Chapter 73: First Layer of the Celestial Eye - Pursuer's Gaze

Tie Ningxiang recalled, "The gravekeeper had a tumor near the corner of his eye. He was in his forties, had a very large mouth, and I never saw him smile. His face was always tense."

This gravekeeper had a very distinctive appearance, and I was sure I had never seen him before. "Could he be Lu Xing's accomplice?"

"That's right. The guy was draped in a black robe and had a snake tattoo on his neck," Tie Ningxiang added. "He had a strange outfit, but we assumed it was part of some gravekeeping tradition, so we didn't pay much attention."

"A black robe?" I recalled the taxi driver mentioning it. After the first wave of police left, someone had taken a cab to the Pinewood Cemetery, and that person had also been wearing a black robe.

At first, I thought it might have been the Gu Master. But now, it seemed more likely that this person was another one of Lu Xing's subordinates. "His planning is meticulous, and he's orchestrating multiple layers. It's obvious he's intent on clashing with the police."

The thick fog persisted. It was almost noon, yet the mountain valley was still shrouded in mist.

"Hey, Gao Jian, how about you take the gorilla and Zhao Bin with you while I stay behind to cover you? After all, Lu Xing's target is only me," Tie Ningxiang said, pulling out her service pistol and stroking its polished surface. "If Lu Xing dares to show himself, I have at least a fifty percent chance of taking him down."

Before graduating from the police academy, Tie Ningxiang had been the shooting champion, the only woman in her cohort capable of hitting a bullseye 50 meters away with one hand.

"Tie Captain! We're staying with you!"

"Exactly. How can we, grown men, abandon you here to fend for yourself?"

The officers spoke up one after another, and I found myself admiring this tough and determined woman. Honestly, if it were me in her shoes, my first thought would probably be to save my own skin.

"Let's wait until noon, when the Yang energy is strongest, and make a run for it together." I stood by the door, peering out into the mist. The fog was undoubtedly tied to Lu Xing. If we didn't seize the opportunity during the peak of daylight, escaping later, especially in the evening or at night, would be even more perilous.

"Zhao Bin and Big Nose, you two support the gorilla. I'll lead the way, and Tie Ningxiang can cover the rear."

"Tie Captain hasn't spoken yet. Who made you the boss? Do you think you're a cop now?" The hook-nosed officer standing next to Tie Ningxiang clearly resented being called "Big Nose." He curled his lips and looked disdainful.

"Chen Feng, just listen to Gao Jian. I wouldn't be here alive if it weren't for him," Zhao Bin vouched for me, but Chen Feng wasn't having it.

"Which side are you on, kid? We're cops, and he's just a disgraced student who got expelled. If anything, he should be calling me 'senior'!"

It was clear Chen Feng bore a grudge against me. I glanced at him, then at Tie Ningxiang. They had been classmates at the police academy, and Chen Feng had likely harbored feelings for her for a long time.

"Enough arguing. Gao Jian is right—noon is our best chance to escape." Tie Ningxiang raised her hand to settle the dispute. "We'll do as he says!"

As the clock on my phone neared 1 p.m., we left the wooden hut.

The fog showed no signs of clearing. After walking about ten meters, faint wolf howls began to echo around us.

"Gao Jian, how confident are you that we can make it out of here?" Tie Ningxiang slowly walked up beside me.

"Do you want the truth?" I clutched the stone in my hand. "Less than fifty percent. The enemy is in the shadows while we're in the open. We're too conspicuous, and Lu Xing has been planning this for a long time. This time, it'll be hard to avoid disaster."

"You sound like you know Lu Xing pretty well. Have you met him?" Tie Ningxiang seemed curious.

"No, but some of the things I've experienced recently are connected to him—or rather, to a certain belief he represents," I whispered. "Do you remember the double-faced Buddha statue at the Peaceful Inn? Lu Xing is just a pawn in the hands of that double-faced Buddha."

Tie Ningxiang appeared thoughtful and was about to say something when a gray shadow flashed before our eyes!

"The wolves are here!" Several officers drew their pistols and prepared for combat, their pace slowing.

"Awoo!" A long wolf howl broke through the silence, signaling the pack's attack.

Visibility in the dense fog was poor, and more gray shadows darted among the scattered rocks.

"Tie Captain, there might be more than one wolf pack…" Zhao Bin leaned against a rock, barely able to speak. I hadn't anticipated things escalating to this extent. The continuous wolf howls were nerve-wracking, and shadows appeared and disappeared like phantoms. There were at least a dozen of them.

"An ultra-large wolf pack like this would never appear just a few kilometers into the mountains under normal circumstances. They couldn't survive here due to the lack of food." The only explanation I could think of was this: "Lu Xing must be using some kind of dark sorcery to drive the wolves."

My hand moved to my chest pocket, where two talismans were kept: a Child's Night Cry Talisman and a Maoshan Seven Celestial Talisman.

"If I use a talisman against the wolf pack, could I break the spell?" The thought crossed my mind, but I quickly dismissed it. Wild animals are inherently predatory; even if the spell were broken, they wouldn't abandon their prey. That's precisely the cruelty of Lu Xing's plan.

Bang!

A gunshot rang out from the back of the group!

The sound briefly silenced the wolves in the valley, but soon their howls grew even louder and more terrifying.

Chen Feng, the shooter, looked pale. "The fog is too thick. There's no way to hit them."

"Watch out!" Tie Ningxiang delivered a textbook side kick, knocking Chen Feng to the ground. He looked up in shock, just in time to see a massive wolf pounce on where he had been standing moments before.

The wolf's cold, emotionless eyes were filled only with greed and bloodlust.

Shivering on the ground, Chen Feng forgot to fire his gun, staring as the giant wolf gracefully landed, then leaped away like a bullet into the mist.

He clutched his chest where Tie Ningxiang had kicked him and forced a smile. "Thanks, Captain Tie."

"Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine," Chen Feng replied as he got to his feet. "These beasts are sneaky, ambushing us from the fog."

Satisfied that Chen Feng was unharmed, Tie Ningxiang returned to the front of the group, standing beside me.

"What is it? Worried about me?"

"They all have guns, while you're injured and armed with only a rock. I'm concerned something might happen to you."

Her words filled me with a subtle warmth, leaving me momentarily unsure how to respond.

As we neared the end of the Wolf's Head Ravine, the attacks from the wolves grew more frequent, relentless as a storm.

In the final meters, gunfire filled the air but was largely ineffective. Using the cover of rocks and fog, only Tie Ningxiang managed to take down two wolves, while the others simply wasted ammunition.

"We're almost at the exit. Let's make one final push!" There was no time to conserve bullets now. We moved in a tight formation, breaking through the fog.

The last stretch became a decisive battle between us and the wolf pack. Bloodied and enraged, the wolves were like demonic harbingers of death.

"Ah!" Zhao Bin let his guard down for a moment, and a wolf hiding in the rocks tore a chunk of flesh from his thigh. Even I felt my stomach churn at the sight.

With an injured member, our pace slowed.

"Tie Captain, maybe you should leave me behind. You guys go, and I'll cover the rear!" Zhao Bin gritted his teeth, tears welling in his eyes as he shouted to Tie Ningxiang. "I'll hold them off for a while. Just go!"

"What are you going to do? Feed yourself to the wolves?" Tie Ningxiang's tone was stern. "I won't abandon a single one of you. I brought you into this mountain, and it's my duty to get you out alive!"

"But, Captain—"

I patted Zhao Bin on the shoulder. "Don't bother arguing. When she's this stubborn, not even ten oxen could drag her back."

The wolves' attacks grew fiercer. Even if we exited the ravine, we'd still be two kilometers from the mountain's edge. The bullets were running out, and soon we'd face true desperation.

"Zhao Bin, give me your gun," I said, holding out my hand.

"Are you crazy? Police firearms aren't toys for civilians!" Chen Feng, still shaken, shouted loudly.

Tie Ningxiang looked conflicted. "Gao Jian, we can't just hand over a service weapon."

I shrugged. "Take down the pack leader, and the wolves' threat will be halved immediately."

"That's ridiculous! With this thick fog, we can barely make out the wolves' silhouettes. What makes you think you can hit the leader?"

I ignored Chen Feng and smoothly ejected the magazine. There was only one bullet left.

"This is my only shot. I can't afford to miss."

Moving to the front of the group, I steadied my gaze, eliminating all distractions. Just like entering a meditative state last night, I let my focus sharpen.

I centered my awareness between my brows, blocking out the cacophony of wolf howls around me.

Listening carefully, I caught one howl that sounded different—longer and more melancholic.

"It's on the cliff!" I shouted, lifting my head to focus.

My eyes tinged with red, and a point between my brows seemed to crack open. My vision extended, piercing through the thick fog in an instant!

"I've got you!"