Exerting every ounce of strength, I clung tenaciously to the large mastiff. However, this mastiff, raised on bacon and milk, had arms as thick as my thighs, its muscles rippling with power.
With a swift flick of its arm, I was nearly sent flying like a kite.
A darkened barrel aimed squarely at me; before I could react, the mastiff pulled the trigger. With a sharp click, it became apparent that the chamber was empty.
Seizing the opportunity, I swung the small lever with all my might, delivering a forceful blow squarely onto the mastiff's hand.
The mastiff let out a howl of pain, dropping the handgun to the ground. Its hand split open, two fingers severed completely, leaving behind only a layer of flesh.
Advancing towards me with wild abandon, the mastiff aimed a kick at my face. Unable to evade, I instinctively closed my eyes.
The blow never landed, but instead, a warm liquid splattered across my face, accompanied by the pungent scent of blood.
Opening my eyes, I beheld the mastiff trembling uncontrollably, its head cocked to one side. Protruding from its neck was a shovel, from which blood spurted forth, flowing down the length of the blade.
With eyes wide in disbelief, head drooping, the mastiff cast a bewildered gaze aside before collapsing to the ground with a resounding thud, sending a cloud of dust into the air.
It was Zhang Ling who came to my rescue, wielding a shovel that nearly severed the mastiff's neck. Straddling the mastiff's body, Zhang Ling proceeded to wildly stab at it with a broken-bladed dagger, transforming the mastiff's visage into a grotesque tableau.
"Ling Jie, why have you come?"
Turning towards me, Zhang Ling, her face splattered with blood, replied, "I, I couldn't bear to leave you alone. I had to return and check on you."
"How is the exit?"
"Those two blackguards were asleep, their heads smashed to a pulp by the Chen brothers before they even had a chance to wake up. The guard at the gate has also been bound."
Barking erupted from all directions as several black mastiffs, drawn by the scent of blood, snarled and snapped within their cages, their ferocity on full display.
Liu Zuizi, taken aback, urged Bai Ruoxue to depart first, then drew a dagger from his waist, swiftly injuring two individuals before rushing to open the cages. The mastiffs poured forth like arrows released from their bowstrings, charging into the crowd.
Watching intently, he fingered a whistle, blowing it several times before emitting a series of barks. The mastiffs, seemingly responding to some unseen command, clamped down with relentless ferocity, refusing to release their grip.
With the meal already served to the large mastiff, this operation had turned sour. Seeing the inevitable, Liu Zuizi immediately made his escape.
Though fierce and formidable, mastiffs and humans operate on different planes. Soon, they were dispatched one by one, lying lifeless on the ground.
"Don't let those wretched fiends escape!"
Someone shouted, and the crowd immediately surged toward the exit, only to find the container containing Princess Yuan Mingyue missing.
The Chen brothers stood guard at the exit, stepping forward to meet us as we emerged.
I inquired, "Where are Bai Ruoxue and Liu Zuizi?"
Chen Duyu replied, "We didn't see them, we're not sure."
Chen Laoda said, "They're not here, could it be..."
I slapped my thigh, "Cunning as a rabbit with three burrows, they must have escaped through another exit."
Zhang Ling reminded, "We'll settle this score later. For now, we'd better leave this place."
She was right; with people streaming out in disarray, their chaotic movements were sure to attract attention. For safety's sake, it was best to depart from this place first.
As we were about to leave, an unexpected development occurred.
One person was missing.
Zhang Wenjie was nowhere to be found.
He and I had gone to the construction site together; he was by my side at the time. However, in the midst of my struggle with the large mastiff, I lost track of him.
Nevertheless, Zhang Wenjie is quite cunning; it's possible he slipped away amidst the crowd.
Upon exiting, we immediately went to the base. The greenhouse was still standing, but the burial goods buried underground had been dug up by someone.
Zhang Ling's broken phone was still there, a Sony Ericsson flip phone. Surprisingly, it still powered on when we inserted the battery. We immediately contacted Botong Hall, but Lin Canghai did not answer. It had been several days since we had any contact with him; he must have sensed that something was amiss.
Half a minute later, a strange number called in. Upon answering, it was Lin Canghai's voice, trembling slightly.
"Lingzi, who's there?"
Zhang Ling choked up, briefly recounting our ordeal. There was a prolonged silence on the other end of the line. Several tens of seconds later, Lin Canghai let out a long sigh.
"Handle it according to the old rules, and stay safe."
This time, with two dead and one missing from the group, things had truly gone awry. Lin Canghai instructed us not to return, to disband on the spot, hide ourselves, and wait for the storm to pass before regrouping.
Lights flickered one after another in the village, as people armed themselves and rushed over in groups of threes and fives, their disordered footsteps gradually becoming clearer.
Wang Tiancai covertly handed me a handgun, saying it belonged to the mastiff who had been beaten to death. He had no use for it and suggested I use it for self-defense, as a token of gratitude for saving my life.
After bidding each other farewell, we parted ways, scattering across the wheat fields. I had no idea how far I had run; I was utterly exhausted, my legs giving out as I collapsed in the field, gasping for breath.
Gazing at the azure night sky, the myriad stars seemed to swirl, forming a vast vortex. I felt as small as a blade of wheat, liable to be sucked in at any moment.
Suddenly, piercing sirens filled my ears, jolting me awake. Not far away, four or five police cars with flashing lights sped toward the direction of the village.
Climbing to my feet, I staggered to a nearby village. By now, the eastern horizon was tinged with the pale light of dawn. A vintage Liberation truck with Shanxi license plates was parked at the village entrance, its cargo bed filled with coal.
Two individuals with Shanxi accents were eating breakfast at a roadside eatery. Seizing the opportunity while they were distracted, I quietly slipped over to the truck.
Upon climbing aboard and inspecting it, I realized the coal resembled a small hill, leaving no space for anyone to hide. Moreover, this hundred-ton behemoth was often overloaded. If it were caught and inspected by traffic police, it would be akin to walking into a trap for me.
In the adjacent eatery, one person had finished eating, while another smoked a cigarette, waiting for his companion. They would be coming over shortly. With no time to spare, I quietly descended from the truck.
To my surprise, the door was unlocked. I quickly popped the hood open.
Though not tall, I was slender. After wriggling my body back and forth a few times, I managed to squeeze inside.
The truck roared to life, its dozens of bearings and belts turning together, nearly pulling my clothes into its machinery.
After driving for a while, the truck suddenly came to a halt. Through the crack, I saw flashing lights; there was a checkpoint on the road. The police force was mixed, consisting not only of traffic police but also public security, criminal investigation, and armed police in camouflage, accompanied by police dogs.
Two policemen and an armed police officer with a police dog approached, checking relevant documents. The police dog sniffed around the truck incessantly.
I could clearly hear their conversation, and even the panting of the police dog.
At that moment, I was consumed with fear. It was evident they were after me. Crouched in the engine compartment, I dared not even breathe. Whether I could evade this disaster would be left to fate.