Chapter 117: Master and Disciple Reunited

The helicopter arriving to pick up Ye Dong appeared quickly, and to everyone's surprise, Chen Yao and Officer Li had come in person.

As Ye Dong approached with quick strides, Officer Li leaned in to whisper to Chen Yao, "Brother Chen, is this really Ye Dong?"

"Yes, it is him." Chen Yao nodded with a smile. "His soul and physical form are a perfect match. He possesses a raw, righteous spirit that Guangqi lacks. This is indeed Ye Dong."

"Master!" Ye Dong’s eyes brimmed with happy tears, and he rushed forward to pull Chen Yao into a tight embrace. "Thank you, Master!"

"Good disciple!" Chen Yao, also visibly moved, felt tears welling in his own eyes—a rare sight.

"This is the first time I've ever seen Master cry," Ye Dong thought, feeling a sudden ache in his heart. "Why does he suddenly seem so old?"

Meanwhile, Huiyan clung tightly to Officer Li, who had always treated her like a daughter. "Master, I thought I would never see you again!" Before she could finish, fresh tears streamed down her face.

Officer Li laughed heartily, gently smoothing her hair. "There, there, my good student. Everything is fine now." He loosened his hold and added with a smile, "You two will have plenty more people to hug when we get back, so don't shed all your tears just yet."

Ye Dong laughed sheepishly and hugged Officer Li as well. "Thank you, Officer Li. It’s all thanks to your 'know yourself, know your enemy' strategy!"

"Hahaha!" Officer Li laughed out loud, patting Ye Dong on the shoulder. "Your own wit and resourcefulness played the biggest part; I was merely the one who lit the lamp."

"My student, you did a wonderful job this time!" Chen Yao said with a smile. "Guangqi only saw your strengths and ignored your physical weaknesses, but you found a breakthrough through those very limitations and launched a counterattack to defeat him. That was truly remarkable!"

After hearing the praise from both mentors, Ye Dong chuckled. "In any case, we're back with the team!"

Officer Li stood straight and gave Ye Dong and Huiyan a formal salute. "Welcome back!" Chen Yao nodded, his face filled with relief.

"Hey, you promised to take me out of the city! Don't forget about me just because you're busy chatting with your friends!" Yuan Hua looked toward the helicopter on the flat ground, his eyes full of anticipation.

"Student, who is that young monk?" Chen Yao whispered.

"Oh, him?" Ye Dong covered his mouth to hide a smirk. "He is Master Jingxin’s young disciple, Yuan Hua."

"Oh? Master Jingxin’s disciple?" Chen Yao activated his spiritual sight. Seeing a faint starlight emanating from Yuan Hua’s heart, he seemed to confirm something and nodded. "He is indeed Jingxin's disciple. Do you know why he's here?"

"To cause trouble!" Ye Dong gave a bitter smile and looked at Officer Li. "He says he's here to seek revenge on He Wentian, claiming that He Wentian sent people to burn down Lingtai Temple and scorched his room."

"Oh? There's such a thing?" Officer Li frowned and replied in a low voice, "What a coincidence. That day, when Xiao Mo went to set the fire, he specifically chose the most inconspicuous room. Who would have thought it was this little monk's?"

The three of them could not help but chuckle, casting pitying yet teasing glances at Yuan Hua, which made him feel incredibly awkward.

"Hey! One of you is an old Taoist priest, the other is a high-ranking police officer—how did you learn to be so rude?" Yuan Hua stared back, not in the least bit intimidated.

"Yuan Hua, come over here. Let me introduce you to my master," Ye Dong said, waving his hand with a smile. "This is my master, Taoist Rihui. And this is Officer Li, the second-in-command of our city's police department."

"Oh? You are Taoist Rihui?" Yuan Hua was startled as he looked at Chen Yao, then shifted his gaze to Officer Li. "And you are Officer Li Wei?"

Chen Yao and Officer Li exchanged a look and asked, "You know us?"

"I do, I do!" Yuan Hua bowed respectfully to both. "Junior Yuan Hua pays his respects to Taoist Rihui and Officer Li."

"Why did this little bald monk's attitude change so quickly?" Ye Dong wondered, surprised to see the usually headstrong Yuan Hua acting so humble. "How do you know them?"

"My master often told me about the time he fought side-by-side with Taoist Rihui, and he never stops singing your praises!" Yuan Hua grinned. "Master says Taoist Rihui is a man of unfathomable cultivation, who can commune with both gods and spirits, and is a righteous, wise, and top-tier figure among all practitioners!"

Chen Yao smiled with satisfaction. "Oh, you're too kind. Master Jingxin is too generous."

"Not at all!" Seeing Chen Yao acting humble, Yuan Hua waved his hands. "My master is a man of the cloth and never tells lies. Even though he rarely praises anyone, I believe you are truly the person he says you are!"

"My goodness, this little monk really knows how to talk!" Ye Dong shot a cold glance at Yuan Hua, feeling quite annoyed. "He just stole the limelight from me. Wait until I get my hands on you!"

Chen Yao was delighted and laughed out loud.

Yuan Hua continued, "My master also said that beside Taoist Rihui stands a brave, decisive, and brilliant police officer who hates evil as much as he hates poison. Together, they uphold justice and maintain order in the human world. He is Taoist Rihui’s best friend, Officer Li Wei!"

"Hahaha!" Hearing such praise, Officer Li was immensely satisfied. "To be praised so highly by Master Jingxin, I am truly humbled!"

"My god, he’s even buttering up Officer Li now!" Ye Dong felt even more repulsed. "No wonder Master Jingxin and the others like you—your tongue is greased! You have a thick skin indeed!"

"By the way, what big plan are you working on?" Yuan Hua asked, his curiosity piqued. "Officer Li, can you reveal anything?"

Officer Li shook his head with a smile. "Little monk, this matter is of great importance and cannot be disclosed for the time being."

"Is that so? Then..." Yuan Hua tried to press further, but Ye Dong cut him off. "Yuan Hua, are you annoying or what? Do you know that eavesdropping on high-level police secrets can land you in jail?"

"Ah? I was just asking for myself; I wouldn't tell anyone!" Yuan Hua rubbed his bald head in defense. "I'm just trying to assist you all! I have a heart for justice, too! I..."

Ye Dong interrupted him again. "Alright, alright, we'll talk when we get back. I'm starving! Sister Huiyan is injured, and my good friend is still in the hospital—I need to check on them! We'll talk about this later."

Officer Li checked his watch and nodded. "We're running out of time. Let's go back, get some rest, analyze the intelligence, and discuss tomorrow's plan."

"Is it really happening tomorrow?" Ye Dong frowned slightly, realizing that less than twenty-four hours remained before they entered the ancient tomb.

"Huang Wuchang is Guangqi's master; he must be even more sinister and cunning than his student. This mission will be the true test for us all!"

***

At the gathering place of Boss Wei and his group:

"Chen Yong, check the firearms," Boss Wei said, pointing to a large wooden crate in the corner. "Those are the weapons for entering the tomb; there can be no mistakes."

Seeing the burly man named Chen Yong looking uneasy, Boss Wei walked over and patted his shoulder. "What’s wrong? Too nervous?"

Chen Yong looked back at the group of men dressed as mercenaries and gave a bitter smile. "Even though we’ve looted large tombs before, this time even Boss Wei’s master values the deal so highly that I can't help but feel a bit on edge."

"Don't say you're the only ones nervous; even the three of us are," Lixing added with a grin. "But this job isn't like the small-time stuff from the past. This is a once-in-a-lifetime deal. Plus, Master said that when he succeeds, everyone will be rewarded with corresponding magical powers as a token of his gratitude!"

"Indeed, the conditions are too tempting." Chen Yong and the mercenaries hired by Boss Wei exchanged glances; one could see the burning fires of greed in their eyes.

The clash between good and evil was imminent. What trials would Ye Dong and his companions face? How would Huang Wuchang and his disciples deal with the net cast by Chen Yao and Officer Li?

Stay tuned for the "Life's Suffering" chapter: The Tomb of Eternal Life!