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

I shook my head and calmly repeated to Old Jin, word for word, Old Hei's dying words.

This includes the mysterious man wearing a straw hat and holding an internal token of the Lan family, and the details of his promise to give these truckloads of goods as payment.

"I used methods to examine his mental state, and in that state of fear, he neither dared nor was able to lie to me."

I looked at Jin Wanliang's somewhat pale face and continued speaking.

"This is also the real reason why you asked the Lan family to investigate for eight whole days, but they couldn't even find a single car wheel."

"Letting a thief catch another thief—even if you investigate to the death, you'll never find the truth."

After hearing this, Jin Wanliang deflated like a punctured balloon, leaning against the iron railing and remaining silent for a long time.

He's been navigating both the legitimate and criminal worlds for so many years; he's seen it all.

But this matter still sent a chill down his spine.

"What the hell is this...?"

Jin Wanliang scratched his hair in frustration, his eyebrows furrowing into a knot.

"I just can't figure it out. Brother, I really can't figure it out."

What was the purpose of the Lan family's actions?

During this time, I have been quietly laying out channels in Jiangcheng and have not offended anyone from the Lan family.

Moreover, in this collaboration, I not only kept the profit margin to a minimum, but also paid the goods three days in advance, showing my utmost sincerity.

If they were only after money, they wouldn't need to go through all this trouble.

If they wanted to kill me because of old grudges, they could have just sent someone to Jiangcheng to do it. Why bother using an outsider like Grandpa Hei as a scapegoat?

"I've thought about all of this on my way back."

I threw the cigarette butt on the ground and stomped it out, looking at him calmly.

"Excluding the possibilities of greed and revenge, the remaining conclusion, though outrageous, is the most logical."

Old Jin suddenly looked up: "What conclusion?"

"There's probably someone in the Lan family playing a bigger game."

I analyzed.

"This mysterious man wearing a straw hat must wield considerable power and be in control of the Lan family's internal affairs."

He represented a faction within the Lan family and orchestrated the carjacking.

As for the purpose, it may be to sabotage your cooperation with the Lan family, thereby attacking the faction within the Lan family that facilitated this cooperation.

Perhaps there's something hidden in this shipment that even you don't know about.

Upon hearing this, Jin Wanliang gasped.

If it's the former, then he's a victim of the Lan family's internal strife.

If it's the latter, then things are more complicated.

"The goods consist of herbs and insect specimens that are special to southern Xinjiang, as well as some common feng shui items."

I've personally inspected all these items, and I didn't find anything particularly glaring.

Jin Wanliang glanced back at the three large trucks, a hint of apprehension in his eyes.

"There's no point in guessing now."

I patted him on the shoulder, interrupting his reverie.

"At least now we know where the enemy came from, which is better than running around like headless flies."

The most urgent task is to move this batch of goods and Lao Hei and his men away as soon as possible.

With so many people dead in Luohua Town, the Southern Frontier will definitely be in an uproar when it gets light.

We can't stay here and cause trouble.

Upon hearing this, Jin Wanliang nodded, took a deep breath, and forced himself to calm down: "You're right."

Ma San just sent a text message saying they've left the Chuncheng area and should be able to reach this place in about two hours.

While we waited, Jin Wanliang and I checked on Lao Hei and the others' condition again.

The method of inducing a deep coma is similar to a mixture of some kind of poison and a sleeping potion, and it is extremely ruthless.

Fortunately, after this period of evaporation, their pulses were stronger than before.

Although he can't be woken up yet, at least he won't suffer any serious aftereffects.

About an hour later, a low engine roar came from outside the air-raid shelter.

Soon, two blinding beams of headlights pierced through the rain and shone into the air-raid shelter.

Ma San led a dozen or so strong men, fully armed, as they walked in from outside.

"Boss Jin, Boss Chen!"

Ma San walked quickly to us. When he saw that we were safe and sound, and then saw the three intact trucks, his face showed excitement.

"Enough with the nonsense."

Jin Wanliang immediately reverted to his decisive and efficient boss demeanor, directing his subordinates.

"First, lift Lao Hei and the others into the car in the back. Be careful not to let them get jostled."

Everyone else, get in the car and drive these three trucks out.

Remember to be careful when you leave, and follow the hidden mountain path you came from.

Once we reach Kunming, we'll switch to highways, cross the province overnight, and deliver the goods directly back to Wuhan!

Ma San brought along Lao Jin's trusted men, who were very efficient in their work.

In less than ten minutes, Lao Hei and the other seven people were properly settled in a spacious minivan.

With a low rumble, three heavy trucks slowly drove out of the abandoned air-raid shelter under the cover of night.

Old Jin and I got into the SUV that Ma San was driving, and followed at the back of the convoy to keep up the rear.

As for the SUV we brought, Ma San arranged for someone to go and retrieve it.

Through the car window, I watched the town of Luohua gradually disappear into the night rain, the image of the mysterious man in the straw hat still lingering in my mind.

Southern Xinjiang always seems to harbor countless unseen undercurrents.

Although we recovered the goods and saved Lao Hei and the others' lives, this hidden danger within the Lan family is like a thorn stuck in the hearts of Jin Wanliang and me.

The off-road vehicle continued its bumpy journey along the muddy mountain road.

The carriage was quiet. Jin Wanliang leaned back in his seat with his eyes closed, his brows furrowed, clearly still thinking about the Lan family.

I took out the lightning-struck wood safety buckle from my pocket and gently stroked it.

The off-road vehicle continued to bump along the muddy, winding mountain road.

I leaned back in the comfortable leather seat in the back, listening to the sound of the tires rolling over puddles, and slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.

After thinking for a while, I stopped thinking about the Lan family.

We currently have very few clues. Who is the person in the straw hat behind the scenes, and what are they planning to do? All of this is still unknown.

Thinking too much is just futile guessing.

However, there is an urgent matter that I know I must find someone to handle the aftermath as soon as possible.

Tonight, Falling Flower Town is going to be a big event.

From the abandoned logging camp in the woods to the air-raid shelter in the back mountain, to Grandpa Hei's stilted house on the northern edge of the town.

Along the way, I have killed more than a dozen evil cultivators and scattered soldiers from the southern border.

In addition, there were the remains of Gu worms scattered all over the ground and traces of malevolent energy left from the battle.

With so many lives and bodies lying there, it will inevitably cause a huge uproar when the townspeople discover them at daybreak, and it might even make the news.