Ling Lie parked the car at the entrance of the alley and spotted Tu Wang from a distance. “Feng Shi Ju” looked exactly the same inside and out, as if it hadn’t changed in eight hundred years. The house was wreathed in the scent of incense, missing only A’Dan’s loud, blustering voice.

Ling Lie set down the groceries and checked each room. “What happened?”

Tu Wang explained that everything was fine when they spoke on the phone that day, but the next day, A’Dan seemed to have something weighing on his mind. When asked what was wrong, A’Dan initially said it was nothing, then changed his tune to complain that business had been slow lately and he was worried about money. He even joked that he ate too much and was eating himself into poverty. He mentioned that Tu Wang was about to return to his country and had already paid his living expenses.

The two bickered for a while, the conversation sounding more and more like a joke.

After that, A’Dan didn’t show any abnormalities. Yesterday at noon, A’Dan said he had found a way to make money. Tu Wang asked what it was. A’Dan said mysteriously, “None of your business. You’re going back to your country, why are you getting involved in my affairs?”

In their line of work, things that couldn’t be known by others simply couldn’t be spoken of; personal relationships were a separate matter. Tu Wang didn’t probe further and went out shopping in the afternoon, planning to buy gifts to take back home.

When he returned in the evening, A’Dan was nowhere to be seen. A’Dan still hadn’t returned by the time Tu Wang went to sleep.

A’Dan occasionally stayed out at night before; if asked, he would say he was working. It was normal for him not to return for a few days in a row.

But this morning, Tu Wang still hadn’t seen A’Dan, and he couldn’t reach him by phone. That was when he finally started to worry. A’Dan knew Ling Lie was coming today, and for someone who loved food as much as A’Dan, even if he couldn’t make it back, he would have called to ask them to save him some leftovers.

After listening, Ling Lie asked, “So what do you think might have happened to him?”

Tu Wang said, “I don’t know. He must have gone out to catch ghosts or perform a blessing or something, but he shouldn’t be unreachable. Could there have been an accident? The fact that his phone isn’t going through is the weirdest part.”

Ling Lie said decisively, “Alright, let’s report it to the police first.”

Tu Wang shouted, “No, no! We never call the police!”

Ling Lie asked, “Because you engage in feudal superstition?”

Tu Wang: “…Well, hey, I’m afraid that if A’Dan is actually fine and I send the police to investigate him, wouldn’t I be doing something bad?”

Ling Lie put down his phone. “Then what if A’Dan is dead?”

Tu Wang froze. “Peh, peh, peh! Don’t say that!”

Ling Lie: “So, let’s report it. If he scolds you, just say I was the one who reported it.”

For the time being, it was just an ordinary missing person case. Officers from the local station came to check the situation and gave Tu Wang a lecture. Tu Wang looked dejected.

Reporting the case and giving statements took some time, so it was already 3 PM by the time Ling Lie finished cooking. There was still no news of A’Dan. Tu Wang sat at the table, ate a few pieces of his favorite poached chicken, and put down his chopsticks with a heavy heart.

Ling Lie asked, “Is my cooking not up to par today?”

Tu Wang shook his head hurriedly. “I was supposed to return to my country the day after tomorrow. For A’Dan to go missing at a time like this… I, I can’t rest easy.”

Ling Lie gnawed on a piece of chicken. “Then change your ticket? You have a place to stay anyway. Leave after A’Dan comes back.”

Tu Wang lowered his head and didn’t speak. Ling Lie observed him for a moment, then continued eating.

In the past, Tu Wang and A’Dan would fight over the poached chicken, but this time, Tu Wang used a small bowl to save a portion for A’Dan.

Cleaning up after the meal was never Ling Lie’s job. He rested for a while, then said goodbye to Tu Wang.

---

“That old man is missing?” Ji Chenjiao was somewhat surprised. “Did he take a last-minute job?”

Ling Lie was sweating it out in the municipal bureau’s gym. “It’s possible. People like them have erratic schedules. It’s common not to be able to find them.”

The two then discussed “Floating Light.” Ji Chenjiao’s voice grew heavy. “We still haven’t found a breakthrough.”

“Mhm.” Ling Lie wiped his face with a towel and hung it around his neck. “Objectively speaking, the dark web cannot be completely eradicated.”

Ji Chenjiao: “So ‘capturing the king’ is the only way.”

“We actually have an advantage,” Ling Lie said. “Bolingxue is a maniac. He insists on taking root within our borders, so we don’t have the issue of cross-border arrest. Even if he has already fled the country, as long as his target hasn’t changed, we can definitely catch him. If his target is no longer domestic, wouldn’t that be just fine?”

Ji Chenjiao frowned, his lip line tight.

After a moment, he said, “No, it wouldn’t be just fine. Captain Ning is still in his hands.”

Ling Lie slapped his forehead. “How could I forget that?”

Ji Chenjiao shook his head. “Whether it’s for Captain Ning or to deal with the entire ‘Floating Light,’ Bolingxue must be taken down.”

Later, as they chatted about other things, Ling Lie scrolled through his phone. Ji Chenjiao asked, “What are you looking at?”

Ling Lie turned the phone screen toward him. “Flight tickets to Country N for the next two days.”

“Country N? Tu Wang?”

“Tu Wang’s reaction today was a bit strange. I asked him what he was worried about, and he didn’t tell the truth. His flight back to Country N is the day after tomorrow. Now that A’Dan is missing, he might go back early.”

“You suspect A’Dan’s disappearance has something to do with Tu Wang?”

“I don’t know, but I can’t rule out the possibility. The timing is too coincidental; A’Dan went missing right before Tu Wang was set to return. If, and I mean if, the two are related, once Tu Wang returns to his country, our investigation will lag behind, and it will be difficult to arrest him.”

---

In A’Dan’s old house, Tu Wang sat alone for a while, then suddenly stood up and began packing his luggage in a panic. He threw out everything he had originally intended to bring back, packing only the essentials. Then, he picked up his phone, hands trembling slightly, and quickly completed an operation. The light from the phone screen illuminated the panic in his eyes.

He checked the time. It was still early, but he couldn’t sit still. He wrapped himself tightly in a scarf and hat, grabbed his suitcase, and left in a hurry.

“Feng Shi Ju” was too remote; he waited by the roadside for more than ten minutes before he saw a taxi. He flagged it down immediately. “To the airport!”

The airport was still crowded at night, with a pleasant female voice broadcasting flight statuses over the PA system. Tu Wang sat near the restrooms, head down, scrolling through his phone. Whenever someone passed by and bumped his suitcase, he would look up nervously.

Not far away, a few girls were discussing him, as his appearance was clearly foreign and he was quite handsome.

He had to turn away, afraid they would take photos and post them online.

He kept telling himself: Don’t worry, don’t worry, you can board soon. A missing person isn’t a major case; the local police station won’t come looking for me. As long as I take off, there will be no problem!

But no matter how much he tried to mentally prepare himself, he was still afraid.

Ling Lie’s image floated into his mind, and he sucked in a breath of tension.

Ling Lie. Yes, it was because of Ling Lie.

He was certain the local police wouldn’t look for him, but Ling Lie was the variable.

He carefully observed his surroundings and didn’t see anyone suspicious.

Finally, during the agonizing wait, he heard the boarding announcement for his flight. He stood up immediately and walked toward the gate.

But a familiar figure appeared before his eyes, right at the boarding gate!

Ling Lie was speaking with the ground staff. He saw Tu Wang at that moment, waved at him, and smiled. Tu Wang’s head buzzed loudly; his feet felt nailed to the floor, and his grip on the suitcase loosened.

Ling Lie walked over. Tu Wang wanted to run, but his legs wouldn’t move.

“We meet again,” Ling Lie said. “You’re on this flight?”

Tu Wang looked at him in shock. “You… why are you here?”

Ling Lie said, “I’m here on a mission.”

Tu Wang said, “I… I’m going back to my country. You have no right to stop me.”

“Originally, I didn’t, but things are different now,” Ling Lie said. “Why did you change your ticket? Is A’Dan’s disappearance related to you?”

Tu Wang nearly collapsed. “No! I don’t know anything!”

All the passengers looked over, whispering amongst themselves.

“Shh.” Ling Lie pressed his index finger to his lips. “Public place, watch your volume. Come back with me and explain things clearly.”

Tu Wang struggled. “No, I want to go back to my country!”

“Once I confirm A’Dan’s disappearance has nothing to do with you, I will naturally let you go back.”

“It had nothing to do with me in the first place!”

“Then why did you change your ticket? I recall your original ticket was for the day after tomorrow. Why such a rush to go back?”

Tu Wang was speechless.

---

Ling Lie didn’t take Tu Wang to the police station; he brought him to the Municipal Bureau. Tu Wang swore to the heavens that he had absolutely nothing to do with whatever happened to A’Dan.

“I was afraid that if something really happened to him, I wouldn’t be able to leave!” Tu Wang cried as he spoke. “A’Dan went missing too strangely. In the past, when he went out for work, sometimes he couldn’t use his phone, but he would definitely turn it on after finishing the job. And although he wouldn’t tell me exactly what he was doing, he would say where he was going and roughly for how many days. This time, he really left inexplicably.”

“The more I thought about it, the more I felt something must have happened to him. If the police really start investigating, I’ll definitely be a key suspect. If he’s dead, I’ll be the murderer!”

Ling Lie said, “You’re overreacting. Are we that incompetent? What do you mean ‘if he’s dead, you’re the murderer’?”

Tu Wang sobbed, “Because I’m the one closest to him!”

Ling Lie said, “Exactly because of that, if you are innocent, we can quickly rule out your suspicion and let you go back.”

Tu Wang shook his head. “It’s not the same.”

“How is it not the same?”

Tu Wang held it in for a long time before saying, “People like us operate in a grey zone. We can’t withstand an investigation. If you guys really dig up something on me, then I have committed a crime.”

Ling Lie laughed. “Oh, so you know it’s a grey zone?”

Tu Wang: “These days, nobody can withstand being dug into.”

Ling Lie suddenly thought of “Pink Mask” and Xu Jiang. Indeed, who could withstand being dug into?

But Tu Wang was confusing the concepts.

At this moment, the barbecue Ling Lie ordered arrived, delivered personally by deliveryman Little Ji (Ji Chenjiao).

Tu Wang looked even more nervous upon seeing him and didn’t eat a single skewer.

Ling Lie asked him, “How exactly did you meet A’Dan?”

Tu Wang said he had been to many countries, specializing in obscure folklore and learning “magic,” which was how he met many people. He entered the country a few years ago and met A’Dan, a fellow practitioner.

Technically speaking, Tu Wang knew so many eccentric people that the old man A’Dan wasn’t particularly special. But after communicating, Tu Wang felt on one hand that A’Dan was knowledgeable and worth learning from, and on the other hand, he envied that A’Dan had once stayed in Country L.

Tu Wang had been to many places, but he always chose relatively safe countries. A dangerous and mysterious country like L was very attractive to him—but he just didn’t dare to go.

So when he found out A’Dan had lived in Country L for a long time, A’Dan instantly seemed taller in his eyes. They discussed Country L’s customs, turmoil, gangs, men, and women. When A’Dan spoke of a romance he had in Country L, it fascinated Tu Wang even more.

Later, when Tu Wang returned to Country N, he kept in touch with A’Dan. When he traveled to other countries, he would send things to A’Dan. Upon coming to our country again this year, he had been staying at A’Dan’s house.

“I know I’m a very selfish person. I talk shamelessly about my friendship with A’Dan, yet the first thing I thought of when he went missing was to run away.” Tu Wang wiped his tears. “But I was really scared. I was afraid I couldn’t go back, afraid you would frame me. I thought… I thought I’d go back for a while first, and I would keep contacting A’Dan. If he came back safely, I would come to see him.”

Halfway through listening, Ling Lie’s expression became hard to read. Tu Wang naturally didn’t notice, but Ji Chenjiao did.

Tu Wang said A’Dan had lived in Country L for a long time.

Country L.

The Country L that Yu Qin went to, and the Country L where Ji Chenjiao was born.

The fake Yu Qin was dead, and the Yu Group was undergoing round after round of investigations, but the mystery of Ji Chenjiao’s origins was still hidden in that distant country.

Where did the real Yu Qin go after disappearing? Who was Yu Ge’s biological father? were they still alive?

Ji Chenjiao pressed Ling Lie’s shoulder and shook it gently. Ling Lie snapped back to reality and continued listening to Tu Wang’s account.

However, he and Ji Chenjiao soon discovered that the experiences of A’Dan in Country L, as retold by Tu Wang, were actually very general, and that romance was even vaguer. A’Dan hadn’t even named a specific city, nor did he say what work he did in Country L, yet he described his woman as someone heavenly and rare, using extremely exaggerated terms.

Tu Wang said, “That’s just what A’Dan told me. I’m not making it up.”

This didn’t count as a formal statement, and Ling Lie didn’t intend to detain Tu Wang. Tu Wang was very surprised when he learned he could go back to stay at A’Dan’s house temporarily.

“What?” Ling Lie said. “Still want me to detain you?”

Tu Wang shook his head hurriedly. “No, no, no, I was overthinking. I’ll go back right now!”

“Wait a moment, I’ll drive you.”

Being escorted by a police car made Tu Wang nervous again. Ling Lie told him that he indeed didn’t need to be detained right now, but he could not leave Xiarong City for the time being, and the police would contact him at any time.

Tu Wang didn’t dare to run around this time and repeatedly guaranteed he wouldn’t go anywhere.

“Another ‘old friend’ from Country L,” Ling Lie said. “And this ‘old friend’ went missing right at this juncture, right under our noses.”

Ji Chenjiao turned his face. “This juncture?”

Ling Lie looked him in the eye. After a moment, he suddenly raised his hand and cupped Ji Chenjiao’s cheek. “Little Ji.”

“Hm?”

“Actually, when you heard ‘Country L’ just now, your reaction was bigger than mine. You care about this juncture more than I do.”

Ji Chenjiao fell silent.

“We are investigating the juncture of ‘Floating Light’,” Ling Lie said. “In the last case, A’Dan helped out. Could he have been noticed by ‘Floating Light’ because of that?”

Ji Chenjiao said insincerely, “It’s just an ordinary missing person case.”

“Is it?” Ling Lie’s thumb rubbed against the corner of Ji Chenjiao’s eye, bringing a prickly tickle. “But your eyes say otherwise. You can’t help but care that A’Dan has been to Country L.”

Ji Chenjiao sighed and held Ling Lie’s wrist. “You see through everything.”

---

The local police station was quite shocked to learn that the Municipal Bureau’s Serious Crimes Unit wanted to take over the case of A’Dan’s disappearance. Nervous, they ran to A’Dan’s home to investigate again and conducted interviews near “Feng Shi Ju.” The neighbors all said he was a strange old man, but he never caused trouble, and they hadn’t seen him for several days.

A’Dan’s real name wasn’t Dan Yuntu, but Xing Yongdan. He wasn’t a local of Xiarong City; his hometown was a place called Jinxiang Village in the southeast mountainous area. He had lived in Xiarong City for more than ten years, always staying in the “Feng Shi Ju” area. Although his livelihood wasn’t exactly respectable, people like them could still survive in the city.

The local station couldn’t find out anything more.

The day after the Serious Crimes Unit took over the case, a falling death occurred on Guishui Road in the East District. A man fell from the roof of an eight-story building in the middle of the night, but the direct cause of death wasn’t the fall from height, but a gunshot wound to the head.

“He fell right from there! In the middle of the night, I heard a ‘bang,’ but my wife insisted someone was setting off fireworks!”

At the crime scene on Guishui Road, crowds gathered three layers deep, all talking at once about the noise they heard in the night.

The buildings on this street were relatively old, with no elevators and high density. Many people lived there, either working in nearby factories or unemployed drifters. The first wave of people leaving in the morning saw the body and the blood on the ground, shouting with a mix of horror and excitement. In moments, people from all the surrounding units rushed out. Those who were slow simply stuck their heads out of windows to look down.

The East District Branch was conducting interviews on Guishui Road. Many residents said they heard a sound, but it definitely wasn’t a gunshot; it was a dull thud. Those bold enough to step forward and look at the body said they had never seen him before and he probably wasn’t from around here.

The body was wearing a black padded jacket and dark blue trousers. His hair was grey. No identification was found on him for the time being. After the on-site investigation was completed, he was sent back to the branch for autopsy.

Cases involving firearms had to be reported to the Municipal Bureau. As soon as Ji Chenjiao saw the scene photos sent by the branch, his back went rigid.

Ling Lie had just gone to the pantry to get hot water. He hadn’t even put the lid on the thermos cup, just so he could come back and let Ji Chenjiao check it. But before he could finish saying, “Look, it’s still steaming,” he noticed Ji Chenjiao’s expression was wrong. “What’s happened?”

Ji Chenjiao silently turned the monitor screen. When Ling Lie saw the photo clearly, his hand shook, and hot water splashed out, scalding him into letting out a hiss.

Only then did Ji Chenjiao see he was holding the thermos. He hurriedly took the cup, grabbing wet wipes to cover Ling Lie’s hand. “What is wrong with you? Not putting the lid on after getting hot water?”

Ling Lie wasn’t in the mood to bicker right now. Staring at the screen, he hadn’t even pulled his hand back yet. “A’Dan is dead? A fall and a gunshot?”