Chapter 34: Fugitive to the Ends of the Earth Part 2

Wang Chengwei exclaimed upon hearing this, “Liu Wa’er’s death is connected to them too?”

Wang Ya gave another bitter smile and said, “Did you see that Ebony Staff? It was all because of that staff.” As she spoke, she noticed Officer Jin’s face had turned green!

Officer Jin pointed at Wang Ya, glanced at Wang Chengwei, and said to her again, “I never realized your waters ran this deep, kid!”

Wang Chengwei’s face turned ashen too. He looked like he wanted to slap Wang Ya twice, but then he gnashed his teeth at the five men before him, veins bulging on his forehead.

Officer Jin dragged Wang Chengwei into the room and shouted, “Little niece, you come in too.”

Meanwhile, a group of police surrounded the five men, blocking them and “escorting” them into another office. The apparent leader also headed toward the five.

Once the three were inside, Officer Jin shut the door and asked Wang Ya, “What exactly is going on? Tell me clearly. If you don’t, I… I’ll clean you up with your Second Uncle! Look at the huge mess you’ve stirred up!”

Wang Ya pulled the Ancient Book her grandma had passed down from her bag and slapped it on the table. “At this point, I’ll lay it all out for you. This book was handed down from my grandma—it’s an ancestral heirloom of her family. I learned the arts from this book, they recognized it, and came after me.” After flashing it briefly, she put the book back in her bag. She recounted the southern incidents along with the old Feng Family matter but swore she’d never mention the Yin Spirit Scroll on her. Finished, she looked at Wang Chengwei and said, “Second Uncle, they want to rob and kill us all. Even if I had what they want, handing it over wouldn’t save me or you—they’d still take our lives.”

Officer Jin’s face was iron-gray as he chain-smoked several cigarettes before asking, “Was last night’s incident your doing?”

Wang Ya said, “I have an alibi. You can check the hotel I stayed at last night.” She added, “They won’t demand an investigation from you either—they’re just here to claim the bodies.”

Wang Chengwei’s eyes were bloodshot, glaring at Wang Ya. After a long while, he asked, “What do you plan to do?”

Wang Ya said, “You guys stall them for me. I’ll go back right now and take Dad away.”

Wang Chengwei asked, “What about the hometown folks?” He meant Wang Ya’s relatives back home! If she ran, wouldn’t this group go straight for his family and her birth parents’ family?

Wang Ya said, “Second Uncle, just stall them for half a day—give me time to fetch Dad. Once I get him, we’ll head straight south to their old haunt. If they know I’m taking their stuff right to their doorstep, the first thing they’ll do after leaving the bureau is chase me—no time to bother with you.”

Wang Chengwei cursed profusely, jumped up, and called his wife, telling her to take their son to her parents’ place to hide for a few days. Hanging up, he saw Wang Ya still sitting there and roared, “Why haven’t you left!”

Officer Jin urged Wang Ya too, “Get going! We’ll stall them as best we can. Go, go, go!”

Wang Ya stood and hurried to the door. At the doorway, she paused and said, “Second Uncle, once Dad and I leave, we might never come back. I’ll change my phone number too—no more contact. As long as we’re alive, I’ll send you a postcard every year to let you know we’re safe.” Without looking at Wang Chengwei, she turned and dashed away.

Wang Chengwei cursed loudly, “Fuck their mothers!”

Officer Jin said nothing to Wang Chengwei. After a moment, he got up and went to the office where the five were being held, pushed open the door, and called out, “Chief Li, come out a sec.” He ushered the apparent leader into another office.

Wang Ya left the Public Security Bureau, hailed a taxi, and headed straight for Wangjia Zhen. She had the driver wait a few minutes downstairs at the Everyone’s Wine Hotel, rushed into the hotel, found Wang Cheng’an sprawled on the single bed in the room watching TV, and said, “Dad, let’s go. Taking you to Chengdu for fun.”

Wang Cheng’an turned and asked, “What about Mom?”

Wang Ya said, “Grandma went out. We’ll go find her.”

Wang Cheng’an said “oh” and climbed off the bed, put on his shoes, and followed Wang Ya out.

Wang Ya led Wang Cheng’an into the taxi and told the driver, “Master, to Chengdu.”

The taxi driver exclaimed, “Chengdu? That’s far!” He seemed reluctant.

Wang Ya said, “I’ll pay double the round-trip fare. Run the meter—whatever it shows, I’ll double it.”

The taxi driver looked at Wang Ya strangely.

Wang Ya asked, “Going or not? If not, I’ll call another cab.”

The driver hesitated, then said, “Alright, let’s go. Double as agreed.”

Wang Cheng’an asked Wang Ya, “Yaya, is Mom in Chengdu?”

Wang Ya replied, “Yes!” She sighed heavily, her heart heavy, as she turned to look at her hometown where she’d lived nearly twenty years, at the familiar streets outside the car. A flood of emotions welled up, memories flashing one by one. She recalled many past events—things she hadn’t understood before but understood now, in this moment. For nineteen whole years, she hadn’t learned anything else. The skills her grandma taught her were probably for today, for the future.

She hadn’t been wiped out, but from this moment on, she had no home.

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