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

"Five days..."

I silently pondered this number in my mind.

No wonder I felt as heavy as a piece of rusty scrap iron.

Li Qing took a sip of soy milk, caught his breath, and continued:

"After learning that you had an accident in Qingshi Town, Lu Yan, Fatty Jin, and I rushed over overnight."

On the way, Lu Yan used her privileges to show us an internal report sent from headquarters.

"However, the report was written in a vague manner, and many details were erased."

The text only states that you were the victim of a well-organized and premeditated attack by the guardians of the cauldron.

Li Qing frowned, seemingly trying to recall the contents of the report.

"Moreover, the report specifically mentioned the blacksmith who made your scabbard... his name was Shi, Shi something?"

"Yes, Shi Jing, right? They said that old guy is actually a high-ranking member of the Guardians of the Cauldron?"

Upon hearing this name, an image involuntarily flashed in my mind: a person enveloped in a violent red light, ready to kill me at any moment, deep within an underground mine.

I nodded slightly and replied, "Yes."

Afterwards, I took a breath and, trying to speak calmly, recounted to the two of them, in a halting manner, what had happened in Qingshi Town that day.

Shi Jing, under the pretext of making a scabbard, led me to that underground mine.

After I killed the strange beast, Shi Jing betrayed me and trapped me.

Finally, I exerted all my strength and barely managed to cause the mine to collapse, which allowed me to escape in the chaos and seek help from the Folklore Bureau.

After I finished telling my thrilling story, the ward fell into a brief silence.

Li Qing put down the soy milk cup in his hand, his brows furrowed tightly, and his face was filled with seriousness.

"This is fucking..."

Li Qing gritted his teeth and squeezed out a sentence.

"What sword sheath, what fire-attribute demon core? This is a carefully planned killing trap from beginning to end!"

This is all aimed at you, Old Chen!

Just then, Jin Wanliang, who had been relatively silent, suddenly made a sound.

This shrewd and influential boss, Mr. Jin, who had connections in both the legitimate and underworld circles of Jiangcheng, now had a face full of exhaustion and deep self-reproach on his chubby face.

Jin Wanliang looked at me, took a deep breath, and said in a hoarse voice:

"Brother Chen... I'm sorry."

This is entirely my fault.

It's me...

I know what he wants to say.

When I went to Shi Cuishan to have a scabbard made, it was through Jin Wanliang's connections that I made the connection.

Jin Wanliang also got in touch with Shi Cuishan through a long-time acquaintance of his, whom he had known for over ten years.

Now that it has been proven that this was a deadly trap set for me, Jin Wanliang naturally took all the blame upon himself, feeling that he was the one who ruined me.

Seeing his guilty look, I sighed softly, forced a smile, waved my hand, and interrupted him.

"Old Jin, this isn't your fault."

My voice wasn't loud, but my tone was firm.

"I was just too impatient."

For the sake of a scabbard, they lost all due caution and discretion.

If I had been more careful and investigated Shi Cuishan's background beforehand, perhaps I wouldn't have ended up in this predicament.

Looking into Jin Wanliang's eyes, which were filled with self-reproach, I continued to comfort him:

"Moreover, just as Li Qing just said."

The fact that the people guarding the tripod went to such great lengths, with even the higher-ups personally setting up this scheme, clearly indicates that they were aiming to kill me.

Since they've set their sights on me, even without this incident involving the scabbard, there will be another time, and another time after that.

It's impossible to guard against.

I paused here, letting my words resonate in the hospital room for a moment, before continuing:

"This incident has served as a wake-up call for me."

I've learned that those enemies lurking in the shadows are far more cunning and ruthless than I imagined.

Besides…

I slightly moved the hand with the IV line inserted and said with a smile:

"I've made it out alive, haven't I?"

"As long as the person is still alive, this injury can heal slowly."

Hearing my words, which showed no blame but instead made excuses for him, Jin Wanliang's fat face became even more bitter.

He knows my personality; if I didn't truly consider him a friend, I wouldn't have said these things to him.

Jin Wanliang shook his head with a wry smile, rubbed his stiff cheeks, and said:

"Brother Chen, you are magnanimous, but I, Fatty Jin, cannot be ungrateful."

After learning about your accident, I immediately contacted my old friend in Hunan Province who acted as a go-between, wanting to ask him what exactly happened.

"However, there has been no reply from the other side."

I used all my informants to investigate, and I only received the definite news two days ago.

He is dead.

"Dead?"

Upon hearing this, Li Qing raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, he's dead."

Jin Wanliang nodded and said through gritted teeth.

"It was the day after you went to Qingshi Town, Brother Chen."

His entire family, including his dog, was gone.

They died completely, a great fire burned them to the ground, leaving not even a trace.

I wasn't surprised at all when I heard the news.

I looked at the ceiling and said calmly:

"They were quick to kill and silence witnesses."

Use them and then kill them, cutting off all clues. This is indeed quite in line with the consistent style of the people who guard the cauldron.

They were determined to keep me in Qing Shi Town, so they even made preparations for the aftermath in advance.

At this moment, the atmosphere in the ward became somewhat somber and oppressive again because of the news of the massacre of the entire family.

Li Qing glanced at me, then at Jin Wanliang, whose face was filled with gloom.

He pursed his lips, then suddenly reached into a plastic bag on the table, grabbed a still-warm crab roe bun, turned around, walked up to Jin Wanliang, and shoved it into Jin Wanliang's mouth without saying a word.

"Alright, alright, Fatty."

Old Chen already said it's not your fault, so what are you still dawdling about?

I really feel bad. Once Old Chen is discharged from the hospital, you should host a grand Manchu Han Imperial Feast at Haiyanlou Restaurant to properly welcome him back.

As Li Qing spoke, she turned to look at me, her bloodshot eyes sparkling with intense curiosity and inquiry.

He dragged his chair forward and leaned in, staring at me as he asked:

"Old Chen, then tell me quickly, after the mine collapsed, how exactly did you escape from those people's clutches?"

Lu Yan's report stated that by the time the folk customs bureau arrived, the area had almost been razed to the ground.

The sound was like being hit by a missile.

Looking at Li Qing's face, which was full of curiosity and inquiry, I didn't answer immediately. Instead, I shifted my back slightly against the soft pillows on the hospital bed and found a relatively comfortable position.