When Xiao Lin returned, he looked much the same as when he left—camera hanging around his neck, a backpack on his back, and a Tang sword at his waist.
Night had fallen once again. Just as he was debating whether to rest or keep moving, two figures appeared before him.
It was the fat and thin pair of Gravediggers he had met once before.
They were leaning against a derelict car, looking in his direction. Judging by the setup, they were clearly waiting for him.
"Ah, it's you guys. Didn't expect to meet again so soon," Xiao Lin said with a polite smile.
"This area is the base of our Shen Gang. We've been monitoring it. As long as you passed through here, we would definitely know," the thin man explained seriously.
The fat man, however, looked Xiao Lin up and down with great interest, as if hoping to spot some anomaly. "I thought you were a goner. Didn't expect you to actually come back alive. What happened? Chickened out at the entrance?"
"No, I went in. And I took photos," Xiao Lin replied.
"Tsk, so you didn't run into the Wisdom Demon? People as lucky as you are rare. You really should cherish your life."
Xiao Lin shrugged. "Actually, I did run into it."
The fat man's mouth hung open; for a moment, he didn't know what to say. A brief silence fell between them until the thin man asked succinctly, "And then?"
"I killed it," Xiao Lin answered.
"How can you prove it?" the thin man asked again.
"I have photos. Want to see?"
Xiao Lin opened the camera's album and handed it to the thin man, but midway, the fat man snatched it away and started looking.
The Wisdom Demon, one of the most terrifying Calamity-corrupted creatures in Madman's Howl, how could it possibly be killed by someone like this?
He flipped through the photos one by one. The first few were ordinary street scenes. Then there was one of the road sign and red graffiti at the entrance of Block 13. So he really had been to Block 13?
But so what? Being there didn't mean he could kill the Wisdom Demon.
He continued flipping until he reached the photo Xiao Lin took of the Calamity-corrupted creature. It was crouching beneath the ruins of a building, its body covered in characters.
He laughed. "You got it wrong. This isn't the Wisdom Demon. It's just an ordinary Calamity-corrupted creature, and the least aggressive kind at that."
"Even if we see things like this, we can't be bothered. Sometimes when we're bored, we even tease it for fun."
As he spoke, he continued flipping, and then his voice abruptly cut off.
The next photo showed a broken, gray, desiccated corpse and a leather-bound book that had been almost severed.
They were arranged in an orderly fashion, photographed very professionally.
The Wisdom Demon's corpse...
The fat man felt his breathing quicken, and cold sweat seeped from his temples.
The Wisdom Demon... was really dead??
"Done looking? Can you give the camera back now?" Xiao Lin asked.
The fat man hurriedly handed the camera over and said, "Uh, my name is Du Ju, and this friend of mine is Shan Yi. We are Gravediggers of the Shen Gang."
"Weren't you guys not going to tell your names to dead men?" Xiao Lin teased.
"Well, times change, people change. The river flows east for thirty years, then west for thirty." Du Ju smiled somewhat obsequiously.
Xiao Lin found his behavior somewhat amusing yet awkward, but he didn't dislike these two. After all, their warning about the Wisdom Demon yesterday was out of kindness.
"Uh, want to come sit with our Shen Gang?" the fat man continued.
"No need. I need to get back as soon as possible. Sleeping on the streets really isn't a pleasant experience," Xiao Lin said.
"Then you really should come sit with us! We have rooms to stay in, you can shower, and our Boss has an off-road vehicle. He can give you a ride tomorrow."
Xiao Lin had to admire this guy Du Ju; in just a few sentences, he had made him somewhat tempted.
As for safety, he didn't need to worry. After all, wanting to kill him was not an easy task.
"Alright then. I'll trouble you guys."
"Ah, what trouble? Let's go, let's go. I'll introduce you to our Boss Shen later."
Shen Gang. Xiao Lin had heard of this gang from Lin Niannian. They were indeed considered a gang with a decent reputation.
Fair trade, didn't stir up trouble, and wouldn't use underhanded tactics.
Their gang headquarters was in an abandoned manor. The manor was quite large and had been cleared and repaired. Although somewhat dilapidated, it was quite clean.
Armed Gravediggers patrolled back and forth inside the manor, numbering about a dozen.
Moreover, the manor had electricity. They had a dedicated generator. After all, the place wasn't huge, so the cost of electricity wasn't high.
Xiao Lin was brought by Du Ju and Shan Yi to a banquet hall in the manor. Just as he approached the outside, he heard people talking inside, their voices quite loud.
However, Du Ju had no intention of waiting and pushed the door open directly.
Inside the meeting room were two long tables. The people sitting at them were clearly from different factions; you could tell from their expressions. At the head of the room, two chairs were placed opposite each other. The Boss of the Shen Gang, Shen He, sat in one of them.
Boss Shen He was a middle-aged man in his forties, with a broad face, a beard, and a long but not ferocious scar on his face.
Seeing Du Ju push the door open, he frowned slightly and said, "What's wrong? Is there an emergency?"
"Reporting! No emergency, but I have brought an important guest!" Du Ju replied.
Shen He looked Xiao Lin up and down. The other party was very young, and he didn't recognize him. But he understood Du Ju; this slippery guy wouldn't act without a purpose.
"Alright, then take the guest to rest first. I have matters to discuss with the guest from the Yang Gang," Shen He said.
Yang Gang? This name immediately piqued Xiao Lin's interest. He remembered that the group that attacked his institute a few days ago was from the Yang Gang.
"Cough, cough." Du Ju cleared his throat. "Boss Shen, why don't you chat with Mr. Xiao for a couple of sentences? It wouldn't be good to keep Mr. Xiao waiting..."
Shen He immediately understood Du Ju's implication—Xiao Lin was a more important guest than the Yang Gang, and Du Ju didn't want Xiao Lin to feel slighted.
But Yang Jufeng was somewhat displeased. He looked at Du Ju coldly and said, "Old Shen, are your subordinates all this rude and ungrateful?"
Shen He smiled. "After all, they are brothers who have faced life and death together."
He was in a dilemma when suddenly Xiao Lin spoke up: "My matters aren't urgent. However, may I stay and listen in?"
The few people present were stunned. Then, Yang Jufeng showed a half-smile: "Listen in? Of course you can."
"However, I speak without a filter. If I accidentally say something you shouldn't hear... I'll just have to ask you to die."
Xiao Lin smiled. "Then I can only wish myself good luck."