The shadow of Bai Jingren had vanished, taking the ghost infant Bai Yueming with him into the mountains, leaving me utterly perplexed. Xie Lingyu, however, seemed confident as she told me that we would surely catch up to Bai Jingren.
Still, Bai Jingren’s appearance did bring one small benefit. I picked up the wrecked motorcycle parked by the roadside and found it only had minor issues. After some quick repairs, it was soon running again. I rode along the pitch-black mountain road until dawn, finally arriving back in Wenshan City. Little Rascal and the kitten were starving by then, and the night’s cold wind had left my body numb.
Yunnan’s breakfast specialties include rice noodles, rice cakes, steamed buns, and twisted rolls—each with its own unique flavor. I ordered rice noodles with some chili and a few steamed buns. For Little Rascal, who always got carsick, I got some porridge. But the kitten seemed to find the porridge particularly delicious and ended up stealing Little Rascal’s share.
I chuckled and said, “Hey, when are you gonna toughen up like a real man?” Little Rascal, unfazed, waited for the kitten to finish before happily continuing his breakfast.
I found a repair shop and asked the owner, Guo Shuai, to fix the motorcycle. He shook his head at the sight of the wreck and sighed, “Why bother fixing this piece of junk? You’d be better off buying a new one.”
Catching the mysterious glint in his eyes, I grinned and said, “Got anything good for me?”
Guo Shuai laughed, “I modified a steel beast yesterday, but I don’t know if you’ve got the guts to ride it.” I quickly handed him a cigarette and urged, “Show me, no more talk.”
He led me to the garage and pulled off the cover, revealing a motorcycle that looked like it had been welded together from scrap metal. I didn’t know much about bikes, but the engine sounded different—powerful and intimidating. It looked terrifying yet undeniably cool.
Thinking of Jiese the monk, who was into motorcycles, I gave him a call.
Jiese answered in a hushed voice, “Xiao Qi, what’s up? I’m still in the middle of a lecture on the *Diamond Sutra*. When are you coming back?”
I scolded him, “Screw your lecture, go find Miss Zhong and have some fun. I need your opinion on a bike.”
I sent him a photo, and after a moment, he replied that it looked good but advised checking the engine and durability. In the end, I bought it for 20,000 yuan. Having a beast that could conquer mountains lifted my spirits—no more explaining myself to bus drivers.
Guo Shuai handed me a helmet and tossed me a fake driver’s license, telling me to just stick my photo on it. Before leaving, I had him spray “Little Rascal Loves Kitten” on the back. Xie Lingyu burst into laughter when she saw it.
After resting in Wenshan for a day, we set off that night. I gave the jade corpse a helmet, while Xie Lingyu slept inside the jade ruler. Little Rascal and the kitten dozed in a bag as we traveled along Yunnan’s provincial roads. At one point, I tried to take the highway, but a traffic cop stopped me, scolding, “You think you can take this junk on the highway? I don’t care if you die, but I don’t want you causing an accident!” I quickly apologized, claiming I’d lost my mind.
Forced back onto the provincial roads, we headed west to Pu’er City, then south as Xie Lingyu directed, finally reaching Xishuangbanna. Along the way, many tourists gawked at our bizarre setup—a beat-up bike carrying a man, a cat, a dog, and a stunning woman.
By the time we arrived in Xishuangbanna, my beard had grown thick. As dusk fell, vendors swarmed us, offering elephant rides and tours of Dai villages.
Xie Lingyu beamed and said, “I’ve heard Xishuangbanna is beautiful, a real tourist paradise. Why don’t we stay and explore for a few days?”
I glanced at her. “Come on, we’re here to track Bai Jingren. We can’t let him get away now.”
She pouted. “Xiao Qi, you’re so dull. Remember, you’re still on probation. If you behave, I might consider what your grandfather said.” I laughed. “Stop teasing me, will you? I’m a simple guy—I don’t handle deception well.”
While refueling, I bought new hats for Little Rascal and the kitten. A group of women from Shanghai cooed over the cat, exclaiming, “What a gorgeous feline!” The kitten ignored them, tilting its head haughtily.
One of the women asked, “Are you traveling alone?” I nodded. “Unless you’re volunteering to join me?”
The jade corpse shot me a glare, biting her lip as she stared at the women. Xie Lingyu hurried me along, but I joked, “Maybe we should travel with them for the scenery.” Little Rascal, feeling neglected, whimpered pitifully—next to the kitten, he had no charm at all.
Xie Lingyu coughed. “If we don’t hurry, Bai Jingren will slip away.”
After refueling, we headed south. The women still gazed longingly at the kitten from the roadside. I sighed. “They say this is a place for romance, but you’re not interested.”
Xie Lingyu snapped, “Your mind is always in the gutter.”
Suddenly, she gasped. “Oh no!” I pulled over, studying her worried face. “What’s wrong?”
“Bai Jingren… he might have crossed into Thailand.”
Night had fallen, so we checked into a hotel. If we were heading to Thailand, we’d need visas—we couldn’t just ride in on this wreck.
The hotel was packed with tourists. We got the last available room, forcing me to sleep on the floor. Xie Lingyu couldn’t sleep and dragged me out for drinks. I hesitated. “What about Little Rascal and the kitten?”
She told the kitten, “Keep an eye on Little Rascal. We’ll be back soon.”
The jade corpse tagged along. The bar was lively, with masked women sitting alone, waiting for someone to buy them drinks. Xie Lingyu seemed troubled but refused to explain.
After two drinks, a man in a gray shirt and a baseball cap approached. He looked familiar, and I tensed—it was the assassin.
Sure enough, he pulled a copper tube from his pocket and fired a pellet at me. I dodged, and he bolted. The jade corpse and I chased him down an alley.
“Who sent you?” I demanded.
He tried to flee, but the jade corpse kicked him to the ground. Worried she’d kill him, I dragged him deeper into the alley. “Talk!”
The assassin glanced at the jade corpse, his bravado fading as she twisted a metal bar like a pretzel.
Finally, he confessed, “The Guo family from Hedong wants you dead.”
I knew the Guos wouldn’t take the humiliation of losing their men lightly, but hiring an assassin was low even for them.
Xie Lingyu drove a rusty nail into his hand. “Tell the truth.”
Confused, I watched as the assassin yelped. The jade corpse slapped him, knocking out teeth.
Realizing these weren’t people to mess with, the assassin cracked. “It was the Flying Centipede! He paid me 10,000 to kill you!”
That damn Taoist!
Xie Lingyu interrogated him further, then “cursed” him with a fake spell, making him flee in terror.
The night’s mood ruined, we returned to the hotel. The next morning, I got a Thai tourist visa. From Mohan, we crossed into Laos, then ferried across the Mekong into Thailand.
Xie Lingyu warned, “Bai Jingren wouldn’t go to Thailand without help. His savior might be plotting something. Be careful.”
I shrugged. “I’ve heard Thai ladyboys are stunning. Danger is worth it for that.”
But beyond the glamour, Thailand held darker threats—black magic and deadly foes.
Bai Jingren was here, with the blood-drinking ghost infant Bai Yueming.
And so was the strongest adversary I’d ever face.
(End of Volume 3.)
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage