Chapter 7: Li Lan

Thailand and China have a one-hour time difference, and when the flight landed, it was just past noon—twelve o’clock, right in the middle of the day.

After collecting their checked luggage, Dong Ye said he would take Xu Dan home first. After all, Xu Dan had only been discharged from the hospital the night before and was still in poor shape overall, so they parted ways.

“We’ll head out first. You… honestly, after you get back, you should find a major temple or Taoist shrine and have a look. Getting entangled in something like this isn’t the kind of thing the police can solve.”

Qi Yan let out a long sigh, saying little else, and waved his hand, “Go on, get her home to rest. Let’s check in once we’re all safe, and… be careful these next few days. Even though we’re back home, I can’t shake the fear.”

“Goodbye, and you take care too!” Xu Dan, leaning against Dong Ye’s shoulder, said her own farewell, and the two of them hailed a taxi outside the airport.

Fortunately, the journey home was uneventful, with no further anomalies.

But Qi Yan was still restless, his mind adrift. Though he’d made it back safely, was this nightmare really over?

He wasn’t even sure where to go; returning to his rented apartment meant being alone again…

Feeling agitated, he reached into his pocket for his phone, but his fingers brushed against a familiar shape.

His expression changed instantly, and he stared for a long moment before slowly pulling the object out.

“How can this…” Qi Yan had no words for his feelings. It had been thrown away at the hospital, smashed in the hotel, and yet somehow, it had reappeared on his person as if nothing had happened…

And it had crossed countries, spanning the distance between nations, and still he couldn’t shake it off.

Not only did this amulet have “legs,” it could “regenerate”? And he hadn’t noticed a thing.

Had there not been so many people around, he would have shouted out loud in frustration.

“Excuse me… is that the amulet you brought back from Thailand?” At that moment, a teenager with a backpack approached and asked.

Qi Yan, lost in his tangled thoughts, glanced at him indifferently, then responded with a half-smile, “You like it? Take it.”

He was not joking; he handed the amulet over without hesitation.

The youth’s expression barely changed, but his brows furrowed slightly. “No, I’m just curious, so I asked…”

Qi Yan withdrew his gaze, didn’t bother with this stranger, and picked up his luggage, turning to leave.

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He had only walked a few steps when the youth behind him raised his voice, “You’ve experienced something terrifying in the last twenty-four hours, haven’t you?”

Qi Yan, about to pick up his pace, stopped immediately. He turned to look at the youth, surprise flickering in his eyes.

“What did you just say?”

The youth bit his lower lip, as if pondering something, his gaze drifting toward a row of shops in the distance. “Are you in a hurry? If not, we can talk as we walk. I need to catch the airport bus into the city.”

Qi Yan had never met this boy before, yet the other seemed to see right through him at a glance…

He hesitated, neither nodding nor shaking his head, but began walking in the direction the youth indicated, which counted as tacit agreement.

As they left the airport entrance, among the line of taxis, a black sedan rolled down its window. The middle-aged man in the passenger seat spoke into his phone, “He’s out. Don’t follow too closely. Wait till he’s out of the patrol zone before making your move… Finish it within twenty seconds. Be quick!”

Meanwhile, Qi Yan and the youth crossed the street and began talking, oblivious to the fact that they were being watched. After exchanging names, Qi Yan learned the boy was called Li Lan.

“Actually, we were on the same flight. I sat next to you on the plane, but you were asleep, so you probably don’t remember me. To be honest, I’ve been observing you the whole time,” Li Lan said candidly.

Qi Yan had no patience for these details and spoke directly, “Just get to the point. Who are you? How do you know about… my situation?”

Their pace was slow, and Li Lan explained as they walked, “I guessed. Maybe you don’t feel it, but I can see your aura is seriously off. How should I put it? It’s very dark, and you’re carrying something evil and powerful close to your body.”

Hearing this, Qi Yan felt a flicker of unease and guessed at the youth’s identity. “A Taoist priest?”

Li Lan shook his head.

“A sorcerer?”

He shook his head again. “No, neither. My constitution is special. Not sure if you’ll understand, but some people are born sensitive to evil things; they can see what ordinary people can’t.”

Qi Yan was a little disappointed but had some idea now. “A medium?”

Li Lan considered, then nodded, “More or less. I can sense the aura clearly, and it’s not yours. When I saw you holding that amulet at the airport entrance, I realized it’s the source of the evil. I guessed you’d recently been through something strange because your aura is so weak—probably from lack of rest or severe fright. The turmoil in your spirit makes you look gloomy, at least to me. If you don’t mind, could you tell me what happened?”

Qi Yan laughed softly. He didn’t mind; whether this person genuinely understood or was just spinning tales, there weren’t many who’d believe his story anyway.

He told him everything from discovering the Black Temple to returning home. The account was true, but to an outsider, it sounded like a hackneyed ghost story.

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Li Lan listened intently throughout, never interrupting.

When Qi Yan finished, Li Lan pondered for a long time. They had reached the airport bus parking lot before he spoke again, “It’s truly horrifying, but I believe you’re not lying.”

That surprised Qi Yan. “You believe me?”

“I do. Not for any other reason, but because the evil power on your amulet is the strongest I’ve ever seen.”

Qi Yan raised his eyebrows, amused. “Li Lan, right? May I ask your age?”

The boy named Li Lan not only had a gentle, clean appearance, with bright eyes and polite speech, but also looked quiet and honest.

“In two months, I’ll be twenty.”

“Oh, not even twenty yet?” Qi Yan continued with a mocking tone, “A student?”

Li Lan answered honestly, “Yes, I’m studying history at New State Normal University.”

Qi Yan smiled awkwardly, stopping on the empty ground outside the parking lot, where there were few people since not many chose the airport bus.

“Li Lan, little brother, I’m three years older than you, so I guess I can call you that? You’re not even twenty, yet you use words like ‘in my life.’ Unless you’ve been seeing ghosts since the womb, how many have you actually seen in these twenty years?”

Just as Li Lan was about to answer, a black sedan and a medium-sized truck pulled up beside them with a screech.

Several burly men hurriedly jumped out of both vehicles, striding toward them without a word.

The men looked menacing. Li Lan was startled, about to flee, but as he turned, one of them pulled out a stun gun and pressed it to his neck, knocking him out instantly.

Qi Yan was even more confused by the situation, wondering how such a thing could happen in broad daylight…

He tried to run, but the men were faster, clearly prepared and taking him by surprise.

He barely cried for help before he too was hit with a stun gun, his consciousness fading instantly.

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