I didn't know how much time had passed before I opened my eyes again. Everything around me had changed—it was no longer the underground palace beneath the girls' academy. I was lying in the back seat of an old Beijing Jeep. The car was ancient; it jolted with every bump in the road, and the air inside was thick with the stench of gasoline.
Where the hell am I?
I glanced out the window. It was pitch black outside. I had no idea where the car was headed. The driver was a teenager, seventeen or eighteen years old. He looked strangely familiar, though I couldn't place where I'd seen him before. There was something odd about him—he was dressed in an old-fashioned blue Mao suit, and his hair was combed into a perfect 3/7 side part. He looked as out of place as a relic from another era.
Seeing that I was awake, the driver turned to glance at me and said, "I thought you might sleep a bit longer. I was planning to wake you when we arrived. Not gonna lie, how about getting some more rest? We've still got nearly an hour to go."
"Not gonna lie"…? The moment I heard that phrase, I froze. "You're... Hao Wenming?"
The driver grinned at me through the rearview mirror. "Who else would I be? Section Chief Xiao, what's up? Not gonna lie, you look like you just rolled out of a bad dream."
I turned to look at myself in the rearview mirror. Staring back at me was a man in his thirties, dressed exactly like the younger Hao Wenming. His face was lined with fatigue, with faint eye bags forming under his eyes. He looked vaguely familiar—almost like a younger version of the bearded Xiao Sanda.
Section Chief Xiao? Xiao Sanda?
Had I slipped into that nightmare again? This had to be a continuation of the one with the Bloodshade Fiend. If last time it was Wu Rendi pulling the strings, that wouldn't make sense now—Wu Rendi had already passed out, and his "plug-in" had been disabled for thirteen days. There was no way this was his doing again.
I reached up and touched my own face, still reeling in disbelief. Fortunately, I'd been through something like this before, so I calmed down quickly. Hao Wenming noticed how pale I looked and thought something was wrong. He glanced back through the mirror and asked, "Section Chief Xiao, are you okay? You look awful."
I had no idea what was happening, so I could only play it by ear. "I'm fine. Probably just didn't sleep well… Still feel pretty worn out. Hao… Wenming, my mind's a mess. Where exactly are we headed?"
Hao Wenming bared his teeth in a grin through the mirror. "Not gonna lie, this is a pretty big deal—how could you forget?" Realizing he'd maybe said too much, he glanced at my expression. When he saw I didn't react, he went on, "We're heading to Nanshan Cemetery. Chief Gao and Section Chief Xiao are already there waiting for you."
Nanshan Cemetery?
I repeated those words in my head, over and over, and then it finally clicked—I'd seen that name before in the archives. But that section of records was marked with a Level 2 confidentiality code, viewable only by Director-level personnel. I didn't know what had happened exactly, but I remembered one thing clearly: the Nanshan Cemetery case had been categorized under the year 1975.
I stole another glance at Hao Wenming. He hadn't noticed anything odd, still focused on driving. I coughed lightly and, rubbing my temples, asked, "Hao Wenming, my head's a mess right now. It is 1975, right?"
"Of course it's '75! Not gonna lie, are you sure you're okay?" Hao Wenming frowned at me in the rearview mirror. "You want me to pull over? Maybe get some air?"
"No need," I waved him off. "I'll just rest a bit longer." Then I shut my eyes, pretending to drift off again. Hao Wenming, seeing that I'd quieted down, didn't say another word. The cabin fell into dead silence, broken only by the steady roar of the engine.
I kept my eyes closed, thoughts churning in disarray, unable to piece anything together. Eventually, lulled by the hum of the engine, I dozed off again. Who knew where I'd be when I opened my eyes next.
A violent jolt snapped me awake. I opened my eyes to find I was still in Hao Wenming's Jeep. He had parked the vehicle and was looking back at me. "Guess the bumps woke you. Might be for the best—Section Chief Xiao, we're here. Come out and stretch your legs."
I looked out the window. Dawn had just begun to break. Outside was a small mountain village, everything gray and dull. A few early-rising farmers were carrying water buckets and shoulder poles to the village well. When they spotted the beat-up Jeep we were in, their eyes lit up like they'd just seen a UFO. They gathered together, whispering and pointing in our direction.
I got out of the Jeep with Hao Wenming, and he led me toward a cluster of old tiled houses in the village. As soon as we entered the yard, I was hit by the sight of people—everywhere. The courtyard and house were packed full. A rough count told me there had to be at least eighty to a hundred of them.
I stepped into the main room. When I entered, I saw that Gao Liang and Xiao Heshang had already arrived. Neither of them looked much different from the last time during the Bloodshade Fiend incident. The tall guy who had decapitated the fiend with a single sword strike was there too, along with a few unfamiliar faces. They were gathered together, nearly each of them with a cigarette between their fingers. Under the dim glow of an oil lamp, all of them were staring at a yellowed photograph on the table.
As I came in, nearly everyone greeted me. Naturally, the warmest welcome came from Xiao Heshang. He tossed me a cigarette. I caught it—it was an unfiltered one. After hesitating for a second, I lit it and took a puff. Just one drag and the low-grade tobacco choked me into a coughing fit.
"Sanda, you alright? Doesn't seem like you can handle it. Maybe you should just quit," Xiao Heshang said with a grin.
Someone beside me handed me a bowl of water. I took a sip, which made me feel a bit better. I nodded at the person in thanks. He looked familiar—baby-faced, especially when compared to Hao Wenming. That baby face jogged my memory—he was Lin Feng, future Director of the Fourth Division of the Bureau of Paranormal Investigation.
I hadn't had much contact with Director Lin. He was elusive, appearing even less frequently than Director Wu Rendi. Personality-wise, he was somewhat similar to Director Wu—arrogant, head held high, and in the Bureau, he only took orders from Director Gao Liang. Everyone else's words were like hot air to him.
Still, there were rumors in the underground circles that Director Lin used to run with Xiao Sanda. Now, seeing him serve tea and water so proactively, I figured those rumors were probably true.
"Sanda, we've been waiting for you," Gao Liang smiled as he saw me. He scooted over on the long wooden bench to make space. "Come sit. We've just finalized the plan—once you're here, we'll get started."
I glanced at the photo on the table. It showed a man in his fifties. I couldn't tell when the picture was taken, but judging by his clothing, it had to be from before the Liberation.
I picked up the photo, studied it for a bit, and then put it back down. I turned to Gao Liang and said, "Better go over it again. I've had too much on my plate lately—some things are getting jumbled. Wouldn't want to mess anything up during the operation."
"You can mix this one up?" Xiao Heshang looked skeptical, but when I shot him a glare, he changed his tune and added, "Well, no harm in hearing it again. Maybe Sanda will think of a better idea."
Gao Liang didn't mind. He pointed to the man in the photo and said, "This man is Tao Heru. On the surface, he's just an old caretaker at Nanshan Cemetery. But in truth, he's one of the three founding patriarchs of the Ghost Path Sect. Half a month ago, someone reported him as a Nationalist spy in hiding. During the investigation, we uncovered a shocking truth.
"When gathering his files, we discovered that he had already been captured and executed by the Nationalist Party's Religious Affairs Commission back in the 15th year of the Republic—1926. But somehow, he escaped death and had been hiding in that cemetery all these years."
"Tao Heru is the most dangerous opponent the Special Office (predecessor to the Bureau of Paranormal Investigation) has ever encountered since its founding. This time, the Special Office is pulling out all the stops. Apart from the Director overseeing operations from HQ, all six Division Chiefs are here. Tao Heru has the blood of hundreds on his hands—he must die today. Sanda, we'd like to hear your thoughts."
The Ghost Path Sect—again. Can't seem to shake them. And another one surnamed Tao... I wonder if he's related to Tao Xiangkong?
I was momentarily dazed. Gao Liang asked me again. I snapped out of it, realizing he was asking how I thought we should take out Tao Heru. I blurted out, "What about Wu Rendi? What's his take on this?"
The big guy who had sliced off the Bloodshade Fiend's head chuckled, "Wu Ren Di? Who came up with such an arrogant name?" The others around also looked puzzled—they'd clearly never heard the name. But I noticed that both Gao Liang and Xiao Heshang's expressions shifted subtly. Xiao Heshang even shot me a look, as if I'd said something I shouldn't have.
"Ahem!" Gao Liang gave a couple of dry coughs and forced a smile. "Sanda, giving our leaders nicknames again? Director Zhang (the Special Office Director—former Police Ministry Division Chief, now hiding out in the Special Office) isn't here, so even if you flatter him, he can't hear it." He chuckled again, deflecting the topic with ease.
Gao Liang was a master of redirecting conversations. With just a few sentences, he pointed back at the photo. "Let's stick to the plan we agreed on. I, Xiao Heshang, and Xiao Sanda will pose as people coming to pay respects at the cemetery. As soon as we make contact with Tao Heru, you guys outside will activate the Zhi-Yang Formation. If we sense anything wrong inside, Puu Dage, you lead the charge. The Special Office is going all-in this time—internal and external coordination. We're not letting this Ghost Path remnant get away."
They had clearly worked out the details before I arrived. After Gao Liang finished, Xiao Heshang reviewed everyone's assignments once more. No one had any objections. The group quickly dispersed to take up their positions, leaving only me, Xiao Heshang, and Gao Liang in the room.
Gao Liang gave Xiao Heshang a look. He got the message, walked to the door, and called out to the people standing watch in the courtyard, "We're out of lamp oil. Go borrow some from the village head. All of you go—he's stingy, but if enough of you show up, he won't have the face to refuse."
Once everyone in the yard had left, Xiao Heshang returned, shut the door behind him, and immediately turned to me. "Sanda, didn't we agree? That matter stays between the three of us—no reporting to the Special Office for now. I know you're against bringing him in, but nothing's decided yet. Who knows if he'd even want to join. Even if he did, he might not get past Director Zhang."
I only half understood what he meant. I looked at him and asked, "You're talking about Wu Mian… Wu Rendi?"
"Keep your voice down!" Xiao Heshang's face changed. He anxiously opened the door to check if anyone was eavesdropping. After confirming it was clear, he turned back to me. "Sanda, didn't we say we wouldn't mention his name until things were settled? And you go ahead and blurt out both of them."
Gao Liang had remained silent the whole time, simply watching me. His stare was starting to make me uneasy. After Xiao Heshang finished, Gao Liang asked, "Sanda, what's your angle here?"
It was 1975. I remembered that Wu Rendi didn't join the Bureau until the early '80s. But now, his name was practically taboo—no one dared even mention it. What on earth was going on?
Gao Liang was still watching. At the door, Xiao Heshang was also waiting for an answer. For a moment, I didn't know what Xiao Sanda would have said in response.
Just then, a wave of dizziness hit me. Then, from my mouth came a cold, emotionless voice: "I just wanted to test their reactions. After all, if the one surnamed Wu joins, they'll have to face it sooner or later."
What the hell?! I didn't say that. Before I could make sense of it, the same cold voice came from my mouth again, "But regardless of whether that Wu guy joins the Special Office or not, my stance remains unchanged—he should be eliminated, not recruited."
Xiao Heshang and Gao Liang exchanged a glance. Hearing "me" voice an opinion opposite theirs, they actually seemed relieved. Xiao Heshang walked over and sat across from Gao Liang. "Sanda, now that sounds like you. Just now, Fatty and I thought someone was impersonating you. If you'd taken a second longer to say something, I might've attacked you."
Gao Liang gave me a chuckle. "I thought maybe you were Tao Heru in disguise. You know how the Ghost Path Sect's Shadow Morphing Technique works—'disguise' doesn't even begin to cover it. It's more like shapeshifting. Alright, let's table that other matter for now. Let's focus on today's mission. Need me to run through the operation again?"
"I" shook my head. "No need. This isn't our first rodeo. Just another Ghost Path remnant. Like I said—When Demons Appear, They Must Be Slain." With that, "I" stopped speaking, walked out of the room, and headed toward the village entrance. Gao Liang and Xiao Heshang stood up and casually followed behind.
That voice... it was Xiao Sanda!
Suddenly, everything clicked. Whether I was dreaming or not, I was now experiencing the 1975 Nanshan Cemetery Incident through the eyes of Xiao Sanda. But how the hell did I end up inside his body? That part remained a complete mystery.