Chapter 057: How Close Are Life and Death

"Ah!"

Four more shots rang out. No matter how much He Chuan could endure, under such circumstances, he let out a scream like a slaughtered pig.

Captain Cui had intended to question him further, but before long, He Chuan was writhing in agony and soon fainted from the pain.

I looked at Captain Cui. The murderous intent in his eyes was even heavier than what I had seen in He Chuan just moments ago.

Even I felt a surge of fear at the sight of him like this and subconsciously took two steps back.

Perhaps sensing my reaction, Captain Cui paused, then took a deep breath and lit a cigarette, drawing in a long drag.

I noticed that his hands were trembling as he held the cigarette.

"Officer… what…?" I began.

Captain Cui anticipated my question and interrupted before I could finish, explaining, "He Chuan is a member of the Golden Cicada Society, one of our main targets for arrest. Over the years, we've tried to apprehend him multiple times, but he always managed to slip through our fingers."

He gave a bitter laugh and continued, "Who could have imagined back then that he truly practiced the dark arts?"

Captain Cui nudged He Chuan with his foot and went on, "No wonder the cases they left behind always seemed so unbelievable. So this is the reason."

"Officer, what is the Golden Cicada Society?" I asked.

But Captain Cui seemed unwilling to tell me. "It's nothing. This He Chuan is a man of unspeakable evil. The children he's killed, the families he's destroyed—one couldn't count them all on both hands. If not for the sake of justice, to let him stand trial, I would have put a bullet right between his eyes."

I knew nothing of He Chuan's past, but from Captain Cui's furious tone, I could tell this man was a heartless criminal, using the Wild Maoshan arts to harm people wherever he went.

And he was likely not acting alone. The Golden Cicada Society must be his organization.

I looked down at He Chuan, blood still pouring from his wounds. Why would such a villain impersonate Yu Nie?

And what connection could there be between Yu Nie and the Golden Cicada Society?

"Officer, should we get someone to take him to the hospital first? I'm afraid he'll die just like this."

According to Captain Cui, He Chuan had committed countless crimes. If he died in agony like this, wouldn't that be too easy for him?

Some time passed, but I received no response from Captain Cui.

I turned to look at him, and what I saw made my scalp prickle with terror.

He stood there, trembling uncontrollably, his cigarette dropping to the ground.

At some point, a corpse had appeared behind him, covering his mouth.

Blood was slowly dripping from between the corpse’s fingers onto the floor.

My gaze shifted downward in horror—the corpse's other hand had reached through from behind and penetrated Captain Cui’s chest.

Its fingertips still clung to fragments of his flesh.

My mind exploded with a deafening roar.

"Cui…?" My lips trembled as I tried to call his name, but no sound came out at all.

"No… don’t…!"

"Ah! Damn it!"

With a furious shout, I kicked the corpse away and rushed to hold him in my arms.

But Captain Cui was already barely breathing. He couldn’t stand, and as he slowly collapsed, blood gushed endlessly from his mouth.

He stared at me with wide eyes, mustering his last ounce of strength to grab my collar. "The Golden Cicada Society… be… be careful… He… He Chuan…"

His grip slackened, his hand slipping from my collar.

His head lolled toward He Chuan, eyes wide open, never to close again.

His body was still warm, blood still slowly seeping out.

"Captain Cui? Officer? Wake up… you still owe me a month of KFC… I…"

In that moment, all my emotions seemed to vanish; I was completely numb.

I had come here to prevent his death, but it happened anyway—even with me present.

Looking down at Captain Cui’s lifeless body, I asked myself why I hadn’t dealt with the corpse more thoroughly.

Why did I think that just because He Chuan had collapsed, the corpse would no longer move?

From the very first time we met, to when Captain Cui chose to trust me without reservation, to now.

We’d known each other less than a month, yet in that short time, I’d developed a strange feeling toward him.

He was already in his forties, not much younger than my father.

Growing up, I’d barely interacted with my own father; he never cared about me or my grandfather.

It wasn’t until Captain Cui appeared—even if it was for the sake of the case, seeking my help for my abilities—that I felt someone truly cared.

He was a good man. Helping him meant helping many others.

And I loved eating KFC, but my father never once took me. He’d just give me money and tell me to settle it myself.

When I learned Captain Cui was fated to die, I was desperate. True or not, I didn’t want to see such a thing happen.

Yet even when I thought I’d made it in time, some things could not be changed.

"Captain Cui… I… I don’t even know your full name…"

Looking at him now, for the first time I felt the proximity of death so keenly. A living person, standing next to me, smoking a cigarette only moments ago.

The cigarette still smoldered on the ground, its smoke curling into the air, but the one who lit it was gone—completely gone.

I laid Captain Cui's body gently on the ground, picking up the bloodstained half-cigarette and his gun.

I put the cigarette between my lips, gripped the gun tightly, and slowly stood, my face expressionless as I looked at the motionless corpse standing not far away.

With a quiet sigh, I walked over to the unconscious He Chuan, crouched down, and pressed the gun to his head.

I spoke to the unmoving corpse, "Come out, or I’ll blow his brains out."