Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Liu Wu and I had agreed to meet in the evening. Right before I set out, I got a call from Peng You.

He knew Wang Cheng, Dashun, and the others had all fallen ill, and he was starting to panic himself. “Brother Long, I knew this job was strange, but I never thought it would be this cursed.”

“How about you just don’t go? A breach of contract is a breach of contract. I’ll figure something else out!”

“Stay out of it. I know what I’m doing.” I hung up on Peng You without another word.

I could guess that what Liu Wu wanted me to transport today had to be those seven cribs.

If I didn’t go, no one might ever find those seven beds.

By the time I arrived at Maternal and Child Hospital No. 3, Liu Wu was already waiting for me.

This time, they didn’t even bother packing the things in crates. Liu Wu simply had his men carry out the seven cribs.

The beds were all wrapped in oilcloth. Clearly, over the past twenty-six years, someone had taken great care to keep them hidden.

“You people really know how to lay your schemes in secret and let them run for miles,” I said coldly.

Liu Wu smiled and gently stroked the glossy oilcloth. “Good things should naturally be stored properly. Sooner or later, they’ll come in handy.”

Once the truck was loaded, Liu Wu personally rode along to escort the cargo.

“Mr. Long, just focus on driving. I’ve made arrangements all along the route. If anything happens, I’ll handle it.”

I didn’t refuse and let Liu Wu get in.

We slowly drove away from Maternal and Child Hospital No. 3. The old inpatient building stood alone amid the demolition site, gradually swallowed by the setting sun.

By the time our truck left the city, the sky had gone dark. At the very last instant before the sun sank completely, a red line appeared along the horizon.

“It’s coming,” I heard Liu Wu say softly.

The darkness descended almost all at once. It nearly swallowed even my headlights.

I knew today was the day when the Ghost Gate Opens, but I hadn’t expected a change this violent.

“They’re all being drawn here by what’s in our truck.”

Liu Wu took a strange-looking piece of wood from inside his coat, lit it like a candle, and set it in front of my windshield.

I instantly felt the surroundings brighten by a great deal, and even my headlights seemed to shine much farther ahead.

But the matter was far from over. Old-fashioned paper money shaped like copper coins drifted in from somewhere, striking my window in a rapid chain.

In the rearview mirror, I saw a long, thin human figure chasing after the back of my truck.

He wore a queue, like someone from the Qing dynasty, but I couldn’t make out his face.

Without thinking, I sped up. Then the whole truck jolted violently.

I could clearly feel someone walking across the roof above the cab.

Then I saw a long, thin braid slowly dangling down from the top edge of the windshield.

My hand had already closed around the Soul-Whip when, from out of nowhere, several willow branches whipped against my windshield with a sharp crack.

The thing on the roof vanished in an instant.

The strange piece of wood Liu Wu had placed in my truck burst with a spark at the same time.

Liu Wu gave a faint smile. “No need to worry, Mr. Long. The road to Ruihe is lined with willow trees. As long as I’m here, nothing can block our way.”

It seemed Liu Wu’s surname, Liu, wasn’t just for show.