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

Old Lin paused for a moment, then stretched out his calloused fingers and gently stroked the rough stone tabletop, as if recalling some distant past.

"This child... looks like his mother, but his calm and collected nature in the face of adversity comes from his father."

A faint, bitter smile appeared on Lao Lin's lips.

"He's far more capable than I expected, managing to carve out a path through such a mess in Jiangcheng."

Now that we can meet peacefully like this, and know that he's doing well and has the ability to protect himself, that's good enough.

As for the rest, let nature take its course.

After hearing what Lao Lin said, Tian Gong's hand holding the match froze in mid-air.

Looking at Old Lin's face, which was full of stories, he swallowed back the words he had originally wanted to say.

Tiangong struck a match, lit his pipe, took two deep drags, and exhaled a thick cloud of smoke.

"snort."

Tiangong let out a cold snort from his nose.

It's unclear whether it was dissatisfaction with Lao Lin's overly cautious nature or disdain for the old grievances of the General Administration.

He didn't say anything more, but simply picked up the bottle and silently refilled the empty glass in front of Old Lin.

The courtyard returned to silence, with only the rustling of the breeze through the grape trellis and the occasional clinking of glasses between the two old men.

……

I followed the tree-lined path all the way to the office area in the front yard of the General Administration.

The architectural style here has become very modern, and you can often see several field officers in uniforms and clerical staff carrying documents moving between buildings, which appears busy but orderly.

I was about to take out my phone to check my flight tickets back to Jiangcheng when my gaze inadvertently swept across a corridor ahead.

Just then, a somewhat familiar figure came into my view.

When I saw the person's face clearly, I paused slightly, a hint of surprise flashing through my mind.

Master Zhang Xuanqing?!

I never expected to run into him here.

On the eve of the City God Temple incident, Lu Yan told me with a solemn expression that her senior brother Zhang Xuanqing had followed the clues of Yan Shouyi's behind-the-scenes employer all the way to western Hunan.

Then they completely lost contact.

However, the situation was extremely urgent at the time, coupled with a series of subsequent major battles.

As a result, after waking up in the hospital, I forgot to ask Lu Yan about the follow-up situation regarding Zhang Xuanqing's disappearance.

Unexpectedly, I ran into him in the compound of the General Administration of Customs in Beijing today.

However, judging from his somewhat tired but unharmed appearance, he must have escaped danger safely from his trip to western Hunan.

I quickened my pace and called out behind him:

"Master Zhang."

Upon hearing the sound, Zhang Xuanqing stopped and turned around.

When he saw that it was me, he was clearly stunned for a moment, and a look of surprise flashed in his eyes.

He looked me up and down, then a gentle smile appeared on his lips.

"May the Heavenly Venerable grant boundless blessings."

Zhang Xuan raised one hand to his chest and performed a Taoist kowtow.

"Brother Chen? I never expected to run into you here."

I walked up to him and gave him a slight bow in return.

"Master Zhang, you're back safely."

I was quite worried when I heard from Director Lu that you had lost contact in western Hunan.

Seeing you safe and sound here today puts my mind at ease.

My tone remained unhurried, but the concern in my words was genuine.

Zhang Xuanqing is a loyal and righteous member of the orthodox Taoist sect. He dared to risk his life alone for a disciple. Such a person deserves my respect.

Zhang Xuanqing sighed softly and shook his head, the weariness between his brows seeming to deepen.

"Thank you for your concern, Brother Chen."

There were indeed some unexpected events during that trip to western Hunan.

The water there is deeper than I imagined. The employer behind Yan Shouyi is involved in some ancient traditions deep in the southern border region.

I was caught off guard and trapped in a natural miasma-filled trap. My phone lost signal, which is why I lost contact with them.

He paused, looked at me, and a hint of admiration appeared in his eyes.

"As for you, Brother Chen, I heard about what happened in Jiangcheng from my junior sister on my way back."

In the battle at the City God Temple, you single-handedly fought against the evil forces, turning the tide of the battle. Even the hidden forces like the guardians of the cauldron suffered heavy losses at your hands.

Young friend, your courage and cultivation truly put this humble Taoist to shame.

"You flatter me, Daoist Master."

I smiled gently and declined the compliment.

"At the time, we were forced into this situation by circumstances, like being pushed into a corner."

"If Captain Lei and the senior colleagues from the General Administration hadn't arrived in time, I probably would be dead."

Seeing that I remained calm and composed, Zhang Xuanqing's admiration deepened.

He looked around, as if remembering something, and said:

"By the way, Brother Chen."

Besides reporting the investigation results from Xiangxi, I originally planned to visit you in Jiangcheng after finishing my business at the General Administration.

"I didn't expect to run into you here. It saves me the trouble of making another trip to Jiangcheng."

Hearing this, my heart stirred slightly.

Why did Zhang Xuanqing specifically seek me out? Could it be that he found some clues about me in western Hunan?

"What instructions do you have for me, Daoist Master?"

I asked calmly.

Zhang Xuanqing pointed to an office building next door and said, "It's not really an order, but there's something important I'd like to discuss with you, young friend."

However, I need to go in first to hand over the files from western Hunan. They involve some confidential information, and the process is quite complicated.

Brother Chen, if it's convenient for you, could you wait here for me for a moment?

I'll come find you as soon as I finish the formalities.

I checked the time; it was just past noon, and I still had plenty of time in the afternoon.

I don't have anything urgent to do right now, and Zhang Xuanqing's serious demeanor means that what he wants to talk about is definitely not simple.

"No problem, Master, please go ahead with your business. I'll wait for you in the rest area next door."

I nodded and agreed.

"Okay, thank you for your understanding, Brother Chen. I'll be right back."

Zhang Xuanqing nodded, then turned and strode into the office building.

Watching Zhang Xuanqing's figure disappear behind the glass door, I walked to a wooden bench next to the tree-lined path and sat down.

A summer breeze caressed my cheeks as I placed my backpack on my lap, tapping the edge of the bag lightly with my fingers, my mind racing.

What exactly did Zhang Xuanqing find out in western Hunan?

Yan Shouyi was a feng shui master who was employed in Jiangcheng to refine corpses.

It now appears that one of their purposes was to disrupt the feng shui formation of Jiangcheng.

This triggered the "Three Fiends Hanging Upside Down," which coordinated with the actions of the Shadow Sect and the Guardian of the Cauldron.

Therefore, Yan Shouyi's employer is most likely a member of either the Shadow Sect or the Guardian of the Cauldron.

However, Zhang Xuanqing just said that the employer was involved in "an ancient tradition deep in the southern border region".

Southern Xinjiang...Western Hunan...

These two words collided rapidly in my mind.