Chapter One Hundred: The Dagger Revealed at the End of the Road

Fang Xi was very committed to finding the Monster Clinic. Less than ten hours after they had parted ways, he called again.

Cheng Yao tried to brush him off: "Doesn't the Monster Clinic only appear at night? Can you find it during the day?"

Fang Xi answered bluntly, "The time the Monster Clinic appears is not fixed; it is possible for it to appear during the day as well."

His tone was somewhat insistent, so Cheng Yao did not refuse again.

After he hung up, Bai Xiao spoke immediately: "We should just get rid of him sooner. Someone like him will bring trouble sooner or later."

Cheng Yao shook his head. "No rush."

Bai Xiao was annoyed and turned away, ignoring him.

Cheng Yao said helplessly, "I still have many things to ask him. After all, he became a patient of the clinic a long time ago, has been searching for it for many years, and has met other patients..."

"So what?" Bai Xiao retorted. "We should just focus on ourselves. The Doctor has already resurrected me, and your wish has been fulfilled—isn't that enough? If we continue to live like this, isn't that happiness?"

Cheng Yao looked at Bai Xiao. "You saw Zheng Yichao and that infant... we don't even know how the Doctor treats us. There is something about this..."

"I think the Doctor is trustworthy. He has no reason to harm us." Bai Xiao interrupted him. "I know you've been worried. I was resurrected after death, not just treated for an illness. But Cheng Yao, what can you possibly gain by digging into this?"

Cheng Yao fell silent.

Bai Xiao lowered her head. "I just want to live a simple life with you. It is enough if we can grow old together."

Cheng Yao looked at Bai Xiao’s tightly clenched hands and the ring on her left ring finger, falling into a moment of confusion.

His phone rang then. It was Fang Xi calling again.

"Have you left yet?" Fang Xi asked.

Cheng Yao glanced at Bai Xiao. "I was just about to leave. Wait a moment."

He hung up, leaned toward Bai Xiao, and whispered, "Even if I have to get rid of him, it will have to wait until tonight."

Bai Xiao lifted her eyes slightly.

"Don't worry, it'll be fine," Cheng Yao said, his comfort sounding somewhat hollow. "Wait for me at home."

He left the house. After descending the stairs, he could feel a gaze fixed on his back. He turned to look and saw Bai Xiao standing on the balcony.

He waved at her. Bai Xiao waved back.

Fang Xi was waiting at the entrance of the residential complex. He was dressed the same as the day before, hands in his pockets, looking relaxed and comfortable, showing none of the urgency from his phone call earlier.

Cheng Yao asked, "Are we still going there to wait? Since the clinic has already taken me on as a patient, it shouldn't appear there again, right?"

Fang Xi smiled. "Then let's just walk around."

"How did you find the clinic before?"

"Just by walking around like this."

"Are there many patients like us?"

"Not many, but not few either."

"What kind of people are they?"

"What kind of people..." Fang Xi seemed to be contemplating his words. "Well, very ordinary people, I suppose."

"For example? What kind of person was the one you mentioned yesterday?" Cheng Yao asked.

Fang Xi replied, "Oh, that person was very ordinary. He was considered wealthy, but other than that, nothing special."

"What illness did he have?"

"Cancer."

"Was it like you, having unfinished business?"

"Not exactly." Fang Xi smiled, looking dismissive. "He was just simply afraid of death."

As Fang Xi said this, he seemed to have completely forgotten that his own urgency to find the Monster Clinic now was also born of a fear of death.

"So, a strong desire to survive," Cheng Yao thought. He imagined the infant was likely in the same situation. Perhaps the infant also harbored intense hatred and a desire for revenge.

Fang Xi glanced at Cheng Yao. "Most patients have a strong desire to survive. If they didn't, there would be no need to go to the clinic."

Cheng Yao felt as though he were hinting at something. He looked up, only to find Fang Xi’s expression calm.

Cheng Yao had led the way last night, but today Fang Xi took the lead. He said they would just walk, and they truly did, appearing to wander aimlessly.

Neither felt fatigue, hunger, or thirst. They walked until noon.

A typhoon had been forecast to make landfall for two days, and the sky was thick with dark clouds. Gale-force winds whipped around, but it never rained, and the wind had not yet reached the intensity of a passing typhoon. Nevertheless, the city had already issued high-wind warnings; there were fewer pedestrians on the streets, and some buildings, shop signs, and trees had been temporarily reinforced.

Cheng Yao took out his phone to check the warning message from the meteorological center. "The typhoon will arrive tonight, bringing heavy rain. How long do you plan to keep looking?"

"The weather doesn't affect us much," Fang Xi said.

Cheng Yao was not keen. "It might not affect you, but I don't want to be a drowned rat. Besides, the clinic wouldn't appear in this kind of weather, would it? There won't be a soul on the road..."

"The only people appearing on the road at that time will be the desperate," Fang Xi countered.

Cheng Yao’s pace faltered, his heart skipped a beat, and his gaze toward Fang Xi darkened instantly.

Fang Xi keenly sensed Cheng Yao’s reaction. He looked back, wearing a standard, polite smile, and sought Cheng Yao’s opinion: "Don't you agree?"

Cheng Yao stood motionless.

Passersby looked at the two men strangely, but that was all; they quickly walked past them.

"You have a point," Cheng Yao said slowly, resuming his stride.

Fang Xi smiled and continued walking.

The two did not speak again, merely circling the city.

In the evening, it started to rain.

Cheng Yao bought two umbrellas at a convenience store and gave one to Fang Xi.

Fang Xi didn't seem to care about the rain, but he took the umbrella nonetheless.

Such an umbrella had limited effectiveness in a typhoon. The rain was constantly blown beneath it, soaking their clothes.

Cheng Yao’s body quickly became damp, his clothes clinging to him, which felt uncomfortable.

Fang Xi’s trench coat served as a good shield against the wind and rain, but his leather shoes suffered.

Dark clouds obscured the sun. It grew dark early. Shops along the street closed early. Some pedestrians took shelter under eaves, while others ran through the rain, braving the gusts.

Just past the evening rush hour, the downpour arrived as if on cue, suddenly turning into a deluge.

The rain hammered against the umbrellas, the ground, the leaves, and the rooftops, making a crackling, explosive sound.

Their vision was obscured by the curtain of rain.

Cheng Yao had the illusion of being back a few months ago.

Compared to the day he killed Zheng Yichao, today there was the addition of gale-force winds. The rain no longer fell vertically but crashed horizontally with the wind.

It was certainly not a good day, yet it was a very suitable time.

Cheng Yao remained silent, following Fang Xi near his father-in-law's residential area. He clenched his fists, scanned his surroundings with his senses, suppressed his impulses, and lowered his umbrella slightly to cover his face.

Fang Xi stood at the intersection, gazing at the wall across the street.

"This is where you first saw the Monster Clinic, right?" Fang Xi said.

Cheng Yao narrowed his eyes, peering through the umbrella at Fang Xi.

Fang Xi pivoted on his heel to face Cheng Yao. He flashed a smile and opened his mouth to say something.

The light from headlights pierced the curtain of rain, and the accompanying voice was almost blown away by the wind: "Hey! You two on the side of the road, want a ride?"

Cheng Yao remained indifferent, not turning his head like Fang Xi toward the car stopped in front of them.

"Where do you live? You're both soaked! The typhoon has made landfall; don't walk on the road! I'll give you a lift! Don't worry, it's free!" Boss Le leaned over from the driver's seat and shouted through the open passenger window, his face getting hit by the rain blowing in. "Pfft... pfft... whew..." He wiped the rain from his face and shouted for the two to get in. "There are no taxis on this road! The bus just passed, and the next one isn't for twenty minutes! Get in! I'm really not charging you! I run the pet shop around here, this isn't an illegal cab!"

Cheng Yao kept his head and face covered with the umbrella, not letting Boss Le recognize him. He dared not speak now, only tensing his body, putting on a show of guarding against Fang Xi.

Fang Xi suddenly said, "You run a pet shop around here?"

Cheng Yao's heart sank.

"Yeah! I was supposed to close early, but a customer got stuck in traffic and just came to pick up their little Teddy. I really do run the pet shop around here; the neighbors all know me, this isn't an illegal cab. You two grown men have nothing to fear. Don't be stubborn in this typhoon!" Boss Le welcomed them enthusiastically, glancing at their nearly waterlogged clothes and shoes. "I use this car to transport pets, so it doesn't matter if it gets wet!"

Fang Xi walked toward the car. "Then thank you very much."

Cheng Yao’s heart leaped into his throat.

"No problem, no problem! It's no trouble! Hurry up and get in! Where do you live?" Boss Le said with a chuckle, sitting upright again.

Fang Xi pulled open the passenger door and turned to look at Cheng Yao.

Cheng Yao had no choice but to walk toward the backseat.

The two folded their umbrellas and sat inside.

Boss Le reminded them to "fasten your seatbelts," started the car, and asked, "Where do you live?"

Fang Xi gave the name of Cheng Yao’s residential complex and gave Boss Le directions.

Boss Le waved his hand, called up the navigation, and announced the address. He was multitasking, driving slowly, eyes scanning the navigation to confirm the address was correct before shifting his gaze to the rearview mirror.

Boss Le paused.

Cheng Yao said nothing, quietly staring ahead.

Fang Xi asked, "What's wrong?"

"Oh, I think your friend here looks a bit familiar. Have we met somewhere... do you work around here?" Boss Le asked calmly.

This was a residential area, an old one at that, with no office buildings or commercial districts, though there were a few schools.

Before Fang Xi could answer, Boss Le asked again, "Are you teachers at one of the schools here? You should only have half-day classes today, right? Ah, the students have half-day, but you have to wait until the time is up to get off work, right?"

Fang Xi shook his head. "We are looking for a shop. You know this area well, have you ever seen a shop called the Monster Clinic?"

Boss Le was quite skilled at playing dumb and even put on a look of contemplation. After passing an intersection and following the navigation's directions to make a turn, he said, "No. Is it a real clinic, or some new trendy internet-famous shop? Is it 'monster' as in the 'monster'?"

Fang Xi smiled. "It's a real clinic. Just like the 'monster' in 'monster'."

"A pet clinic?"

"No, it's for treating people."

Boss Le shook his head. "I've never seen it. Are you in the wrong place? We have old residential buildings here, and the schools are elementary and middle schools; those trendy shops wouldn't open in a place like this."

"It is a real clinic," Fang Xi emphasized again.

Boss Le laughed out loud. "There's a clinic with that name?"

Fang Xi then inquired if there were any special patients in the vicinity.

Unexpectedly, Boss Le answered this question: "In Wanxin Garden, an old lady had shingles a while ago. She was rolling around at home in pain and even smashed things. She was 'oohing' and 'ahhing' from morning till night. The neighbors were scared to death, thinking someone had been murdered in her house. When the old lady screamed, the dogs and cats followed suit; it was so noisy that no one could sleep..."

"Didn't she use painkillers?"

"She probably did. Her son-in-law said the old lady was very delicate and had never suffered a day in her life. When she was young, she relied on her parents; after marriage, she relied on her husband; and now that she's old, she has her daughter and son-in-law to hire a nanny to serve her. She never even had to fold her own quilt. Her health was good, too; she never had any illness growing up. Who knew this would happen at her age."

"How old is the old lady?"

"I heard she's over sixty?" Boss Le became uncertain. "I haven't seen her, but I've seen her husband twice. Old Man Xu is over seventy, his legs are sturdy, he just has high blood pressure."

Boss Le and Fang Xi began to chat.

Fang Xi was only interested in the patients in the vicinity, and Boss Le didn't mind, telling him about the conditions of other sick residents in the surrounding complexes.

As they talked, Boss Le mentioned Old Zhang.

"...Uncle Zhang took a fall a while ago, broke his leg, and his spirits weren't great. He even said he had run into a ghost. But he's much better today. This morning, Auntie Wang—that's his wife—pushed him over and brought their pet dog to my place for a bath." He seemed to remember something and chuckled to himself. "Auntie Wang even said that Uncle Zhang was just faking it. It must be that he didn't want to go watch a horror movie with her, so he pretended to be mentally ill. She even said he broke his leg on purpose. Uncle Zhang was furious, saying she was brainwashed by horror movies and that his suspicion and paranoia were all caused by being scared while watching horror movies with her."

Cheng Yao showed no surprise.

He had been there when Bai Xiao sought out Old Zhang last night. He imagined Zheng Yichao’s ability and "treated" Old Zhang.

Zheng Yichao was far more skilled and powerful in this regard, capable of making someone lose a segment of their memory directly. All Cheng Yao had done was emit a certain substance to soothe Old Zhang’s mind.

It seemed the effect was quite good.

Boss Le chattered on about the bickering between Old Zhang and his wife.

Fang Xi listened for a while, lost interest, and interrupted him, "Are those the only patients?"

Boss Le said breezily, "That's all I know, and that should be all there is. Oh... if someone has some unspeakable secret, the kind of illness that's inconvenient to talk about, they certainly wouldn't tell anyone else... but you never know. This is an old residential area; many of the residents are very familiar with each other, and there's all kinds of gossip, so things can't be hidden. It's also possible that stories are embellished... then there are the young renters. I don't know much about them."

He glanced at Fang Xi. "Are you really here to find that Monster Clinic? I've never seen any Monster Clinic around here. People around here go to the Grade-A hospital nearby when they're sick. You take a ride, three stops, and there's another Grade-A hospital. How convenient is that? Who would run to some small clinic to see a doctor..."

As Boss Le spoke, he shook his head, indicating that such a thing was impossible.

Fang Xi looked at Cheng Yao in the backseat. "You said earlier that he looked familiar?"

Boss Le also glanced in the rearview mirror. "He does look a bit familiar. Don't tell me you've been here looking for that clinic before?" He offered a guess of his own.

Fang Xi replied, "I don't know if he came here to look for the clinic before."

That was truly odd.

Boss Le looked at Fang Xi, then at Cheng Yao, with that same expression.

Cheng Yao spoke for the first time since getting in the car: "Could you take us to Binjiang Park?"

The navigation showed they were two hundred meters from their destination, and they could already see the gate of the complex.

Boss Le was extremely surprised. "Binjiang Park? Right now?"

"Yes, sorry to trouble you," Cheng Yao said somewhat stiffly. "We have something to discuss."

Boss Le looked at the two with a hesitant expression.

Fang Xi took over and changed the navigation destination.

The car fell quiet, with only the occasional navigation prompt sounding.

Outside, the typhoon raged, without a moment of peace.