Chapter 1001: Chapter 702: Unexpected Discovery
Inside the office, Yang Xiao crouched in front of a waist-high iron cabinet. The cabinet was tucked away in a corner, an inconspicuous spot, but the door had already been pried open, revealing a black safe hidden inside.
The safe had no keyhole, only two old-fashioned mechanical combination dials arranged vertically on the left side. Yang Xiao wasn’t experienced with such things and planned to call Boss Sun to find a professional to open it.
"Let me give it a try."
Qu Hong volunteered, stepping forward to carefully examine the safe. Then, she got up, grabbed a stack of old newspapers from a nearby desk, kneeled back down, and placed the newspapers against the safe’s dials. She leaned her face against the stack while pressing the bottom of the newspaper with her shoulder. Her series of smooth, practiced movements impressed Yang Xiao.
Clearly, Qu Hong wasn’t ordinary. Holding her breath, she gently turned the dials with her hand while listening intently to the faint mechanical sounds they made.
Ten minutes passed in silence. Unable to hold back any longer, Yang Xiao spoke in a low voice, "Are you confident?"
"Shouldn’t be a problem. I’ve opened a similar model before," Qu Hong replied confidently.
Time ticked by second by second, the atmosphere growing increasingly taut. Just as Yang Xiao’s patience was about to wear thin, the safe door suddenly sprang open.
"Got it!" Qu Hong exclaimed excitedly, pulling the door open fully.
Inside, the safe contained a large amount of cash and numerous jewels, though these valuable items were chaotically thrown together. At the bottom, in a separate compartment, they discovered a wooden box, a ring, and a CD.
Yang Xiao picked up the wooden box. It felt heavy in his hand; knocking on it produced a dull sound. Its material was neither metal nor wood. Yang Xiao recalled that Lu Youdao had shown him something similar during one of their lessons—an item used by the older generation of Angels to store Resentful Eyes. The material was rare and valuable.
The box wasn’t locked, and shaking it forcefully didn’t produce any sound. Upon opening it, however, the inside was empty.
But as the box opened, Yang Xiao caught a powerful stench—a smell he recognized all too well: the odor of death.
It seemed that a Resentful Eye had been stored in this box, though it had now been taken.
Qu Hong, meanwhile, had taken the ring and was examining it carefully. The ring was large, presumably suited for a man. Its face was engraved with an unusual design—neither snake nor dragon, gazing upward to swallow the moon.
The ring was old and rustic, yet imposing in craftsmanship and robust in material, clearly different from the other jewelry. Being placed in a separate compartment suggested its exceptional importance.
Under the light, Yang Xiao focused on the ring. Inside the band, an intricate character had been carved. The script was both twisted and peculiar, and Yang Xiao vaguely felt he’d seen it somewhere before.
"It belongs to the Japanese!" Qu Hong suddenly exclaimed in alarm. "A Black Wood Society officer!"
In an instant, Yang Xiao realized it—the twisted character was a distorted version of the word "ghost," one he had encountered during his time at Ru Lin Academy. It had been worn by a Corpse Slayer disguised as a ghost. That ghost had been terrifyingly strong, severely injuring Ru Lin Academy’s Old Clan Leader with a single strike.
The Ghost Tower, too, had been brimming with Fierce Ghosts, all bearing Japanese-style appearances. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call the place a Ghost Tomb.
A casual bar singer wouldn’t have had the skill to open the safe, let alone recognize the ring as belonging to the Japanese. Qu Hong’s identity was clearly fabricated.
"Who are you?" Yang Xiao asked calmly. He wasn’t the least bothered by Qu Hong’s hidden identity—this was typical. The stronger his teammates, the better the odds of survival for the entire group.
Qu Hong took a moment to glance toward Xi Huijun in the corner. Xi Huijun had been watching from the couch but, catching Qu Hong’s stare, tactfully stood and walked toward the inner door that led to the employees’ dormitory.
"Go sit at the desk opposite us. Don’t leave our sight," Yang Xiao ordered.
Xi Huijun obediently complied. Once she had gone, Qu Hong lowered her voice. "Mr. Chu, if I’m being upfront about my identity, you shouldn’t keep secrets either. I trust you, but trust should be mutual."
"Fair enough," Yang Xiao replied readily.
"I’m a bounty hunter for the Chamber of Commerce. I’ve been to Japan and done business with their Apostle Families. This ring belongs to the Black Wood Society in northern Japan. The Black Wood Society is one of Japan’s most formidable Apostle Families, known for being aggressive and ruthless. Nobody wants to cross them."
"Now it’s your turn, Mr. Chu. Who exactly are you?" Qu Hong asked, tightening her grip on the ring and scrutinizing Yang Xiao with curiosity.
Yang Xiao could tell Qu Hong was being cautious; she had withheld half her story, intending to hold back the rest unless she received a satisfactory answer.
"I’m with the Patrol Defense Office, under the Provincial Office’s enforcement division—a squad leader," Yang Xiao replied, using Captain Zhou’s fabricated identity.
"The Patrol Defense Office..." Qu Hong examined Yang Xiao head to toe, her eyes filled with skepticism, seemingly finding his claim inconsistent with her earlier observations.
"What’s wrong? You don’t believe me?" Yang Xiao frowned.
"No, I thought you might be from a cult. But it doesn’t matter anymore. Mr. Chu, I can trust you, right?" Qu Hong asked.
"Let me be clear—our Patrol Defense Office and Evil Cultivators are sworn enemies. In the real world, of course. Even if Miss Qu happens to be an Evil Cultivator, I’d consider you a friend regardless." Yang Xiao left room for ambiguity; after all, he couldn’t verify Qu Hong’s Chamber of Commerce identity at the moment.
