"Old man Tang, we do enjoy watching, but we really can't learn it," Zhang Wei and Lu Lianxue both shook their heads. Zhang Wei noticed the disappointment hidden beneath Grandpa Tang's smile as they shook their heads.
But disappointment aside, he still smiled heartily, "Haha, it's alright. Not many people like shadow puppetry these days. It's fine if you enjoy watching. I'll perform for you. Don't worry, I don't want any money. I just ask that you watch and help me promote it, so that others who like shadow puppetry can come and see my performance."
As he spoke, he was about to put down the tools he had collected, preparing to perform for Zhang Wei and the others.
Just then.
Zhang Wei stopped him and whispered a reason to Lu Lianxue beside him, asking her to find Captain Lin Tong. After all, Grandpa Tang was the target, and having Captain Lin Tong there would make it easier to determine if he was the one they were looking for to extend his lifespan.
Life was at stake, so Lu Lianxue dared not delay. She nodded and hurried off to find Lin Tong.
As Lu Lianxue left.
Zhang Wei then looked at Grandpa Tang in front of him, picked up the photo of the symbol, and slowly said, "Old man, have you seen this symbol? I heard before that you have this symbol on your back. This symbol is related to three murder cases. You might not believe it, but the killer murdered people to borrow their lives to extend their own lifespan..."
After briefly explaining the cases, Zhang Wei asked, "So, would you mind letting me see your back?"
As he finished speaking.
Grandpa Tang was first stunned, then looked panicked, "Ah? Borrowing lives to extend lifespan? You'll be killed if you have this symbol? I have this symbol on my back? Is that true? Don't scare me, young man. Help me see if I have it."
He opened his back to show Zhang Wei.
Immediately after.
Zhang Wei saw his back. Just as the little girl had seen before, it indeed bore the symbol of the Soul Suppressing Talisman. However, if it were before, he might have thought Grandpa Tang was a victim, but after seeing the malevolent energy, the situation was different.
"Young man, do I have it on my back?" Grandpa Tang asked, still unaware of being seen through.
To this.
Zhang Wei nodded, "Yes."
"Ah? Really? Then I'm going to be killed? No, young man, you have to help... Young man, why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?"
Grandpa Tang stopped mid-sentence, his heart suddenly sinking as he noticed Zhang Wei's expression was not right.
At this very moment.
Zhang Wei's voice came, "Old man, I don't know if you are a ghost exorcist or if you accidentally obtained the method of extending life from somewhere, but I can tell you that my eyes are very special. They can see what others cannot. You have malevolent energy on you, which is the malevolent energy of the deceased from murder cases."
"Only by killing people can that kind of malevolent energy remain. So, please come with me. We have a way to determine if you are..."
Zhang Wei said.
To prevent Grandpa Tang from escaping, he slowly reached out and placed his hand on the shadow puppet box.
He could tell that Grandpa Tang truly loved his shadow puppets. If he kept his shadow puppet box, even if he ran away, he would return.
As expected.
When Grandpa Tang saw Zhang Wei's hand move towards the shadow puppet box, his kind expression changed, and he roared, "Don't touch my box!!!"
He reached out to snatch the shadow puppet box, and while doing so, he continued to scold, "You lunatic, you liar! I think you're just a liar. What murder to extend life? You just want to trick me and sell me off. I've seen human traffickers do this on TV. Get lost, believe it or not, I'll call the police..."
Before he could finish speaking.
His voice abruptly stopped, and Grandpa Tang's pupils constricted.
He saw that as he was shouting, over a dozen yellow talismans floated out of Zhang Wei's pocket. Thunder crackled on them, and as the lightning flashed, the yellow talismans near the grass scorched it. It certainly didn't look like magic.
Seeing that Zhang Wei had revealed his identity.
Grandpa Tang could no longer pretend. He hugged the shadow puppet box and ran.
His actions.
Zhang Wei had expected them. The yellow talismans around him shot out like arrows, blocking Grandpa Tang.
At the same time.
Through his actions, Zhang Wei not only confirmed that he was the killer but also determined that the old man in front of him was not a ghost exorcist, but merely someone who had stumbled upon the life-extending method. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so surprised when Zhang Wei's talismans appeared, nor would he have chosen to run instead of attacking.
These were the actions of an ordinary person encountering a ghost exorcist.
At this moment.
Grandpa Tang tightly clutched the shadow puppet box. Facing the yellow talismans surrounding him and Zhang Wei approaching, he gritted his teeth and charged towards the talismans.
"Ah!!!!"
He let out a scream, trying to break through the encirclement of the talismans with his bare body, but he was electrocuted and fell to the ground.
Even so.
He still held the shadow puppet box tightly, not even using it to block the talismans to escape. He struggled to get up, letting the wounds from the electric shocks bleed, and continued to try and run.
"Don't come near me, believe it or not, I'll shout. Help! Someone is bullying an old man! Help!!"
"Old man, stop shouting. I've placed a silencing talisman here, so no one can hear you."
"..."
Grandpa Tang fell silent upon hearing this, but he became even more frantic, continuing to charge at the talismans. Even though the talismans blasted him away repeatedly, until he felt his wounds from the electric shocks bleeding profusely and his body weakening, and until Zhang Wei walked up to him.
Only then did he realize he couldn't escape and immediately knelt before Zhang Wei, "I can't die here, I can't die here! Young man, please let me go."
"Young man, please, I can't be arrested and locked up. My lifespan is running out. If you lock me up, I won't be able to extend my life. I can't not extend my life."
"Please be kind. I know killing people was wrong, but I had no choice. I have no life left. If I don't kill, I can't extend my life."
"Young man, the people I killed were all bad people. I observed them carefully. They were all bad people, really. You check, they were all bad people. Some abandoned their wives and children, some didn't support their parents. They were all bad people."
"I, I can't die! I haven't found a successor for the shadow puppets yet."
Seeing that Zhang Wei seemed unmoved by his pleas, he quickly kowtowed to Zhang Wei, "Young man, I beg you, I didn't intend to kill people. I had no choice. I really don't want the art of shadow puppetry to be lost. This is a skill passed down by our ancestors for thousands of years, but my lifespan is almost up."
"Please let me go. As long as you let me find a successor, you can do whatever you want with me. I will turn myself in and accept my punishment."
His tearful pleas.
His head was broken and bleeding, but Grandpa Tang paid no attention. He held the shadow puppet box tightly, only begging Zhang Wei to let him go.
Zhang Wei remained silent.
Just as he was about to say something.
Perhaps sensing Zhang Wei's inability to understand, or perhaps because Grandpa Tang's blood from kowtowing dripped onto the shadow puppet box, the box sensed the emotions of Zhang Wei and Grandpa Tang.
At this moment.
An astonishing scene unfolded.
The shadow puppet box emitted a strange light.
"Gained sentience?"
Zhang Wei was astonished, recalling a piece of knowledge recorded by Longhu Mountain... all things have spirits.
It is said.
All things in heaven and earth have spirits. Even a stone, or an inconspicuous grain of sand, possesses a spirit.
This has been a folk belief since ancient times, not only in Great Xia but also abroad, with similar legends of all things having spirits. For example, in the land of Sakura, there are legends of Tsukumogami. In Japan, it is said that when an item is kept for a long time, over the accumulation of vast amounts of time, the item will gain sentience, and such things are called Tsukumogami.
In Great Xia, there are similar legends.
When an object is cherished and passed down for a long time, over the years, the object will gain sentience. For example, willow trees becoming spirits, or stones being worshipped as guardian deities, and so on.
Unexpectedly.
The shadow puppet box in front of him, under Grandpa Tang's care, had indeed given birth to sentience, just like in the legends.
At this moment.
The light enveloped them.
Under that light, Zhang Wei felt a faint plea from the shadow puppet box.
Simultaneously.
Under that light, Zhang Wei saw the memories of Grandpa Tang being transmitted by the shadow puppet box...