Love on the Turquoise Land

Yan Tuo rested at the villa for a day and set off for the farm early on the third morning.

Before leaving, he hesitated for a long time but ultimately decided to leave Chen Fu’s "corpse" behind. He couldn’t keep carrying this ticking time bomb around, especially not to the farm. He took the key with him and entrusted the storage room to Lin Ling, telling her that there was something inside that couldn’t be exposed to the light and to make sure no one entered.

This decision left him both reassured and uneasy. He was reassured because Lin Ling would do her best to follow his instructions, but uneasy because if an unexpected situation arose, she might not be able to handle it.

So his heart remained tense the entire journey—this was the biggest disadvantage of fighting alone. Without reliable, capable allies, he was constantly constrained and stretched thin.

As he neared the farm, he received a call from Liu Changxi. At first, Yan Tuo thought Nie Jiuluo had finally woken up—she had briefly regained consciousness earlier, exchanged a few words with Liu Changxi, and then fallen back into a deep sleep.

But no. Liu Changxi was just informing him that he had found a suitable caretaker for Nie Jiuluo.

At first, Yan Tuo thought this was good news, but upon hearing the details, he was speechless: "This is a postpartum nanny?"

Liu Changxi: "Yeah, the agency said she’s the most suitable."

Was this suitable in some dream world?

Yan Tuo was torn between laughter and exasperation: "Giving birth and being injured are two completely different things."

Liu Changxi explained that in small towns, services weren’t so specialized. There were either general housekeepers or hospital aides—the latter only handled basic care like washing and turning patients, not cooking. So if he wanted someone who could both take care of Nie Jiuluo’s hygiene and prepare nourishing meals, a postpartum nanny was the best option.

Fine. Yan Tuo had no choice but to accept reality. He instructed Liu Changxi: "Then you have to make it clear to the nanny—don’t over-nourish Miss Nie. She’s too weak for heavy supplements right now; her meals need to be as light as possible."

He recalled how, after his mother gave birth to Yan Xin, she had to eat several eggs a day, mixed into sweet millet porridge. The cloying, eggy taste still made him nauseous just thinking about it.

...

After hanging up, the farm came into view.

Truthfully, this farm was 90% an ordinary agricultural operation, and most of the people coming and going were ordinary folks. But because of that underground second floor and that small group of anomalies, to Yan Tuo, it would always be a place of sinister undercurrents—the origin of all storms.

Yan Tuo parked his car and walked toward the main building. Coincidentally, while still some distance away, he spotted Xiong Hei on the phone outside a side entrance—cell reception was poor underground, so calls were usually made aboveground.

Yan Tuo quickened his pace while softening his footsteps.

Xiong Hei seemed agitated, one hand gripping his phone and the other braced against the wall, a cigarette pinched between his fingers. It had burned down most of the way, nearly reaching his skin.

"Still no contact? Still nothing? Where the hell have those two bastards gone?"

He was likely talking about Han Guan and Chen Fu.

"Did you check with the hotel? When did they check out? Damn it..."

As Xiong Hei turned slightly, Yan Tuo decided to make the first move since he’d be spotted anyway. He tapped Xiong Hei’s shoulder. "Brother Xiong, don’t get so caught up in your call—your cigarette’s about to burn your fingers."

Xiong Hei yelped and hastily flicked the cigarette away, then barked into the phone, "Then go find them! What good is asking me?"

He hung up, still fuming.Yan Tuo observed the situation and felt it was time to be "considerate": "Brother Xiong, something bothering you?"

Xiong Hei also wanted to vent: "Damn, a bunch of crap. Two of our guys went missing in Shihe."

Yan Tuo: "Two guys? From the company? Have I met them?"

Xiong Hei waved his hand dismissively: "Nah, nah, you haven’t. They’re field ops."

"Field ops," huh? Quite the professional jargon to brush it off. Yan Tuo chuckled: "Shihe—isn’t that where we dealt with Banya’s crew?"

Xiong Hei sensed something in Yan Tuo’s tone: "Yeah, what about it?"

"Nothing much. Just thinking, if we took out their people, they could do the same to ours."

Xiong Hei froze for a moment, processing the words, then shook his head firmly: "No way, no way. You don’t get it—those two brothers of mine... they’re pretty capable."

Besides, those two had always been "hidden."

Capable indeed. On that Excel spreadsheet, Xiong Hei, Chen Fu, and Han Guan were practically the top three enforcers. Now two of them were gone in one go. Yan Tuo felt an unprecedented sense of relief.

He replied indifferently: "Just a thought."

Xiong Hei, unsettled by his words, paused before asking: "What brings you here anyway?"

Yan Tuo said: "I checked in with Aunt Lin. Jiang Baichuan screwed me over—can’t just let that slide, right?"

Xiong Hei understood. He approved of settling scores: "Just take it easy. Don’t kill him, though. He’s still useful..."

Yan Tuo sneered: "What the hell is he useful for?"

"Tch, Sister Lin’s son—"

Xiong Hei abruptly shut his mouth.

Yan Tuo smiled at him: "Aunt Lin’s son? Aunt Lin has a son?"

Xiong Hei denied it instantly: "No, no."

Yan Tuo said: "I heard you. If you won’t tell me, I’ll ask Aunt Lin."

Shit. If this idiot went and asked Lin Xirou, Xiong Hei would get chewed out for sure. He quickly grabbed Yan Tuo: "Don’t ask! Not allowed to talk about it! Yan Tuo, I’ve treated you well, haven’t I? Don’t make trouble for me, alright?"

Yan Tuo’s mind raced: Lin Xirou first asked Crippled Father about her son, then kidnapped Jiang Baichuan and his group. Now she wanted to keep him alive—also for the sake of her "son." A diabolo’s son would be a diabolo, but Jiang Baichuan only had Mazha, one diabolo in his hands.

Could Mazha really be Lin Xirou’s son?

He reassured Xiong Hei: "Relax, Brother Xiong. I’m not that clueless. By the way, how’s Gou Ya recovering? I came to check on him too. Been worried."

Mentioning Gou Ya only made Xiong Hei feel worse: "What’s there to check? It’s pointless... But you’d better see him soon. If you don’t, you won’t get another chance."

Yan Tuo didn’t understand: "What do you mean, ‘won’t get another chance’? Is he ascending to immortality or something?"

Xiong Hei didn’t answer, just cursed, "Damn," then pointed to the side door: "Come on, let’s head down. It’s freezing out here."

The first basement level was as cluttered as ever. Unlike when Lin Ling had stumbled in, there was now a nine-centimeter-thick cast-aluminum blast door between the first and second floors, in addition to the stairs.

Xiong Hei entered the password and led Yan Tuo inside.

The lower level looked about the same as last time, but now, during work hours, staff in blue uniforms hurried through the corridors.Xiong Hei led Yan Tuo first to the cultivation room where Gou Ya was kept. As they approached, they heard screams and shouts, and then a young woman came tumbling out of the doorway.

"Tumbling" was an understatement—it was more like she had been flung out, directly toward Yan Tuo.

Yan Tuo didn’t understand what was happening, but his reflexes kicked in. He quickly stepped forward and caught her. However, the force of the impact was so strong that he couldn’t steady himself, staggering back three steps before finally stopping with his back against the wall.

Another person burst out from the room, his voice twisted with fury: "I don’t want to die! I don’t want to die!"

This man was naked but covered head to toe in mud, as if he had just crawled out of a swamp.

Yan Tuo’s mind buzzed—Gou Ya! Gou Ya had actually woken up!

But then again, it wasn’t entirely surprising. Three months had passed since Gou Ya’s incident, and the man had been submerged in mud for long enough.

Xiong Hei was both shocked and furious, cursing, "Damn bastard, woke up fast as hell!"

As he spoke, he charged forward, raising his foot to kick. Unexpectedly, Gou Ya recognized him instantly, clinging to his leg like a long-lost relative and dropping to his knees, practically wailing: "Brother Xiong, Brother Xiong, say something for me! I don’t want to die!"

What the hell kind of act was this?

Yan Tuo was baffled. Just then, a sweet floral fragrance drifted into his nose, and a soft voice came from the woman in his arms: "Thank you."

He had completely forgotten he was still holding someone.

Yan Tuo looked down.

She was a young woman in her early twenties, strikingly beautiful. Her jet-black hair was styled in dreadlocks, some of which were pinned up at the back of her head with gleaming double-pronged hairpins, while a few loose strands framed her face. Small diamond studs adorned her ear cartilage, and she had a delicate, straight nose and long, alluring eyes. Her lower eyelids were dusted with shimmering powder, and when she spoke, the glint in her eyes made them even more mesmerizing.

Yan Tuo’s heart turned cold.

He knew who this was—Earth Fiend No. 009 from the EXCEL spreadsheet: Feng Mi.

He took a step back and replied, "No problem."

Feng Mi had been leaning against him, and his sudden retreat nearly made her lose her balance. She swayed slightly but managed to steady herself.

Two more people rushed out of the room—Lin Xirou and another name from the spreadsheet, Yang Zheng.

Lin Xirou’s face was livid as she barked at Xiong Hei, "What are you standing around for? Hurry up and—"

She cut herself off mid-sentence when she noticed Yan Tuo.

Xiong Hei grabbed Gou Ya, twisted his arms behind his back, and dragged him back into the room. Gou Ya struggled desperately, kicking and thrashing, until he suddenly spotted Yan Tuo. Without hesitation, he screamed hoarsely, "Yan Tuo! Say something for me! I don’t want to die!"

Soon, he was hauled inside by Xiong Hei and Yang Zheng. The underground rooms were well soundproofed, and once the door closed, his cries faded into a distant hum.

Yan Tuo stood motionless, his expression blank, his palms slowly growing damp, his fingers twitching slightly.

Inside his phone case, he still had a needle hidden.

Three Earth Fiends had been lying dormant all this time—the farm, the death sentence, and Gou Ya’s desperate pleas of "I don’t want to die." Did that mean the execution was meant for Gou Ya?

Would Lin Xirou interrogate Gou Ya about the incident that had injured him?

Or perhaps Aunt Lin had no suspicions about him, and with the "death sentence" being the priority now, she wouldn’t dig up the past?

...Lin Xirou clearly also felt that the previous scene was hard to explain. She smiled awkwardly and said, "Xiao Tuo, what brings you here?"

Yan Tuo replied, "I came to see Jiang Baichuan. Aunt Lin, what's wrong with Gou Ya? What problem could be so serious that it had to come to death?"

For the moment, Lin Xirou couldn't think of an excuse to brush it off. She approached Yan Tuo and said softly, "Xiao Tuo, why don't you go wait in the lounge first? I'll arrange for you to see Jiang later. Go on."

Yan Tuo nodded. "Alright."

As he turned, he met Feng Mi's gaze—bold, blazing, and utterly shameless as she stared at him.

Yan Tuo pretended not to notice.

Once Yan Tuo had walked away, Lin Xirou called out to Feng Mi, "Aren't you coming in?"

Feng Mi giggled and approached Lin Xirou, wrapping her arms around her in a playful hug. She leaned in and whispered by her ear, "Aunt Lin, is he your godson? He smells so good."

As she spoke, she flicked her tongue lightly along the inside of her lips.

Lin Xirou shot her a cold glance. "What, do you want to join Gou Ya in death?"

Feng Mi laughed coquettishly. "I wouldn't dare. I'm not that stupid."

"Then are you in heat?"

Feng Mi's face flushed, and she nuzzled against Lin Xirou. "Aunt Lin..."

Lin Xirou said, "If you've got that much energy, go chat with Han Guan. You two are a better match."

Feng Mi was thoroughly disappointed. She snorted, releasing Lin Xirou and dropping her clingy act.

Lin Xirou repeated, "Come inside."

Lin Xirou stepped through the door first, with Feng Mi following reluctantly behind and casually closing the door behind her.

Just as the door was about to shut completely, Yan Tuo strode over from around the corner. Halfway there, he crouched down as if to tie his shoelaces and flicked something in his hand toward the door.

It was a small piece he'd snapped off from the reinforced phone case Nie Jiuluo had given him—almost weightless and silent as it skimmed the ground. But because it had a slight thickness, it caught slightly when it reached the door.

This slight catch made the door appear closed without fully sealing. Yan Tuo took a few steps back, ready to bolt if anyone inside noticed. Fortunately, the door remained slightly ajar.

Holding his breath, Yan Tuo slowly approached the door again. Instead of pressing his ear against it suspiciously, he leaned against the wall nearby, adopting a casual waiting posture.

He had no choice but to take this risk: if Gou Ya revealed anything, both he and Nie Jiuluo would be exposed. So he had to buy time—even a few seconds counted. If he heard anything incriminating, he'd flee immediately.

Earlier, when pretending to leave, he'd noticed something: despite Gou Ya's loud outburst, the few staff members nearby hadn't come to investigate. They'd probably been instructed not to approach this area.

Of course, this area—no, the entire underground second floor—was under surveillance. But the purpose of cameras was to detect anomalies. So he gambled that as long as he acted natural and reasonable, even if he appeared on camera, it wouldn't raise suspicion.

Gradually, voices drifted through the door crack.

After being dragged inside, Gou Ya still clung desperately to Xiong Hei's leg. "Brother Xiong, Brother Xiong, say something! Please, say something!"

He then pleaded with Yang Zheng, "Brother Yang, we're on the same side! Brother Yang!"Yang Zheng lowered his face slightly, his expression wooden, as if he wasn't facing the tear-streaked Gou Ya but rather the flowers and plants he had tended to for so long that he had grown weary of them, always wanting to pluck their heads and pinch their leaves.

Xiong Hei had already pleaded for Gou Ya countless times and saw no point in hitting a wall now. He shot Gou Ya a look that said: Begging me is useless.

Gou Ya understood. Crawling on his hands and knees, he made his way toward Lin Xirou, who was already seated in a chair. "Aunt Lin, Aunt Lin, I was wrong. Give me another chance."

Lin Xirou lowered her eyelids, her smile not reaching her eyes. "What more chances should I give you? I gave you the chance to be human, and you threw it away."

Gou Ya straightened up and began slapping his own face with both hands, alternating left and right. "I couldn't help myself for a moment, Aunt Lin. Please, for the sake of... us both being of the Sun-Chasing lineage. There are so many people in this world, but... there are so few of us."