“The heaven and earth are but lodgings for all things, while time is but a passing guest through generations. Life is fleeting like a dream; how much joy can one truly attain?”

— Li Bai

Greed always seems to be the greatest weakness of human nature, as if everyone has a fierce beast inside, yearning to devour all it encounters. People restrain it with morality, law, and emotion, like a cage controlling its inhabitant. However, there’s always a fragile cage, one that fails to contain the beast, releasing it to ravage the world at will.

Prologue

Qiu Feng felt a tinge of regret as he followed Deng Qi out of school, not for skipping class, but rather finding themselves in the middle of nowhere amidst such thunderous weather.

A bolt of lightning tore through the dark clouds, followed by a deafening roar of thunder. Deng Qi, who moments ago was strutting confidently, now huddled behind Qiu Feng, hands covering his ears, visibly shaken. He gingerly tugged at Qiu’s sleeve and said.

“Qiu Feng, what should we do? If it starts raining, we have nowhere to take shelter,” with teeth chattering either from fear or cold, Deng Qi’s voice was trembling. The wheat fields surrounding them were swaying in a frenzied dance to the ferocity of the wind. What shone like gold in daylight now took on a sinister hue under the shroud of night, as if ghosts and specters might emerge from within at any moment.

“Who was the one boasting during the day about knowing the terrain outside the school like the back of their hand, reassuring me to follow you with confidence? Thank you for your kindness.” Qiu Feng sighed, prying Deng Qi’s hand off his sleeve and forging ahead.

To be honest, he had long desired to escape from the school, which felt akin to a devil’s lair. But it was because of his rebellion that his parents sent him to this boarding school, where students operated just like automatons. Apart from sleep, they seemed to spend every waking moment studying. Each person wore a stoic expression, to whom even a small talk was a waste of time. Qiu Feng couldn’t figure out why on earth such schools, such students, still existed in the world.

Deng Qi, like him, had also been forced into this place. Neither of them wished to spend another minute here, receiving such cramming education. After cautious planning, they discovered a gap in the southeastern corner of the school’s wall, free from barbed wire. They found the right timing during self-study class and feigned illness, claiming a visit to the infirmary on campus, and seized the opportunity to flee.

Coming outside, however, they were utterly dumbfounded; all around them lay wilderness. Every time they were driven straight into the school by car, having no idea what lay beyond its confines. Now, they could only head in one direction, hoping to reach a further point before the school noticed their absence.

“Where are you going? Do you even know the way?” The school had confiscated their phones, and even if they had them, there probably wouldn’t be any signal out here. Besides, they had snuck out of school; calling their parents would be nothing short of walking into a trap.

“There is farmland, then there must be a village nearby where we can seek shelter for the night and set off tomorrow.” Qiu said. By now, raindrops the size of beans were pelting down on them, becoming increasingly dense. Deng Qi, who had hesitated on the spot, quickly caught up.

The two went from fast walking to almost running. By the time they resembled drowned rats, they saw faint lights ahead, finally.

The lights along the rural road were particularly dim, and every household had closed its doors and shutters early for the night.

“Let’s try this one.” Qiu Feng stopped in front of a relatively inviting house, which probably belonged to a wealthier family given the crafted gate. He also noticed the nicely built two-story self-built house in the courtyard. Such a household would surely have spare rooms for them to stay overnight.

The rain had become so heavy that it blurred their vision. Qiu Feng didn’t hesitate much and went up to knock on the door.

“Who’s there?” A door on the second floor opened, and a man holding an umbrella stepped out.

“Sir, we are backpackers on our journey. We got lost, and the rain is heavy. Could you please let us stay for the night?” Qiu Feng shouted, hoping his voice could be heard over the rain.

“Just a moment, you two.”

At this moment, the main door cracked open slightly, and a middle-aged man, holding an umbrella, cautiously peered out at the two drenched young men outside.

“You’re backpackers? So where are your backpacks?” The man looked at them skeptically.

“We lost our backpacks just now, sir. We’re really not bad people. Could you please let us stay for the night?” Deng Qi’s lie came out smoothly. He gestured to himself, wearing only a thin T-shirt and jeans, showing there was no possibility of hiding any weapons.

“Alright, come on in. The rain in summer here can get quite cold. Don’t catch a cold.”

The middle-aged man opened the door and let them in, then called to his wife to heat some water for the two young men.

The two of them were led awkwardly into a bedroom on the second floor.

“This is my son’s bedroom; he’s away at university and doesn’t come back often. Let me find you some of his clothes to change out of your wet ones.”

Qiu Feng and Deng Qi thanked him repeatedly, too preoccupied to notice anything else. They hurriedly stripped off their soaked clothes and donned the dry and comfortable ones.

“You haven’t eaten, have you? We don’t have much here in the countryside, just some simple fare for you to warm up.” At the moment, a middle-aged woman entered from outside, presumably the wife of the man.

“Thank you, sir, ma’am.” Qiu Feng took the bowls and chopsticks from the woman. Before him was a steaming bowl of noodles, and the plate held a few steamed buns with red dates and some pickled vegetables.

“Thank you so much, we were almost starving to death.” Deng Qi wolfed down the food; they were exhausted and famished after the night’s ordeal.

“You two youngsters are so fair and handsome. Look at you. Alas, I just can’t help but think of my son. It has been almost half a year since he came home last time. I really miss him,” said the middle-aged woman, wiping tears with her hand.

“You’re so thin already. Why don’t you have some more? Do you find our simple food unappetizing?” The man noticed Qiu Feng picking at the rice only.

“Sir, I’m really not very hungry, probably just too tired. I’d like to rest now.” Qiu Feng glanced at Deng Qi, who was eating voraciously, and sighed inwardly.

“Well, take your time. Get some rest when you’re finished. We’re next door; just call if you need anything.”

“Don’t eat any more. Haven you ever eaten before?” Having confirmed that the couple had returned to their room, Qiu Feng hastily stopped Deng Qi in whisper.

“What’s wrong?” Deng Qi’s face was a blank picture of bewilderment.

“I just have a feeling something’s off about this couple.” Qiu Feng gestured for Deng Qi to lower his voice. He stood up quietly, trying not to make the chair squeak.

“Hey, isn’t this a bit inappropriate? They kindly took us in for the night, and here you are rummaging through their things.” Deng Qi was shocked to see Qiu Feng going through the wardrobe and quickly stopped him.

“I told you to keep your voice down. Can’t you understand me?” Qiu Feng hissed at him, feeling irritated.

“It’s probably because your parents are cops. That why you’re so paranoid,” Deng Qi shrugged nonchalantly. Since he had already eaten his fill, he sprawled on the bed. Whatever Qiu Feng did, it was none of his concern. Even if the hosts found out that he had touched their belongings, Qiu Feng would be the one to get scolded.

“Don’t you think there’s something off about this couple? Including this room, it doesn’t feel right,” Qiu Feng walked over with a few pieces of clothing, tossing them onto the bed, then went to the door, carefully observing the situation outside.

“What’s wrong now? This is where their son used to live. Are you saying it feels like it hasn’t been inhabited for a long time? But didn’t the ma’am say that their son is away at university and hasn’t been back for a long time?" Deng Qi sat up and looked through the clothes Qiu Feng threw onto the bed, just some men’s T-shirts and jeans, nothing special.

“This house is quite big, with many rooms, but this particular room faces north. Why would they give their son such a poorly oriented room?”

“It’s pitch dark outside; are you really sure which direction it’s facing?” Deng Qi looked at the pouring rain outside and thought Qiu Feng was being overly paranoid.

“I couldn’t distinguish directions out in the wilderness, but once we got here, I noticed a jujube tree in the courtyard. By looking at its branches, I realized that the room where the couple lives is situated to the north and faces south. However, this room faces north. They didn’t mention having any other children earlier. Even if they have more than one son, they wouldn’t make their son live in such a room.”

“It’s just a room; what danger could there be for us two guys? We don’t have any valuables on us. As for looks, maybe you have something to worry about, but I don’t. If that ma’am fancied your handsome face and came to take advantage of you in the middle of the night...” Deng Qi joked, patting Qiu Feng’s face.

“I’m not joking. Look at the clothes in this wardrobe; there are all sorts of sizes. I won’t believe that their son’s weight can fluctuate between 150 and 220 pounds freely.” Qiu Feng pointed to the size labels on the clothes.

“Can’t you allow their son to successfully lose weight?” Deng Qi yawned; he was so tired that he could barely keep his eyes open.

“You’d better stay alert. Wake up.” Qiu Feng didn’t expect that his buddy would fall asleep in the middle of their conversation, even starting to snore.

Now Qiu Feng knew that Deng Qi was unreliable. He moved the table they had eaten on to the door, blocking it.

Suddenly, he felt a bit dizzy, and his vision started to blur. It confirmed his suspicion. The food they had eaten earlier had been drugged. Fortunately, he hadn’t eaten much. He struggled to stay awake, unsure of how long he could hold on.

“Sir, did we get any leads on the missing case from the other day?” There had been several missing cases of high school boys in the city recently. Mu Yu and her chief Tang Jiaxing had been following up on the case, but there had been no progress.

Today, Mu Yu was on duty with Tang Jiaxing. Tang said they were going to visit Chaijia Village. Mu Yu instantly perked up, quickly grabbed her equipment, and followed Tang onto the car.

“My informant said that two high school students were spotted going to Chaijia Village and entered a household. The couple living there had been captured on surveillance at the scenes of several previous missing cases.”

“Sir, you’re really resourceful, managing to cultivate an informant. Who is it? Aren’t you going to share your resources with me?” Mu Yu rolled her eyes secretly, feeling that Tang was keeping secrets from her.

“If you want an informant, then go cultivate one yourself.” Tang Jiaxing flicked Mu Yu’s forehead.

“Our main goal is to investigate and verify. We know little about the mysterious village. Don’t be reckless.” Although Mu Yu had only recently joined the City Police Department, her ambition was evident, and coupled with her skills, she always took the lead in missions. Later, they two made a pact that Mu Yu had to follow her chief Tang and couldn’t act rashly.

“Okay, got it, Sir. Look at my ears, they’re all calloused.”

“I can’t see; the rain is so heavy. Can’t be bothered to look at you.” Although Tang Jiaxing was joking, his expression was serious.

Chaijia Village was located in the southern suburbs of Yunyao City, where urban and rural areas converged. It was a mixed community with many people, including those who couldn’t afford rent in the city and thus chose to live here. Consequently, there was a significant population of outsiders here.

“Sir, is it just the two of us?” Mu Yu got off the car and noticed that there was no backup.

“I’ve already contacted the local police station. We’re just gathering information. Reinforcements will arrive soon. You, stay behind me.” Tang Jiaxing pulled Mu Yu behind him.

As Qiu Feng gradually succumbed to the effects of the drug and fell asleep, the sound of the table being moved awakened him suddenly. Seeing two shadows outside the door, Qiu Feng felt every hair on his body stand on end.

“Deng Qi, wake up, wake up.” Qiu Feng pushed Deng Qi frantically, but Deng Qi remained motionless in his slumber.

“These two boys couldn’t have figured us out, could they? Why won’t this door budge?” It was the woman’s voice.

“It’s unlikely. If they had, they’d have run away. They must be inside. You go find Chen San and get him to bring a few guys to help.” The man realized that it wasn’t an easy deal.

“Deng Qi, wake up. Please!” Qiu Feng felt the sweat trickling down his cheeks.

The door had begun to loosen, pushed open a crack.

“I’ll go first. I’ll find a way to come back to save you.” Qiu Feng picked up a chair leg he had dismantled earlier. In the moment the man broke through the door, he swung with all his might, smashing it into the man’s head.

Caught off guard, the man was knocked to the ground instantly. Taking advantage of his daze, Qiu Feng desperately rushed out of the room.

“Quick, catch that kid, don’t let him get away!” Qiu Feng felt more terrified than he had ever been. He just wanted to run for his life, but having not eaten all day and being drugged, he had barely taken a few steps before a strong man tackled him from behind.

“Chen San, bring him back quickly!” The woman’s voice lost its warmth and became sharp and piercing.

“You little brat, where do you think you’re going?” The man called Chen San cursed as he restrained Qiu Feng’s hands behind his back, causing Qiu to cry out in pain.

“Your shouting won’t do you any good. Behave and come with us... Ouch!”

Before Chen San could finish, he suddenly let out a howl.

The restraints on Qiu Feng suddenly loosen. He shivered and turned his head — it was a lean short-haired girl firmly pinning Chen San to the ground. The strong man, however, was now motionless, only emitting pained cries.

“Who... who are you?” The rain intensified, creating a mist in the air. The girl’s figure was shrouded in a haze, blurring Qiu Feng’s vision.

“I’m a police officer, don’t be afraid.” The girl lifted her head. Her short hair was soaked by the rain, sticking to her cheeks, but her bright eyes were gleamed with determination, leaving Qiu Feng momentarily stunned.

“Yu, I told you not to act rashly...” Tang Jiaxing hadn’t expected that Mu Yu, who had been following closely behind him, would rush out upon hearing someone calling for help. He, an old guy, couldn’t keep up such a quick burst of speed.

“Sir, he may be injured. He should be taken to the hospital.” Mu Yu took out handcuffs and restrained Chen San’s hands behind his back, but the middle-aged woman had taken advantage of the chaos and fled.

At this moment, reinforcements of police and ambulances arrived. Medical personnel hurried over to examine Qiu Feng’s injuries. Even as he was being helped onto the ambulance, Qiu Feng’s eyes never left the direction Mu Yu had taken Chen San. He hadn’t seen her face clearly, but he remembered her silhouette and the name “Yu”.