Take the suspect, the evidence, and the gun.
At this point, the domestic investigation could almost be considered wrapped up.
“Of course, the evidence this time is a bit weaker. It might only take down the figurehead in Japan. To target the mastermind behind it all, we’re still a bit short,” Lin Wan said.
“Do you know who this so-called mastermind is?” Lu Zheng asked curiously.
“Of course not,” Lin Wan shrugged. “They’ve covered their tracks through several layers, hidden very deeply. No one knows who they are.”
“Like something out of a movie.”
“Movies often draw from reality, but reality tends to surpass movies,” Lin Wan smiled. “After all, filmmakers, directors, and writers are leagues below those big shots.”
“Like Tony?”
Lin Wan sighed and nodded, “Yeah, like Tony. Who’d have thought he was like that behind the scenes?”
Lu Zheng raised an eyebrow, “So, rumours about things like the Freemasons are true?”
Lin Wan laughed helplessly, “I’m just a small-time cop. How would I know?”
“Aren’t you an Interpol officer now?” Lu Zheng teased.
“Still just a small-time cop!” Lin Wan retorted, exasperated.
Lu Zheng burst out laughing.
…
In truth, what happened earlier was simple.
Lu Zheng followed the aura, trailing the middle-aged man to the fat man’s office, where he overheard their conversation.
Upon learning that the previous car accident was an attempt to kill or maim Lin Wan, and that the fat man was preparing to flee with the evidence and gun, Lu Zheng decided he wouldn’t let him get away.
So, he used an illusion technique, called Lin Wan to inform her of the situation, and secretly placed a curse on the fat man to make him suffer for the rest of his life. Then, Lu Zheng stayed nearby, invisible.
On the other end, after receiving Lu Zheng’s call, Lin Wan immediately connected the fat man to one of their suspects.
So, Lin Wan came up with a casual excuse and went with two local officers to question the fat man.
It wasn’t an arrest or a summons to the city bureau, just a routine visit, so there was no issue.
Thus…
When they arrived at the fat man’s office, the secretary’s calls went unanswered, and knocking for ages yielded no response. Everyone thought something had happened to him, so they broke in.
There they found the fat man, dazed, holding a gun in one hand and documents in the other.
Caught red-handed, case closed!
…
It was now dinnertime. Lin Wan squeezed in a quick meal with Lu Zheng before diving into intense overtime.
“This time, Japan should play it smart. They’ll probably send a small team to collect the evidence, right?”
“No idea,” Lin Wan shook her head. “We’ve only notified headquarters, not the Japan branch. It’s possible the evidence will be sent through encrypted channels.”
“By mail?” Lu Zheng looked puzzled. “Mailing such important evidence, is that reliable? Why didn’t you mail it last time?”
“Last time, Mingmei was there, wasn’t she?” Lin Wan sighed, thinking of the congenial Japanese female officer with a pang of regret.
“You’ve pretty much avenged her,” Lu Zheng patted Lin Wan’s hand.
“Mm,” Lin Wan nodded. “Alright, I’m off to work. It’s all interrogations, analysis, and wrap-up tasks. No set schedule. You head back to Haicheng. I’ll probably be done in three or four days, then I can go home.”
Lu Zheng: ???
“Sorry about that.”
Lin Wan bit her lip, a bit embarrassed. “But we just caught the guy, and time’s tight. We need to interrogate him right away, so I won’t have time to hang out with you.”
Lu Zheng blinked, rubbing his chin. “You still need to sleep and rest, right?”
“Of course,” Lin Wan nodded, not catching his meaning.
Lu Zheng patted the back of her hand. “No worries then. Sweet dreams tonight. We’ll meet in your dreams.”
Lin Wan’s eyes sparkled, “Alright, I’ll dream of you.”
…
Lu Zheng’s dream-entering technique couldn’t quite achieve a twenty-year dream in a single night, but stretching one night into three days was no problem.
In this dream, Lu Zheng mainly explained the concepts and contents of the *Taiyuan Mysterious Book* to Lin Wan, guided her through some new cultivation stances, and gave her a bit of motivational pep talk.
Of course, formal cultivation would have to wait until she returned to Haicheng.
…
The next morning, Lu Zheng returned to Haicheng amid Lin Wan’s surprised and probing phone calls, then crossed over to ancient times.
“Buzz!”
As soon as he crossed over, the peachwood pendant on Lu Zheng’s waist began to hum with a response.
“Shen Ying!”
Lu Zheng’s pupils contracted. The next second, his body sank, vanishing into the ground.
…
Peach Blossom Flat, Peach Blossom Manor.
Pink peach blossom miasma drifted for miles, clashing with the swirling, pervasive peach blossom curses, producing faint “hiss” sounds as they wore each other down.
Underground, the roots of an old peach tree intertwined with those of another, twisting, tangling, and striking, each trying to break or crush the other.
Cursed seals flashed in the sky, bursting with radiant light. Though countered by vibrant beams, they held the upper hand.
“Swish! Swish! Swish!”
Six peachwood swords darted through the air, clashing with illusory peach blossoms mid-flight. Though met with bursts of magical force—deflected, flicked, or blocked—they pressed forward fiercely.
At that moment, four strangers stood in the front courtyard of Peach Blossom Manor.
One held a porcelain bottle, its mouth wide open, endlessly spewing rancid peach miasma that drifted skyward.
Another formed hand seals, a towering peach tree—ten feet in girth—behind him, its roots thrashing underground.
A third had six peachwood plaques floating around him, casting cursed seals that bewitched and struck at the heart, sinister and vicious.
The last one darted about, controlling the six peachwood swords that wove through the air, slippery as a monkey.
If Lu Zheng were present, he’d instantly recognise the second man as the middle-aged figure who had spied on Peach Blossom Shrine that day.
That encounter… well, it wasn’t even a fight. The man had fled after a single glimpse. Lu Zheng and Shen Ying had stayed on guard for a while, but when he didn’t return, they gradually let their vigilance slip.
Who would’ve thought that, after a month or two, even past the New Year, this man would return with three peers of equal skill?
Each of the four had two to three hundred years of cultivation, not far behind Shen Ying. This time, they came together, intent on settling things in one decisive battle.
At dawn, as the night faded and the yin energy dissipated, they launched a sneak attack!
But Shen Ying wasn’t to be underestimated. The old peach tree’s roots spread throughout Peach Blossom Flat, detecting the threat in time. After alerting Lu Zheng, she had the Eighteen Peach Blossom Maidens form a formation, then activated the old peach tree to join her in facing the enemy!
