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

Only one escaped...

The image of that Miao girl appeared in my mind.

She actually escaped? Even that terrifying old woman was killed, but she escaped?

"Oh, right."

Lei Zhenshan stood up, seemingly preparing to leave, but stopped abruptly at the door. With his back to me, he said, "Your cousin... his name is Chen Gang, right? We've investigated his case; he's a pitiful man."

I froze.

"That little mound is too shabby."

Lei Zhenshan's voice softened a bit, "I had it repaired and a monument erected next to your grandfather's grave."

Hearing this, I felt a mix of emotions.

After a long silence, I uttered two words.

"Thanks."

Lei Zhenshan waved his hand, didn't turn around, and strode out.

……

Time flies, and seven days have passed in the blink of an eye.

During this time, I finally figured out where I was.

The Ninth Division of the Folklore Bureau, Guizhou Province Branch, a private hospital.

As you can tell from the name, this is a place that is not open to the general public.

However, those seven days were surprisingly peaceful for me.

Apart from the daily check-ups and dressing changes, no one bothers me.

This so-called folklore bureau seems to have adopted a laissez-faire attitude towards me.

I contacted Jin Wanli a couple of days ago.

I didn't waste any words with him and settled the remaining payment for the information I had gathered earlier, as required by the rules.

As for Li Qing...

I looked at the transaction history on my mobile banking app and gave a wry smile.

That guy's phone was constantly out of service.

It seems Lei Zhenshan was right; he was probably really taken into seclusion.

"Remember to come find me at Jiangcheng Funeral Home after you get out of quarantine. I'll treat you to a drink."

I wrote this sentence in the transfer notes.

Although Li Qing initially followed me for money and to do me a favor, the bond we shared, risking our lives together and even nearly losing ours, cannot be measured by money.

This drink is something I owe him.

Thinking of Lei Zhenshan, he left in a hurry three days ago.

Before leaving, he was dressed in a combat uniform, fully armed, as if he were about to carry out some urgent mission.

"You don't need to worry about Huilongzhai."

He was standing at the door of the ward, holding a black beret in his hand.

The official report stated that it was a "geological disaster drill caused by a landslide." The villagers were evacuated to a safe area. Although they were a little frightened, no one was injured or killed.

As for your second uncle's group... they're basically missing persons.

Hearing that the villagers were safe and sound, I finally felt relieved.

As long as no innocent people are implicated, this mess can be settled however you like.

"Oh, right."

Just as I breathed a sigh of relief, Lei Zhenshan changed the subject and spoke in a somewhat complicated tone: "We have some leads on your parents' whereabouts for now. I hope you won't go to western Hunan to investigate alone."

"Why?" I asked, frowning.

Lei Zhenshan sighed: "The situation... is very complicated, and there are some inside details I can't tell you. But I promise you, I will inform you as soon as there is a breakthrough."

I stared at him in silence for a moment, and finally nodded.

I chose to believe him.

After I nodded, Lei Zhenshan breathed a sigh of relief and said, "It's good that you understand. Also, I've prepared a small gift for you; I hope you'll like it."

After saying that, he left in a hurry and didn't show up again for the next few days.

Today is a long-awaited sunny day.

I stood by the window, watching the sunlight streaming in, and stretched my limbs a little.

I checked my body; the penetrating wound in my shoulder hadn't fully healed and was still aching slightly.

However, the restless evil energy within my body has completely subsided and is now quietly residing deep within my dantian.

"Seven days have passed..."

I looked at the calendar on my phone and gently exhaled a breath of stale air.

It's time to leave.

"Mr. Chen, your discharge procedures have been completed."

A nurse pushed open the door, interrupting my thoughts.

She held a brown paper bag in her hand and handed it to me. "This is what Captain Lei left for you before he left. He said it was your personal belongings, and also... a gift."

I thanked them and took the paper bag; it felt quite heavy in my hand.

When I opened it, I found some personal belongings that I used to carry with me, as well as the two scalpels.

And under these things, there was a black card.

The card is only the size of a palm, with a matte finish. The front features a gold-stamped national emblem, while the back has a unique serial number and a line of smaller text:

[Follow-up Consultant (Level D)) of the Folklore Affairs Bureau]

"How did I become an unofficial consultant?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Team Leader Lei said this is a talisman for you."

The nurse covered her mouth and chuckled, "Having this will make things much easier when you need to check your ID or go through security. It doesn't grant you any high-level authority, and of course, there's no responsibility you have to bear. It's just a small gadget."

That old fox...

I shook my head and put the card in my pocket.

I didn't refuse; this thing might come in handy later.

"Thank him for me."

I slung my backpack over my shoulder, took one last look at the room that reeked of disinfectant, and turned to walk out the door.

At the end of the corridor was a heavy electronic door.

With a soft beep, the door slid open slowly.

After passing through three security checks, I finally walked out of the private hospital.

I stood at the gate, listening to the clamor of the city, and glanced back.

The sign reads "Sunflower Private Sanatorium".

The name is quite down-to-earth.

I made a comment and stepped into the crowd.

My trip to Xiangxi is temporarily put on hold, and the timing of Lei Zhenshan's news is uncertain. I plan to go back to Longzhai to retrieve my luggage before returning to Jiangcheng.

After a bumpy three-hour ride on a minibus, I returned to Huilongzhai.

The atmosphere inside Huilong Village remained as calm as ever, as if nothing had happened.

Several elderly people were sitting under a big willow tree at the entrance of the village, drinking tea and chatting. When they saw me pass by, they only glanced at me a few more times before looking away.

They probably don't recognize me, and there are few young people in the village.

When I arrived at the gate of the old house, I pushed it open and entered. The courtyard was quiet.

After entering the main room, I tidied up a bit.

There's really nothing much to bring.

I only took my grandfather's favorite pipe and his handwritten notebook.

Finally, I dragged the suitcase I brought with me from the room.

After putting the two willow-leaf daggers back in their place, the contents inside remained unchanged, just as they were when I first arrived.

It only consumed a little cinnabar, and added a rattle drum.

I still don't know what this thing is used for.

However, I didn't dwell on it. After packing my luggage, I took one last look at this place that held so many of my childhood memories.

He then locked the door and carefully kept the key on his person.