Chapter Thirty-Four: Closing the Gate

  "Alright, alright! Let's go find Director Jiang first, we'll talk later." I quickly pulled Shitian away and went to the office. Director Jiang was flipping through documents on his desk, "Zi Chuan, you're here." Director Jiang saw us arrive and put down what he was doing, inviting us to sit down.

  "Hmm, Director Jiang, have you found out anything about those three people?" Because they knew my master's news, my master had been gone for a long time and never contacted me. I didn't even know what he was busy with.

  "Zi River. The Yin Soul Sect is spread south of the Yangtze River, not big nor small. This time we killed three of their people, they will definitely come to settle accounts with us." Hearing Ze Heng say this, I thought so too. One of the cult's members was killed by us, they will definitely look for us. Moreover, the Ten Spirits Ghost Yin is not weak and directly serves as that person's life soul, that person's identity is not simple.

  Moreover, the organization and discipline within the Yin Soul Sect are very strict, with a strong hierarchical system.

  "Still divided into grades?"

  "Yes, the Master, the Deputy Master, two Protectors and four Dragon Heads. It's a bit complicated, and their principle is that if you offend me by an inch, I will retaliate against you by a foot."

  "The problem is they offended us first!"

  "Do you think it's useful to say these things to people who kill and enslave souls?" This sentence made me speechless, it's no use reasoning with them, might as well just fight directly. On the side, Director Jiang also didn't say anything, his face looked quite bad listening to our conversation. "Zi Chuan, this matter has implicated you guys..."

  I saw Director Jiang somewhat apologetically say to us, "This can't be helped." "It's okay, Director Jiang. What we've learned is for this purpose. Even if you didn't come find us, we would still take action if we encountered it." Director Jiang still looked a bit apologetic after hearing what Ze Heng said.

  "It's okay, Director Jiang, take us to see the bodies of those three people." I didn't want to look at Director Jiang like that, so he took us to see the bodies of those three people. Director Jiang took us to the morgue, and the three corpses were lying on their backs, one with blood flowing from all seven orifices, one with a chest cavity torn open, and another with many bullet holes in his body.

  You haven't told me where my master is, you're dead! In my heart, I saw the corpse of that person, and I had a little urge to abuse the corpse. I grabbed his clothes, and a wooden sign fell out. "Zehong, Shiteng, come and see what this is!" I held the wooden sign in my hand and beckoned Zehong and others to come and see. On the wooden sign was carved a crooked and twisted character "Dong"!

  "Zihe... This time we can't escape, the dead person is one of the four dragon heads of the Yīn Hún Pài, Dong Wang Pan Tai! Seeing Ze Hong's face a bit heavy saying this, didn't expect that this person was actually one of the dragon heads. The Yīn Hún Pài will definitely not let us three go."

  "I hope nothing happens to my family!" The first thing I thought of was my family and Zhang Ting, because they are ordinary people, I don't want it to be me who brings them harm!

  "This shouldn't be a problem, because we have a rule that the calamity won't extend to family members. No one dares to offend us, and if they do, they'll be hunted down by everyone. The Yin Soul Sect doesn't have the guts to bring about their own destruction. It's just that the three of us are being targeted." Hearing Zehong say this, I felt a sense of relief in my heart. If something happens to me, it's not a big deal, what I'm most afraid of is something happening to the people I love.

  "What should we do?"

  "This time, Subei, why don't you come with us to hide in the Menpai for a while? At least we can stall for a bit, and once my master returns, everything will be fine." Does Ze Huan want me to go back with them? Master... if only my master were here...

  "Alright...alright, I'll go and explain things." I couldn't just leave Zhang Ting, because if she found out I had suddenly disappeared, she would be worried. "Zi Chuan...sorry. This is something the police can't help with, so you should go into hiding for a while at their place, I'll arrange for someone to protect your family, and I'll take care of your school situation." It's not like Director Jiang could have done anything more, he did everything he could, and even protected my family, so I'm pretty grateful to him. "Mm, Director Jiang, if one day you see my master, tell him to come find me at Guanmen."

  After handing over to Director Jiang, Ze Hong and I returned to school first. The first thing was to contact Zhang Ting, I wanted to talk to her about something...

  "Ting Ting, where are you."

  "In the dorm! What's wrong!" I could tell Zhang Ting was quite angry, but I didn't have time to coax her now. "Can you come down? I need to talk to you about something." Zhang Ting might have sensed that my tone wasn't right and didn't hang up on me. I stood at the bottom of her building for a while before seeing Zhang Ting walk down.

  "Where have you been these past few days?!" Zhang Ting spoke up before I could even say a word.

  "Tingting, I might be leaving for a few days. Take good care of yourself during this time. If you get bored, go shopping with your sister. I'll be back in a few days, okay?" Can it really just pass in a few days? As I said this, I had already hugged Zhang Ting tightly, feeling like everything around us was standing still. It had been a long time since I last hugged her. Zhang Ting was also confused by my sudden reaction. "Zichuan, what's wrong with you these past few days? I've felt that you've changed for a long time now, I don't know what you're hiding from me."

  Originally, my actions were all in Zhang Ting's eyes. Have I really changed? Maybe I just faced some things that I hadn't encountered before when I was with Zhang Ting. Should I tell her? "Tingting, if one day you find out I'm not an ordinary person... will you be afraid?" My heart trembled a bit as I said this, and Zhang Ting was also stunned.

  "What are you talking about! Are you not an ordinary person, or are you a monster!" I hugged her even tighter, "Tingting, trust me, one day I'll tell you what happened, but now there's no time, they're still waiting for me, I have to go on a long trip with them..."

  "Hmm... give me a call!" Seeing Zhang Ting's slow movements, my heart ached. I didn't even get to be a good boyfriend and stay by her side... "If someone bullies you, tell me! I'll immediately run back and beat him up!" Zhang Ting smiled, and seeing her smile made me satisfied.

  "Alright, alright... it's not like we're parting ways forever, why be so sentimental." I told Zhang Ting to go back to the dorm and then came back here to Ze Heng and the others. They weren't far away from me, watching me and Zhang Ting doing who-knows-what... "You guys don't get it at all!" My heart felt a bit down.

  "Alright, let's go, I'll take you to our Guanmen!" I followed Ze Hong and Shi Teng onto a car and went to the train station to buy two tickets to Shaanxi. After getting on the train, Ze Hong and I talked about what they thought was the awesome history of Guanmen, "Guanmen is located in the Qinling Mountains, spanning north and south, our Guanmen has many disciples, it's really huge!" As I listened to Ze Hong and Shi Teng taking turns bragging, I also listened. "About how much longer until we arrive in Shaanxi?"

  "Two days and one night..."

  I went, and I had to stay on the bus for two days and one night. I missed Zhang Ting not long after I left her. "Tingting, I miss you." I called her just to hear her voice.

  "Oh no, you've been gone for such a short time and yet you're already missing me? You're so fake!"

  "Where is it... really think, Tingting... I will definitely marry you in the future!" I don't know why I just want to say this sentence. Because I feel inseparable from Zhang Ting.

  "How dare you not marry! Where are you? Why so noisy?" So fierce... directly made me not dare to not marry...

  "On the train..." "Zi Chuan... Zi Chuan, stop calling me, come quickly!" I heard Ze Hong and Shi Teng shouting at me. "Zhang Ting, don't talk about it for now, I'm busy, I'll call you when I arrive."

  "Be careful on the road."

  I hung up the phone and rushed over to see what they wanted me to do, only to find them playing cards. "You didn't call me over to play cards, did you?"

  "Otherwise, I'd have asked you to play airplane... Besides, where's the airplane to play with?" Ugh, I'm fed up with them.

  "By the way, Zehong I've been wanting to ask you, how come this time you and last time changed so much?" I asked him while playing cards, because last time when dealing with the tree spirit he only lasted a few minutes, but this time it was like he had taken chicken blood.

  "Just kidding, who am I!" Ze Hong continued to flatter himself. "Zi Chuan, don't listen to my senior brother, last time he was sent out for training by our master, it was because he was too self-conceited, the master specially humbled his arrogance, as a result, last time my senior brother returned very dispiritedly, without saying a word, and went back to practicing diligently." Shi Teng said this while Ze Hong kept throwing cards at him. "Hey, can't you give your senior brother a good image?"

  "Haha, so that's how it is. I said you seemed like a different person this time." These two days have been very ordinary, a few people sleeping and waking up just to play cards. I almost had to call Zhang Ting several times a day, couldn't put her down. We finally arrived at the station. When we got off the train it was 9 o'clock in the evening, and when we came out of the station, we saw that this place was Ankang.

  I put on a coat, it's cold here at night and the wind is making me shiver. "How much further to your master's place?" I asked Ze Heng with chattering teeth. "Not far, let's take a taxi."

  Zehong went forward and stopped a "master" who was going to Qinling.

  "No, no, it's too far." The driver shook his head and refused us. "You go, didn't you say it wasn't far?" I whispered to Ze Heng. "Are you going or not?" Then I saw Ze Heng directly open the car door and pull the driver down... Is he going to use violence?

  "Ah... big brother, I only drive in the city... aren't you making things difficult for me by telling me to go to Qinling?" The driver was also scared out of his wits by Ze Hong's rough handling, and Ze Hong still hadn't let go of his hand. I quickly went over and pulled Ze Hong away. "Do you have to be so fierce?" Then, turning his head, he gently said to the driver, "Uncle... let's go down from Qinling. We'll give you some extra money."

  "Are you going or not?!" I saw Zehong clenching his fist in the air, "I'm going... I'm going... 600." The driver was also scared when he saw Zehong like this and stammered, "G-go..." What? 600! 200! Drive!" I saw Zehong directly throw him into the car and get on. I was stunned. Zehong even rolled down the window and shouted at me, "Zicun... what are you waiting for? Get in the car!"

  Is this a case of a strong dragon not overpowering a snake in its own den?