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

"If...if I reveal this secret, will you spare my life?"

He was breathing heavily, his voice carrying a hint of hope.

"I promise, as long as you let me go, I will leave Jiangcheng immediately and never come back."

Hearing this nonsense about trying to negotiate when facing certain death, I frowned slightly.

I usually have a very good temper, but I have never been one to bargain with such evil practices that disregard human life.

I didn't answer him, but instead expressionlessly reached out my left hand and touched my lower back again.

My fingertips had just touched the handle of the second scalpel, and before I could even draw it, a hand suddenly pressed down on my shoulder.

It's Li Qing.

He stood beside me, patted my shoulder, and stopped me from doing anything.

Then, looking down at Qiu Feng on the ground, he said casually:

"I agreed on his behalf. Tell me, and if you tell the truth, I'll spare your life today."

Li Qing's words startled me slightly, but I quickly recovered.

We've been through so many life-or-death situations together that our understanding of each other has reached a point where we don't need to communicate verbally.

He interrupted at that moment, and I instantly understood what he meant.

So, I took the opportunity to lower my hand from my lower back, put my hands back on my knees, and gestured to Qiu Feng with my chin, signaling him to continue.

Seeing that I had stopped moving and hearing Li Qing's assurance, Qiu Feng relaxed a little.

He swallowed hard, no longer daring to keep them in suspense, and revealed his hand like beans spilling from a bamboo tube.

"Actually... what that old man Huo Yan knows is only a fragmented version of the secret."

A mocking sneer curled at the corner of Qiu Feng's mouth.

"There aren't just two keys to this treasure vault, there are three!"

"Three?" I narrowed my eyes slightly.

"Yes, three."

Qiu Feng nodded repeatedly, as if afraid I wouldn't believe him.

"Besides the drumsticks and the military tally, there was also a key, which was a seal with an animal head."

This is a clue I discovered after ten years of secretly visiting countless black markets and examining numerous fragmented documents.

He pointed in the direction of the bungalows and continued:

"I continued my spell here today and have confirmed the approximate location of the beast-head seal."

It...it's currently within the vicinity of Jiangcheng!

This information was indeed beyond my expectations.

The secret that Old Man Huo kept his whole life turned out to be a defective product.

With the aid of the cool aura emanating from between my eyebrows, I carefully sensed Qiu Feng's heartbeat and blood flow.

When he said these words, his physical signs were weak, but the rhythm was steady, without any of the fluctuations that are typical of lying.

After confirming that what he said was logical and that he was not lying, I put the matter to rest for the time being.

Then, I asked the last question I had asked today.

"Zhang Zhi from Jiangcheng Funeral Home, did you go missing?"

I stared into his eyes, not missing a single subtle change in his expression.

This time, Qiu Feng answered very decisively.

He shook his head, looking completely bewildered, and said:

"I didn't do it. I don't know anyone named Zhang Zhi, and I've never been to Jiangcheng Funeral Home."

His heartbeat remained steady as he spoke.

Besides fear of me, there was only pure confusion in his eyes.

It seems that Lao Zhang's disappearance really has nothing to do with him.

After asking all the questions I wanted, I took a deep breath and slowly stood up.

I turned my head and nodded slightly to Li Qing, who was standing to the side, to indicate that I had finished asking my questions.

Then, I pulled a scalpel from my lower back and handed it to Li Qing.

After completing this action, I bent down and grasped the hilt of the black knife that was firmly nailed to Qiu Feng's right ankle.

Ignoring his screams, I pulled out the black knife with a flick of my wrist.

Blood gushed out instantly, but the black blade remained untouched by any blood.

Holding the black knife upside down, I didn't look at Qiu Feng on the ground again, turned around, and walked out of the pigsty.

"Li Qing, get your work done quickly."

As I walked, I casually gave a brief instruction without turning my head.

"Remember to take that knife back from his hand. It was left to me by my grandfather. Don't lose it."

Qiu Feng watched my retreating figure as I turned and left without hesitation, then looked at Li Qing, who was standing there playing with a scalpel, and suddenly realized something.

The glimmer of hope that had just begun to rise in his heart was instantly swallowed up by endless despair.

"What...what are you going to do!"

Qiu Feng stared wide-eyed in terror, his body shrinking back as fast as he could, his voice shrill with fear.

"Didn't you already promise to let me go?! He just promised!"

Li Qing stood there, the dim light making his face appear somewhat gloomy.

"Have you lost your mind?"

Li Qing gripped the willow-leaf dagger and slowly approached Qiu Feng, his tone chilling:

"It was he who just promised to spare your life."

I didn't agree to that.

The evening wind blew across the wasteland on the outskirts of the city, carrying with it the nauseating stench of the pig farm.

With my back to the pigsty, I walked slowly toward the gate.

Behind him came Qiu Feng's desperate and shrill pleas for mercy.

But the sound lasted for less than two seconds before it stopped abruptly.

Immediately following was a faint sound of a sharp blade slicing through flesh and trachea.

Li Qing made his move.

He usually seems carefree, loves playing video games, and talks a lot of nonsense.

But having survived for so many years in the dog-eat-dog world of folklore, where a single misstep can lead to utter ruin, he is definitely no pushover.

Faced with a beast like Qiu Feng, who would kill and take bones to make magical artifacts and even use live pigs to destroy the evidence, Li Qing would not hesitate to strike without any mercy.

Moreover, if we were to say who was most entangled in the cause and effect of Old Man Huo's dying request, it would actually be Li Qing.

I didn't turn around to watch him make a move. I just stood quietly in an open space inside the pig farm gate, took out a cigarette from my pocket, and lit it.

About a minute later, faint footsteps came from the mud behind us.

Li Qing walked over.

His expression was calm, and the chilling killing intent in his eyes had been concealed, returning him to his usual casual demeanor.

He walked up to me and casually handed me the scalpel that belonged to me.

He had already cleaned the blade, leaving no bloodstains.

I took the scalpel and shoved it back into the scabbard at my waist.

"Is it resolved?" I asked casually.

"Completely dead."

Li Qing nodded, his tone carrying a hint of disdain.

"It's too good for this kind of scum to die so easily."