“I get it! That’s what they call ‘destroy in order to create!’
Director Zhang suddenly realized a truth from Shui Miao’s words.
He recalled a story he had heard before about a king who wanted to pass the throne to his son. To test the prince’s wisdom, the king gave him a raw egg and asked him to stand it upright on a table without any assistance. The prince tried repeatedly but failed. Finally, the king took the egg and gently tapped it on the table, breaking the shell slightly. Although the egg was cracked, it stood upright.
This story taught the prince a lesson: a nation is vast, and not everything can be resolved perfectly. There will always be people who attempt to destabilize the country. Since perfection is impossible, it is better to eliminate those causing trouble to maintain stability.
Inspired by this tale, Director Zhang suddenly understood. He quickly turned to the SWAT team leader and ordered him to fire into the air.
However, the SWAT team leader was just a man of action, lacking the higher wisdom of governance. He knew that firing a gun would create a significant social impact. Even firing into the air might cause a public uproar. If the incident were posted online and escalated, he could be removed from his position, losing his livelihood.
Seeing the team leader’s reluctance, Shui Miao sighed in frustration, shaking his head. “I knew you wouldn’t dare to take responsibility. That’s why I asked you for the gun. If things settle down, it’s your credit. If they don’t, I’ll take the blame. If it escalates, they can just say I was a temporary worker and fire me, leaving you off the hook. But you’re too rigid-minded. Fine, I’m out. Handle this mess yourselves.”
“I see! So this is what they mean by ‘no destruction, no construction’!”
Director Zhang, inspired by Shui Miao’s words, suddenly grasped a principle.
He had once heard a story about this concept: a king wanted to pass his throne to his son. To test his son’s wisdom, the king gave him a raw egg and asked him to make it stand upright without any tools. No matter how hard the son tried, he couldn’t do it. Finally, the king took the egg, tapped it on the table to crack it, and although the egg was broken, it stood firmly.
This story taught the king’s son a lesson: a country is vast, and there will always be problems that can’t be perfectly solved and people who want to overthrow the government. Since perfection is impossible, it’s better to eliminate the troublemakers to stabilize the nation.
Remembering this story, Director Zhang had an epiphany. He quickly turned and ordered the SWAT captain to fire warning shots into the air.
But the SWAT captain, being a mere soldier, lacked the superior wisdom of the ruling class.
He only knew that firing shots would cause a significant social impact. Even warning shots could cause an uproar, and if the incident spread online, it could blow up, leading to his dismissal and loss of his job.
Seeing the SWAT captain hesitate, Shui Miao shook his head in frustration. “I knew you wouldn’t take responsibility. That’s why I asked for the gun. If things calm down, you take the credit. If they don’t, blame it on me. If it gets out of hand, just say I was a temporary worker and fire me to smooth things over. But since you’re so rigid, I’m done with this mess. You handle it yourselves.”
Shui Miao really didn’t want to get involved. He was only here to visit the thousand-year-old female ghost, wasn’t he?
After saying this, he turned and walked straight to the car by the roadside.
Zhang Hanya quickly followed him into the car.
Shui Miao even backed the car aside to avoid the crowd potentially damaging it.
“The police are nothing special! They’re paper tigers! We’re not afraid of them!”
“Exactly, everyone! We’re protecting our ancestors’ coffins. We’re not in the wrong. They’re the ones who dug up our ancestral graves—they’re despicable! We won’t let this slide!”
“Useless cops! Can’t even reclaim the Diaoyu Islands, but they know how to bully ordinary people! Let’s fight them!”
“They don’t dare shoot! Don’t be afraid, everyone! Charge!”
From the crowd, two middle-aged men, holding wooden sticks, incited the people and led the charge toward the warehouse.
The crowd was about to reach them.
Director Zhang, responsible for protecting the thousand-year-old bronze coffin, grew anxious. He told the SWAT captain, “I’ll take responsibility if anything happens,” snatched the gun, and fired several shots into the sky.
Real gunshots!
Instantly, many in the crowd froze in fear.
However, the two instigators continued to shout and incite the crowd to storm into the warehouse.
Director Zhang glared at the SWAT captain. “Brother, what are you waiting for? Do I have to arrest those two troublemakers myself?”
“Alright! Arrest them! Seize the instigators!”
Blushing with embarrassment, the SWAT captain quickly handcuffed the two troublemakers, gagged them with tape, and shoved them into a police car.
As it turned out, the two instigators were from another village, so the locals didn’t come to their aid.
Director Zhang, holding the gun, loudly lectured the crowd on the law.
The SWAT captain and his team watched the crowd menacingly, ready to arrest anyone who dared speak up.
The remaining people, mostly there to seek small advantages, were intimidated by the police’s show of force and quickly quieted down.
However, a few individuals possessed by ghosts grew increasingly unruly.
Enveloped by an eerie aura, they suddenly acquired tremendous strength, and several police officers were unable to subdue even a single one of them.
To everyone’s astonishment, even the oldest among them, Zhang Shanren, seemed like a different person. He pushed a police officer to the ground and, with a grab, slammed another officer down.
“You fools! How dare you dig up Her Ladyship’s coffin! Today, I’ll make you pay!”
Zhang Shanren roared angrily and lunged at the nearby police officers.
“Bunch of cowards…”
“You hit me? I’ll show you!”
Feng An cursed and swung wildly, beating the police officers as if they were children.
“I’m joining in too!”
“Haven’t fought in a long time. What are these guys holding? Sticks?”
Xiao Nan and Professor Ma also joined the fray.
Watching the police and SWAT officers being overpowered, Director Zhang felt a chill down his spine. He threw the gun to the SWAT captain and rushed to help.
The SWAT captain also joined the fight.
Soon, over twenty police and SWAT officers surrounded the four possessed individuals, engaging in a chaotic brawl.
The crowd watched in stunned silence!
They all knew Zhang Shanren. In their minds, he was just an elderly, frail man. Now, he fought like a powerhouse, kicking and punching with astonishing strength—clearly, he was possessed!
Those with weaker nerves immediately turned and fled.
Even the braver ones stepped back, not daring to get too close.
Suddenly, Zhang Shanren glanced at the crowd, scaring even the boldest into dispersing.
Seeing her father in the fray, Zhang Hanya grew anxious. “Brother Shui Miao, you’re so capable. Please help my dad!”
Shui Miao observed carefully and responded with composure, “I possess no supernatural abilities. How can I assist? Those individuals are under the influence of spirits, fueled by yin energy. If I confront them, I’ll only end up being defeated. Moreover, I’ve already cautioned them twice. Since they chose not to heed my warnings, let them face the consequences and learn from their mistakes.”
“But Brother Shui Miao, my dad is there too!”
Zhang Hanya tugged at Shui Miao’s arm urgently.
“Your dad is fine. Haven’t you noticed they’re not hitting him?”
The possessed individuals avoided attacking Director Zhang. Shui Miao wondered: Were they familiar with his father? Did they know Director Zhang was an insider, hence showing mercy? Earlier, he had dreamed of the thousand-year-old female ghost. It must have been his father’s spirit that brought his soul here. So, by that logic, they shouldn’t attack him either.
With this thought, Shui Miao told Zhang Hanya to stay in the car and not get out.
In truth, Zhang Hanya was too terrified to leave the car anyway.
After getting out, Shui Miao hurried toward Director Zhang. Before he could intervene, Zhang Shanren suddenly stopped and looked at him. “Nephew, stay out of this. We know what we’re doing.”
“What? You called me ‘nephew’?”
Shui Miao was startled.
“Hehe…”
Zhang Shanren chuckled, pushed Director Zhang aside, and waved his hand. “Brothers, enough. Let’s stop. We’ll just take Her Ladyship’s coffin and leave.”
“Understood!”
“Alright…”
Professor Ma, Xiao Nan, and Feng An stopped fighting. The four of them then walked into the warehouse.
On the ground, police and SWAT officers lay injured, unable to get up.
Feng shui master Cai Enkang was also terrified.
Director Zhang was pushed to the ground…
Shui Miao swiftly trailed them into the warehouse. Standing close to Zhang Shanren, he sensed the overwhelming yin energy surrounding them. Ghosts with such potent yin energy were anything but ordinary. “Seniors, I’m certain you must be my father’s friends. I need to know: is the thousand-year-old female ghost from my dreams the ‘Her Ladyship’ you spoke of?”
“Her Ladyship was your father’s master. We are your father’s martial brothers,” Zhang Shanren stopped, lowered his head, and smiled warmly. He patted Shui Miao’s shoulder and added, “Nephew, Her Ladyship left a gift for you. From the old well, walk 150 steps north. Dig three feet down, and you’ll find it. As for these few, they’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”
“But… but I want to see Her Ladyship.”
Despite his shock, Shui Miao desperately wanted to meet the thousand-year-old female ghost from his dreams to clear all his doubts.
“Not everything in this world goes as you wish. What you experienced was just a dream. Don’t overthink it.”
Zhang Shanren suddenly waved his hand, and a chilling gust of wind swept through, sending Shui Miao tumbling backward. He collided with Cai Enkang, who had been eavesdropping at the warehouse entrance, and the impact knocked both of them into Director Zhang, sending him tumbling to the ground.
By the time the three got up, they heard a loud “boom” from inside the warehouse, like an explosion, shaking the ground.
Trembling, they cautiously approached the warehouse entrance and looked inside. The west wall had a three-meter-wide hole, as if something had crashed through it. The spot where the bronze coffin had been placed was empty—the several-ton thousand-year-old bronze coffin had vanished!
“How is this possible!?”
“Oh no! Someone stole the coffin!”
“Quick, after them!”
Director Zhang shouted instinctively. Several SWAT officers struggled to their feet and rushed to the hole in the west wall. Outside was a three- to four-meter-wide ditch overgrown with reeds. Aside from footprints, there were no vehicle tracks.
In other words, the several-ton thousand-year-old bronze coffin had been carried away by four old men!
How was that possible?
Everyone was bewildered.
It was unbelievable.
The idea that four old men could carry away a several-ton coffin sounded absurd—no one would believe it!
“After them, now!”
“Everyone, follow the riverbed!”
Director Zhang yelled frantically. Losing the thousand-year-old bronze coffin was a responsibility far too great for a small police chief like him to bear.
But just as Director Zhang stepped out through the hole in the west wall, a “splash” echoed from outside, and a torrential downpour of grayish-black began to pour… Upon closer inspection, it wasn’t rain—it was mud!
Mud falling from the sky!
Everyone was stunned.
Thus, a bizarre event unfolded before their eyes.
The mud quickly piled up, completely blocking the hole.
Meanwhile, outside the warehouse, Shui Miao drove away with Zhang Hanya, heading straight for the old well he remembered.
What could be buried 150 steps north of the old well, three feet underground?
Shui Miao was burning with curiosity.
What kind of gift had the thousand-year-old female ghost prepared for him?
With that, Shui Miao turned and walked directly to the car by the roadside.
Zhang Hanya quickly followed him into the car.
Shui Miao even backed the car aside to avoid having it smashed by the crowd.
“The police aren’t that great—they’re paper tigers! We shouldn’t fear them!”
“Yeah! We must protect our ancestors’ coffins. We’re not wrong. It’s the police who are immoral, digging up our ancestral graves. We won’t let them off the hook!”
“Pathetic cops! They can’t even take back the Diaoyu Islands, and they dare to bully us? We’ll fight them!”
“They won’t dare to shoot. Don’t be afraid, charge forward!”
In the crowd, two middle-aged men, holding wooden sticks, incited the people and led the charge toward the warehouse.
Just as the crowd was about to reach the warehouse, Director Zhang suddenly panicked. He told the SWAT team leader, “I’ll take responsibility if anything happens!” Then he grabbed the gun and fired several shots into the air.
Gunshots rang out for real!
The crowd was immediately frightened and stopped in their tracks.
However, the two instigators continued shouting and inciting the people to rush into the warehouse.
Director Zhang glared at the SWAT team leader. “Hey, what are you waiting for? Do I have to personally arrest those two troublemakers?”
“Alright! Arrest them! Grab the troublemakers!”
Shamed by Director Zhang’s words, the SWAT team leader quickly led his men to handcuff the two instigators, tape their mouths shut, and shove them into a police car.
It turned out that the two agitators were from another village, so the locals did not defend them.
Director Zhang then held the gun and loudly lectured the crowd about the law.
The SWAT team, meanwhile, glared at the crowd menacingly. Anyone who dared speak out would be arrested immediately.
The remaining crowd members were mostly there for selfish reasons. Seeing the police’s aggressive stance, they quickly lost their nerve.
However, several people possessed by ghosts became even more violent.
Possessed by spirits and surrounded by negative energy, these individuals suddenly became incredibly strong, overpowering several officers.
Surprisingly, even the eldest member of the village, Zhang Shanren, seemed transformed. He pushed a police officer to the ground and then threw another one with a single motion.
“You guys dared to unearth the Lady’s coffin! I’ll kill you today!”
Zhang Shanren roared furiously before lunging at the nearby officers.
“Pathetic cowards…”
“You dare hit me? Watch how I deal with you…”
Feng An cursed loudly, swinging punches and kicks at the police as if they were children.
“I’m coming too!”
“It’s been a while since I fought. What are you holding? A stick?”
Xiao Nan, Professor Ma, and others joined in the fray.
Witnessing the police and SWAT team being overwhelmed, Director Zhang felt his scalp tingling. He quickly threw the gun to the SWAT team leader and rushed forward to help.
The SWAT team leader followed suit.
Soon, more than twenty officers surrounded the four possessed individuals and began a chaotic beating.
The crowd watched in stunned disbelief!
They all knew Zhang Shanren, who, in their minds, was just a frail old man. Yet now he was like a strongman, delivering powerful punches and kicks. This could only mean he was possessed by a ghost!
Those with weaker nerves immediately turned and fled in fear.
Even the brave ones instinctively stepped back, avoiding the front lines.
Suddenly, Zhang Shanren looked toward the crowd, and even the boldest among them scattered in panic.
Seeing her father being attacked, Zhang Hanya grew anxious. “Shui Miao, you’re so capable. Please help my dad!”
Shui Miao watched intently, his expression calm. “I don’t have any magical powers. How can I help? These people are possessed by ghosts, drawing strength from negative energy. If I fight them, I’ll just get beaten up myself. Besides, I warned them twice, and they didn’t listen. It’s good for them to learn a lesson.”
“But Shui Miao, my dad is in there too!”
Zhang Hanya anxiously tugged at Shui Miao’s arm.
“Your dad is fine. Haven’t you noticed they haven’t attacked him at all?”
“I see! So this is what they mean by ‘no destruction, no construction’!”
Director Zhang, inspired by Shui Miao’s words, suddenly grasped a principle.
He had once heard a story about this concept: a king wanted to pass his throne to his son. To test his son’s wisdom, the king gave him a raw egg and asked him to make it stand upright without any tools. No matter how hard the son tried, he couldn’t do it. Frustrated, the king took the egg, tapped it on the table, cracking it slightly, and the egg stood upright.
This story taught the king’s son a lesson: a country is vast, and there will always be problems that can’t be perfectly resolved and people who seek to overthrow it. Since perfection is unattainable, it’s better to eliminate the troublemakers to ensure stability.
Remembering this story, Director Zhang had an epiphany. He quickly turned and ordered the SWAT captain to fire warning shots into the air.
But the SWAT captain, being a mere soldier, lacked the superior wisdom of the ruling class.
He only knew that firing shots would cause a significant social impact. Even warning shots could cause an uproar, and if the incident spread online, it could blow out of proportion. He might even be dismissed, losing his job.
Seeing the SWAT captain’s reluctance, Shui Miao shook his head in frustration. “I knew you wouldn’t take responsibility. That’s why I asked for the gun. If things settle down, you take the credit. If they don’t, blame it on me. If it gets out of hand, just say I was a temporary worker and fire me to smooth things over. But since you’re so rigid, I’m done. Handle this mess yourselves.”
Shui Miao didn’t want to bother with these trivial matters. After all, he was only here to visit the thousand-year-old female ghost, right?
With that, he turned and walked toward the car parked by the roadside.
Zhang Hanya quickly followed him into the car.
Shui Miao even backed the car aside to avoid the angry crowd potentially damaging it.
“The police aren’t so great! They’re paper tigers! We’re not afraid of them!”
“That’s right, everyone! We must protect our ancestors’ coffins! We’re not in the wrong—they’re the ones who desecrated our ancestral graves! We won’t let them get away with this!”
“Useless cops! Can’t even reclaim the Diaoyu Islands, but they know how to bully ordinary people! Let’s fight them!”
“They don’t dare shoot! Don’t be scared, everyone! Charge!”
In the crowd, two middle-aged men, armed with wooden sticks, incited the people and led the charge toward the warehouse.
The crowd was getting closer.
Director Zhang, responsible for protecting the thousand-year-old bronze coffin, grew anxious. He told the SWAT captain, “I’ll take responsibility if anything goes wrong,” snatched the gun, and fired several shots into the sky.
Real gunshots!
Instantly, many in the crowd froze in fear.
However, the two instigators continued to shout and urge the crowd to storm the warehouse.
Director Zhang glared at the SWAT captain. “What are you waiting for? Do I have to arrest those troublemakers myself?”
“Right! Arrest them! Seize the instigators!”
Blushing with embarrassment, the SWAT captain quickly handcuffed the two troublemakers, gagged them with tape, and shoved them into a police car.
It turned out these two were outsiders from another village, so none of the locals came to their defense.
Director Zhang, holding the gun, began loudly explaining the law to the crowd.
The SWAT captain and his team watched the people menacingly, ready to arrest anyone who dared speak up.
The remaining onlookers, mostly there hoping to gain some advantage, were intimidated by the police’s show of force and quickly quieted down.
However, a few individuals possessed by ghosts grew increasingly unruly.
Empowered by the Yin energy, they became incredibly strong—several officers couldn’t restrain even one of them.
To everyone’s astonishment, even the oldest among them, Zhang Shanren, seemed like a different person. He shoved an officer to the ground and, with a single grab, hurled another officer down forcefully.
“You fools! How dare you dig up Her Ladyship’s coffin! Today, I’ll make you pay!”
Zhang Shanren roared angrily and lunged at the nearest officer.
“Worthless scum…”
“You dare hit me? I’ll show you…”
Feng An cursed loudly, swinging wildly and beating the officers as if they were children.
“I’m joining too!”
“It’s been a while since I’ve fought. What are these guys holding? Sticks?”
Xiao Nan and Professor Ma also joined the fray.
Watching the police and SWAT officers being overpowered, Director Zhang felt a chill down his spine. He tossed the gun to the SWAT captain and rushed to help.
The SWAT captain also joined the fight.
Soon, over twenty officers surrounded the four possessed individuals, engaging in a chaotic brawl.
The crowd watched in stunned silence!
They all knew Zhang Shanren—in their minds, he was just a frail old man. But now, he fought like a powerhouse, kicking and punching with astonishing strength. Clearly, he was possessed!
The more timid among the crowd immediately turned and fled.
Even the bravest stepped back, not daring to get too close.
Suddenly, Zhang Shanren glanced toward the crowd, scattering even the boldest onlookers.
Seeing her father in the fray, Zhang Hanya grew anxious. “Brother Shui Miao, you’re so capable! Please help my dad!”
Shui Miao watched intently and replied calmly, “I have no magical powers. How can I help? Those people are possessed by ghosts, empowered by Yin energy. If I fight them, I’ll just get beaten up. Besides, I’ve already warned them twice. They didn’t listen, so let them learn the hard way.”
“But Brother Shui Miao, my dad is there too!”
Zhang Hanya tugged urgently at Shui Miao’s arm.
“Your dad is fine. Haven’t you noticed they’re not targeting him?”
The possessed individuals avoided attacking Director Zhang. Shui Miao wondered: Were these ghosts familiar with his father? Did they know Director Zhang was an insider, hence showing mercy? Earlier, he’d dreamed of the thousand-year-old female ghost—perhaps his father’s spirit had guided him here. Following that logic, they probably wouldn’t attack him either.
With that thought, Shui Miao told Zhang Hanya to stay in the car and not come out.
In truth, Zhang Hanya was too terrified to step out anyway.
Shui Miao got out and headed straight for Director Zhang. Before he could intervene, Zhang Shanren suddenly stopped and looked at him. “Nephew, stay out of this. We know what we’re doing.”
“What? You called me ‘nephew’?”
Shui Miao was taken aback.
“Hehe…”
Zhang Shanren chuckled, pushed Director Zhang aside, and waved his hand. “Brothers, enough. Let’s stop fighting. We’ll just take Her Ladyship’s coffin and leave.”
“Understood!”
“Alright…”
Professor Ma, Xiao Nan, and Feng An stopped fighting, and the four of them walked into the warehouse.
On the ground, police and SWAT officers lay injured, unable to get up.
Feng shui master Cai Enkang was also terrified.
Director Zhang had been shoved to the ground…
Shui Miao hurried into the warehouse, staying close to Zhang Shanren. He could feel the intense Yin energy radiating from them—these were no ordinary ghosts. “Elders, I know you must be my father’s friends. I want to know: is the thousand-year-old female ghost from my dreams the ‘Her Ladyship’ you mentioned?”
“Her Ladyship was your father’s master. We are your father’s martial brothers,” Zhang Shanren stopped, smiled warmly, and whispered to Shui Miao. He patted Shui Miao’s shoulder and added, “Nephew, Her Ladyship left a gift for you. From the old well, walk 150 steps north, dig three feet down, and you’ll find it. As for these others, they’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”
“But… I want to see Her Ladyship.”
Despite his shock, Shui Miao desperately wanted to meet the thousand-year-old female ghost from his dreams and clear all his doubts.
“Not everything in this world goes as you wish. That was just a dream. Don’t overthink it.”
Zhang Shanren suddenly waved his hand, and a gust of Yin energy sent Shui Miao flying backward. He crashed into Cai Enkang, who had been eavesdropping at the warehouse entrance, and both tumbled into Director Zhang.
By the time the three got up, a deafening explosion echoed from the warehouse, shaking the ground. Trembling, they crept to the entrance and peered inside. The western wall had a three-meter-wide hole, as if blasted open by something. The spot where the bronze coffin had been was empty—the massive, multi-ton thousand-year-old coffin had vanished!
“How is this possible?!”
“Oh no! Someone stole the coffin!”
“Quick, after them!”
Director Zhang shouted instinctively. The SWAT team, struggling to their feet, rushed to the hole and looked out. Beyond was a three- to four-meter-wide ditch overgrown with reeds. Aside from footprints, there were no vehicle tracks.
In other words, the four old men had carried away the multi-ton bronze coffin!
How was that possible?
Everyone was baffled.
It was unbelievable.
The idea that four old men could carry a multi-ton coffin sounded absurd—no one would believe it!
“After them, now!”
“Everyone, follow the ditch!”
Director Zhang yelled frantically. Losing the thousand-year-old coffin was a responsibility far beyond what a small-time police director could bear.
But just as Director Zhang stepped through the hole, a torrent of gray-black “rain” began pouring down outside… On closer look, it wasn’t rain—it was soil!
Soil falling from the sky!
Everyone stared in disbelief.
Thus, something inexplicable and eerie unfolded before their eyes.
The soil quickly piled up, sealing the hole completely.
Meanwhile, outside the warehouse, Shui Miao drove off with Zhang Hanya, heading straight for the old well he remembered.
What could be buried 150 steps north of the old well, three feet underground?
Shui Miao was burning with curiosity to discover what gift the thousand-year-old female ghost had prepared for him.
With this thought, Shui Miao told Zhang Hanya to stay inside the car and not to get out.
In truth, Zhang Hanya was too frightened to even consider stepping out.
After Shui Miao got out of the car and rushed toward Director Zhang, Zhang Shanren suddenly stopped and looked at Shui Miao. “Dear nephew, you don’t need to get involved. We know what we’re doing.”
“What did you call me? Dear nephew?”
Shui Miao’s heart skipped a beat.
“Hehe…”
Zhang Shanren chuckled, pushed Director Zhang aside, and waved his hand. “Alright, brothers, enough fighting. Let’s just carry the Lady’s coffin away.”
“Understood!”
“Alright…”
Professor Ma, Xiao Nan, and Feng An stopped fighting. Together, the four of them entered the warehouse.
On the ground, the police and SWAT officers were all injured and unable to rise.
Feng Shui master Cai Enkang was terrified.
Director Zhang was pushed to the ground…
“I see! So this is what they mean by ‘no destruction, no construction’!”
Director Zhang, inspired by Shui Miao’s words, suddenly grasped a profound truth.
He recalled a story about “no destruction, no construction” that he had once heard. A king wanted to pass his throne to his son and decided to test the boy’s wisdom. He handed his son a raw egg and challenged him to make it stand upright without any external help. No matter how hard the prince tried, the egg kept falling over. Frustrated, the king took the egg, tapped it gently against the table, cracking its shell slightly—and the egg stood firmly.
This story taught the prince a lesson: a kingdom is vast, and there will always be problems that cannot be perfectly resolved and people who seek to overthrow it. Since perfection is unattainable, sometimes it’s necessary to eliminate troublemakers to ensure stability.
Remembering this tale, Director Zhang had an epiphany. He quickly turned and ordered the SWAT captain to fire warning shots into the air.
But the SWAT captain, a mere soldier at heart, lacked the sophisticated wisdom of the ruling class. All he could think about were the potential social repercussions of firing shots—even into the air. If the incident went viral online, it could cause an uproar, and he might lose his job.
Seeing the SWAT captain’s reluctance, Shui Miao shook his head in frustration. “I knew you wouldn’t take responsibility. That’s why I asked for the gun. If things settle down, you take the credit. If they don’t, blame it on me. If it blows up, just say I was a temporary worker and fire me. But since you’re all so rigid, I’m done. Handle this mess yourselves.”
Shui Miao had no interest in getting tangled in this chaos. He was only here to visit the thousand-year-old female ghost, after all.
With that, he turned and walked toward his car parked by the roadside. Zhang Hanya quickly followed him into the vehicle. Shui Miao even reversed the car to a safer spot, avoiding the risk of it being damaged by the angry crowd.
“The police aren’t so tough! They’re paper tigers! We’re not afraid of them!”
“Everyone, we must protect our ancestors’ coffins! We’re in the right—they’re the ones who desecrated our graves! We won’t let them get away with this!”
“Useless cops! Can’t even defend the Diaoyu Islands, but they’re great at bullying ordinary people! Let’s fight them!”
“They won’t dare shoot! Don’t be scared, charge!”
Amid the crowd, two middle-aged men brandished wooden sticks, inciting the people and leading the charge toward the warehouse.
The mob was closing in.
Director Zhang, responsible for protecting the ancient bronze coffin, grew desperate. He assured the SWAT captain that he would take full responsibility, snatched the gun, and fired several shots into the sky.
Gunshots—real ones!
Instantly, many in the crowd froze in fear.
However, the two instigators continued to shout and rally the people toward the warehouse.
Director Zhang glared at the SWAT captain. “What are you waiting for? Do I have to arrest those troublemakers myself?”
“Right! Arrest them! Seize the instigators!”
Blushing with embarrassment, the SWAT captain quickly handcuffed the two ringleaders, gagged them with tape, and shoved them into a police car.
It turned out these two were outsiders from another village, so none of the locals came to their defense.
Director Zhang held the gun and loudly lectured the crowd on the law.
The SWAT captain and his team watched the crowd menacingly, ready to arrest anyone who spoke up.
Most of the remaining people had only joined hoping to benefit from the chaos. Seeing the police’s firm stance, they quickly backed down.
But several individuals possessed by spirits grew increasingly aggressive.
Empowered by dark energy, they exhibited supernatural strength—several officers couldn’t restrain even one of them.
To everyone’s astonishment, even the elderly Zhang Shanren seemed transformed. He shoved an officer to the ground and, with a fierce grab, hurled another officer down effortlessly.
“You dare dig up Her Majesty’s coffin? Today, I’ll make you pay!” Zhang Shanren roared furiously before lunging at the nearest officer.
“Worthless scum…”
“Hit me? I’ll show you…”
Feng An cursed wildly, striking officers left and right as if they were children.
“Count me in!”
“It’s been too long since I’ve fought. What are these guys holding? Sticks?”
Xiao Nan and Professor Ma also joined the fray.
Watching the police and SWAT officers being overpowered, Director Zhang felt a chill down his spine. He tossed the gun to the SWAT captain and rushed to help.
The SWAT captain followed suit.
Soon, over twenty officers surrounded the four possessed individuals, engaging in a chaotic brawl.
The crowd watched in stunned silence.
They all knew Zhang Shanren—a frail, elderly man in their eyes. Now, he fought like a powerhouse, kicking and punching with unbelievable strength. It was clear he was possessed!
The more timid spectators immediately turned and fled.
Even the bravest among them backed away, not daring to get too close.
Suddenly, Zhang Shanren glanced toward the crowd, scattering those who had remained.
Seeing her father in danger, Zhang Hanya grew anxious. “Brother Shui Miao, you’re so capable! Please help my dad!”
Shui Miao watched calmly. “I have no magical powers. How can I help? Those people are possessed by spirits, fueled by dark energy. If I fight them, I’ll just get beaten up. Besides, I warned them twice. They didn’t listen—maybe they need to learn the hard way.”
“But Brother Shui Miao, my dad is there too!”
Zhang Hanya tugged desperately at Shui Miao’s arm.
“Your dad is fine. Haven’t you noticed they’re not attacking him?”
The possessed individuals avoided Director Zhang entirely. Shui Miao wondered: Were these spirits familiar with his father? Did they know Director Zhang was an insider? In his dream, the thousand-year-old female ghost had appeared—perhaps his father’s spirit had guided him here. By that logic, they shouldn’t attack him either.
With that thought, Shui Miao instructed Zhang Hanya to stay in the car and not come out.
Truthfully, Zhang Hanya was too terrified to step out anyway.
Shui Miao got out and headed straight for Director Zhang. Before he could intervene, Zhang Shanren suddenly stopped and looked at him. “Nephew, stay out of this. We know what we’re doing.”
“What? You called me ‘nephew’?”
Shui Miao was taken aback.
“Heh heh…”
Zhang Shanren chuckled, pushed Director Zhang aside, and waved his hand. “Brothers, enough. Let’s stop fighting. We’ll just take Her Majesty’s coffin and leave.”
“Understood!”
“Alright…”
Professor Ma, Xiao Nan, and Feng An immediately ceased fighting. The four of them walked into the warehouse together.
On the ground, police and SWAT officers lay injured, unable to get up.
Feng shui master Cai Enkang was utterly stunned.
Director Zhang had been pushed to the ground…
Shui Miao hurried into the warehouse, staying close to Zhang Shanren. He could feel the intense dark energy radiating from them—these were no ordinary spirits. “Elders, I know you must have been my father’s friends. I want to know—is the thousand-year-old female ghost from my dreams the ‘Her Majesty’ you mentioned?”
“Her Majesty was your father’s master. We are your father’s martial brothers,” Zhang Shanren whispered with a smile, patting Shui Miao’s shoulder. “Nephew, Her Majesty left a gift for you. From the old well, walk 150 steps north, dig three feet down, and you’ll find it. As for these possessed individuals, they’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”
“But… I want to see Her Majesty.”
Despite his shock, Shui Miao desperately wanted to meet the thousand-year-old female ghost from his dreams and clear all his doubts.
“Not everything in this world goes as you wish. What you experienced was just a dream. Don’t overthink it.”
Zhang Shanren suddenly waved his hand, summoning a gust of dark wind that sent Shui Miao flying backward. He crashed into Cai Enkang, who had been eavesdropping at the warehouse entrance, and both tumbled into Director Zhang.
By the time the three scrambled to their feet, a deafening explosion shook the ground. Trembling, they crept to the warehouse entrance and peered inside. The western wall had been smashed open, leaving a gaping hole three meters wide. The ancient bronze coffin, weighing at least four to five tons, had vanished without a trace!
“How is this possible?!”
“Oh no! Someone stole the coffin!”
“Quick, after them!”
Director Zhang shouted instinctively. Several SWAT officers struggled to their feet and rushed to the hole in the wall. Outside, they found a three-to-four-meter-wide ditch overgrown with reeds. Aside from footprints, there were no vehicle tracks.
In other words, the four elderly men had carried away the massive bronze coffin!
How was that possible?
Everyone was baffled.
It was unbelievable.
The idea that four old men could carry a four-to-five-ton coffin sounded like a ridiculous rumor.
“After them! Everyone, follow the ditch!”
Director Zhang was frantic. Losing the ancient bronze coffin was a responsibility far beyond what a small-time police chief could bear.
But just as Director Zhang stepped through the hole, a torrent of gray-black “rain” began pouring from the sky—except it wasn’t rain. It was soil!
Soil falling from the sky!
Everyone stared in disbelief.
And so, an inexplicable event unfolded before their eyes.
The soil quickly piled up, completely sealing the hole.
Outside the warehouse, Shui Miao drove off with Zhang Hanya, heading straight for the location of the old well from his memory.
What could be buried 150 steps north of the old well, three feet underground?
Shui Miao was burning with curiosity. What kind of gift had the thousand-year-old female ghost prepared for him?
“The Lady is your father’s master, and we are his senior apprentices.” Zhang Shanren stopped, bent down, smiled warmly, whispered to Shui Miao, patted his shoulder, and continued, “Dear nephew, the Lady has prepared a gift for you. Go one hundred and fifty steps north from the dry well, dig three feet deep, and you’ll find it. As for these people, they’ll be fine. No need to worry about them.”
“But, but I want to see the Lady.”
“I see! So this is what they mean by ‘no destruction, no construction’!”
Director Zhang, inspired by Shui Miao’s words, suddenly grasped a principle.
He had once heard a story about this concept: a king wanted to pass his throne to his son. To test his son’s wisdom, the king gave him a raw egg and asked him to make it stand upright without any tools. No matter how hard the son tried, he couldn’t do it. Finally, the king took the egg, tapped it on the table, and although the shell cracked, the egg stood firmly.
This story taught the king’s son a lesson: a country is vast, and there will always be problems that can’t be perfectly resolved and people who seek to overthrow it. Since perfection is unattainable, it’s better to eliminate the troublemakers to ensure stability.
Remembering this story, Director Zhang had an epiphany. He quickly turned and ordered the SWAT captain to fire warning shots into the air.
But the SWAT captain, being a mere soldier, lacked the superior wisdom of the ruling class. All he knew was that firing shots would cause a significant social impact. Even warning shots could cause an uproar, and if the incident spread online, it could blow out of proportion. He might even be dismissed, losing his job.
Seeing the SWAT captain hesitate, Shui Miao shook his head in frustration. “I knew you wouldn’t take responsibility. That’s why I asked for the gun. If things settle down, you take the credit. If they don’t, blame it on me. If it gets out of hand, just say I was a temporary worker and fire me to smooth things over. But since you’re so rigid, I’m done. Handle this mess yourselves.”
Shui Miao had no desire to get involved in unnecessary trouble. After all, he was only here to visit the thousand-year-old female ghost, wasn’t he?
With that, he turned and walked toward the car parked by the roadside.
Zhang Hanya quickly followed him into the car.
Shui Miao even backed the car away to avoid the crowd potentially damaging it.
“The police aren’t so great! They’re paper tigers! We’re not afraid of them!”
“That’s right, everyone! We’re protecting our ancestors’ coffins. We’re not in the wrong—they’re the ones who desecrated our ancestral graves. We won’t let them get away with it!”
“Useless cops! They can’t even reclaim the Diaoyu Islands but know how to bully ordinary people. Let’s fight them!”
“They won’t dare shoot! Don’t be scared, everyone! Charge!”
In the crowd, two middle-aged men, armed with wooden sticks, incited the people and led the charge toward the warehouse.
The crowd was getting closer.
Director Zhang, responsible for protecting the thousand-year-old bronze coffin, grew anxious. He told the SWAT captain, “I’ll take responsibility if anything goes wrong,” snatched the gun, and fired several shots into the sky.
Real gunshots!
Instantly, many in the crowd froze in fear.
However, the two instigators continued to shout and urge the people to storm the warehouse.
Director Zhang glared at the SWAT captain. “Brother, what are you waiting for? Do I have to arrest those troublemakers myself?”
“Right! Arrest them! Seize the instigators!”
Blushing with embarrassment, the SWAT captain quickly handcuffed the two troublemakers, gagged them with tape, and shoved them into a police car.
It turned out these two were outsiders from another village, so none of the locals came to their aid.
Director Zhang, holding the gun, began loudly explaining the law.
The SWAT captain and his team watched the crowd menacingly, ready to arrest anyone who dared speak up.
The remaining people, mostly there hoping to gain some advantage, were intimidated by the police’s show of force and quickly quieted down.
But several individuals possessed by spirits grew increasingly unruly.
Empowered by the Yin energy, they suddenly exhibited immense strength. Several police officers couldn’t restrain even one of them.
To everyone’s astonishment, even the oldest among them, Zhang Shanren, seemed like a different person. He shoved a police officer to the ground and, with a single grab, hurled another officer down forcefully.
“You fools! How dare you dig up Her Ladyship’s coffin? Today, I’ll make you pay!” Zhang Shanren roared angrily and lunged at the nearest officer.
“Worthless grandsons…”
“Think you can hit me? I’ll show you…”
Feng An cursed loudly, swinging left and right, beating the officers as if they were children.
“I’m joining in!”
“It’s been a while since I’ve fought. What are these guys holding? Sticks?”
Xiao Nan and Professor Ma also joined the fray.
Watching the police and SWAT officers being overpowered, Director Zhang felt a chill down his spine. He tossed the gun to the SWAT captain and rushed to help.
The SWAT captain followed suit.
Soon, over twenty police and SWAT officers surrounded the four possessed individuals, engaging in a chaotic brawl.
The crowd watched in stunned silence!
They all knew Zhang Shanren. In their minds, he was just a frail old man, but now he fought like a powerhouse, kicking and punching with astonishing vigor. Clearly, he was possessed!
The more timid among the crowd immediately turned and fled.
Even the braver ones backed away, not daring to get too close.
Suddenly, Zhang Shanren glanced toward the crowd, scattering even the boldest onlookers.
Seeing her father caught in the fight, Zhang Hanya grew anxious. “Brother Shui Miao, you’re so capable. Please help my dad!”
Shui Miao watched intently and replied calmly, “I have no magical powers. How can I help? Those people are possessed by spirits, empowered by Yin energy. If I fight them, I’ll just get beaten up. Besides, I’ve already warned them twice. They didn’t listen, so let them learn the hard way.”
“But Brother Shui Miao, my dad is there too!”
Zhang Hanya tugged urgently at Shui Miao’s arm.
“Your dad is fine. Haven’t you noticed they’re not targeting him?”
The possessed individuals were avoiding Director Zhang. Shui Miao wondered: Were these spirits familiar with his father? Did they know Director Zhang was an insider and thus showed mercy? Earlier, he had dreamed of the thousand-year-old female ghost—perhaps his father’s spirit had guided his soul here. Following this logic, they probably wouldn’t attack him either.
With this thought, Shui Miao instructed Zhang Hanya to stay in the car and not get out.
In truth, Zhang Hanya was too terrified to step out anyway.
Shui Miao got out of the car and headed straight for Director Zhang. Before he could intervene, Zhang Shanren suddenly stopped and looked at him. “Nephew, stay out of this. We know what we’re doing.”
“What? You called me ‘nephew’?”
Shui Miao was taken aback.
“Heh heh…” Zhang Shanren grinned, pushed Director Zhang aside, and waved his hand. “Brothers, that’s enough. Stop fighting. Let’s just take Her Ladyship’s coffin and go.”
“Understood!”
“Alright…”
Professor Ma, Xiao Nan, and Feng An stopped fighting. The four of them then walked into the warehouse.
On the ground, police and SWAT officers lay injured, unable to get up.
Feng shui master Cai Enkang was also stunned.
Director Zhang had been shoved to the ground…
Shui Miao hurried into the warehouse and followed Zhang Shanren. He could feel the intense Yin energy radiating from them—these were no ordinary spirits. “Elders, I know you must be my father’s friends. I want to know: is the thousand-year-old female ghost from my dreams the ‘Her Ladyship’ you mentioned?”
“Her Ladyship was your father’s master. We are your father’s martial brothers,” Zhang Shanren stopped, lowered his head, and smiled warmly. He patted Shui Miao’s shoulder and added, “Nephew, Her Ladyship left a gift for you. One hundred and fifty steps north of the dried-up well, dig three feet down, and you’ll find it. As for these few, they’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”
“But… but I want to see Her Ladyship.”
Despite his shock, Shui Miao desperately wanted to meet the thousand-year-old female ghost from his dreams and clear all his doubts.
“Not everything in this world goes as you wish. That was just a dream. Don’t overthink it.”
Zhang Shanren suddenly waved his hand, and a gust of Yin energy sent Shui Miao flying backward. He crashed into Cai Enkang, who had been eavesdropping at the warehouse entrance, and both of them knocked over Director Zhang.
By the time the three got up, a deafening explosion echoed from the warehouse, shaking the ground. They scrambled to their feet and cautiously approached the entrance. To their astonishment, the western wall of the warehouse had a three-meter-wide hole, as if something had burst through it. The spot where the bronze coffin had been placed was now empty—the several-ton thousand-year-old bronze coffin had vanished!
“How is this possible?!”
“Oh no! Someone stole the coffin!”
“Quick, after them!”
Director Zhang shouted instinctively. The SWAT officers, struggling to get up, rushed to the hole in the wall. Outside, they found a three-to-four-meter-wide ditch overgrown with reeds. Aside from footprints, there were no vehicle tracks.
In other words, the several-ton bronze coffin had been carried away by four old men!
How was that possible?
Everyone was bewildered.
It was unbelievable.
The idea that four old men could carry away a several-ton bronze coffin was something no one would believe if word got out.
“After them, now!”
“Everyone, follow the ditch!”
Director Zhang yelled frantically. The loss of the thousand-year-old bronze coffin was a responsibility far beyond what a small-time police chief like him could bear.
But just as Director Zhang stepped through the hole in the wall, a torrent of grayish-black “rain” began pouring down outside… On closer look, it wasn’t rain at all—it was soil!
Soil falling from the sky!
Everyone was dumbfounded.
Thus, an inexplicable event unfolded before their eyes.
The soil quickly piled up, completely blocking the hole.
Meanwhile, outside the warehouse, Shui Miao drove off with Zhang Hanya, heading straight for the dried-up well he remembered.
What could lie buried one hundred and fifty steps north of the well?
Shui Miao was burning with curiosity to discover what gift the thousand-year-old female ghost had prepared for him.
“This world doesn’t always work the way you wish. That was just a dream. Don’t overthink it.”
Suddenly, Zhang Shanren waved his hand, and a gust of cold wind rose from the ground, sending Shui Miao flying backward. He crashed into Cai Enkang, who had just approached the warehouse door to eavesdrop, and knocked Director Zhang over too.
When the three of them got up, they heard a sudden loud explosion from inside the warehouse, as if a bomb had detonated, shaking the earth. Everyone quickly got up, cautiously approaching the warehouse door, peering inside. They saw that the west wall of the warehouse had been smashed, creating a three-meter-wide hole. Looking at the spot where the copper coffin had been placed, the ancient copper coffin, weighing no less than four or five tons, had vanished!
“How is this possible!?”
“No good! Someone has stolen the copper coffin!”
“Hurry, chase them!”
Instinctively, Director Zhang shouted. Several SWAT officers, who had just managed to get up, rushed to the hole in the west wall and looked out. To the west was a ditch about three to four meters wide, with wild reeds growing on both sides. Except for footprints, there were no signs of any vehicles.
In other words, the four elderly men had carried away the four-to-five-ton copper coffin!
How was that possible?
Everyone was stunned.
It was simply unbelievable.
The idea that four elderly men could carry away a four-to-five-ton copper coffin seemed absurd. No one would believe such a claim.
“Quick, chase them!”
“Everyone, follow the ditch and chase them!”
“I see! So this is what they mean by ‘no destruction, no construction’!”
Director Zhang, inspired by Shui Miao’s words, suddenly grasped a profound truth.
He recalled a story about “no destruction, no construction” he had once heard. A king wanted to pass his throne to his son and decided to test the prince’s wisdom. He handed his son a raw egg and asked him to make it stand upright without any external help. The prince tried repeatedly but failed. Finally, the king took the egg, tapped it gently on the table, cracking it slightly. Though the egg was damaged, it stood firmly.
This story taught the prince a lesson: a kingdom is vast, and some problems can never be perfectly resolved. There will always be troublemakers trying to destabilize the nation. When perfection is unattainable, sometimes the best solution is to eliminate those causing chaos to restore stability.
Remembering this story, Director Zhang had an epiphany. He quickly turned and ordered the SWAT captain to fire warning shots into the air.
But the SWAT captain, being a mere soldier, lacked the super wisdom of the ruling class.
He only knew that firing shots would cause significant social repercussions. Even warning shots could stir public outrage, and if the incident spread online, it could blow out of proportion. He might even be dismissed, losing his job and livelihood.
Seeing the SWAT captain’s reluctance, Shui Miao shook his head in frustration. “I knew you wouldn’t take responsibility. That’s why I asked for the gun. If the situation is contained, you take the credit. If it escalates, blame it on me. If things get really bad, just claim I was a temporary worker and fire me to smooth things over. But since you’re so rigid, I’m done. Handle this mess yourselves.”
Shui Miao had no desire to get involved in unnecessary trouble. After all, he was only here to visit the thousand-year-old female ghost, wasn’t he?
With that, he turned and walked straight toward the car parked by the roadside.
Zhang Hanya quickly followed him into the car.
Shui Miao even reversed the car to the side, avoiding any risk of the angry crowd damaging it.
“Police are nothing special! They’re paper tigers! We’re not afraid of them!”
“That’s right, everyone! We must protect our ancestors’ coffins! We’re not in the wrong—they’re the ones who desecrated our ancestral graves! We won’t let them get away with this!”
“Useless cops! Can’t even reclaim the Diaoyu Islands, but they know how to bully ordinary people! Let’s fight them!”
“They don’t dare shoot! Don’t be scared, everyone! Charge!”
From within the crowd, two middle-aged men, armed with wooden sticks, incited the people and led the charge toward the warehouse.
The crowd was getting closer.
Director Zhang, responsible for protecting the thousand-year-old bronze coffin, grew anxious. He assured the SWAT captain that he would take responsibility, snatched the gun, and fired several shots into the sky.
Real gunshots!
Instantly, many in the crowd froze in fear.
However, the two instigators continued to shout and urge the people to storm the warehouse.
Director Zhang glared at the SWAT captain. “What are you waiting for? Do I have to arrest those troublemakers myself?”
“Understood! Arrest them! Seize the instigators!”
Blushing with embarrassment, the SWAT captain quickly handcuffed the two troublemakers, gagged them with tape, and shoved them into a police car.
It turned out these two were outsiders from another village, so none of the locals came to their defense.
Director Zhang, holding the gun, began loudly explaining the law to the crowd.
The SWAT captain and his team watched the people menacingly, ready to arrest anyone who dared speak up.
The remaining onlookers, mostly there hoping to gain some advantage, were intimidated by the police’s show of force and quickly quieted down.
But several individuals possessed by spirits grew increasingly aggressive.
Empowered by the Yin energy, they suddenly exhibited immense strength. Several police officers couldn’t restrain even one of them.
To everyone’s astonishment, even the oldest among them, Zhang Shanren, seemed like a different person. He shoved a police officer to the ground and, with a fierce grab, hurled another officer down violently.
“You fools! How dare you dig up Her Ladyship’s coffin! I’ll kill you today!”
Zhang Shanren roared angrily and lunged at the nearest police officer.
“Worthless scum…”
“How dare you hit me? I’ll teach you a lesson…”
Feng An cursed wildly, swinging left and right, beating the officers as if they were children.
“I’m joining in!”
“It’s been a while since I’ve fought. What are these guys holding? Sticks?”
Xiao Nan and Professor Ma also joined the fray.
Watching the police and SWAT officers being overpowered, Director Zhang felt a chill down his spine. He tossed the gun to the SWAT captain and rushed to help.
The SWAT captain also joined the fight.
Soon, over twenty police and SWAT officers surrounded the four possessed individuals, engaging in a chaotic brawl.
The crowd watched in stunned silence!
They all knew Zhang Shanren. In their minds, he was just a frail old man, weak and harmless. But now, he fought like a mighty warrior, kicking and punching with astonishing strength. Clearly, he was possessed!
The more timid among the crowd immediately turned and fled.
Even the bravest ones stepped back, not daring to get too close.
Suddenly, Zhang Shanren glanced toward the crowd, scaring even the boldest ones into scattering.
Seeing her father in the midst of the fight, Zhang Hanya grew anxious. “Brother Shui Miao, you’re so capable! Please help my dad!”
Shui Miao watched intently and replied calmly, “I have no magical powers. How can I help? Those people are possessed by spirits, empowered by Yin energy. If I fight them, I’ll just get beaten up. Besides, I’ve already warned them twice. They didn’t listen. Maybe they need to learn the hard way.”
“But Brother Shui Miao, my dad is there!”
Zhang Hanya tugged desperately at Shui Miao’s arm.
“Your dad is fine. Haven’t you noticed they’re not attacking him?”
The possessed individuals were avoiding Director Zhang. Shui Miao wondered, *Could it be that these spirits know my father? Do they see Director Zhang as one of their own?* He recalled his dream of the thousand-year-old female ghost—perhaps his father’s spirit had guided him here. *If that’s the case, they probably won’t attack me either.*
With this thought, Shui Miao told Zhang Hanya to stay in the car and not get out.
In truth, Zhang Hanya was too terrified to leave the car.
Shui Miao got out and hurried toward Director Zhang. Before he could intervene, Zhang Shanren suddenly stopped and looked at him. “Nephew, stay out of this. We know what we’re doing.”
“What? You called me ‘nephew’?”
Shui Miao was taken aback.
“Hehe…”
Zhang Shanren chuckled, pushed Director Zhang aside, and waved his hand. “Forget it, brothers. Let’s stop fighting. We’ll just take Her Ladyship’s coffin and leave.”
“Understood!”
“Alright…”
Professor Ma, Xiao Nan, and Feng An stopped fighting. The four of them walked into the warehouse together.
On the ground, police and SWAT officers lay injured, unable to get up.
Feng shui master Cai Enkang was stunned.
Director Zhang had been pushed to the ground…
Shui Miao rushed into the warehouse and followed Zhang Shanren. He could feel the intense Yin energy radiating from them. Spirits with such powerful Yin energy were far from ordinary. “Seniors, I know you must be friends of my father. I want to know—is the thousand-year-old female ghost from my dreams the ‘Her Ladyship’ you mentioned?”
“Her Ladyship was your father’s master. We are your father’s martial brothers,” Zhang Shanren said softly, stopping to look at Shui Miao with a smile. He patted Shui Miao’s shoulder and added, “Nephew, Her Ladyship left a gift for you. From the old well, walk 150 steps north, dig three feet down, and you’ll find it. As for these guys, they’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”
“But… I want to meet Her Ladyship.”
Despite his shock, Shui Miao desperately wanted to meet the thousand-year-old female ghost from his dreams and clear all his doubts.
“Not everything in this world happens just because you want it to. That was just a dream. Don’t overthink it.”
Zhang Shanren suddenly waved his hand, and a gust of Yin energy sent Shui Miao flying backward. He crashed into Cai Enkang, who had been eavesdropping at the warehouse entrance, and both of them knocked over Director Zhang.
By the time the three got up, a deafening explosion echoed from the warehouse, shaking the ground. Trembling with fear, they cautiously approached the warehouse entrance and looked inside. The western wall had a massive hole, three meters in diameter, as if something had burst through it. The spot where the bronze coffin had been placed was empty—the several-ton thousand-year-old bronze coffin had vanished!
“How is this possible?!”
“Oh no! Someone stole the coffin!”
“Quick, after them!”
Director Zhang shouted instinctively. The SWAT officers, struggling to their feet, rushed to the hole in the wall. Outside, they found a three- to four-meter-wide ditch overgrown with reeds. Aside from footprints, there were no vehicle tracks.
In other words, the several-ton bronze coffin had been carried away by four old men!
How was that possible?
Everyone was bewildered.
It was unbelievable.
The idea that four old men could carry away a several-ton bronze coffin was something no one would believe if word got out.
“After them, now!”
“Everyone, follow the ditch!”
Director Zhang yelled frantically. The loss of the thousand-year-old bronze coffin was a responsibility far too great for a mere police chief like him to bear.
But just as Director Zhang stepped out through the hole in the wall, a torrent of grayish-black “rain” began pouring from the sky. Upon closer look, it wasn’t rain—it was soil!
Soil falling from the sky!
Everyone was stunned.
Thus, an inexplicable event unfolded before their eyes.
The soil quickly piled up, completely sealing the hole.
Outside the warehouse, Shui Miao drove away with Zhang Hanya, heading straight for the location of the old well from his memory.
What could be buried 150 steps north of the old well, three feet underground?
Shui Miao was burning with curiosity. What kind of gift had the thousand-year-old female ghost prepared for him?
“I see! So this is what they mean by ‘no destruction, no construction’!”
Director Zhang, inspired by Shui Miao’s words, suddenly grasped a profound truth.
He recalled a story about “no destruction, no construction” that he had once heard. A king wanted to pass his throne to his son and decided to test the prince’s wisdom. He handed his son a raw egg and challenged him to make it stand upright without any external aid. No matter how hard the prince tried, the egg kept falling over. Frustrated, the king took the egg, tapped it gently against the table, cracking it slightly—and the egg stood firm.
The lesson was clear: a kingdom, vast as it is, will always face challenges and dissent. Perfection is unattainable; sometimes, stability requires removing troublemakers outright.
Remembering this story, Director Zhang had an epiphany. He immediately turned and ordered the SWAT captain to fire warning shots into the air.
But the SWAT captain, a man of action rather than strategic thought, hesitated. He knew that firing shots—even into the sky—could cause public panic, attract media attention, and potentially cost him his job if things spiraled out of control.
Seeing his reluctance, Shui Miao shook his head in frustration. “I knew you wouldn’t take responsibility. That’s why I asked for the gun. If the situation is contained, you take the credit. If it isn’t, blame it on me—say I was a temporary worker who acted recklessly. But since you’re all so rigid, I’m done here. Handle this mess yourselves.”
Shui Miao had no interest in getting further involved. He was only here to visit the millennium female ghost, after all.
With that, he turned and walked toward his car parked by the roadside. Zhang Hanya quickly followed and got in. Shui Miao even reversed the car to a safer spot, worried the crowd might damage it.
“The police aren’t so tough—they’re paper tigers! We’re not afraid of them!”
“Everyone, we’re right to protect our ancestors’ coffins! They’re the ones who disrespected our graves—we won’t let this slide!”
“Useless cops! Can’t even defend the Diaoyu Islands, but they’re great at bullying ordinary people! Let’s fight back!”
“They won’t shoot! Don’t be scared—charge!”
Two middle-aged men in the crowd, armed with wooden sticks, egged people on and led the charge toward the warehouse.
As the mob drew closer, Director Zhang—tasked with protecting the ancient bronze coffin—grew desperate. He grabbed the gun from the SWAT captain, shouted that he’d take full responsibility, and fired several shots into the air.
Gunshots—real ones!
Many in the crowd froze in fear.
But the two instigators kept shouting, urging people forward.
Director Zhang glared at the SWAT captain. “What are you waiting for? Arrest those two troublemakers!”
Flustered, the SWAT captain quickly handcuffed the two men, taped their mouths shut, and shoved them into a police car.
It turned out the instigators were outsiders—no one from the village came to their defense.
Director Zhang held the gun and loudly lectured the crowd on the law. The SWAT team stood guard, ready to arrest anyone who spoke up. The remaining onlookers, mostly there hoping to benefit from the chaos, quickly quieted down under the show of force.
But then, several people possessed by spirits grew increasingly violent.
Empowered by dark energy, they exhibited supernatural strength—several officers couldn’t restrain even one of them.
To everyone’s shock, even the elderly Zhang Shanren seemed transformed. He shoved officers aside effortlessly and hurled one to the ground.
“How dare you dig up Her Ladyship’s coffin! I’ll make you pay!” he roared, lunging at the police.
“Worthless scum…”
“Hit me? I’ll show you…”
Feng An cursed wildly, striking officers left and right as if they were children.
“Count me in!”
“It’s been too long since I’ve fought. What’s that in their hands? Sticks?”
Xiao Nan and Professor Ma joined the fray.
Seeing the police utterly overwhelmed, Director Zhang felt a chill down his spine. He tossed the gun back to the SWAT captain and rushed to help. The SWAT captain followed suit.
Soon, over twenty officers surrounded the four possessed individuals, but the battle was chaotic and one-sided.
The crowd watched in stunned silence.
They all knew Zhang Shanren—a frail, elderly man in their eyes—but now he fought like a powerhouse, clearly possessed.
The braver onlookers backed away; the more timid ones turned and ran.
Suddenly, Zhang Shanren glanced toward the crowd, scattering even the boldest among them.
Seeing her father in danger, Zhang Hanya grew frantic. “Shui Miao, you’re so capable—please help my dad!”
Shui Miao watched calmly. “I have no special powers. How can I help? Those possessed are incredibly strong now. Fighting them would be suicide. Besides, I warned everyone twice. They didn’t listen—maybe they need to learn the hard way.”
“But my dad’s there too!”
Zhang Hanya tugged anxiously at Shui Miao’s arm.
“Your dad’s fine. Notice how they’re not attacking him?”
Shui Miao found it curious that the possessed avoided Director Zhang entirely. *Could it be that these spirits know him? That they see him as an ally?* His earlier dream of the millennium female ghost—perhaps his father’s spirit had guided him here. *If that’s the case, they probably won’t attack me either.*
He told Zhang Hanya to stay in the car—she was too terrified to step out anyway.
Shui Miao got out and headed toward Director Zhang. Before he could intervene, Zhang Shanren stopped and looked at him. “Nephew, stay out of this. We know what we’re doing.”
“Nephew?” The term struck Shui Miao deeply.
Zhang Shanren grinned, pushed Director Zhang aside gently, and waved. “Brothers, that’s enough. Let’s just take Her Ladyship’s coffin and go.”
“Understood!”
“Alright!”
Professor Ma, Xiao Nan, and Feng An stopped fighting. All four walked into the warehouse.
On the ground, officers groaned in pain, too injured to stand.
Feng shui master Cai EnKang stood frozen in fear.
Director Zhang lay on the ground, shoved aside but unharmed.
Shui Miao hurried into the warehouse after Zhang Shanren. The dark energy around the possessed men was intense—far beyond ordinary spirits. “Elders, I know you must have been my father’s friends. I need to know—is the millennium female ghost from my dreams the ‘Her Ladyship’ you mentioned?”
“Her Ladyship was your father’s master. We are your father’s martial brothers,” Zhang Shanren whispered with a smile, patting Shui Miao’s shoulder. “Nephew, Her Ladyship left a gift for you. From the old well, walk 150 steps north. Dig three feet down, and you’ll find it. As for these men—they’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”
“But… I want to see Her Ladyship.”
Overwhelmed with emotion, Shui Miao longed to meet the ghost from his dreams—to resolve all his doubts.
“Not everything we wish for can be,” Zhang Shanren said gently. “What you experienced was just a dream. Don’t dwell on it too much.”
With a wave of his hand, a gust of dark wind sent Shui Miao flying backward—right into Cai EnKang, who’d been eavesdropping by the door, and both crashed into Director Zhang.
As the three struggled to their feet, a deafening explosion shook the ground. They cautiously peered into the warehouse—the west wall had a three-meter-wide hole blown through it. The ancient bronze coffin, weighing at least four to five tons, was gone.
“How is this possible?!”
“Someone stole the coffin!”
“After them! Quick!”
Director Zhang yelled orders. SWAT team members stumbled toward the hole—outside was a ditch overgrown with reeds. There were footprints but no vehicle tracks.
The four old men had carried away a multi-ton bronze coffin? Unthinkable!
No one could believe it.
“Everyone, follow the riverbed! Now!” Director Zhang shouted, panic rising. Losing the artifact was a responsibility far beyond his pay grade.
But as he rushed out through the hole, the sky suddenly darkened—not with rain, but with a downpour of gray-black soil.
Soil falling from the sky!
Everyone stared in disbelief.
The bizarre event unfolded before their eyes—the hole quickly clogged with earth.
Meanwhile, Shui Miao was already driving away with Zhang Hanya, heading toward the old well he remembered.
What lay 150 steps north, buried three feet underground?
He couldn’t wait to discover what gift the millennium female ghost had left for him.
Soil was falling from the sky!
Everyone was stunned.
Thus, in front of everyone’s eyes, bizarre and inexplicable events unfolded.
In no time, the heavy downpour of soil completely blocked the hole.
Meanwhile, outside the warehouse, Shui Miao was driving the car with Zhang Hanya, heading directly toward the dry well he remembered.
One hundred and fifty steps north of the dry well—what could possibly be buried there?
“I see! So this is what they mean by ‘no destruction, no construction’!”
Director Zhang, inspired by Shui Miao’s words, suddenly grasped a profound truth.
He recalled a story about “no destruction, no construction” that he had once heard. A king wanted to pass his throne to his son and decided to test the boy’s wisdom. He handed his son a raw egg and challenged him to make it stand upright without any external help. No matter how hard the son tried, the egg kept falling over. Frustrated, the king took the egg, tapped it gently against the table, cracking its shell slightly. Though the egg was now damaged, it stood firmly upright.
This story taught the king’s son a valuable lesson: a country is vast, and there will always be problems that cannot be perfectly resolved and people who seek to overthrow the government. Since perfection is unattainable, it is sometimes necessary to eliminate troublemakers to ensure stability.
Remembering this story, Director Zhang had a sudden epiphany. He quickly turned and ordered the SWAT team captain to fire warning shots into the air.
But the SWAT captain, being a man of action rather than deep thought, lacked the super wisdom of the ruling class. All he knew was that firing shots, even into the air, could cause a major social uproar. If the incident were recorded and spread online, it could blow up into a huge scandal, costing him his job and livelihood.
Seeing the SWAT captain’s reluctance, Shui Miao shook his head in frustration. “I knew you wouldn’t dare take responsibility. That’s why I asked for the gun. If the situation is contained, you take the credit. If it escalates, blame it on me. If things get really bad, just say I was a temporary worker and fire me to smooth things over. But since you’re all so rigid, I’m done with this mess. You handle it yourselves.”
Shui Miao had no desire to get entangled in unnecessary trouble. After all, he was only here to visit the thousand-year-old female ghost, wasn’t he?
With that, Shui Miao turned and walked straight toward his car parked by the roadside.
Zhang Hanya quickly followed him into the car.
Shui Miao even reversed the car to a safer spot, avoiding the risk of the angry crowd damaging it.
“Police aren’t so tough! They’re paper tigers! We’re not afraid of them!”
“Everyone, we must protect our ancestors’ coffins! We’re in the right—they’re the ones who desecrated our ancestral graves! We won’t let them get away with this!”
“Useless cops! Can’t even reclaim the Diaoyu Islands, but they know how to bully ordinary people! Let’s fight them!”
“They won’t dare shoot! Don’t be scared, charge!”
Amid the crowd, two middle-aged men, armed with wooden sticks, incited the people and led the charge toward the warehouse.
The crowd was getting closer.
Director Zhang, responsible for protecting the thousand-year-old bronze coffin, grew increasingly anxious. He turned to the SWAT captain, saying, “I’ll take responsibility if anything goes wrong,” then snatched the gun and fired several shots into the sky.
Real gunshots!
Instantly, many in the crowd froze in fear.
However, the two instigators continued to shout and rally the people to storm the warehouse.
Director Zhang glared at the SWAT captain. “What are you waiting for? Do I have to arrest those troublemakers myself?”
“Right! Arrest them! Seize the instigators!”
Blushing with embarrassment, the SWAT captain quickly handcuffed the two troublemakers, gagged them with tape, and shoved them into a police car.
It turned out these two were outsiders from another village, so none of the locals came to their defense.
Director Zhang, holding the gun, began loudly explaining the law to the crowd.
The SWAT captain and his team watched the people menacingly, ready to arrest anyone who dared speak up.
The remaining onlookers, mostly there hoping to gain some advantage, were intimidated by the police’s show of force and quickly quieted down.
But several individuals possessed by ghosts grew increasingly aggressive.
Empowered by the Yin energy, they became unnaturally strong. Several police officers couldn’t restrain even one of them.
To everyone’s astonishment, even the oldest among them, Zhang Shanren, seemed like a completely different person. He shoved a police officer to the ground and, with a single grab, hurled another officer down forcefully.
“You fools! How dare you dig up Her Ladyship’s coffin! I’ll kill you today!” Zhang Shanren roared angrily before lunging at the nearest officer.
“Worthless grandsons…”
“Hit me, will you? See how I deal with you…”
Feng An cursed loudly, swinging wildly at the police as if they were children.
“I’m joining in too!”
“Haven’t fought in ages! What are these guys holding? Sticks?”
Xiao Nan and Professor Ma also joined the fray.
Watching the police and SWAT team being overpowered, Director Zhang felt a chill down his spine. He tossed the gun to the SWAT captain and rushed to help.
The SWAT captain also joined the fight.
Soon, over twenty police and SWAT officers surrounded the four possessed individuals, engaging in a chaotic brawl.
The crowd watched in stunned silence!
They all knew Zhang Shanren. In their minds, he was just a frail old man, weak and harmless. But now, he fought like a mighty warrior, kicking and punching with astonishing strength. Clearly, he was possessed!
The more timid among the crowd immediately turned and fled.
Even the bravest stepped back, not daring to get too close.
Suddenly, Zhang Shanren glanced toward the crowd, scattering even the boldest onlookers.
Seeing her father in the midst of the fight, Zhang Hanya grew anxious. “Brother Shui Miao, you’re so capable! Please help my dad!”
Shui Miao watched intently but replied calmly, “I have no magical powers. How can I help? Those people are possessed by ghosts, empowered by Yin energy. If I fight them, I’ll just get beaten up. Besides, I warned them twice already. They didn’t listen, so maybe they need to learn the hard way.”
“But Brother Shui Miao, my dad is there too!”
Zhang Hanya tugged urgently at Shui Miao’s arm.
“Your dad is fine. Haven’t you noticed they’re not attacking him?”
The possessed individuals were avoiding Director Zhang. Shui Miao wondered: Were these ghosts familiar with his father? Did they know Director Zhang was an insider, hence sparing him? Earlier, he had dreamed of the thousand-year-old female ghost. It must have been his father’s spirit guiding him here. By that logic, they probably wouldn’t attack him either.
With that thought, Shui Miao instructed Zhang Hanya to stay in the car and not get out.
In truth, Zhang Hanya was too terrified to leave the car anyway.
Shui Miao got out and hurried toward Director Zhang. Before he could intervene, Zhang Shanren suddenly stopped and looked at him. “Nephew, stay out of this. We know what we’re doing.”
“What? You called me nephew?”
Shui Miao was taken aback.
“Heh heh…” Zhang Shanren chuckled, then pushed Director Zhang aside and waved his hand. “Brothers, enough. Let’s stop fighting. We’ll just take Her Ladyship’s coffin and leave.”
“Understood!”
“Alright…”
Professor Ma, Xiao Nan, and Feng An stopped fighting. The four of them then walked into the warehouse.
On the ground, police and SWAT officers lay injured, unable to get up.
Feng shui master Cai Enkang was also stunned.
Director Zhang had been pushed to the ground…
Shui Miao rushed into the warehouse, staying close to Zhang Shanren. He could feel the intense Yin energy radiating from them. Ghosts with such powerful Yin energy were no ordinary spirits. “Elders, I know you must be friends of my father. I want to know: is the thousand-year-old female ghost from my dreams the ‘Her Ladyship’ you mentioned?”
“Her Ladyship was your father’s master. We are your father’s martial brothers,” Zhang Shanren stopped, lowered his head, and smiled warmly at Shui Miao. He patted Shui Miao’s shoulder and added, “Nephew, Her Ladyship left a gift for you. From the old well, walk 150 steps north. Dig three feet deep, and you’ll find it. As for these others, they’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”
“But… but I want to see Her Ladyship.”
Despite his shock, Shui Miao desperately wanted to meet the thousand-year-old female ghost from his dreams and clear all his doubts.
“Not everything in this world happens just because you wish for it. That was just a dream. Don’t overthink it.”
Zhang Shanren suddenly waved his hand, summoning a gust of Yin wind that sent Shui Miao flying backward. He crashed into Cai Enkang, who had been eavesdropping at the warehouse entrance, and both of them knocked over Director Zhang.
By the time the three got up, they heard a thunderous explosion from inside the warehouse, shaking the ground like a bomb blast. Trembling with fear, they cautiously approached the warehouse entrance and looked inside. The western wall had a massive hole about three meters in diameter. The spot where the bronze coffin had been placed was now empty—the several-ton ancient coffin had vanished!
“How is this possible?!”
“Oh no! Someone stole the coffin!”
“Quick, after them!”
Director Zhang shouted instinctively. Several SWAT officers struggled to their feet and rushed to the hole in the western wall. Outside, they found a three- to four-meter-wide ditch overgrown with reeds. Aside from footprints, there were no vehicle tracks.
In other words, the several-ton bronze coffin had been carried away by four old men!
How was that possible?
Everyone was baffled.
It was unbelievable.
The idea that four old men could carry away a several-ton bronze coffin was something no one would believe if word got out.
“After them, now!”
“Everyone, follow the ditch!”
Director Zhang yelled frantically. Losing the thousand-year-old bronze coffin was a responsibility far too great for a small-time police chief like him to bear.
But just as Director Zhang stepped out through the hole in the wall, the sky suddenly poured down a torrent of gray-black “rain.” Upon closer look, it wasn’t rain at all—it was soil!
Soil falling from the sky!
Everyone was stunned.
Thus, an inexplicable and eerie event unfolded before their eyes.
The soil quickly piled up, completely sealing the hole.
Outside the warehouse, Shui Miao was already driving away with Zhang Hanya, heading straight for the old well he remembered.
What could be buried 150 steps north of the old well, three feet underground?
Shui Miao was burning with curiosity to discover what gift the thousand-year-old female ghost had prepared for him.
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