Chapter 43: Desperate Situation

I quickly got up and pulled the door open. Little Rascal wagged his tail nonstop at the sight of me, sniffed at Bold Uncle, barked twice, then licked his face—recognizing someone from home. Bold Uncle’s snores were thunderous; he turned over and continued sleeping…

He Xiaomiao jumped onto my shoulder, while Xie Lingyu slipped into the jade ruler, whispering to me: “Rest well first. Shen Yihu called me. I already know everything. The Japanese have been narrow-minded for centuries. Get some sleep to regain your energy. I’ll think of a way to handle this without compromising anything.”

I nodded and lay back down on the floor, still fully clothed. By noon, Meng Liuchuan called to confirm whether I had called the police. I chuckled and said, “Matters of the *jianghu* should be settled in the *jianghu*. If I really called the police, I’d be admitting defeat. Just make sure your neck is clean—tell that pig demon to do the same.” Meng Liuchuan replied, “You’d better clean yourself up first. You should be very clear about your current worth.”

“I’m perfectly clear,” I said. Meng Liuchuan continued, “I’ll call you again at 8 PM. I’ll notify you of the exact location later.” With that, he hung up.

Xie Lingyu said, “You’ve already prepared your weapons. If negotiations fail, just fight. But hide the real book—take a fake one instead. The real book carries the sweat and effort of our ancestors. Burning it would make you a sinner.”

I thought that made sense, so I called Liu Jianguo from the coffin shop and asked if he had any old-looking books filled with feng shui and Bagua diagrams. Liu Jianguo bragged over the phone, saying the price would be steep. We finally settled on 100 yuan for a fake book, with a new cover slapped on an old one. It read *Donglingzi’s Notes*, with a subtitle: *Compendium of Ancient and Modern Ghost-Catching Techniques*. Liu Jianguo’s craftsmanship was impressive—the book looked almost real. He smirked mysteriously and said, “I’ve done this kind of thing before.”

I paid and left, warning him, “Hurry up with the big foreign horse. If the goods aren’t ready on time, I’ll smash your shop.” As I walked away, Liu Jianguo loudly sang:

*In Jiangcheng, meeting you brings joy,*

*A man with tiger’s beard and ape’s arms.*

*Three-foot bow, eight-foot spear,*

*Beneath my gaze, the Japanese are but ants.*

*With one laugh, we became sworn brothers,*

*Sharing hearts, entrusting life and death.*

*Across thousands of miles we roam,*

*Only when all Japanese are gone will hatred cease.*

With a loud *thud*, he slammed the table…

I also drew over a dozen “Donglingzi Ghost-Catching Talismans” and “Demon-Slaying Talismans,” tucking them close to my body. At 8 PM, Meng Liuchuan called again, instructing me to come alone to the old docks—no bringing anyone else. I agreed.

At the appointed time, I drove my Wuling, with the sack of poisonous creatures in the back. Little Rascal and He Xiaomiao sat inside, their bright eyes fixed ahead, as if restless about what was coming. Brother Jun, driving Gao Mo’s car with Bold Uncle, followed behind me.

Midway, Meng Liuchuan called again, changing the location from the old docks to a ruined house near the bridgehead. I quickly turned around, passing Brother Jun’s car in the opposite direction. To avoid detection, Brother Jun kept driving forward instead of immediately following.

As we neared the bridgehead, Meng Liuchuan called once more, reverting to the old docks and telling me to cross the first bridge. He then ordered, “Throw your phone onto the road the moment I hang up. You have thirty minutes.”

*Damn it, I just bought this phone.* I tossed it onto the road, watching in the rearview mirror as it was crushed to pieces. Brother Jun’s car was nowhere in sight—he must have lost track of me.

But Xie Lingyu was still inside the jade ruler I carried.

She said, “The Japanese are very cunning. Are you still going?” I replied, “I have to. If I don’t, I’ll never forgive myself.” Xie Lingyu sighed. “You’re too emotional. If you’re going, then go decisively. Life and death are fated—don’t drag it out like a coward.”

I floored the gas, reaching the old docks in twenty minutes. I opened the sack, letting the poisonous creatures crawl out, instructing them to follow me in the shadows and hide. I also had a large snake coil around the Black Star pistol before slithering away.

Remembering last time’s lesson, Meng Liuchuan wouldn’t let me bring the sack, so I carried the fake *Compendium* in my hand. I told He Xiaomiao and Little Rascal to wait outside the warehouse until I called for them.

The old docks were abandoned, with rumors of hauntings at night. Few came here, and with the river nearby, a speedboat could escape in minutes—an ideal place for shady dealings. I’d have picked it too.

Soon, inside a derelict warehouse, I saw Meng Liuchuan. The cysts on his face hadn’t healed, and he wore the garb of a Japanese onmyōji, holding a folding fan. Before him sat a bronze box—the same one once teeming with roundworms.

I said, “Does your asshole not hurt anymore? You dare show your face again?”

Meng Liuchuan clearly didn’t want to be reminded of the past. He grinned darkly. “If you hadn’t resorted to trickery, you’d be dead already. Still bringing up old grudges? Have you made your decision? If so, I’ll start the camera. You burn the book in front of me, then kneel and apologize.”

I thought to myself, *This is just like the scene where Jiumozhi forced Duan Yu to write the Six Meridians Divine Sword manual and bow to a fake-dead Murong Bo—except now they’ve upgraded to using cameras.*

I quietly activated my insect-controlling technique, trying to communicate with the Three Corpses worms inside Meng Liuchuan—but there was no response. Either he’d expelled them or suppressed them with talismans.

Meng Liuchuan slapped his belly, revealing two Daoist talismans stuck there. “Using the same trick twice? Aren’t you tired? I’ve already sealed the worms. What else can you do now?”

I asked, “Where are Ji Qianqian and Xiaoxiao? I need to see them before handing anything over.”

Meng Liuchuan pointed behind me. “Right there.”

I turned and saw Ji Qianqian gagged on the warehouse’s second-floor landing, with Xiaoxiao asleep on a chair beside her, tear stains on her cheeks. Ji Qianqian’s eyes were brimming with tears as she shook her head desperately, as if telling me to leave and not worry about her.

Yang Pao stood right beside Ji Qianqian, pressing a boar bristle against her carotid artery. *Damn it, where’s your Kamehameha now, bastard? Today, I’ll take your woman—see what you can do about it.*

I said, “Yang Pao, let’s keep things separate. He’s Japanese—you’re a Chinese pig. Why side with him against me?”

Yang Pao spat. “You didn’t think of this day when you tried to kill me. Master Abe saved me. He sincerely wants to cooperate—I have no reason to refuse.”

Xie Lingyu whispered to me, “You need to take out all four of them at once, but you’re alone. Your insects haven’t arrived yet, and there are minor ghosts lingering around, their auras aggressive. Stall for time while you assess the situation.”

Meng Liuchuan said, “In front of the camera, if you apologize and burn the *Compendium*, I’ll let your beauty go.”

I tossed the fake *Compendium* to him. The old man caught it, flipped through it, and muttered, “A mediocre book. How did my ancestors lose to this?”

He opened the bronze basin, threw the book inside, poured half a bottle of kerosene, and set it ablaze. The book quickly turned to ash.

Meng Liuchuan gestured to two ninjas by the hanging lanterns to start the camera, then pointed at the ground. “Will you kneel or not?”

I couldn’t move half a step. Kneeling would mean losing my dignity.

Meng Liuchuan shouted, “Pig Demon Immortal, throw that woman headfirst off the building—”

I yelled, “No! I’ll kneel! Yang Pao, pull Ji Qianqian back—don’t let her fall!”

Meng Liuchuan ordered, “Pig Demon Immortal, pull her up for now. We’ll deal with her later.”

Yang Pao yanked Ji Qianqian back, leering at her. “I couldn’t bear to drop her anyway.”

With no time to think, I stepped in front of the camera. The two ninjas seemed to struggle with the equipment, fumbling without success, muttering in Japanese.

Meng Liuchuan scolded them. “Can’t even operate a simple device? Xiao, wait a moment—let me fix the camera. Is this thing harder to handle than ghosts?”

His white onmyōji robes fluttered oddly as he walked, fan swaying in his hand. It suddenly struck me—*He looks like a eunuch from the Ming Dynasty. No wonder it’s so bizarre.*

After some adjustments, the camera finally worked. Meng Liuchuan pointed at the lens. “Alright, Xiao. You know what to say—no need for me to teach you.”

Gritting my teeth, I glanced at Ji Qianqian… then lowered one knee to the ground.