Chapter 104: Black Eating Black

Gu Xianwang finally snapped out of it. That wasn’t any telescope—it was an infrared night vision scope.

If anyone claimed these four were upstanding citizens, they’d be talking utter nonsense. But had tomb raiders’ gear really advanced this far? They were all draped in dark raincoats, and nothing looked bulky underneath, which meant they weren’t lugging around much equipment. One team built for heavy off-roading, the other for light pursuit—no wonder they could keep chasing after several kilometers.

Ye Chan’s face was ashen as she glared at the three men in front of her, a mismatched trio of heights, builds, and girths. Not one of them deserved the title of daddy. “Hold up, what do you big brothers want? Can’t sleep in the dead of night and just tail us the whole way? You pervs or what?”

The Northeast Burly Man burst out laughing. “Hah, the little lady’s calling you two the pervs. Time for some self-reflection there, eh?”

The young man adjusted his glasses beneath his cap’s brim and let out a cold snort, saying nothing.

The lanky middle-aged Sichuan Guy cut in. “No need for the nonsense. Where’s that girl you were with? You two planning to link up with her?”

Girl? Gu Xianwang frowned faintly. Was he talking about Long Li?

She steadied her breathing and spoke evenly. “Have you gentlemen got the wrong people? We’re just up on Star-Plucking Peak to take in the scenery and make a wish. Did we do something to offend you?”

The Northeast Burly Man chuckled again. “Little lady, you were taking in the scenery real flashy-like. What’s with packing a Dog Head Knife for a sightseeing trip? Cut the crap. We’ve been on your tail for hours. Now you’re playing the innocent card? If you were that innocent, would you have raced us like that?”

They were clearly set on not letting them go. Gu Xianwang dropped the pretense. “All right, since you’re dead certain, I’ve got two questions.”

The woman scoffed. “It’s freezing out here. Don’t waste your sister’s time with games. What’s the point of these little tricks?”

Gu Xianwang shrugged. “You’re four against two. Three grown men scared of a bit of wordplay from me?”

The Northeast Burly Man waved it off. “Sister Xun, we’re all here now. What’s a minute? Let her talk.”

Gu Xianwang smiled, cutting off any further debate among the four. “How exactly did you track us down?”

The night vision scope’s range alone couldn’t have let them shadow her for kilometers without her noticing a thing. There had to be some other gear they were hiding, something she didn’t know about. If she didn’t ferret it out right here, even if they managed to run farther, they’d just get chased down again.

“Ah, that it?” The burly man grinned and jerked his chin at the young man. “No big secret. Our buddy here’s no ordinary joe—folks call him Dog Lord. What for? Nose like a bloodhound. Sniffed your scent and followed it right here.”

So it was the smell. Gu Xianwang eyed the so-called Dog Lord with fresh wariness, wondering if his nose was keen enough to pick up the fragrance in her blood. “Dog Lord, that’s some talent.”

“My second question, then. You gentlemen don’t strike me as bad sorts. So how’d you end up crossing paths with our friend like this?”

Ye Chan shot her a sideways glance. Damn, Sister Gu’s skill at bald-faced lying had leveled up. These guys don’t look like bad people?

Women really did understand each other best. Sister Xun’s ears perked right up, clocking exactly what Gu Xianwang was fishing for. But before she could respond, the Sichuan Guy beat her to it. “That much I can tell you. That girl’s no ordinary girlie. You know what those teacups she left behind in that restaurant at Earth Immortal Residence were about?”

Teacups? From her chat with the God Stick?

“I honestly have no idea. My little sister got fleeced out of a few hundred by that fortune-teller. I figured she went back to set things straight. Do the teacups mean something?”

“Heh.” The Sichuan Guy chuckled, putting on an air of mystery. “Damn right they do. And it’s a big deal.”

“That’s called the Tea Bowl Formation. Way back, us Sichuan Gelaohui in the Robe Brotherhood used it as a secret code to recognize each other and chat. Different setups mean different things—not just arranging them, but reciting the right poems while you do. The one that girl set up was the Double Dragon Formation. Then you recite: ‘Twin dragons frolic in the water, joyful and bright, just like Han Xin and Zhang Liang. Brothers meet today; for now, let this tea be our council.’ That’s known as Reading The Seabed. The Seabed’s the Robe Brotherhood’s own guidebook. Once you read it right, the two of you know you’re on the same side.”

“Not many folks know the Tea Bowl Formation these days. And that girl’s not exactly old, so we figured we’d track her down and have a word.”

The Tea Bowl Formation used among Gelaohui Robe Brotherhood members—how did Long Li know about it? Not only did she know it, but she had also executed a set with skillful subtlety. No wonder she had spotted that God Stick sneaking a conversation with her in the alley. It turned out the two of them had already exchanged signals back at the restaurant and agreed on a time. In other words, that God Stick was no fraud after all, but the real deal—a genuine fortune teller.

They had even mentioned the words “Heavenly Book.” Could that guy have deciphered every character in the notebook at a single glance and passed the information to Long Li alone?

Damn it all. Just how much had Long Li been hiding from them?

“So that’s how it is. Thanks for clearing things up, you two,” Gu Xianwang said, shooting Ye Chan a meaningful glance as her hand clamped down on her knife hilt.

Sister Xun noticed the subtle motion and shook her head. “Little miss, we’ve said all there is to say. Let me give you some sisterly advice: don’t do anything foolish. It’s for the best—for you and for us.”

Gu Xianwang let out a cold laugh. “Speak of the devil. I’m the stubborn sort who just can’t resist doing something foolish.”

The rain in the woods had lightened for the moment, but the air grew thick with tension, the atmosphere crackling like drawn swords. Right then, the Sichuan Guy let out a grunt and suddenly flung open his raincoat. Gu Xianwang watched as a shadowy black iron tube emerged from the darkness.

Once the tube fully revealed itself, even Ye Chan blurted out a “Holy shit!” Both women froze in place.

“Whoa, big bro… isn’t this thing, like, illegal?”

“Heh, legal? This line of work is all about dancing on the edge of a blade. If it wasn’t against the law, I wouldn’t even know how to make a living.”

Well, hell. Judging by his words, these people were dead set on robbing the robbers. But the gun’s design didn’t look like something an average Joe could get his hands on. It wasn’t some relic; night-vision gear could be bought with a bit of cash, but firearms were a whole different story. For them to flash it so casually, they were either fully intent on killing them to cover their tracks, or the damn thing was a fake meant to bluff them.

Time to gamble?

Her mind raced. Suddenly, two silver glints sliced through the rain curtain in a blink. Gu Xianwang’s elbow snapped up as a palm-sized dagger slid from her sleeve into her grip. The blade whirled like a silver disc in her palm, followed by a sharp “ding!” of clashing metal. Then came two dull “thuds” as a pair of flat, dart-like knives whistled past her cheeks, embedding themselves in the tree trunk behind her.

Only after the echoes faded did a thin red line slowly bloom below her right cheekbone. The blood was swiftly washed away by the rain, diluting into pale pink rivulets that trailed down her face.

Dog Lord sneered. “Resist, and you’re dead. Cut the tricks. Women die just the same.”

“Hey! You bastards—” Ye Chan started to roll up her sleeves, ready to give them a piece of her mind, but Dog Lord’s icy glare snuffed out her spark in an instant.

Gu Xianwang shook her head at Ye Chan as well. This wasn’t the moment for a head-on clash. Dog Lord might look young, but his moves were viciously precise—those knives had been aimed straight for her eyes. A half-second slower, and tonight she’d either be blind or buzzard food. Their earlier chattiness in answering questions? Just because they knew she and Ye Chan were trapped like turtles in a jar. A few extra words to the dead wouldn’t change a thing.

With a slippery customer like him on the scene, escaping from this position would be damn near impossible. Better to bide their time until the valley ahead. Rainy nights in wooded gullies always meant pooled water—maybe even a stream to throw off his bloodhound nose.

Gu Xianwang tossed her dagger to the ground and raised her hands in surrender. “Easy now. We’re happy to cooperate. No need to get all hostile.”

The Northeast Burly Man chuckled. “Aw, now why couldn’t you have done that from the start? No trouble at all. Come on, drop those packs. Your big bro here’s got ’em.”

Gu Xianwang shrugged off her backpack without another word. The gun stayed trained on her—they clearly saw her as the bigger threat of the two. The burly man scooped up all three packs single-handed, like they were grocery bags, hefted the weight, and muttered, “Damn, these guys pack a punch,” before stepping aside.

The three packs, plus their weapons, tipped the scales at over seventy pounds, yet the Northeast Burly Man carried them off effortlessly. Next, the woman directed her finger-thick little snake to slither into their coats, starting at their ankles and wriggling all the way to their collars. Satisfied nothing was hidden, she finally motioned for the pair to take a step forward.

“Hands out.”

Ye Chan felt that snake slithering everywhere, sending goosebumps rippling across her back. She fidgeted endlessly, scratching here and rubbing there, dragging her feet on offering her wrist just to piss them off. Sister Xun’s eyes grew icier and more impatient by the second. Ye Chan was about to laugh it off when Sister Xun reached into her pocket. A dazzling flash erupted as a dagger whipped from her fingers in an instant, its tip aimed straight at Ye Chan’s throat.

“Go on, keep scratching.”

Sister Xun wasted no time. With every word, the blade sank a fraction deeper into Ye Chan’s flesh, pressing right against her Adam’s apple. The sheer pressure choked off Ye Chan’s breath. She swallowed on reflex, and the edge sliced upward with the motion.

“Enough!” Gu Xianwang called out in a hurry. “We’ll cooperate. Tie me up first. I promise, full cooperation.”

Ye Chan was truly spooked this time. Back in Guizhou, even when that shady outfit had kidnapped and schemed against her, she hadn’t felt this kind of raw menace. These people were the real deal—hardened outlaws, their eyes burning with zero hesitation to kill.

Sister Xun eyed Ye Chan’s stunned, flushed face and let out a scornful snort. She drew several thin cords from her raincoat. Only as she closed in on Gu Xianwang did they reveal themselves as self-locking plastic zip ties: lightweight, unbreakable by strength alone.

Damn, these guys were professionals.

To drive the point home, Sister Xun secured her with three ties, wrapping all the way up to her elbows. Each one dug deep into the flesh, making even the slightest twitch agony. Bound like that, forget any funny business—staying upright on the mountain trail would be a challenge.

“Where’s that compass of yours?”

Gu Xianwang knew they’d spot it eventually. She tilted her head. “Pocket.”

Sister Xun pulled it out for a look. “Well now, isn’t this a pretty little thing. You all seen a compass like this before?”

She passed it around. The three shook their heads. The Sichuan Guy, being the oldest and most experienced, stroked his mustache. “This ain’t jade, ain’t stone neither. No ordinary compass, that’s for sure—not for findin’ north. Reckon those gals got some kinda link between ’em for trackin’ each other. This turtle here’s for huntin’ folk. See it pointin’ dead at that ravine up ahead? Target’s probably holed up in there waitin’. We slip in quiet, keep watch, then figure how to snag that girl too.”

Sister Xun gave Gu Xianwang’s shoulder a shove, motioning for the pair to follow. The four pressed on, Northeast Burly Man and Sichuan Guy up front with the Undying Turtle leading the way. Sister Xun and Dog Lord brought up the rear on either side of the women. One had a nose like a bloodhound, the other snakes and night-vision gear. Escape was off the table—they’d have to outsmart them.

They trudged on for about fifteen minutes. Gu Xianwang had sized up the group and settled on Northeast Burly Man as her first mark. Before she could make a move, though, the guy beat her to it, unable to hold his tongue. He leaned toward Sichuan Guy and murmured, “Old Liu, you think the boss Sister Xun’s vouchin’ for is solid? This job’s in the bag already. We got the map, nabbed the targets. Didn’t they say half up front once we pin the spot? Deposit was just thirty grand, but we’ve already…” He mimed slicing his throat. Gu Xianwang kept her gaze fixed ahead, stealing glances from the corner of her eye. He went on, “Two bodies ain’t easy to bury. No payout, and we’re losin’ our shirts on this deal.”

His voice was soft, drowned out by the pounding rain—to normal ears at Gu Xianwang’s spot, it’d be white noise. But the Forbidden Witch Bone had sharpened her hearing beyond measure. She played dumb and kept marching.

Old Liu checked their positions warily before replying in a hush, “I hear ya. Four of us, but only you and me pullin’ the trigger. Dog Lord’s an outsider—can’t trust him. Once we hit the ravine and bag that girl, don’t charge straight for the cave. Hash it out with Sister Xun first. Boss is her connect, after all.”

Northeast Burly Man nodded as realization dawned, catching the unspoken angle. He shot a cautious glance at Dog Lord. “Gotcha. We do it your way.”

Gu Xianwang pressed her lips together. This crew was a loose alliance at best, rife with mutual distrust. Those two might’ve seemed thick as thieves in their scheming, but they were still watching each other’s backs. They’d paired off first only because they’d already gotten their hands dirty—now each held damning leverage over the other.

That “boss” was a real mystery—what kind of background did he have? From what she’d gathered, he’d supplied the map and paid them to pinpoint the tomb site. They’d get half the money upfront once they nailed the location. Ye Chan didn’t know much about this line of work, but even she could figure out that tomb raiding didn’t operate like this. To get paid, these thieves would normally have to go down into the hole themselves, haul out the goods without damaging them, and then see if the items—varying in value by era—caught the boss’s eye. Only then would there be room to haggle over the price.

Just handing over a location? What kind of deal was that?

As she mulled it over, the group had already crept up to the edge of the wooded ravine. They were still a short distance away from the direction indicated by the Undying Turtle, parallel to their target. It looked like they planned to use the little snake and night-vision goggles to scout ahead.

Ye Chan had been trembling with exhaustion the whole way. The moment they stopped, she didn’t care about anything else—she plopped down on her butt, head hanging low as she gasped for breath. “Holy crap, when are we gonna get there? Even prisoners of war get a chance to rest their legs!”

Dog Lord shot her a glance but ignored her. The Northeast Burly Man, at least, had a shred of conscience. He pulled a bottle of water from the side pocket of their packs, twisted it open, and walked over to hand it to Ye Chan. “Listen to yourself. Here, have some water—”

Bang!

His words cut off abruptly. Ye Chan’s outstretched hand froze in midair as a gush of hot blood splashed across her face. The man who’d just been speaking—a burly fellow nearly six feet tall—had a bullet rip through his skull in the blink of an eye. He swayed twice before crashing backward onto the soggy grass with a thud. He was gone.