The owner paused, then said to Number 12, "Young man, you have quite the sense of humor... We wouldn't dare sell Yuanmou Man here; that's our ancient ancestor. But if you're truly eager to eat it, I hear you can try looking within the Stone Forest scenic area. They've reportedly taken down several recently."

The three of us froze upon hearing this, quickly asking, "What's going on? Is there really a Yuanmou Man? Isn't that something from hundreds of thousands of years ago?"

The owner shrugged, a flicker of fear crossing his plump face. "I don't know if it's Yuanmou Man, but the thing looks terrifying. Our village used to be a somewhat famous tourist spot, but look now—it's only ten in the morning, and the shops are all closed. It's all because of that creature. They say it bites anyone it sees. Three people in the village have died, and one has been bitten. Two months ago, over a dozen backpackers were camping outside, and they lost contact that same night. When they were finally found three days later, all that remained in the tents were rotting corpses with only a few mangled arms and legs."

The three of us were deeply unsettled, about to press further, but the owner waved a hand. "Enough talk. You won't have an appetite if I keep this up. I'll go prepare your dishes now."

With that, the stout owner retreated into the kitchen, leaving the three of us alone.

Seeing not a single shadow on the deserted street, the village unnervingly desolate, I turned to Number 2. "What do you think? Was this the work of an Emissary?"

Number 2 nodded. "Highly likely. Perhaps some ability that commands animals or causes them to mutate. In any case, we must be cautious."

A while later, the owner brought us three plates: two meat dishes and one vegetable, specifically Braised Chicken with Soybeans, Stir-fried Pork with Bamboo Shoots, and Pan-fried Egg Soup.

Smelling the fragrant aromas, the three of us didn't stand on ceremony and immediately dug in with our chopsticks.

In less than ten minutes, we had polished off three bowls of rice each and drained the soup completely, profusely praising the owner's excellent cooking.

Seeing our satisfied expressions, the owner couldn't help but beam with pride. "Of course! My skills, Old Bai's skills, are famous near and far. Otherwise, I wouldn't hold the position of 'First Shop at the Village Entrance,' would I?"

Noticing his good mood, I seized the opportunity. "Boss Bai, if you took this skill to a big city, you could certainly become a head chef in a major hotel."

"Yes, yes! This flavor is really something!" Number 12 offered him a cigarette.

Old Bai took the cigarette, chuckling. "Head chef at a hotel? I don't strive for that. I just hope the business picks up, ah..."

As he spoke, he let out a sigh.

Knowing what was troubling him, I said, "Since we've come this far, I won't hide it from you. We were sent here from above to handle this matter..."

"Really!" The owner's face lit up with surprise.

But after a moment, he sighed again. "Of the three of you, only the bald brother here looks like he has some skill. As for the other two..."

Number 12 bristled at this, showing a childish stubbornness. "Boss, how can you look down on us like that? We are..."

I cut him off, sensing he was about to slip up. "We are all very capable fighters."

Boss Bai frowned slightly. "Perhaps I misjudged, but even if you're skilled, can you be better than the PLA?"

Sensing he had more to say, I asked, "Oh? The People's Liberation Army has been here?"

Boss Bai nodded. "They were here. They arrived the day before yesterday and left yesterday. Must be from the Chengdu Military Region. One young fellow there is the son of a distant relative of mine. He ate here last night, and I casually inquired. He said it was classified information and he couldn't speak of it. But he did tell me that his company was tasked with blowing up two of the Stone Forest mounds. Beneath those mounds was a cave system resembling a honeycomb. They guarded it for two days, but found nothing; nothing emerged from that underground lair. However, he seemed to imply they were only guarding one exit to that 'underground nest.' He heard gunfire from other exits the night before last but received no orders for backup and didn't know what happened elsewhere, though the shooting was intense—the battle was fierce."

Getting animated, Boss Bai took a drink of water and continued, "But I saw it with my own eyes. When they arrived, the PLA numbered around a hundred. When they left, there were only seventy or eighty, and more than a dozen were wounded. If the problem had been resolved, they would have told us common folk. But when they departed, every one of them looked dejected and didn't utter a word."

"I see," I nodded, understanding. Then I turned to look at Number 2.

Number 2 met my gaze; clearly, we had reached the same conclusion. The higher-ups had told us to delay the mission because a group of PLA soldiers had inexplicably arrived a couple of days ago.

I thought it strange. Isn't it usually only when ordinary police and military forces can't handle a problem that they call upon the 9th Unit?

Though I couldn't reconcile that point, Boss Bai had shared everything he knew, and we were done eating. It was about time to leave.

So, I finally got to the main point. "Boss Bai, do you know a villager here named Li Xiaoquan?"

Boss Bai paused, then asked, "Why are you looking for Li Xiaoquan?"

Seeing surprise flicker in his expression, I asked, "What's wrong with that person?"

Boss Bai pursed his lips. "Li Xiaoquan is an elder in our village. His wife died young, so he lived alone with his son. It's a pitiful story; not only did he lose his wife early, but his son is also simple-minded."

"But some years ago, the father and son were doing reasonably well. They had two acres of land, planted an orchard, and the harvest was decent enough to get by. However, a month ago, Li Xiaoquan's son vanished without a trace. Li Xiaoquan reported it to the police, but after several searches yielded nothing, the old man became unstable, bordering on madness. Since this was also around the time the Yuanmou Man sightings began, the villagers all assumed his son must have been eaten by the creature after wandering out at night! Because of this, Li Xiaoquan has become completely unhinged."

We nodded upon hearing this.

Even if the target was a lunatic, since the higher-ups ordered us to find him, we had to see him regardless of who he was.

We then asked Boss Bai for the precise location of Li Xiaoquan's home, and the answer was that he lived in the woods outside the East Gate, not within the village proper.

After giving Boss Bai an extra three hundred yuan for the meal, we left the restaurant.

As we walked away, Boss Bai stood at the door watching our retreating figures, seemingly placing all his hopes on us.

I knew that he had transferred all his hopes for eliminating the Yuanmou Man onto our shoulders.

Since the restaurant was at the western end of the village, we had to traverse the entire settlement to reach Li Xiaoquan's house.

Walking down the pitch-black street, observing the closed doors and windows on both sides, none of us felt like talking.

After about five or six hundred meters, Number 2, who was walking ahead of me, suddenly stopped.

Just then, I heard a rustling sound coming from the carrying basket on his back, as if some heavy object was shifting inside.

This was the first time I had ever heard any movement from that basket, and I couldn't help but ask curiously, "What's wrong?"

Number 2 turned around, his expression grim, and said to us, "Go back. Back to the restaurant."

I was momentarily stunned. "Why?"

Number 2 spoke with stern seriousness. "Boss Bai is going to die. Master said so."

I froze for a second, then quickly turned around. "Alright, let's hurry back. We can't let an innocent person die for nothing."

Number 2 shook his head. "Let Number 12 go. The two of us will continue on to Li Xiaoquan's house."

I looked at the slender Number 12. "Are you kidding me? If this is the Yuanmou Man that even the PLA couldn't handle, can Number 12 manage it alone?"

Number 2 looked at 12. "Do you really think he's just some college kid freeloading meals? He possesses supernatural abilities. The fact that he got into the 9th Unit means his strength is considerable. Dealing with a few monsters is no issue."

Number 12 hadn't spoken until now. Seeing my concerned gaze, he said, "Don't worry, I can handle it!"

With that, he patted my shoulder to reassure me.

For the first time, I felt that this guy harbored a side that was unexpectedly reassuring.

So I looked at him and said, "Don't die! Call if you need anything!"

Number 12 gave me a thumbs-up for victory, then turned around with a cool gesture and walked back toward the restaurant.

Frankly, I was curious what this guy's power actually was. Judging by his demeanor, could it be that he never needed to sleep for ten days?

Pushing those strange thoughts aside, I followed Number 2 forward.

Number 2 walked in silence until he spotted a narrow alleyway by the roadside. He then said to me, "Come on, over there."

Not knowing what he intended, I asked, "What are we going over there for?"

Number 2 gave me a sidelong glance. "Don't tell me you haven't looked at the contents of the case since you got home."

It was only then that I remembered the heavy case I'd been carrying since arriving—standard equipment issued by the 9th Unit. I hadn't been home to open it the day they handed it out, and since then, I’d been constantly traveling, so it was inconvenient to look.

Seeing I didn't answer, Number 2 stated, "It contains our work uniforms and various weapons. We might need them soon, so let's change first."

I nodded and followed Number 2 into the alleyway, then opened the case using the light from my phone.

As soon as the lid opened, I saw a black suit neatly folded in the center. Beside the suit were many small indentations holding the most advanced flashlight, various medicines, and weapons.

Among these supplies, there was also a temporary tattoo sticker that looked remarkably eye-catching.

I picked it up and saw it was the character "10." However, it wasn't a standard numeral. The "1" was adorned with a skull motif on top, while the "0" was a dragon forming a continuous loop, looking incredibly cool.