Chapter 121: The Fearless Hero

Waking from a deep sleep, it was already late at night, less than three hours before Lord Wei's notification for Ye Dong's assembly.

“Brother Dong, eat more!” Da Chun placed a large piece of meat into Ye Dong’s bowl with a reminder, “Finish this!”

“I’ve already eaten a lot. If each of you gives me a piece, I’m going to burst!”

“Bad luck! Nonsense!”

Xiao Bao tapped Ye Dong on the head. “Don’t say such unlucky things just before departure!”

“Exactly, it’s not lucky at all. Do you really want Huiyan to worry?” Liang Lingzhi chuckled mischievously. “Right, Huiyan?”

Sitting beside Ye Dong, Huiyan’s cheeks flushed red as she stammered, “I don’t even know what you’re talking about, it’s so boring.”

“Chatting with us is dull, but chatting alone with Ye Dong is a lot more fun, isn’t it?” Da Chun teased Huiyan. “Right, sister-in-law?”

Seeing Huiyan so flustered and shy, Nian Xue couldn’t bear it any longer and spoke up to rescue her, “Oh, you guys are too much.”

“When Nian Xue was in the ambulance, there was a monkey crying buckets—who was that?” Xiao Bao grinned slyly, shifting the topic to Nian Xue.

“Hey, hey, how did this end up on us?” Liang Lingzhi grabbed a piece of meat and stuffed it into Xiao Bao’s mouth. “Eat, eat, see if I can shut your big mouth!”

Watching them horse around, Officer Li and Chen Yao merely sipped their drinks and chatted quietly, without a word of reprimand.

In truth, everyone knew that after this meal, each of them would be stepping one foot into the gates of hell. So they treasured every moment of laughter, every chance to see each other.

“Master, can we have a drink with you tonight?” Ye Dong looked across the table at Chen Yao, his expression tinged with sadness.

“Hmm, tonight we drink wine, no tea.”

Chen Yao smiled faintly and handed a cup to Ye Dong. “Come, all of you brothers, drink with your master. Since you joined, none of you have shared a drink with me yet.”

The brothers exchanged smiles—some nostalgic, some shy.

Officer Li laughed heartily, “Then let me have a drink with everyone. Everyone here can drink!”

The crowd put down their chopsticks, the once lively banquet suddenly quieted.

The exchange between master and disciples was simple and unadorned—no golden words, no earnest teachings, no stirring speeches.

Yet why were tears glistening in everyone’s eyes?

Ye Dong knew this was the care between teacher and student, the bond forged in life-and-death battles among comrades—a responsibility and a mission, hope and love weaving them tightly together. Though darkness ruled by demons lay ahead, they would move forward fearlessly. In that chaos, each person could become a beacon, igniting their own life’s light to illuminate their companions, for they believed that at the end of darkness awaited light, justice, and hope.

As the eldest brother, Zi Long poured a small cup of wine for each junior brother and friend. Xiao Wang and Xiao Yang poured for the accompanying SWAT officers. All stood together, raising their glasses toward Chen Yao and Officer Li.

“To this cup of wine, to you who love and help each other, who fight for the light! Justice will prevail!”

Officer Li laughed loudly and drained his cup.

“To this cup of wine, to you who love and help each other, who fight for the light! Justice will prevail!” Everyone echoed in unison, downing their warm wine.

When the cups were empty, Officer Li and Chen Yao exchanged smiles. “Keep eating, everyone. When we return, we’ll drink heartily again!”

Chen Yao nodded with satisfaction at his devoted disciples. “After drinking with your master, you’re officially grown up!”

“Thank you, Master!” Ye Dong and the others expressed their gratitude in unison, wiping away tears and resuming their meal.

---

“I wonder if Ye Dong has reached that ancient tomb yet,” Wan Huiyan leaned against the windowsill, worry etched on her face, her eyes reddening unexpectedly.

“Silly child,” Nian Xue gently smoothed her hair, soothing her, “Ye Dong is a lucky man with heaven’s protection. He’ll surely turn misfortune into fortune. He made it through the Guangqi ordeal; don’t fret too much.”

“That may be, but I still long for him deeply.” Huiyan rested on Nian Xue’s shoulder, tears slipping down despite her efforts to hold them back.

“Don’t I worry about him too, you know?” Nian Xue smiled wryly. “But as a police officer, you understand—some things we must do. That’s the sacred duty of both police and cultivators alike.”

Huiyan nodded. “Maybe I’m usually so tough that now, in this moment, I become a little woman.”

“What’s wrong with being a little woman?” Nian Xue smiled gently. “Once Ye Dong and the others have grown, I want to open a small bar and live a life I love.”

“Is that your dream?”

Nian Xue nodded, smiling. “Isn’t it a bit unambitious? I want to be the owner of a small bar—not too big, not to make much money, but a place where good friends can come when they’re tired, drink freely without worries, share their hearts with me, listen to music. Plus, the stories of many strangers are quite interesting.”

Hearing Nian Xue’s dream, Huiyan was slightly taken aback. “I never thought the willful and stubborn Nian Xue would have such thoughts. These must be the dreams of those who have weathered great storms, right?”

“And you? What’s your dream?” Nian Xue gently stroked Huiyan’s dark hair. “Will you share it with me?”

“My dream?”

Huiyan paused, blinking, then smiled wryly. “Of course, to catch all the bad guys in the world.”

“That’s your strong woman’s dream, your duty,” Nian Xue smiled softly. “But what about your little woman’s dream?”

“A little woman’s dream? I never really thought about that before,” Huiyan murmured. “But now, I think I have one.”

“I want to open a flower-themed café,”

Huiyan seemed shy, gazing out the window. “I want to see the unique smiles of couples in the café.”

“Looks like our little dreams differ greatly from our professions,” Nian Xue nodded, standing by the window to gaze at the dark, tranquil night sky.

Tonight’s night was especially black, the wind stronger than usual, even the evening crickets unusually quiet.

“Junior pays respects to Master.”

With Lord Wei guiding him, Ye Dong finally stood before Huang Wuchang.

Unlike the Huang Wuchang Ye Dong had met before, tonight Huang Wuchang wore a Taoist robe of yellow and black with the Eight Trigrams pattern, a matching hat, wielded an ancient coin sword, had a flute at his waist, and a pitch-black gourd tied behind him. Judging by his stance and the triumphant expression on his face, he was well prepared.

“You’ve arrived?”

Huang Wuchang nodded and narrowed his eyes at Ye Dong, surprised. “This kid’s only been gone two days, but he seems much more mature.”

Alert, Huang Wuchang’s mystical eyes instinctively scanned Ye Dong but found nothing amiss and retracted them. “He Wei, take him to Lixing to prepare the equipment.”

“Yes, Master.”

Lord Wei smiled respectfully and led Ye Dong and several similarly dressed men toward Lixing.

“Huang Wuchang used his mystical eyes on me just now, didn’t he?” Ye Dong’s heart quickened. “Luckily, Master taught me this sealing technique; otherwise, getting exposed would be troublesome.”

“Tian Ge, this time you can’t mess around like last time,” Lord Wei warned as they walked. “Master doesn’t allow anyone to challenge his authority. If you act recklessly, you’ll lose your life.”

“Looks like they’re all afraid I’ll cause trouble.”

Ye Dong sneered coldly. “Lord Wei, don’t really think I’m crazy. I know what I’m doing. You’re just worried I’ll mess things up and drag you down, right?”

“You talk as if we’re the same,” Lord Wei shook his head, smiling. “Anyway, just follow orders.”

A figure emerged from beside them, tightly wrapped in a black cloth. It was Lixing, looking fierce.

“Tian Ge, right on time.”

Seeing He Wentian arrive, Lixing smirked and handed Ye Dong a stack of yellow talismans and a small jar. “Take these talismans and black dog’s blood. The talismans can ward off ghosts, the black dog’s blood will save your life in critical moments. Don’t lose them!”

“What nonsense.”

Ye Dong accepted the items and teased, “If ghosts show up, we just spray them with bullets, right?”

“Tian Ge, there are many things in this world that bullets and other ‘dead things’ can’t fix.”

Lixing grinned slyly and gestured to a dozen or so men behind him.

“Oh? These are the helpers you’ve called in? Looks pretty formidable.”

Ye Dong calculated silently. Lord Wei had several Taoists backing him, plus Lixing’s men—at least twenty people, and with Le Cheng’s group, about thirty.

They were led by a tall, strong man similarly dressed as Lixing. Though their expressions varied, one thing was certain—every one of them bore a face full of hostility.

“Who are they?” Ye Dong asked bluntly, as He Wentian always was.

Lixing smiled. “They’re helpers we hired from the underworld, each highly skilled and experienced.”

“Oh?”

Ye Dong feigned surprise. “Even you guys need to hire help? This must be a big deal!”

“Master doesn’t care about any deals!”

Le Cheng stepped out from another side with a grin. Wearing a yellow robe, he was followed by four Taoists. Though serious-faced, Ye Dong, familiar with cultivation, could tell these men were cunning.

“Outer eye corners pulled, mouth corners downturned, face bones close to eyes,”

Ye Dong despised them inwardly. “Not a single good person. These scoundrels are ugly enough to prove the old saying ‘birds of a feather flock together.’”

He asked directly, “What does Master really care about?”

Lord Wei and the others exchanged smiles but didn’t answer. Instead, they quietly warned, “Don’t ask what you shouldn’t; if you don’t, we won’t answer. That way, there’ll be no surprises.”

“Hmph, all smoke and mirrors!”

Ye Dong snorted and asked again, “Who else is going in with us?”

Lord Wei sneered and pulled aside the black cloth, revealing several cages. “Them.”