"San Da, I tried it. This is clearly a Single-Person—"
Xiao Heshang had just started speaking when Xiao Sanda snapped, "Shut up! You saw it wrong. That's a Solitary Yang Prohibition Formation—meant to keep Yin-spirits from Deadly Arrays from causing trouble! If you can't talk sense, then shut your damn mouth!"
Xiao Heshang was stunned, his face turning pale as he stared blankly at Xiao Sanda, unable to say another word.
"You're the one who should shut up." Yang Xiao said coldly. "You're not bad, I'll give you that. In just a short moment, you managed to shift the formation core from me... to him." He jerked his chin in my direction.
Holy hell. I broke out in a cold sweat right then and there. From what Yang Xiao said, whoever carries the core of this array has to stay trapped in this cave—for life. For life! This was no joke. What did I ever do to deserve this?
"Old Yang, are you serious? The core's really on me?"
He didn't look away from Xiao Sanda, so I turned to Xiao Heshang instead. "Old Xiao, aren't you gonna say something?"
Just then, Sun Fatty walked over. He'd heard everything Yang Xiao said.
"Lazi, don't worry. I'll bring you food and water down here. You stay and watch over the gold. Two, three months tops. I'll go get a truck—no, better make it a container truck, safer that way..."
"Sun Fatty, screw you! Two or three months—" I was halfway through my rant when I suddenly drew my pistol. Almost at the same time, as if we shared a brain cell, Sun Fatty drew his too.
We both pointed our guns at Xiao Sanda's head and shouted in unison:
"Undo the core—NOW!"
Xiao Heshang quickly stepped forward and pushed down my gun.
"Lazi, both of you, put your guns down. No matter what, Xiao Sanda used to be..."
"He's full of crap!" I shouted. "Old Xiao, are you going blind? The Soul-Guiding Lanterns outside the Gate of Life and Death—those are for controlling ghosts, aren't they? I've never seen them before, but I know how they work. Wherever the lamp mouths point, that's where the spirits go. Now tell me, were those lamp mouths facing in or out? And a few days ago during that River Opera, how did the Yin energy suddenly condense into fog? Why did people keep dying one after another? If it wasn't him, then who the hell was it?"
As I finished, Xiao Heshang's face went even paler. He'd already sensed something was off when he saw the Soul-Guiding Lanterns, but hadn't thought it through until now.
He glanced at Xiao Sanda, hesitated for a moment, then asked quietly,
"San Da... did you do what happened above?"
Xiao Sanda had been watching Yang Xiao with a blank expression this whole time. Even when Sun Fatty and I had two guns aimed at his head, he didn't flinch. But when Xiao Heshang asked that question, his expression finally changed.
He turned to Xiao Heshang and said coldly,
"I've harmed gods and ghosts—but have I ever harmed you? If it weren't for me, how many times would you have died back in the Special Case Handling Office? Would you even be here today..."
At first, Sun Fatty and I thought he was about to start a fight, but before we could react, Xiao Sanda suddenly spun around and spat a fireball straight at Yang Xiao.
We'd seen this move before—he and I had taken a shot at it earlier. It was practically the Bureau's (well, the former Special Case Handling Office's) signature move now.
If it had been Sun Fatty or me, hit from that distance with a fireball that fast, we'd probably be toast. But Yang Xiao was... well, Yang Xiao. Back when we tried to ambush him on the fifteenth floor of the Qilin Building, two guns at once couldn't even catch him off guard. It was like the guy was always ready for someone to jump him.
As the fireball flew toward his face, he moved like he'd anticipated it all along—he threw out a fist and punched the fireball.
With a crack, the fireball shattered into dozens of smaller ones, which rolled along the ground before flickering out into ash.
"Is that all you've got? I'm disappointed." Yang Xiao sneered.
That line sounded oddly familiar. I turned to Dasheng and asked,
"Hey, doesn't that sound like something someone else said before?"
"Lazi, you really can't tell?" Sun Fatty glanced at me and said with absolute certainty,
"Wu Rendi!"
Those two really were cut from the same cloth.
"Disappointed?" Xiao Sanda gave a faint smile. "That was just the appetizer. Here comes the main course! Come forth—Frozen Colossus!"
As Xiao Sanda roared, a towering, monstrous "person" stormed into the cave from outside.
It immediately wrapped its arms around Yang Xiao and lifted him into the air—one hand gripping his arm, the other grabbing his leg, as if it was about to rip him in half.
What else could it be but the Frozen Colossus, that monstrous corpse we saw earlier?
Seeing Yang Xiao pinned down, Xiao Sanda let out a string of eerie laughs.
"You folks have fun—I'm out of here. Hahaha..."
Turns out, while he'd been stalling Yang Xiao, Xiao Sanda had already used a ghost-commanding spell to locate the Frozen Colossus. He burned through his own vitality to lure the creature here.
To keep Yang Xiao from hearing the creature's footsteps, he even threw out that fireball as a distraction, masking the noise.
In the end, Yang Xiao still took a direct hit from the beast.
"You're laughing too soon! Leave? You're staying right here!"
I raised my gun to shoot, but Sun Fatty yelled from behind me,
"Don't shoot the vitals—go for the legs!"
I immediately understood what he meant—if I killed Xiao Sanda with a headshot, the formation core tied to my body might never be lifted. I really would be stuck down here for life.
Crack!
The bullet landed squarely in Xiao Sanda's leg. Unexpectedly, he just staggered a bit, gritted his teeth, and dashed out of the cavern, disappearing into the Life Gate passage without even looking back.
I was about to fire a second shot when Yang Xiao, still hoisted midair by the Frozen Colossus, shouted, "Forget him! Come help me down!"
That moment of hesitation was all it took—Xiao Sanda was gone.
I chased to the mouth of the cave but couldn't step out—an invisible wall blocked my way. I really couldn't get out.
Yang Xiao added, "No point chasing him. Even if you catch him, it won't help. Get over here and help me kill this thing."
The moment the Frozen Colossus picked him up, it had intended to tear him in half. But Yang Xiao's body was incredibly tough—the monster couldn't do a thing to him.
I exchanged a glance with Fatty Sun. Getting him down wasn't the issue. But considering his goal was to capture the two of us, it would actually be best for us if he and the Frozen Colossus ended up destroying each other.
"I have to get down if you want to get out alive! Hurry!" Yang Xiao played his trump card.
I had no choice but to take a deep breath and walk toward the Frozen Colossus, drawing the short sword as I moved.
The creature's eyes never left the blade in my hand. As soon as I approached, it suddenly hurled Yang Xiao straight at me. I dodged just in time, but Yang Xiao wasn't so lucky—he landed hard on a pile of gold ingots, rolled a bit, then managed to get back on his feet.
I continued toward the monster, short sword in hand. The Frozen Colossus watched the blade, a look of fear surfacing on its face. It let out a series of guttural howls.
"Stay back! I don't need your help with this thing." Yang Xiao strode over, face cold. He glanced at my short sword and gave a mocking chuckle.
"Didn't think you had something that nice," he sneered, pushing me aside and stepping up to the Frozen Colossus.
Clearly, Yang Xiao was pissed that I'd just stood by earlier. But considering we were on opposing sides—and he still had use for me and Fatty—he couldn't do much to us for now.
The Frozen Colossus was a different story. Under Xiao Sanda's control, it had ambushed and subdued Yang Xiao. And given that Yang Xiao was an expert at controlling spirits, getting taken down by a corpse like this was a massive humiliation. Even if Xiao Sanda escaped today, he wasn't letting the Frozen Colossus go—it had to die, body and soul.
The monster seemed to sense Yang Xiao's intent. But with the short sword no longer right in front of it, the immediate threat was gone. And Yang Xiao? Still potentially beatable.
The Frozen Colossus growled low at Yang Xiao.
Before it could make a move, Yang Xiao struck. He made a grasping motion with his right hand—sparks flashed in the air. Five fireballs the size of ping-pong balls burst from his palm. With a flick of his left index finger, he shot one straight at the creature.
The chamber was too small for the Frozen Colossus to leap aside like before. The fireball flew fast and struck its left shoulder directly.
I'd thought Yang Xiao's fireballs looked feeble—flickering and tiny, like they'd go out with a puff. But when the fireball hit, it bored deep into the flesh. In just a blink, it had burned a translucent hole clean through the shoulder. Flames licked around the wound and spread rapidly outward.
The monster howled in agony, stumbling back, slapping at the fire. But the more it slapped, the worse it got. Finally, its entire left arm burned off at the root before the flames died down.
And that was just the beginning.
Yang Xiao launched the second fireball. Then the third. The fourth.
One after another, they slammed into the remaining limbs. Within seconds, the Frozen Colossus was nothing but a massive, blue-tinged head rolling on the floor, wailing pitifully.
Cold sweat soaked my back. I remembered the time I'd actually fired at Yang Xiao on the rooftop of that fifteen-story building. Just thinking about it now terrified me. Back then, under Wu Rendi's presence, I hadn't even registered Yang Xiao as a threat. I'd even believed—with Wu Rendi's sword in hand—I might have a chance against him.
Now I realized how foolish that was. I'd been a frog at the bottom of a well. Good thing Yang Xiao didn't retaliate that day.
The Frozen Colossus writhed on the ground, its lone head letting out mournful cries. Yang Xiao stared at it coldly, the corners of his lips twitching into a subtle smirk.
There was something disturbing about how much he seemed to enjoy this.
It was Fatty Sun who finally spoke up.
"Hey… maybe just finish it off already. Gives me the creeps.
"Not to nitpick, but did you forget about Xiao Sanda? If we don't get him back, Lazhi's stuck here forever. I'm guessing you plan to hand over Wu Rendi's location here, right?"
Yang Xiao's eye twitched. He launched the last fireball directly at the creature's head. The flame took hold, and he turned on his heel and darted out of the cave, chasing after Xiao Sanda's escape route.
Chief Xiong had been stunned into silence ever since we entered. Only when Yang Xiao's figure disappeared into the darkness did he snap out of it and ask Monk Xiao, "Master Xiao… what the hell is going on here?"
Monk Xiao let out a sigh. "Don't ask. Knowing too much is a curse."
I looked at the dazed monk. "Old Xiao, what now? If we never catch Xiao Sanda, am I just stuck in here forever?"
Before he could answer, a mocking voice came from deep within the piles of gold ingots.
"Catch me? Maybe in your next life."
We turned to see none other than Xiao Sanda. All four of us in the cave jumped.
Monk Xiao was the first to react.
"Sanda, that earlier escape—was it an illusion?"
Xiao Sanda gave him a cold glare, none of the warmth from their reunion moments earlier. Only a trace of killing intent remained in his eyes.
"An illusion?" he said with a sneer. "What a waste your decades in the Bureau turned out to be. Can't even tell the difference between illusion and reality?"
Monk Xiao tried to reply, but Fatty and I instinctively pulled him back a few steps.
I kept my hand on my gun and said coolly, "Xiao Sanda, what are you doing back? Grew a conscience? Planning to remove the Formation Trigger from me?"
Fatty added, "If you're gonna remove the Formation Trigger, do it now. Not saying anything, but Yang Xiao's out there looking for you. He'll be back sooner or later. If you want to do this, you better move fast—show some goodwill…"
Fatty didn't get to finish.
Xiao Sanda suddenly let out a burst of wild laughter, cutting him off.
"Yang Xiao? Let's see if he even survives. You think getting out of here means you're safe?"
Monk Xiao's face changed. "You reversed the Death and Life paths? How did you manage that?"
Xiao Sanda smiled and nodded. "Just now figuring that out? Why do you think they created a Single-Person Formation here in the first place? You don't actually believe it was just to guard the gold, do you?"
As he spoke, he dragged out a desiccated corpse from the gold pile.
"Come, meet the original guardian of the Single-Person Formation—Wang Huayi, last Imperial Preceptor of the Great Jin Dynasty, and a disgraced disciple of the Quanzhen Sect. He was the real master of all the formations around here."
He tossed the corpse at our feet.
"Believe it or not, when I first arrived, the Formation was still dormant. This 800-year-old body still showed signs of life. He had a silk scroll tucked on him, full of his life's insights into Taoist arts and metaphysics—including deep research into formation theory. The Death and Life path outside? His doing. Reversing it wasn't even that hard."
As Xiao Sanda rambled on, a sense of dread settled over me.
I didn't believe Yang Xiao would go down that easily, but still, I instinctively flicked off the safety on my gun.
I glanced at Fatty. His hands were behind his back—but I could see he'd already drawn his pistol.
"These things are just appetizers. What really caught my eye on that scroll was a forbidden technique: using a living soul to nourish the living."
He paused, scanning the four of us, and settled his eyes on Chief Xiong.
"The rest of you—well, we go way back. But you… you're just a bystander. That makes this easier. Let's start with you."
Chief Xiong wasn't clueless. He'd seen too many bizarre things since falling into this trap.
He might not have fully understood what Xiao Sanda meant, but one thing was clear—his soul was next on the menu.
He didn't hesitate. Whipped out his old-issue pistol and emptied it into Xiao Sanda's skull.
When the shots ended, Xiao Sanda lay on the floor, blood and white matter pooling around his head.
He was dead.
It was almost comical.
The four of us just stood there, stunned.
I had expected Xiao Sanda to pull something extraordinary—maybe he'd be immune to bullets or something. He was a former Bureau veteran, after all. Surely he had a backup plan?
When Chief Xiong fired, I even thought for a second he might be the one who'd die. He looked so grim, like a warrior heading into certain death.
But there lay Xiao Sanda. What the hell was this—suicide?
Fatty was baffled too. He turned to Monk Xiao.
"What's this supposed to mean, huh? Got out clean, and then comes running back here to die? Thirty years down here messed with his head?"
Monk Xiao's eyes were red. He froze when he heard that.
"Fatty… what did you just say? Say that again."
Fatty assumed Monk Xiao was just emotional over his old friend's death. "Come on, don't take it too hard, he's—"
"Shut up and listen!"
Monk Xiao suddenly roared, grabbing Fatty by the collar.
"Say it again!"
"I said… he got out already. Then came running back here to die? Thirty years down here made him nuts?"
"That's it! Came running back to die!"
Monk Xiao's face shifted. He turned and shouted,
"Chief Xiong! Get away from there—get over here, now!"
His words were rushed and unclear.
Chief Xiong frowned. "Master Xiao, slow down—"
Before he could finish, small holes suddenly appeared across his face and forehead. Blood and brain matter sprayed out. He collapsed to the ground, twitched a few times, and died.
I was frozen in shock.
From the wounds, it looked like he'd been shot.
But from the inside out—how was that even possible?
"Xiao Sanda," Monk Xiao said weakly, "stop playing dead."
He looked down at the body.
"Enough with the theatrics. I was there in '75. If you keep pretending, I'll make sure you die for real this time."
Geh geh geh geh…
The "corpse" on the ground let out an inhuman cackle.
Then, it moved—stood up.
The bullet holes on his face were gone.
His previously white beard had turned darker.
He looked at Monk Xiao and grinned grotesquely.
"I forgot," he said. "You were involved in that incident too.
I thought I got away with it clean."