Park Cheng-eun was already carrying the sack containing the Spirit Beast Illusory Wolf, standing at the edge of the wooden door he had kicked open, one foot already stepping out of the courtyard. However, Qiao Yihong's furious roar made him pause his departure.

Park Cheng-eun turned around, looking at the collapsed and ashen-faced Qiao Yihong with a half-smile. Qiao Yihong was currently experiencing involuntary spasms throughout his body, his facial features contorted. The poison of the Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox was beginning to spread within him, and he was clearly enduring excruciating agony from the poisoning.

"You just mentioned... Zhang Yang?"

Park Cheng-eun set down the sack, the Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox quietly settled on his shoulder, and he walked step by step back towards Qiao Yihong, lowering his head to ask in confusion.

"Zhang, Zhang Yang absolutely, absolutely will not let you go!"

Qiao Yihong's eyes were bloodshot, and the chattering of his teeth was clearly audible. Despite the agonizing pain of the spreading poison surging through his body, he refused to let his demeanor fall behind Park Cheng-eun in the slightest.

This display struck Park Cheng-eun as utterly ridiculous. Here was a man on the verge of death from poison, not desperately begging for an antidote, but instead daring to be confrontational. Did he truly believe that this 'Zhang Yang' he spoke of could materialize in an instant to save his life and simultaneously deal with Park Cheng-eun?

Qiao Yihong forced himself to hold onto a last breath, glaring at Park Cheng-eun without yielding an inch. The blood vessels in his eyes were nearly bulging out—it was the only thing he could still manage.

"It seems the one directing you... is Zhang Yang."

Park Cheng-eun let out a cold laugh, though hearing Zhang Yang's name from this man’s mouth was momentarily surprising. Yet, upon reflection, it was no longer unexpected. If Zhang Yang was the one who killed Ishino Kōtarō and Kim Hyun-shin at the Gyeongyang Four Flowers Hotel, then it was unsurprising that Zhang Yang was now tracking him. Park Cheng-eun’s conviction solidified once more: the murders at the Gyeongyang Four Flowers Hotel were Zhang Yang’s doing.

Park Cheng-eun suddenly altered his plan. Initially, he had no intention of acknowledging this hidden pursuer, intending to let him perish here. But now, a much better scheme had formed in his mind. Even though the Chairman had issued a specific order to bring Zhang Yang back to Korea, Park Cheng-eun wasn't averse to teaching this man, who had killed his son, a lesson first!

He glanced at Qiao Yihong. A smile suddenly bloomed on Park Cheng-eun's face—a smile that, in Qiao Yihong's eyes, was nothing less than demonic.

Park Cheng-eun reached into another pocket of his trench coat, rummaged for a moment, and pulled out a small vial. In front of Qiao Yihong, he twisted off the cap, extracted a single pill, and said slowly, "Judging by your appearance, you must have immense faith in that Zhang Yang. However, I, too, am curious. Whether the Zhang Yang you speak of can stop me, and whether he can save you."

Saying this, Park Cheng-eun grabbed Qiao Yihong’s jaw, forced his mouth open, and shoved the pill inside!

"Cough, cough!!"

When Park Cheng-eun released him, Qiao Yihong coughed several times, clutching his throat, trying desperately to spit out the pill Park Cheng-eun had forced down. But no matter how wide he opened his mouth, or how violently he retched, the pill had already passed down his throat and entered his system!

The pill felt like a cluster of phantom fire, emitting searing heat upon reaching his stomach, making Qiao Yihong feel as if he had just swallowed a burning coal.

He writhed on the ground in agony for several rolls before the scorching sensation in his stomach gradually subsided. When the burning disappeared, Qiao Yihong discovered with astonishment that the Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox poison within him had quieted down. This meant the pill Park Cheng-eun had given him served to inhibit the fox’s toxin.

Qiao Yihong suddenly felt he might have guessed Park Cheng-eun’s intention: either he planned to keep him alive to send a message to Zhang Yang, or... he intended to use him to set a trap for Zhang Yang!

In reality, Qiao Yihong’s deductions were entirely wrong. Park Cheng-eun’s true plan was far more audacious.

"I will take you with me to hunt another Spirit Beast, and I will let you watch firsthand how I sweep up every Spirit Beast near Changjing in one go."

Park Cheng-eun pointed at Qiao Yihong, his triumphant demeanor fully evident on his arrogant face. He laughed heartily, then added, "You think Zhang Yang won't let me off? You think Zhang Yang will definitely show up to stop me? Then you'll stay by my side and watch. Before I capture all fifteen Spirit Beasts hidden near Changjing tonight, will Zhang Yang appear before me to reclaim the beasts I’ve taken... and incidentally, rescue you from my grasp!"

Qiao Yihong knelt on the ground, gasping for air. The pill, which had felt like a searing coal, not only filled his stomach with heat but also left his throat incredibly dry. At this moment, even uttering a single word was incredibly difficult. But once he understood Park Cheng-eun’s true objective, a chill ran through his body, surging straight to his forehead.

Qiao Yihong was deeply concerned. Without him sending a warning, would Zhang Yang discover Park Cheng-eun's conspiracy in time? Could he stop Park Cheng-eun in time? The Spirit Beasts near Changjing—perhaps many were still hidden in ordinary households, like that big black dog. If Park Cheng-eun started hunting, would he spare those ordinary people?

He subtly glanced at the old man whom he had kicked aside. The old man was still sprawled on the ground, emitting only the faintest sounds of suffering, unable even to manage the simple act of rising.

If there was any sliver of hope left, it was to notify Zhang Yang as soon as possible. Qiao Yihong’s hand secretly brushed against his trouser leg, near the pocket—there was a bulge there. This was the cell phone he used to contact Zhang Yang. This was Qiao Yihong's entire hope now. All he could think about was how to evade Park Cheng-eun's gaze and call Zhang Yang!

Park Cheng-eun would certainly not give Qiao Yihong the chance to call Zhang Yang. Qiao Yihong’s only opening was Park Cheng-eun’s excessive pride; he hadn't searched him, and his guard against him wasn't that high.

"Now, if you don't want to die here immediately, serving as a burial companion for this old man, then get up and follow me."

Park Cheng-eun looked at Qiao Yihong with an air of absolute certainty, never imagining Qiao Yihong could pull off any trick under his nose. Seeing Qiao Yihong remain motionless, Park Cheng-eun added with a sneer of disdain, "Think carefully: do you die in this desolate place to be discovered tomorrow, or do you choose to follow me, hoping your savior Zhang Yang rushes here in time to save you? The pill I gave you will last, at most, ten minutes against the Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox poison, and that time is nearly up."

Qiao Yihong did not remain silent for long. He lifted his head, rose from the ground, casually brushed the dust from his trousers, and replied.

"I'll go with you."

"Hahahaha, hahahaha!"

Receiving Qiao Yihong's affirmative, Park Cheng-eun erupted in wild laughter. He then poured out three more pills from the same vial, tossed them to Qiao Yihong, pointed at the sack by the door, and instructed, "Swallow these three pills, then go carry that sack and follow behind me. I’ll take you to see the Three-Layered Spirit Beast hidden near Changjing!"

Qiao Yihong caught the pills and swallowed them in one gulp. The burning sensation surged in his stomach once more. Qiao Yihong clutched his chest, curling into himself, rolling several times on the ground until the burning sensation faded. Only then did he slowly manage to pull himself up.

Unknowingly, he had arrived next to the old man. Qiao Yihong glanced at the dying old man beside him, enduring the pain from the pills Park Cheng-eun had given him. He walked over silently, picked up the sack abandoned near the courtyard entrance, placed it on his back, and then followed closely behind Park Cheng-eun as they left the yard.

After the two men departed, the dilapidated courtyard fell silent. The only sound came from the elderly man, who was clinging to life.

"Dahei, Dahei..."

The old man lay prone on the ground, the pain washing over him in waves that nearly caused him to lose consciousness several times. Yet, fueled by the single breath in his chest, the old man managed to stay awake, constantly murmuring the name of his big black dog.

"Hello? Hello? Qiao Yihong, is that you, Qiao Yihong? Say something!"

After an unknown amount of time, a voice echoed into the courtyard, gradually rousing the old man. As his consciousness returned, he opened his eyes and saw, behind the overturned stool, a long, dark rectangular object emitting a faint light. The voice was coming from this device.

Though the old man lived in the suburbs of Changjing, an area not highly developed, he recognized the item. He knew it was called a 'cell phone'—a portable telephone that had become popular in the city in recent years. He had once borrowed their village head's phone to contact his children who were away.

A phone! That meant he could call the police!

Hope, like a sudden dawn, illuminated the old man’s vision, bringing tears to his eyes. He was absolutely certain: if he could just get through to the police, report the crime, that foreign intruder who trespassed on someone’s property would surely face legal sanctions!

This hope injected the old man with a burst of powerful resolve, and he struggled to shuffle his body forward. At this moment, the old man couldn't worry about who had dropped the phone here. As long as he could dial the police station and file a report, that was all that mattered!

Fortunately, the phone was not far from him, allowing him to hook it without exerting too much effort. He grasped the cell phone in his hand.

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