Chapter 124 - 124 One hundred twenty-four

Words : 1401 Updated : Sep 17th, 2025

124: One hundred twenty-four. Liu Wenwei’s video 124: One hundred twenty-four. Liu Wenwei’s video For nearly two weeks afterward, rain intermittently disrupted the few sunny days, which were quickly smothered by thick dark clouds. The good thing about this weather was that it spared one from enduring the sweltering heat, but the downside was having to brave the wind and rain whenever leaving the house, not to mention how it pained those who loved sunbathing and suffered from rheumatism. This had little to do with Lu Li, who had not ventured outside since resolving the difficult ghost case. The daily necessities were purchased by Shen Yuqiao, and the two ghosts in the bedroom detested going out, saving the trouble of daily walks. One evening, the day after Lu Li stayed indoors, Old Taoist Lu visited with the bell magic artifact he had prepared. Heaven knows how much willpower he used to suppress the urge to draw his Peach Wood Sword upon seeing a room full of ghosts. Meanwhile, Old Taoist Lu realized he had misjudged Lu Li. Lu Li had no intentions towards the spirits, it was just that being around ghosts for extended periods without using a magic artifact for protection would soon lead to an imbalance of yin and yang and the intrusion of evil spirits. It wasn’t until Lu Li threaded the bell with a red string and tied it around the neck of an orange cat, then handed the cat to the awaiting Yang Chunxue. Old Taoist Lu, while hating Lu Li for the extravagant waste, secretly resented that he would earn less money. Someone willing to spend a hundred thousand yuan on a magic artifact for a cat clearly wouldn’t mind spending another hundred thousand. Shen Yuqiao, who wanted a protective magic artifact for herself, given her role as an assistant would inevitably lead to contamination by sinister energies. Old Taoist Lu asked for two hundred thousand yuan right away and explained that Lu Li got a discount because they were acquaintances. Shen Yuqiao agreed immediately and asked if he preferred cash or a transfer. Old Taoist Lu was left speechless, overwhelmed; having lived for most of his life, this was the first time he realized how easy it was to make money. Considering his rituals today, he danced and chanted like a monkey all day—at the age of over sixty—and only earned a thousand yuan, not including travel expenses. Old Taoist Lu left in silence. The day after tomorrow, the Jade Pendant was delivered. The delivery was made by a young Taoist from Qianqing Temple; Old Taoist Lu, unable to bear the pressure from the money, did not come in person. The young Taoist was just an ordinary person, and besides delivering for Daoist Lu, he was also out to run errands; he couldn’t see the two ghosts in the house and only felt a chill in the room, then promptly left after delivering the package. In the following days, peace was restored inside the Detective Agency, but underneath this tranquility, dark clouds were brewing. The door never ceased its activity, and since Lu Li was confined, it could only interfere with the computer and phone. Endless texts and calls continued uninterrupted, but the crisis first emerged on the eighth day. That day, the phone rang, displaying Liu Wenwei as the caller. A woman who had disappeared for five years just effortlessly made a phone call. At that moment, Lu Li hoped it was truly her, so he could relieve himself of the heavy burden. Sadly, only Lu Li could see this incoming call. The door seemed adept at exploiting human vulnerabilities. Unfortunately, it had discovered Lu Li’s weakness. The next day, as expected, the door’s intrusion came. It manifested as an email with a video lasting three minutes and five seconds. The spacebar was pressed, and the video began playing automatically. “Lu Li, it’s me...” After a brief moment of darkness, the camera shook and stabilized, revealing a pale, delicate cheek in front of the lens, her black eyes calm yet weary. Lu Li’s body stiffened instantly. “If you’re watching this video, I might have already encountered an accident,” Liu Wenwei sat down in front of the camera, seemingly having just woken up, with sleep still lingering in her brows. The chaotic background noise was quite noisy, and she was inside a tent; outside, there was an endless stretch of rolling sand dunes with people bustling to and fro. Her slightly messy black hair was simply tied back into a ponytail. “I’m sorry for leaving without saying goodbye, I hadn’t figured out how to tell you... Consider it an escape. But in reality, I didn’t expect this mission to take me so far, especially with the unresolved issues right at our doorstep.” Liu Wenwei calmly stared at the camera, as if she was looking at Lu Li outside the screen. There was not much emotion on her face, the only sign of fatigue faded as she gradually woke up. In the video, Liu Wenwei spoke matter-of-factly, “This mission’s target is a big trouble, many team members are preparing their last messages and settling their posthumous affairs, meaning, most of us might not return after this operation... perhaps none of us.” “I really regret not being able to spend more time with you. But I might survive... probably.” A silhouette appeared outside the tent, the head hidden by the tent, leaving only the body visible. “Time to set off, hurry up.” He shouted into the interior and then hurried away. Liu Wenwei turned her head to look, her black ponytail swaying. She turned back to the camera, gazing intently, “No time left, I hope you never see this video. If you do, it means I never made it out after entering, or perhaps I lost my memory. These are the only two reasons this email would be sent to you.” “Don’t try to come find me, don’t you dare. The dangers here are beyond what you, a normal person, can imagine and handle, even though you’re smart, calm.” “And...” Her black eyes stirred with emotion, silently staring into the camera, as if making eye contact with another pair of similarly dark and serene eyes. “I love you.” Whirr— A flare of flickering static noise followed, then the video ended. A woman who should have disappeared five years ago suddenly appeared like this. Lu Li’s hand trembled slightly, unwittingly clenching tighter, turning pale. Seconds later, his tense body gradually relaxed. The more emotional, the deeper into the trap. Lu Li took a deep breath, calling Shen Yuqiao to confirm only he could see the video. The video was still being manipulated by the “door.” But Lu Li chose to play it again, this time ignoring what Liu Wenwei was saying before the camera, instead focusing on the noisy sounds outside. Sounds of voices mingled with the noise of the wind and sand, unclear whether they were near or far, perhaps carried over by the wind. “... entrance... uncontrollable... we must hurry... stop it.” “Severity... adverse... the door’s influence...” “Mom... kids are asking about... I miss you...” Words pieced together by Lu Li, ordered on a rope named ‘clue,’ enriching. They were a team, in the desert, dealing with some event, a dangerous one, team members were preparing last messages. The danger was referred to as an ‘entrance’ or a ‘door,’ a place they needed to get close to. This group was dealing with the aftermath left by the ‘door’ or clearing... the ‘door.’ Lu Li paused the video a third time, staring at the haggard face on the screen, quietly pondering. Were these people and Liu Wenwei the “hand”? Or perhaps some official forces? Not just one ‘door’? Does the ‘door’ grow to affect its surroundings? Is the content shown in the video real, fake, or a mix of both? From past observations, the lure of the ‘door’ is a mix of false and true. Part real, part fake. So in this video, what is real, and what is fake...? The seed of doubt took root and sprouted in Lu Li’s heart. His gaze fell on the screen, pausing the video where Liu Wenwei’s face still looked refined, her mouth open as if speaking those three words.

Chapter 124 - 124 One hundred twenty-four

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