Chapter 127: The World Is Not Worth It [2]

The major case at Fengmen Village took a full two days to investigate. Once concluded, Yan Yu and the others were permitted to return to the city.

For the return journey, Yan Yu accepted Wang Mo’s invitation to ride back to Rongcheng in a police car. The road was winding, but thankfully, there was no repeat of the torrential rain, and they passed the Rongli Bridge safely. Chen Chuandong was driving, and Wang Mo sat in the passenger seat. The window was half-open, and Wang Mo held a cigarette between his fingers, though he did not take a single puff for a long time.

Yan Yu sat in the back, feeling somewhat uneasy. Wang Mo had specifically requested he ride in this car, clearly intending to speak with him.

"Yan Yu, do you think Wang Yong forced Zhang Weiwei to find him another wife because she was infertile?" Wang Mo suddenly asked.

Yan Yu nodded. "That’s what Wang Fugui said himself."

"The forensic examination of Zhang Weiwei's body confirmed that her reproductive system was perfectly healthy," Wang Mo said in a low voice.

Yan Yu was stunned. "Captain Wang, are you saying the problem was with Wang Yong?"

Wang Mo nodded. "We checked their medical records and found that none of the three had ever visited a hospital for a check-up."

"Then how did they know Zhang Weiwei was infertile?" Yan Yu asked.

Wang Mo finally took a drag of his cigarette, though his throat seemed to grow even more bitter. "The coroner just informed me that both Wang Yong and Wang Fugui are infertile. Furthermore, they found Wang Fugui’s... inside Zhang Weiwei’s body."

Yan Yu fell silent. To verify if the problem lay with Zhang Weiwei, Wang Fugui had personally experimented... and when it turned out that both father and son were the ones with the issue, they had blamed Zhang Weiwei instead. Beneath the skin of that old man, who leaned on a cane and could barely walk, hid a human heart that would chill even a ghost.

What kind of hell was this? Yan Yu had often seen the phrase "the human world is not worth it" online lately. Most people used it as a form of self-deprecation or amusement, never imagining that for some, it was a harrowing reality.

"Wang Yong isn't Wang Fugui’s son either. The villagers confessed that Wang Fugui’s wife was also bought, but she fled Fengmen Village after giving birth to Wang Yong. It’s highly likely Wang Yong was conceived before she was even trafficked."

"Buying wives seems to have become a custom in Fengmen Village. Of the hundred-odd households in the village, more than half the women were bought from elsewhere. The villagers force them to bear children, making them too attached to their offspring to leave, until they eventually resign themselves to staying in Fengmen Village. By the time the children grow up, these women join in the ranks of buying wives for their own sons."

"The late Butcher Li’s wife was trafficked to Fengmen Village at fifteen. She doesn't remember where her home is, so even now, with no one left to threaten or oppress her, she has nowhere to go but to remain in Fengmen Village."

Chen Chuandong suddenly slammed his fist against the steering wheel, causing the police car’s horn to blare in a long, mournful wail. The cigarette in Wang Mo’s hand had burned to the filter; he tossed it into the ashtray and lit another.

"You will handle this, won't you?" Yan Yu asked, looking at the police cap resting in front and the badge upon it.

"We will. It is our duty."

A long silence followed.

"Yan Yu," Wang Mo suddenly spoke, "you’ve only been in Rongcheng for a little over a month, yet you’ve coincidentally appeared at the scenes of two major cases, and in both, you were a key figure. Isn't that a bit too coincidental?"

Yan Yu pulled himself together and smiled faintly. "Just a coincidence."

"There won't be a third time, will there?"

"That depends on fate." Yan Yu pointed toward the sky.

Wang Mo nodded and handed a business card to Yan Yu. "My contact information is on there. Once you're back in Rongcheng, if you need any help, contact me directly. It’s faster than going through the command center."

Yan Yu teased, "Captain Wang, you don't think I’m a jinx, do you? Hoping that by sticking with me, you’ll earn more merits?"

"If I could, I’d hope our line of work could have a holiday every day."

The world had indeed changed. In the old days, pharmacies hung couplets that read, "May there be no illness among the people; even if it means dust gathers on the medicine bottles." Nowadays, outside pharmacies, the signs read, "Spend 38 yuan and get 6 eggs free" or "Buy three boxes, get one free."

Wang Mo dropped Yan Yu off at the entrance of Xinghua Residential Complex. Not long after they left, Lin Xuan was returned as well. Lin Xuan’s expression was sour, looking much like a man whose freshly bought ice cream had just plopped onto the ground.

"Master, what happened?" Yan Yu asked, fearing Lin Xuan’s appendix was still acting up.

Lin Xuan said in utter frustration, "My Ghost Blade... that guy named Wang Mo confiscated it."

"Pfft..."

Yan Yu understood why Lin Xuan was so depressed. That Ghost Blade had cost him a great deal of effort to forge, and he hadn't even had the chance to use it properly.

"If the blade wasn't sharpened, fine, but how am I supposed to deal with monsters without a sharp edge? What a waste of a treasure! Sigh, it’s getting harder and harder to make a living in our line of work. Even catching ghosts has to comply with the core socialist values now..."

Yan Yu pointed to a street stall. "Two pots?"

"Deal!"

Mentioning alcohol perked Lin Xuan up. The two entered the stall, sat down, and immediately ordered two bottles of spirits. Three cups in, Lin Xuan pulled Yan Yu closer. "You brat, that Ghost Blade wasn't easy to come by. A treasure like that can't just go to waste. Build a relationship with that Wang Mo and find a chance to get it back."

"How much will you pay me?" Yan Yu asked.

"We’re master and apprentice, and you’re talking about money?!" Lin Xuan glared at him, then added, "Forget it. I have other things to attend to, and I might not be back in Rongcheng for a while. If you manage to get the blade back, just keep it and use it yourself."

"What are you going to do?"

"Why does a little brat need to know so much? Drink!"

Yan Yu picked at the side dishes. Zhao Qingqing drifted out, lured by the scent of the wine, and sat obediently to the side.

"Master, what was the deal with that Lone Crow earlier?"

Lin Xuan drank half a cup, grimacing. "He’s one of the ten most notorious villains of the Ghost Valley Sect. His strength is roughly at the Black-Clothed level. His most dangerous skill is controlling scarecrows in battle. Years ago, he offended a master in the Miao region and was cursed; if he speaks, his intestines will rot and he’ll die. The guy was ruthless—he stitched his own mouth shut and learned ventriloquism instead."

Black-Clothed level?

Yan Yu felt a bit more balanced. The massive gap in strength he’d felt when facing Lone Crow had been demoralizing, but knowing the man was at that level, he felt relieved.

Lin Xuan continued, "Your current strength is likely between the Blue-Clothed and Red-Clothed levels. To last that long against Lone Crow was quite impressive. By the way, did you reach an agreement with the Qilin Arm?"

Yan Yu rubbed his left arm and nodded. "It seems so."