Chapter 36: Vanished

Cai Wei saluted respectfully.
“Cai Wei greets County Captain Ren.”

“You rascal.”
Ren Yulong reached out and tapped Cai Wei on the forehead, making it clear that they were on familiar terms. He then turned to Yue Wenying, clasped his fists, and said, “Ren Yulong, County Captain of Jinjiang, greets Captain Yue.”

Yue Wenying returned the gesture.
He held a deep respect for this seasoned general, a veteran of countless battles.

“I’ll leave this matter to you, General Ren.”

“Rest assured, sir. As long as I draw breath, no evil spirit will be able to snatch away anything locked within the county prison.”

Yue Wenying nodded. “There are more threats to the county office than just evil spirits. Some come from within the yamen itself.”

Ren Yulong was taken aback, then his face changed dramatically.

“You mean the magistrate…”

“It’s enough that you understand. Don’t make it public. In short, apart from the few of us, no one is allowed near the county office.”

“This concerns the safety of tens of thousands of people in Jinjiang. No matter what, General, you must guard the county office well.”

Ren Yulong’s gaze flashed.
For a moment, it was as though he had returned to his days in the army.

He tossed aside his cloak and knelt on one knee.
“Your orders, sir!”

…

“Do you think Ren Yulong can be trusted?”
Once they’d left the guardhouse and reached the main street, the plump Daoist Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but voice his doubts.

Before Cai Wei could reply, Yang Xian interjected.

“Captain Ren has served in the army for many years, facing life-and-death decisions time and again. I believe the general will keep his word.”

Yue Wenying nodded.
Though the rank of Deputy General was only fifth grade, it was a permanent military post. For Ren Yulong to rise from a commoner to this position, his abilities were beyond question. Moreover, Heshan hadn’t sensed any threat from him.

Stationing the elite constables at the guardhouse prison was the best decision for now.

“But we can’t let our guard down,” Bai Xian added, pausing to turn to Yang Xian. “Chief Yang, I’ll have to trouble you with another task.”

Yang Xian hesitated slightly.
“Miss Bai, please speak.”

Bai Xian produced two silver ingots and handed them over.
“I know your Shunfeng Escort Agency has many skilled men. I hope you’ll lead your escorts to keep watch over the magistrate’s residence. If Magistrate Zeng leaves or does anything suspicious, don’t intervene—just report it to us at once.”

Yue Wenying asked, “You don’t trust Zeng Zhichang?”

Bai Xian nodded.
The timing of Zeng Zhichang’s appearance the night before the dungeon was burned was just too coincidental.
He had distracted Yue Wenying, confiscated Cai Wei’s badge, and kept several of them detained all night.
Then, the next day, Zhao Erhu perished in the fire.

Yang Xian took the silver and glanced at Cai Wei.

“Don’t mind me. If my uncle is innocent, it’s just a precaution. But if he’s already been parasitized by the centipede gu… then killing the parasite in him would be avenging my uncle as well.”

Yang Xian clasped his fists in acceptance and, long spear in hand, set off on his mission.

Once Yang Xian disappeared around the corner, Yue Wenying spoke in a low voice,
“It’s up to us now.”

…

About the time it takes to burn a stick of incense passed.

Walking in the middle, Heshan suddenly stopped in his tracks, a flicker of panic crossing his face before he regained his composure.

“There… there should be a centipede gu in the house ahead.”

The group exchanged glances, then silently softened their footsteps as they approached the residence.

With a dull thud,
the window of the house suddenly burst open and a skinny old man leaped out at an uncanny speed, fleeing into a nearby alley.

Centipede gu could sense one another. The moment Heshan sensed the other’s presence, the parasite was equally aware that Heshan had arrived.

“Heaven and earth without limit, let the universe lend me strength… He’s too fast, there’s no time.”
The plump Daoist released his incantation.

But even before Zhang Xuan finished reciting, Bai Xian and Yue Wenying had already rushed ahead, one after the other.

Cai Wei drew his long blade, guarding Heshan.

Yue Wenying pulled two bamboo slips engraved with the Clear Breeze pattern from his iron case and affixed them to his legs, instantly boosting his speed. In a blink, he was already blocking the fugitive’s path.

With a flash, his long blade was unsheathed.
“Where do you think you’re going?”

…

Three hours later
County Office Prison

A white-haired old man was shoved into the room, staggering. If not for the bestial hissing from his mouth, he would’ve seemed no different from any ordinary elder.

The steel cell door clanged shut and was secured with chains. Only then did Cai Wei and the constables breathe easy.

In the main hall, fatigue was etched deep on every face.
They hadn’t stopped searching for flesh-eaters for hours, and this white-haired elder was the fourth black-robed figure they’d managed to capture.

But such relentless pursuit was draining beyond measure.
Even the plump Daoist Zhang Xuan and Heshan, not to mention Bai Xian and Yue Wenying, were at their limits.

Only Cai Wei, who had been protecting the rear with the Daoist, seemed relatively unscathed.

After locking up the black-robed prisoner, Cai Wei brought in a pot of tea.

“Why don’t we call it a night and rest until tomorrow? Taking one more day won’t delay things.”

He refilled everyone’s teacup as he spoke.

“I’m afraid it’s not that simple.”
Yue Wenying drained his tea in one gulp. The capture of five centipede gu brought him no joy; indeed, his expression grew darker. “Miss Bai, did you notice anything?”

Bai Xian accepted the teacup, warming her hands on it as she watched the steam rising from the rim.

“Yes, the flesh-eaters are deliberately avoiding us—or rather, avoiding Heshan.”

Both the Daoist and Cai Wei were taken aback.

“Really?”
“I didn’t sense anything like that.”

Bai Xian replied, “If you compare the time and place between when we caught the first and last flesh-eater, you’ll see.”

At her words, Zhang Xuan’s face changed.
Cai Wei, however, was still confused.

Bai Xian explained patiently.

They caught the first centipede gu in the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, right at the host’s doorstep.
Once Heshan appeared, the parasite panicked and fled through the window.

The second one took nearly half an hour and was a head-on encounter in an alley.
The third required nearly an hour and was found on the street.
As for the fourth—the one in the white-haired elder—it took an hour and a half, and the location was all the way in the southern part of town.
When they found him, he was already fleeing in haste.

Not only was it taking longer to search, but the centipede gu were steering their hosts farther away from their usual haunts and the county office.

“It seems the parasites are not as solitary as we thought. When facing danger—or a natural enemy—they band together.”

It was likely some kind of defense mechanism or instinct.
In the face of a threat, the centipede gu united to resist.

At this realization, everyone’s face darkened. It was the worst news they’d had in days.

Cai Wei even forgot to pour the tea.

“So what do we do now?”

Yue Wenying stood up. “Whether it’s instinct or someone’s command, all we can do is keep searching. We’ll catch as many as we can.”

Bai Xian nodded in agreement.

And so, the trio resumed their hunt, taking Heshan with them, without even pausing to rest.

But this time, after searching for over an hour, as dusk began to fall, they found not a single parasite.

It was as if the entire city’s centipede gu had vanished.

Back at the county office,
Cai Wei was pacing in agitation, and Yue Wenying’s expression was grim as well.

They had hoped to use Heshan’s abilities to slowly draw out all the hidden parasites in Jinjiang, but after catching only five, their plan had already been foiled.

“Miss Bai, aren’t you worried?”

While the others were fraught with anxiety, Zhang Xuan suddenly noticed that Bai Xian was sitting off to the side, sipping tea with her legs crossed, the small cloth boots beneath her long dress swinging idly.

Her expression was calm, her posture relaxed—
a striking contrast to everyone else.