I followed closely behind Gao Liang. Despite having a build similar to Sun Fatty's, I hadn't expected him to run this fast—he was leagues quicker than Deputy Director Sun. If it weren't for my years of special forces training, I might not have been able to keep up.
After running for three or four hundred meters, Gao Liang suddenly stopped. He raised a finger to his lips, signaling me to stay quiet, and tilted his head slightly as if listening for something. What was he hearing? I mimicked his posture and listened carefully, but aside from the occasional sound of sand and pebbles falling from the ceiling hole far in the distance, I heard nothing. Based on hearing alone, Gao shouldn't be sharper than me.
Gao's brows furrowed into a knot, and his expression turned grim. After a moment, he spoke to thin air: "Come out. You're speaking in a way only I can hear. It's been years—if you've got something to say, let's talk face to face."
As he said this, he slowly lifted his gaze toward the ceiling. No sooner had he spoken than a dark shadow, about a meter in diameter, appeared overhead. From it, an elderly man with a head of white hair began to lower himself down, headfirst. He stopped halfway out of the shadow, grinned wickedly at Gao Liang, and said, "Old Fox Gao, forty years, and you've barely changed—aside from getting a bit fatter. If your hair weren't white, I'd have thought you'd taken an elixir of immortality too."The voice was unmistakably that of Xiao Siyang—the same man who had just been bargaining with Lin Feng.
Gao Liang chuckled. "Yeah, it's been over forty years. You've changed so much I barely recognize you. We're the same age, aren't we? But your hair's even whiter than Wu Rendi's. If anyone's been drinking from the Fountain of Youth, it's you. Xiao the Fourth, I've got to say, your abilities now far surpass that late brother of yours. I can't believe the Prohibition Formation embedded in the flooring has zero effect on you."
Just as Gao finished speaking, a rumble came from the broken ceiling above. I glanced over just in time to see a chunk of brick and stone crash down into the pool below, snuffing out the last flickers of flame.
"It's fine, kid," Xiao Siyang said, his eyes fixed longingly on my white hair. "I gave Lin Feng clear orders—not a single one of them is to come down unless I go up first."After speaking to me, he turned to Gao Liang. "Old Fox Gao, enough small talk. Let's get down to business. Hand over the Heavenly Principle Diagram, and I'll get rid of Lin Feng and those little pests for you. How's that sound?"
Gao looked up at Xiao Siyang, who was still half-hanging from the ceiling, and said with a faint smile, "Deal. Better it ends up with an old friend than in Lin Feng's hands. You take care of Lin Feng and his crew, and the Heavenly Principle Diagram is yours."
Xiao Siyang, still hanging upside down from the ceiling, let out a strange laugh. His mouth was full of eerily perfect teeth, jarringly youthful for his appearance. He slowly extended his body further out of the shadow and reached toward Gao Liang. "Give me the Heavenly Principle Diagram first. Once I've got it, I'll eliminate those little pests immediately."
Gao Liang, speaking in the exact same tone, replied, "Take out Lin Feng and the pests first. Once they're gone, the Heavenly Principle Diagram is all yours."
"Give me the Heavenly Principle Diagram first…"
"Take care of the pests first…"
The two went back and forth a few more times before Xiao Siyang finally realized Gao had no intention of handing it over. He gave a cold laugh, his gaze sharpening. "Old Fox Gao, you haven't changed one bit—still the same slippery bastard. But let's see if you've improved at all. I've been dangling up here so long my back's killing me. Come on now, help your old buddy stretch out a bit."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Xiao Siyang dropped like a giant droplet of water from the ceiling. The moment he hit the ground, his body twisted midair, and he landed on all fours. He let out a bizarre howl. Before I could register what was happening, my vision blurred as a shadow launched toward Gao Liang.
I couldn't just stand there and watch Gao Liang get hurt. Without hesitation, I raised my assault rifle and fired a long burst straight at Xiao Siyang."Bang bang bang…"Sparks flew from his body, but he didn't even flinch. Unhindered, he kept charging straight at Gao Liang.
Gao Liang didn't dodge. Just as Xiao Siyang was about to reach him, Gao suddenly shouted, "You're still not coming out?"The yell startled Xiao Siyang, who must've thought Gao had hidden reinforcements. He stopped abruptly less than a meter away from Gao and turned his head to follow Gao's gaze.
From the darkness, a large white wolf strolled out at a leisurely pace.The moment Xiao Siyang saw it, he recoiled and leapt sideways, not stopping until he was over ten meters away. Staring at the snow-white wolf, he spat out two words through gritted teeth:"Yinbai…"
Who else could that white wolf be but Yinbai—Sun Fatty's cross-world companion?The ropes that had previously bound Yinbai were gone, and its fur was once again a pristine white. It looked even more powerful than the last time I'd seen it.Yinbai stopped by Gao Liang's side and fixed its triangular eyes—unique to its kind—on Xiao Siyang. With the corners of its mouth curling upward slightly, it looked for all the world like it was sneering.
Gao Liang chuckled. "What's the matter? Lin Feng didn't tell you Yinbai was here?Everyone else knew—just not you. Come on, Xiao the Fourth, I've seen plenty of cannon fodder, but I rarely see one that dives straight into the fire like you."
Xiao Siyang was trembling with rage, but he didn't dare charge forward. It was clear he feared Yinbai.Unable to vent his anger, he finally shouted behind him:"Lin Feng, get your ass down here!"
There was no response for a long while. Just as Xiao Siyang was about to explode in a tirade, several figures jumped down from the blasted ceiling. They quickly moved the extinguished pool to the corner.Then came the heavy thuds of dozens of hulking figures landing—it was Lin Feng unleashing all the Soul Husks he had at once.
More people followed, one of whom I recognized—someone I used to call Director Lin two years ago.
Lin Feng stopped at a distance of about fifty meters from us. He and the others stood behind the army of Soul Husks and shouted to Xiao Siyang:"Uncle Si! Time is short. Take down Gao Liang now and make him hand over the Heavenly Principle Diagram!"
Xiao Siyang snorted coldly. "Why didn't you tell me Yinbai was here?If I'd known, this wouldn't be how I'd approached this at all…"
As he spoke, Yinbai grew visibly agitated. Its fur stood on end, and it bared its teeth, letting out a low growl in the direction of Lin Feng's group.I'd only ever seen it act like this once before—during that brutal fight the first time we met.
Gao Liang also noticed Yinbai's reaction. He followed its gaze, sniffed a few times, then sneered and said to Lin Feng:"Buddha Ash... Lin Feng, you really did come prepared. You even brought Ashes of the Guardian Buddha to deal with Yinbai.This must be what you collected from the Tomb of a Transcendent Beast cleanup. I was wondering why the numbers didn't add up—turns out Huang Ran fought for his next life, only for you to reap the rewards.You've got one on each person's neck, huh? Just how many did you stash?"
Only then did I notice the tiny cloth pouches hanging around everyone's necks in Lin Feng's group. They hadn't been visible earlier, but now it was clear—they were all carrying Buddha Ash.Even so, no one dared to approach Yinbai recklessly.
Gao Liang sighed and looked at Xiao Siyang like he was a wronged child. "Except you…"
Xiao Siyang's face turned crimson, like blood was about to drip from it. He stared at Lin Feng and growled:"Say it—what the hell are you planning?"
Before Lin Feng could respond, Gao Liang cut in with a frosty tone:"What else? He's using you as cannon fodder to tie up Yinbai so the others can snatch the Heavenly Principle Diagram.Whether Yinbai dies or you do—it's a win for Lin Feng. But looking at the odds, Xiao the Fourth, doesn't it seem like your death is more likely to come first?"
Xiao Siyang's face was like a frozen mask now. He gave Gao Liang a glare before turning to Lin Feng and saying coldly:"You rotten bastard… You'd even throw me under the bus? How the hell did your third brother raise a snake like you?"
Lin Feng stayed silent for a moment. After Xiao Siyang had finished his tirade, he finally said slowly,"Uncle Si… and you believe Old Fox Gao's nonsense? I did prepare for Yinbai—but you know what Buddha Ash is.Even if I didn't create the karma myself, I can't pretend it's harmless. My plan was to only use it if we saw Yinbai. That's why I didn't put it on until just now."
He took a deep breath, lowered his voice, and continued:"Uncle Si, we really don't have much time. The ruckus we made coming in must've already alerted the cops. If not for the Bureau's spooky reputation and the agreement Old Fox Gao has with the police,they'd have barged in already. Right now, without Gao's permission, no one can enter—but if chaos breaks out, even the Heavenly Principle Diagram might be lost in the mess."
After he spoke, Xiao Siyang's eyes returned to Gao Liang. The Bureau Chief clapped his hands mockingly and said:"You really spun that tale together fast. Shame—if Sun Desheng weren't around, I might've handed the Bureau over to you myself."
Then he looked back at Xiao Siyang:"Xiao the Fourth, after all that, did he ever throw the Buddha Ash to you?You see those twenty-two Soul Husks, plus Lin Feng—if they all come at once, how long can you hold out?"
Xiao Siyang looked between Gao Liang and Lin Feng, let out a long sigh, then stomped his foot and yelled:"Screw the Heavenly Principle Diagram! You two fight it out yourselves!"
With that, he walked over to the wall, leaned back—and vanished into it before my very eyes, disappearing without a trace.
Lin Feng stood there stunned, watching Xiao Siyang disappear into the wall.He tried to make a move to stop him but had to retreat when Yinbai let out another low growl.Even with Buddha Ash, Lin Feng didn't dare provoke Yinbai too far. Luckily, Yinbai stopped at just a growl and didn't pursue.So for a moment, everything fell into a tense stalemate.
Gao Liang laughed again and turned his gaze toward a man behind Lin Feng."If I'm not mistaken… that's Tie Wanyou, isn't it?No need to say it—you're another one Lin Feng let go back then. All to keep you around as cannon fodder for today…"