Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
âThatâs right.â
âHe is still alive, so what about the last time he was in Dao?â The man in the back seat lit a cigarette. His mind drifted to a night not long ago and the calm feeling of seeing through life and death.
âDamn, I didnât expect that his acting level was that of a top movie star!â
Now that he thought of it, it was the day he saw Wang Yao and knew he was not Wang Yaoâs match. That was why they got the amazing and lifelike âperformanceâ that successfully tricked a lot of people.
âWhat is he doing here? Why is he finding the Poison Master?â
âTo get him out of the mountain.â
âOut of the mountain to harm more people?â
âBoss, what are you doing here? Why are you looking for the poison master?â
âI have something to ask of him, but his ability is too weird,â Jia Zizai said. âI cannot contact him directly. Otherwise, I might now even know how I died.â
âAlright, you stay here and keep a good eye on him for me. If you have any problems, tell me in time. You must be careful. The old man is cunning. If you see that things are not going well, you should immediately retreat.â
âI got it.â
âIâll go now.â
After getting out of the car, the man took a few turns before taking a taxi out of the county. He went to the nearest airport to fly to Dao. He went back to the village that night.
âHow was it?â
Looking at Jia Zizai, who had come back from a long trip, Hu Mei was eager for information.
âI found the person. He is in Singing Sand County. I found another one as well.â
âAnother discovery?â Hu Mei asked.
âZhang Wei has also gone there,â Jia Zizai said.
âTo find the Poison Master?â Hu Mei asked.
âYes.â
âDidnât Sir say that he would not be able to live another month?â Hu Mei asked. âWhat did he go there for?â
âI donât know. Maybe he wanted to ask the Poison Master to find a way to prolong his life,â Jia Zizai replied.
âCan the Poison Master prolong life?â Hu Mei asked. âDoesnât he only want to take other peopleâs lives?â
âI have come back to discuss with you how we can bring the Poison Master back and hand him over to Sir,â Jia Zizai said.
âThis is going to very difficult!â Hu Mei thought for a while before saying, âThe Poison Master is very good at using poison. He can make people unconsciously follow his plan and enter his trap. To deal with him, you have to make a careful plan. Besides, there is another person, Zhang Wei. I donât know when he will suddenly appear.â
âItâs hard, but it has to be done!â
âOh right, Iâll ask Zhong Liuchuan tomorrow.â
The next morning, Jia Zizai arrived at Zhong Liuchuanâs door. He was just in time to catch him before he headed out.
âAntidotes?â Zhong Liuchuan was surprised. âNaturally, Sir has some. What do you guys want with it?â
âWe want to deal with the Poison Master,â Jia Zizai said.
âThe Poison Master? Havenât you guys stopped caring about those matters?â Zhong Liuchuan asked.
âWell, I canât explain it clearly with just a few simple sentences,â Jia Zizai said. âNo matter what, we must do this.â
âWhy donât you guys go straight to Sir about this matter? He should be back today.â
âAlright, that will do as well. Thank you.â
At about 9 a.m., Jia Zizai arrived at the clinic. He lingered outside for a long time without going in. Since their last meeting, he had felt guilty and didnât know how to face Wang Yao. Finally, he knocked on the door and went in.
âSir.â
âCome in and have a sit,â Wang Yao said. âWhatâs up?â
âWell, I want to ask you for some antidotes.â
âAntidotes? Who has been poisoned?â
âItâs not to treat poisoning,â Jia Zizai said. âItâs to prevent poisoning.â
After some thought, Wang Yao had guessed the reason. âHave you guys found the Poison Master?â
âYes, he has been found,â Jia Zizai said.
âWhere is he?â
âNorthwest in Singing Sand County.â
âOh, heâs there,â Wang Yao said. âJust a moment.â
He concocted a set of antidotes with some of the antidote grass. He put it into a bottle and gave it to Jia Zizai.
âHere.â
âHow much is this, Sir?â Jia Zizai asked.
âYou donât have to pay this time. Be careful,â Wang Yao said.
âAlright, thank you, Sir.â
Jia Zizai left the clinic with the antidote. He and Hu Mei quickly left to head northwest. On the way, they came up with a comprehensive action plan.
In the Singing Sand County, the wind was very strong. The sand was swirling throughout the sky.
âHasnât he come out?â
âHe came out before. According to my observations, he comes out once a day. He goes to the nearest vegetable market to buy some vegetables from 3 to 4 p.m. and goes home.â
âHe only buys vegetables?â
âI was afraid that he would discover me, so I didnât get too close.â
âShould we wait until the afternoon?â
They waited outside the building. To be exact, they were waiting to ambush the man.
The sandstorm outside was still fierce. Before long, it was 3 p.m.
A thin and slightly rickety man came out of the building with a bag in his hand.
âHe is out.â
âI see him. Do as we have planned.â
âNoted.â
âHuh, why do I feel as if something is wrong?â The rickety man suddenly stopped.
Puff! Puff! After a few muffled sounds, his body stumbled a few times as if he had been hit by something. Before falling to the ground with a thump, a passer-by looked at him. No one came forward to help him.
âThis canât be. How was it that easy?â
âBe careful.â
The wind was still howling as the man laid on the ground for 30 minutes. Dozens of people had walked past him.
Weee-oh! Wee-oh! Finally, an ambulance arrived.
âWhat next?â
âWe wait.â
The paramedics got out of the ambulance. They picked up the man who had fallen to the ground and took him away.
In the Peopleâs Hospital of Singing Sand County...
âIs he still lying there?â
âYes, he is.â
âGive him a shot.â
âJust a moment. Thereâs a nurse next to him.â
Poof! With a dull sound, a bullet broke through the glass. The person who was lying on the hospital bed fell to the ground and rolled under the bed.
âHe moved.â
âThat old fox! Keep an eye on him!â
âLetâs go in,â Jia Zizai said.
âLetâs go.â
The two of them entered the hospital.
âIs it this ward?â
âYes, weâve already prepared it in advance. Heâs the only one in there.â
âIs he still in there?â
âYes, heâs hiding on the ground but be careful. I canât see where he is.â
âI got it. Keep a lookout for the police.â
âLetâs go.â
âAlright.â
Creak! The door was pushed open a crack. Something was thrown into the room. Smoke quickly flowed out soon after.
âThis old manâs endurance is quite good!â
One person went in alone.
With a whoosh, sparks flew all over the place.
Puff... Puff... Puff...
There was a muffled hum and the sounds of things breaking.
Cough! Cough! Cough! Someone was coughing, and there was blood on the ground.
âJia Zizai, is that you?â
âXiao Mei?â
âHey, donât address me so intimately, old man,â Hu Mei said. âAh, this is quite unexpected. You are still so insidious and cunning!â
âSeeing as we used to know each other and that Xiao Mei is here as well, let me go,â the rickety old man said. âI will detoxify you guys.â
âThere is no need to detoxify us. We have antidotes with us!â Jia Zizai took out a small bottle of pre-packed medicine and drank it.
âYou are well prepared,â the old man said.
âI have to be well prepared to deal with you,â Jia Zizai replied.
âThis is my latest development. The previous antidotes will not work.â
âYou donât have to worry about us. Will you come with us?â
Cough! Cough! Jia Zizaiâs complexion was a little bad. He had just been hit with more than 10 poison pills, which were already in his muscles. It was extremely painful.
âWho asked you to come?â
âYou will know when you see him.â
An hour later, the car sped along the road. Yellow sand puffed up in its wake.
Jia Zizai occasionally coughed a couple of times, but it was not a serious problem.
His reaction surprised the Poison Master. He asked, âWho gave you the medicine?â In the hospital, the poison pills he had used were smeared with his newly developed poison, which was extremely powerful. Moreover, he was the only one who had the antidote. According to his knowledge, the poison should have taken action by now. Yet, he was like a normal, healthy person.
âDid the chairman ask you to come?â the old man asked.
âThe chairman?â Jia Zizai lit a cigarette
âNo, Iâm afraid he canât even protect himself now. You donât have to think about it. Youâll know when you meet him.â
In Singing Sand County, the sandstorm was still roaring. A middle-aged bald man, who was holding a baseball cap in his hand, entered the Poison Masterâs house.
Looking at the empty room, he murmured to himself, âGone?â
âI have grown old indeed!â
âXiao Mei, why did you catch me?â the Poison Master asked.
âYouâve done too many bad things. Weâre exacting revenge for heaven,â Jia Zizai said with a cigarette in his mouth.
âExacting revenge for heaven? You guys, ha-ha!â The Poison Master laughed.
âJia Zizai, donât point fingers at me when youâre not much better. Iâve done a lot of bad things, but youâve done no less than me, correct?â
âIâm not like you,â Jia Zizai said. âYou do not have a bottom line. To test the poison, youâve poisoned a village person and caused his death!â
âOh, you have put it so nicely, but you blew up a bus just to kill one person back then,â the old man said. âThere were old and weak women and children on it as well I bet!â
âShut up!â As soon as that incident was mentioned, Jia Zizai looked grim. He turned around and stabbed a knife into the thigh of the poison master.
âTut, tut, have I gotten to your sore spot?â the old man asked.
âThat was the madman, not me!â
âTsk, you are also an accomplice. Donât think so high and mighty about yourself.â
The car sped along the road for a day and night.
The next day, they arrived in the mountain village. Jia Zizai and Hu Mei were both dusty and tired.
Once back in the village, Jia Zizai came to Wang Yaoâs clinic. âSir, I have brought you the person!â
Wang Yao looked at him and asked, âAre you hurt?â
âIt is just a minor injury. I wonât die from it. It is all thanks to your medicine. Otherwise, we would not have been able to get him.â
âLetâs go. Shall we go and meet the Poison Master?â
âZhong Liuchuan, you are here as well.â In an idle house in the mountain village, the Poison Master looked at Zhong Liuchuan in surprise.
âLong time no see, Poison Master. How are you still alive?â Zhong Liuchuanâs face was full of blatant disgust.