Chapter 45 Yin God Tattoo ⑧ - Special Bureau Wu Yang was the one who lied to her...
The crimson chains, like flowing lava, slowly coiled and contracted on the wall.
The faceless spirit was pinned to the center of the formation, letting out angry yet powerless howls. Its twisted form thrashed about in the dark red light, only to make the light lock it in tighter.
Blood-red liquid seeped from the cold tip of the tactical pen, seeping out from between Lan Shuyin's tightly clenched fingers and sliding down.
One drop, two drops...
A small, dark red stain was left on the ground.
A searing pain spread from her palm, reaching her taut nerve endings. She finally released her grip, and the tactical pen, stained with blood and dark red cinnabar, fell to the ground with a crisp sound.
Her injured right hand trembled uncontrollably, but Lan Shuyin pursed her lips and remained silent.
Fang Huan, who had been hiding cautiously in the back, was the first to react. He exclaimed, "Miss Lan!" His voice trembled when his gaze fell on the glaring red mark on her palm, "Your hand..."
His voice seemed to finally break through some kind of stagnant barrier.
Kui Li, who had been standing quietly to the side, suddenly came to his senses.
His gaze fell on her bloodied right hand, a fleeting emotion flashing in his eyes.
But he didn't say anything, only said, "I'll do it. This thing is too old and has too much power. The formation can't trap it for long."
Upon hearing this, Lan Shuyin glanced at him sideways, asked nothing, and silently stepped aside.
Kui Li stood before the faceless spirit, studied it for a moment, and suddenly said, "She is waiting for her sister."
His voice was very soft, yet it made the air seem to fall silent.
“Someone lied to her, saying they would bring her sister to see her.”
"But years have passed, and all those who come are strangers. She finally realizes she's been deceived. So now... she starts actively attracting the attention of passersby, hoping that the person she's waiting for will be among them."
Fang Huan asked curiously, "So the evil spirit here didn't intend to harm people, but just wanted to attract her sister's attention?"
Kui Liting remained silent for two seconds before saying, "That should be the case."
However, Lan Shuyin's mind flashed back to the fierce attack that the spirit had launched against Wu Yang during the day. It didn't look like it was trying to scare or attract attention.
She immediately asked, "Ask her why she wanted to kill Wu Yang?"
Almost the instant she finished speaking, the previously somewhat weak spirit in the formation began to struggle violently, its empty face contorting into a horrifying arc.
Kui Li frowned slightly, seemingly trying to decipher the message contained in the silent shriek. After a while, he looked up at Lan Shuyin, his tone calm yet resolute, "She said that Wu Yang was the one who lied to her."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a series of orderly footsteps came from outside the corridor.
It looks like someone is approaching in this direction.
Lan Shuyin looked in the direction of the sound, unaware that Wei Li's hand had swiftly brushed past the wall beside the formation.
She bent down, picked up the blood-stained tactical pen with her left hand, and quickly slipped behind the door into the shadows.
moment.
"Squeak—"
The rusty iron gate was gently pushed open.
When Wang Kui led his men in, they saw three young men sitting around in a dark corner, with a yellowed piece of paper spread out in the middle and each holding a pen, looking like they were about to consult a spirit medium.
Upon seeing the intruders, one of the men immediately let out an exaggerated scream. The other two also cooperated by displaying terrified expressions and waving their arms wildly at the air.
"A ghost! A ghost is coming!"
—The screams that rose and fell were coming from Lan Shuyin and the other two.
Just moments ago, upon catching a glimpse of a gun in the hand that pushed open the door, Lan Shuyin acted decisively, pulling Fang Huan and Wei Li along to put on this act. In this terrifying locked room, there was no more plausible explanation than "playing a psychic game and courting death."
However, Wang Kui deftly shoved his sidearm back into its holster, his gaze sharpening as he looked at the only woman among the three, and said with certainty, "You are Lan Shuyin."
Before she could respond, she flashed her identification. "Hong Kong and Suzhou Special Bureau, Wang Kui." Her tone was crisp and uncompromising. "Please come with us."
The two teammates behind her silently took half a step forward, forming a pincer movement. Fang Huan nervously swallowed, subconsciously gripping Lan Shuyin's clothes tightly.
Special Bureau?
And they came specifically for her.
Lan Shuyin quickly dropped her feigned fear and regained her calm tone, "Playing games at midnight isn't illegal, is it? What reason would you give me to go to your station?"
Wang Kui remained expressionless, only saying in a deep voice, "Our boss wants to see you." Seeing the other party's wariness, she paused slightly, but ultimately revealed something, "We need to understand the situation regarding Yao Huaiyu from you."
Yao Huaiyu… This name made Lan Shuyin’s eyes flicker slightly.
"Okay." She finally nodded—she couldn't disagree anyway; she couldn't fight against the authorities.
Seeing this, Wei Li also spoke up, "I'll go too. I was there at the time."
...
It's located at the bottom of the Haitao Building.
Fang Huan watched as the two black SUVs from the Special Bureau silently drove into the night, his fear and unease receding like the tide.
He pondered calmly for a moment, then turned and walked back towards the dark underground parking garage.
A damp, musty smell hit him. He covered his mouth and nose with one hand and held a flashlight in the other, searching the garage for a long time before finally finding the door leading to the inner shops.
Snap.
His ankle boots waded into the puddles, splashing up murky water. Fang Huan cursed under his breath, rolled up his soaked trousers, and continued on his way.
The corridor seemed bottomless, with only the beam of his flashlight trembling in the darkness. Fear was ever-present, but the will to survive overwhelmed everything. He searched each shop one by one, finally catching a glimpse of light at the end of the corridor.
That faint light source flickered silently in the darkness, like a soul-guiding lamp on the other side of the River Styx.
Fang Huan strode forward without hesitation.
At the end of the corridor stood only one shop, without a sign or address. The entire wall was covered by an embroidered giant python. What was chilling were the snake's eyes, perhaps made of some expensive emerald, which seemed to coldly stare at the intruder as if they were alive.
The moment Fang Huan's gaze met those eerie green snake eyes, a strong wave of dizziness washed over him.
His stomach churned, and a feeling of nausea shot through his throat. He instinctively leaned against the wall and began to dry heave.
"young people."
Suddenly, an old, hoarse voice rang out without warning, carrying a cold and eerie quality, "The 'debt' you bear is no small matter."
Fang Huan turned around abruptly, only to find an elderly man in a sharp suit standing behind him. His hair was as white as frost, and although he was thin, he stood ramrod straight.
In the darkness, the old man's eyes shone brightly as he stared at the arm with the tattoo.
Fang Huan grasped at this as if it were a lifeline, and without bothering to investigate how the other party had appeared, he cried out urgently, "Master! You can tell? Please save me! I'll agree to any condition as long as this thing can be removed!"
The old man shook his head. "One of your three souls has been branded, presumably because you have entered into a debt contract with someone. But apart from this one soul, you have nothing of value, so I cannot help you."
Upon hearing this, Fang Huan's face drained of color, and his entire body trembled uncontrollably. He had indeed made a deal—to obtain the Blood Orchid of the Breath of Earth to save his brother, he had made a pact with Boss Wei on the night of Rainbow Dress, offering his three souls as collateral. He had initially thought it was just a charade from the martial arts world, but who knew…
—The goods have been delivered. Please take care of yourself, Young Master Fang. No one can ever renege on a debt owed to Ni Changye.
That warning, which he had once dismissed, now pierced his heart like a poisoned needle, each word cold and sarcastic.
"Master, please save me!" Fang Huan, who was always able to bend and stretch, knelt down with a thud, his forehead hitting the cold cement floor heavily. "I did make a deal with someone to save my brother's life, but I was desperate... Please have mercy and save me!"
The old man silently looked down at him, his pupils gleaming with a dark light, as if weighing some kind of advantage or disadvantage. Only Fang Huan's heavy breathing and the muffled thuds of his head hitting the ground echoed in the corridor.
After a long silence, the old man finally spoke slowly, “Very well. Our meeting is fate. As long as you do me one favor, I will remove the evil spirit deeply embedded in this tattoo.”
Fang Huan looked up abruptly, a glimmer of hope appearing in his eyes. "What is it? Please tell me!"
"Come with me to a place tomorrow. I won't kill you." The old man's tone was calm, but every word carried immense weight. "But you might age ten years as a result."
Fang Huan's pupils contracted sharply. "You mean... I'll exchange ten years of my lifespan?"
“It’s not a loss for you,” the old man said calmly. “During this period, you should feel mentally confused, unable to sleep at night, and your vital energy is gradually depleting. If left unchecked, you will not live for more than half a month.”
Without needing to say anything more, Fang Huan already understood that this was his only way out at the moment.
He gritted his teeth, a desperate resolve flashing in his eyes, "Fine! As long as I can live... I'm willing!"
...
The night was deep, and the Hong Kong Special Bureau's outpost was hidden deep in an old industrial area—an abandoned office building whose exterior walls had been covered with dense metal mesh for years. A faint light shone from inside. Next to the security booth stood a sign that read "Logistics Warehousing," and figures in red and white uniforms could still be seen coming and going late into the night.
Wang Kui nodded to the people inside the pavilion and then led the two into the building.
The scene inside the building was completely different from the exterior. In the brightly lit lobby, groups of people dressed in red and white delivery uniforms stood or stood around, looking relaxed. But when Wang Kui led his people in, they all looked over.
That gaze carried a hint of subtle scrutiny.
Wang Kui walked straight toward the elevator, but was stopped three steps from the door.
"Captain Wang." A man in the same uniform, looking nonchalant, blocked their way, his sharp gaze sweeping over Lan Shuyin and Wei Li. "Bringing unfamiliar faces into the core area isn't against the rules, is it?"
Wang Kui stopped in his tracks and said calmly, "On official business. Move aside, Luo Shan."
The man named Luo Shan scoffed, taking half a step closer. "Official business? I haven't received any filing notice." His deliberately lowered voice was laced with undisguised sarcasm. "Could it be... that Captain Wang has picked up some shady 'informant' again?"
He glanced at Lan Shuyin and Wei Li behind Wang Kui and continued sarcastically, "If I remember correctly, that informant last time was quite something. He rose to become a captain-level figure in Qinyang. What happened to him after that? Oh, he killed his teammates, defected, and is still wanted by the police."
His voice rose at the end, making the word "wanted" particularly jarring.
Wang Kui's face darkened, and her voice turned cold. "This is the boss's order. Do you dare to question it?"
Upon hearing this, Luo Shan's expression changed, and his face turned ashen as he stepped aside to make way.
The elevator went straight down.
The scarlet indicator light kept jumping up to -10 before stopping.
Staring at the red-glowing number, Luo Shan's expression shifted between light and shadow.
"Brother Luo," one of his men approached and whispered, "Wang Kui is the boss's trusted woman. Why do you always have to go against her?"
"I just can't swallow this!" Luo Shan squeezed out the words through gritted teeth. "Old Lin's death is inextricably linked to her! Why is she still unharmed and rising through the ranks?" His eyes sharpened, and he lowered his voice to order, "Go, investigate the background of those two people from earlier, the more detailed the better."
The lighting on the tenth basement level was unusually dim.
As soon as the elevator doors opened, two fully armed guards came into view. They were called guards only because they held "Truth" tightly in their hands and were dressed in uniforms that resembled special operations gear. But the uniforms had no insignia, no badge numbers, and no ranks.
Before them stood a metal door. The door panel had a cold, matte finish and was incredibly thick, giving the impression that it was so solid that even a bullet could not penetrate it.
The guard verified Wang Kui's identity information and then entered a long password on the keypad on the side of the door. With a heavy hiss of the air valve releasing pressure, the giant door slowly opened inward.
Behind the door was a corridor that stretched deep into the interior.
The light inside the corridor was dimmer than outside, and the walls on both sides had a grayish texture with an uneven surface, like some kind of rough textured process. But in the dim light, the texture gave people a strange feeling of stickiness, and even the illusion that it was slightly wriggling.
With Lan Shuyin's exceptional eyesight, she could clearly see clusters of small, grayish-blue columnar objects growing in the cracks of the wall—those should be the stalks of moss. Their presence added a touch of gloom and eeriness to the already oppressive environment.
What's even more striking is that at fixed intervals along the wall, there's a sign of the same size:
[Following the principle of human-centeredness]
These six words appear repeatedly, like a silent form of brainwashing, or a cold, imposing prohibition.
Before coming here, Lan Shuyin imagined that the "Special Bureau" was roughly the same as ordinary official institutions, perhaps a little more mysterious. But what she was seeing was too strange.
The "boss" Wang Kui mentioned should at least be a person in a bright office who behaves properly.
Standing here, she felt more like she was in a secret prison. The ubiquitous slogans didn't seem to be explaining any ideology; instead, they seemed to be a kind of forced, repetitive warning and hypnosis directed at those inside.
Lan Shuyin and Wei Li were separated at a fork in the corridor. Wei Li only had time to give her a reassuring look before being led away by a man in black.
Lan Shuyin was led by Wang Kui into an empty office.
A short while later, the door was pushed open, and a fat man walked in.
He wore an ill-fitting, tight suit, flashed a warm smile, his nasolabial folds deeply etched, and spoke in a friendly, unpretentious tone, "Miss Lan, is that right? It's a pleasure to meet you. My surname is Fu, Fu Qing. I'm the deputy director here."
However, the severe burn scars on most of his right face added a touch of horror and ferocity to his otherwise approachable demeanor.
Fu Qing pulled out a chair and sat down, his large body making the chair creak.
The moment he sat down, Lan Shuyin instinctively stepped back.
Nothing more. This deputy director was surrounded by a faint, sinister aura.
What made her heart clench even more was that along the edges of his obese figure, especially around his neck and cuffs, there were wisps of black mist like fine gauze.
Beneath this seemingly honest and approachable exterior lurks a disturbing danger.
Fu Qing took in Lan Shuyin's subtle retreat and the scrutinizing look in her eyes. His warm smile remained unchanged, but his gaze deepened.
"Miss Lan does indeed have exceptional qualities." As soon as these words, which were neither a compliment nor a criticism, were spoken, he raised his hand and slowly unbuttoned his suit jacket.
"What are you doing?" Lan Shuyin was dumbfounded.
Fu Qing gave her a reassuring look, but his fingers didn't stop; he continued to unbutton his shirt.
The moment her robe was opened, Lan Shuyin gasped.
It was more than half a rotting chest. The bluish-black necrotic flesh and intact skin formed a gruesome dividing line, and deep within the rotting chest cavity, countless black veins writhed like living things, tightly wrapped around a slowly beating heart.
Even more chilling is that deep within the translucent tissue of that heart, one can vaguely see... the outline of a curled-up black dog.
Lan Shuyin was completely stunned.
"As you can see," Fu Qing's voice pulled her back to reality, "the Special Bureau recruits the world's most talented people, but those who can reach my position can no longer be considered complete human beings."
"You... what is that?" Lan Shuyin asked with difficulty.
She thought her worldview had been rebuilt strong enough, but it was shattered once again.
“It seems your understanding of this world is still superficial.” Fu Qing watched her reaction, a faint smile playing on his lips. “In your terms, I have enslaved a spirit—don’t be afraid, I have no ill intentions towards you.”
He buttoned up his shirt, concealing the horrifying sight once more, then looked up at her and said calmly, "Now, may we begin?"
Lan Shuyin suppressed the shock in her heart and met his gaze. "What do you want to know?"
"'Yinyin's Iron Fist,' is that you?"
"It's me."
“I’ve seen your videos. Before Ghost Cave Dream Garden, you did mostly regular ruin explorations, cruise ships, hotels, factories… But after you took a year off, the first place you chose to come back was Qigu Village, and then Xiangweng Temple—am I right? You left your mark in both of those places.”
"Yes, so what?" Lan Shuyin asked, puzzled.
"According to our investigation, the Qinyang Special Bureau noticed you the day you arrived in Qigu Village. And Yao Huaiyu, the investigation team leader of the Qinyang branch, secretly contacted you under a special identity on the night you checked into the hotel."
Lan Shuyin was stunned. "What did you say?"
“You seem surprised.” Fu Qing raised an eyebrow. “You don’t know that’s Yao Huaiyu?”
Lan Shuyin truly did not know.
She slowly calmed her turbulent emotions and tried to sort out her thoughts. "I... didn't know that the person who pretended to be a policeman that night was also him." She explained, "I did see a person named Yao Huaiyu at Xiangweng Temple. He did claim to be from the Special Bureau, but he was beaten up badly at the time, so I didn't recognize him."
Fu Qing nodded in realization, "So what are your thoughts now?"
That hit the nail on the head.
Lan Shuyin's feelings were complicated. Various clues intertwined and collided in her mind. After a moment of silence, she murmured with a sense of unbelievable absurdity, "Hmm... Shock? I don't know how to say it. Coincidence? He couldn't have been following me, could he?"
“You may be the last person to see him.” Fu Qing said, taking out his tablet and tapping it a few times before turning the screen toward her.
Several high-definition surveillance screenshots are presented in sequence:
The first photo was taken in the corridor of the Guoting Hotel, showing Yao Huaiyu walking towards her room door; the second photo was taken on a mountain road outside Qigu Village, where a figure in a red and white delivery uniform was hidden in the shadows of the trees, clearly pointing his binoculars at her; the third photo was taken at Qinyang High-speed Railway Station, where Yao Huaiyu stood not far from the ticket gate, watching her pass through the turnstile; the fourth photo was taken behind Xiangweng Temple, where she and Wei Li can be clearly seen in the picture, as well as Yao Huaiyu and Chen Bin not far away.
Lan Shuyin was a little alarmed.
Yao Huaiyu's acting was truly flawless; his natural reaction when they met at Xiangweng Temple didn't give her a single clue.
But why is he targeting me?
For the Blood Orchid of the Breath of Earth?
That doesn't make sense.
As she was pondering, Fu Qing's voice rang out again, "On the night Yao Huaiyu went down the mountain, he secretly murdered his fellow team members Lin Mu and Yang Hao. Chen Bin was also severely injured by him and is still in a coma in the hospital. And he... has disappeared."
Upon hearing this, Lan Shuyin couldn't help but frown. "Why did he do that?"
"Based on current intelligence, Yao Huaiyu has successfully retrieved a precious earthbound spirit. There is a serious disagreement within their ranks regarding the ownership of this spirit. And based on the clues we've intercepted..."
Fu Qing paused deliberately, glancing at her seemingly casually. "After disappearing for several days, he was caught on surveillance footage the day before yesterday moving towards Gangzhou. Coincidentally, Miss Lan, you also came to Gangzhou at this crucial moment. Don't you two seem to be destined for each other?"
Hearing this, Lan Shuyin finally understood the deeper meaning behind the other person's words.
She asked bluntly, "You doubt me?"
Fu Qing slowly shook his head, the faint black aura around him seemingly undulating with his movements. "No, but I believe there is a connection between you. In some mysterious way, you are the key to our capture of him."
Lan Shuyin frowned even more. "Deputy Director Fu, since you have investigated my background, you should know very well that I have nothing to do with these incidents. I have no intention of getting involved in the internal affairs of your Special Bureau, and I have no obligation to cooperate with your investigation."
Lan Shuyin was prepared to deal with all kinds of coercion and temptation, or even worse situations—of course, she could just agree if necessary; she was calcium deficient, but she wasn't a tough nut to crack.
However, Fu Qing's reaction was completely unexpected.
Upon hearing her clear refusal, the deputy director paused only slightly, and a warm smile spread across his burn-scarred face, as if the unpleasantness from just moments before had never occurred.
“I understand your position, Miss Lan. Everyone has their own aspirations, and you can’t force them.” His tone was calm, even with a hint of comfort. “In that case, I won’t keep you any longer. Please sit for a moment, and I’ll arrange for someone to take you away.”
As he spoke, he pressed an inconspicuous communication button on the corner of the table and whispered a few instructions.
After doing all that, he even thoughtfully looked up and asked, "Would you like something to drink while we wait for you? Coffee? Tea? Coke?"
This overly smooth transition and politeness only made Lan Shuyin's heartstrings tighten even more.
She discreetly observed the other person, trying to find any trace of pretense beneath that smiling expression.
"No need, thank you."
She maintained a polite facade, but her mind was filled with doubts—were the higher-ups in the Special Bureau really so easy to talk to?
Fu Qing seemed to see through her doubts, but did not point them out. Instead, he leisurely leaned back in his chair, folded his hands in front of him, and quietly closed his eyes to rest.
About ten minutes later, there was a knock on the office door. Wang Kui stood outside, his expression as cold as ever. "Ms. Lan, please come with me."
Lan Shuyin stood up and followed Wang Kui through the dimly lit corridor with its strangely textured walls. Just like before, the heavy metal door required the guards to verify their identities through the peephole before slowly opening with a heavy creak.
Stepping into the elevator, the silence of the enclosed space made Lan Shuyin unable to suppress her curiosity any longer. "It's so troublesome to come in and out. Doesn't it take your boss a lot of trouble to go up and down every time?"
Wang Kui looked straight ahead, her tone calm and even, "No need to test them. This is a rule set by the boss, for everyone's safety."
For everyone's safety.
These eight simple words conveyed a sense of extraordinary meaning to Lan Shuyin.
Wang Kui escorted her to the lobby on the first floor, then turned and left without lingering.
Lan Shuyin initially stood in the center of the hall waiting for Wei Li, but quickly retreated to a corner. This was because the Special Bureau investigators scattered throughout the hall were scrutinizing her with obvious disapproval.
Especially Luo Shan. His eyes were particularly unfriendly, filled with undisguised coldness, and he even took a step as if he was about to walk towards her.
Just then, the elevator doors opened with a "ding".
Kui Li walked out calmly. Behind him was a middle-aged man with slightly graying temples, wearing a dark Zhongshan suit. The man was tall and straight, and his demeanor exuded a strangely polite air.
However, the appearance of this person caused Luo Shan to abruptly stop in his tracks, his face turning pale. The other investigators around him also visibly tensed up.
The man and Wei Li were talking in hushed tones. Lan Shuyin couldn't hear the specifics, but she could tell that his attitude was unusually polite, even carrying a hint of barely perceptible caution.
Kui Li's gaze swept across the hall and quickly landed on Lan Shuyin. He then walked towards her naturally.
"Have you been waiting long?" he asked, his tone as relaxed as if he had just finished a tea party.
Lan Shuyin shook her head, then involuntarily glanced at the elevator entrance again.
The middle-aged man did not leave immediately; he was quietly watching in their direction, his eyes deep and unfathomable.
"It's good that you're alright." Kui Li seemed oblivious to the subtle stares, or perhaps he simply didn't care. He turned slightly to block most of her view. "Let's go."
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