"Chubby guy, did you see that car?" I asked in surprise.
"Of course, it's right in front of my eyes! It's the first time I've seen such a thing up close. What kind of status is that!" The astonishment in both of us was no less than if a major earthquake had struck. The sedan parked in front of us was much more noble than any other sedan in the world!
The chubby guy scratched his head. It's true that his grandfather had some connections with the higher-ups, but it wasn't to such an astonishing level. Curious, he walked over, but was stopped by the guard at the door.
"Why are you stopping me? I live here," the chubby guy shouted with some displeasure.
"I'm sorry, please wait," the guard said. The chubby guy, although not in a good mood, didn't dare to make a scene, so he could only wait outside. After a while, there was a burst of laughter from inside, followed by a large group of people in black Zhongshan suits rushing out and surrounding the car. I looked through the crowd, and it seemed that in the center was an elderly person with white hair, but I couldn't see the face clearly, it seemed he was wearing glasses and was slightly chubby.
"Do you see who it is now?" I turned and asked the chubby guy.
"No, it's well-protected, but it looks unusual."
After the bus left, the people around gradually dispersed, and Fatty and I quickly went into the house. There were still a few local leaders in the house, talking to Fatty's grandfather.
"What's wrong, Grandpa?" Fatty asked curiously.
"The former leader came to Shanghai for a meeting and thought of me, so he came to see me. It's nothing..." Fatty's grandfather said cheerfully.
After waiting for everyone to leave, Fatty kept asking his grandfather who the senior official was, but his grandfather remained tight-lipped, making us curious and speculate endlessly.
"Did you guys go to the morning market?" Despite being old, Fatty's grandfather was very clear-minded.
"Yes, we were preparing to go out and needed some handy tools. We met a Nepalese guy selling knives at the morning market, but unfortunately, the price was too high, so we didn't make a deal," we explained honestly.
Fatty's grandfather thought for a moment with the teapot in his hand and said, "If you really need it, I can think of a way to help you get some triangular blades."
Upon hearing this, I was overjoyed. The Type 56 triangular blade was a close combat weapon developed independently by China after the Liberation. Unlike ordinary knives and daggers, the triangular blade was composed of three-sided grooves and was not used for cutting and chopping enemies. When it was thrust into the enemy's body, the three blood grooves would open at the same time. When pulled out, the enemy's muscles tightened, leaving a bloody hole. In simple terms, this thing was a blood-letting tool!
Of course, it couldn't be said that the triangular blades were definitely better than the Gurkha Kukri. The attack of the triangular blade was relatively monotonous without the chopping, cutting, and sawing techniques, but if used in conjunction with my beast bone dagger, the effect would surely be greatly enhanced!
"Grandpa, you are amazing! I've been eyeing this thing for a long time! Can you also get us some guns?" Fatty still wanted the guns the most. No matter how high your martial arts were, you still had to lie on the ground when faced with a burst of bullets. Fatty's grandfather gave him a disdainful look and said, "Do you think I'm a fairy? If you want a gun, go join the army. I've been eagerly waiting for you to put on a military uniform and look at your belly - it's so fat it's almost breaking the belt!"
Watching Fatty being scolded, I was secretly pleased. After chatting for a while, Fatty and I went back to our room, and as I was about to leave, Fatty's grandfather suddenly called out to me.
"Xiaoshan, have a seat," he said unexpectedly. After taking a sip of tea, he continued, "Xiaoshan, your business is not ordinary. Zhen is smart but actually slow-witted. You should take care of him more in the future. Our Cui family is also single-passed down. His uncle also has no offspring. You should be more considerate."
It seemed that the old man had long realized what business we were in, but had kept silent about it. I quickly waved my hand and said, "No, Fatty and I are brothers. We stick together in times of trouble and will die together."
The old man smiled and changed the subject.
"You saw the commotion outside just now, didn't you?" When he saw me nod, he continued, "My former leader came, not just to see me, but mainly because I know Old Han and have a better understanding of certain strange things in the mountains and the countryside. But since I'm not a part of this, I want to ask you. Is there a kind of monster that can make a child cry incessantly at night?"
I was stunned, thought for a moment, and then replied, "There is more than one."
"Oh, then give me a detailed description. The child is about five or six years old, not very big. He started sleeping alone this year. At first, he was not used to it and would cry and make a fuss, but he got used to it and then settled down. However, recently, he cries every half night, and each time it is especially miserable. When asked, he said someone was frightening him. He said he saw a person with a green glow all over his body, a big belly, a big head, and blood-red eyes, saying that he wanted to eat him. Do you know what this thing is?"
After the old man finished speaking, I thought for a while and then flipped through the "Mountain and Wilderness Ghost Stories" before giving an answer.
"This thing is called 'Yin Laohu.' According to legend, 'Yin Laohu' is a kind of ghost transformed from a grudge, with a round head and body like two rolling balls, and blood-red eyes, and it specializes in scaring young boys. A male 'Yin Laohu' specializes in scaring young girls. They won't really eat children, but when children cry, their spirits will shake. If they are scared too much, they will become afraid, and their spirits may leave their bodies. Once detached, they will be sucked up by the 'Yin Laohu.' It is extremely easy for children to lose their spirits if they are entangled by the 'Yin Laohu' for a long time. This is a fairly terrifying monster."
I briefly summarized the content of the "Mountain and Wilderness Ghost Stories" and then told the old man.
"It seems that you are on the right track, Xiaoshan. You have really made progress, with a broad knowledge base."
The old man gave me a thumbs up, but I became more cautious and asked, "Was it that important person who asked you just now?"
"It's hard to say, but you don't need to worry about it, you younger generation. They naturally have people to protect them. Rest assured..."
The old man didn't say it explicitly, but I understood it as clear as day. When common folks seek help from Bodhisattvas, there are definitely skilled experts protecting those in the higher ranks. Whether it's Bacloud Monastery or Fragrant Hill Monastery, which one is not thriving? Zhu said that he knew a Taoist master in Beijing years ago, who had resolved many unexpected troubles for ordinary people. However, we younger generation members can only look up to them.
Three days later, a military jeep stopped at the gate, and a soldier left a package without saying a word. When I opened it, I found three brand new triangular daggers.
"I asked an old friend to get these for you. Don't spread the word outside," the old man said with a satisfied look.
Zhu still hadn't shown up, and we were waiting for his message. More than half a month passed without any news. According to the earlier hints, we should have met and taken action already.
"Why hasn't there been any message yet? What if they don't come?" I asked strangely while peeling peanuts at night.
Fatty and Luoyong couldn't come up with a reason either. After giving it some thought, we decided to go to Xuanming Temple the next day to explore. If they really didn't show up, we still wanted to find a way to get some treasure from the inside.
The next morning, the three of us took a bus and arrived at Xuanming Temple. This place always seemed unchanging no matter when. The lonely temple stood in the fields, but Fatty and I, who had experienced life and death inside, knew that it was dangerous in there!
"Huh? Strange, there's a blue pickup truck parked in front," Fatty pointed at the truck not far away and asked. I didn't pay attention initially, but after seeing it, I became more alert. This area was mostly farmland, and it was rare to see a truck here. Was it here for cargo? Why was it parked next to Xuanming Temple?
While I was still pondering, I suddenly saw several people coming out of Xuanming Temple, led by a strong man in a green coat with several young, strong men beside him. From their demeanor, it was clear that they weren't here for sightseeing. Had someone already set their sights on Xuanming Temple?
As I became more puzzled, at that moment, another figure walked out from behind the strong man, and my face changed immediately.
Wasn't that figure Zhu?