The Huanglong Special Task Force, Part 3

The person who was laughing and chatting with her just a few days ago had departed for the sake of the greater good in their heart... To her, it seemed there was nothing left in this world worth lingering for.

It felt as if she had returned to the past.

Clutching a set of keys, she stood up from the corner, a line of clear tears tracing her cheek as memories flooded in uncontrollably.

"Do not let momentary impulsiveness guide your actions."

*Snap.* A rod struck her palm.

"There is nothing in this world that cannot be bought with money."

*Snap.* Her palm turned red, a lingering sting radiating outward.

"Money is the only direction you should pursue." The rod was withdrawn.

"It matters not what others do; as long as there is a利益 relationship, they are our partners. Turn a blind eye, or hand things over on a silver platter—it matters not. You only need to face the path clearly illuminated by money, and walk it, all the way to the end..."

All the way to the end...

The family's teachings echoed incessantly in her ears; it was as if the world had gone silent from that day on.

And I, too, have never truly walked out of it...

In middle school, on my way home from class, I was walking quietly down the stairs. As I turned a corner, I was shoved aside.

I looked up to see someone being beaten in the crowded stairwell. How ridiculous—one person against several, teeth bared, looking utterly wretched.

Why not just beg for mercy? What was the point of resisting?

I was about to turn away when someone grabbed me by the back of my collar and slammed me to the ground. My chin hit the floor with a painful thud.

"So you like meddling in other people's business, huh? Go ahead! Let's see what you can do to me!"

A slap landed on my face. My expression went cold, but to my surprise, the person pinned to the floor beneath me was even more agitated.

"I am going to pass the exams for the Disciplinary Inspection Commission, the Supervisory Commission, and the central civil service! I will bring you all to justice! Ah!!!"

The bullies surrounded her. My bones felt numb, and it was a long time before they let us go.

The group walked away.

So many people passed by, but no one did anything, nor dared to.

I could only resign myself to bad luck, wondering who on earth was reckless enough to provoke the son of such a high-ranking official.

*Cough, cough.* She climbed up from the floor.

She was surprisingly tough.

"Are you okay? I'm sorry, I dragged you into this. Don't worry, I'll make sure you get payback!"

That was my first meeting with Mei.

Mei held my hand, and even though she was clearly weak, she insisted on walking in front, head held high.

When the butler who came to pick me up learned of today's incident, he didn't give me a pleasant look.

I climbed into the car, feeling uneasy. She followed me in.

"What are you doing following me?!" I was agitated, overcome with grievance, resentment, and anger—but mostly with the fear of the unknown awaiting me at home.

"Protecting you." Mei took some iodine from her bag and began to treat her wounds with practiced ease. She seemed to possess an indomitable courage, no matter what she faced.

"I don't need it." I didn't want any more trouble.

"Don't worry, with me here, you'll be fine."

"Do you not understand? I suffered this disaster precisely because of you," I said indignantly.

"Then hit me to vent your anger!" She thrust her face forward, looking entirely righteous.

"How can someone like you exist?" I expressed my disdain.

"You're actually a good person." Mei continued bandaging her wounds.

With a bruised and swollen face, the smile she squeezed out looked both ridiculous and pitiful.

I wanted to hold her accountable, but now I just wanted her to get out of the car.

The car started moving, which surprised me.

The butler didn't even ask if this was really my friend. Perhaps he thought I had caused trouble and didn't want to bother with me at all.

On the way home, I stopped caring what she was doing; I was far more concerned about my own fate.

"What happened earlier was my fault; I didn't consider your situation." She insisted on leaning in and taking my hand.

"Let's face what's coming together."

Why? Why do these things? Although I wanted to ask, I chose silence.

She took out her light-screen to reply to a message.

I suddenly remembered who she was.

She was the fiancée of that official's son.

An indescribable sense of absurdity washed over me, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Is that how you treat your fiancé?" I asked, gloating.

"In my heart, there is only the people."

The answer left me choked.

"Then what are you two?"

"Opposing classes." Mei replied indignantly.

I was amused.

"You are truly strange."

"Hmph, as long as you're happy." Mei looked uncharacteristically dejected.

Seeing her thwarted, my mood suddenly lifted; it didn't feel as bad anymore.

"We have arrived, Miss." The butler got out to open the door.

What had to come would come.

She put away her light-screen and jumped out of the car with me.

"Let's go." She grabbed my hand and walked in front, just like before.

And yet, this was my home...

"Look at the mess you've made today!" Father sat on the sofa, book in hand, without looking up.

"She didn't do anything wrong!" Mei was surprised by the father's attitude; she had come to apologize.

Father finally looked up.

"You?"

He had no impression of her.

"Come here," he called to me.

But Mei walked over faster than I did.

"Hey! I said she did nothing wrong! If you still think that, I will stay here, and I won't let you hurt her!"

Father simply smiled, amused by her overestimation of her own strength. But I knew he wouldn't do anything; a man who played both sides would not easily offend others.

"Tell me, did you do wrong?" he asked me.

"She did nothing wrong! Parents like you, who blame their children without distinguishing right from wrong, are the ones who should be repenting!" Mei continued to accuse him, regardless of the consequences.

"She is innocent. I didn't handle things well and implicated her; she was just passing by! I hope you won't take your anger out on your own child just because you fear certain people!"

*Snap.* A clean, crisp slap rang out.

I froze on the spot.

Mei slowly turned her head.

"If you don't want to offend No. 77 Xuedong Road, then please stop hurting your child, whether in words or actions." The palm print on her face was so clear; it was evident he had used his full strength.

For the first time, Father lost his usual composure and looked at me in shock.

I felt a weight finally lift from my chest and nodded firmly.

"See me off." She took my hand and walked out the door.

Behind us, I could hear Father's roar and the butler's repeated apologies.

"See? I'm not as brainless as you thought," Mei said triumphantly.

"Don't worry, with me here, you'll be fine. Just like earlier—I had two plans. If your family was caring, I would have apologized. If your family was abusive, I would have fought back hard!!"

But it was you who got hit.

"With your influence, you could call more people; you don't have to be..." I didn't understand why she would take on so many people alone.

"They are my punching bags. At first, I was knocked down in one blow, but now I can fight my way to the hallway. Progress is faster when fighting one against many," Mei laughed, even she couldn't finish that sentence seriously.

*You're the one who's the punching bag,* I couldn't help but think to myself.

"We'll see each other tomorrow, right?" Mei shook my arm.

"Yes," I said.

From then on, Father ignored me.

But every day that followed, I was very happy.

"We will meet again, right?" Ju opened a small box with a key.

She placed the recording strip inside and applied two seals. It was the eulogy she had painstakingly prepared: *Who acts for the Dao, shattering this jade and stone? Who acts for the frost, withering these pines and cypresses?*

In the same row of cabinets was a rosewood box with a seal that had been there for a long time, its color aged and yellowed. The inscription read: *Pearls that illuminate the carriage, shattered jade of the walled city.*

Everything concerning Mei would accompany me for the rest of my life, until the day the ice and snow melted. You left behind a new spark, as if making that plan truly possible.

On the very edge was the one she had left for herself.

The golden star bubbled and bubbled, then surfaced.

"Waha." She took a deep breath.

"Well? Any clues?" Mei surfaced from the water.

"Found it," the golden star nodded.

"What Li encountered back then might not have been a woman in a red dress, but a Yellow Dragon."

A thousand years had passed, and the terrain had changed, but some things had been preserved.

"Singing as I go in a light boat with short oars, the distant waters and long mountains fill me with sorrow," the golden star quoted the poem again.

"The original poem depicts a woman in red singing on a boat, but that was us jumping to conclusions. In reality, the first stanza of the poem corresponds to the inscription at the bottom of the river."

"Could it be that a thousand years ago, someone was already preventing the revival of ancient creatures?"

"Is this the test for us? To understand the struggle from a thousand years ago?" Mei suddenly saw the light.

"Then where is the Yellow Dragon?"

The golden star was in no hurry.

"Combined with the first stanza, the Yellow Dragon might still be in the world of the living."

Mei was puzzled.

"Must be quite old. Probably hiding in some cave."

"Captain Mei, can ancient creatures change their form at will?" the golden star asked.

"Not really, there have to be prerequisites," Mei pulled the golden star ashore.

"One way is like me—an impure bloodline that awakens some talent, allowing one to fuse with the flesh and blood of other creatures to serve as a vessel," Mei explained patiently.

"Another way is predation—abandoning one's own physical body. But this often turns one into a weakling, and there are many uncertain factors. So the body to be seized must be carefully chosen, otherwise, it's a huge loss," Mei smiled enigmatically.

"In other words, most can only rely on predation," the golden star frowned.

"Doesn't that just mean killing people?"

"That's right. So if this Yellow Dragon is still alive, it's an evil dragon, and we must eradicate it," Mei said seriously.

"But I don't think he's a bad person."

"Tell me, who is it?" Mei leaned in.

"Master Huang." The golden star was deeply perplexed.

"It's him!" Mei was surprised.

"It really was predation; otherwise, I couldn't have failed to sense it!" She said angrily.

"And he's also Lan's master."

"Wait, it's too early to draw conclusions. Do you have any way to test him?" The golden star didn't want this to turn out to be a misunderstanding.

"Force him to reveal his hand," Mei calmed down.

"Alright, we have to..." The golden star planned it out with her.

The inscription at the bottom of the lake read: *"Calling stars and summoning ghosts to feast upon the banquet, the mountain spirits dine, leaving mortals trembling."*

If mountain spirits eat people, why would they be worshipped in the Yellow Mausoleum Temple?

The golden star thought of a possibility, which made her even more certain that the person was Master Huang.

The two changed into clean clothes and returned to the guesthouse.

Master Huang seemed to have been waiting there for a long time, and this time, he did not avoid them.

"Master Huang, may I ask you a question?"

"No." Master Huang lay on his rocking chair, not even lifting his eyes.

"Why?" The golden star was puzzled.

"That's the second question," Master Huang said unhurriedly, looking relaxed.

"Are you the Yellow Dragon?" The golden star hadn't expected much, but she asked anyway.

"Oh my, exposed already."

His candor surprised them both.

"You eat people?!" Mei asked, displeased.

"No, no, no. I came from the New China; New China does not eat people. Only the Old China ate people," Master Huang opened his eyes.

"Feudalism is harmful. The drowned river bride who returned to life is me, and the drowned young soldier is also me. When the world is in turmoil, I am forever young; when the world is at peace, I can enjoy my twilight years."

"The poem you saw at the bottom of the river was written during the sacrifices back then. Playing the pipa, calling upon the gods of heaven and the ghosts of the underworld to taste the sumptuous offerings. But when they enjoyed the offerings, it made people's hair stand on end."

"Isn't it ridiculous? Afraid on one hand, yet using it as a pretext to harm people on the other. Family after family, those who couldn't afford to save their children—if they fell into the water, they became my vessel." Master Huang subjectively did not want to harm anyone; he merely bore the consequences of that karma.

"So, that's how it is," the golden star lowered her head.

"What? The river bride?" Mei didn't know.

"Using living people as sacrifices. Teenage girls would be bought by local gentry, seated on straw mats floating on the water. When they reached the center of the river, the mat and the person would sink, sacrificing them to the River God so there wouldn't be floods the next year, drowning properties and crops."

Mei frowned.

"The baseless associations of the weak, attempting to preserve their interests through the sacrifice of the lower class, which in reality does nothing but lose population. But even so, they spare no cost. How is that different from war? War is merely built on this foundation; they think they've won, but in the grand scheme of things, it only causes more unnecessary sacrifice."

"Highlighting oneself through the weakness of another country, finding peace through the lives of others." Mei felt a heavy blow.

"The truth is truly infuriating." She shook her head impatiently.

The golden star couldn't help but feel sorrow.

The old man stood up.

"You passed the test. Come in and choose your eulogies. This is your reward."

"Do Mei, Lan, Zhu, and Ju all get to choose?" the golden star asked curiously.

"They all passed, so I suppose so."

"What did they choose?" the golden star asked.

"Widows can ask. If you must know, I can tell you about your mother and your aunt, but Lan is not yet dead," Master Huang pushed open the door.

"My mother?" The golden star couldn't believe it.

"What's wrong? Your mother, Mei, and Ju were very good friends. They chose each other's eulogies; they just didn't have their own, intending for their descendants to pass them on after they died."

"Is, is that so?" The golden star learned something unexpected about her mother.

"Then which two did my mother choose?"

"For Mei, she chose: *Black clouds press down on the city, threatening to crush it; the armor glitters like golden scales in the sun.* For Ju, she chose: *The White Emperor of the West startles the autumn, the ghost mother cries in the autumn suburbs.*"

The golden star was surprised.

Mei was curious, "What do they mean?"

"*Black clouds press down on the city, threatening to crush it; the armor glitters like golden scales in the sun.* The enemy army presses against the city walls like black clouds, wanting to destroy the city, while the warriors' armor glitters gold in the sunlight."