The sun gradually set, and I still hadn't figured out whether what had just happened was a dream or reality.
Zhang Dabiao didn't notice anything unusual about me, nor did I feel any discomfort. For now, I could only take things one step at a time. Once I got home, I would ask my master to help me figure out what was wrong. Su Dan Novel Network
As dusk approached, Wang Jun and his group suddenly stopped in front of the door. Peeking through the crack in the door, I could see Wang Jun leading seven or eight tomb robbers, their eyes fierce as they stared at the courtyard gate.
Fearing that Wang Jun and his men would discover me hiding behind the door, I only took one glance before concealing myself again.
“Big brother, we’ve searched almost the entire village and haven’t found any trace of them. Besides Old Man Sun’s small shop, the only place left to check is this old lady Wang’s house. Do you think they might be hiding here?”
As soon as I heard this, my hair stood on end, and my heart involuntarily leaped into my throat, pounding wildly.
Zhang Dabiao was still fast asleep, and Sun Chuang remained unconscious. If Wang Jun were to storm in at this moment, they would find them in an instant.
If they didn’t have guns, Zhang Dabiao and I might have been able to hold them off. But judging by how bulky they looked, they were definitely armed.
After a moment of silence, Wang Jun said in a deep voice, “It’s not impossible. Let’s go in and take a look.”
As I heard Wang Jun and the others approaching, my heart was in my mouth. I glanced around and saw the door bolt leaning against the wall. I picked it up, preparing for an “encounter.”
Suddenly, a slightly hoarse voice rang out.
“B-big brother, don’t open the door yet.”
“What is it?”
“You… look, there’s a seal on the door. If we just barge in like this, and the cops find out, how… how bad will it be?”
“Little Liu Zi, why don’t you climb over and take a look?”
“B-big brother, this… this isn’t the rule. We who work underground don’t interact with officials. A seal on the door means… it means officials have been here. Besides, I heard that an old lady just died inside. If we go into someone’s house like this, how will I be able to work underground in the future!”
Listening to Little Liu Zi’s stuttering refusal, I curiously peeked outside again, wanting to see what this scrupulous Little Liu Zi looked like.
Through the crack in the door, I saw Wang Jun lift a thin man and say unpleasantly, “I told you to go, so just go. Stop talking nonsense. You’re the thinnest and best at climbing here. Hurry up, don’t dawdle.”
Seeing the reluctant look on Little Liu Zi’s face, he stepped back, then accelerated towards the wall.
I turned around, estimating where Little Liu Zi would land, and took the door bolt, ambushing him, ready to knock him out as soon as he came down.
Before I could wait for Little Liu Zi to land, I heard a pained wail from him.
“Ouch, damn it, it… it hurts like hell.”
What was going on? Why was he crying out before he even got in?
I tiptoed closer to the door crack and saw Little Liu Zi lying on the ground in agony, his hands already stained red with blood.
“L-leader, the top is covered in iron filings and broken glass. It’s impossible to climb over!”
“Useless! You can’t even do this little thing. Who’s next, you go.” Wang Jun’s voice was cold, with a hint of impatience. He called for another person to jump in and take a look.
“Leader, Little Liu Zi couldn’t get over, so how can I? Why don’t we go check the small shop first? Their courtyard wall is low, and I suspect they might be hiding there.”
The others quickly agreed. They probably hid in the small shop, and no one was willing to jump in and check.
I saw Wang Jun’s expression turn somewhat unpleasant. He glanced at the courtyard gate, then turned to the others and said, “Little Liu Zi, and Er Mazi, you two stay here. The rest of you, follow me to the small shop. Old Li said that thing must be found tonight. You all know the consequences if it’s not found.”
The others quickly agreed. One person was bandaging Little Liu Zi’s wound, and it looked like it was Er Mazi, whom Wang Jun had mentioned.
Seeing that they wouldn’t come in for the time being, I quickly walked into the house, wondering what exactly they were looking for.
When I entered the house, I pushed the door twice but couldn’t open it. Then I remembered that Zhang Dabiao had locked it from the inside.
I didn’t dare to knock, fearing that Er Mazi and Little Liu Zi outside the main door would hear.
I walked out of the house and threw a small stone at Zhang Dabiao through the window. Zhang Dabiao jumped up with a start, holding his mountain-splitting saber in front of his chest, scanning his surroundings nervously.
Seeing that it was me who threw the stone, Zhang Dabiao breathed a sigh of relief and looked at me with a hint of reproach.
“You kid, you want to scare me to death! I thought…”
Zhang Dabiao’s voice was a little too loud, startling me. I quickly made a “shushing” gesture and pointed at the main door. He understood and quickly put on his clothes and walked out of the house.
“They found their way here?”
“Yes, they’re already outside the door. But they saw the seal on the main door and couldn’t climb over, so they went to Old Man Sun’s small shop.”
“These guys, why are they so persistent?”
I knew they would find their way here eventually, but I didn’t expect them to come before it got dark.
My original plan was to wait until it got dark and summon Old Lady Wang again to help me think of other ways to leave.
Now, it seemed Wang Jun and his men would return within an hour.
“Brother Zhang, I heard them talking about looking for something.”
Zhang Dabiao lit a cigarette and took a couple of puffs. “What are they looking for? We didn’t take anything.”
I had considered whether they were looking for that painting, but then I dismissed the idea.
If they wanted to find the painting, they could have taken it long ago. Why would they leave it hanging there so conspicuously?
“Brother Zhang, do you think they might be looking for the infant coffin?”
Zhang Dabiao frowned and pondered for a moment. “Impossible.”
I looked at him curiously. “Didn’t you say it was a treasure? Why…”
“The infant coffin is a treasure, but only if there’s an infant inside. But it’s empty, there’s nothing in it. Why would they be looking for this?”
I was stunned for a moment, then remembered the purpose of the infant coffin.
Zhang Dabiao practiced the path of Yang cultivation. He usually dealt with Yin spirits and evil entities by suppressing and killing them. Over the years, although he accumulated some Yin virtue, killing was not as effective as delivering souls. Therefore, accumulating Yin virtue was troublesome.
The souls of infants in infant coffins were the purest. Although they had only stayed in the mortal world for a short time, their souls had not been corrupted. Furthermore, they had lingering affection for their parents. Therefore, as long as the father left an infant coffin for the infant, they would basically never leave until their Yin lifespan ended, which usually took decades.
Some geomancers who encountered such infant coffins would deliver these infants, allowing them to suffer less loneliness and be reincarnated sooner. This was equivalent to saving a life, and the Yin virtue gained from saving a life was immense.
“If they’re not looking for the infant coffin, could they be looking for that painting?”