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

The moment that cool, familiar metallic touch touched my skin, an indescribable sense of security welled up inside me.

"Old Chen, is everything packed? The car that Fatty Jin arranged is already waiting downstairs."

Li Qing slung the bulging suitcase over his shoulder, turned around, and shouted at me.

"Alright, let's go."

I picked up the file folder, took one last look around the intensive care unit where I had stayed for several days, and then turned and walked out of the room.

The moment I stepped out of the hospital, the slightly damp morning air of Hunan Province hit me, and I couldn't help but take a deep breath.

A spacious and comfortable black minivan was already parked at the bottom of the steps.

The driver was a smart young man wearing a black suit and sunglasses.

Upon seeing us emerge, they immediately and respectfully opened the car door.

Li Qing, Jin Wanliang, and I got into the car one after another.

"Brother Chen, shall we head straight back to Jiangcheng, or wander around here a bit more?"

Jin Wanliang, sitting in the passenger seat, turned around and asked.

"Let's go straight back to Jiangcheng."

I said, leaning back in my seat.

"We've been out for so long, it's time to go back. Now is not the time for tourism."

"Alright," Jin Wanliang replied.

With his command, the driver stepped on the gas.

The black minivan smoothly merged into the traffic and sped off towards the highway.

A few hours' drive isn't considered long.

The driver was an experienced one; he drove very steadily.

Having rested well in the hospital these past few days, I didn't feel particularly tired after the several-hour drive.

As the familiar landmarks of Wuhan gradually came into view outside the car window, I couldn't help but feel a sense of peace and security.

No matter how many storms and life-or-death situations you experience outside, only by returning to this land can you truly feel grounded.

The car stopped at the intersection of the old street.

The old street remains as lively as ever, with tempting aromas wafting from the food stalls lining both sides, bringing with it the familiar, bustling atmosphere of everyday life.

The three of us walked through the bustling crowd and went straight back to Tingyuxuan.

Upon entering Tingyuxuan, the faint aroma of tea wafts through the lobby on the first floor.

The staff on the first floor greeted us respectfully when they saw us return.

We didn't linger downstairs and went straight up to the third floor via the wooden stairs.

Back on the third floor, Li Qing tossed his bulging suitcase onto the sofa, slumped down, and let out a long sigh of relief, muttering that he was finally alive again.

Jin Wanliang, meanwhile, was busy making phone calls in the next room.

I didn't rush to rest; instead, I went straight to my room to check on the two "left-behind children."

Pushing open the door, the room was furnished exactly as it had always been.

I walked to the table, first took down the purple wood spirit-containing box containing the Gu King and put it aside, then opened the jade box.

The snake egg was lying quietly inside.

I reached out and gently touched the eggshell with my finger, and immediately I could feel a strong and steady life rhythm coming from inside.

It seems that the little guy is getting better every day.

Then, I turned to look at the purple wooden spirit box next to me.

I didn't open it, but instead placed it on my hand and used my aura to sense it slightly.

They discovered that the Gu King inside was in a quiet state similar to hibernation, behaving very obediently.

After confirming that everything at headquarters was on track, I left the room and quickly washed up.

In the afternoon, sunlight streamed through the window and onto the floor.

I sat down on the sofa, took out my phone, and dialed Lu Yan's number.

Judging by the time, the black knife had already been sent back to the Jiangcheng branch of the Hunan Provincial Bureau of Folklore several days ago.

Its malevolent aura was too strong, and it wasn't right to leave it with Lu Yan all the time; it would only trouble her to take care of it.

Moreover, my modified Toyota Prado is currently at the Jiangcheng branch of the police station.

This trip to the police station will be a good opportunity to retrieve the knife and also drive the car back to Tingyuxuan for future convenience.

The phone was answered after ringing twice.

"Chen Yang, you've been discharged from the hospital?"

Lu Yan's voice came through the receiver, with a faint background noise.

"Yes, I just arrived in Jiangcheng not long ago and have settled down at Tingyuxuan."

After offering one explanation, I calmly stated my purpose:

"I called to ask if my knife is still in the branch office warehouse."

If it's there, I plan to go there this afternoon to pick it up, and take my car with me while I'm at it.

"The knife is here, and the car is in the police station's underground parking lot."

Lu Yan answered decisively, then added a hint of apology to her tone.

"However, I am not in Jiangcheng right now."

The provincial bureau held an emergency closed-door meeting, and I couldn't get away from it.

Well then, Zhou Ming is on duty at the bureau right now.

I'll call him right away to authorize it. You can go directly to him later and have him take you to open the warehouse.

"Okay, you should focus on your business. I'll go find Zhou Ming directly."

I responded with a nod and didn't ask any further questions about the specific content of the provincial bureau meeting.

Once things reach the provincial level, many matters involve top-secret official plans.

If Lu Yan doesn't bring it up, I won't ask her about it.

After hanging up the phone, I said goodbye to Li Qing and went downstairs alone, hailed a taxi and headed straight to the Jiangcheng Folk Customs Bureau branch.

When I arrived at the branch office building, I saw Zhou Ming in a smart uniform standing inside the glass doors of the building, waiting for me.

"Brother Chen, you've arrived."

As soon as I walked in, Zhou Ming came up to me with a familiar and respectful smile on his face.

"Chief... the director just called me and has granted me access to the warehouse. Please come with me."

He almost blurted out "Uncle-Master," but quickly realized his mistake and corrected himself.

I smiled at him, nodded, and followed him deeper into the building.

Instead of going to the upstairs office area, we turned into a hidden internal corridor and arrived at a private elevator that required both card and fingerprint verification.

As the elevator doors slowly closed, the car began to descend smoothly.

"Brother Chen, that knife had too much malevolent energy. When it was brought back, the alarm at the station went off several times."

Zhou Ming explained to me while looking at the numbers constantly changing on the elevator display screen.

"For safety reasons, the director specifically instructed that it be stored separately in a 'single room' in the warehouse on the second basement floor."

The elevator came to a stop on the second basement level.

As soon as the door opened, a wave of stuffy air rushed out.

The corridor here is much darker than the one above. The walls are made of thick reinforced concrete, and every few meters on the ceiling there is a surveillance camera flashing red light.