Chapter Thirty-One: Conflict

The dawn had broken, yet a strange, drizzling rain began to fall—an indescribable sense of oppression hanging in the air.

Han Shanshan had pinned a "Commissioner" badge to my collar with great solemnity. I suspected that the Wang family’s security would be tight.

"Hey, Xia Yitian, look at this."

Han Shanshan nudged me in the minivan. I followed her gaze to her waist; it was a handgun. It seemed Comrade Han Shanshan was now armed as well.

"Whatever happens in a bit, Big Sister will be the first to cover you," she said, flashing a suggestive, mischievous grin.

"Han Shanshan, has your imagination run wild again?" I scoffed. In my heart, I was thinking that I just hoped I wouldn't have to protect *you*—especially since your captain looked as pale as a sheet.

Huo Dadong, long accustomed to Han Shanshan’s antics, said awkwardly from the front, "Little Han, your Brother Xia is actually quite capable. You shouldn't doubt him."

"Sure, sure. All he knows is how to talk nonsense and swindle people out of their money."

Han Shanshan was the type whose mind was always a bit loose. She had long since forgotten the incident where she was left hanging by her neck in the bedroom, or if she did remember, she likely convinced herself it was just some tangled wires. She hadn't forgotten that I saved her, though—which meant she definitely remembered the thousand-yuan red envelope I’d collected.

I ignored her and looked at the old man sitting like a mountain in the back. A chill ran through me; the Yin energy emanating from that old man was truly heavy. I wondered how he had survived to this age while working as a coroner. I couldn't help but break into a cold sweat for him. Anyone requiring an autopsy had died an unjust death, and for this old man to still be alive while carrying so much Yin energy was nothing short of a miracle.

"This is Old Lin, our county's veteran coroner. Old Lin, this is the Brother Xia Yitian I mentioned to you. Why don't you two exchange a few words?" Huo Dadong introduced us.

"Young man, your Yin energy is very heavy," Lin Feiyu said, catching me off guard.

I smiled. I had been exposed to Yin energy since childhood, which made me particularly sensitive to it. That he could spot my aura at a glance meant he was a true master. "Hehe, Old Senior, yours is as well."

Ever since the Nine Princess had concealed herself, my own Yin aura had become exposed.

"Haha, you don't look like someone who makes a living in that trade—you aren't even carrying your gear. Do you practice some other unorthodox path?" Lin Feiyu asked, probing.

"Old Senior, it is indeed an unorthodox path," I replied truthfully, feeling that my methods were quite unconventional.

"Hmm, no wonder. What is your relationship with that Zhao boy?"

"Friends."

"Do you know what kind of people the Wang family are? Do you know Wang Heng?"

"They sell coffins. Wang Heng is the head of the Wang family, right?" I said after a moment’s thought. Zhao Qian had told me the Wang family were coffin makers and were also formidable in the art of exorcism.

"Knowing that, you still want to go?" Lin Feiyu found this interesting. The more powerful one was, the less likely they were to be possessed. What kind of person was Wang Heng? A master of the dark arts and head of the Wang clan—could he really be possessed by a ghost? Knowing the nature of the Wang family and still choosing to go—wasn't that like a lamb walking into a tiger's den?

"I have to go," I said, steeling myself.

"Oh. If you don't have anything to protect yourself, stay close to me later. Your Yin energy is heavier than mine, making you an easy target for those things," Lin Feiyu said, surprisingly accommodating.

"Understood." I nodded. When someone offers to look out for you, it's best to accept the gesture.

"Old Lin, what kind of 'things' are we talking about? Ghosts?" Han Shanshan asked curiously.

"Girl, this is none of your business. It’s better for you if you ask less," Lin Feiyu said sternly.

"Fine, don't tell me then," Han Shanshan pouted, acting as if she didn't care anyway.

The car soon turned into the morgue at the back of the hospital. Before we even stopped, I was shocked by the scene! A massive crowd was gathered in front of the morgue, bustling like a marketplace. Many of the younger ones had tattoos and didn't look like people you'd want to cross.

"Gangsters! Look at the kind of people the Wang coffin-makers keep," Huo Dadong spat, glaring at the youths blocking the path.

No wonder we needed guns; the Wang family had this kind of background.

"Move aside!" Han Shanshan commanded, her brow furrowed.

The youths showed no intention of moving, but soon, a burly middle-aged man pushed through the crowd, cursing as he approached. "Damn it, move! Can't you see it's Brother Huo?"

"Wang Dong, you've grown bold, haven't you? Daring to block the back of the hospital?" Huo Dadong frowned and stepped out of the car.

"How could I dare, Brother Huo? Since my brother passed, these kids have been a bit unruly. Please don't take offense." Wang Dong’s expression was apologetic, but his eyes were cold.

Wang Dong was Wang Heng's younger brother. While his brother was the legitimate successor of the Wang family’s coffin shop, Wang Dong managed a group of social outcasts and engaged in shady dealings. A strange family indeed.

Female relatives were wailing at the morgue entrance. A pitch-black coffin blocked the path, covered in spirit money, creating a deeply unsettling atmosphere. Dozens of funeral wreaths stretched for over ten meters—it was quite the spectacle.

"Brother Huo, you see it too. My brother kindly performed the overnight vigil for the Zhao family, even providing the best coffin, and in return, that Zhao kid came back drunk and beat my brother to death. If you don't grant me justice, I'll take it myself." Wang Dong’s tone was polite, but it carried a veiled threat.

Huo Dadong glared at him. "You’ll take justice? Go ahead! I'll throw all of you in jail in one sweep! Do you think I don't have enough headaches?"

"How could I dare? Brother Huo, why don't you take a look? My father said this is tricky. Even after putting him in the coffin, my brother wouldn't rest. Something is blocking him." Wang Dong’s face changed as he said this.

"Tricky? Don't play games with me," Captain Huo said, his brow knitting. He feared exactly this kind of situation.

"A-Dong, why are you bickering with Little Huo? Let Uncle Lin in!"

As the two were locked in a standoff, an aged voice drifted from behind the crowd.

"Father." Wang Dong didn't dare hesitate, waving his hand to clear a path.

At the morgue entrance sat the old man of the Wang family in a grand armchair. His brows were furrowed like a tiger’s skin. He looked at least eighty, yet he was as sturdy as an ox.

"Little Lin?" The old man looked toward the police car.

"Brother Wang, I'm here." Lin Feiyu squeezed out of the car, carrying a metal case, his demeanor respectful toward the old man.

"I knew you'd be the one to come. In the bureau, no one else can handle this." The old man gestured toward the morgue door with his chin.

We bypassed the crowd and looked at the door. I was immediately struck with alarm.

The door was draped with dog teeth and covered in yellow talismans. The ground was soaked in a thick layer of blood. I scanned the side and saw two dead black dogs that had been de-fanged. One was large, one small—the large one had its teeth pulled, the small one had been bled dry. The items hanging on the door were clearly the teeth of an old black dog and the blood of a virgin black dog, used to suppress evil.

"Brother Wang, you're too kind," Lin Feiyu said, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead as he surveyed the scene.

"I have nothing more to say. We’ve known each other a long time—I just want you to be careful," the old man sneered.

"Is there anything you want to advise me on, Brother Wang?" Lin Feiyu’s face remained calm, though his heart was clearly racing.

"Advice? You and I both know what the Zhao family is. They deal in Feng Shui and exorcism. Even though that Zhao girl has learned some tricks lately, they lack the capacity to cast curses or manipulate ghosts," the old man said with absolute certainty.

He must have been referring to Zhao Qian. Besides her, no one in the Zhao family knew even the basics.

"True. So, Brother Wang, what are you implying?" Lin Feiyu probed.

"What am I implying? If the Zhao family doesn't know how to exorcise spirits, they should stay away! Let those who know what they're doing handle it! A mere grandson has ruined my son’s life! What the hell is this? Are we going from four families to three? You invite some amateur to walk all over my territory? Do you think they can handle it?" The old man’s face turned deep red, and he stood up with a start!

The dozen or so thugs nearby immediately reached for the steel pipes and blunt weapons at their sides.

Huo Dadong and the other officers stepped back in alarm. Even Han Shanshan instinctively reached for her holster!

Lin Feiyu turned pale and sighed. "Brother Wang, when saving a life, one doesn't have the luxury to weigh these things. That Zhao girl was in a life-or-death crisis; the Zhao boy had no choice but to act. He didn't know your son was possessed. You can only blame the one who cast the curse. Besides, why are you venting your anger on me? In the old days, I was just a coroner. I don't 'hold the stage'; I just clean up at the end."

"Haha... Hahaha! Little Lin, you're right. Well said. But don't underestimate your Brother Wang. I'm not so senile that I can't keep my priorities straight."

The old man’s eyes, which had been fixed on Lin Feiyu, slowly shifted to me. His brow furrowed even deeper. "You boy, you’re here on behalf of that Zhao girl, aren't you? Let me see what kind of skill you have! Let's see if you can withstand the wrath of the Wang family—and the Zhao family that stands behind you!"

All the thugs turned their gazes toward me. I frowned, a chill running down my spine. The old man knew my connection to Zhao Qian. It made sense; I had spent the day at the Zhao estate with her, and with her reputation, it would be hard for me to remain anonymous.

Suddenly, I was exposed under the harsh light of scrutiny, even through the drizzling rain. The old man might be feeling better, but I certainly wasn't.

"Old Man Wang, I don't understand the conflict between your two families, and I don't want to get involved. Since the situation has taken a turn for the worse and cannot be reconciled, you two can fight it out for all I care. Even if only three of the four great metaphysical families remain, it has nothing to do with me. However, Zhao He and Zhao Qian are my close friends. If anything happens to them, I feel it is my duty to protect them. Old Man Wang, don't you think that’s only fair?" I stared at him slowly, my expression unreadable.