Tianjin, starting with unorthodox methods to achieve immortality

The rain outside the temple was light, just a fine drizzle, but it no longer affected driving.

The raindrops hit my face, cool and refreshing, carrying the scent of earth.

Chen Mo looked up at the sky. The dark clouds were very low, and the whole world was covered by a gray, misty cover.

The car was parked at the temple entrance, and a fine layer of water droplets had accumulated on the black Ford.

Chen Mo opened the car door and got in, casually placing the mask on the passenger seat.

He was not prepared to use his storage magic item in front of that divine messenger.

The dirt road was soaked by the rain and became soft; when a car wheel drove on it, it sank in halfway, making driving feel like swimming in mud.

Chen Mo had to reduce the car's speed to a minimum. The black Ford, like a heavy old ox, struggled to move forward through the mud.

As we approached the border of Linhe County, the wheels finally sank completely into the mud.

He cursed, shifted into reverse, and revved the engine twice. The wheels spun a few times in the muddy water, splashing up a cloud of murky mud, but the car remained motionless.

The mud pit wasn't deep, but the wheel got stuck on a rock buried in the mud, leaving the rear wheel mostly suspended in the air and unable to exert any force.

"Troublesome," Chen Mo muttered, raising his hand to make a hand seal.

Two dark figures slowly rose from the shadows and gradually solidified into human shapes.

It has no facial features, no expression, and is completely black, with only a rough human-shaped outline, like two moving shadows.

Chen Mo pointed to the rear wheel and said, "Lift it up."

The two shadow puppets bent down, their dark arms digging into the mud, steadily lifting the rear of the vehicle half a foot high.

He took the opportunity to shift gears and accelerate, and the wheels rolled over the stones, finally freeing him from the mud pit.

Retrieve the Shadow Puppet and continue on your way.

The rain never stopped.

After entering Jinshi, the road conditions improved considerably; at least it was no longer a completely dirt road.

Chen Mo increased the car's speed, and the black Ford drove through the gray rain, passing through the stone archway of East Street and turning into the narrow Willow Leaf Alley.

Willow Leaf Lane remains unchanged, the road surface glistening from the rain, and the locust trees on both sides drooping with wet branches.

There weren't many people at the alley entrance, only a few stray cats crouching under the eaves, their eerie green eyes fixed on his car.

Chen Mo parked the car on the side of the street, opened the door and got out. The rain had lessened a bit, but it was still falling.

As he approached the door and was about to take out his keys, he suddenly stopped.

An envelope was slipped under the door.

Chen Mo bent down to pick it up, turned it over and saw that there was no writing on the envelope, but there was a greasy fingerprint pressed on the seal, which was obviously the fat man's handwriting.

"Where have you been lately? I've been looking for you several times. Come to the Li family's house tonight, I have good news. —Uncle Li"

Chen Mo's lips twitched slightly as he looked at the word "good news".

Nine times out of ten, the good things a fat man talks about are not anything serious.

He put the letter in his pocket and was about to open the door to go inside when the inspection bureau token at his waist suddenly emitted a sharp buzzing sound.

Red light.

Chen Mo looked down and saw that the palm-sized bronze token was vibrating violently, with a dazzling red light appearing on its surface.

The light flashed rapidly.

His brows furrowed.

This is the signal for the entire set.

The inspection bureau's token has three signals: the ordinary signal is just a slight red light.

The flashing one is the highest level; it needs to be in place within half an hour.

Chen Mo stuffed the letter into his pocket, went inside to change into his police uniform, and quickly returned to his car.

A black Ford suddenly made a U-turn on the narrow street of Willow Leaf Lane, its tires splashing water as it ran over puddles, and several passersby grumbled and dodged away.

With his foot on the gas pedal, the car roared out of East Street and sped towards the East District Inspection Bureau.

It rained harder and harder.

The courtyard of the East District Inspection Bureau was already full of cars of all kinds, including black official vehicles and gray-green military vehicles, blocking the street in front of the gate.

Chen Mo finally managed to squeeze the car through a gap, then pushed open the door, got out, and ran inside.

A rainproof canopy had been erected above the courtyard, and the area below was already packed with people, a dense, dark mass.

Chen Mo strode into the courtyard, his eyes scanning the crowd, and found the location of the third team.

I had just greeted Liu Ruyan and the others when someone patted me on the shoulder.

"Where the hell have you been?" Director Zhou's voice was low and carried a strong smell of smoke.

"I had to go out," Chen Mo replied in a low voice. "What happened?"

Before Director Zhou could answer, someone had already gone up to the platform in front of him.

It was Shen Dajiang, the director of the East District Bureau.

"Some time ago, the Hou family in the Japanese concession got into trouble, and the Japanese consul took the opportunity to launch an attack and seize the buffer zone on the outskirts of the concession."

Shen Dajiang's gaze swept over everyone present.

"In the area from Haiguang Temple to Nanmenwai Street, they have already started to put up barbed wire, set up checkpoints, and hung up the Rising Sun flag."

As he spoke, someone behind him unfolded a map of the eastern district of Jinshi.

The map marked the boundaries of the Japanese concession in red, and then drew a striking black arrow around it, with the area indicated by the arrow painted light red.

"More than 3,000 Chinese families live in this area. The Japanese mean that this area outside the concession will be under their jurisdiction from today until the murderer is handed over."

"The coalition government's negotiations with them failed, and it has already tacitly accepted the actions of the Japanese consulate."

This caused an uproar in the courtyard.

"That's utter bullshit!"

"Let's fight! What's there to be afraid of!"

"Kill them!"

Shen Dajiang raised his hand, silencing all the sounds.

"They agree, but Zhen Yisi disagrees."

"All personnel of Tsushi, assemble! By tonight, move into the outer perimeter of the buffer zone and dismantle all the Japanese barbed wire."

"But..." Shen Dajiang's voice rose again, silencing everyone's clamor, "I'm not sending you to your deaths. There are at least a hundred Onmyoji in the Japanese concession, as well as a guard team equipped with magical artifacts."

"We won't gain any advantage in a head-on confrontation."

His gaze sharpened.

"The Zhenyi Division's order is to dismantle the barbed wire, but not to fire the first shot."

"If they make the first move, we'll beat them to a pulp. Deputy Director Lei is already on his way and will arrive before dawn."

"Until then, your task is to defend every street they have forcibly occupied, without retreating a single step, but also without rashly rushing into the concession."

Shen Dajiang paused for a few seconds, then added, "Anyone who gets carried away and rushes into the Japanese concession should not blame military law for being ruthless."

The atmosphere in the courtyard became subtle.

"Now, assign tasks."

Shen Dajiang turned and pointed to the map, "Team One, responsible for the north side of Haiguang Temple, guarding the entrance to the main street outside the South Gate. Team Two, responsible for the south side of Haiguang Temple, deploying along the moat. Team Three..."

Chen Mo and the others immediately straightened their backs.

"Your position is the most sensitive."

He pointed to the map with his finger, "East of Haiguang Temple, it's just one street away from the Japanese concession's sentry post."

"That area has been half occupied by the Japanese. Your mission tonight is to reclaim that half of the street, dismantle all the barbed wire, and then drive boundary markers into the border."