In the drizzling rain, the boy held his umbrella at a slant, half of his body already soaked. "It's really coming down hard. Once we're up the mountain, we'll head back down first thing tomorrow morning."
The girl clutched the parcel in her arms tighter and replied softly, "Okay."
"Don't come up the mountain this late again," the boy urged continuously. "It's not safe, and look, it's raining now, too."
The girl tightened her grip on her arms, her voice trembling slightly. "Mom is sick. Grandpa Fox Mountain said if I go to the mountain temple to pray, Mom will be fine."
"Oh, come on, that’s just superstition."
"With socialism as the guiding principle, these things should be discarded. The times have changed. Those things have no basis in reality and aren't worth believing."
*Rustle.*
*Rustle.*
The boy froze. He whipped his head around to survey his surroundings and edged nervously toward the girl. The girl’s face remained pale and thin. He looked behind them; the weeds were swaying, as if something were reaching out.
The two stood in silence for a moment. Once the wind died down, there was nothing there.
"We're almost there. Let’s hurry," the boy urged, wanting to get it over with so they could go back.
*Whoosh.*
*Rustle.*
"Did you hear something?"
The girl stood firm against the wind and rain. "I think so."
The boy picked up a dirty stone. "Who’s there? Don't try to scare me—I’ve had training..." Suddenly, the boy collapsed, falling straight as a board.
He thought he heard a distant, desolate voice say, "Not bad."
What on earth was that...
—
"Young lady, just tell us exactly what happened that night," the police officer said, patiently questioning Lingran.
The girl seemed deeply traumatized; she stammered, unable to provide a complete account, and curled herself into a corner.
A police officer approached the captain, Wu Lian. "Chief, headquarters says this case is being handed over to the Special Operations Team. We are to withdraw entirely."
Wu Lian was shocked. It seemed this matter was beyond their jurisdiction; if they kept meddling, something terrible might happen.
But why would the Special Operations Team get involved? It looked like an ordinary case—just a typical murder on a rainy night.
Sure enough, whenever things involved the metaphysical, the nature of the situation was beyond the understanding of ordinary men like him.
Through the one-way glass, he looked at the cowering girl, his brow furrowed with deep suspicion.
"When are they arriving?"
If this was going to be a mess, the sooner they were rid of it, the better. After all, if something truly went wrong, none of them could handle the fallout.
"They're already here."
Wu Lian was startled. So fast? In his lifetime, he’d actually get to see the Special Operations Team in action.
Liao Sheng of the Special Operations Team arrived to pick up Lingran personally.
"That’s Director Liao, isn't it? Coming in person—this can't be a small matter."
"Alright, alright. We’re just ordinary people; we’d best not cross paths with them." Don't go looking for trouble, or you won't even know how you died.
Liao Sheng was the top expert at the Special Operations Bureau for handling supernatural and cultivation-related incidents, firmly entrenched as the deputy director.
"Director Liao, greetings," Wu Lian said.
"Deputy Director. I haven't reached the rank of Director yet," Liao Sheng interrupted. "Mind your titles next time."
Liao Sheng flipped through the files in his hands and dialed a number. Soon, a clear, beautiful female voice answered.
"I have a task. I need you to assist me..."
...
"Zhuzi, are you sure about this? I heard it's not exactly peaceful over there," Gaoshu tried to dissuade Yanzhu. After all, there were issues in Bishui Village, and things had become increasingly unsettled lately.
He’d heard that several people had vanished there for no reason. The Special Operations Team was already investigating, but there were no results yet. Would they get into trouble going there now?
"A trip to Bishui Village—sounds nice, doesn't it?" Yanzhu smiled. She wanted to go see for herself; after all, she was there to help avert disaster. "And I want to broaden my horizons while I'm at it."
Besides, none of them had ever been to Bishui Village.
Luomingjing slapped him on the shoulder. "What are you afraid of! I haven’t said no yet!"
Luomingjing was always boisterous and wild with his words; Yanzhu and the others were well aware of this.
Gaoshu leaned in close to Luomingjing and whispered, "Word on the street is that someone else just died on the mountain at Bishui Village." Gaoshu felt it was best to avoid bad omens. He winked frantically at Luomingjing.
Was he a monkey with an eye twitch?
Yanzhu turned her head away, unable to look.
"Tch." Luomingjing spread his hands, his voice rising with total confidence. "If we run into it, we’ll just solve it." He looked at Yanshang and gave him a knowing look.
"Indeed. Are the four of us ever going to be bothered by such trifles?" Yanshang said, turning the question into a statement of fact.
Gaoshu was infuriated by Yanshang's unflappable tone.
Since they were all going, what could Gaoshu do? He’d just have to go along.
Wait a second—this wasn't about *that* thing, was it? Gaoshu stepped forward to block the three of them. "It's not what I think it is, is it?"
The three of them raised their eyebrows in unison, giving Gaoshu a look that told him to figure it out himself.
Luomingjing: *He’s not as stupid as I thought.*
Gaoshu: "..." *So I'm the only one who doesn't know.*
Yanzhu draped an arm over Gaoshu's shoulder and laughed softly. "I've got your back. I promise to make it a memorable trip, trust me." She winked at him.
Gaoshu: *That's exactly what I'm afraid of. I knew it—something huge is going to happen. Damn it, they’ve been like this since we were kids! The three of you are playing me!*
Over the years, they had maintained a connection with the heads of the Special Operations Team. Simply put, the Bureau valued their abilities. In truth, they mostly kept in close contact with Yanzhu, as her cultivation was among the best. Since they couldn't recruit her, they sought other ways to utilize her.
If she—or those she hadn't officially recruited—did something unconventional, there was no one with the standing to lecture her. As long as it didn't cause a scene or harm citizens, they would cover for her.
Yanzhu often enjoyed catching cultivators who broke the rules, and she always loved dragging Luomingjing, Gaoshu, and Yanshang along. Gaoshu dreaded these dangerous missions; he only had one life, and he hadn't married yet—he cherished it dearly. But it was three against one. Gaoshu was always the one dragged along just to make up the numbers. One powerhouse bringing her three slackers—they could split four rewards.
With four of them together, they’d walk into danger and "beat" their opponents into submission—if they couldn't win, they’d at least annoy the opponents to death. Gaoshu had learned to helpfully explain to their targets why the three of them didn't need to lift a finger; their specialty was literally annoying people until they dropped dead.
In a word: satisfying!
One person did the work, while the other three sat on the sidelines wearing sunglasses, chatting, and deciding what snacks to eat. It didn't get better than that.
They had been calculating like this since they were kids.
They lived carefree, comfortable lives.
Gaoshu wept as he embraced this lifestyle. He might be a bit of a coward, but having his own personal hit squad did make things comfortable.
Yanzhu just loved bringing them along to fill the ranks. Doing things alone was boring; with everyone together, there were so many good methods to use.
In the past, she liked doing these things with Yuanlan, but it hadn't been this interesting. Now, with Luomingjing and the others, it was an absolute thrill.
Life needed joy, and one always needed an outlet to release the pressure.
Compared to that, this was far better than dealing with those other people and risking their lives on the edge of the Aberration.