Infinite Hunter

Cheng Yijiu was still watching their last cleanup. The last time they opened the tomb, they found it dry. Then they heard strange noises, like people talking. Someone fainted and was quickly dragged out. Two people who woke up said they saw something indescribable. Since then, they've stopped. This was their second time inside, and they were surrounded by members of the handling team.

Apart from anything else, the members of the handling team were battle-hardened. They'd seen it all. Cheng Yijiu remembered seeing a few of them back in Kunlun. "Hasn't anyone been in there in centuries?" Cheng Yijiu muttered, looking at the large screen. It was projected by a high-definition laser projector, and almost everyone was paying attention.

Someone nearby remarked, "Judging from the style, it's probably over a thousand years old." Cheng Yijiu wasn't a professional archaeologist, but he knew that a thousand years ago would have been the Song Dynasty, though it could also have been the late Tang Dynasty. The tomb passageway was covered in vividly colored murals, so the robot extended its arm and evenly applied protective spray to the murals.

Regardless of whether there was dust on the murals, they first sprayed a protective agent to isolate the air and stabilize the base. The robot entered normally, without any strange noises. It quickly passed through the tomb passage and saw the tomb guardian beasts and the tomb guardian Mingwang. Their bright colors and exaggerated shapes made even Cheng Yijiu recognize this style as a descendant of Tang Sancai. "Ah, isn't this a Tang Dynasty tomb?" he whispered.

Despite the crowd, there were no unusual sounds. The tomb door slowly opened under remote control, revealing the burial chamber. "Well, we'd better use robots more often in the future. The air here is completely unsuitable for humans. The oxygen content is very low." If air was replaced, the contents would likely oxidize and become damaged. So, they quickly pumped nitrogen in.

Under the light, everyone saw a fairly large number of burial objects and the coffin on the central earthen platform. Almost everyone noticed something unusual about the coffin—it was tilted, and the lid had slipped halfway off. It was unclear what had happened inside. Another robot captured an annex on one side, suggesting the possibility of burial objects or a second coffin.

"Nothing unusual, maybe there are too many capable people here."

Chapter 2 Changes

The so-called anomaly might truly be a case of bullying the weak and fearing the strong. Faced with a "powerful" individual, especially one armed with modern firearms, peace would soon subside. The robot began taking photos, preparing to meticulously capture the entire tomb chamber for a three-dimensional reconstruction. It would then travel back and forth between the tomb and the surface, bringing up some of the burial objects—of course, these would be filled with nitrogen or sprayed with a protective coating.

The real problem lies beneath the tomb chamber. There is a fairly large cavity beneath the tomb chamber, almost the size of a city - according to remote sensing, the cavity underneath is about one square kilometer in size, which is quite exaggerated.

The robot brought up the first batch of burial objects, which, along with the tomb guardian beast, confirmed the tomb's age—it was from the late Tang Dynasty, and the identity of the tomb's owner was still unknown. Cheng Yijiu was more concerned about the coffin. The presence of zongzi inside would indicate whether this unusual event was real or not. He had never encountered a truly extraordinary person; they all seemed like charlatans, but he had seen many extraordinary monsters.

Are there such people among the team members present? Cheng Yijiu felt that there must be people like Uncle Jiu, and they should be the majority. As for himself, Cheng Yijiu felt that at most there was a little abnormality - and he would have to apply ointment. The problem was that Apollo's ointment was very effective in the real world. He tried it and found it very effective as a muscle pain reliever.

The new robot went down. This robot has a retractable camera and can rise to a height of up to six meters. Everyone wanted to see the tomb owner in the coffin.

Only a small portion of the coffin lid was exposed, preventing the tomb occupant from being seen. So, the camera on the robotic arm began to descend and extend into the coffin. Cheng Yijiu didn't want to watch, and neither did most of the other members of the various investigation teams present—the archaeologists, and of course, the anthropologists, were quite excited. The screen went black, and the robot signal was lost, all at once. It was already dark, and even the lights in the shed flickered.

"Is there really something?" Cheng Yijiu was surprised. If it was a zongzi, it must be a thousand-year-old one. Zongzi from the late Tang Dynasty were truly rare. A strange roaring sound came from the tomb, like a bull bellowing. Cheng Yijiu retreated to the back while several members of other groups surrounded the tomb's exit, each bringing out their own utensils—from peach wood swords to Buddhist beads, and even some holding Buddhist scriptures and strange masks.

The sound of heavy objects crashing echoed, and the archaeologists and anthropologists had already taken refuge in a safe place. They were not afraid and were craning their necks to watch the excitement. Cheng Yijiu had no weapons in his hands, not even a cold iron dagger. "If the sky falls, there are tall people to hold it up. People like me can't stand out."

A stream of black air erupted from the tomb's entrance. "Be careful! It's poisonous!" Everyone backed away, avoiding the impact. Then, a black, furry creature truly leaped out. "Lights! Headlights!" Modern technology was far from merciful. Almost all the neon headlights were activated, and within the shed, it was as bright as day. Under the light, everyone could finally see the creature clearly.

"It's so fucking ugly." Cheng Yijiu had seen zombies before, but the ugliness of this thing was beyond his expectations. The mummified shape was fine, and the sparse and unkempt hair was normal, but the black bristles on its face were unusual, and its lips were shrunken, revealing extremely long and large teeth. Its hands were also black, with black nails, and its clothes were already tattered, but it was hard to tell how much of it was still on.

Under the strong light, the zombie's movements were also restricted - in the final analysis, it was just a thousand-year-old rice dumpling. It was difficult to deal with it in the era of cold weapons, but now... Cheng Yijiu looked at those people who were throwing yellow paper talismans and chanting scriptures and throwing Buddhist beads. They hit the zombie so hard that it made popping sounds and smoke rose as if hundreds of red earth firecrackers were tied to this thing. As for the damage, it seemed to be just average.

Cheng Yijiu stood on the periphery, watching as engineers carrying large canisters advanced. Others fired stun guns and nets, firmly restraining the zombie—even if it had the strength of an elephant, it couldn't break free. "Is it worth studying?" Cheng Yijiu casually asked Lao Liu beside him. "I don't think so. They look like they're planning to destroy it." Sure enough, a long dragon of fire flew out. "An old antique," Cheng Yijiu muttered.

It was a good thing they still managed to find a flamethrower, but the flames were incredibly effective against zombies—though it was an antique, it had been modified to some degree. The fuel it sprayed must have been enhanced, and the combustion temperature was estimated to be over 1,500 degrees Celsius. The black-haired zombie shrank back almost immediately. A normal flame of 300 to 500 degrees Celsius would likely be ignored by the monster, but anything over 1,500 degrees Celsius was a massive change.

The zombie quickly shrank into a ball from the flames. Someone threw a thermite grenade, which instantly split the zombie in two. It didn't move again until the flames died down. "It's really burned to ash. Look, the bones are all carbonized." Cheng Yijiu watched as someone used a stick to tap the zombie's skull and leg bones, causing them to disintegrate into ash.

The subsequent excavation should be trouble-free. Cheng Yijiu had wanted to return, but the underground chamber had collapsed, and the creatures that emerged prevented him from leaving. "What's that?" A large insect emerged from the cave? It appeared and disappeared swiftly, taking a robot with it. Fortunately, no casualties were reported. According to witnesses, it appeared to be a caterpillar with a shell, about the thickness of a washbasin and longer than a person.

Exactly how long it was was unknown, as it quickly retracted. This was intriguing. There were actually unidentified creatures living in this underground ancient city? This was Cheng Yijiu's specialty. Two robots were currently stationed in the cave, equipped with mobile surveillance and machine guns. Cheng Yijiu crouched at the cave entrance, examining the traces left behind with a group of other teams and biologists.

Professionals collected biological samples left by the creature during its journey—a few pieces of carapace—but otherwise, the creature left no trace. According to eyewitnesses, the creature's "head" was a cone-shaped structure composed of three carapaces, which could open to reveal a "mouth" within. This was likely the mouth, as it was where the robot was bitten and carried away. The carapaces opened in a single piece at the top and two at the bottom, revealing a petal-like structure with sharp barbs.

Chapter 3 Underground Worms

Cheng Yijiu surveyed the marks on the ground. He agreed with several biologists: this creature had quite a few legs. They just didn't know which order or family of arthropods it belonged to. An arthropod that large might be the largest ever. The question was, how did it breathe? And how did it support itself? This was quite interesting. The composition of the air below had been determined, and the oxygen content was even lower than above.

So how did this thing grow so large? What kind of creature was it? Everyone was fascinated. Many unusual creatures had indeed been discovered in recent years, but most remained legends and sightings. The last time the Kunlun Red-Haired Monster was actually captured was one of them. These creatures were eventually examined, and through bone and DNA analysis, they were confirmed to be a species of primate, belonging to the superfamily Hominoidea.

It's considered a relative of humans, closer than monkeys and even gibbons. Molecular biology has determined that its relationship to humans is between chimpanzees and gorillas, closer to humans than gorillas, but not as close to chimpanzees. In terms of size, it's comparable to the largest primate in the past, the Gigantopithecus. However, unlike the Gigantopithecus, which was a herbivore or at most a mild omnivore, this primate likely eats a higher proportion of meat than chimpanzees, making it closer to humans.

Therefore, they are the most ferocious primates after humans.

Cheng Yijiu had previously specifically searched for post-mortem data. While this creature still had no scientific name, it was confirmed to be a new species. Unscientifically, it had re-evolved a tail—a fact that defied modern evolutionary theory. Consequently, some scientists insisted that they had discovered a particularly large monkey, not an ape. Furthermore, this creature's cheekbones, especially its snout, were prominent, and its skull tilted backwards. While not as exaggerated as a baboon's, it was still an ugly and ferocious beast—its canines were far more exaggerated than those of a gorilla, even larger than a tiger's.

This creature still has populations in Kunlun, but it's as rare as a gibbon. Cheng Yijiu killed several of them; under normal circumstances, he'd be in jail by now. This creature is also believed to be the likely source of European werewolf legends, not to mention that its face can indeed be seen as a short-mouthed, twisted wolf's head...

And now, there's another completely new creature. So far, only about ten species have been discovered worldwide that could be considered anomalous—all of which were specimens. "This thing is dangerous," Cheng Yijiu muttered. He hadn't seen the creature in its entirety, but just from the description, he felt it was dangerous—it might not be an arthropod, but something even more disgusting and primitive.

The current plan is to use remote-controlled robots to explore the ancient city. After all, it's only less than a square kilometer, and sending a few robots can easily cover it in a short period of time—it's much safer than sending humans down, not to mention the presence of those strange and dangerous creatures. There's a dim glow below; some bioluminescent fungus has been collected, making the ancient city below appear about as bright as the old streetlights—light there, but barely discernible.

The robot was equipped with night vision goggles. Enhanced night vision goggles, because they don't require the weight of a human neck, can be made larger and, of course, more powerful. The robot was also equipped with a high-powered spotlight, allowing it to illuminate itself when necessary. The expedition was remotely controlled from the cabin above, with Cheng Yijiu among the observers. He simply wanted to know what kind of monster it was, while the archaeologists were interested in the ancient city's origins.

Initial assessments indicated that the city was constructed primarily of stone, using blocks and strips of stone, with strange carvings and patterns on the surface. The inhabitants were delighted, as the ancient city looked like a relic at least six thousand years old. The monster hadn't appeared yet. As the robot delved deeper, around the afternoon of the second day, Cheng Yijiu finally, with satisfaction, sighted its target.

He wasn't planning on hunting; he simply found the world truly fascinating. The creature was a large insect, though it resembled neither a centipede nor a millipede. Instead, it resembled those so-called sandworms. The robot turned on its spotlight, but it didn't startle the creature, suggesting it likely lacked eyes and relied entirely on sound vibrations to catch prey. "We still don't understand how this creature survives," Cheng Yijiu and the others continued.

The creature was about ten meters long, but very thick—generally thick in front and tapering in the back, with the thickest part about a meter long, and the thinnest tail end measuring forty to fifty centimeters in diameter. Its head, at its thickest point, was a cone resembling the front of a high-speed train. Under strong light, it was clearly visible that it consisted of a large upper carapace and two halves of the lower jaw. At this moment, the robot released its bait—a modified, bouncing rubber robotic ball.

The creature immediately turned its head, facing the robotic ball that was vibrating the ground. This ball weighed nearly thirty kilograms, causing vibrations far stronger than those of a tracked robot. "This creature really has its limits. Lighter vibrations won't stimulate it to hunt." Cheng Yijiu continued to watch the creature. The "feet" on its abdomen moved rapidly, and its entire head sprang forward even faster, extending its body to approximately twelve meters in length.

The three carapaces opened, revealing three fleshy petals. "It looks disgusting, but also dangerous, like a crusher," someone said. The petals were covered in barbs, and the center was a hole filled with continuously closing crushing teeth. "It's covered in chitinous carapaces, one ring inside the other," Cheng Yijiu observed carefully. "Overall... it's a bit scary the first time you see it, but it's not a very dangerous creature—for an experienced hunter."

This creature stretched and retracted quickly, but its actual movement speed was average. Fleshly tentacles shot out from the base of the petals around its mouth. After several attempts, they finally latched onto a rubber ball and stuffed it into its mouth. It ate anything, as expected. The rubber ball was dragged in and shattered, and then the creature began to twitch... Another robot discovered a similar creature, but it was already rotting, pus oozing from the cracks in its carapace, and its three head shells stretched weakly.

"Did this thing bite the robot to pieces and swallow it, killing itself? It's too weak." Everyone watched as the first creature, not long after swallowing the crushed ball, began to tumble and bounce, accusing someone of such a bad idea. It looked like the precious specimens were about to perish. Fortunately, they discovered another area, possibly a square, with at least four or five similar shadows...

Chapter 4 Tourism

The creature was so heavy that the robot lacked the power to pull it up, and it would have been too dangerous for a human to do so. Upon seeing this, Cheng Yijiu was ready to leave. He had a feeling that just a few years ago, these ancient cities and tombs probably didn't exist, and only appeared after some changes had occurred in the world.

Cheng Yijiu said nothing. He also felt that this was not his responsibility. The world did not change after he became a hunter in a hunting lodge. If there was any connection, he might just be a small hand in it.

"I think they must have a way. These strange creatures are not dangerous - at least I don't think they are much more dangerous than those strange monkeys in Kunlun. I think the blood worms in Mongolia are probably more dangerous than them." Cheng Yijiu said while flipping through the information on the high-speed rail - this is a special carriage. Since this kind of anomalies have appeared all over China, many high-speed trains will add a special carriage to serve as a compartment for the busy handling teams.

Many of their things are not suitable for ordinary people to see or hear.

This car stops at many high-speed rail stations, especially in major cities, and is attached when needed. Instead of going through the waiting room, passengers can enter directly in advance—sometimes even entering the car from the warehouse before being hooked up to the train. The interior is simple: a few computers and internet access for data processing, a reception area with several sofas for resting, and four private compartments with doors, each containing a bed and a coffee table.

The bed was quite large and quite comfortable. There were two large restrooms at each end of the carriage, one with a shower. There was a small dining area with a microwave and electric hotplates, and a refrigerator nearby stocked with prepared food and drinks—no alcohol. The crew only came when needed, so most things were left to the team members to do themselves. There were two safes for storing documents, and of course, there was an LCD TV and set-top box for leisure time.

There's a small compartment for weapons, locked, of course. The front and rear doors of the carriage, where the water heaters are located, are locked with multiple locks—from fingerprint sensors to key locks. Ordinary passengers can't see into this carriage, nor can they enter. There's only one side door for boarding and exiting, also locked. There are windows on both sides, but they have metal shutters that can be pulled down on the inside—this carriage is completely bulletproof.

Cheng Yijiu chatted with the others in the group, while also browsing the information in the safe. While few cases had been confirmed by humans and supported by biological evidence, the Mongolian bloodworm was one such case. It was discovered by several other teams while tracking bizarre incidents along the Inner and Outer Mongolian border, and they later used some means to capture the specimen.

It's been confirmed to be the culprit behind numerous disappearances and injuries in Inner Mongolia and a large number of other regions, but this information has yet to be disclosed to the public—much like the ferocious red-haired apes of Kunlun Mountain. Cheng Yijiu looked at the specimen in the photo. "It's actually still a juvenile... A juvenile of this thing is five meters long, and the adult we've discovered is over fifteen meters long. That's outrageous. And then there's this question: how does it breathe?"

Now that we have a specimen of this creature, it's even difficult to classify after dissection, unable to place it in a specific phylum. It should be an annelid, a mollusk, or even a coelenterate, but after dissection, it seems none of these are possible. It's indeed made of very tough muscle rings, and its body secretes mucus, allowing it to move underground in sandy areas and deserts. This creature has a hard head armor, and with the support of its retractable muscles, it can quickly dig tunnels underground.

It has a huge expandable mouth at the front, which can pop out sharp claws to catch prey. This is very similar to some marine "worms", and the throat has sharp inner teeth that can quickly grind prey into pieces... Overall, it is a very dangerous creature. It also has no vision and relies entirely on the bristles on its body surface to sense vibrations to hunt.

"The so-called Mongolian worms of the past weren't that terrifying. The key is how big this thing can grow..." Cheng Yijiu glanced at Lao Liu. "Don't look at me. I don't even know where the specimens are," he said. Of course, the data also included things like zombies, which was even more difficult to explain. After all, Cheng Yijiu had led them to capture them. The high-speed rail only took a few hours to get back to the destination. Afterwards, Lao Liu took away the data belonging to their group. The other safe contained shared materials that didn't need to be taken away.

The group dispersed—the other three still had to report to work, while Cheng Yijiu, as an external expert, could return to the shop. Miss Tang didn't show up for work either, and Cheng Yijiu got the feeling she had a boyfriend? Perhaps she was just planning to have some fun. This girl was pretty smart, she wouldn't get cheated. Besides, her family was quite wealthy, so she certainly didn't seem like someone who would be deceived or taken advantage of. Cheng Yijiu opened the shutters and went to the backyard to let out the black dog.

After that, no customers came. Cheng Yijiu lazily played on his phone behind the counter. His mission wasn't over yet, so he had plenty of time to rest. The hunter was planning another trip. External experts like him only needed to report, and he didn't have any classified clearance. This time, Cheng Yijiu wanted to explore Southeast Asia. Speaking of the so-called Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand, a tourist route so well-traveled by Chinese tourists, Cheng Yijiu had never been there.

There was no need to join a tour group; independent travelers often had their own guides, and Cheng Yijiu's situation was even easier—his semi-official status meant it was easier for him to arrange his itinerary through the relevant authorities. After making his schedule, Cheng Yijiu called Ms. Tang to let her continue her vacation. He then placed the black dog sculpture at the counter and left. Cheng Yijiu didn't bring much luggage, just a backpack with his ID, a few formal changes of clothes, and some electronic devices as he prepared to board the plane.

He had a hunting lodge, so he didn't really need to bring anything except his ID.

Southeast Asia has its fair share of bizarre incidents, and they're practically out of control. Most people, including tourists, are completely oblivious to them. However, statistics indicate that bizarre incidents in these countries have increased dozens of times. Fortunately, the vast majority of victims are locals, so the absolute number isn't significant. "Only a few hundred people have encountered bizarre things and died or been injured? Some have disappeared... Fortunately, I don't usually encounter them, do I?"

Chapter 5 Abnormal

The most recognized "dangerous" creatures in Southeast Asia are snakes—particularly large, venomous, and strange-looking ones. Of course, authorities also mention so-called imps, as local sorcerers often concoct devious and malevolent schemes. "Luckily, tourists don't usually encounter these creatures, especially those from mainland China, who tend to stay within the boundaries and stick to the tourist hotspots. Most of the people who get into trouble, aside from the locals, are fearless, white-skinned Europeans."

Cheng Yijiu happily boarded the plane, heading directly to Bangkok, Thailand, where he had already booked a hotel. Of course, Cheng Yijiu didn't bring any weapons with him—with the hunter's hut, there was no need for him to carry weapons with him; he could just go inside and get them when the time came. What was certain was that he could take out his handmade pistol, spear, and greatsword, but it seemed the others couldn't.

"I don't think anything will happen, so just relax and enjoy your vacation. It's the beaches of Thailand, I'll have to dance naked on them for fun." Cheng Yijiu chuckled. The tourist sitting next to him on the plane noticed his strange grin and carefully moved aside. The middle-aged man across the corridor glanced at Cheng Yijiu and gave him a lewd, sympathetic smile.

As Cheng Yijiu exited the airport, he glanced over. "Is that the guy sitting across the hallway?" The middle-aged man was picked up by a van. Several people in the van shared the same demeanor as him. "Is this some kind of tour?" Cheng Yijiu was reasonably certain, and he got into a taxi.

Cheng Yijiu was ready. His itinerary was free, with only restrictions on when to visit tourist hotspots—he'd spend about four days in Thailand, two days in Malaysia, and a final two days in Singapore. There was a tiger temple in Thailand where the monks were allegedly abusing the animals, Cheng Yijiu believed.

This time, while he was enjoying the sea breeze and sunshine on the beach, he fell asleep unknowingly.

This is a famous Thai beachfront resort, and nothing should have disturbed tourists. However, that day, the hotel seemed to have a problem—the power supply was faulty and tripped several times. Visitors also complained about a clogged sewer. Hotel staff went to the electrical room, and others also went to the pipes.

Someone hadn't returned, and things were brewing in unseen places. Cheng Yijiu slept for about two hours. When he got up and went back to the hotel, he pulled his sunglasses down a little. "Something's wrong," the man muttered. He turned in another direction and walked to the other side of the hotel. Cheng Yijiu half-knelt down and touched the ground with his fingers.

He was very familiar with the traces here. They might be hard to see from a close distance, but from a distance, they were clearly the marks of a snake crawling. "This trace is ridiculously large! Is this place going to have a python plague?" Cheng Yi didn't stand up for a long time. He looked around. Behind the hotel was a bustling city, and along the beach were narrow strips of woods. There were also many tourists on the beach. How could a giant snake appear in this place? Are you kidding?

If such a thing really existed, there would have been a huge uproar long ago - after all, any normal person would scream when seeing a snake that big, of course, hunters like Cheng Yijiu might be an exception. "It's difficult." He took off his sunglasses and pinned them to his shirt pocket. The mark was not fake, and that was the problem.

"I was originally thinking about whether I'd have a romantic encounter, but now I have to chase her in real life," Cheng Yijiu thought. "But it's still interesting." The man didn't rush to stir up trouble but returned to his room. He first called Lao Liu, "Oh, don't go. We can just inform the Thai authorities directly. Don't interfere in this matter - unless this thing poses a threat to you or others, and it has to be done in person, then it's okay."

Cheng Yijiu felt a bit put off after hearing this. "I won't take the weapons, but I can track them a little. Just don't put myself in danger." This man knew that carrying weapons abroad was a very troublesome matter. Unless it was in the United States, carrying an unregistered weapon in his official capacity would be troublesome. Although Thailand was chaotic, tracking a snake was not going to war, and it was difficult to explain that he was carrying a gun.

So, the man simply dressed like a tourist, a floral shirt with beach shorts, and sandals, and followed. Cheng Yijiu was very careful, very careful—in his current state, he couldn't possibly withstand the snake's attack. He repeatedly reminded himself that he was only here to satisfy his curiosity. He had hunted pythons before, and now seeing this kind of giant snake, he was really curious to see it for himself—it was an anaconda, a giant python about fifteen meters long.

Giant pythons whose orchids have forced them to grow continuously beyond their physiological limits are often at least a hundred years old. And according to reports on previous incidents involving these giant snakes in Southeast Asia, these snakes may even exceed twenty meters in length and possess a highly venomous nature, which deeply perplexes biologists. Could these venoms be used to kill predators or capture prey? How terrifying would these predators and prey be then?

With the increasing number of bizarre events these days, once-rational biology is being shattered to the point of seeming irreparable. Biologists are even considering creating a separate field called bizarre biology to encompass all such phenomena that are difficult to explain using "normal" biology. It's almost impossible to trace the origins of bizarre organisms, and fossil evidence of their evolution is largely unavailable.

The red-haired fierce monkey Cheng Yijiu encountered was a rare exception. This creature is relatively normal, and biologists believe there's still hope of finding a fossil ancestor—can't molecular biology analysis be used? This creature's evolution must have come after gorillas and before chimpanzees. This Southeast Asian giant snake, like the Mongolian worms and the recently discovered inland giant insects, is one of those things that defy explanation.

While tracking, Cheng Yijiu took out a tape measure—he had just bought it at the supermarket—and measured. "Holy crap, this thing's at least one meter wide. If it weren't for the fuzzy edges and my uncertainty... I'd say this thing's at least twenty meters long." Cheng Yijiu smacked his lips. He'd hunted pythons bigger than this, but those in Southeast Asia were venomous. If it was a viper, its head might be even bigger than a twenty-meter-long python...

Cheng Yijiu walked slowly, watching the tracks meander through the woods. After turning a corner, they seemed to point to the hotel—the giant snake drew a C. "How interesting." The woods near the hotel were already covered in fine soil, and just above the snake's tracks were a few tiny footprints. At first, Cheng Yijiu thought they were monkeys, but upon closer inspection, they were human—though the footprints were so small, they looked more like those of a baby under a year old.

Chapter Six

Cheng Yijiu, who had reviewed the information before the trip, immediately recalled a local evil practice that had caused numerous catastrophic deaths and injuries: the raising of imps. Previously, such practices were considered useless by Nanyang witchcraft. However, at a certain point in time, due to coincidences, they could lead to truly fatal consequences, killing not only the Nanyang wizard but also the surrounding community. The strange phenomena in Nanyang were imps and giant snakes.

Now that these two things appeared together, Cheng Yijiu immediately felt that he absolutely could not get involved - no matter if there was anyone manipulating them, or if there was any shady dealings behind them, it was beyond his control. "Put aside your curiosity," Cheng Yijiu said without hesitation, turning and leaving. He had to be careful when retreating; being ambushed by these two things would be disgraceful. Once he decided to abandon the pursuit, Cheng Yijiu left at full speed, and within a few minutes he had already returned to the hotel entrance.

He went straight to the front desk to check out. His small luggage was easily transported, and twenty minutes later he was hailing a taxi to his newly booked hotel. For the next two days, the previous hotel seemed to have vanished from the world. The only news was a minor equipment malfunction, closing the hotel for several days. As for the tourists inside, there was no further news. Cheng Yijiu was only a "guest official," and this wasn't in mainland China. Even if he was curious, he felt it was inappropriate to ask.

He had investigated and looked through a telescope from a distance for a while. He could not see anything unusual, at least from the outside of the hotel, but it was certain that something had happened to the tourists in the hotel.

Back in the hotel room, he casually looked around. "Hmm? I feel something's wrong?" Cheng Yijiu thought carefully. He felt that this place seemed a little different from before he left, but he didn't put up a cleaning sign, so there shouldn't be a cleaner coming in to tidy it up. At least the towels in the bathroom were still the same as he had casually placed them after taking a shower... "Is the shape of this towel a little different?"

He couldn't recall what the towels looked like after washing his face that morning, but he figured if there was anything unusual, he wouldn't have to rush to the bathroom to cause trouble. Cheng Yijiu's steps were light but not slow. After entering hunting mode, his observation ability was immediately maximized, and he would notice every trace on the ground. This is the limit of human vision, and now Cheng Yijiu noticed a small footprint emerging on the floor after the light was slanted.

Seeing the footprints, Cheng Yijiu felt a chill down his spine. "This thing is haunting me? Could it be coming for me?" Cheng Yijiu crouched down and discovered more traces of tiny hands and feet in some inconspicuous places. He had never seen a little ghost before, so he had no idea how to deal with it. However, he had his little room—the bathroom door. After opening and closing it, Cheng Yijiu arrived at his faithful little room.

It should be safe in here.

As for destroying this Kumantong? "It's pointless and unnecessary. It's not my job. Besides, it's hard to tell where this thing is right now." Cheng Yijiu thought. He had weapons that should be able to destroy the Kumantong. Whether it was a cold weapon forged from cold iron or a firearm with magic-breaking bullets, they should be able to destroy the little ghost. Otherwise, the social order in this place would have collapsed long ago.

After a night, Cheng Yijiu didn't bother to check the room for any more changes. He checked out and planned to skip Malaysia and head straight to Singapore. If he encountered something like this in Singapore, he would just return home and end his vacation. Back home, only in Guangdong and Guangxi provinces could one occasionally hear of cases of Nanyang witchcraft, but they were never serious and no one died.

Later that day, he was in Singapore. Singapore was the meeting point of East and West, where authorities from both could operate relatively unscrupulously. There was a time when this country sided with the West, but unfortunately, its territory wasn't in Europe, nor was it large enough, or even a remote, isolated island. Therefore, once the Eastern Continent rose up, it naturally formed an absolute force of suppression.

Singapore didn't dare interfere with the activities of the two major powers on its territory. As long as they didn't overtly mess around, there was no problem. And both powers were indeed like that, focusing solely on unusual incidents. The Eastern faction was more reserved, hoping to avoid domestic trouble and gather more intelligence. The Western faction, on the other hand, was more aggressive, considering whether they could exploit the situation, completely ignoring the potential for disaster at home.

The situation in Europe and the Americas is far more severe than in Asia, stemming from the imbalance of suppressive power. Fortunately, the Americas are vast and sparsely populated, making the situation manageable. The weaponization of anomalous events is a North American habit—they try to weaponize anything, leading to numerous unmanageable situations. Singapore, also a member of the Nanyang region, despite being a developed city-state, still has its dark corners.

Cheng Yijiu felt a bit more relaxed here. He contacted Lao Liu and explained his situation. "My personal suggestion is that you end your vacation immediately and return home. After all, there are a lot of people messing around in those damn places who don't know what's good for them." Lao Liu's advice was always to avoid trouble. Cheng Yijiu felt Lao Liu was right, but he was still unhappy that his vacation was ruined.

So before leaving Singapore, he took out the cold iron dagger from the hut.

He didn't return to the hut on his last night. He was determined to give that reckless Kumantong a good beating, no matter what it planned. According to the literature and legends, becoming a Kumantong meant no redemption. Only after devouring its creator and controller could one be sent to reincarnation through the Ksitigarbha Sutra. Of course, this was only after the existence of the so-called six realms of reincarnation, and to date, there was no evidence to support their existence.

Kumantong should be some kind of spiritual being.

Cheng Yijiu lay in bed. Night had deepened, and even the city of Singapore had fallen silent. Only the streetlights still cast a glow, illuminating the streets. In this quiet night, Cheng Yijiu suddenly opened his eyes. His hand was already gripping the dagger under the covers. His index finger pressed the buckle on the scabbard and gently pushed it forward—now he could draw the knife at any time.

There was no sound, or rather, the only sound coming from outside was the sound of the wind. There was no sound in the room, but Cheng Yijiu had a peculiar feeling - something came in, right in this room.

Chapter VII

Cheng Yijiu quickly closed his eyes again and did not move, concentrating on listening with his ears and feeling with his heart - this is the hunter's perception ability... The hunter can feel that there is something, something is approaching silently. If he listens carefully and pays attention, he can even feel the speed and distance of this thing approaching him in the semi-darkness - after all, there is still moonlight outside the window and a little reflected light from the ground lights.

Beneath the covers, the dagger unsheathed, Cheng Yijiu's heartbeat quickened, blood coursing through his muscles. Like a cat, his muscle fibers began to tremble and warm up, ready to spring under the cover of the quilt. The thing drew closer, and Cheng Yijiu pondered how to deal with it—should he pounce directly or rise into a half-crouch? When the thing closed to within three meters, Cheng Yijiu reached out with lightning speed to turn on the light and instantly shifted into a half-crouch position on the bed.

He faced the thing head-on and finally saw what it was—a child with completely bluish-blue skin and white eyes, looking about two or three years old. The child stared at Cheng Yijiu, his mouth wide open, his teeth sharp as nails, and his speed quickened as if ready to pounce. "Clearly an unfriendly gesture, so it's not my fault," Cheng Yijiu said, holding a knife in his right hand and a pillow in his left.

He swung the pillow in his left hand, then took a giant stride forward, his right blade like a tiger's fang, ready to strike at any moment. This child ghost must have had a very low IQ, but ordinary people couldn't possibly handle it—the pillow and the ghost didn't physically collide, yet the child ghost could rip the pillow, which had already passed through his body, into shreds with his backhand. Tearing off the pillow seemed to delight the child ghost, and it roared menacingly at Cheng Yijiu once again.

Cheng Yijiu showed no mercy, stabbing the child ghost with a lightning-fast blade. The child ghost couldn't dodge at all—and this monster probably had no habit of dodging, so how could human weapons possibly hurt it? Perhaps that's what the creature was thinking—if it could think... In fact, Cheng Yijiu's enchanted cold iron dagger was truly effective. The blade penetrated directly, and the tip of the blade protruded a long way from the child ghost's back.

Cheng Yijiu didn't wait for the child ghost, whose eyes had suddenly widened beyond human size, to react. He thrust his right hand downward, pulling out his knife and simultaneously opening the child ghost's chest. Black liquid flowed from the child ghost's massive wound, flowing directly onto the ground before transforming into bursts of black gas that faded and disappeared. A white glow emanated from the wound itself.

White runes lit up on both sides of the dagger, signaling the activation of its exorcist power. The child ghost's condition completely collapsed, the cracks in its body growing larger and larger, and its entire body shrunken. Cheng Yijiu wasn't prepared to wait. Without hesitation, he swung his hunting knife across, severing the child ghost's neck and beheading it. The child ghost, lying on the ground, quickly transformed into black gas and dissipated into the air. There were no other abnormalities in the room; the temperature didn't drop, and there was no unusual odor.

Cheng Yijiu still didn't understand why this creature had set its sights on him. "Could it be someone trying to assassinate me?" Just as Cheng Yijiu was thinking this, the bathroom door clanged open, and a snake head larger than a water tank emerged. It was a broad, triangular head, clearly a species of viper. Without hesitation, Cheng Yijiu retreated to the window—the door was sealed by the snake.

The snake's body seemed endless as it emerged from the bathroom. It stretched its front end, seemingly extending into the air. This enormous snake probably couldn't even fit into the room; its curved body, now stretched out from the bathroom, was nearly ten meters long. Without a second thought, Cheng Yijiu smashed the hilt of his knife against the window behind him. The window-breaking spike on the handle shattered the tempered glass. Before the snake could pounce, he had already smashed through the shattered window and jumped out.

The height was now the sixth floor. Jumping out would definitely give him a chance of survival, but staying in the room probably wouldn't. He only had a hunting knife in his hand. If he had a magic-breaking shotgun or a long sword, and covered himself with a lion skin, he wouldn't be afraid of the giant snake. Cheng Yijiu jumped out, grabbing the nearby shelf with his left hand and exerting force, moving his entire body sideways, just in time to avoid the lightning-fast impact of the snake's head. If he had fallen normally, he would have been bitten by the giant snake in mid-air.

Cheng Yijiu launched himself downward, occasionally dodging the snake's attacks with a sideways motion. The snake, too, was caught between reality and illusion. As the distance between them widened, Cheng Yijiu could see clearly that it was probably twenty meters long. As he touched the ground, the snake vanished like smoke. Cheng Yijiu looked up at the window, then at the dimmed lobby.

He paid attention to the shadows around the hotel. After all, he didn't know if the giant snake would emerge from the shadows. A few minutes later, Cheng Yijiu chose to enter the lobby, walked into the bathroom, opened the door and entered the cabin. There would be no giant snakes here, and Cheng Yijiu was about to fly back after dawn, so he was too lazy to pick up his weapon and go back to the room to kill the snake. The shotgun was loud, and it would definitely cause trouble for the Singaporean officials.

After daybreak, Cheng Yijiu left Singapore. This trip had left him bewildered, still unsure of who was targeting him. He finally figured it out when he returned to his shop and Lao Liu came to visit. "Are you saying there's been a 'large-scale' attack on foreign 'relevant departments'? When did so many patriots appear here?" Cheng Yijiu finally realized he wasn't the only one being targeted.

During his time in Thailand, at least six attacks occurred against officials from various countries, including the East and the West, who were either civilians or diplomats in Thailand. Three of these attacks were successful, resulting in one death and two injuries. Five more attacks occurred in Malaysia, and two in Singapore, with Cheng Yijiu being one of them. He didn't claim to have killed the child ghosts, but the total number of casualties and injuries in the incident was two—those from the relevant departments. The number of casualties among the attackers behind the incident is unknown, but at least six child ghosts were killed, and two giant snakes were also slain.