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

He stood up, clasped his hands in a fist salute to me, and said, "Brother Chen, you've worked hard tonight."

You can drive my car back and rest there; I'll stay here and watch over things.

I'll contact you as soon as there's any progress.

After saying that, Jin Wanliang took out the car keys and handed them to me.

I didn't refuse, since this place didn't seem like a place where I could easily hail a taxi.

After taking the car keys, I nodded to him and got up to leave.

As I left the Zhou family villa, I drove Jin Wanliang's Mercedes-Benz on the empty highway.

The silver butterfly hair accessory in my pocket felt icy cold.

The image of Jiang Ling bustling around in the funeral home kept flashing through my mind.

If it really is her, what is her purpose in coming to the funeral home?

Was it merely for infiltration? Or did she find something she needed at the funeral home?

When I got back to my rented room, it was already past 3 a.m.

I didn't turn on the light, and just sat quietly on the edge of the bed, holding the silver butterfly hair ornament in my palm.

This little gadget is indeed exquisitely crafted; there are even carved details on the butterfly's antennae, making it incredibly lifelike.

After observing it for a while, I casually tossed it onto the bedside table, making a crisp "clink" sound.

"Jiang Ling..."

I murmured the name to myself.

Having lived in Jiangcheng for so long, I've seen people who wanted to kill me, people who wanted to take advantage of me, and people like Jin Wanliang who wanted to partner with me to make money but ended up becoming friends.

But a girl like Jiang Ling, who carries the scent of Miao witchcraft yet can smile so brightly and work so diligently right under my nose, is truly a first.

I took off my clothes, which were covered in dew and smelled of mud, and went into the bathroom.

The cool water washed down my back, taking away the fatigue from running around all night.

After taking a shower, I dripped a drop of my fingertip blood onto the snake egg, watching the crimson stain be quickly absorbed by the eggshell before drawing the curtains and going to sleep.

……

I was woken up by my alarm clock.

At 8:30 a.m., the sunlight in Jiangcheng was already quite dazzling.

I rubbed my throbbing temples, got up, and changed my clothes.

Before leaving, I put the silver butterfly hair accessory in my pocket.

The plan was simple: not to alert the enemy.

When I went to work at the funeral home in the morning, I found an opportunity to "accidentally" drop this thing in front of her, to see just how far this girl could go in her acting.

At nine o'clock sharp, I arrived at Jiangcheng Funeral Home.

The funeral home is always busy in the morning, with hearses coming and going, and cries and funeral music mingling together.

I went into the cosmetic surgery room, changed into a white coat, and put on a mask.

Normally at this time, Jiang Ling would have already wiped the operating table until it gleamed, prepared disinfectant and needles and thread, and was standing at the door smiling, waiting for me.

But today, the house is cold and deserted.

There was still a bloodstain on the operating table from yesterday that hadn't been cleaned properly. The cabinet door against the wall was half-open, and the cotton balls inside were piled up haphazardly.

I frowned.

Although this girl's origins are unknown, she is always efficient in her work and has never made such a basic mistake before.

I didn't say anything, cleaned the countertop myself, and then started dealing with the first corpse of the day.

It was a middle-aged man who died in a car accident; half of his head was gone, and stitching it up was a delicate task.

While I used my inner energy to steady my fingertips, I listened carefully to the sounds outside the door.

An hour has passed.

Two hours have passed.

The door to the mortuary was opened several times, each time by staff members transporting the body.

Jiang Ling never appeared.

Around noon, as I was bending down to repair the deceased's nose, I heard heavy footsteps outside the door.

I looked up and saw it was Director Wang.

He pushed open the door, his large, round face covered in sweat, his tie hanging crookedly around his neck, looking somewhat anxious.

"Chen Yang, are you busy?"

Director Wang wiped the sweat from his forehead, his voice much louder than usual.

I put down the suture needle in my hand and replied, "Director Wang, is there something you need?"

"Um...did Jiang Ling contact you today?"

Director Wang glanced around the room, but didn't see anyone. His tone became even more urgent.

"This girl hasn't shown up all morning. I checked her attendance, and she didn't ask for leave or say hello."

My phone has been ringing off the hook, but it keeps saying it's out of service area.

Upon hearing this, my heart sank.

But I didn't show the slightest emotion on my face: "I haven't contacted her. I thought something was wrong at home and she was delayed."

"Oh my, this is really strange."

Director Wang was so anxious that he kept stamping his feet.

"This girl is usually so reliable; she's never late or leaves early."

"You know, we're in an unfamiliar place. What if something unexpected happens? How am I, as the director, supposed to explain this to my superiors?"

Director Wang's words contained little concern; rather, nine-tenths of it was driven by a fear of taking responsibility.

I took off my mask and looked at him: "Director, don't worry. Maybe the phone is broken, or maybe he overslept."

"Oversleeping doesn't mean you won't answer the phone all morning!"

Director Wang took a slip of paper out of his pocket and stuffed it into my hand.

"Chen Yang, you'll have to make a trip this afternoon."

This is the address she filled in on her employment file. It's not too far from here, in the old residential compound in the north of the city.

Go check and see if she's home. If so, have her call me back as soon as possible.

If the person isn't there... try to find out what happened.

I took the slip of paper and glanced at the address: Room 302, No. 44, Huaihua Lane, Chengbei District.

I vaguely remember this place; it was one of the earliest textile factory workers' dormitories in Jiangcheng. Now it has become a notorious slum and shantytown, with an extremely chaotic environment.

"Okay, I'll go take a look this afternoon," I agreed.

This is exactly what I wanted.

I was originally worried about how to find out the truth without alerting her, but now Director Wang has given me a legitimate reason.

After lunch, I drove straight to the north of the city.

The alleyway was even more dilapidated than I had imagined. The entrance to the alley was piled with household garbage, emitting a sour stench.

The plaster on the wall was peeling off badly, revealing the dark red bricks underneath.

I parked my car on the side of the road and went inside alone.

Building 44 is an old-fashioned five-story apartment building. The corridors are dark and there are no lights. The walls are covered with small posters for locksmiths and document processing.

I climbed the stairs to the third floor and found room 302.

A green security door came into view.

I stood at the doorway, first closing my eyes and circulating my inner energy to sense the surroundings.

The room was very quiet.

There was no breathing, no heartbeat, not even the slightest sign of life.

I reached out and gently knocked on the door.

"Thump, thump-thump".

The crisp sound echoed in the empty stairwell, sounding particularly jarring.

No one answered the door.

I knocked a few more times, raising my voice slightly: "Jiang Ling? Are you home? This is Chen Yang. Director Wang asked me to come and see you."

It remained eerily silent inside.

I crouched down and peeked through the crack in the door.

Through my five senses, enhanced by the cool air, I was able to observe that there was a thin layer of dust on the ground, with no footprints on it.

This means that, at least for today, the door has never been opened.