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

"A major discovery."

I lowered my voice and spoke in a serious tone.

"There was a wax pill in the deceased's stomach containing intelligence."

The guardian of the cauldron will conduct some kind of sacrificial ceremony in Jiangcheng three days later, at midnight on the 29th.

"It requires... 360 living souls and seven ounces of blood from the heart of a child."

The other end of the phone went silent instantly, as if even the background noise had disappeared.

A few seconds later, Lu Yan's voice rang out, laced with suppressed anger: "These beasts! How dare they?!"

"They not only dare, they are ready."

Looking at the mangled corpse on the autopsy table, I continued, "The person who killed the victim was a master; he shattered the victim's internal organs with a single palm strike, cleanly and efficiently."

"Director Lu, what is the identity of this deceased person who was brought in?"

On the other end of the phone, Lu Yan was silent for a while before speaking: "He is a disciple of our Longhu Mountain, belonging to the intelligence department of the General Bureau."

For years... he has been working undercover within the Guardians of the Cauldron.

This morning, his body was discovered by police officers on the outskirts of Jiangcheng.

His identity is special, so I didn't involve the police or have anyone from the bureau take over. I sent him directly to you to see if I could find anything.

Now it seems he has been exposed…

After listening to what Lu Yan said, I fell silent.

This was completely unexpected. I originally thought it was another member of a heretical sect who died at the hands of the Bureau of Folklore, but I never imagined...

Lu Yan took a deep breath and regained her composure. "Keep your things safe. I'll send someone to pick them up right away."

In addition, we've already thoroughly investigated Jubaozhai.

The boss who wore the green jade thumb ring was named Wang De. On the surface, he was an antique dealer, but in reality, he was a henchman of the Guardian of the Cauldron in Jiangcheng.

Jubaozhai has been closed to visitors for the past few days, and there are many unfamiliar faces around.

"They're clearing the area in preparation for the ritual," I added.

"Yes, now that we know the time, we can't let them succeed."

Lu Yan's voice turned menacing, "On the night of the 29th, we will have a major operation."

Chen Yang, this operation is of a very high level. I will request the provincial bureau to send an expert to provide support.

"Do you... want to participate?"

She paused, seemingly giving me a choice.

After all, I'm just an outsider; in a confrontation of this level, I could lose my life at any moment.

As I looked at the scalpel in my hand, the image of the terrified face of the paper craftsman and the shattered internal organs of this corpse flashed through my mind.

This is no longer a question of whether I want to hide or not.

As long as the person in charge of guarding the tripod is still in Jiangcheng, I will never have a peaceful life.

Since that's the case, why not give them a good beating and cripple them all at once?

"Count me in," I said calmly.

"However, I won't be operating with your main force. I'll be operating covertly, which might have unexpected results."

"……good."

Lu Yan did not refuse. She understood my abilities and knew that I didn't like being bound by rules and regulations.

"Be careful, share intelligence, and stay in touch."

After hanging up the phone, I looked at the corpse on the autopsy table.

I picked up the needle and thread and began to stitch up the wound on his abdomen.

This time, I sewed very carefully.

I need to make sure he leaves with some dignity.

After stitching, I helped the deceased tidy up his clothes and pushed him into the morgue.

As I stepped out of the dissection room, it was already dark outside.

Winter nights come especially early.

I stood at the entrance of the funeral home, looking at the neon lights flashing in the distance above the city.

Three days.

There are three days left to prepare.

The next three days flew by.

The body that Lu Yan sent was picked up by her people the next day, along with the intelligence report.

I, on the other hand, lived like an ascetic.

During the day, I work a normal job at the funeral home, and I hardly communicate with anyone except for necessary conversations.

When I got back to my rented room at night, I closed the doors and windows, drew the curtains, sat cross-legged on the bed, and circulated the evil energy in my body over and over again.

The black bone needle hovered three inches in front of my brow.

As the malevolent energy was released and released, it seemed to have a life of its own, trembling slightly with my breath.

I can feel the connection between it and me growing stronger.

Previously, I could only regard it as a sharp concealed weapon or a special mortise and tenon needle.

But now, it feels more like an extension of my limbs.

I can even sense the faint air currents floating in the surrounding air through it.

June 29, night.

A winter rain fell in Jiangcheng.

The rain, mixed with ice pellets, stung my face.

This weather is practically tailor-made for murder and arson.

I squatted on the fourth-floor platform of an unfinished building diagonally opposite Jubaozhai.

The view from here is expansive, offering a panoramic view of the entire layout of Jubaozhai.

The cold wind howled, and I wrapped my black windbreaker tighter around myself, pulling out the thin cord that connected my headphones from the collar.

Lu Yan's calm, almost icy voice came through the earphones:

"Attention all groups, final clock check. It is now 22:48 PM. 12 minutes until the operation begins."

"One team is in place."

"Group Two is in position."

"Special operations team in position."

Short, concise, and powerful replies rang out in the channel.

I didn't speak, but simply tapped the microphone twice to indicate that I was in position.

Jubaozhai is a three-story antique-style building with flying eaves and brackets, and it is very grand.

The main door was closed, and the windows were dark, making it look no different from other shops.

But in my eyes, the building was shrouded in a layer of black mist that was invisible to the naked eye.

That's resentment.

An intense, pervasive sense of resentment was seeping out from the ground.

"It seems the intelligence was correct; they are already making preparations."

I squinted and looked towards the backyard of Jubaozhai.

There was a faint red light flickering there, like a prelude to the activation of some kind of formation.

Time passed by, second by second.

22 points.

A low shout came through the earpiece from Lu Yan: "Do it!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a blinding white light suddenly shone in front of the gate of Jubaozhai.

"boom--!"

A loud bang shook the unfinished building beneath my feet.

The thick, solid wood door was blown to pieces.

Immediately afterwards, several figures dressed in black combat uniforms rushed in.

"The Folklore Bureau is investigating! Everyone, put your hands on your heads and squat down!"

A roar erupted, accompanied by a barrage of gunfire.

Jubaozhai instantly erupted in chaos.

I saw the second-floor window suddenly shatter, and several figures in robes tried to jump out to escape.

But before it even landed, it was caught red-handed by the special operations team members waiting outside with a capture net.

"Those who resist to the bitter end will be killed without mercy!"

Lu Yan's voice carried a chilling aura.

Just then, a ball of green ghostly fire suddenly erupted in the lobby of Jubaozhai.

Countless paper terracotta warriors rushed out from the corner, wielding paper knives and guns, and actually managed to block the assault team's offensive.

"Hmph, a mere trick."

An aged yet powerful voice rang out on the communication channel.

Immediately afterwards, I saw an elderly man in a gray Taoist robe walk out from behind the commando team.