# 407
Chapter 407 – Seeking Talismans
Hospital.
Qin Kai’s tightly shut eyelids trembled slightly. With a soft groan, he slowly opened his eyes.
“Hiss…”
Staring at the pure-white ceiling, he blanked for a few seconds, then instinctively tried to sit up. A stab of pain shot through his leg, making him grimace.
“Captain!!”
Jiang Han, who had been dozing against the wall, jolted awake and hurried to his side. “Captain, you’re finally awake!”
“Xiao Han…” Qin Kai’s expression relaxed when he saw her. He glanced around, puzzled. “How did I end up here?”
Jiang Han blinked. “You were injured—of course you came to the hospital.”
“No, I mean… the fog? Bell Cranel?” He frowned, remembering something. “And Molly—how is she?”
“Relax, Captain. The fog and Bell Cranel were both dealt with by a special squad,” Jiang Han said with a smile. “Molly’s injuries were pretty serious, but she’s out of danger. She woke up last night—she’s in the next room. Zhengzheng and the others are downstairs handling your admission paperwork; they’ll be back any minute.”
“Special squad?” Qin Kai was lost for a moment. “Was it the Phoenix squad? Are they okay?”
“It wasn’t the Phoenix squad…” Jiang Han hesitated.
“Then it must be Mask?” Qin Kai exhaled. “Thank god it wasn’t Phoenix—things would’ve gotten messy…”
While they talked, four figures walked in. Seeing Qin Kai sitting up, their faces lit up.
The girl called Zhengzheng stepped forward and set a fancy fruit basket beside the bed. “Captain, we bought you some fruit from the shop downstairs. Have some if you feel like it.”
Her voice was gentle as a spring breeze, pleasant to hear.
“Thanks.” Qin Kai smiled, then turned back to Jiang Han. “So, what about Mask squad?”
“Captain, it wasn’t Mask squad either,” Jiang Han scratched her head. “They wore masks, but they were Journey-to-the-West themed—totally different from Mask’s style.”
“Journey-to-the-West masks?” Qin Kai stared blankly. “I’ve never heard of any special squad wearing those.”
“It’s true, Captain,” a scrawny teammate chimed in. “While we were mind-controlled we fought them. One wore a Red Boy mask, another a Sha Wujing mask—both insanely strong, using Forbidden Ruins we’ve never seen.
And… Zhengzheng got groped by that pervert Zhu Bajie!”
“?” Qin Kai turned to Zhengzheng in surprise.
Her face flushed slightly. She frowned, thinking. “Actually, it wasn’t really groping… it’s just the way he tied me up felt weird.”
“Tied up like that and it’s not groping?” the scrawny man fumed. “That Zhu Bajie is clearly no decent guy. Next time I see him I’ll teach him a lesson!”
“No, the worst was that Red Boy!” Sun Lu, his arm in a cast, leaned against the wall, eyes wide with remembered fear. “I was already knocked out on the ground, and she still broke my arm—brutal!”
Qin Kai fell silent, thinking.
“There was also an unmasked kid—really strong,” Qian Haoran said seriously from the foot of the bed. “He looked only River Realm, but he solo-killed Bell Cranel. I saw it myself.”
“A River Realm kid who solo-killed Bell Cranel… Where did a bunch like that pop up from?” Qin Kai muttered.
“Oh, Captain, one more thing.”
Jiang Han pulled a tablet from her bag and handed it over.
“After the fog lifted yesterday, the clean-up crew found a black spray-painted mark at the biggest intersection in front of Gusu Center.”
Qin Kai took the tablet. The aerial photo showed a large black circle in the middle of the crossroads, split by two straight lines—mysterious and precise.
“We checked the nearby surveillance—it was left by that special squad,” Jiang Han said. “After they finished the pattern, they drove off in a beat-up black van…”
“A beat-up van?” Qin Kai blinked. “What kind of special squad leaves in a van?”
“We ran the plates—fake ones, untraceable. The van disappeared from the cameras two blocks away and never showed up again.”
Qin Kai stared at the symbol for a long time, then sighed and handed the tablet back.
“Whoever they are, Bell Cranel is handled—that’s all that matters. Record everything and report it upstairs; let the higher-ups deal with it.”
“Yes, Captain.”
…
Dong—!
Dong—!!
Dong—!!!
In the suburbs of Gusu, ancient bells echoed through a venerable temple.
A breeze carried golden ginkgo leaves drifting to the ground. Visitors clasped incense sticks, gazing up at the central Buddha, offering sincere wishes and gentle bows…
Curling smoke rose, seeming to cleanse all worldly restlessness; under the sound of sutras, hearts grew as tranquil as the sanctuary itself.
“Sir, may I help you?” A monk stood behind a wooden counter, palms together, voice soft.
Outside the counter, a chubby man scratched his head. “Do you sell safety talismans here?”
“We do.” The monk took out several red embroidered pouches and lined them up. “We have family safety, career success, long-life talismans… Which would you like?”
The fat man studied the row, hesitant. “Kinda lot… doesn’t look as good on the wrist as a Rolex.”
The monk blinked. “If these don’t suit you, perhaps our temple’s specialty—sandalwood talismans.”
He produced a palm-sized sandalwood plaque, thick and fragrant, strung with small prayer beads for hanging anywhere.
“Blessed by our senior monks, these work better than the pouches. You can engrave the recipient’s name on the back, and a wish on the front—health, protection from evil, promotion…”
Baili Pangpang turned the plaque over, thoroughly pleased. “Nice… Hey, can I add more than one wish?”
“Sir, too many wishes show a divided heart…”
Without a word, Baili Pangpang pulled a thick wad of cash from his pocket and slapped it on the counter.
“Engrave twenty!”