I rolled beside the wooden hut and hid in the grass. A pesky snail, seeing me motionless, actually crawled onto my forehead.
Sure enough, Qi Qiqi was brought over by a young Japanese man in a shirt. Qi Qiqi was holding the ghost baby, Bai Yueming, in her arms.
Qi Qiqi cursed, “Let go of your hand!”
Hearing the commotion, Ma Ruoxing and A Lang came out. A Lang shouted, “A star in the sky.”
The Japanese man responded, “Three dragons on the ground.”
Qi Qiqi burst into laughter, “More like three dogs on the ground.”
A Lang, seeing the code matched, nodded and stepped forward, “You must be Abe Lip. Come inside. And who is this woman…?” He glanced at Qi Qiqi and then at Bai Yueming in her arms, recognizing the ghost baby. Ma Ruoxing exclaimed in shock, “Wasn’t the ghost baby taken by Zuo Shan? How is it with you?”
Qi Qiqi, having watched plenty of American dramas, unleashed her quick wit at this critical moment. She sneered, “When Zuo Shan sees me, he kneels obediently before me.”
Abe Lip released Qi Qiqi, “You’re saying Zuo Shan is your subordinate? Don’t joke around.”
A Lang chuckled, “Miss, you don’t have to say anything now. After I carve two lines on your face, you’ll talk soon enough.”
Ma Ruoxing hurriedly stepped in, “Standing outside isn’t proper. Let’s talk inside.” Qi Qiqi, still clutching Bai Yueming tightly, reluctantly followed them in.
Abe Lip glanced toward where I was hiding. Fortunately, the night was dark, and his naked eye couldn’t spot me—only the snails cooling off on my head. He then followed A Lang and Ma Ruoxing inside.
Bai Jingren, seeing Bai Yueming in Qi Qiqi’s arms, cried out excitedly.
A Lang said nonchalantly, “Mr. Abe, make yourself at home. We’ve prepared fine breakfast and premium aged corpses for you. Why wait to indulge?”
Abe Lip rubbed his hands, “Then I won’t hold back. This journey has drained my stamina. I’m truly hungry.”
He picked up the delicately prepared meal A Lang had made for him and gulped it down. “Truly a delicacy of the mortal world,” he praised, his nose playfully adorned with a hint of vinegar.
Qi Qiqi sniffed the strange smell, “Is it really delicious? What’s it made of?”
A Lang replied, “Premium human skin, secretions, a bit of corpse oil, and aged vinegar blended into this exquisite dish…”
Qi Qiqi let out a shriek, nearly fainting. This Abe Lip, despite his dignified appearance, had quite the acquired taste.
After finishing his meal, Abe Lip walked up to Bai Jingren and inspected him thoroughly.
“You two gentlemen are indeed men of sincerity.”
Qi Qiqi yelled, “What are you going to do now?”
She had heard that Thailand had more women than men, with many men preferring cross-dressers or same-sex relationships. She thought this Japanese man might be normal, but now he was eyeing a man tied to the wall with a green gleam in his eyes.
A Lang and Ma Ruoxing turned away, “Take your time, sir.”
Qi Qiqi was even more baffled. From my hiding spot, I understood—the shadow of fear crept over me again, reminding me of when Abe Murokawa had pinned me down.
Abe Lip stepped forward, pressing Bai Jingren against the wall as the talismans fluttered in the wind. He whispered gently, “I’ll be gentle with you.”
Disgust surged in Qi Qiqi’s heart—she couldn’t bear to watch.
Abe Lip slowly leaned in, sealing Bai Jingren’s mouth with his own.
For some reason, I averted my gaze at that moment. Bai Jingren must have regretted leaving the safety of the thousand-year-old camphor wood house, only to have his lips claimed by a Japanese man.
The premium corpse energy in Bai Jingren’s body gradually flowed through his lungs and trachea into Abe Lip’s.
Bai Jingren’s face grew gaunt, his legs kicking weakly—resistance was futile.
After draining the corpse energy, Abe Lip let out a satisfied burp, savoring the aftertaste of his meal.
A Lang turned back, clasping his hands together, “Mr. Abe, what brings you here this time?”
Abe Lip replied leisurely, “I heard Xiao Qi of the Ghost Sect has come to Thailand. I’m also here to track down a black cat—one that escaped from an ancient tomb. And General Dai has invited me to discuss important matters…”
A Lang nodded, “The cat following Xiao Qi? General Dai?” Ma Ruoxing questioned.
Abe Lip smiled, “You’ll know who General Dai is soon enough. For now, let’s identify Xiao Qi.”
He took out a stack of photos from his sleeve, all featuring my handsome face and the silhouette of the black cat, He Qingling.
I had no idea when these photos were taken. He Qingling had indeed emerged from an ancient tomb—something even Xie Lingyu didn’t seem to know.
It seemed the mysteries surrounding He Qingling were no fewer than those of Xie Lingyu.
Ma Ruoxing examined the photos, puzzled, “Who is this man? I’ve never seen him before.”
Abe Lip didn’t doubt him, adding, “The reward will be generous.”
Ma Ruoxing flipped through the photos repeatedly, “This guy looks pretty sleazy. The reward doesn’t need to be too high—70,000 to 80,000 will do.”
Abe Lip continued, “Mr. Ma, your activities are centered in Jiangcheng, China. Do you know who caused my uncle, Abe Murokawa, to become a dementia-ridden fool?”
Ma Ruoxing feigned surprise, “Really? How come I never heard of this? When did such a tragic incident happen?”
I thought to myself, *Your uncle just went insane, and here you are, already chasing after me and eyeing my black cat. Do the Abe family have no memory at all?*
A Lang, meanwhile, was fixated on the sleeping Bai Yueming, “Excellent, truly a monster raised on blood. Carrying a ghost baby would be such a stylish accessory…”
Qi Qiqi instinctively tightened her grip on Bai Yueming, “You three freaks, stay the hell away from me. I won’t let you touch him!”
Her frail body shielded the child from the three men.
Abe Lip sneered, “You. Very beautiful. Consider being my wife.”
Qi Qiqi retched, “Only if you were my mother would I consider it.”
I silently applauded her—she was truly fearless.
A Lang laughed, “What’s your relationship with Zuo Shan? How did you get his ghost baby? Why are you here?”
Qi Qiqi grinned, “I brought my son here for a vacation. Got lost while driving, then got captured by this Japanese guy. What do you think I’m doing here?”
A Lang and Abe Lip saw through her lies—*a ghost baby as your son? You must really think you’re something special to birth a ghost baby.*
They moved to seize her—A Lang going for the ghost baby, Abe Lip for Qi Qiqi.
A Lang had clashed with Zuo Shan earlier. While he had retrieved Bai Jingren, the ghost baby had been taken by Zuo Shan. Now that it was in the hands of a seemingly powerless woman, A Lang wasn’t about to let it slip away.
Abe Lip, freshly fed, seemed intrigued by Qi Qiqi. Back in Japan, he’d always gotten his way with women using money—few could resist his looks and wealth.
But as soon as he stepped forward, Qi Qiqi lashed out with a sharp kick to his crotch.
Caught off guard, Abe Lip crumpled to the ground, clutching himself in agony.
Qi Qiqi, a black belt in taekwondo, had struck with precision and force. The attack was swift, well-hidden, and devastating.
Ma Ruoxing stepped in, restraining A Lang, “No need for extreme measures against a little woman.”
He called out to Qi Qiqi, “Do you really think you can fight better than the dead? If Mr. Abe drains you dry, you’ll become a mummified beauty. Life with him wouldn’t be bad—luxury and comfort await.”
Qi Qiqi retreated to the corner of the hut, “He was just kissing a man! Are you kidding me?”
Her retreat brought her right in front of me.
Bai Yueming, as if spotting me, opened his mouth and called out, “D-Daddy…”
Qi Qiqi, hearing this, murmured, “Hush, I’ll take you to your daddy…” She shifted slightly, glancing at the crack in the wooden planks behind her.
I scanned the surroundings and spotted an old bucket filled with night soil. I grabbed it, covering my face with a torn piece of cloth to block the stench…
Abe Lip writhed in pain, “You! Evil woman!” After a moment, he loosened his shirt collar and began undoing his buttons.
Qi Qiqi scolded, “There are kids and adults here! Have you no shame?”
Beneath his shirt, Abe Lip’s torso was covered in garish tattoos—a snake, a dog, and a pig, as if wearing an undershirt of ink.
Suddenly, a black monstrosity slithered down from Abe Lip’s body, mimicking his neck-cracking motion before crawling on all fours. It resembled Kameda—black-skinned and hideously ugly.
Dressed in an old Japanese military uniform, the creature crept silently toward Qi Qiqi, a bayonet clenched between its teeth.
Qi Qiqi sensed danger but couldn’t pinpoint the monster’s approach.
Ma Ruoxing seemed hesitant…
A Lang gave a thumbs-up, praising, “The Abe family’s secret arts are truly unparalleled—unrivaled in Northeast Asia, even the entire continent…”
Ma Ruoxing muttered, “Why does that sound so familiar…”
Abe Lip grinned, “Later, we’ll feast on beauty together… My treat. I brought seasonings…” He pulled out two bottles of black seasoning from his pocket, resembling Chinese thirteen-spice but likely a blend of rare animal excrement—mountain boar spirits, mantis demons, wild dogs, a lone wolf celibate for 19 years…
I shouted, “Mother of the child, move aside!”
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