The Tale Never Ends

I wrenched my cell phone and checked the time. It was only twenty minutes past one in the morning. Barely an hour had passed since we came over from Unit 105 opposite.

Lin Feng was enraged to see the door with two lamps beside, having seen it one too many times when we were trapped in the pocket dimension of the Bamen Dunjia just now. He lifted his foot and stomped hard, only this time, the actual door adamantly refused to yield. With a furrowed eyebrow of mild interest, I walked to the door and twisted the knob. The door creaked open obediently and a chilly gust of night wind hit me face first, indicating my confirmation.

I whirled around and smiled at Lin Feng, indicating it was time we went back. “You’re sure we’re out now? It’s real now?” He croaked, gulping a mouthful of saliva. The experience of being trapped inside the magical domain of the Bamen Dunjia had clearly unsettled him. I chuckled and marched out the door, lifting my cell phone for him to see the time. He kept his eyes peeling on my cell as I walked out and finally, when he saw that the time was moving normally, he exhaled with relief and he came out with a still-sleeping Chongxi who looked as if he was dreaming of food.

We walked across the road and went back to my Unit 105 where Lin Feng immediately tossed Chongxi unto the sofa once inside. “What a night,” he grimaced and said, “That’s what you call a really long night!” “Indeed,” I giggled and said, “Look at me, I’m all drenched with sweat myself.” We both guffawed. We did not have a harrowing experience, but it was a close call nonetheless. We could still be chasing Cao Xuedong in the darkness if not for Chongxi’s unwitting use of the Windchaser technique.

That reminded me of Cao Xuedong. I took out my Gourd and released his soul. Cao Xuedong’s ghost immediately broke for it as soon as he came out. He might have forgotten that he was no longer in his Bamen Dunjia domain. Moreover, having drawn into my Spirit Gourd, his ghost is now under its control; he would never be able to escape unless I set him free. After a good many futile attempts to flee, much to the amusement of Lin Feng and I who were watching from our comfortable seats on the couch, Cao Xuedong’s ghost finally gave up. Finally, when he stopped, I said to him, “Speak up. What are your purposes?”

“Nothing! I’ll never tell you anything!” Cao Xuedong’s ghost spat. Lin Feng, who could not see ghosts, asked, “What did he say?” “He’s saying that he’ll say nothing.” “Then tell him: Spit out the truth or stay forever inside the Gourd. Let him have a taste of his own poison!”

I cackled at Lin Feng’s suggestion and relayed the message to Cao Xuedong. Still, he remained tight-lipped, refusing to divulge anything.

Nevertheless, I could still guess a thing or two. “If I’m right, you and Huang Li are descendants of Tribe Nine Li, are you not?” But an incredulous Cao Xuedong shook his head at me.

Huh?! They are not the living heirs to Tribe Nine Li? Cao Xuedong’s ghost would never be able to lie. That, at least, I was sure of. The thoughts that people kept in their minds were, in truth, the voice of their very own soul. Now, with his soul stripped from his physical body, there was no way a ghost could lie to me. Cao Xuedong was telling the truth, I realized, and he knew nothing about the ancient tribe from prehistoric China. He was only a pawn in the whole gambit with hardly any knowledge of the bigger picture.

With a dead-end on that avenue, I could only ask Cao Xuedong other things. “What is your true purpose here today?” Cao Xuedong kept silent. He’s not a complete fool, I’d give him that, I thought quietly, He knows that ghosts can only tell the truth whenever they speak. But I was also hardly a novice in interrogating ghosts. “Was it Huang Li who wanted you to catch me?”

Cao Xuedong stared at me with disbelief and gasped. “How did you know?” Then he swallowed hard, surprised at what he had said. He must have not realized before that ghost could not hide any inner thoughts; anything they thought of would be uttered out verbally. Wearing a wry and amused smile, I smirked at Cao Xuedong. “Heh heh heh. I daresay your reaction answers enough for me.” With another incantation, an unnatural gust of wind blew and whisked Cao Xuedong’s ghost off, withdrawing him back into the Gourd.

“So?” Lin Feng asked anxiously, “What have you discovered?” “Cao Xuedong is only a pawn,” I revealed, kneading my chin and said, “Huang Li is behind all this. And she reminds me of the woman who stabbed me.” “You think that’s Huang Li?” “I don’t know, but you might notice that the artificial prosthesis that Big Sister had cut down from the woman was her right hand. Huang Li was using her left hand when we shook hands yesterday. So I did not have a chance to take a good look. It’s probable at best; we don’t have any credible proof that indicates that woman that night was Huang Li. Moreover, I don’t think Huang Li has such good skills in fighting. She could have easily murdered me with such formidable combat abilities.”

Shrugging helplessly, Lin Feng rose up and heaved a long and heavy breath. Then he froze, his gaze transfixed to something behind me. I turned around and saw Lu Shengnan dressed in nothing but a shirt of mine, gaping bewilderedly at us from the stairs.

She looked as if she had just taken a bath upstairs and was coming down. Although we did not know for how long she had been there and how much she had heard. Perplexed and speechless, Lin Feng was rooted to the spot and Lu Shengnan, too, was the same.

“Wait a second,” Lin Feng’s voice was suddenly near my ear, whispering hushedly, “We were drunk last night and so was she. But it took us more than six hours in the magical dimension before we finally become sober. How can she be up after not even three?! It was she who brought us to the pub and we fell for the trap only because we were tipsy. Do you think she’s a spy?” Feeling an involuntary shudder, my gaze slowly moved with Lin Feng’s up the stairs and rested on Lu Shengnan, who was embarrassed to be stared at. “Wh-what are you two…”

In a split-second, Lin Feng and I exchanged an imperceptible nod and we pounced, springing up the couch and darting up the stairs. We restrained each of Lu Shengnan’s arm and lifted her and tossed her to the couch where I kept her pinned down. Lin Feng removed the sharp ends of his whip and used it to tie her hands behind her back.

“WHAT IS THIS!? LET ME GO!” Lu Shengnan struggled, screaming loudly. As she writhed and flailed, the thin, white sheet of my shirt failed to hide the lovely curves of her body that made me swallowed hard…

Maybe I should focus on the task at hand…

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING, SHIYAN?! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS! LET ME GO!” A confused Lu Shengnan howled and contorted wildly like a trapped beast. But I ignored her; we could take no chances now. I muttered a litany of incantations, releasing all my spirit minions. Within seconds, all my spirit wolves, spirit eagle, and Forest Sprite appeared from thin air. They huddled around the couch, glowering menacingly at the defenseless Lu Shengnan who began whimpering with fear.

“You’ve been like a brother to me, Shengnan,” I said to her, “Please answer my questions truthfully. Or else…” The wolves let out a snarling growl as if on cue, attesting to my demand with tremendous effect. “All right, all right!” Lu Shengnan squeaked, her head bobbing profusely. “Ask away! I’ll tell you everything you want to know!”

“Was this a ploy between you and Huang Li to abduct me?” “Huang Li wants to abduct you?!” she stammered incredulously. That made Lin Feng and I shared a quick look before I asked another question, “Was bringing us to the bar part of your and Huang Li’s plan to dull our senses?”

“NONSENSE!” Lu Shengnan burst into a fit of rage suddenly. But that elicited angry snarls from my wolves with their furs standing on ends and that did just the job to pacify and silence Lu Shengnan. The Forest Sprite swung its claws over her head intimidatingly and bend itself down, its hideous face drew threateningly closer to Lu Shengnan’s ear.

Lu Shengnan swallowed hard. The rest of what she wanted to scream seemed lost in her throat. With a soft voice teetering on the edge of another scream, she said, “No. I only wanted you to buy us a drink. I don’t even know what’s going on.”

“Is she speaking the truth?” Lin Feng whispered. “How can I tell?” “Maybe we just need to see if she could be a member of Tribe Nine Li?” “How?” “We read about it at Yellow Soil Ridge. The members of Tribe Nine Li are said to have nine toes…”

And our gazes immediately shot to Lu Shengnan’s feet now wearing a pair of fluffy slippers.