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

During the conversation, the dishes were served quickly, all bearing the same Haiyanlou signboard.

Because Li Qing had to catch a flight that night, and because all three of us in our professions considered it taboo to be out of our minds at crucial moments, we didn't order a single drop of alcohol on the table; instead, we had only the finest hot tea.

"Brother Chen, with Li Qing gone, Jiangcheng is missing a troublemaker."

Jin Wanliang picked up a piece of abalone and chewed it slowly.

"But it's good that things are calmer. Although the situation in Jiangcheng has stabilized recently, the matter in Southeast Asia is still unresolved. A little peace and quiet is not a bad thing."

Li Qing snorted: "Quiet down? I'm going to level up!"

"Once I've fixed the flag and mastered those moves my master taught me, I'll come back and see who dares to bare their teeth at me in Jiangcheng."

After he finished speaking, he turned to look at me, his eyes becoming more serious.

"Old Chen, you'd better keep a close eye on those snake eggs while I'm gone."

Master Liu's bloodline is too conspicuous. If there's any unusual activity one day, and you can't handle it alone, go find Old Jin.

This fat guy may be timid, but he's resourceful and can help you cover for yourself.

I picked up my teacup and clinked it against Li Qing's: "Don't worry, take care."

The meal was eaten quickly, without any of the sentimentalism of a life-or-death separation.

After the dinner, Jin Wanliang and I drove my Land Cruiser Prado to Jiangcheng Airport.

The airport terminal was still brightly lit late at night. Li Qing was carrying a backpack that was bulging with the damaged apricot-yellow flag and materials for repairing it.

"Alright, that's enough. Old Jin, take it easy with your business, or you'll end up losing everything. Old Chen, see you later!"

Li Qing waved to us, turned around, and strode towards the security checkpoint.

I don't need to worry about security checks; I already told Lu Yan before I came.

Watching his thin figure disappear into the crowd, Jin Wanliang suddenly sighed.

"Finally, we've sent this little devil away."

But will he really be able to repair the flag smoothly on this trip to the Northwest?

I looked towards the security checkpoint and said, "Since his master is willing to show himself, he must be confident."

"Let's go. Jiangcheng is one less noisy person. I should go back to guarding the funeral home."

Jin Wanliang smiled but didn't say anything.

In the week after Li Qing left, Jiangcheng seemed to become much quieter.

The work at the funeral home remains tedious and monotonous; I repeat the same routine every day.

Until one afternoon a week later.

I had just come out of the cosmetic surgery clinic and was sitting under the old locust tree in the yard smoking when my phone rang. It was Lu Yan.

"Chen Yang, I have some news for you."

Lu Yan's voice sounded relaxed like never before on the phone.

"you say."

I exhaled a smoke ring, speaking calmly.

"The cross-border arrest team established by the General Administration successfully completed its operation early yesterday morning."

Lu Yan paused for a moment, seemingly flipping through the report in her hand.

"Deep in the primeval jungles of Southeast Asia, the special task force established by the General Bureau completely destroyed the headquarters of the Black Serpent Cult."

I raised an eyebrow: "The Black Serpent Cult is gone?"

"That's all."

Lu Yan's tone became more certain.

"Except for a few stragglers, the core members were almost all captured."

The man in black robes in that video, who is also the current high priest of the Black Serpent Cult, was killed on the spot by the special operations team during the breakout.

The remaining leaders have all been placed in magic-suppressing shackles and are currently being escorted to the capital.

As I listened to the story on the other end of the phone, I wasn't surprised at all.

Under the heavy hand of the state's will, any cult organization will only face annihilation.

"Was there a problem with the transport of the skull?"

I asked the question that I cared about most.

"Don't worry, you arrived safely."

The skull is currently in the highest-level laboratory of the General Administration. The General Administration believes it is a key piece of evidence for the study of ancient god civilization and will never be allowed to fall into the wrong hands again.

Lu Yan said, "Chen Yang, this matter ends here. The General Administration has already recorded your and Li Qing's contributions."

From now on, you can live your life in peace.

"Okay, I understand."

After hanging up the phone, I sat under the locust tree, watching the dappled sunlight filtering through the leaves and casting shadows on the ground.

With the Black Serpent Cult destroyed, and the Guardians and Shadow Sect remaining silent for a long time, the turmoil in Jiangcheng seemed to have truly subsided.

But life must go on, and my path of spiritual practice has only just begun.

Back in my rented room, I pushed open the door and the first thing I saw was the bowl of water on the bedside table.

The water in the bowl had been absorbed, and the snake egg lay quietly at the bottom.

The surface of the snake egg remained unchanged, without the slightest alteration.

Outside the window, the setting sun over Jiangcheng was as red as blood, outlining the city's silhouette with exceptional clarity.

……

Springtime in Jiangcheng is always rainy, and the damp air mixed with the distinctive formaldehyde smell of the funeral home makes people feel sticky and gloomy.

After the news of the Black Serpent Cult's destruction spread, the folk customs circles in Jiangcheng did indeed quiet down for a while.

Amidst this tranquility, the funeral home welcomed a newcomer.

It was probably ten days after Li Qing left.

That morning, as soon as I entered the cosmetic surgery room, I saw Director Wang standing there with a girl.

The girl was in her early twenties, with a neat high ponytail, wearing a tracksuit, and had two shallow dimples when she smiled, making her look particularly lively.

At first I thought it was a family member, until Director Wang spoke up.

"Hey Chen, come here, let me introduce you to a helper."

Director Wang's smile was absolutely radiant.

"This is Jiang Ling, a top student who graduated from the Provincial Medical College."

The young woman has lofty aspirations; she says she thinks the profession of mortician is sacred and insists on coming here to train at the grassroots level.

"You can mentor her from now on, just do some odd jobs."

Upon hearing this, I was somewhat puzzled.

Funeral homes are places with heavy yin energy and a lot of bad luck.

Apart from family craftsmen like myself or those who have no other choice like Old Zhang, very few young people are willing to come.

Not to mention she's a girl who looks like she hasn't even graduated from school yet.

However, I didn't show it.

After giving her a thorough look, I politely said, "Hello."

"Hello, Teacher Chen! I look forward to your guidance in the future!"

The girl extended her hand generously, her voice clear and crisp.

I politely shook her hand, and the moment our fingertips touched, the cool sensation between my brows twitched slightly.

Not right.

Her hands were cold, but that wasn't surprising.

Strangely, beneath her seemingly lively and cheerful demeanor lay a faint yet chilling sense of familiarity.

That feeling was exactly like the scent I smelled on that Miao woman in the back mountains of Huilongzhai.

The rotting vegetation was mixed with the fishy, ​​sweet smell of some kind of insect.

That was the unique aura of a Miao Gu Master.

That afternoon, I contacted Jin Wanliang and asked him to check the girl's background for me.

Jin Wanliang's feedback came quickly: "Brother Chen, I've checked, this girl's background is as clean as a sheet of paper."