Chapter 45: Danger Awaits Your Journey: One Death, One Critical Injury

Hearing what Lin Jingchun blurted out, Zhang Ming wore a peculiar expression.

Ah Qing couldn't help but cough softly either.

A Ming nudged Zhao Dongsheng. As soon as Zhao Dongsheng walked a bit further away, A Ming lowered his voice and asked, "Brother Zhao, what's going on here? Weren't you always by my Brother Zhang's side?"

"My boss told me to drive for the Master and take care of him personally."

A Ming was stunned. "So the Master helped Brother Zhang solve his problem?"

"Yeah. Someone set a trap for the boss, making him raise a ghost child. The boss had no idea, didn't worship it at all, and yet the ghost child started tormenting the boss's family... Last year—no, last night, the Master subdued and took the ghost child away, and even figured out that the boss's wife is two months pregnant. The boss was over the moon."

A Ming exclaimed pleasantly, "Oh, then I must congratulate my Brother Zhang."

*Wait!*

Does that mean the Master is genuinely powerful?!

A Ming no longer cared about questioning Zhao Dongsheng; he hurriedly dashed over to Su Chen. "Master, do you have any more peace talismans?"

He had used up all his personal savings from living frugally, and even borrowed 5 yuan from Captain Lin, before finally scraping together 20 yuan.

In A Ming's eyes, a peace talisman that could withstand a wild boar's tusk attack was basically a bulletproof vest. Having this peace talisman was like getting a second life. If he had the money, he would definitely buy a hundred or a thousand of them in one go, pile them all over his body, and charge straight ahead if he ever encountered danger, earning massive merits... getting promoted and getting a raise...

What a pity, he had to hand over his salary every month, sigh~

When Su Chen saw A Ming, he also noticed the black Qi lingering between A Ming's brows.

This was... the aura of death!

It was far denser than the Qi around Lin Jingchun's brows.

He sighed, then dug out a writing brush and some yellow paper.

The cinnabar was running low and naturally couldn't be used anymore, so he had to bite his fingertip to draw blood and grind it for ink.

Lin Jingchun was taken aback. "What is this..."

"You guys will face danger on this trip: one death and one critical injury."

"Even if you hadn't asked for these peace talismans, I would still have to draw one for you if we crossed paths."

The expressions of Lin Jingchun and A Ming shifted dramatically. The two exchanged glances, their eyes filled with lingering fear.

Zhang Ming truly sensed that something was amiss.

He pulled Lin Jingchun aside. "No, Captain Lin, what's going on here?"

"Captain Zhang, this person is the real deal..."

Lin Jingchun recounted everything that had happened earlier on the mountain, from the ghost-wall trap to encountering wild boars.

A Ming stepped closer and chimed in with the story about his friend Zhang Yugui, finishing with a smile at Zhang Ming.

"Captain Zhang, you aren't a local from Cuicheng, so you might not believe in this sort of thing. But even if we don't believe, it doesn't hurt to get one, right? Anyway, I cherish my life dearly; I need to keep this life of mine to catch more criminals."

Zhang Ming: "..."

Logically speaking, that made sense, but...

Why did he always feel like they were plotting to scam him out of his money?

However, upon seeing the leather jacket Lin Jingchun was wearing, Zhang Ming quickly dismissed the thought.

Who in the police force didn't know that Captain Lin belonged to the Cuicheng Lin family? Would he try to swindle people for this tiny bit of cash?

Absolutely not!

Hesitating for a moment, Zhang Ming asked, "How much does a peace talisman cost again?"

"Twenty yuan for one."

Zhao Dongsheng sidled over. "That's the cheapest kind, drawn casually by the Master. It turns to ash after blocking a single attack."

With that, he pulled out his own talisman. "A peace talisman like mine requires the Master to rest for ten minutes after finishing just one. It costs 150 yuan."

A Ming and Zhang Ming both widened their eyes in unison.

"So expensive?"

That was almost half a month's salary for them.

Zhao Dongsheng gave a light huff. "The Master already said it can protect against ten instances of harm."

"Don't go thinking it's expensive. I've heard that things haven't been very peaceful in Cuicheng lately. Look at you all carrying guns when you go out—you can't go wrong gritting your teeth and buying one."

Lin Jingchun nodded, but was immediately struck by a wave of distress. "Wait, I didn't bring any money!"

Was that even a problem?

A Ming wore a bitter, pathetic expression.

I really have no money!

Zhang Ming exchanged a look with him, and the two shared a bleak sense of sympathy for each other's plight.

Su Chen quickly finished drawing a talisman, folded it with flying fingers, placed it to the side, and closed his eyes to rest and recuperate.

Zhao Dongsheng kept his eyes on Su Chen's side. "Captain Lin, it looks like the Master drew the same kind of talisman for you that he drew for me."

Then he frowned. "Wait, the Master said one of you will die and one will be critically injured. Do you still have to go on duty after heading back today?"

"Otherwise, why not stay here on Dragon Mountain with us? No matter how you look at it, there's no way we'd be completely fine while you guys end up in such a miserable state."

Hearing this, Zhang Ming narrowed his eyes and nodded along.

Lin Jingchun rubbed his nose. "Ah, well, we still have to investigate a previous unsolved case... Ahem, anyway, I'm going to go find the Master."

A Ming hurriedly followed behind him.

"There's something fishy going on," Ah Qing curled her lips and muttered.

"Normal. They probably really do have some operation underway. After all, a few drug dealers were just caught at the Black Horse Billiard Hall earlier," Zhang Ming said, casting a cautious glance around at the group. "Zip your lips tight, all of you!"

The others nodded repeatedly.

Just at that moment, they suddenly felt a tremor beneath their feet.

Zhao Dongsheng raised his hand to check his watch. "It's twelve-thirty."

Did that mean they could leave now?

Zhang Ming was overjoyed. Just as he was about to speak, a gust of chilly wind suddenly swept through, whipping up the sand and pebbles on the narrow path. He hastily raised a hand to shield his eyes.

Immediately afterward, a piercing ringing filled his ears, accompanied by a terribly shrill scream that didn't sound like anything a human could possibly produce.

However, the chilly wind stopped almost as quickly as it had started.

He lowered his hand and saw that Su Chen had already stood up at some point.

Zhao Dongsheng stood by his side with an expression of utter excitement.

"Master, did you catch it?"

Su Chen didn't reply. Instead, his hands moved in a blur as he formed hand seals, casting Dao imprints one after another onto the formation.

The shrill shrieks traveled from far to near, and then gradually faded away.

Su Chen tossed out a small wooden figurine. The little figurine slowly hovered in mid-air, spinning along with the nimble movements of Su Chen's fingers.

Zhang Ming: "???"

Ah Qing: "???"

It wasn't just them; even Lin Jingchun, A Ming, and Zhao Dongsheng were dumbstruck.

Previously, they only knew that Su Chen possessed genuine abilities, but knowing was one thing—actually witnessing him perform sorcery was entirely another.

"I don't believe it." Zhao Dongsheng heard Zhang Ming muttering under his breath. "There must be thin threads tied to it, otherwise it couldn't possibly do that. Impossible."

For some reason, Zhao Dongsheng suddenly felt a trace of sympathy for Zhang Ming.

He felt as though he were looking at himself from yesterday.

Ah, yes, equally stubborn-mouthed.

Ah Qing took tiny steps as she crept over to Su Chen's side.

The little wooden figurine suddenly shuddered, stopped spinning, and slowly floated down into Su Chen's palm.

Ah Qing opened her eyes wide and carefully inspected the small wooden figurine before retreating to Zhang Ming's side and lowering her voice. "Captain Zhang, I saw it clearly. There are no threads tied to it."

Far from earning Zhang Ming's approval, this remark earned her a blank stare instead.

Having expended so much cinnabar and yellow paper, the malevolent ghost was finally subdued safe and sound. In a pleasant mood, Su Chen turned and smiled at Lin Jingchun. "It should be fine here now."

"Wait a moment while I draw another peace talisman."

With that, he first handed the previously folded talisman to A Ming, instructing him, "Keep it close to your body at all times, and don't let it get wet."

"B-but Master, I don't have any money."

"It's fine."

After Su Chen finished drawing another peace talisman and handed it to Lin Jingchun, Zhao Dongsheng asked, "Master, are we going down the mountain now?"

Su Chen shook his head.

"Let's visit Qingshan Village."

"...Ah? Why?"

He wanted to take a look at the Earth God Shrine, and also see the banyan tree that was worshipped with incense by the villagers yet struck by lightning.

Ever since learning about Lady Zi and sensing that anomalous aura, Su Chen had held an extraordinary yearning for the deities of this world.

In the original owner's memories, Niutailang Village also worshipped the Earth God during festivals, but there was only a tiny earthen shrine by the path leading to the town, and it held no aura of any deity whatsoever.

Qingshan Village... would it be any different?