However, Luo Yingbai stopped there, not elaborating further, and pointed to the center of the hexagram: “Open Tai Chi, generate the Eight Trigrams, trace the Tao!”
Luo Yingbai swept his eyes, closed his five fingers, and the diagram before him disappeared, turning to powder and falling to the ground.
He didn’t explain the situation to the mother and daughter and directly dialed the Special Investigation Unit’s number.
But the fact was just the opposite. His heart was being torn apart, with an uncontrollable pain churning with unbelievable despair. He didn’t want to believe this person would die, but the cruel reality was clearly displayed before his eyes.
Damn it!
This gnashing of teeth and hatred made him wish he could die immediately to avoid such unbearable heartache.
“I must be dreaming,” Xia Xianning thought, unable to wake up or distinguish reality.
Until a crisp telephone ring came, Xia Xianning sat up straight, cold sweat falling from his forehead with his movement, already cold and bringing an uncomfortable chill.
Xia Xianning buried his face in his palms and calmed down for a moment.
As an excellent sorcerer, one must have a strong and firm inner self to see through all illusions. Yet because of such an unreliable dream, he was driven to this state.
The vague dream was not worth worrying about, but it was related to that person. It had accumulated day by day, becoming difficult to dispel. This was not a dream; it was more like a terminal illness, and he was already beyond cure.
Dreaming of him nearby, suddenly feeling him in a distant land. Different counties in a foreign place, turning and unable to meet.
In his dreams, he could feel his senior brother’s breath but could never hold onto it. So when they met again, Xia Xianning impulsively gave Luo Mingbai a hug.
He always felt that between them, it was more like a reunion across lifetimes rather than a mere long-separation.
More terrifying is that these strange creatures prey on both men and women and can cause men to become pregnant after sexual contact. Although they rarely come out to cause trouble, their whereabouts are unpredictable, making them extremely difficult to deal with.
Xiao Nan’s abduction is definitely not an isolated incident. Even if people had gone missing before, it would have been hard to attribute it to such an uncommon supernatural creature. This matter seems simple but is undoubtedly complex.
After listening, Xia Xianning said, “Yiyi people like to live in groups and usually have fixed nests. It’s rare for them to appear alone this time. If the victim is still alive, they were most likely taken back. We must act carefully and not startle them.”
Gou Songze replied, “My cousin has roughly determined a location but further investigation is still needed.”
Xia Xianning’s gaze swept across the office, deep in thought. He knew that since Luo Mingbai had calculated the location, it would definitely be accurate. However, he was currently too busy to act personally. After thinking, he said, “Yiyi people won’t easily reveal their true form and will rely on transportation to leave. They prefer to live in deep mountains. First, send people to search possible locations in the southwest. Songze, Yang Zheng, you two lead the team. Be careful and maintain constant communication.”
After arranging the tasks, he had someone pull out the Yiyi people’s files and finally found time to call Luo Mingbai.
When Luo Mingbai received Xia Xianning’s call, he was about to leave the hospital. Zou Ying never expected that her attempt to seek help would result in more troubles, with the female ghost still lingering. Frustrated, she blocked the door to prevent Luo Mingbai from leaving.
“What is this about? You can’t just find me trouble and then walk away!” Zou Ying was furious. “You even called the police? Can’t we discuss this? At the very least, you should get rid of this female ghost first.”
Luo Mingbai calmly said, “If her daughter doesn’t return safely, she won’t leave. You can go talk to the police yourself.”
Zou Ying retorted, “You expect me to tell the police there’s a ghost? How can they possibly help?”
Luo Mingbai responded, “Sorry, but you might be mistaken. I’m not reporting this to help you, but to arrest you. Your daughter and her companions went out, and you watched her get kidnapped. I suspect you’re colluding with human traffickers.”
This accusation stunned Zou Ying: “You’re talking nonsense!”
Luo Mingbai’s tone remained calm: “As for you, you’re concealing a criminal and failing to report a crime.”
“
Though he had been strictly raised and had likely never spoken harshly before, Zou Ying felt each word was like a slap revealing her self-deception.
She trembled with anger, a subtle sense of shame emerging, momentarily unable to speak, only blocking Luo Mingbai’s path.
Luo Mingbai pushed her arm aside: “Every action has a consequence. You must repay the debt you’ve incurred.”
As he finished speaking, his phone rang. He answered, and his previously cold expression softened into a smile: “Yes, don’t underestimate me. I haven’t directly confronted them… Yes, I’m about to leave, no need for you to pick me up…”
He spoke while striding out of the hospital room. Zou Ying pursued him briefly but, growing more anxious, failed to catch up and stopped, breathing heavily.
Meanwhile, Chen Jingyu’s screams again echoed in the hospital room, mixed with phrases like “Don’t come near” and “I’m scared.”
Zou Ying could no longer control her inner fear and panic. She wanted to check on her daughter but felt a deep sense of helplessness. She sat against the wall in the corridor, unable to stand.
On the phone, Xia Xianning advised: “Don’t act alone.”
Luo Mingbai laughed, “Okay, I understand. Even if I want to help, I’ll go with you.”
Xia Xianning felt reassured hearing his definite promise and hummed in response. Both fell silent but neither hung up.
Xia Xianning made small talk: “I heard you got beaten up a few days ago?”
Luo Mingbai laughed: “Not really. Just the morning after you left, I accidentally overslept and got dragged out of bed by my dad. It was terrible. I’d only stayed home one night. It’s all your fault for not staying to keep me company. You could have woken me up earlier.”
Xia Xianning’s voice held amusement: “Wake you up? When we were young, I always tried, but you’d pull me into bed. You were satisfied after getting me in trouble together?”
Luo Mingbai rubbed his nose: “Kids need lots of sleep to grow. My mentor loved you and was afraid your teacher would turn you into a short guy. Hmph, ungrateful… By the way, how did you know I got beaten? It must be Xiao Gou who told you!”
Xia Xianning immediately betrayed his teammate: “Yes.”
Luo Mingbai said: “He’s so annoying. When my school break comes, let’s go beat him up!”
Xia Xianning: “Okay.”
In this technologically advanced era, any information can quickly spread across the world through interconnected networks. However, after “Shanhe Changge” officially premiered, he suddenly felt his previous understanding might have been insufficient.
This TV series used many young actors, so the final scheduling was not ideal, placed after the prime-time slot when many people had already rested. Director Xiao was surprised to find that the ratings for the first two episodes were far beyond his expectations, becoming the top ratings in the same time slot.
Before Director Xiao could be happy, the ratings gradually dropped after a few episodes, and the online comment section was filled with complaints:
“What’s going on? I’m here to see Ling Anjun! In the original work, he appeared right at the beginning, so why haven’t I seen him after several episodes?”
“Also here to see Ling Anjun, not an original work party. Could the script have changed the order of events?”
