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

Jin Wanliang knows my temperament; once I've made a decision, I won't easily change it.

Upon hearing this, he didn't try to persuade us any further. After solemnly agreeing, we hung up the phone.

I casually tossed my phone onto the passenger seat and slowly drove away from Lanjiazongzhai, plunging into the vast Shiwan Mountains.

As I drove along the rugged mountain road, I picked up my phone again and opened the app for the Folklore Bureau.

Previously in Kunming, Lei Zhenshan told me on the phone that the Ninth Division's team had seen Li Qing on the edge of the Lancang River tributary and the territory of the Lan family in southern Xinjiang.

At the time, he not only verbally told me the approximate location, but also sent me a photo in the encrypted channel of the app.

I was in a hurry to get to the Lan family, so I only glanced at the photo to confirm that it was Li Qing and didn't look at it any further.

According to my original plan, once I arrived at Lanjiazongzhai, I only needed to show Lan Manshan the approximate location in this photo.

With the Lan family's intelligence network and countless informants in southern Xinjiang, finding someone would be much faster than me wandering around like a headless fly.

But plans can't keep up with changes. The connection with the Lan family has been completely severed, and now I can only rely on myself.

I tapped on the photo and swiped my finger down the screen.

Sure enough, below the photo was a set of very precise latitude and longitude coordinates, along with a brief note:

[The target's last known location coordinates indicate possible traces of high-level Gu magic activity in the surrounding area.]

That was the location where the Ninth Squad took the photos.

Lei Zhenshan was indeed meticulous in his work.

Although so much time has passed, Li Qing must no longer be in that location to avoid being hunted down.

But at least it was a place where he once left his mark.

Once I get there, with the help of the cool air, I can always find some clues.

Then, I entered the coordinates into the car's navigation system and glanced at the route.

There are still several dozen kilometers of winding dirt roads to our current location.

As the journey continued, I still clung to a sliver of hope and tried dialing Li Qing's number.

"Sorry, the number you dialed is not in service area..."

Hearing the cold, mechanical female voice coming through my earphones, I hung up the phone without any surprise.

Li Qing is currently being hunted down deep in the mountains; it would be a miracle if his cell phone could still get through.

I just don't know if he can hold on any longer.

The carriage fell silent once again.

I gripped the steering wheel with one hand, but my mind kept replaying every detail of my fight with the masked man outside the Blue Hall.

The profound malevolent aura, the eerie Hundred Schools of Footwork, and the ruthless close combat techniques of the Corpse-Stitching Men...

These characteristics combined made my vague guess become clearer and clearer.

To verify this hypothesis, I picked up my phone again and dialed Zhang Xuanqing's number.

The phone rang several times before being answered, and Zhang Xuanqing's strong voice came from the other end:

"Brother Chen? Calling so late, is there some tricky case in Jiangcheng again?"

Judging from his tone, he clearly didn't know that I had left Jiangcheng, let alone that I was currently driving through the heart of the Hundred Thousand Mountains in southern Xinjiang.

"Master, Jiangcheng is quite peaceful. I'm currently in the southern border region."

I said slowly.

"Southern Xinjiang?"

Zhang Xuanqing's tone revealed surprise.

"How did you end up in that place?"

"It's a long story, it's about finding a friend."

I didn't dwell on that issue and got straight to the point.

"Master, I met someone in the southern border region tonight."

I want to confirm something with you.

"Who is it?"

Zhang Xuanqing's tone also became serious.

"A man wearing half a bronze mask."

As I recalled the scene of our fight, I slowly described it.

"His cultivation level is very high; he has been at the Dan realm for many years."

Most importantly, the internal energy he used was pure malevolent energy.

Moreover, the close-quarters combat techniques reveal the ruthless methods of the Corpse-Sealing lineage, specifically targeting the joints and vital points of the human body.

In addition, he was also proficient in the Gu techniques of the Southern Frontier and various footwork styles.

You mentioned the orphan of the Sang family to me at the teahouse before, and you even fought him at Old Bear Ridge.

I want to ask, is this person him?

As soon as I finished speaking, there was silence on the other end of the phone.

A full half minute passed before Zhang Xuanqing slowly spoke:

"Half a bronze mask...pure malevolent energy...the skills of a corpse stitcher..."

Brother Chen, if your description is accurate, then this person is most likely him!

Upon hearing this affirmative answer, I unconsciously tightened my grip on the steering wheel.

Sure enough it was him!

That descendant of the Sang family, burdened with a blood feud.

"Master, I have one more crucial question."

I stared at the darkness ahead, torn apart by the car headlights, my eyes becoming unusually sharp.

Thirty years ago, several top powers in the southern border joined forces to besiege the Sang family, resulting in the massacre of the entire family.

Among these forces... is the Lan family among them?

This is a blind spot that I suddenly realized when I was recalling the masked man's interested attitude outside the Blue Hall.

Zhang Xuanqing fell silent again on the other end of the phone.

This silence lasted even longer than before.

I could even hear him pick up his teacup on the other end of the phone and then slam it down.

After a moment, Zhang Xuanqing let out a long sigh and gave me an answer that made my heart skip a beat:

"have.

Among the forces that participated in the siege of the Sang family back then, the Lan family not only participated, but also...

Still one of the main forces leading the charge.

This simple sentence was like a key, instantly unlocking all the tightly locked mysteries in my mind.

That explains everything!

No wonder the masked man wasn't furious when he saw me kill three Lan family Dan realm elders, including Lan Haiping; instead, he looked at me with great interest.

They even managed to retreat calmly at the end.

Because he simply doesn't care about the lives or deaths of the Lan family!

The Lan family was one of the enemies who wiped out his entire family back then!

This time, he used the power of the Ten Thousand Butterfly Valley to intervene in the Lan family, and even used the bait of "immortality" to recruit Lan Haiping and others...

It's probably not just about helping Wandie Valley expand its power; it also harbors a hidden desire for revenge!

He set a trap to lure me here, probably on the orders of the higher-ups in Wandie Valley, wanting to take me down in the Lan family.

But after exchanging a move with me outside the Blue Hall and probably testing my skills, he likely changed his mind.

He wanted to see if he could use me to legitimately eliminate these high-ranking members of the Lan family.

That's why he remained a bystander afterward.

Seeing Lan Haiping and the others die at my hands, he must be feeling incredibly happy.

As for that six-winged golden centipede, it might really be his killing move to deal with me.

He just didn't expect that this Gu King had a connection with me, and in the end, he switched sides.