Chapter Thirty-Three: The Riddle

Just as I felt I was doomed this time, a sudden burning sensation flared across my forehead, as if a fire were scorching it. Then, as if ignited by that fire, it spread to the fool who had his hands around my neck. He yelped in pain and released me, allowing me to gasp for breath at last.

"Yezi, wake up!" I heard my elder brother's voice. I opened my eyes to see him crouching beside me, his upper body bare, revealing a physique carved by strength and perfection.

The next moment, I realized my own hands were clutching my neck. I hastily let go, bewildered. It had clearly been the fool strangling me just moments ago—so why was it now my own hands?

"Big Brother, what’s going on?" I asked, still confused.

"Don’t move. Just sit here. I’m going to check on Fatty," he replied, his expression grave.

I wanted to tell him that Fatty had tried to kill me, but before I could speak, he darted away like an arrow. Soon after, I heard sounds of a struggle some distance behind me.

I desperately wanted to see what was happening. Aside from the searing pain in my neck and the lingering heat on my forehead, I didn’t feel much else. I touched my forehead and found it stained with blood, though I couldn’t find a wound.

I stood up and peered into the darkness behind me, unable to see anything. My mind spun with anxiety. Was Big Brother fighting Fatty, or someone else? I hoped Fatty had only been caught off guard and that my brother was rescuing him—I couldn’t bear to believe that the friend I’d just come to trust would turn on me so quickly.

Soon, the sounds of struggle ceased. I heard someone moving quickly, then Fatty’s voice called out, “Sun Zhongmou, don’t chase! Watch out for Yezi!”

Then I saw Big Brother supporting Fatty as they walked toward me. I hurried to meet them and saw a deep gash on Fatty’s leg, blood still streaming from the wound. Worried, I asked, “What happened?”

“It was that masked man. When I saw something was wrong, I tried to help you, and that bastard ambushed me. King of Thieves, if your brother hadn’t come, I’d have been done for—even the Yellow River couldn’t wash my name clean,” Fatty grumbled.

“Now’s not the time for that. Are you alright? Should we get you to a hospital?” I pressed, alarmed by the seriousness of the wound.

“It’s nothing. I’m not that delicate. But if I see that bastard again, I’ll twist his head off,” Fatty swore.

“Enough bravado. Let’s get you patched up,” I said.

Fatty couldn’t walk, and I couldn’t carry him alone, and the hour was too late to seek help elsewhere. We made our way to Big Brother’s house. I cut open Fatty’s pants with scissors—his leg was surprisingly pale, though quite thick. Faced with the wound, I was at a loss, but Big Brother fetched a bedsheet, tied it above the injury, and then took out a large sewing needle, lighting a candle.

“Sun Zhongmou, do you even know what you’re doing?” Fatty eyed the needle with terror.

“No anesthetic. Can you handle it?” Big Brother asked.

Fatty gritted his teeth. “Just do it.”

Big Brother sterilized the needle in the candle flame, then began stitching up the wound. The sight was so grisly I couldn’t bring myself to watch. Fatty’s face was beaded with sweat, but he endured it all without so much as a groan.

Big Brother worked quickly. Once he finished, he fetched a bottle of liquor, uncorked it, and poured half of it directly onto the wound. Fatty, who had held back until now, howled as if being slaughtered. “Damn it, couldn’t you warn me first?!”

Big Brother ignored him and handed over the rest of the bottle. “Drink.”

Fatty drained the liquor in one go, then burped. “Good stuff. That hit the spot! King of Thieves, give me a cigarette.”

I reached for my pack, only to find the cigarettes had been soaked by my cold sweat. Big Brother silently offered his own, lighting one for each of us. The three of us sat there, wordless, enveloped in smoke.

Fatty finished his cigarette in one drag, stubbed it out, and said through gritted teeth, “I can understand that bastard ambushing me, but why did the fool suddenly attack Yezi? Even if she’s forgotten the old debt, we burned the spirit paper and returned the child. That was the right thing to do.”

Recalling the scene, my heart still pounded. “I had just given her the child. She looked at it, and then she changed completely.”

“That’s because the child you gave her wasn’t the one taken from her womb in the first place,” Big Brother said.

“What?” Fatty exclaimed, slapping his thigh—only to cry out in pain. “No wonder! If the child you returned wasn’t hers, of course she went mad!”

Fatty continued, “King of Thieves, it’s obvious someone set us up—to force us to return the child to the fool. If your brother hadn’t intervened, we’d both be dead. Whoever did this is vicious—I won’t let it go.”

“You really think it was just to kill you?” Big Brother sneered at Fatty.

“What else?” Fatty retorted, puzzled.

“What about the drought demon?” Big Brother asked.

Fatty turned to me. I was equally baffled. Where was the drought demon? I slapped my forehead. “After I removed the talisman and gave it to the fool, she threw it away. Why?”

Fatty’s expression was strange. “With that little drought demon gone, there’ll be a great drought here. My reputation is ruined.”

“That serious? Should I look for it?” I was alarmed—if this really brought about a disaster, Fatty and I would bear grave responsibility.

“No point. Once the talisman was lifted, it would have gone deep underground. You won’t find it. I see now—the trap was laid for me. The talisman on the demon’s forehead was set by a true master; it took me all day to unravel it. I’ve hoisted the stone and smashed my own foot,” Fatty said, full of regret.

Hearing him, I sensed the seriousness of the situation and tried to comfort him, “Don’t worry. It’s not ancient times—if there’s a drought, we have modern solutions like artificial rain.”

“If the river dries up, Luo River will be gone,” Big Brother said quietly.

“Huh?” I stared at him.

“You think this is all aimed at the Twelve Ghost Caves?” Fatty quickly caught on.

Big Brother nodded, silent as ever.

I started to regret not reporting to Big Brother earlier—I could already sense the trouble Fatty and I had caused tonight.

Fatty looked at Big Brother. “Is it that serious?”

Big Brother nodded, his face grim. He looked at Fatty. “Are you still going to keep up the act?”

His words stunned not only Fatty, but me as well. Big Brother had just saved Fatty’s life and stitched him up; I thought he thought well of Fatty. Yet now he spoke so coldly.

“What am I pretending?” Fatty bristled, glaring at Big Brother.

“Your ruse only fools Yezi,” Big Brother said calmly.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Sun. I don’t like your tone one bit,” Fatty snapped. He wasn’t one to mince words.

“When the drought demon is released, the Luo River will dry up. Then Tang Renjie can enter the Twelve Ghost Caves and get what he wants. You planned it well, played your part. But from the start you were wrong—no one in the village wants anything from the river. So it wasn’t them,” Big Brother said.

“Even if it was Tang Renjie and not the villagers, what’s that got to do with me?” Fatty snorted.

Hearing this, I began to grasp what was happening. Looking at Fatty, I felt a wave of suspicion. Fatty stood up and said, “I’ve always faced what I’ve done, good or bad. If it’s my fault, I won’t deny it; if it’s not, don’t try to pin it on me. Since I’m not welcome, I’ll take my leave. I owe you my life tonight—if you ever need me, I’ll repay it. Farewell.”

With that, Fatty limped toward the door.

“You think you can just leave?” Big Brother’s voice was cold.

Fatty halted, turning to him. “You think you can stop me?”