Chapter 18: If Explanations Fail, Then Let Them Be

Every morning, Gu Changqing would check in at the office, then devote the rest of his time to digging up criminal evidence against Old Dao. After three days, his computer skills had improved by leaps and bounds—at least he could type now and look up information on his own, though he was still a bit slow. In this quasi-modern world, not knowing how to type was hardly different from being illiterate. Most importantly, he could now search for all sorts of information online. He also took the opportunity to learn how to type on a mobile phone.

“You’re learning so quickly, Young Master Gu!” Meng Xi leaned close to him, her smile radiant. “I’ve never seen anyone as clever as you. I consider myself smart, but it took me a whole week to learn to type!”

Gu Changqing laughed, throwing an arm around her waist. “You’re right—no one’s smarter than me!”

Her beautiful eyes sparkled as she linked her arm through his. “Young Master Gu, shall we go out for a bit? It’s too stuffy staying in the room all day!”

These past few days, she’d devoted herself wholeheartedly to teaching him, never slacking, nor did she question why he hadn’t known how to type before, as if his previous illiteracy was of no concern. Now that he’d made rapid progress and mastered almost everything, she finally smiled and suggested going out together.

“Let’s go!” Gu Changqing had indeed grown a bit restless. He’d finished his investigations, and had even checked the size and location of the blood banks in Angang and the surrounding areas.

They drove straight to the most expensive mall in Angang—Gu Changqing needed to buy a few sets of clothes. Meng Xi, arm in arm with him, helped him choose, her sweet laughter giving the impression they were a couple.

After paying, Gu Changqing handed the shop assistant a wad of cash. “Follow us and carry our things!”

Zeng Shiqian, exhausted from several busy days, had left work early to look at rings with his fiancée. They hadn’t been in the mall long before he spotted a tall, graceful woman with a gentle, beautiful smile walking arm in arm with Gu Changqing. Behind them trailed a shop assistant laden with bags.

Zeng Shiqian’s jaw nearly dropped. He’d been working himself to the bone at the station for days, and Gu Quan’an was investigating cases like this?

“What is it? Did you see someone you know?” his fiancée asked.

“Nothing!” Zeng Shiqian thought for a moment, then decided not to approach them.

But that woman was truly stunning, with an exceptional air about her.

…

Gu Changqing stood by the window, from which he could see his former residence. The desk before the window even gave him a view of his old living room and bedroom. He’d rented this place two days ago to store a few things; too many people knew about his original address. Besides, he didn’t know when the person Jin Manfu mentioned would show up. He had no desire to return one day and find someone waiting for him inside.

He changed into a tracksuit, laced up his military boots, slung a semi-automatic rifle over his back, tucked a pistol into his waistband, and picked up his bag.

All preparations complete, he focused his mind.

His vision blurred, and suddenly he found himself in a cramped space, half a wall before him.

The stench of blood and rot assaulted his senses.

“Shit!” With a powerful kick, Gu Changqing vaulted out of the pit trap.

Inside the trap lay a half-rotted black boar.

“Damn it!” he cursed.

After surveying the area, he realized six days had passed; his adversary was probably long gone.

He searched but didn’t find the body of the so-called Young Master Yu. Not surprising—the man surely wouldn’t leave such an obvious clue.

Glancing toward the village, Gu Changqing turned and left. He felt no attachment to the place, only a lingering resentment.

“If I recall, the surname was You?”

Fearing he might forget, he took out a notebook and scribbled, “Yu, You—tried to kill me for treasure! Blood feud!”

After orienting himself, he plunged into the forest.

After more than an hour’s walk, he stopped, took out a bullet, dismantled it, poured out the gunpowder, and lit it with his lighter.

Watching the powder flare up, a satisfied look crossed his face. He’d been worried that gunpowder from this world might not work, but apparently, there was no problem.

Using a distant mountain as a landmark, Gu Changqing wasn’t afraid of getting lost. His blood surged like a mighty river, giving him remarkable speed. The boulders and thickets of the mountain didn’t hinder him at all—he leapt over rocks more than two meters high with ease.

He could reach Wangjia Village in just half a day.

After a while, Gu Changqing’s ears pricked up. He leapt over a thicket and spotted several wolves staring at him.

These wolves were enormous, at least half as tall as a man, weighing one hundred sixty or seventy pounds—twice the size of wolves in his previous life.

Two crouched low in attack stances; the others began to circle.

Without breaking stride, Gu Changqing rushed straight at them. One wolf lunged; he slapped it away with a single blow.

Bang!

The wolf let out a half-yelp, teeth knocked out mid-air, blood spraying everywhere. It was dead before it hit the ground.

Another wolf leapt at his throat, but Gu Changqing’s hand shot out, lightning quick, catching it by the neck and slamming it into the earth.

Its bones shattered on impact.

“Scram!” Blood and energy surged within him, the sound of rivers echoing in his ears as he plunged deeper into the forest.

The remaining wolves howled, sniffed at their fallen companions, then tucked their tails and fled.

…

Over half a day later, Gu Changqing emerged from the forest’s edge, muttering curses under his breath. The mountain beasts here were truly numerous—and enormous. Snakes and insects abounded, too.

“Once I get over this ridge, I should reach Wangjia Village.”

He climbed the mountain and looked down, only to see a field of scorched ruins, wild wolves and dogs prowling among the debris.

It looked long abandoned.

“Isn’t anyone left? The ordinary people in this world truly have it hard!” Gu Changqing didn’t need to guess who’d done this.

“Bastards!” he spat.

A few hundred meters away, atop a massive boulder, a tiger several meters long lay sprawled, lazily swiping a paw through the air as if shooing away an uninvited guest. Clearly, it had eaten its fill and had no intention of getting up.

Gu Changqing glanced at it—such a large tiger must have a potent whip. But he quickly dismissed the thought; this was no place to linger, better to let the beast be.

His priority now was to leave this area.

After confirming the direction of the dirt road outside Wangjia Village, Gu Changqing continued to weave through the forest. There was only one road out of the village, too risky to take.

…

A day and a half later, Gu Changqing finally emerged from the mountains. Ahead lay a stone-paved official road, with him not far from it.

He’d spent over two days on the move, traveling day and night. If he’d been an ordinary person, he would have ended up as a meal for wild animals within a day.

“At last, I’m out of that damned place!” Gu Changqing breathed a sigh of relief, glancing left and right. “Now, which way should I go?”

After careful thought and analysis, Gu Changqing picked up a branch from the roadside and tossed it into the air.

Before it landed, the distant thunder of hoofbeats reached his ears.

His spirits lifted. His shoes were nearly worn through—it wouldn’t be too much to borrow a horse, would it?

Four riders galloped toward him, each clad in embroidered attire. Spotting Gu Changqing from afar, they reined in their mounts.

They conferred quietly, then two spurred their horses toward him while the other two watched from a distance of about a hundred meters.

“Who are you?” the two riders asked as they approached, eyeing Gu Changqing’s odd attire.

He studied them in turn, his gaze flicking to the two further off, about seventy or eighty meters away.

When the first two were seven or eight meters away, their expressions hardened. In a flash, they leapt from their saddles like hawks swooping down, blades flashing cold in the sunlight as they drew them and slashed, forming arcs of silver.

“Seize him!”

“If he resists—kill him!”

Whether or not he was their target, they’d take him in first.

Gu Changqing narrowed his eyes, suddenly noticing the character “Yu” embroidered on their chests.

In an instant, he realized who they were. The ones who had massacred the village, and whose Young Master Yu had been killed by that woman surnamed You.

He’d just emerged from the mountains, and already they’d found him. Who knew how many people they’d sent to hunt him down?

Damn it, he’d become the scapegoat.

Gu Changqing didn’t bother to explain—at a glance, he could tell they wouldn’t listen.

It was just like at the Security Bureau with Old Dao; who would Zeng Shiqian believe?

Besides, he really had been practicing demonic arts.

There was no way to explain.

A fierce anger welled up inside him—never in his life had he felt so wronged.

Since there was no way to explain, he wouldn’t bother!

With a sudden burst of speed, he shot backward.

The two blades sliced through empty air, and as the men landed, they attacked from either side, their swords weaving a web of steel that nearly enveloped him.

Gu Changqing grinned, his body suddenly retreating again, then, like a cannonball, he shot toward the two riders in the distance.