But beyond the continuing burn of the cigarette butt, there was no other movement; even the loud fart Ma Xiong accidentally let out here would have caused an uproar.

The two gradually lost patience, preparing to retrieve the cigarette butt and give up.

Suddenly, they saw one of the cigarette butts rapidly shrink and vanish, becoming brighter than the others. Experience told them someone must be smoking it.

Ma Xiong excitedly lit a flare, and they hastily peered behind the mouthpiece, discovering a person crouched there.

Ma Xiong strode forward and pinned the figure down in one swift motion. Lu Zong reacted instantly, rushing forward to hold the person down alongside Ma Xiong. Unexpectedly, the person possessed immense strength; a mere shake was enough to throw Ma Xiong off balance.

Ma Xiong lunged again, clutching the person's arm, and in that moment, he glanced closely at the face, realizing with a jolt how incredibly familiar it was. He searched his mind, trying to excavate this person from some hidden corner of his memory, but before he could pinpoint it, the figure began to struggle violently. He had no choice but to wrap both arms tightly around the person's waist, preventing escape.

Lu Zong, meanwhile, exerted every ounce of his strength, clinging fiercely to the person’s neck, riding on their back, and locking his legs around them. Even so, he couldn't fully subdue the figure, which continued to roar desperately, trying to throw both riders off. It was useless; they were clinging too tightly to be shaken loose. Both men registered the sheer, impossible strength radiating from the figure—it was far beyond the normal capabilities of a human being. All they wanted now was to capture this creature, whatever it was, to finally see what kind of monster they had apprehended.

Just as the struggle reached its peak intensity, the flare suddenly sputtered out. The fear in their hearts instantly transmuted into raw strength, and their grip tightened further. Finally, after struggling for perhaps twenty minutes, the person lay still on the ground.

Only then did they let out a breath. Ma Xiong, to ensure the threat was eliminated, drew his military knife and stabbed the figure in the leg before collapsing onto the floor, gasping for air. It seemed they had defeated the individual.

Lu Zong retrieved the flare and stared intently at the corpse, tears streaming down his face.

Ma Xiong noticed the tears on Lu Zong’s face and asked, full of curiosity, "What’s wrong? Is this one of your colleagues?"

Lu Zong said, his voice filled with grief and indignation, "Look closely. Don't you recognize him?"

Ma Xiong leaned in close to examine the face. Gazing at the high bridge of the nose, the deeply set eye sockets, and the gaunt frame, a flood of memories washed over him. He recalled a photograph he’d seen at Lu Zong’s house, where he thought he had seen this person before. He ventured a guess: "Lu Zong, this is your colleague too, one of the ones who was captured?"

Lu Zong nodded.

Ma Xiong snapped to attention, offering a salute, preparing to perform a rite to see him off, after all, he was the one who had killed him. He was worried Lu Zong might blame him.

Suddenly, he saw the eyes of the figure twitch slightly. Then, the entire body convulsed violently, rising with a stiff, jerky motion, as if responding to an unseen command. The figure shot stiffly into the darkness and vanished.

The two stared at the spot where the figure disappeared, too stunned for words.

What in the hell was that? Why couldn't the person be killed? Was he truly being controlled by shamanistic sorcery?

They remained speechless, unable to process what had just occurred.

For Ma Xiong, however, there was a small measure of relief: he no longer had to feel guilty toward Lu Zong. See, he hadn't actually killed the man after all.

But now, a different kind of regret settled in—why hadn't he made sure the man was dead?

They gazed toward the empty space where the figure had vanished, their hearts heavy with melancholy.

As Ma Xiong looked toward the doorway, he noticed something swaying faintly hanging from the frame. Curious, he approached, carefully plucking it down to examine it.

It was a jade pendant.

The milky-white jade hung from a thin red cord, swaying gently in mid-air, made even more terrifying by the eerie atmosphere. He took it down, studying it for a moment, guessing that Lu Zong’s colleague must have accidentally snagged it when leaving.

He turned the pendant over, trying to read any inscription.

Instead, he saw two clearly carved characters: Houzi (Monkey).

"Houzi?" A jolt of heat rushed to Ma Xiong’s brain. Houzi—wasn't that the ‘dead monkey’ he’d shot with his gun earlier? He was certain he had killed him. Why was he appearing here?

Even if he was here, this made no sense, he thought strangely. Didn't Lu Zong take the jade pendant off him already? Why was it here now? The more he pondered, the more confused he became, so he turned to Lu Zong for answers.

Hearing Ma Xiong’s question, Lu Zong looked down, silent, pretending to be absorbed in studying the cigarette butts on the floor in a casual manner.

Ma Xiong sensed Lu Zong was avoiding something. He crouched down near him and asked, "Lu Zong, are we good friends? Good friends don't keep secrets, right? Tell me honestly, who exactly was that person?"

Lu Zong replied impatiently, "I already told you, he was a colleague. What else do you need to know?"

Ma Xiong placed a hand on Lu Zong’s shoulder and repeated his question with serious intent, "Lu Zong, I'm asking you who that person was, what was his name?"

Finally, tears burst from Lu Zong’s eyes. He buried his face in Ma Xiong’s shoulder, sobbing out two syllables: "Houzi."

Ma Xiong let go of Lu Zong’s shoulder and crouched alone on the ground, picking up a cigarette butt and taking deep, ragged drags from it.

His thoughts were a chaotic mess; he had no way to explain any of this. It truly transcended the natural, everything beyond human capability—unless one resorted to gods and ghosts. And for an atheist like Ma Xiong, that was an impossibility he would never accept.

Ma Xiong spat viciously onto the floor, wiped his palm, and declared with grim resolve, "Even if it’s lions and tigers, I will find the truth. Lu Zong, rest assured."

Lu Zong lifted his swollen, red eyes, looked at the determined expression on Ma Xiong’s face, and nodded in return.