Bai Fan called the old book the "Wondrous Art of Dream Stealing."
I couldn't hold back a laugh.
"Bai Fan, you almost make it sound convincing!"
Bai Fan looked at me with an equally puzzled expression and said:
"What am I making up? Those four big characters are right here. Can't you read them yourself?"
Seeing that she looked serious and wasn't joking, I tested her further, saying, "All right, then. Open it and read a passage."
Bai Fan immediately opened the old book and read aloud:
"Steal a possession, and you hurt someone for a time; steal a dream, and you destroy all they have..."
As I listened to Bai Fan read fluently without a single stumble, the smile froze on my face. She could actually read those strange characters!
"Bai Fan, have you studied classical Chinese or something?"
Bai Fan shook her head and widened her eyes.
"No. Aren't these just normal Chinese characters?"
I said nothing and mulled it over for a long time. Judging by her expression, she definitely wasn't pretending.
This book really was sinister!
But why had Old Liu said it was called "Tales of Yin and Yang Dwellings"?
Someone was lying!
It was better not to have too much contact with something taken from the Demon Cave. With that thought, I took the book from Bai Fan and deliberately changed the subject.
For the next half month, I kept driving back and forth to the paper mill, and my injured leg gradually improved.
I kept thinking about finding Liu Qingzhu to deal with the bronze clock, but whenever I remembered Liu Yunbo, I gave up the idea.
To my surprise, a few days later, Old Liu actually came looking for me himself.
After everything Old Liu and I had been through on Tiger Waist Mountain, we had shared hardships, and I felt close to him from the bottom of my heart.
Although Old Liu still looked aloof, he was quite concerned about me.
Seeing him now put me in a good mood, and I said with a smile:
"Well, Old Liu! Haven't seen you in half a month. You've put on weight!"
Old Liu remained as cold and aloof as ever. He merely asked in a low voice:
"Where's the bronze clock?"
I pointed toward the courtyard behind me and said:
"It's in the ground-floor hall in the courtyard. No one's dared touch it!"
The moment I finished speaking, Old Liu strode toward the courtyard.
After the incident with the dozen or so gangsters who had come to cause trouble, the police had tightened security, increasing the number of officers from three to ten, all armed.
Old Liu had barely reached the cordon before a police officer stopped him.
"What are you here for? Use the side entrance if you're going into the office building!"
Old Liu already had a fiery temper. Hearing the officer's overbearing tone, he said coldly:
"What am I here for? To save you. If you don't want to die, move aside and let me in."
The officer looked scornful at Old Liu's words.
"All right, old man. I don't need saving. Go home and have some tea!"
Old Liu raised his stick to strike him. I hurried forward and grabbed him, apologized to the officer, and dragged Old Liu aside.
"Don't lose your temper, Old Liu. Anyway, why did you suddenly think of this clock?"
Old Liu said angrily:
"What day is it on the lunar calendar?"
"The thirteenth!"
Old Liu nodded and said, "Then that's right. We can't put it off any longer."
With that, he turned and headed toward the hall again.
I quickly caught hold of him and asked:
"Explain it to me, Old Liu. What's wrong with the thirteenth?"
Old Liu glanced at me and said:
"It's not about the thirteenth. The day after tomorrow is the fifteenth. If this bronze clock isn't destroyed by then, it'll kill again. You might even be the one it kills!"
I was utterly convinced of Old Liu's abilities, so naturally, I believed every word he said.
I sighed and said to him:
"Sixth Uncle told me half a month ago that if I wanted to survive this lunar fifteenth, I'd have to find the tiger-patterned copper coin!"
At the mention of Sixth Uncle, I noticed a distinct change in Old Liu's expression, but he instantly regained his composure.
"Isn't the tiger-patterned copper coin still hanging around your neck? From now on, just listen to me and no one else!"
Before we entered the Demon Cave, Old Liu had threaded the coin onto a cord and told me to wear it around my neck. He had never asked for it back afterward.
Thinking back now, perhaps it was thanks to that coin that the "living dead" in burial clothes had passed me in the cave without harming me.
At that thought, I felt even more grateful to Old Liu. He always had a cold face but a warm heart.
"Old Liu, even if we want to destroy this clock now, we can't get near it. Those officers are guarding it twenty-four hours a day."
Old Liu lowered his head and took a few steps forward. He said gravely:
"Then think of a way. The bronze clock always kills at night. Midnight tomorrow is the absolute latest. I have to get in there and destroy it!"
I turned it over in my mind, then suddenly thought of someone and said happily to Old Liu:
"All right, leave distracting the police to me. I'll find someone who wants that bronze clock destroyed more than anyone!"
Old Liu didn't ask who it was. He nodded and said:
"Make absolutely sure you remember: everything has to be arranged before midnight tomorrow. I'll come back tomorrow!"
With that, Old Liu coughed twice, turned, and left.
Not daring to delay, I hurried to the office to find Old Wu. At this point, if anyone hated the bronze clock on the ground floor most, it had to be him.
Old Wu's word had always been law at the company. His work had consisted of sitting in his office all day, drinking tea and listening to the radio.
Now that the sinister clock had arrived and the courtyard was full of police every day, no one felt more uncomfortable than he did.
When Old Wu saw me enter his office, he frowned and said impatiently:
"What is it, Li Yao? What trouble are you stirring up now?"
I got straight to the point:
"Brother Wu, do you want to get rid of that bronze clock downstairs?"
Old Wu threw the newspaper in his hands onto the desk and said helplessly:
"Isn't that obvious? I hate the damned thing. Every official around is taking their anger out on me now."
I smiled and leaned closer to Old Wu.
"I found a very capable old gentleman for you. He can definitely deal with this clock, but the police guard the cordon every day. You'll have to think of something."
Old Wu narrowed his eyes and thought for a long time before saying:
"What capable old gentleman? That man in black last time certainly looked the part, but didn't he still die on his knees in front of that sinister clock?"
"This old gentleman really has powers. I saw him tear off a few scraps of paper, and they ran all over the ground."
Old Wu waved a hand.
"Stop, stop, stop. At a time like this, don't give me that bullshit!"
Seeing that Old Wu didn't believe me, I said:
"There aren't any demons in that Demon Cave on Tiger Waist Mountain. They're just living dead."
Old Wu had been looking down, but the moment he heard that, he raised his head and asked in astonishment:
"How do you know?"
I said unhurriedly:
"I also know that at the deepest part of the Demon Cave, there's a huge temple built underground!"
Old Wu was completely stunned. He stared at me in disbelief and said:
"You went down there?"
I nodded and said:
"I did. I went down with that old gentleman. Look, aren't I standing here perfectly fine?"
Old Wu leaned back in his chair, his brows knitted as he pondered something.
Only after a while did he slowly say:
"All right. If that old gentleman really went into the cave and came out alive, then I believe he's got some ability!"
Seeing Old Wu agree, I said excitedly:
"The police are guarding the courtyard twenty-four hours a day. You've got to find a way to get the old gentleman inside before tomorrow night!"
"Daytime won't work. It'll interfere with the vehicles going in and out of the courtyard. I'll arrange it. Tomorrow night, I'll keep all the drivers here and have them pretend to get into a brawl at the gate. Find a chance to get the gentleman inside!"
I couldn't help marveling at how full of tricks Old Wu was. He had come up with a plan in just a few minutes. With such a quick mind, no wonder he did so well at the company.
Finding the plan sound, I hurried out to let Old Liu know.
I didn't dare delay and hurried to coordinate things with both him and Old Wu. Once everything was ready, I waited tensely for night to fall.
By eight that evening, it was completely dark.
I brought Old Liu to the foot of the company's dormitory building. Before long, the dozen or so drivers stationed at the main gate began fighting.
When the officers in the courtyard noticed the commotion at the gatehouse, three initially went over, but the drivers fought harder and harder, even picking up bricks.
The longer I watched, the more wrong it seemed. These drivers weren't acting. They were settling actual scores!
The drivers were always scheming against one another. It seemed they had seized today's opportunity to really go at it.
The staged fight had become real, and several drivers were injured. Seeing that the situation couldn't be controlled, all the officers in the courtyard ran over.
Seeing that the time was right, I quickly motioned for Old Liu to run inside.
The drivers' fight grew fiercer, and even ten officers seemed unable to stop them. Half an hour passed like that.
When Old Liu still hadn't come out, I couldn't help worrying for him.
The supposedly acting drivers at the gate were now seeing red, striking harder and harder. Old Wu also realized things were going wrong and, frightened, went over to break up the fight.
Seeing the situation spiral out of control, an officer actually drew his gun and fired into the air.
The bang frightened the drivers into hastily stepping back.
Seeing the officer draw his gun brought everyone to their senses. They stood frozen to one side, and no one dared throw another punch.
Once everyone had calmed down, the captain told an officer to return to his post at the hall entrance.
Seeing an officer coming back, I hurried into the hall to find Old Liu.
Old Liu was sitting on the floor, drenched in sweat. His sunken cheeks were frighteningly pale, without a trace of color.
I glanced at the bronze clock. It had stopped!
The clock's pendulum had actually frozen, and its hands had stopped at nine twenty.
I hurried in and helped Old Liu up, saying excitedly:
"Old Liu, it worked!"
To my surprise, Old Liu raised a hand in panic and pointed outside, shouting as though using the last of his strength:
"Run!"