Hehe, so much fun

The lingering glow of the sunset stretched the shadows of the two figures long across the ground. Lin Mo came to a stop and glanced at Xie Yuling beside him.

"You go home for dinner first. I’ll grab something nearby and wait here for you. Just come down at the usual self-study time."

"Alright." Xie Yuling nodded without another word.

This had been agreed upon long ago—Xie Yuling would go straight home for dinner.

She wasn’t the least bit surprised that Lin Mo had managed to get her excused from evening self-study.

The only one kept in the dark was her mother.

After parting ways, Lin Mo turned into a bustling braised pork knuckle restaurant at the street corner.

The tender, well-marinated pork knuckle, with its perfect balance of fat and lean meat, had infused every grain of rice with its rich sauce. He ate unhurriedly.

"Dad’s dad is called what?"

By the time he finished his meal, dusk had settled in.

Lin Mo strolled to the small supermarket at the village entrance, where a few rickety coin-operated rocking horses stood outside.

His eyes lingered on a rocking horse shaped like a cartoon sheep before he stepped inside the store.

"Dad’s dad is called grandpa."

Lin Mo sat on one of the rocking horses, swaying along to the absurdly catchy tune.

"Yo! Old Mo, what the heck are you doing rocking here?"

Fang Jun, who had already eaten at home and was on his way back to school, suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

Without even lifting his eyelids, Lin Mo fished a coin from his pocket and tossed it backward without looking.

The coin traced a perfect arc through the air before landing squarely in Fang Jun’s palm.

Fang Jun grinned and, with practiced ease, inserted the coin and climbed onto a small horse-shaped rocker beside Lin Mo.

"Dad’s mom is called what?"

"Dad’s mom is called grandma?"

Fang Jun rocked gleefully to the rhythm.

"Heh, this is fun." Fang Jun swayed on the rocking horse, then turned to Lin Mo.

"I heard you skipped evening self-study. And you’re just here rocking away? Might as well go play League."

He studied Lin Mo’s face, trying to detect any hint of what was really going on.

Finally, Lin Mo opened his eyes and patted Fang Jun’s shoulder with a solemn tone:

"Adult matters. Kids shouldn’t pry."

Fang Jun choked back a retort, but just then, his peripheral vision caught a familiar figure approaching.

Xie Yuling had already arrived.

She paused for a split second upon seeing Fang Jun on the rocking horse, then asked coldly:

"Is Fang Jun coming too?"

"He’s not. He’s got self-study."

Fang Jun’s mind raced through a thousand possibilities. At first, seeing Xie Yuling show up, he thought he’d stumbled upon some secret couple’s rendezvous—but her question, "coming too," shattered that assumption.

"Hey, where are you guys going? Take me with you! Screw self-study."

If it wasn’t a date, then it had to be something even more interesting!

Fang Jun was all in.

"Let’s go! Of course I’m coming!"

He immediately hopped off the rocking horse, eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Where are we going? Take me with you! Self-study is overrated anyway!"

Lin Mo stood up slowly, placing a hand on Fang Jun’s shoulder. The grip wasn’t tight, but it somehow made Fang Jun freeze.

"Be a good boy and go to class. Or I’ll call your dad."

At that, Fang Jun shrank back, waving his hands in defeat.

"Fine, fine. I love studying. Studying brings me joy. You guys have fun—just fill me in later!"

Lin Mo sighed. Fang Jun was a great friend, but he had a big mouth.

With that, Fang Jun turned and left, waving dramatically as he vanished down the alley.

The coins Lin Mo had given him still jingled in his pocket.

Only once Fang Jun’s figure disappeared did Lin Mo turn to Xie Yuling.

"Let’s go."

"Mm."

Side by side, they merged into the hazy night at the village entrance.

Even within the urban village, there was a large marketplace.

But the one Lin Mo and Xie Yuling were heading to wasn’t this one.

It was a multi-purpose market a few kilometers away.

One side sold fresh meat, vegetables, and seafood, while the other housed stalls for herbs, sundries, hardware, and even clothing and shoes.

Hence the name "multi-purpose market."

So it wasn’t unusual to find an incense shop there.

"Is this the place?"

"Yes. The dowsing rod points here."

Shouzhen, now in casual attire, held a dowsing rod in his hand. The dragon-headed tip remained unwavering no matter how he moved.

"Through winding mountains, the dragon’s veins unfold—each twist a barrier, each turn a hold!" Liu Zheng chanted from behind.

"Mr. Liu, the ‘Hàn Lóng Jué’ and the dowsing rod aren’t the same thing. Maybe lay off the novels, huh?"

"Daoist Shouzhen, you even know about this? Seems you’ve read quite a few novels yourself."

Shouzhen felt exposed and scratched his head sheepishly.

After all, he was still young at heart.

Old Bai followed silently behind them, hands in his pockets, staying out of the conversation.

The three soon arrived at the incense shop’s entrance, only to find its rolling shutter fully closed.

Liu Zheng frowned.

"Mr. Liu, we must go inside," Shouzhen said firmly.

"I know. I just sense something… unpleasant behind there."

Liu Zheng pulled out a lockpick from his pocket, crouched down, and swiftly picked the shutter’s lock.

Just then, a man holding a spray bottle approached from the neighboring flower shop.

"Hey! What are you doing?"

The man, with his thick beard, looked more like a butcher than a florist.

Old Bai stepped forward and flashed his police badge.

"Good evening. I’m with the criminal investigation unit. When was the last time you saw the owner of this shop?"

The florist immediately cooperated. "Officer, the last time I saw the old lady who runs this incense shop was half a month ago.

"One day, she just never opened again. A few people came asking why, but none of us knew."

Old Bai nodded. "What was your impression of her?"

"Just a kindly old woman. Her rituals were pretty effective—people from all over came to see her. Charged a pretty penny too..."

The florist spilled everything, his urge to share in full swing.

Old Bai gave a slight nod. "Thank you for your cooperation."

"So, officer, what happened? Did the old lady kick the bucket, or...?"

"No, just a missing person case. Routine investigation."

Hearing it wasn’t a death, the florist lost interest.

"Old Bai, the door’s open. Let’s take a look."

Liu Zheng lifted the shutter, revealing an altar inside.

"Whoa—Confucius, Maitreya, and the Great Supreme Elderly Lord all in one place? A real mix of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism. Almost like Quanzhen..."

On the left hung a portrait of the Buddha, while the right displayed the Daoist deity Wang Lingguan.

A true melting pot of beliefs.

But Shouzhen paid no attention, his gaze fixed on a curtain at the back.

"Let’s go in."

Liu Zheng sensed a malevolent energy seeping from behind the curtain.

Shouzhen nodded.

"Don’t worry, Mr. Liu. This humble Daoist will protect you."