Chapter Seventy-One: Journey to Fang County

Zhang Qinglin and Wu Cheng'an hurried inside, pushing open the door to the east room. There they saw Cheng Che standing at the doorway, gripping a broom in his hand. His expression was complex and agitated as he spoke to the floor before him, "Old Zhang, come and take a look at this! What on earth is going on in here? It seems like a rat's nest has been disturbed!"

Zhang Qinglin stepped up beside Cheng Che and was taken aback by the sight: the floor was crawling with rats. Even for the countryside, this was an unusual number—about a dozen half-grown rats darting back and forth, a scene wholly out of the ordinary. In the center of the floor, a much larger rat lay dead, its body split open, bright red entrails spilling out and trailing all the way to its tail.

The sight of the dead rat in the middle filled Zhang Qinglin with terror; he couldn’t help but shudder. The rat was identical to the one from his dream—an uncanny coincidence that defied explanation.

Wu Cheng'an scanned the room, watching the dozen or so rats scurrying about. He didn't seem overly alarmed; the rats showed no fear of humans, weaving around one another.

"Just a few rats, and you're this scared? Here, let me take care of them," Wu Cheng'an said, taking the broom from Cheng Che's hands.

At that moment, Uncle Jiang also walked in, standing behind them and observing. He showed no sign of fear, but the room was thick with a rank, bloody stench that made him wrinkle his brow.

"Wait, don't move. You think it's just a few rats and I'm afraid? Look over there..." Cheng Che pressed Wu Cheng'an's arm, gesturing with his face toward the left front corner. There stood a wooden cabinet, with two white candles burning atop it, their flames flickering an eerie green.

Zhang Qinglin noticed the candles too. Aside from the rats on the ground and the two white candles on the cabinet, there was nothing else unusual. But when had those candles been placed there? No one had noticed. His face changed instantly.

"Funeral soul candles!"

Cheng Che’s expression also shifted; few people knew of such things. In all his years with Zhang Qinglin, he had never mentioned these esoteric tales of the occult.

"You mean those two candles? Weren’t you the one who lit them?" Wu Cheng'an asked, glancing at the flames.

"Of course not. We can’t light such candles ourselves; we can only see them, not touch. Looks like one of us has attracted a vengeful spirit. Fortunately, the candles are long and burning slowly; we have plenty of time. For now, rescuing Xinyue is what matters most," Cheng Che said, gazing at the cabinet.

Zhang Qinglin nodded—saving Yueyue was more important than anything else.

"You go save her; leave this to me!" Uncle Jiang said, standing with his hands on his hips.

"Uncle Jiang, it's not safe for you to be here alone; come with us," Zhang Qinglin urged.

Uncle Jiang leaned forward, pinching his nose against the stench. He spoke sternly, "Someone needs to keep watch here, and these rats must be dealt with. Leave this to me—your only job is to bring her back safely. Don't worry about the rest."

He looked at the three before him. Zhang Qinglin glanced back into the room; there was no other choice but to leave Uncle Jiang at the house.

The three tidied up briefly. Zhang Qinglin locked all the important items in a chest, telling no one.

The weather that day was perfectly clear, a few white clouds drifting across the sky. By the time they set out for Fang County, it was nearly midday.

They found themselves on the main street of Fang County, which was bustling with market day activity. Stalls lined the street, and crowds of people wandered about.

Cheng Che knew the people from Qilin Sect were in Fang County. When his phone rang, he knew at once it was news. He answered quickly.

At that moment, Wu Cheng'an saw two men entering the hotel at the center of the street. They stood out at a glance—both wore black sunglasses and were dressed impeccably, looking more like law enforcement or bodyguards than ordinary folk.

"They're at the Wanheng Hotel. There are six of them, and each one is armed..." Cheng Che emerged from a side alley, eyes fixed intently ahead, speaking cautiously to Zhang Qinglin and the others.

Wu Cheng'an narrowed his gaze, then turned to Cheng Che. "Armed?"

If those men had guns, things would be tricky. Surrounded by civilians, any outbreak of violence could endanger innocent people, for which they would bear grave responsibility. Rescuing Jiang Xinyue without collateral damage would be a daunting task. As Zhang Qinglin mulled this over, he caught sight of a familiar figure at a nearby stall, just a meter away.

The man wore a gray overcoat and an old-fashioned hat, his build strikingly similar to Uncle Jiang’s. He was facing the left side of the street, as if observing something, his hands in his pockets as he strode quickly away. Zhang Qinglin glimpsed his profile—"Uncle Jiang?" he thought in astonishment. Wasn’t Uncle Jiang supposed to be back at the house? How had he come here?

Zhang Qinglin was about to give chase when Cheng Che called to them, "Come with me! My father’s arranged help." With that, he led them into a nearby alley.

A man stood in the alley, apparently waiting for them. When Cheng Che saw him nod, the three followed at his heels.

"I just saw Uncle Jiang," Zhang Qinglin whispered to the others.

Wu Cheng'an turned, puzzled. "Second Uncle? Isn’t he at the old house?"

"Wasn’t he dealing with the dead rat? How could he possibly have come to Fang County? Old Zhang, you must have been mistaken," Cheng Che said.

Zhang Qinglin’s eyes flashed as he replied firmly, "I’m sure it was Uncle Jiang—I couldn’t have been wrong. He must have come to help rescue Yueyue. But why wouldn’t he join us?"

"I think you’re just distracted from lack of sleep. Uncle Jiang said himself this morning he’d stay at the house to watch the candles. If he had come, he wouldn’t know where to find us—he’d have come looking first. Anyway, let’s meet with my father’s people and hear their plan," Cheng Che said as they turned out of the alley.

After passing through the deserted lane, they followed the man to a house with vermilion gates. He pushed the doors open and ushered them inside.

Opposite the entrance stood a wall of ornately patterned brick, like a screen. Beyond it, in the center of the courtyard, was a stone table. Seated at the table was an elderly man, nearly seventy, with a kind face, sharp eyes, cropped white hair, and a dark gray Zhongshan suit that radiated an air of uprightness and integrity.

He leaned on a cane, his head bent over a book upon the table. Four or five robust-looking men stood at either side of him.

When the old man saw them approach, he lifted his head, his expression melting from silence into a beaming smile. He rose, circling the table to greet them, head tilting as he scrutinized the three walking toward him.

"Master Xu, they’ve arrived," said the man who had brought them, retreating behind the stone table to join the others.

At the first sight of the old gentleman at the table, Cheng Che felt a spark of recognition.

"Ha ha, Che’er, you’ve grown so much!" Master Xu chuckled, eyes fixed on Cheng Che.

Cheng Che regarded the old man with surprise. "You are…?"

"Have you forgotten me, child? I’m your Grandpa Xu. When you were little, I often took you out to hunt wild rabbits," Master Xu said with a hearty laugh. After more than twenty years apart, their reunion was as warm as ever.

The mention of rabbit hunting stirred Cheng Che’s childhood memories. The man before him had been his most respected elder—his father’s sworn brother, a trusted business partner, and the person he’d relied on most.

"Grandpa Xu! It really is you! Where have you been all these years since you left Beijing? How is your health? Have you been well?" Cheng Che hurried forward, embracing the old man in delight.

"I’m quite well. Come, come, it’s been far too long since we sat together—come, let’s sit…" Master Xu said, patting Cheng Che on the back.

Cheng Che drew back and looked up. "No, Grandpa Xu, we can catch up later. Right now, there’s someone who needs rescuing."

Master Xu turned a sharp, appraising gaze on Zhang Qinglin and Wu Cheng'an, his eyes keen and penetrating. "Who needs rescuing?" he asked gravely.

Cheng Che’s eyes flickered, and he quickly explained, "Grandpa Xu, these are my friends—this is Zhang Qinglin, my close brother. We’re here to save his sister…"

He leaned in to whisper, "Grandpa Xu, my father must have called you, or else how would I have known to come here? But, Grandpa Xu, the people holding her are armed. Can we get her out safely?"

"Heh, with me here, they wouldn’t dare act recklessly. Rescuing her is nothing—Che’er, come here…" Master Xu shifted his cane to the right.

Cheng Che glanced back at Zhang Qinglin and the others, then stepped to the right as well.