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墨書 Inktalez
In the Dark Ancient City Cave, Zhang Qiu and the others were constantly mindful of their steps, carefully avoiding the skeletons by sticking close to the walls. After some exploration, they arrived at the entrance, where Gao Zhi was seriously inspecting the cave opening and said, "This shouldn't be wrong, right?"
Zhang Qiu, holding a powerful flashlight, stepped forward to observe. He touched the wall and looked down at his feet before saying, "It won't be wrong. Let's leave from here."
Qiu Wan hammered a nail into the wall and secured a rope before turning to Yang Yu and saying, "You lead the way; let's get out of here."
"Okay." Yang Yu adjusted his sunglasses, raised the flashlight, and walked in front.
Since they were heading back, Gao Zhi extinguished the candle he had been holding. Rui Rui was still shaken and hadn't recovered yet; Jiang Xue held Rui Rui's hand beside her to comfort her. Zhao Pingchuan and Wang Zhengxiang, who were bringing up the rear, hurried forward, unwilling to turn their backs to the dark cave.
Zhang Qiu felt that not much time had passed based on instinct, but they had already reached the stone steps. The steps were slippery; going down was easy but going up was difficult. Yang Yu tried several times but kept slipping down, almost falling. Rui Rui wore a worried expression and said with a frown, "What are we going to do?"
"I'll handle it."
Zhang Qiu approached the stone steps and attempted to climb up but slipped down just like Yang Yu. The moss on the steps was extremely slick; stepping on it felt like walking on ice with no grip at all. Zhang Qiu even began to doubt how he had come down in the first place.
"Hand me the entrenching tool."
Zhang Qiu extended his right hand backward. Zhao Pingchuan, who had been trailing behind, immediately handed over the entrenching tool when he saw Zhang Qiu's request. Zhang Qiu took it, removed his camouflage backpack, and took out a rope to tie around his waist.
"Be careful."
Zhang Qiu turned back and smiled at Jiang Xue. He gripped the handle of the entrenching tool with both hands and began chopping downwards; stubborn moss was instantly sliced away. Zhang Qiu smiled; as long as he could clear it away, it was worth the trouble.
Fortunately, the stone steps weren't long. After ten minutes of effort and sweating profusely, Zhang Qiu stood at the top of the steps. He hammered three iron nails into the wall and securely tied the rope around his waist before descending along it. Zhang Qiu pulled on it firmly; it was very secure. He handed it to Yang Yu with a smile and said, "Go ahead."
Yang Yu climbed up using both hands on the rope while stepping on a spot that Zhang Qiu had cleared out. He quickly reached the top of the stone steps. Gao Zhi followed him up next. Jiang Xue and Rui Rui held hands as they slowly made their way up while Zhang Qiu closely followed behind to protect them. When Zhao Pingchuan finally made it up, his first words were: "It's good to be in a place with people."
After climbing the stone steps, the path ahead became easier. It was dry and cold above, and the ground was hard and dusty. Zhang Qiu and his companions quickly exited the ancient city. Once outside, the bright sunlight filtered through the trees, warming them and lifting their spirits.
Yang Yu asked, "Brother Qiu, where are we going now?"
"Those who want to go home can go home. The others will head to White Day Fire. The college entrance exam is tomorrow, so make sure to rest well."
Gao Zhi, Zhao Pingchuan, and Wang Zhengxiang all planned to go home. Yang Yu had already taken a separate entrance exam and wasn't concerned about the college entrance exam. Rui Rui wasn't attending school either, so the two of them would naturally return to White Day Fire with Zhang Qiu and Jiang Xue. What surprised Zhang Qiu was that Lan Ningshan, whom he intended to treat well, asked him for a "leave of absence."
"Zhang Qiu, I need to leave for a while. A large number of firearms were discovered in the ancient city, and I must report this to my superiors so they can send someone to handle it quickly. Also, regarding that skeleton, the police will need to get involved due to this incident. If nothing unexpected happens, I will definitely have to take them inside. So Jiang Xue..."
"You go ahead; I'll take good care of Jiang Xue."
Zhang Qiu pulled Jiang Xue into his embrace, and she smiled, saying, "You go ahead and handle your business, Sister Lan. I’ll be fine with Zhang Qiu looking after me."
"Alright then, shall I escort you?"
"Sure," Zhang Qiu replied with a smile.
On the way to White Day Fire, Lan Ningshan began reporting to her superiors while Zhang Qiu listened quietly beside her as she sent a text message. After finishing her report, Lan Ningshan turned and smiled, "As expected, they want me to participate in the operation."
"Then go ahead; leaving so many firearms and ammunition inside is indeed unsafe. Not to mention that an explosion would be quite troublesome."
As soon as they entered the gates of White Day Fire, a disciple approached to report. Zhang Qiu silenced him with a glance. Lan Ningshan patted Zhang Qiu on the shoulder and said, "Take good care of Jiang Xue. I'll return as soon as I'm done. If you encounter any danger, don't handle it alone; call the police, understood?"
"Be careful, Sister Lan. How about having a drink before you leave?"
"No, no drinking when driving; no driving when drinking."
Zhang Qiu smiled and said, "Alright then."
"I'm leaving," Lan Ningshan said decisively as she walked away. Zhang Qiu noticed that every time there was a mission, Lan Ningshan seemed like a different person.
After Lan Ningshan left, Zhang Qiu called over one of the disciples and said, "Go ahead."
"Brother Qiu, according to your plan, our people have already gone."
"Great. If it succeeds, I'll raise your salaries next month."
Qiu Wan and all the Brothers nearby who heard this were filled with joy. Rui Rui looked at Zhang Qiu in confusion and asked, "Brother Qiu, what are you secretly up to again?"
"How is this secret? I'm being completely open about it."
Zhang Qiu took out his phone and showed the message to everyone. It read: Immediately send someone to rush to the Yuan Dynasty Ancient City Ruins, entering from the entrance near Beiluan Middle School's playground from the north. When you get there, you will see a hemp rope; follow it to the end where there is a room. Bring back some of the items in the wooden box inside. Remember, only take what you need; skip the fried chicken wings.
Rui Rui pulled Zhang Qiu aside, shooing away all the disciples before whispering, "Brother, are you planning to get a gun?"
Zhang Qiu nodded naturally and smiled, "Yes, don't you think we really need them?"
"But Officer Blue has also taken people there."
"That's why we need to rush over. By the time we return, the Brothers will have already set off. They can bring back the goods before the police arrive."
"But won't the police check?"
"Who knows? There aren't any cameras inside. But given how seriously they take gun cases, they might actually trace it back to me."
"What should we do?"
"Let the soldiers come and the water flow."
Zhang Qiu was not concerned about this point; in the rush, Lan Ningshan did not take stock. Zhang Qiu didn't have everyone bring everything back, so who would notice if three or five were missing? Even if someone did notice, it wouldn't matter; there was still Zhou Xuan's leeway.
"You're still laughing," Rui Rui rolled her eyes at Zhang Qiu and pulled Yang Yu, saying, "You should persuade him, what's the point of messing around with guns?"
Yang Yu chuckled nonchalantly, "If Brother Qiu wants it, then let him have it. No worries, just relax."
Rui Rui smirked, "You guys really are brothers!"
Jiang Xue linked arms with Rui Rui and smiled, "Let the men handle their business; we don't need to worry about it."
Rui Rui was slightly taken aback but quickly nodded, sensing a different meaning in Jiang Xue's words.
"What are you all standing around for? Aren't you going to take a break in your own place?" Zhang Qiu sat down on the sofa first. This trip to the ancient city had worn him out with all the digging and moss clearing.
"Right, right, right! Sit down; I'll mix some drinks for you."
"Rui Rui, Xue'er and I just need water. We can't drink before tomorrow's exam."
"No problem."
Rui Rui walked over to the bar to mix drinks. Yang Yu sat beside Zhang Qiu, glancing at Rui Rui behind the bar and whispered, "Brother Qiu, did you get results on that matter you asked me to check?"
"So soon?" Zhang Qiu was surprised by his subordinate's efficiency. "What happened?"
"Not good, take a look for yourself."
Yang Yu handed the text message on his phone to Zhang Qiu. Zhang Qiu frowned after just a glance; there was indeed a problem with Rui Rui's house.
Zhang Qiu's status in White Day Fire was rising steadily, and whenever he wanted to investigate something, there were always people eager to help. It didn't take long for someone to dig up the information. Rui Rui's rented place was indeed a marriage home, but the landlord was renting it out not because his son and daughter-in-law were moving for work, but because the house was unclean. The neighbors weren't very clear on the specifics, but they vaguely knew it was related to an elderly woman who had passed away. The woman had died from a fall, right at the entrance of the building.
"I knew that old lady was problematic." Jiang Xue, nestled in Zhang Qiu's arms, trembled as she spoke after reading the message. The image of that gray face, like paper, which she had seen through the peephole, resurfaced vividly in her mind.
Zhang Qiu locked the screen and returned the phone to Yang Yu. He gently kissed Jiang Xue on the forehead while stroking her back and said, "Don't be afraid, everything is over now that I'm here."
"What about Rui Rui?"
"What’s wrong with me?"
Rui Rui had returned with drinks and didn't notice that she was standing right behind Jiang Xue, who was leaning against Zhang Qiu.
Zhang Qiu looked up and said, "Rui Rui, you should move somewhere else."
"What's wrong?"
"Just move somewhere else; don't stay in that rental anymore."
"Why? The lease isn't up yet." Rui Rui looked confused, not understanding why Zhang Qiu suddenly brought up her rental.
Zhang Qiu exchanged glances with Yang Yu. Rui Rui urged, "Brother Qiu, what's going on? You both seem strange."
"Rui Rui, I'm telling you this because I care; please don't be scared." Zhang Qiu thought about how Rui Rui had already experienced two scares in the ancient city. Now he had to tell her that her rental was haunted; it would be hard for her to accept. But he also knew he couldn't avoid it; without a reason, Rui Rui wouldn't move out either.
"You, I'm not afraid."
"The building you rented is haunted."
"Hunted?" Rui Rui suddenly laughed, "Brother Qiu, it's probably just the old lady that Jiang Xue saw. Maybe she just went to the wrong door. Don't be so surprised. I was scared in the ancient city, but there's no need to associate it with the old lady, heh heh."
Zhang Qiu sighed and said softly, "Let her take a look."
Yang Yu nodded and took out the text message to hand it to Rui Rui. Rui Rui hesitated before taking the phone, her face instantly turning pale as she stared blankly at Zhang Qiu and asked, "Brother Qiu, is this real?"
"It's real. Last night I felt something was off, so I sent someone to investigate. This information was gathered from the neighbors; it can't be wrong. Rui Rui, you should change to another room."
"The landlord is scamming me!"
"That's normal; otherwise, how could it be so cheap? They are in it for the money, but we can't be taken advantage of. Fortunately, nothing happened. We need to change places quickly."
"Brother Qiu, now that you mention it, I do recall some strange things." Rui Rui pondered thoughtfully and raised her head to remember.
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