The Soul-Stitching Crone

When the group returned to the squad tent after their meal, the sky had turned completely dark.

The electric light inside the tent flickered on, though the illumination was dim and occasionally pulsed, clearly indicating an unstable voltage.

Yue Shan walked to the table and spread out a map, which was now covered in additional markings and arrows drawn in charcoal.

"The location for this mission is an abandoned dye house deep within Rat Alley."

"We aren't infiltrating; we are coordinating with the troops for a siege."

His finger pressed heavily onto a mark on the map that had been circled three times in charcoal. "According to our informants and preliminary scouting, the backyard of this dye house has been converted into a stronghold by the Soul-Stitching Crone. At least three to five people will be meeting there tonight."

"The lineage of the Soul-Stitching Crone uses sinister and evil methods; it is not as simple as merely stitching up corpses."

"They believe that all skin can be altered and all souls can be stitched, often engaging in the trade of living stitching and the dismantling and rearranging of souls."

"In the current climate of Linhe County, these people gathering together poses too great a variable; they must be eliminated."

After Yue Shan finished speaking, he cast his gaze toward Zhao Tie on his left.

Zhao Tie took several yellow talisman papers from a cloth bag, each covered in complex runes drawn in cinnabar, with some even stained by dark brown smudges.

"I tested the qi around the perimeter of the dye house during the day. Aside from the stench of blood, there was a scent of decay like damp mud."

"There might be Corpse Carriers and people from the Yin-Retrieval Sect there," Zhou Ling said softly, her fingers subconsciously stroking her hidden weapon pouch. "Or perhaps they are keeping something."

Wu Tong let out a cold snort. "Whatever it is, we'll just cut it down."

"It's not that simple," Yue Shan shook his head.

"Battalion Commander Liu will send an reinforced platoon to assist us."

His gaze swept over Chen Mo and the others. "We will break in from two directions—the front gate and the abandoned well in the backyard—to strike directly at the core. We must kill or neutralize the primary targets in the shortest time possible."

"Wu Tong, you lead the troops in a feint from the front gate to draw their attention. Chen Mo, since this is your first mission tonight, stay in the back and use your paper dolls to assist. Do not get bogged down in a fight; if there is any anomaly, retreat immediately."

"Zhou Ling, choose a sniping position further away and prioritize your own safety. I will infiltrate from the backyard."

He looked around the circle. "Remember, our primary goal is to eliminate the threat. If the situation becomes impossible, self-preservation comes first."

"Is that understood?"

As he spoke, Yue Shan walked to a wooden crate nearby, lifted the lid, and revealed several Mauser pistols and their matching leather magazine pouches arranged neatly inside.

Chen Mo's eyes went blank. They were even issuing guns? Were the benefits of the Inspection Bureau this good?

Having lived two lifetimes, he had never touched a real firearm.

"Considering your safety, each of you will take one for self-defense, along with three full magazines, ten rounds each."

Yue Shan picked up a Mauser and skillfully checked the action. "The bullets are special Evil-Breaking Bullets from the Ordnance Bureau. The tips are mixed with silver powder and red copper filings, which have a certain lethality against yin-evil entities, but don't expect them to solve everything."

"Remember, this is a last resort. It might work on ordinary people, but it has limited effect on things that are thick-skinned or lack a physical form."

He distributed the pistols and magazine pouches to everyone.

In addition to her pistol, Zhou Ling also carried a nearly one-meter-long Model 1888 rifle; she was primarily responsible for long-range precision kills.

Chen Mo took the heavy pistol.

The frame was cold, and the wooden grip showed slight wear, carrying the faint scent of gun oil.

He tried to grip the handle, his fingers searching for the trigger, his movements betraying an obvious lack of experience.

He was clearly a novice.

Yue Shan watched Chen Mo fumbling with the pistol and asked, "Never used a gun before?"

"No, I haven't," Chen Mo nodded honestly.

Although firearms were sold privately, the price of several dozen silver dollars was undoubtedly a luxury for the Chen family of the past.

Even after he had money later on, he hadn't thought to buy one for self-defense.

Yue Shan said nothing, simply walking over to take the Mauser from Chen Mo's hand to demonstrate the basic operations.

He taught him how to eject the magazine, how to check the chamber, how to load the magazine, how to cock the hammer to the ready state, and how to engage the safety.

"This is an original German Mauser C96; we call it a 'box cannon' or 'broomhandle'," Yue Shan's voice carried the tone of an instructor. "The effective range is about fifty paces. Within this distance, as long as your aim is true, it's not hard to drop a human target with one shot."

"Beyond this distance, accuracy drops quickly and the power diminishes."

"Remember, we are using special Evil-Breaking Bullets. The bullets are light, and the muzzle velocity is slightly slower than standard rounds, but they have the added evil-breaking effect."

He paused and looked at Chen Mo. "It is for saving your life when your blade cannot reach and your arts are too slow to cast. Understand?"

"Understood!" the group replied.

Yue Shan handed the gun back to Chen Mo. "After the mission, if there is still time, you can go to the camp's makeshift range to practice. You don't need to become a sharpshooter, but at least know how to make it fire and how to hit what you want within ten paces."

"Now, take half a quarter of an hour to familiarize yourself with the steps I just mentioned to ensure that when the time comes, you won't jam or hit your own people."

"Yes, Captain."

Chen Mo took the gun and walked to the side, attempting the loading, chambering, and safety-engaging movements according to Yue Shan's demonstration.

His learning ability was exceptionally strong, and his movements quickly transitioned from awkward to fluid and standard.

Wu Tong finished checking his gun and glanced at Chen Mo, who was practicing, his lips curling slightly, though he said nothing.

Zhao Tie remained silent, merely tucking his Mauser into a convenient spot behind his waist before continuing to organize his paper talismans and wooden stakes.

Half a quarter-hour later, at Yue Shan's command, the team set out.

Deep within Rat Alley, at the abandoned dye house.

Contrary to the ruin and clutter one might imagine from the outside, the dye house's backyard had been thoroughly transformed.

The crumbling brick walls were covered by canvas soaked in dark red stains, and the ground was covered in dense, dark red runes.

In the center of the dye house stood a waist-high stone platform; its surface was not flat but carved into a groove, which was currently filled with slowly flowing black slime.

Perched on the edge of the stone trough was a pulsating, tumor-like object.

The surface of the tumor was covered in suture marks, and beneath it, a tiny mouthpart opened and closed, emitting a faint sucking sound.

The air was thick with a pungent stench of rot.

Three figures stood around the stone platform.

Leading them was a hunched old woman with wrinkles as deep as knife cuts on her face, her eyelids drooping so low they almost covered her entire eyes.

She wore a necklace of eyeballs around her neck; in the dim light of the oil lamp, those shriveled eyes seemed to turn slightly, reflecting the flickering flames.

"The time is almost upon us."

The old woman stared at the tumor on the edge of the stone trough, her voice filled with fanaticism. "The Divine Child requires more fresh flesh and blood to fully stabilize its form. Why hasn't the Red Moon blood that the Moon-Worship Cult promised to deliver arrived yet?"