Chapter 1

"Shuo Ge——Shuo Ge!"

A starling, its body entirely black with a tuft of golden feathers on its head, swooped into a mud-brick house in a mountain village, flapping its wings and landing on the shoulder of a young man inside.

The young man, in his mid-twenties, wore an old Zhongshan suit, glasses perched on his nose, and a cigarette tucked behind his ear.

On the desk in front of him lay a lesson plan for second-grade Chinese.

His name was Lin Shuo, and six years ago, he had come to this remote mountain village in southwestern China to serve as the only substitute teacher for the elementary school within a hundred miles.

Stopping his pen, Lin Shuo looked at the starling on his shoulder, smiled, took the cigarette from behind his ear, lit it with a match, and handed it to the bird.

The starling, standing on one leg, skillfully took the cigarette with the other, opened its beak, and began to puff away.

As it smoked, the starling spoke: "Shuo Ge, I almost didn't make it back."

"Nonsense," Lin Shuo shot it a glance, "Who here could touch you?"

"Shuo Ge, we've been brothers for over a decade, through life and death. When have I ever lied to you?" The starling, looking old and wise, tilted its head and blew a puff of smoke in Lin Shuo's face.

Lin Shuo's expression grew serious. "Tell me what happened."

"Three modified off-road vehicles were heading towards our village. They're not from around here and had temporary license plates. I followed them for a while, and then a gun appeared from the window. Luckily, I ran fast enough."

The starling spoke and gestured as if it were a spirit.

Lin Shuo fell silent for a moment, then nodded, acknowledging the information.

"They're probably after you," the starling said earnestly. "Shuo Ge, it's been six years since that incident. You should start moving around again."

Lin Shuo didn't respond, just smiled. "The food is still warm. Go ahead."

The starling nodded and flew away.

Lin Shuo's smile slowly faded, and he looked out the window, his expression darkening.

Six years, and they still found me?

Will I have to relive that hell on earth again?

The pain in his heart began to torment him. His face turned pale, and his fingers trembled slightly. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a pack of cigarettes, and lit one.

In the smoke, he seemed to relive that stormy night. The rain that night was blood-red.

After that night, he decided to retire and no longer meddle in the strange affairs of the world. He and Little Eight settled in this unknown mountain village, thinking that no one would find him.

But fate had other plans.

Even if they found me, what could they do?

I've retired.

Lin Shuo gave a cold laugh and stubbed out the cigarette.

...

Three modified off-road vehicles, after a long journey through the mountains, finally arrived in the village.

In such a remote and impoverished area, the sight of these three sleek black off-road vehicles was quite a spectacle.

The villagers quickly gathered, but they didn't dare get too close, watching from a distance of about three meters.

Some children picked up stones to throw, but were slapped down by their parents and quickly quieted.

The vehicles stopped in front of a mud-brick house.

The rear door of the leading vehicle opened, and a high-heeled shoe stepped onto the muddy village road.

The villagers followed the black high heel with their eyes:

Black stockings, long and slender legs. A black pencil skirt hugged a full, firm behind. A tailored women's blazer accentuated her slim waist and ample chest.

Her snow-white neck framed a face as beautiful as a peach blossom, with large eyes, a small mouth, and a pert nose, like a movie star.

The villagers had never seen such a beautiful woman in person.

"Thud."

A villager swallowed hard, and his wife pinched his side.

The door on the other side of the vehicle opened, and a tall man, about 1.9 meters, stepped out. He wore a green short-sleeved military T-shirt under a tactical vest, his muscular arms clearly defined.

He followed the beautiful woman to the wooden door of the mud-brick house.

"Knock, knock, knock." The woman knocked lightly on the door.

No response.

She knocked again, but still no answer.

The woman frowned, stepped back, and turned to the villagers, smiling. "Fellow villagers, is he at home?"

"Yes, yes," a villager, rubbing his side, called out, "Teacher Lin, open the door, someone is looking for you!"

Still no response.

The tall man grew impatient and sneered. "Miss Anne, the person you want to invite is quite arrogant."

As he spoke, he raised his foot to kick the door.

The beautiful woman's face changed dramatically. Before she could warn him, she quickly lifted her leg, and the tip of her high heel tapped the man's knee.

The man felt a sudden numbness in his leg, staggered a few steps, and looked surprised. "Miss Anne, you..."

"Wei Xingshan," the woman said coldly, "I remind you, you must show respect to Mr. Lin. We are the ones who need his help. If we can persuade him to come out of retirement, it will be an honor for us."

"Miss Anne," Wei Xingshan's face showed displeasure, "We are employed by the same person, and I have the most elite mercenary squad in Asia. Is there anything we can't handle?"

The coldness on Anne's face eased slightly, and she said calmly, "Captain Wei, if we were dealing with humans, I would trust you and your team. But this is a different kind of expertise. We are facing something else."

As they spoke, the wooden door creaked open.

The person who opened the door was Lin Shuo.

He was dressed as a village teacher, with a fountain pen in his chest pocket, and his thin face showed no expression.

Seeing his face, Anne felt a sense of relief, but at the same time, she sensed the coldness in his eyes.

This man's gaze, even through his glasses, was as sharp as a knife, making one feel a chill to the bone.

This was the gaze of someone who had seen too much bloodshed.

Thinking of the various legends about him, Anne's face turned pale.

"Mr. Lin, hello, my name is Anne," Anne suppressed her fear and tried to appear composed.

Lin Shuo's expression clearly showed his reluctance, but when he saw the crowd gathered outside, his expression softened slightly.

"Come in," Lin Shuo said coolly, turning to go back inside.

The two followed him into the mud-brick house, and Anne closed the door behind them.

The house was sparsely furnished, with no second chair. Lin Shuo sat at his desk, while Anne and Wei Xingshan had to stand.

Lin Shuo ignored them, and the atmosphere became awkward.

Flap, flap, flap.

The starling flew into the room, landed on the desk, and tilted its head to look at the two strangers.

Seeing the starling, Wei Xingshan nodded. "This starling is quite lively. The tuft of feathers on its head looks like a crown."

"Asshole," the starling said.

Wei Xingshan grinned. He wouldn't argue with a bird and instead tried to tease it.

He took a few steps forward, bent down slightly, and looked the starling in the eye, pretending to be angry. "Why are you cursing?"

"Asshole," the starling repeated.

"Is that all you can say? Can you say anything else?"

"Asshole," the starling repeated.

Anne rummaged through her handbag, took out a pack of soft Zhonghua cigarettes, opened it, and placed one between her lips, lighting it with a lighter.

She then took the cigarette from her mouth, held it with both hands, the lit end toward herself, and the unlit end toward the starling, and said earnestly:

"Mr. Eight, please have a cigarette. I've heard you enjoy smoking and drinking. I came in a hurry and could only buy this brand of cigarettes. I couldn't bring any alcohol, so please forgive me."

Hearing this, Lin Shuo was taken aback and looked at Anne with narrowed eyes.

Wei Xingshan, with his mouth open, looked at the starling and then at Anne, as if he thought the woman was crazy.

"Do you know me?" the starling stared intently at the woman, speaking in a human voice.

Anne quickly replied:

"Who in the hunting circle doesn't know the great name of Mr. Eight? You have left many legends."

"I've never seen you in the hunting circle," the starling said coldly.

"I have a colleague who once had the honor of meeting Mr. Eight. When I told him I was coming to see Mr. Lin and you today, he specifically instructed me to take good care of Mr. Eight." Anne bowed her head slightly, maintaining the gesture of offering the cigarette.

"Smoke it," Lin Shuo said, "Such good cigarettes, it would be a waste not to smoke them."

The starling, without further ado, took the cigarette with its claw, placed it in its beak, and began to smoke. "Woman, you know how to handle things."

"Thank you, Mr. Eight," Anne smiled.

Wei Xingshan, coming to his senses, muttered, "Is this really just a bird?"

No one paid him any attention.

Anne, seeing the starling start to smoke, seemed to have completed a major task and relaxed.

She looked at Lin Shuo with intense eyes, hesitating to speak.

"It seems you've already dug up a lot about me."

Lin Shuo lightly tapped the desk and said coolly, "Tell me, why are you putting so much effort into me?"