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

I squinted slightly, following the trajectory of the eerie green air current.

I saw this aura extend from Old Man Huo's body, turn in mid-air, and then drift straight toward the iron door of the blacksmith's shop that I had kicked open.

Outside the iron gate, on that abandoned street that had also turned black, white, and gray, the faint green trail, though thinner, still stubbornly stretched into the depths of the industrial zone.

I didn't move, I just stood there quietly, staring intently at the trajectory, imprinting it deeply in my mind.

As long as this aura hasn't completely dissipated, even if Qiu Feng escapes to the ends of the earth, he won't be able to completely shake off my pursuit.

……

About half an hour later, a burst of car engine noise came from the outskirts of the abandoned industrial area.

Several black SUVs without any special paintwork silently drove into the desolate street and came to a steady stop in front of the blacksmith's shop.

The car door opened quickly, and more than a dozen people from the Folklore Bureau of different professions filed out.

Then, Lu Yan got out of the passenger seat of the middle car.

She strode into the blacksmith's shop, first glancing at the mess on the floor and Old Man Huo's corpse in the outer room, then walking straight to me standing at the door of the inner room.

"I've already heard a general description of the situation on the phone from you."

Lu Yan walked up to me, her tone serious and businesslike, but her eyes held a hint of concern.

"Are you alright?"

I shook my head to indicate that I was fine.

Then, I took the treasure map out of my pocket and handed it to her.

"This is what Old Man Huo risked his life to protect. It's also the map that evil cultivator named Qiu Feng betrayed his sect ten years ago and came back today to kill people and try to steal."

I explained.

"This thing is a hassle for me; it's best to leave it to your Folklore Bureau to handle."

Lu Yan reached out and took the parchment scroll, but instead of opening it immediately, she put it into a specially made evidence bag and handed it to a staff member from the Bureau of Folklore.

"This thing is of immeasurable value. I will immediately send someone to escort it back to the bureau's classified archives and hand it over to a special decryption team for study."

Lu Yan looked at me and nodded.

After putting away the map, Lu Yan waved her hand, signaling the surrounding people to disperse and conduct a preliminary investigation of the scene and the initial treatment of the body.

She took two steps closer to me, lowered her voice, and began exchanging information with me.

"I've already sent people to interrogate those two people you arrested at the antique market this morning."

Lu Yan's tone revealed a hint of competence.

"Those two henchmen didn't know much, but they described some characteristics of the big boss behind them."

Our technical team has begun a thorough investigation, following their daily financial transactions and some hidden connections in the black market.

A sharp glint flashed in Lu Yan's eyes as she continued:

"The flow of funds in modern society cannot be faked."

As long as he remains active in the country and continues to pay these shady characters, he will inevitably leave traces.

Significant progress has been made, and several suspects have been identified.

"I estimate that within the next day or two at most, we will be able to completely uncover the true identity of this mastermind."

I listened quietly and nodded slightly.

As part of the state apparatus, the Bureau of Folklore's capabilities in intelligence gathering and data analysis are indeed far beyond what we, as lone practitioners, can match.

"but……"

Lu Yan suddenly changed the subject, her brows furrowing again.

"As for your colleague Zhang Zhi, the situation might be a bit troublesome."

Upon hearing Lao Zhang's name, my gaze sharpened slightly as I looked at her intently, awaiting what she would say next.

"After receiving your report, I immediately mobilized the bureau's resources to find him."

Lu Yan sighed, her tone tinged with helplessness.

"However, whether we use tracking devices or retrieve surveillance footage from various intersections in Jiangcheng, it's still difficult to find a solution."

Even when Fang He used his "Ten Thousand Miles Tracking" spell, he couldn't find a single trace of him.

Lu Yan looked into my eyes and said solemnly:

"It's as if he vanished from Jiangcheng into thin air."

There was no trace of any scent, and no visual record.

In this situation, it's either because he himself has mastered some very sophisticated technique of concealing his presence.

Either there's a master with far greater strength than us who used a special formation or magical artifact to completely conceal his existence.

After listening to Lu Yan's story, I fell into a brief period of contemplation.

"His disappearance ultimately stemmed from Ma Jianguo's body that had been submerged in the reservoir."

I looked up and analyzed as I looked at Lu Yan.

"Moreover, Lao Zhang himself belonged to that 'big boss' ten years ago."

I feel that he himself is also inextricably linked to this matter.

At this point, I paused to gather my thoughts, and continued:

"Finding his whereabouts by blindly searching is probably not going to work."

Only after this matter is thoroughly investigated, the mastermind behind it is brought to justice, and Qiu Feng, the key figure, is taken down.

Once all the cause-and-effect relationships are clarified, Old Zhang's whereabouts will naturally become clear.

After listening to my analysis, Lu Yan nodded slightly in agreement.

"Our primary task now is to follow the clues and uproot this hidden force."

After that, we didn't exchange many pleasantries.

The on-site investigation at the blacksmith shop is still ongoing. The Folklore Bureau has its own strict procedures, and there's nothing we can do to help if we stay here.

The handover here was almost complete. I turned around, called Li Qing, and prepared to leave this place filled with the smell of blood.

Just as we turned around and were about to step out of the blacksmith's shop, Lu Yan suddenly called out to me.

"Chen Yang".

Her voice wasn't loud, and it sounded faint amidst the noise of the on-site investigation, but it reached my ears clearly.

I stopped and turned to look at her.

Lu Yan stood in the dimly lit corridor, the sunlight streaming through the dilapidated windows and casting a complex expression on her face.

She looked at me, her lips moved slightly, as if she was hesitating about something.

After a moment, she slowly spoke, her tone unusually gentle, and even carrying a hint of barely perceptible worry.

"If you find out any relevant information after you get back, remember to tell me."

Upon hearing this, I was slightly taken aback, and then a warm feeling welled up in my heart.

Of course I know what she meant by those words.

From the moment I told her without any concealment that Old Man Huo offered his entire fortune as payment to help him clean up his house, Lu Yan, with her intelligence and understanding of me, naturally knew what I was going to do.

I went there to kill someone.

They were going to hunt down that evil cultivator named Qiu Feng.