Chapter Eleven: Illusions and Realities

Just as the sound of the explosion rang out, Fang Qiang caught sight—through his blood-blurred vision—of dozens of heavily armed SWAT officers storming in!

Gunfire, the clash of blades, shouts, and desperate pleas for mercy filled the grand hall. With each scream of agony, the cacophony seemed to subside little by little.

"Stay where you are! Freeze! You're completely surrounded!"

The haze of smoke quickly dissipated, and Fang Qiang could now see clearly: the SWAT officer leading the charge was none other than Officer Li—the same man who, lacking evidence, had failed to indict him days before.

Never in his life had Fang Qiang found the police so endearing.

He summoned every ounce of strength left in his battered body and howled, "Officer Li! Help! Officer Li, save me! I'm Fang Qiang!"

Officer Li’s expression was one of deep confusion. "So you were locked up here all this time?"

Faced with the SWAT’s onslaught, Xiaoting merely sneered, showing no sign of concern. Instead, she raised the wriggling insect toward Fang Qiang’s nose once more.

Seeing Xiaoting, so brazen even now—surrounded, yet unwilling to give up her torment—Fang Qiang broke down in tears. "Officer Li, help me! I beg you, save me!"

Officer Li, recognizing the gravity of the situation, raised his submachine gun and issued his sternest warning. "Drop what you’re holding. Now! Or I’ll shoot!"

Xiaoting twisted her head and let out a chilling laugh. "Useless cop. If you can hit me, I’ll call you capable!"

Seeing his warning unheeded, Officer Li didn’t hesitate—he pulled the trigger.

Rat-a-tat-tat!

The bullets from the submachine gun passed clean through Xiaoting’s spectral form, thudding harmlessly into the wall beyond.

Officer Li was stunned. He shouted to Yang behind him, "This is bad! Get the Daoist Priest, now!"

Xiaoting sneered, "Incompetent police. Since you can’t punish the wicked, let me do it instead!"

The glimmer of hope for life was snuffed out by Xiaoting in an instant, and Fang Qiang wept in despair. "I’m doomed this time, doomed for sure!"

In the midst of their powerlessness, a swift incantation rang out:

"Heaven and earth infinite, I borrow the power of the cosmos! Subdue the spirits, let the Heavenly King descend, the mysteries of yin and yang, the Supreme Lord of Taiyi—by order of law, manifest now!"

Xiaoting looked up, her face changing dramatically. With a start, she hurled the worm away and tried to flee.

But the newcomer—dressed in Daoist robes—was none other than Nianxue!

"You ignorant fiend, harming people again? This time, you won’t escape!"

Nianxue’s hands wove through the air as she chanted, "Spirits of the land, guard your posts, protect this place, come swiftly to my aid—by order of law, manifest now!"

Fang Qiang watched as Xiaoting, on the verge of escaping, was suddenly trapped midair by an invisible force. Immobile, he rejoiced, hope rekindled. "Priestess, save me! Priestess, save me!"

Snared, Xiaoting cursed, "Why do you stop me from taking revenge? Fang Qiang is steeped in evil—he deserves what’s coming to him!"

But before Xiaoting could utter another word, Nianxue drew a celestial gourd and sucked Xiaoting's soul into it.

Regaining her composure, Nianxue tucked the gourd away, face dark as thunder, as she strode up to Officer Li and demanded, "Xiao Li, where are the three evil sorcerers you mentioned? Didn’t you assure me they’d all be here? All I see are small-time henchmen!"

Fang Qiang watched as the usually upright Officer Li, cowed by Nianxue’s rebuke, could only force a sheepish smile, hesitating for a long moment before replying, "Priest Chen... According to our intel, those three sorcerers really were supposed to be here!"

Nianxue’s anger flared. "Fool! Don’t you know I came here expressly to subdue those three fiends and rid the people of evil? We’re all busy—next time, verify your intelligence before calling on me!"

Officer Li, embarrassed, replied, "Your guidance is well taken, Priestess. I’ll make sure to handle things properly next time."

With a huff, Nianxue turned on her heel and left without a backward glance.

Only after she’d gone did Officer Li breathe a sigh of relief, straightening his posture once more and barking orders, "Everyone, take these people back to the station!"

He turned to Fang Qiang, who was barely recognizable from his ordeal. Lighting a cigarette, Officer Li sneered, "Fang Qiang, it’s only been a few days—how did you end up like this?"

No matter how much Officer Li taunted him, Fang Qiang, lying on the torture rack, felt nothing but joy—for the dawn of a new life had arrived, in the form of the heroic Officer Li and the all-powerful Priestess Chen.

Tears of gratitude streamed down his face. "Officer Li, you’re my savior! My second parents!"

Officer Li scoffed, "Don’t get the wrong idea—we didn’t come all this way just to save you."

Fang Qiang shook his head. "Officer Li, can we skip the sarcasm for now? Could you call me an ambulance? I think there’s still hope for me yet."

Officer Li thought to himself, "This bastard is as selfish as ever—always thinking only of himself!"

Pretending not to hear, he turned to Wang, "Make sure to log all this evidence, and get the injured treated right away."

Wang nodded and, ignoring the nearly lifeless Fang Qiang, left the room.

Fang Qiang knew he’d offended Officer Li and his team with his past recklessness, but at this point, pride and dignity meant nothing compared to survival. He managed a fawning smile. "Officer Li, who was that priestess just now?"

The schadenfreude vanished from Officer Li’s face, replaced by solemnity as he puffed on his cigarette. "She’s a Daoist of the Zhengyi lineage, disciple of the Supreme Lord of Taiyi, with cultivation beyond measure. She specifically assisted us this time to subdue your three masters and rid the world of evil."

Fang Qiang was overjoyed. "If the priestess subdues those wicked masters, then my soul won’t be refined by them after death? Wonderful! No more torment! No more torture!"

"Officer Li, is there anything I can do to help?" Fang Qiang, tears streaming, shook his head. "I was wrong before. Please, don’t hold it against me. I’m willing to cooperate with the investigation!"

Officer Li chuckled, "Aren’t you just hoping we’ll help you get rid of your masters with the help of the police and Priestess Chen?" Before Fang Qiang could reply, Officer Li snorted and left, leaving Fang Qiang alone with his regret.

...

"With the numeric code Fang Qiang provided, we’ve managed to open the cold storage safe." Officer Li, holding a stack of photographs, handed them to the assembled group. "Thank you all for going along with Fang Qiang’s charade these past days—it’s been hard work."

The group exchanged smiles, hearts filled with relief. When they saw tears glistening in Officer Li’s eyes, silence fell.

At length, Ye Dong spoke. "Officer Li, your strategy was masterful—I’m in awe."

Officer Li shook his head. "Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. Sometimes, when dealing with cunning enemies, you have no choice but to use certain methods. But I bent the law to break the law—so I’ll have to answer for it."

Nianxue smiled. "It was the people from Snake Valley who kidnapped Fang Qiang, and Xiaoting’s soul who harmed him. We only cracked the case after a tip from a 'concerned citizen.'"

Ye Dong laughed. "And besides, there’s no evidence Officer Li orchestrated this entire play."

Liang Lingzhi added with a smile, "This is a model of police-civilian cooperation, isn’t it? Officer, our company’s special effects weren’t bad, right?"

Yang gave a thumbs-up. "Excellent!"

The older and younger special effects artists laughed. "We spent a fortune on those sets and effects, so they’d better be good!"

The conversation turned to Lu Ye and Xiaoting’s acting, and Liang Lingzhi was full of praise. "I never expected them to be such talented actors!"

Ye Dong shook his head. "Given their grudge against Fang Qiang, I’d say their performances had a bit of truth mixed with the acting."

Officer Li gazed at the calligraphy on the wall—'Eradicate Evil for the People'—and said meaningfully, "Our next mission is to capture those three evil sorcerers."

Nianxue nodded. "Did Fang Qiang reveal any intelligence?"

Officer Li glanced at Wang, who immediately brought up a presentation on the big screen. "According to Fang Qiang’s statement, his masters will go to Snake Mouth Mountain to worship the Serpent Spirits on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. All members of Snake Valley will be there—it’s our perfect chance for a sweep."

Nianxue calculated. "This year, the seventh day of the seventh lunar month falls just before the fourteenth—a day of utmost yin and cold. I doubt their purpose is simply to pay respects to the spirits. More likely, they plan to perform a ritual."

Officer Li agreed. "Nianxue, do you think the three sorcerers intend to deliver the vengeful ghosts they’ve collected to their superiors?"

Nianxue replied, "That’s my guess, too. If so, the operation will be extremely dangerous. We need to prepare for both human and supernatural threats."

Officer Li frowned. "Our SWAT team can handle people, but as for ghosts... we have no experience there."

Nianxue said, "Leave the ghosts to me. You deal with everyone else."

Officer Li asked, "Won’t it be too much for you to face all three by yourself?"

Nianxue smiled. "Trust me. Without cultivation, you’re vulnerable to their sorcery."

Ye Dong offered, "Is there anything I can do? My Samadhi True Fire might come in handy."

Nianxue nodded. "It will. You’ll come with me."

Liang Lingzhi, Mu Xiaobao, and An Dachun also asked, "Is there anything we can do?"

Nianxue frowned. "You’ve already helped plenty. You’re not police, and you haven’t any cultivation—best not to join this time."

Mu Xiaobao protested, "But we’re still virgins—our urine is a magical item, isn’t it?"

An Dachun chimed in, "Right, I’m a virgin too—I have boy’s urine."

Liang Lingzhi, a bit embarrassed, added, "Even though I was nearly seduced dry by Xiaoting, I’m still a virgin. Count me in."

Nianxue smiled, thought for a moment, then agreed. "As it happens, I need four pure souls for a formation. If you’re all determined, you can come."

The four nodded enthusiastically, clapping hands in celebration.

Officer Li said, "Let’s go over the plan. Yang, call in the Flying Tigers."

...

"Sister, it looks like Fang Qiang’s group has been captured."

"Sister, should we delay the plan for safety’s sake?"

"That useless Fang Qiang, caught by the cops. Fortunately, our other men collected enough ghosts—otherwise Master would punish us. As for the plan, there’s no room for delay. We can’t miss Master’s auspicious time, and besides, no police will make it through our formation."

The two junior disciples snickered. "Sister’s right. Even if they do get in, there’s no coming out."

...

"Nianxue, as you ordered, everything’s ready." Ye Dong strode into the Charitable Paper Goods Shop carrying a huge bag of sulfur, while Liang Lingzhi lugged a barrel of pipe tar.

Nianxue laughed. "You’re certainly well-prepared! Where are the big one and the little one?"

Liang Lingzhi replied helplessly, "According to them, they’re off buying emergency supplies."

"Emergency supplies? If that’s the case, Officer Li has plenty—no need to go shopping." Nianxue was puzzled. "The operation’s tomorrow night. For now, get some rest."

Ye Dong and Liang Lingzhi exchanged glances. "How could we sleep? Those three fiends have committed countless crimes. We won’t rest easy until they’re caught."

Nianxue looked at the two men before her, warmth blooming in her heart.

She asked, "Have you memorized the incantation for the Samadhi True Fire I taught you?"

Ye Dong winked. "I’m a child prodigy—I’ve had it memorized for ages!"

There was a knock at the door. Ye Dong went to open it, and was stunned by what he saw...