Otherworldly Merchant

Li Mazi nodded. "Everything is true."

I didn’t think twice before slapping Li Mazi. Luckily, Li Mazi was quick enough to dodge.

My actions angered Li Mazi. He clenched his teeth and glared at me. "What are you doing?"

I shouted, "Bastard, just how many times do I have to tell you?! In this line of business, there are three types of items we don't accept, and among them are items that can endanger one's life. Are you trying to get me killed by involving me in this matter?"

Li Mazi couldn't help but laugh. "Little Brother, don't tell me that you’re afraid? Do you really think that what they unearthed is Yama's Execution Ground?"

I said angrily, "It doesn't matter. I don't want to meddle in this matter anymore."

Li Mazi sighed. "Little Brother, I have to tell you something. This time, I didn't only come here to make money, but also to save a life."

I was dumbfounded. "Whose life do you want to save?"

Li Mazi said faintly, "Up until now, I've been concealing the truth from you. But, do you really think that I, Li Mazi, am a greedy fellow that only thinks about money? Everything I'm doing, I'm doing for my son! My son suffers from leukemia, and I need to make enough money to cover the expenses of the surgery. Earlier, I didn't have much money, and the cost of the expensive surgery was an astronomical figure for me. But now, thanks to you, I've seen hope. I feel like I can make enough money to cover the expenses of the operation!"

"I've never been a good father, and I didn't allow my son to have a happy life. I didn't give him paternal love, and I wasn't even able to save his mother. I owe him too much! Little Brother Zhang, please, help me! Let alone taking risks... if I could exchange my life for my son's, I would do it without hesitation and with a smile on my face!"

After saying this much, Li Mazi unexpectedly knelt on the ground.

I was surprised. I really hadn't expected that Li Mazi's son suffered from leukemia.

This was the concern of a parent! I could now totally understand why he was acting like this. Li Mazi had pinned all his hopes on his son. One could say that his son was his life.

The fact that his son suffered from leukemia made him feel even worse than what he would’ve felt if he’d been the one suffering from it. No wonder he’d been so greedy and had dared to deceive me, bringing me here without telling me the truth.

I suddenly felt that Li Mazi was really pitiful.

However, what to do next? Should I help him or not? According to the rules of my profession, I’d be putting myself in danger if I continued on this path, for I had determined that the current situation was far more dangerous than the previous ones.

To put things bluntly, it wasn’t an exaggeration to say that I would lose my life nine times out of ten this time around.

In addition, not only we would have to face that ‘Yama's Execution Ground’, but also the villagers. If they got wind that we wanted to mess with Yama's Execution Ground, they would definitely not welcome us.

I had read several times in the newspaper about lynchings taking place in southern villages, and there's even been cases where people were tortured to death.

After seeing Li Mazi's tears, my heart softened. 

"I'll help you, but I can only do my best. If I see that this otherworldly item is beyond my capabilities, I'll immediately leave," I said sternly to Li Mazi.

Li Mazi kowtowed with tears in his eyes, saying, “It’s fine as long as you do your best.”

He just wanted to fight for his son. Even if he were to fail, he wouldn’t regret it afterward.

I nodded my head.

I didn't feel like eating that day since the only thing I could think of was the matter related to that Yama's Execution Ground. After seeing how nasty those two murder cases had been, I was almost sure that it was the doing of an otherworldly item!

Although I still didn't know how dangerous that item was, it was definitely nothing to be trifled with.

Li Mazi said that we might have to get into action in the evening, advising me to get ready to set out at any time. I gazed outside the window and discovered that a faintly visible mass of dark clouds had appeared above the far-off village.

It was a very bad omen, which made me lose even more confidence.

In the evening, Li Mazi and I prepared our things and patiently waited for Li Mazi’s sworn brother to come.

However, even after we waited until 11 PM, there was still no trace of guy. I couldn't help but get anxious.

I started walking back and forth in the room, and my feelings of uneasiness got stronger and stronger...

Around 11:30 PM, Li Mazi's phone finally rang, and after he glanced at the screen, his face paled.

It was a text message from his sworn brother, and the contents read: 'The situation has changed, leave quickly.’

Without further ado, I went to pack up my things. "Don't stand there dumbfounded. Let's quickly leave this place!"

I could well imagine what would happen if the villagers grabbed us...

I ran out of the hotel and drove the car until reaching a remote place. After seeing that there was no one around, I told Li Mazi to give his sworn brother a call and ask him if we’d been discovered.

However, that sworn brother of his didn't pick up even though we called him several times.

I was getting more and more anxious. The villagers hadn't beaten him to death, right...?

The next morning, that guy finally called back. Li Mazi immediately asked him what was going on.

We then discovered that the village head held a meeting last night, telling everyone that one of the villagers was in cahoots with outsiders and planned to steal the items inside Yama's Execution Ground. This person was surely guilty of the most heinous crime.

Li Mazi's sworn brother believed that he’d been discovered, and he was obviously scared out of his wits. Therefore, he secretly sent us a message, telling us to get out of here as soon as possible.

Later, he discovered that the person the village head was referring to wasn't him, but another villager. As a result, that guy was beaten half to death and eventually sold out his accomplice...

Li Mazi asked his sworn brother, "How did the village head punish them?"

His sworn brother didn't reply, but we could guess that they hadn't ended well.

I suggested to leave the place, but Li Mazi managed to convince me again by bringing up his son's leukemia.

I felt powerless, thinking that I was simply too tenderhearted.

Li Mazi asked his sworn brother, "What do we do now?"

Li Mazi’s sworn brother was surely brave, and he said, "It's better not to wait, come to my house this evening. You can temporarily stay there. Don't worry, you won't get discovered."

After hearing his words, my face darkened.

Wasn't it the same as courting death if we went to the village right now?

Even Li Mazi was taken aback, and he suggested to wait until things had calmed down before sneaking into the village.

That sworn brother of Li Mazi’s got impatient. "You guys don't understand! With things how they are, they won't believe that someone would have the balls to mess with Yama's Execution Ground. If you come over right now, it'll be much easier. In addition, as they say, the most dangerous place is also the safest."

I suggested, “Let’s wait for another two days and see what happens.”

Li Mazi’s sworn brother got even more impatient. "Perhaps you guys can wait, but I can't. If the construction team doesn't build that reservoir, the government won't pay me for the land. In addition, how can I let the villagers manage things when those pieces of antiques were unearthed in my land? Are you guys coming? If you aren't, I'll look for someone else."

After discovering that we might lose our target, Li Mazi was about to go crazy. He told his sworn brother to be patient and meet us in the evening.

Since things had reached this point, there wasn't much I could do. I could only rush headlong into danger.

We put our things in order, and as expected, Li Mazi's sworn brother came to meet us in the evening.

Seeing our anxious faces, he smiled and reassured us, "Don't worry! The villagers won't discover you."

That fellow told Li Mazi and I to get into the trunk of his black car. As a result, we got tossed about for the whole trip, stopping only after we’d arrived at the village. Both of us had a dizzy spell and started throwing up as soon as we got out of the car.

Li Mazi's sworn brother quickly brought us into his villa, letting us stay in the kitchen for the time being. We weren't allowed to stroll around the village without his permission.

I sneered inwardly. What was the difference between this and putting us under house arrest?

Li Mazi comforted me, "Try to endure, alright? Let's concentrate on our end goal instead of these small things."

After putting my bag down, I asked Li Mazi's sworn brother, "Can we go to Yama's Execution Ground? I want to inspect the place and get an idea of how dangerous it is."

Li Mazi's sworn brother said, "Let's wait for now. There are still some people there right now. At around 3 AM, the villagers guarding the place will come back to sleep. It's not too late to go there at that time."

I nodded and asked Li Mazi's sworn brother, "Can you get me a gray rat and use a needle to prick its eyes and ears? It might come in handy in a while."

Li Mazi's sworn brother looked at me in puzzlement, but he still did what I asked of him.

Li Mazi and I lay down in the basement, recovering our energy. Around an hour later, Li Mazi's sworn brother came looking for us and said, "The villagers guarding the place have left already. I immediately hurried over."

I asked Li Mazi's sworn brother, "Did you get the rat?"

He gave me a plastic bag and asked curiously, "Why do you want to take a rat with you?"

I smiled and explained, "A rat that can't see or hear won't be able to rely on its sense of hearing or sight, and will be forced to rely on its instinct alone. These creatures are much more sensitive than ordinary human beings when it comes to detecting negative energy. This way, we'll be able to find the accurate position of the otherworldly item."

Li Mazi's sworn brother gave me a thumbs up and said, "As expected, you’re truly an expert."

I tied a rope to the tail of the rat and placed it on the ground. Afterward, I took Li Mazi with me and followed after it.

As soon as the rat touched the ground, it started to kick blindly and attempted to run away.

However, it was unable to run away since there was a rope tied to its tail.

After a while, it stopped struggling and obediently moved forward. It trotted back and forth, and it would occasionally stop to sniff the ground, continuing to move forward immediately after.

This continued for around 5-6 minutes, but the rat still didn't head in the direction of Yama's Execution Ground...

I was a bit disappointed. Did it mean that there were no otherworldly items in Yama's Execution Ground?