Chapter 55 – Uninvited Guests

Fanglin Road was close to the old city district and had always been a place of chaos, where all sorts of people mingled. Cultural Street, a hub for antique and black-market goods, was even more ambiguous, where encountering strange things was hardly surprising. In such a situation, a more cautious person might have thought they were being robbed. However, Wei Yang’s background was anything but ordinary, and he had genuinely spent some time navigating the underworld. The tricks of the trade his grandfather had taught him had long been ingrained in him, honing a sharp eye far beyond his years. With just one glance, he could tell that the people surrounding them were not here for anything good.

There were about four or five men encircling them, all unremarkable in appearance, dressed in the most common laborer attire, with a lingering earthy smell that couldn’t be shaken off. Yet, their eyes carried a sinister, ruthless edge, far from the petty thugs one might encounter. Two of them had already tucked their hands into their pockets, and the bulging shapes suggested they were carrying weapons. In the middle of the group was a middle-aged man around 40 years old, with a narrow face, thin eyes, and a pale complexion. His hair was cropped short, almost revealing the bluish tint of his scalp. Combined with his cold, indifferent expression, he looked like someone who had just been released from prison.

Realizing that Wei Yang had seen through their intentions, the man didn’t panic. Instead, he casually greeted them, “Master Wei and Master Zhang, right? We have some business to discuss with you. Care to join us?”

It was clear that they had come prepared and with ill intentions. However, Wei Yang’s expression remained unchanged as he responded calmly, “I think you’ve got the wrong people. Our Jieshui Studio only deals with environmental consulting. We’re not exactly famous, so I wouldn’t call us ‘masters.'”

The middle-aged man twitched the corner of his mouth, as if attempting a smile. “We’re not concerned with titles. The case at Sunshine Hospital was handled by the two of you, right? It’s rare to find such skilled practitioners in Shanxi these days. Coincidentally, we’ve run into a bit of trouble and were hoping you could take a look for us. That’s why we’ve come to invite you in person.”

The word “invite” was emphasized heavily, and coupled with the man’s sharp gaze, it felt more like a threat. Wei Yang frowned slightly. What had happened at Sunshine Hospital was something he knew all too well, but he was also certain that Old Li Ke, that lecherous man, would never breathe a word of it to anyone. Matters involving business and a man’s dignity were something Li would guard fiercely, making it nearly impossible to extract any information from that cunning Pi sect elite. Therefore, the fact that these people had found their way here likely wasn’t due to a slip of the tongue but rather because Sunshine Hospital had already been under their surveillance.

Why would such a group of obviously unsavory characters be keeping an eye on Sunshine Hospital? The Three Corpses consisted of three worms: the Upper Corpse Peng Ju, which controlled greed; the Lower Corpse Peng Ji, which controlled lust; and the Middle Corpse Peng Zhi, which controlled appetite. He and the Little Celestial Master had already dealt with two of the worms. What about the third one?

His mind raced, and Wei Yang quickly grasped the key. The artifacts that housed the Three Corpses had come from a Han Dynasty tomb. Aside from collectors who might have accidentally purchased black-market goods, there was another group of people who could have come into contact with these burial objects: tomb raiders.

The tomb raiders he was thinking of weren’t the legendary figures from novels like the Faqiu Langzhong or the Mojin Xiaowei. Instead, they were ruthless criminals driven solely by profit. While the death penalty for cultural relic theft had been abolished in China, the maximum sentence for excavating and selling first-class national relics was still life imprisonment. Those willing to take such risks were not to be trifled with. Moreover, tomb raiding involved digging up graves and handling human remains, which required not just courage but also equipment that couldn’t be underestimated. Explosives and other prohibited weapons were basic necessities, and occasional internal conflicts often led to bloody feuds. Whenever cases involving tomb raiders surfaced, they were always major incidents, and these people carried a level of ruthlessness that ordinary criminals couldn’t match. Now that they had come knocking, it was clear that this wasn’t something that could be resolved with a simple “trip.”

Besides the fact that these people were dangerous, the timing was also off. Today wasn’t like any ordinary day. Brother Qi had just experienced a soul-severing episode, and it was the third day of the lunar month—a day fraught with potential dangers. If anything else were to go wrong… But before Wei Yang could say anything, the middle-aged man gestured toward the door of Jieshui Studio with his chin. “Unfortunately, you weren’t here during the day, so I took the liberty of inviting Mr. Sun over first. I’m sure you wouldn’t want to keep him waiting, would you?”

Hearing this, Wei Yang’s heart sank. It seemed that Sun Muhua had already been taken hostage. They had been lying in wait for a whole day and had even taken someone as leverage. It was clear that these people weren’t going to back down easily. However, his expression remained calm as he nodded slightly. “It wouldn’t hurt to take a look, but we have some essential items back at the office that we’ll need to bring along.”

It was obvious that this was a stalling tactic, but the middle-aged man shook his head. “If there’s anything you need, we can provide it. It’s getting dark soon, so we should hurry.”

Wei Yang looked at him calmly. “Do you have authentic Hongwu coins? Red nitre? And a family heirloom Feng Shui compass?”

The man was momentarily taken aback. Being in the “antiquities” business, he naturally knew how difficult these items were to obtain. Forget the red nitre, which was as valuable as gold, or the priceless ritual instruments. Even the Hongwu coins were hard to come by. His group mainly dealt with artifacts from before the Tang Dynasty. Even if they did open a Ming Dynasty tomb, Hongwu coins would be scarce. Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, had gone on a bizarre campaign to promote paper currency, so copper coins were only minted for a few years. These coins didn’t fetch high prices, so his group had never kept any in stock. Where were they supposed to find genuine ones on such short notice?

Seeing the young master’s composed expression, the man hesitated for a moment before finally stepping aside. Wei Yang breathed a quiet sigh of relief. The fact that they were willing to compromise meant that these people genuinely needed help with exorcising some malevolent force, and the situation was likely dire. As such, his status as a “master” still held value, and he would be safe—at least until the evil was dealt with.

As long as they were safe, there was room to maneuver. Without hesitation, Wei Yang led the Little Celestial Master into Jieshui Studio. The reception area looked no different from usual, with no signs of a break-in. Strangely, there were even a few cups of tea on the coffee table. It seemed that Sun Muhua, that fool, hadn’t realized the gravity of the situation and had tried to play host, only to end up being taken captive instead. However, the group didn’t seem to want to escalate the situation, as there were no signs of a struggle.

With a quick glance, Wei Yang assessed the situation and headed straight for the office. He opened the safe and took out the Feng Shui compass, then grabbed a box of red nitre and two strings of copper coins from the drawer. The tools he had squeezed out of Director Sun earlier hadn’t been fully used, and he had intentionally left some in the office as decoys. They hadn’t managed to fool any clients yet, but now they were about to be put to real use.

After gathering the items, he hurried back to the main hall. However, as he walked, his foot caught on something, causing a large vase by the door to topple over. The vase, with its wide body and narrow base, was top-heavy and shattered into several pieces with a loud crash, spilling water all over the floor. The commotion was significant, and the men guarding the door immediately became alert. Wei Yang also took a step back, his lips pressed together in apparent nervousness.

Seeing his expression, the middle-aged man in charge smirked. Instead of getting angry, he walked over and kicked aside the broken shards, then gestured for Wei Yang to proceed. “Don’t be nervous, Master Wei. We’re just here to invite you for a visit. Nothing more. We’ll make sure to return you safely.”

In a situation like this, anyone would be flustered, let alone a young Feng Shui master. The man didn’t find Wei Yang’s momentary nervousness strange. In fact, he found it more believable than the calm demeanor from earlier. Faced with the man’s invitation, Wei Yang’s brief tension was once again replaced by composure, and he nodded politely. “We’ve got everything we need. Let’s go.”

Without further delay, he took the Little Celestial Master’s hand and walked out. Two vans were already waiting outside. Wei Yang paused for only a moment before stepping into one of them, not even bothering to lock the door to Jieshui Studio. The van’s windows were tinted black, and as the doors slammed shut with a loud clang, the interior was plunged into darkness. Clearly, they didn’t want him to know the route they were taking.

Wei Yang didn’t care. He simply held Zhang Xiuqi’s hand tightly and whispered, “Brother Qi, once we get there, don’t act impulsively. We need to take things slowly.”

His palm was slightly damp—it was blood from where he had dug his fingernails into his skin. More blood dripped from his fingers onto the steps in front of the studio. To the tomb raiders who had come to abduct them, these bloodstains might have gone unnoticed. But tomorrow, the head of the provincial public security bureau would personally come to Jieshui Studio to express his gratitude. When he saw the unlocked door, the open safe, the shattered vase, and the bloodstains on the steps, as long as Director Sun wasn’t completely incompetent, he would surely realize that something was wrong. Checking the surveillance footage—thanks to Sun the Otaku’s obsession with installing cameras everywhere—would increase the chances of someone coming to their rescue. As long as they could hold out for a couple of days, their chances of escape would be much higher.

As if sensing the unusual dampness in Wei Yang’s palm, Zhang Xiuqi frowned slightly, a trace of struggle appearing on his face. His current state wasn’t great. His already unstable souls were churning, threatening to break free from his body. The Soul Stabilizing Talisman was certainly effective, but for him, its effects were limited. Yet, even in this chaotic and struggling state, he still reached out and touched Wei Yang’s palm, then untied the gauze around his neck and clumsily wrapped it around Wei Yang’s hand.

With his arm injured and his mind not entirely clear, his movements weren’t exactly gentle. But Wei Yang didn’t pull away, allowing the gauze to be wrapped around his hand. A wave of sorrow almost overwhelmed him, and he sniffled softly, his voice softening. “In a few days, Brother Qi, you’ll come home with me. I’ll find out what happened back then and help you retrieve that missing Heavenly Soul… Just wait a little longer.”

Gently squeezing Zhang Xiuqi’s hand, Wei Yang closed his eyes. This time, he would take on some of the burden for Brother Qi. It was just a Three Corpses worm, after all. If they could handle the Evil Buddha, what was there to fear? The van twisted and turned for what felt like an eternity before finally screeching to a halt. The door was yanked open, and the middle-aged man stood before them once again. “Gentlemen, we’ve arrived. Follow me.”