PWE – Chapter 159

Hou Dayong immediately said, “Yes, Commander. The regiment commander and I will do everything we can to recover the supplies.”

Commander He frowned and let out a sigh. “If I weren’t forced, I wouldn’t even think of asking Comrade Xiao for help. Zeyan, I’m afraid there’s really something unclean at Qiyun Mountain. This time, I feel more at ease having your wife come with me.”

Hou Dayong widened his eyes, staring at Commander He in surprise.

After a brief pause, he couldn’t help speaking: “Commander, why do you believe in ghosts and spirits? There are no such things in this world. All of this is just people scaring themselves. We live in a modern society—we should believe in science. Ghosts and spirits are pure nonsense.”

By the end, Hou Dayong sounded a little angry. The commander was supposed to be a role model in the military—how could he believe in such superstition? Leading by example in this way was utterly unacceptable.

Commander He wanted to take out a cigarette, but thinking of being in someone else’s home, he restrained himself.

He turned to Hou Dayong, patted his shoulder, and said, “There are some things in this world that science simply cannot explain. You must believe that in this vast world, anything is possible. There are things beyond your imagination.”

Hou Dayong: “…”

He frowned, feeling that the commander had lost it. It was one thing for the commander to believe in ghosts himself, but to try persuading him too? Hou Dayong had once admired the commander, but at this moment, he felt he needed to reassess him.

Seeing that Zhan Zeyan remained silent, Commander He added, “Our unit also invited people from the Tang Sect to help. Although they are capable, I trust your wife more. For some reason, I feel like only she can handle this situation.”

Zhan Zeyan: “…”

His eyes darkened, his thin lips pressed together, and he remained silent.

He hadn’t brought his wife along to solve military problems. Especially since she had just arrived—asking her to help right away felt unreasonable.

“If you’re embarrassed to ask her yourself, I can do it personally. How about that?” Commander He reached out and lightly patted Zhan Zeyan’s shoulder, trying to persuade him.

Zhan Zeyan suddenly looked up at Commander He and said in a deep voice, “Didn’t we invite the Tang Sect already? Let’s wait until they arrive. Perhaps they can solve this problem.”

Commander He: “…”

He twitched at the corner of his mouth and glared at Zhan Zeyan in frustration.

This boy just doesn’t want his wife to get involved. He knew it was out of concern for her, but this Qiyun Mountain situation was serious. The supplies were extremely important and had to be recovered. He also feared that more men might go insane if sent.

If more people went insane, would he still be fit to be commander?

“All right, then we’ll wait for the Tang Sect,” Commander He finally said. He knew he couldn’t push Zhan Zeyan. If forced, the wife might refuse to help—and if she refused, the problem might never be solved.

Commander He then shifted the conversation to other matters. Hou Dayong chimed in occasionally.

Zhan Zeyan, however, remained serious and said nothing. Seeing his reaction, Commander He couldn’t help sighing internally. He really didn’t want to trouble family members, especially newcomers. Having them help right after arriving was awkward, and he felt guilty.

But now, there was no choice. Recovering the supplies was critical, and preventing further incidents of madness in the unit was equally important. Those two who had gone mad had been a real headache.

…

After the kitchen chores were done, Xiao Wange and Madam He returned to the living room.

After chatting on the sofa for a while, Commander He and Madam He prepared to leave.

Hou Dayong and Qin Xiaoling naturally followed them.

Before leaving, Xiao Wange went back to her room briefly. When she returned, she held two talismans.

She handed one to Madam He and one to Qin Xiaoling, smiling: “These are safety talismans I got from my hometown, at a temple with very strong incense. I’ve heard they are very effective. Wearing them is said to ensure safety throughout the year.”

Madam He and Qin Xiaoling accepted them.

Like her husband, Qin Xiaoling trusted science and didn’t believe in such things. She glanced at the talisman in her hand, her smile a little stiff.

What’s with this regiment commander’s wife? First meeting, and she gives this?

But she couldn’t refuse—it was a kind gesture. Refusing would be rude.

Qin Xiaoling looked up and said hurriedly, “Thank you, Sister-in-law.”

Xiao Wange smiled gently, “You’re welcome.”

Madam He knew a bit about metaphysics, so like Commander He, she believed in spirits.

She looked at the talisman and smiled warmly: “Thank you for the gift. I really like it.”

She didn’t yet know Xiao Wange’s abilities. Although she doubted the talisman’s efficacy, it was still a kind gesture, and politeness demanded gratitude.

Xiao Wange smiled softly: “I’m glad you like it.”

Hou Dayong, however, looked at the talismans with a complicated expression. Was the regiment commander’s wife a shaman? Did she make these herself? Is this why the commander wants her to help?

What… was going on?

Hou Dayong felt both confused and unsettled. Earlier, Commander He had told him not to spread rumors about the Qiyun Mountain ghosts or mention that the regiment commander’s wife was being asked to help.

Some things couldn’t be revealed, or it could cause chaos.

He understood the commander’s intentions but couldn’t get over the fact that he believed in ghosts.

…

After Commander He and Madam He left, Xiao Wange sent Zhaozhao to take a nap. She herself planned a short rest with Zhan Zeyan.

In the room, she looked up at him: “I heard the conversation you had with Commander He in the living room. He wants me to help, right?”

She had excellent hearing—even though they had spoken quietly, she had heard it.

Zhan Zeyan hadn’t expected her to know, but then realized, with her abilities, it wasn’t surprising.

He looked at his wife and nodded: “Yes. Commander He wants you to go to Qiyun Mountain and help recover the supplies.”

Xiao Wange sat on the edge of the bed, a small smile playing on her lips: “I can do that. Recovering the supplies early will benefit your unit as well.”

Zhan Zeyan sat next to her, frowning: “But I don’t want you to suffer. I didn’t bring you with the unit to solve their problems. And they’ve already invited the Tang Sect. Those people are arrogant and narrow-minded. If they see your abilities surpass theirs, they might target you and trouble you constantly.”

The unit had always cooperated with the Tang Sect. He initially refused Commander He’s proposal to protect his wife from their attention.

Xiao Wange raised an eyebrow, lips parting slightly: “There’s a saying—‘If others don’t provoke me, I don’t provoke them.’ But if the Tang Sect provokes me, I don’t mind wiping them out completely.”

She had heard of the Tang Sect before. In the future world, they were almost the rulers of metaphysics, extremely arrogant.

They hadn’t provoked her yet, so she hadn’t clashed with them.

If they dared provoke her, she wouldn’t mind making the Tang Sect disappear from the world.

Of course, she didn’t mean killing people, just removing their power and standing.

Zhan Zeyan listened silently.

He twitched at the corner of his mouth, looking deeply at his wife.

Alright. She had the ability. She could even command the underworld judges.

Maybe his worry had been unnecessary. Perhaps, to her, the Tang Sect was like ants on the ground.

“Okay. Go and tell Commander He that I’m willing to help,” Xiao Wange said, taking off her shoes and getting onto the bed.

Zhan Zeyan neatly placed her shoes aside.

He took off his own shoes and got onto the bed beside her: “Let’s wait for the Tang Sect before taking action.”

…

That night:

Qin Xiaoling and her husband lay in bed. Qin Xiaoling took out the talisman Xiao Wange had given her and smiled: “This regiment commander’s wife is interesting, giving me this. I don’t believe in ghosts, but it’s a kind gesture. I can’t just throw it away.”

She placed the talisman by her pillow.

Hou Dayong glanced at it and frowned: “Since you accepted it, take good care of it. Just treat it as a collectible.”

Qin Xiaoling nodded.

Hou Dayong put down the military book he had been reading, looked at his wife, turned off the light, and wrapped his arm around her: “Sleep now.”

Afterward, they slept soundly.

But around 3 a.m., a piercing scream woke them.

The scream was chilling, abrupt, and eerie in the night.

Qin Xiaoling woke, wide-eyed and panicked: “What’s happening? Who’s screaming? Is it a thief?”

She looked toward the window and saw a black shadow moving.

When she looked, the shadow looked back.

Its eyes glowed green in the dark, ghostly.

Terrified, Qin Xiaoling screamed and instinctively clung to her husband.