Chapter 35: Thirty-Four: Female Bird (Two-in-One)

Thirty-Four: Female Bird (Two-in-One)

It was already past eight in the evening when Li Jiahong returned to the hospital. Seeing that her husband had returned much later than agreed, and noting that his expression was somewhat off, Jiang Gu asked for the reason.

Li Jiahong did not hide anything and told Jiang Gu about the unpleasant events that had occurred today.

Upon learning what had happened, Jiang Gu could not help but embrace her husband, comforting him.

"Was I wrong?" Li Jiahong asked, holding his wife, his expression complex.

Jiang Gu spoke softly, as if coaxing a child of several decades: "You didn't do anything wrong; it's just that there is nothing in this world that can satisfy everyone. Everything you are doing now is supported by me and our parents, and it is what you are willing to do."

"Then was what Huang Qitao said incorrect?" Li Jiahong could not help but ask in return.

"He wasn't wrong either; he simply chose another path that would allow him peace of mind." Jiang Gu gently stroked her husband's withered hair. Among the black hair were countless strands of white; she could see the long, arduous road her husband had traveled over these fifteen years in every single white hair.

Li Jiahong understood. He said earnestly: "Then we will do our utmost to take back our child. If he is truly gone, then we must live on together. I will use all my strength to make up for the happy times I owe you and our parents."

Jiang Gu did not answer, only smiling and nodding imperceptibly.

At night, the patients in the hospital's inpatient department were preparing to turn off the lights and rest. After watching his wife fall asleep, Li Jiahong went to the rooftop alone, took out the red Business Card given by Wei Jiang, and used his phone to dial the string of digits written on it.

Less than two seconds after the number was dialed, Li Jiahong heard the ringtone of the "D Minor Requiem" composed by Haimofen.

Li Jiahong was stunned for a moment and hung up. After the ringtone stopped, he dialed again. A sudden flutter in his heart made him put down the phone and look behind him.

After he dialed the number, besides the sound coming from his phone, the ringtone also began to play from the position behind him.

When he turned his head, Li Jiahong saw a short-haired woman in official attire walking out from behind the rooftop water tank.

Under the illumination of the bright moonlight, half of the woman's profile was lit up. Her soft facial curves and exquisite features were unforgettable at a glance. When her thin, pink lips curled slightly, a magical charm rapidly unfolded upon her, as if even the unattractive night view of the city was enhanced by her presence.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Li. My name is Yu Lianyun," Yu Lianyun said with a smile, gently tucking back a strand of hair blown loose by the evening breeze.

"You... who are you?" Although Li Jiahong felt the mysterious lady before him was very beautiful, he did not lower his guard because he inexplicably sensed a feeling of danger from her. Every time she took a step forward, he took a step back.

Seeing that the other party was so vigilant he was about to back into the railing, Yu Lianyun had to stop. Feeling somewhat helpless, she continued her introduction: "I am a Mysterious Investigator for the Shenzhou Region's Special Emergency Incident Investigation, Analysis, and Rescue Support Organization. People in the streets call our organization the Xuanmi Group."

"Xuanmi Group?" Li Jiahong had heard of it; the suicide note of the deceased escapee had also mentioned this organization. He suddenly understood what Wei Jiang had said in the Forest Cabin. If this mysterious lady before him truly came from that organization existing in Urban Legends, then she could indeed help him.

Li Jiahong hoped Yu Lianyun could first prove her identity. Yu Lianyun took an ID-like object from her chest pocket, tossed it to him, and said with some amusement: "Even if you see my ID, you probably won't be able to tell if it's real or fake."

After receiving the ID, Li Jiahong did not speak but examined it closely, as if he could really tell something. Suddenly, his tense shoulders relaxed, and he said: "I believe you, Ms. Yu."

"Can you tell anything?" Yu Lianyun was curious to see him finally take the initiative to walk toward her and return the ID.

Li Jiahong shook his head: "I can only identify that the anti-counterfeiting print on it was produced by a photocopier not yet popularized on the market. This printing technology is currently mostly used for official and military levels. Because I used to work in a related industry, I know a bit about this. Just from this point, it is unlikely you are a fraud."

Hearing Li Jiahong's analysis, Yu Lianyun secretly marveled that this seemingly rustic middle-aged man was meticulous and knowledgeable. She then cut straight to the point: "I have already heard a little about your situation from Wei Jiang. I only arrived in Shenzhou from elsewhere this afternoon, and I have been waiting for you to call me to see when you would need my help."

As she spoke, Yu Lianyun smiled somewhat awkwardly, "I just didn't expect you to call me at this time. I even forgot to turn off my ringtone; it gave me a bit of a scare just now."

"……Sorry." Li Jiahong chuckled dryly, then, as if suddenly realizing something, asked in surprise, "Does that mean you saw everything that happened in the restaurant this afternoon?"

"The commotion you and the other gentleman made in the restaurant was indeed quite large." Yu Lianyun nodded, not denying that she had observed the entire process of his social death.

Li Jiahong was silent for a moment, then said: "Then you should know at least something about my current situation."

"To be safe and avoid any oversights, Mr. Li, please repeat it for me once more." Yu Lianyun did not act arrogant or overconfident; she directly asked Li Jiahong to recount his investigation experience and current results again, so she could secretly compare them with the information she had gathered.

Thus, Li Jiahong recapped the situation for Yu Lianyun. After several comparisons and confirmations, Yu Lianyun nodded and said: "Now I have confirmed that I understand your situation."

"Then Ms. Yu, can you help me find the child taken away by the Huogu?" Li Jiahong asked expectantly.

"I cannot fully guarantee it," Yu Lianyun said very bluntly. "Human effort has its limits, and too much time has passed. Things our predecessors couldn't solve back then, we might not necessarily be able to solve now..."

As she spoke, Yu Lianyun paused and asked Li Jiahong: "You have been to Lin Laoban's shop. What did you rent?"

Li Jiahong was somewhat disappointed but still replied: "He gave me a Feather and told me to give it to my wife, saying it could help me find the child."

Hearing Li Jiahong's words, Yu Lianyun was somewhat surprised. After thinking for a moment, she said: "If that is what Lin Laoban said, then this Feather should indeed be able to help you find the child."

Afterward, Yu Lianyun did not forget to remind him: "Have you asked about the method of using the Feather and its taboos?"

Li Jiahong frowned and said: "He told me the Feather is similar to an amulet; as long as my wife carries it with her, it will be fine. And the Feather did indeed have an immediate effect. My wife used to be affected by the Huogu in the past few days, able to feel the Huogu's gaze in the night and falling into nightmares. But after wearing the Feather, she hasn't had that feeling of panic and anxiety these past few days, nor can she feel the Huogu's nightly gaze."

"As for the taboos of using the Feather you mentioned, I do recall Lin Laoban telling me that if one day I see the Feather turn into two, I must immediately come and return it, otherwise there will be a consequence of family separation."

At this point, Li Jiahong seemed to suddenly understand something and hurriedly asked Yu Lianyun: "Could it be that there is something wrong with that Feather?"

Regarding this, Yu Lianyun did not say too much, only exhaling in relief and nodding: "Then you just need to follow exactly what Lin Laoban said. You just have to remember that there is no such thing as a free lunch in this world; there is a price for every gain. If you don't want the scenario Lin Laoban mentioned to happen, I suggest you strictly follow the usage method he gave you."

Seeing Yu Lianyun's serious and solemn expression, Li Jiahong clenched his fists and nodded forcefully: "Okay, I understand."

Even without Yu Lianyun's reminder, Li Jiahong had actually been carefully observing the condition of the Feather these past few days. So far, he had not seen any Abnormalities, but Yu Lianyun's reminder made him take this matter extra seriously.

"Regarding the Huogu, although we in the Xuanmi Group have many records of Abnormal events related to them, we have indeed never heard of the Huogu Graveyard. Even the predecessors who helped that escapee back then never heard about the Huogu Graveyard from the escapee. This will require some time to investigate." Yu Lianyun explained the situation on the Xuanmi Group's side to Li Jiahong, then asked, "Do you have any other leads you can provide?"

Li Jiahong immediately took out the notes he had made, showed the points of suspicion he had listed to Yu Lianyun, and said: "There are two things I am still unclear about. The first is tracing the source. The mysterious society my wife participated in during college can no longer be found. Furthermore, since almost everyone who participated in the ritual back then is dead, there is no one to ask. According to my wife, not everyone in the society participated in the ritual at the time, but I cannot find out who those people were."

"My wife only participated in that one club activity, which was holding that bizarre ritual. Afterward, because she saw terrifying, monstrous sights during the ritual, she never contacted this evil club again, so she isn't very familiar with the people in the society. So I think if we could track down the other members of the club who are still alive, it should be of some help to us."

"There is indeed such a possibility. The ritual of summoning the Huogu to make a deal with it is a very ancient ritual for us humans. Our organization has conducted multiple key strikes against the followers of the Huogu, and the evil rituals hidden within their organizations were also purged by us. Since then, those fallen ones have disappeared for many years. I originally thought that having lost their inheritance, they would soon give up on their own, but it seems that is not the case." Yu Lianyun pondered for a moment and felt this made sense.

Ah!

A sudden, high-pitched scream pierced the quiet night sky, startling everyone who heard it.

Li Jiahong and Yu Lianyun did not yet know where the screech originated when a rush of flapping wings accompanied by a loud "Guo-Guo" bird cry rapidly approached them. The next moment, a huge, swift black shadow swept past the rooftop railing and flew toward the night sky.

Because the speed of that huge, unknown bird was simply too fast, the two mortals only had time to catch a fleeting glimpse of its face, but even that brief glance was enough to ensure they would have no more good dreams tonight.

A giant bird covered in white feathers, yet with a head and torso resembling a woman's, hair disheveled, chest and abdomen exposed. Its head was as large as a bushel, its facial features were disproportionate, with a pair of oversized, lifeless black eyes and a protruding mouth that almost merged with its nose. It looked like a monster bird wearing human skin.

Yu Lianyun was shocked at how such a hideous and terrifying thing could exist, while Li Jiahong was stunned and lost in thought, because this horrifying, alien monster bird had haunted his dreams for many days. Only this close-range contact in reality allowed him to clearly see the monster bird's appearance and demeanor.

Facing this suddenly appearing monster, Yu Lianyun lost her composure for a moment before immediately pulling Li Jiahong to evacuate the rooftop, because she had caught a glimpse of the monster bird's brief backward glance; those lifeless eyes seemed to have already locked onto her and Li Jiahong on the rooftop.

The strange female bird shifted its wings, its body circled half a turn in the night sky, and sure enough, it dove toward the two of them the next moment.

Yu Lianyun and Li Jiahong ran fast enough to turn back into the stairwell in time. As they sprinted down the stairs, both of them, in their panic, heard a huge crashing sound behind them, but neither dared to look back, because they were afraid that if they did, they would see the five-centimeter-thick steel door already torn apart by the strange female bird's sharp claws, and see that hideous monster coldly peering through the crack at them as they fled in terror.

They did not see it, but they had already imagined that horrifying scene in their minds.

While sprinting downstairs, Li Jiahong was extremely worried about his wife's safety. He feared that the strange female bird was the "child" sent by the Huogu to attack his wife.

Rushing back to the ward with half his heart cold, Li Jiahong saw his wife sitting safely on the hospital bed, though her expression was uneasy. His hanging heart finally settled.

"Husband, where did you go? I was so scared." Seeing her husband return, Jiang Gu, like a frightened little bird, threw herself into Li Jiahong's arms.

Li Jiahong apologized repeatedly, hugging his wife tightly; the feeling of almost losing a loved one again brought him to the verge of a breakdown, and not knowing what else to do, he could only offer pale, powerless words to comfort the woman in his arms.

Yu Lianyun watched all of this from a corner of the corridor; while she felt the mountain-like depth of the couple's affection, she also sensed an anomaly that Li Jiahong, the person involved, had overlooked.

The way Jiang Gu had just run and thrown herself into Li Jiahong's arms looked exactly like that of a normal person; one could even say that the movement and speed of her pounce were healthier than a normal person's—how could this be a woman whose limbs had atrophied and who had just awakened from a fifteen-year deep coma?

Besides "warding off evil and avoiding spirits," could the Feather that Li Jiahong rented from the Forest Cabin also have the effect of restoring one's health?

Suddenly, Yu Lianyun felt a dark gaze lock onto her, and the thing in the shadow at her feet seemed to sense it too, becoming restless; she followed the line of sight and saw Jiang Gu, who was leaning on Li Jiahong's shoulder, staring straight at her with dark, lifeless eyes that resembled the strange female bird she had seen earlier.