Finally, the third day arrived. Early in the morning, just after breakfast, Yang Xiao showed up. I have no idea how he convinced Hao Wenming, but our Director Hao didn't even ask any questions—just watched as Yang Xiao took me and Sun Pangzi away.
Yang Xiao took the two of us directly to the airport; our destination was Qilin City. Only then did I realize that his wife's reincarnation site was still in Qilin City. Sun Pangzi, however, was totally carefree, grinning as he looked at the slightly anxious Yang Xiao and asked, "Old Yang, when your wife reincarnates, will it be as a boy or a girl? What if Wu Rendi messes up and turns her into a boy?" Sun Pangzi had clearly calculated that Yang Xiao still couldn't afford to offend him.
Yang Xiao gave a dry laugh and casually replied a few words, then closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat. It was obvious he couldn't sleep — he was just dodging Sun Pangzi, who kept pestering him. Finding it boring, Sun Pangzi turned to me and started rambling on (mostly talking himself), completely disregarding the seriousness of the upcoming night.
Three hours later, the plane finally landed at the provincial capital's airport. Unlike last time, we didn't have to endure a four- or five-hour drive to Qilin. Waiting for us on the tarmac was a transfer directly to a nearby military airfield. A helicopter was already waiting there.
After boarding the helicopter, Sun Pangzi couldn't stop clicking his tongue: "Tsk, tsk... Old Yang, Qilin is really your turf— even managed to get a helicopter." Yang Xiao shook his head, saying, "I don't have that kind of pull yet. This is a favor from Director Qiu and Director Wu at the Second Division. Director Qiu contacted the military region's political commissar to arrange this, so we could get to Qilin earlier."
Sun Pangzi nodded but seemed to think of something, then immediately shook his head and said, "Old Yang, I'm not trying to criticize, but why didn't you bring Old Qiu along? He'd be way more useful than us two, right?" Yang Xiao gave a bitter smile but didn't reply. I glanced at Sun Pangzi and whispered, "Old Qiu? It's a blessing he doesn't stir things up. Old Yang, if I'm not mistaken, Old Qiu probably doesn't even realize you still have him under a favor, right?" Yang Xiao gave another bitter smile, tacitly confirming it.
Half an hour later, the helicopter landed steadily on a clearing not far from the Qilin Fifteen-Story Building. I suspected the pilot wasn't local — at least he hadn't heard of the legend surrounding No. 135 Zhongshan South Road, Qilin City.
After getting off the helicopter, Sun Pangzi looked at the Fifteen-Story Building with a bitter expression: "Old Yang, your wife's not planning to reincarnate inside that haunted building, right? Just the two of us watching that place isn't enough." "Not that building," Yang Xiao said, pointing to a smaller five-story building across the street. I looked over and saw a sign — Qilin City Zhongxing Hospital.
Last time we came, it was already dark, so I hadn't noticed that such a daring hospital dared to build so close to the Fifteen-Story Building. Sun Pangzi was amazed, saying, "Old Yang, this hospital must be crazy to want to neighbor your Fifteen-Story Building. They're practically risking their lives for profit."
"This hospital was only built recently. The beds and equipment are in place, but it hasn't officially opened yet. They wanted the cheap land price here," Yang Xiao paused, then continued, "The hospital's major shareholder is a coal miner — a real risk-taker. When they built it, they came to ask about the Fifteen-Story Building's land price. If you guys hadn't arrived later, I probably would've killed a couple of people there, just to cause some trouble."
Though Yang Xiao spoke lightly, I still shuddered inside. Having grown familiar with him recently, I no longer saw him as an outsider. I nearly forgot he was once one of the three major cult leaders in the Ghost Dao Sect, shaking up Qilin City with the Fifteen-Story Building as his base. Among the people I know, Yang Xiao is the most reckless with human lives. After helping him today, we'd part ways. Best not to get on his bad side.
Sun Pangzi's expression also shifted uncomfortably after hearing Yang Xiao. He changed the subject, asking, "Old Yang, didn't you say Director Wu would come too? When's he arriving?"
Wu Rendi had already arrived. Before we entered the hospital, we saw him pacing back and forth at the hospital entrance. For some reason, his shoe soles were leaving footprints in the courtyard with every step. After several trips, the hospital entrance was covered densely in his footprints. Seeing us, Director Wu looked up, then fixed his gaze on Yang Xiao: "Yang Xiao, I have something to tell you."
Yang Xiao was momentarily stunned and nervously said, "It's not that there's a new change with Rongrong's soul, is it?" "It's not related to your wife's soul, but it does concern you somewhat," Wu Rendi said calmly. "It's the Earth Pearl buried under the Fifteen-Story Building. This morning, it showed unusual activity. I went to check it out. It's matured ahead of schedule and separated from the earth veins. Looks like breaking through the soil is imminent."
"The thing in front of us…" Yang Xiao murmured, repeating it once more, then said to Wu Rendi, "It can't be tonight, right?" Wu Rendi nodded expressionlessly and said, "It's exactly the same time your wife reincarnates — midnight, the hour of the Rat." At that moment, Yang Xiao was completely stunned, his eyes staring blankly at Director Wu.
For a while, no one spoke. The atmosphere grew somewhat cold. Sun Fatty and I only understood bits and pieces. It seemed that Wu Rendi meant the "earth pearl" Yang Xiao had buried beneath the Fifteen-Story Building had now matured. It was for this earth pearl that Yang Xiao had turned the perfectly fine building at No. 135 Zhongshan South Road into a haunted house. Now the earth pearl was about to manifest. But its timing overlapped with the reincarnation of his wife, Xu Rongrong, tonight.
Sun Fatty thought the matter wasn't complicated at all. He said, "Isn't it just a timing conflict? Handle them one by one. Let her reincarnate first, then retrieve the earth pearl. Or retrieve the earth pearl first, then let her reincarnate. That should work, right?" He was about to say more but I stopped him: "Great Sage, don't talk nonsense. It's probably not that simple." At that moment, Yang Xiao regained his composure, sighed deeply, and said, "Once the earth pearl matures, it will dissipate as soon as it breaks ground and meets the wind. Not a moment can be delayed. And Rongrong's soul is too fragile. This is a once-in-a-thousand-years chance for reincarnation. If missed, forget about reincarnating again—she wouldn't even become a stray ghost."
After Yang Xiao finished speaking, Wu Rendi slowly said, "Enough. Stop wasting words. It's a choice between your wife and the earth pearl."
Faced with the decision, Yang Xiao remained calm. He let out a long breath and said very plainly, "I do feel sorry for the earth pearl…" He paused, gave a self-mocking smile, but that smile slowly faded from his face. In its place was a resolute expression. He looked Wu Rendi in the eyes and said firmly, "I choose my wife."
Wu Rendi showed no surprise. He nodded and said, "Mm, I knew how you'd choose. I figured you'd probably say that." After making his choice, Yang Xiao felt much lighter. He smiled at Wu Rendi and said, "You shouldn't have told me. Not knowing, I wouldn't have felt so much pain."
Although we still didn't fully understand what the earth pearl really was, it was clear Yang Xiao had turned the Fifteen-Story Building into a haunted house all for it. I vaguely recalled Wu Rendi saying the earth pearl was something crucial to Yang Xiao's life. It was obvious Yang Xiao had thrown caution to the wind for his wife.
Sun Fatty wasn't convinced. He said to Wu Rendi, "Director Wu, there has to be some way to have it both ways, right? I mean, you guys are all tied up. I can go. Just tell me the time and exact location the earth pearl will appear. It's so close to the Fifteen-Story Building, I can be back in twenty minutes or so. Old Yang, I won't mess up your wife's reincarnation. Don't worry, I'm not greedy. How we handle the earth pearl, we'll decide after I get it."
"Great Sage, don't bother," Yang Xiao sighed and said, "Soon they'll set up a forbidden formation here. Inside and outside the formation, yin and yang won't connect. Nobody outside can get in before dawn tomorrow, and we can't get out either. Let's just forget about the earth pearl."
Sun Fatty wanted to say more, but Wu Rendi gave him a cold look and said, "Fatty, if you have free time, think about how to resolve the jade token issue. Don't think that's settled just because you jumped into the sea." Sun Fatty grimaced and said with a whining face, "Director Wu, didn't you say jumping into the sea settled that? Why are you still digging up old debts?" Wu Rendi snorted, "Did you really jump?"
Sun Fatty was left speechless. He lowered his head submissively, not daring to look at Wu Rendi, but glanced sideways at me for help. Seeing this, I quickly changed the subject: "Old Yang, let's go over tonight's plan again. No surprises."
"Mm," Yang Xiao agreed and continued, "Starting from midnight, Director Wu will lead my wife's soul out. He'll stay by her side until she reincarnates and is safely born the next morning. Director Wu will focus all his energy on her soul, and won't be able to handle anything outside. This process cannot be disturbed at all. Otherwise, the soul will be damaged. Even if she reincarnates successfully, her mind will be impaired and she'll become a vegetable.
I'll guard the main entrance and block the Underworld Agents. But some stray ghosts might break in from other channels. That's where you and Sun Fatty come in. Remember, the delivery room is on the fourth floor. I'll set up a forbidden formation on every floor. Whatever method you use, make sure those stray ghosts don't reach the delivery room on the fourth floor."
Saying this, Yang Xiao pulled out his issued handgun from the Bureau of Paranormal Investigation and handed it to me: "I won't be needing this, but it should come in handy for you." I took the gun, then turned to Wu Rendi and asked, "Director Wu, aren't you giving me anything for self-defense?" Wu Rendi glanced at me sideways and said, "Want me to give you an atomic bomb?" I chuckled awkwardly, "No need for that. I've still got some family stockpile here, should be enough." Wu Rendi looked at me once more, then turned to Yang Xiao and said, "I'm going out on some private business. I'll be back before dark. I'm leaving this place to you. Set up the forbidden formation before I return. Don't leave an entrance for me—I can get in myself." With that, he strode out of the hospital. The three of us watched his back, and none of us dared to ask where he was going.
"Old Yang, do you know where the Director went?" I asked, watching Wu Rendi's retreating figure. Yang Xiao shook his head. "He didn't say. I don't know." Sun Fatty perked up after Wu Rendi left, lifted his head, smiled again, and asked Yang Xiao, "Old Yang, where's your mother-in-law? Where's she giving birth to your wife?"
"Let's go inside and talk," Yang Xiao didn't hesitate, pushed open the glass door, and led the way into the hospital. Sun Fatty and I followed behind. We reached the lobby. Although the hospital hadn't officially opened yet, the registration desk, emergency room, pharmacy, and various testing rooms were all fully equipped. A few nurses were quietly cleaning. Apart from no patients coming and going, it looked quite legitimate.
Apparently, Yang Xiao had been here before. At least the nurses glanced at him but acted as if they didn't see him, continuing their work without interruption or asking questions like, "Who are you?"
Yang Xiao whispered to us, "These nurses will get off soon. The expectant mother and family are already on the fourth floor, guarded by two doctors and two private caregivers." Sun Fatty and I both froze at this. Sun Fatty asked, "Isn't that a lot of people? If something happens tonight, won't they be scared to death?"
Yang Xiao said, "Don't worry. Tonight, I'll make sure they sleep like logs. They won't wake up even if there's thunder." After walking around the first floor with Yang Xiao, I suddenly thought of something and asked, "Old Yang, is your mother-in-law the only patient admitted here? Isn't the hospital not open yet?"
Yang Xiao said, "The real owner behind this hospital is… the expectant mother's father. It's basically a nearby advantage for them."
I thought 'oh,' no wonder. Earlier, when Yang Xiao mentioned the hospital near the Fifteen-Story Building, he said he wanted to kill some hospital staff to mess with the big boss. Knowing his old personality, he probably planned to kill the big boss and his family outright. Back then, that's likely what he wanted. But now, he must be relieved he didn't do that.
Then Yang Xiao took us on a tour of the second and third floors. We were about to go to the fourth floor, but Sun Fatty and I both declined. I felt our operation zone was from the first to the third floor. There was no need to know about the fourth floor. Going up there meant losing control, and Yang Xiao's wife wouldn't reincarnate smoothly. Sun Fatty's reason was that he especially feared three types of people — monks, nuns, and pregnant women. As he said, "Seeing those three kinds means no making money for half a year."
Yang Xiao didn't push. He let Sun Fatty and me continue familiarizing ourselves with the hospital layout. At that time, the nurses were clocking out one by one. A short, stocky middle-aged man came down from the fourth floor. He seemed to know Yang Xiao. After whispering a few words in a corner, the short, stocky man cupped his fist toward Yang Xiao and said, "I'll be relying on Master Yang a lot tonight." Yang Xiao exchanged polite words with him. Sun Fatty whispered to me, "Who's that?" I said, "Yang Xiao's father-in-law."
I was still wrong. That short, stocky man was the expectant mother's father. Technically, Yang Xiao, along with his unborn wife, should call this man "maternal grandfather." I don't know how Yang Xiao introduced himself to his maternal grandfather. The grandfather kept calling him "Master" and treated his grandson-in-law with great respect. Yang Xiao accepted this calmly. After a few words, the short, stocky man left and went back upstairs to the fourth floor.