Once again, with Wang Jun holding a gun to my head, I felt my whole body tremble.
It wasn't from fear, but from anger.
Being held at gunpoint by the same person twice in one day.
And being threatened like that, even a saint would lose their temper.
"Wang Jun, do you really think I'm easy to bully?"
My voice was icy as I slowly turned around to face Wang Jun.
Wang Jun was startled by my cold demeanor, but then his anger flared.
"You little brat, you think you're getting away with this? If there wasn't something wrong with the corpse you found, would I have sold it to Fang Huixin? Now, none of us are getting out of here alive, not to mention Old Li..."
Wang Jun, full of rage, raised the butt of his gun, ready to strike me. But as soon as he mentioned Old Li, he lowered the gun, appearing utterly dejected and depressed.
It was as if that Old Li possessed some immense power.
Truth be told, Wang Jun's predicament wasn't entirely my fault.
It was Sun Chuang who broke my rules, forcing me to face the main party directly. Otherwise, none of this would have happened.
But ultimately, it's still my own lack of skill. If my master were here, he wouldn't have been controlled by Sui Wan'er.
"Enough, you're a tomb raider, a man through and through. You shouldn't be so terrified of an old man like that?"
My words only made Wang Jun jump up from the ground like a startled rabbit.
"What do you know? Do you know who he is? Let me tell you, if the items aren't found, neither of us will get out of this village alive."
Wang Jun's eyes were bloodshot, like a hungry wolf ready to devour someone, and he glared at me fiercely.
"Tch, is it really that exaggerated?"
Though I scoffed, my heart was also pounding.
"Exaggerated?" Wang Jun looked at me with disdain and said, "Let me tell you, in this Mo Lu Village, most of the old artifacts and antiques are identified by Old Li. And do you really think Fang Huixin is just an ordinary woman? I can't be bothered to talk to you anymore."
I had hoped to get more information out of Wang Jun, but he gave me no such opportunity.
"I'll find another old corpse. As for Fang Huixin's daughter's matter, that's your problem. If you have the guts to arrange a ghost marriage, then see it through!"
Watching Wang Jun leave with his men, I felt a million horses stampeding through my mind.
What in the world was this all about?
I didn't make any money, and instead, I've gotten myself into a pile of trouble.
Fang Huixin had blamed me entirely for losing her daughter's corpse.
From what I heard from Wang Jun, that Old Li was no ordinary person either. It seemed that in this corner of Mo Lu Village, he was quite a powerful figure.
If I wanted to leave Mo Lu Village, I had to find Fang Huixin's daughter's corpse. But right now, I had no clue where to start.
Even if I wanted to run, my pockets were emptier than my face.
Now, truly, money makes the world go 'round, or rather, the lack of it makes a hero falter.
I called Sun Chuang again, but only heard the automated voice saying, "The phone is switched off."
I thought about calling my master.
But then I remembered that my master always valued money more than his life. If I asked him for money, wouldn't I be scolded to death?
Helpless, I had to return to my temporary lodging.
All day long, I didn't see Zhang Dabiao or Sun Chuang return.
By evening, however, someone did arrive.
When I saw him, I realized it was the father of the groom for Fang Huixin's daughter's ghost marriage.
Zhao Defu's face lit up with excitement upon seeing me. "Little Master, I've finally found you."
I was taken aback. What did he want with me?
"My son, my son is missing."
"Your son is missing, you call the police, you look for me... What did you say? Your son is missing?"
Zhao Defu's words sent a jolt through me.
"When did this happen?"
"Just now..."
Then Zhao Defu began to explain.
It turned out that last night, after Zhao Defu took his son's corpse back, he immediately found people to make a coffin and prepared to bury it today.
Because his son had died a violent death, he couldn't be buried during the day; it had to be done at dusk.
Just as everything was ready and they were about to place the coffin lid,
Zhao Defu's wife insisted on seeing her son one last time. But when she looked into the coffin, the person was gone.
"At that moment, my wife fainted after hearing a faint sound."
"Last night, you said I could come to you if I had any trouble, so as soon as I discovered something was wrong, I came!"
Zhao Defu's words plunged me into thought.
If Sui Wan'er's remains had gone missing, it might be possible that someone stole them, as she was an antique and could fetch a good price.
But why would anyone steal Zhao Defu's son's corpse?
Seeing me silent for a long time, Zhao Defu quickly added, "Little Master, can the corpse still be found? Was it taken by that... that shapeshifting woman?"
I shook my head. "That's impossible, I injured that woman, and moreover..."
I stopped myself mid-sentence.
Although Sui Wan'er was injured, it didn't mean she was incapable of doing anything.
Another point was that from Old Li's expression, it was clear he had orchestrated the ghost marriage for Fang Huixin's daughter. If he was the one pulling the strings behind all this, then it was highly likely that the corpses were in their possession.
Seeing my prolonged silence and furrowed brow, Zhao Defu gritted his teeth. "Little Master, if you can find my son's corpse, I'll give you fifty thousand yuan."
Seeing my hesitation, he continued, "I'll pay a deposit of ten thousand first, and the rest will be settled once it's found."
I looked at Zhao Defu's determined eyes and knew he was scared.
Last night, I had said that his son was suitable for a solitary burial, which could ensure the peace of the household.
Now that the corpse was missing, and having witnessed Fang Huixin's daughter's reanimation, he had likely connected the two events.
At this moment, I wanted to leave, but I had no money. Moreover, Wang Jun and Fang Huixin wouldn't let me leave easily. So, after some consideration, I decided to help Zhao Defu find his son's body first.
Otherwise, if I could leave but found myself penniless, it would be quite awkward.
When we arrived at Zhao Defu's house, I found that all his friends and relatives had left, leaving only his wife, who was sobbing in the courtyard.
As soon as I entered the courtyard, Zhao Defu's wife treated me like a lifesaver.
"Little Master, I know you are a man of great ability. You must find my son!"
"Wuwu... why is my life so bitter? I only have this one son and then..."
As she cried, her eyes rolled back, and she fainted.
"Wife..."
Zhao Defu rushed forward to support her, tears streaming down his face.
"Wife, don't scare me. The son is gone, and if you leave too, how can I go on living!"
Although the tragedy unfolding before me wasn't happening to me, I had experienced something similar.
I quickly stepped forward and pinched her philtrum.
After reviving Zhao Defu's wife, I comforted her a couple of times, then asked for one of her son's clothes.
Although I had seen Zhao Defu's son's birth date, I hadn't seen his face, so I couldn't determine the location of his corpse.
Therefore, I could only search using the Yin Seeking Incantation.