Seeing my hesitation, Zhao Banshan said, “I also saw the news about the bronze jar. I’ve been waiting at Sotheby’s for the disciples of my benefactor to come. So when I ran into you that day, I offered to buy your painting—but really, I just wanted to verify if you were carrying that jade ruler.”
I patted Little Rascal’s head, signaling him not to bully the poor parrot. An angry little bird could be quite terrifying. With one stroke from me, Little Rascal stopped teasing the white parrot.
I said, “Mr. Zhao, thank you. But please don’t get involved in this matter. Let it end here. As a token of gratitude, I’d like to give you this painting.” I took out a landscape painting from Xie Xiaoyu’s belongings and handed it to Zhao Banshan.
After hesitating for a moment, Zhao Banshan accepted it. “If you truly trust me, give me both antique paintings. I’ll sell them for a good price for you.”
I thought it over and handed him both paintings. I opened the door, and Little Rascal jumped down. He Cat glanced at the white parrot. Xie Xiaoyu followed me out.
Zhao Banshan was just an honest, straightforward businessman. Whoever was coming this time—whether it was the Silver-Armored Corpse, the Earth-Nurtured Corpse, or the Indestructible Bone brought by the Guo family—even the failed Corpse Refinement, the Fragrant Corpse Guo Furong, was not to be trifled with. Dragging him into this whirlpool wouldn’t bode well for him.
If he were to die because my grandfather had once helped his family, how could I ever face my grandfather in the afterlife?
At the hotel entrance, Hua Changsheng hurried out, followed by Hammer.
Seeing me return, Hua Changsheng quickly apologized, “Hammer went too far.” I sneered, “Monk, that’s just how the world works. You and I may be good friends, but that doesn’t mean I’m friends with the Hua family. What Hammer did was right.”
Hammer stepped forward and barked, “Don’t think just because the young master considers you a friend that you can speak so freely!” Hammer had been humiliated in Xi’an by Uncle Jianguo, and he clearly still held a grudge.
As the Hua family’s chief steward, Hammer controlled the underworld in Xi’an—sometimes even Hua Changsheng couldn’t rein him in. Hua Changsheng could only shout, “Hammer, this isn’t your business!” But Hammer continued lecturing him, saying that a fake feng shui master like me shouldn’t be allowed to lower the young master’s IQ. “The young master is smart, but spending too much time with someone whose IQ is below fifty will make him stupid!”
I might not be the smartest, but I absolutely wouldn’t tolerate someone calling me stupid to my face. I yelled, “Xiao Yu, go!”
Xie Xiaoyu moved swiftly at my command. Before Hammer could react, she had already slapped him twice—*smack, smack*—clean and crisp. Hammer froze under her gaze, not daring to move. I cursed, “You perverted old man!”
Passersby pointed and whispered, mocking an old man for behaving like this. Hammer didn’t dare say a word, which only confirmed my accusation.
I sighed, “Monk, even though we’re friends, you have your family behind you. I won’t stay with you anymore. Hammer probably hates me to the bone now. I don’t want to wake up missing an arm or a leg.” Hua Changsheng sighed, “Then… do as you wish…”
“Once you’re in this world, you can’t always act freely,” I said.
As Xie Xiaoyu and I left, she slapped Hammer two more times. His face swelled like a steamed bun, and his already loose teeth wobbled even more, his old dental problems flaring up.
So, I returned to the bustling, down-to-earth Regent Hotel.
Looking back at Hua Changsheng standing at the entrance of the five-star hotel, I thought:
We were friends.
But sadly, he was no longer a free man. His sighs weren’t free, his emotions weren’t free—behind his constrained love and hate was a lonely heart.
Monk, we could never go back to how things were.
Uncle De of the Regent Hotel dug at his nose with his pinky and grinned, “I knew you’d be back. Walking around with that mutt suits your style much better here.”
I laughed, “Same room as before?” Uncle De was wearing a leopard-print shirt today.
I asked, “Where’s Ruhua?”
Uncle De’s expression dimmed. “She passed away a few years ago from illness. After that, she left the shop to me. Life and death are like a dream—you never know when it’ll end.”
I chuckled, “Boss, you’re a philosopher hiding in the city. You seem to understand the true meaning of life.”
Uncle De shook his head. “Life is the best teacher. When you’ve lived enough, you’ll realize that suffering outweighs happiness—but we remember the joy and forget the pain. That’s why we end up happy, always happy.”
As he spoke, tears rolled down his face.
I asked softly, “Do you still miss Ruhua?”
Uncle De didn’t answer.
I opened the door, shooed away the cockroaches from the bed and floor, tidied up, and found food for Little Rascal and He Cat. On the way back from the supermarket, I grabbed some greens to feed the snail.
Gazing north at Hong Kong’s glittering lights, I couldn’t resist calling home.
My mother answered. She told me that square dancing had become popular lately, and the village was organizing lessons. They might compete in town on Labor Day, then in Jiangnan City. If they won first place, they’d get to visit Hong Kong.
I laughed. “What a coincidence—I’m in Hong Kong right now!”
My mother was delighted. “That’s wonderful! Tell me where you’ve been so I can brag to everyone later—my Xiaoqi has been there too!”
My father had dozed off in front of the TV, so she didn’t wake him to talk.
After hanging up, I fell into a deep sleep.
Xie Xiaoyu sat by the window, staring into the distance. Little Rascal yawned and curled up next to He Cat, drifting off.
He Cat, however, stayed awake.
—
**The next day.**
Dark clouds loomed overhead, threatening rain. I went downstairs to buy breakfast and two newspapers—one full of gossip, the other covering news and politics. On the way back, I couldn’t shake the feeling I was being followed.
The gossip rag claimed: *Andy Lau secretly in love with Tony Leung! Faye Wong becomes a nun yesterday!* The headlines were ridiculous.
I used it as a placemat and opened the news paper. Two bizarre murders and a theft were reported.
One victim had their throat slit in Mong Kok, bleeding to death—yet no blood was found at the scene.
I shuddered after reading the details. Not all zombies were like Xie Xiaoyu, who didn’t need blood. Someone must have brought a bloodthirsty zombie into Hong Kong but didn’t let it bite directly to avoid turning victims. Instead, they knocked them out and drained their blood.
The second case involved a female cop shot dead—apparently, she stumbled upon a drug deal. The Organized Crime Unit was investigating.
The third was a theft: ten bags of fresh blood plasma stolen from a hospital.
I slammed the newspaper down. *Why kill when you could just steal blood from the hospital?*
Suddenly, two ropes dropped from above. Armed men with MP5s descended, laser dots fixed on my neck and Xie Xiaoyu’s.
I yelled, “Xiao Yu, don’t move!”
Hands raised, I stood still as a SWAT officer shouted, “Clear!” The door burst open—Narcotics Bureau (NB) officers stormed in.
They searched the room, finding the Black Star pistol, the snail, the jade ruler, and the bronze jar. Xie Xiaoyu was handcuffed.
I shouted, “Don’t hurt her! She’s just a child!”
Little Rascal and He Cat were also seized. A hood was thrown over my head, and I was shoved into a police van.
Uncle De protested, “You’re taking the cat and dog too?”
In a flash, He Cat’s claws slashed out. She and Little Rascal bolted past the police, vanishing into the streets. I sighed in relief—with He Cat watching over him, Little Rascal would be safe.
Xie Xiaoyu, however, was taken with me to the Hong Kong Police Headquarters.
At the station, ballistic tests matched the bullets from the Ocean Park shooting to my Black Star—a gun often used by drug lords.
In the interrogation room, photos were thrown at me:
Me laughing with Dai Hao in the Golden Triangle, my entry into Hong Kong, boarding a car with Dai Hao…
And at the murder scene, someone had scrawled:
*”I, Xiaoqi, did this. Catch me if you can!”*
*Who framed me?*
I ran through the suspects—Guo Jue from the hotpot dinner, or the disfigured Gu Xiulian. Either could have brought a vicious zombie to Hong Kong and pinned the murders on me.
Detective Li demanded, “Confess, Xiaoqi. Why are you in Hong Kong? How many have you killed? Where’s drug lord Dai Hao hiding? How much narcotics are you planning to buy?”
Outside, the first heavy rain of my trip poured down.
I replied coldly, “You have no solid proof I’m a murderer or a drug dealer. If I killed someone, I wouldn’t be stupid enough to leave a signature. I went to the Golden Triangle as a tourist.”
More evidence arrived: footage of me brawling with Blue Star gang members and meeting Laughing—a high-profile figure in the White Star syndicate, under NB surveillance.
Every clue made Detective Li more convinced I wasn’t here for leisure.
Then—*”Aaaah!”*
Xie Xiaoyu’s scream echoed down the hall.
I lunged forward, roaring, “She’s just a child with the mind of a five-year-old! Don’t interrogate her!”
Two officers pinned me down. Detective Li sneered, “Where are your accomplices?”
Killing intent surged in me. “If you hurt her, I swear—”
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