and the car sped up slightly.

"Na Kong is skilled in black magic and raising corpses. Such people are usually responsible for clearing the way or handling dirty work."

However, to plan an entry operation of this scale, there must be a master strategist behind it who is skilled in coordination and concealment.

And that bronze box…”

Mentioning the box, Li Qing in the back seat sat up straight and interjected, "That thing is really weird."

I just glanced at it in the basement, and the bird-script seal on it doesn't seem to be for suppressing what's inside, but rather for 'preservation'.

It's like locking some kind of living thing inside, protecting it from the erosion of time.

At this moment, Lu Yan chimed in: "The experts from the bureau are already on their way. That thing will be sent to the provincial bureau's top-level laboratory for testing."

On the empty phone, we found some encrypted call records. Although we haven't cracked them yet, cell tower location data showed that he frequently contacted several different numbers while in Jiangcheng.

These phone numbers belong to various locations, some in Hong Kong, others in Southeast Asia.

I pondered for a moment and then slowly said, "They killed Zhang Dazhu and his daughter and used such cruel methods to refine the Hidden Head Curse. It wasn't just for revenge or to create panic, was it?"

When Nakong made eye contact with me across the distance, I sensed a sense of urgency in him, as if he were in a hurry.

"This is what I want to remind you of."

Lu Yan turned her head and glanced at me, her eyes showing a hint of seriousness.

"The sorcerers of Southeast Asia are treacherous and vicious, and extremely vengeful."

If Na Kong dies at your hands, the Black Serpent Cult will come knocking on your door sooner or later.

Be careful when you go out these next few days, especially Chen Yang. Although your place is remote, it's not entirely safe for those skilled in casting spells and manipulating spirits.

I smiled and touched the knife in my sleeve: "Don't worry, I'm a light sleeper, I can wake up at the slightest sound."

"But you, Director Lu, you're the real target now, holding that box."

"This is my duty."

Lu Yan said calmly, "The Bureau of Folklore has activated a Level II response."

I will personally monitor the list of people entering the country, and any suspicious faces from Southeast Asia will come into our surveillance view.

Also, regarding Zhang Xiaohua's health...

At this point, Lu Yan paused, her tone softening slightly: "The on-site search is not yet over, but according to preliminary judgment, Na Kong may have hidden Zhang Xiaohua's body in another place with heavier Yin energy as nourishment in order to refine the Demon Head."

I have already deployed police dogs and the most sensitive detectors. I will give you an explanation by noon tomorrow at the latest.