Chapter 189: Little Rascal Opens the Yin-Yang Eyes

I eased my emotions and looked at Sister Wang: “Thank you, sister. You’ll surely find your Prince Charming and have a few chubby little ones.”

The plump nurse Sister Wang replied, “Of course! There’s already a handsome guy chasing me, saying my cooking is delicious.”

I thought to myself about those promises we once made—ones that could never be fulfilled now.

After leaving the hospital, Chen Tutu called me, asking if I was free for dinner that night. I told her I still had some things to take care of. Chen Tutu pressed further, sensing my low spirits. Not wanting to hide it, I admitted, “Meng Liuchuan has come back to life.” Chen Tutu hung up. Ten minutes later, she texted me: *Is it true that no woman can ever overcome her first love?*

I didn’t know how to respond. Anything I said would only hurt her. When I got home, my parents took one look at my disheveled state and asked if I’d had a fight with Xiao Chen. After a pause, my mother added, “She has a proper, stable job, and she’s beautiful. If she’s interested in you, you can’t let her down.”

I retreated to my room, curling up under the blankets without a word. I started feeling hotter and hotter, my heart pounding faster, my breathing growing more labored.

Then it hit me—I was sick with a fever. It had been ages since I’d last fallen ill. By midnight, I was coughing violently, drenched in sweat, muttering incoherently in my sleep. Little Rascal, who was lying on the floor, suddenly lifted his head, sighed, and began barking wildly, louder and more frantically than ever.

Weakly, I murmured, “Little Rascal, stop barking. It’s so loud.” Only when my parents woke up did they realize how bad it was. My father touched my forehead and found me burning up, delirious from the fever. The two of them scrambled for a flashlight and bundled me in a coat. My father carried me on his back while Little Rascal led the way ahead.

As I gazed at the endless white snow, a thought crossed my mind: *I thought I’d grown stronger, but here I am, still useless.*

It seems letting go of the past and embracing the future isn’t so simple after all.

By the time the sudden fever broke, it was already the next afternoon. I was fine, just exhausted. I managed to meet Shen Yihu briefly. We had previously discussed the case of the seven missing corpses, suspecting a connection between the walking corpses and Abe Chun, though there was no concrete evidence yet.

The seven bodies had vanished on October 20th of last year, while Abe Chun entered the country a few days later—no direct link. I asked Shen Yihu to check Abe Meng Liuchuan’s entry records. He informed me that Meng Liuchuan had only arrived a week ago, pushing the timeline back by nearly a month.

I was puzzled. If it wasn’t Abe Chun targeting Brother Jun, then who else could it be? It *had* to be Abe Chun—he could easily orchestrate things from Japan. But cases require evidence. The seven corpses had walked out on their own, boarded an operational car, and disappeared into the suburbs, leaving behind a cold trail.

Beyond the suburbs, just a few steps led to the riverbank, where no surveillance cameras existed. There was no way to track where they had gone, changed clothes, and slipped back into the city unnoticed.

And the most crucial point:

It was the dead of winter, the coldest time of the year, slowing down decomposition.

Shen Yihu finally asked me, “If Abe Meng Liuchuan is here… will he kill?”

I gritted my teeth. “He wants me dead.”

Shen Yihu said, “If he kills you, I’ll arrest him.” I laughed bitterly. “Brother, don’t joke. If I’m dead, what good is arresting him?” Shen Yihu lit a cigarette and took a deep drag. “Damn it. In all my years, I’ve never faced a case this tricky. Corpses that were supposed to stay dead just… walked away.”

I tried to console him while turning over the details in my mind. Something important was missing—pieces that should connect but didn’t.

That night, Meng Liuchuan still hadn’t called. Back home, my mother made me pear soup with rock sugar, saying she’d never seen me burn up so badly.

After finishing the soup, I closed the door, took out the peach-wood figurine and the scroll, and brought Little Rascal inside, pacing back and forth.

The scroll depicted a beautiful woman with an exposed back, her hair in a high bun, a single eye on her arm.

Mo Bai asked, “You’re troubled. What’s wrong?” I shared my confusion: “Seven missing corpses. Seven ghosts in Xia Jinrong’s house. Seven oxen that escaped from the mine—once human. And now, a Feng Shui master from Fusang.”

Mo Bai mused, “Walking corpses, ghost-raising, and animal transformation—you’ve encountered them all. This is serious.”

I snapped, “Brother, could you *not* state the obvious?”

Mo Bai continued, “And all in sevens.”

I cursed, “If you keep spouting nonsense, I’ll burn you.”

Mo Bai said calmly, “Behind every phenomenon lies a necessary connection. Why seven? Why use seven? You should think about that.”

His words struck me. Everything was tied to the number seven.

Mo Bai seemed to understand and fell silent. I wanted to press further but realized it wasn’t necessary.

All these sevens pointed to one thing—whoever was behind it, they were after the same goal.

I rolled up the scroll. I had already begun piecing it together.

The night deepened, and beyond it, dawn waited.

The next day, I drew ghost-catching talismans to deal with Meng Liuchuan’s ugly spirits, along with simple corpse-suppressing talismans for the missing bodies. Hours later, drenched in sweat, I gathered the golden compass, jade ruler, Mo Bai, and Little Rascal.

I had a feeling—tonight was both the beginning and the end.

I told my parents, “Once this is over, we’ll shop for New Year’s goods in Jiangcheng and go home for the holidays.” They started listing what to buy, then asked if I could bring Chen Tutu home with us.

I sighed. “She’s mad at me.”

At the flower shop, Yu Yuwei had a copy of *Jiangcheng Evening News* beside her and an ancient iron sword with a red tassel behind her. Seeing me, she asked, “Boss, something on your mind?”

I nodded. “Yeah. Brother Jun’s auto repair shop across the street hasn’t opened in days. Since when do you play with swords?”

Yu Yuwei replied, “There’s been a pervert around lately. It’s for self-defense.” She hesitated, then asked, “Did something happen to Brother Jun?”

I forced a smile. “He’ll be fine. Xiao Wei, you’ve worked here for half a year. I don’t know how much you’ve saved, but since New Year’s is coming, why don’t you head home early? I’ll give you a 10,000-yuan bonus.”

Her eyes widened. “That much? But it’s still early—two weeks till New Year’s. I don’t want to go back yet. If I do, my family will start arranging blind dates. It’s awkward turning them down when it’s friends introducing matches.”

I chuckled. “You’re a pretty girl. No need to worry about marriage.”

Yu Yuwei smiled sadly. “Too bad you’re not *him*. If he said that, I’d be overjoyed.”

Yu Yuwei was quiet, capable, and meticulous—she’d kept the flower shop running smoothly.

I didn’t know what to say, so I just muttered, “Thank you.”

Yu Yuwei asked again, “Boss, what’s bothering you?” She patted Little Rascal’s head. “Little Rascal, what’s wrong with you?”

Little Rascal let out a low growl. Yu Yuwei suddenly exclaimed, “Is he sick? His eyes look strange!” I hadn’t paid much attention to him lately. Lifting him up, I saw one eye was red, the other black. Earlier, he’d eaten heartily—no sign of illness.

A thrill shot through me. *This is it—he’s transforming into the Ghostbane, the king of dogs.*

His Yin-Yang eyes were awakening.

I hugged Little Rascal and kissed him excitedly. Yu Yuwei laughed. “You two look alike. One human, one dog—total twins.” Little Rascal, unimpressed by my affection, could only endure it helplessly.

His eyes seemed to say, *Save those kisses for He Qingling, the little cat.*

Right—it had been so long. I missed He Qingling too. Where was she now? Was she okay?

By 5 p.m., heavy snow fell again. Few customers came. A bus broke down outside, steam rising as the driver called for help. Passengers grumbled inside.

I thought, *If Brother Jun were here, he’d have it fixed in minutes.*

My phone buzzed violently. Little Rascal barked—a message.

I wrapped a fire axe in cloth, tied it to my back with rope, fitted Little Rascal with a cap, pulled on leather gloves and boots, and donned my trench coat. Stepping outside, I took a deep breath.

The snow kept falling.

I mounted my motorcycle, weaving through traffic. A child rolled down his window and pointed at me. “Daddy, look! That man has an axe on his back. Is he an ancient warrior?”

His father chuckled. “There are no warriors left in the world. If there were, there wouldn’t be so many corrupt officials and bullies.”

The child insisted, “I want to learn kung fu at Shaolin Temple!”

The father laughed. “That’s all fake. We must believe society is progressing.”

By the river. The old warehouse. Same place as before. Heavy snow. One man. One dog.

I revved the engine, charging forward. The warehouse was lit with floodlights now. No one would come here in this storm.

Little Rascal leaped from my chest, shaking off his cap with a stylish flick. *Show-off. Today’s the day he unleashes hell.*

Abe Chun stood in the center, clad in his onmyōji robes—ones I’d seen before.

Little Rascal barked furiously. Abe Chun chanted, summoning his shikigami—a demon dog. Back at Golden Triad, that same dog had nearly died fighting Dai Zhong, the earth-nurtured corpse. Now, after a few extra months of life, it was just prey for Little Rascal.

Little Rascal shuddered, his eyes now fully black and red.

He lunged, aiming to tear the demon dog apart.

*When enemies meet, their eyes blaze with fury.*

Dogs are no different.