This was a small, seemingly unfinished plaza. Besides the ground hardened with cement and decorative tiles, and dozens of streetlights around its perimeter, there were no other signs of artificial embellishment. It was likely designed this way, to preserve as much of the original state as possible.
On the other side of the plaza was a mountain road. The map indicated that the villa in question was just a few hundred meters ahead.
As I was about to cross the plaza to merge onto the road, an electric car suddenly appeared from behind and zipped past. If I hadn't braked in time, it would have almost hit me.
"Are you blind!" I cursed. The electric car suddenly braked, then rapidly reversed.
I thought they were going to yell back, but the car window rolled down, revealing Shen Xingyue's face.
"You're here already!" I exclaimed in surprise.
"You guys aren't slow either," Shen Xingyue glanced at the three people behind me, without asking too many questions. "Get in."
It was a domestic SUV electric car, quite large. I sat in the passenger seat, while Yao Yao and the other two sat in the back, with even another row of empty seats behind them.
Not only was it large, but its acceleration was also fast. A minute later, I saw a villa.
But it wasn't this one. Following the road outside the villa, we passed three more villas. By the time we reached the fifth one, Shen Xingyue slowed down.
It was a Chinese-style villa in shades of black, white, and gray, but I felt that calling it a courtyard house would be more appropriate, a pure Chinese style.
Outside the villa's main gate stood quite a few people, some in normal clothes, others in Taoist robes or monk's attire. A police cordon was set up at the entrance, guarded by two men in black, facing outwards, wearing sunglasses, hands clasped behind their backs, guarding the gate.
Shen Xingyue got out of the car. This was her territory, and she didn't need to show any identification. She was let through directly. But when we, following behind, tried to enter, we were stopped by the men in sunglasses. Shen Xingyue paused and lowered her voice, "They're from the Northeast, our people."
The men in black sunglasses then lowered their arms. The people outside, upon hearing this, raised no objections. Regardless of their individual strength, Shabiya represented the official authority, which held absolute power. They had to respect it, and were accustomed to doing so.
We entered the courtyard, which was quite spacious, with mountains, water, and a charming ambiance. Just as I was about to admire it, Yao Yao tugged my sleeve: "Wait."
"Hmm?" Shen Xingyue turned back. "Did you find something?"
Yao Yao pointed to a rock garden at the end of the courtyard: "It's over there."
The Shabiya members in the courtyard immediately became tense. Two people who had been standing on the rock garden looking around quickly jumped down.
Sha Wuji immediately leaped over and entered the rock garden through a cave entrance. It probably wasn't large inside, as he quickly came around, shaking his head to indicate he found nothing.
Yao Yao smiled faintly. "Not on the mountain, but beneath it. The rock garden has a basement, and the thing is inside. But..."
Upon hearing this, Shen Xingyue immediately ordered her subordinates to call the owner in. She asked him what was under the rock garden. The owner initially feigned innocence, saying he didn't know, that it was just a rock garden, and beneath it was just the ground. Under Shen Xingyue's repeated threats, the owner reluctantly went to the rock garden and turned a stone.
It turned out to be a mechanism. With a creak, a square manhole cover at the foot of the mountain opened. However, no Shabiya dared to go in. They all looked at Yao Yao.
"You said earlier, 'but what'?" Shen Xingyue finally asked.
"But inside, it's just a small item," Yao Yao said, puzzled. "There's only a green aura, and... it seems to be sleeping? Xingyue, just send someone down to check. It shouldn't be dangerous."
Sha Wuji wanted to go down, but Yao Yao smiled, "Why use a butcher's knife to kill a chicken? Wuji, you can rest."
"Wuji? Sha Wuji?" Shen Xingyue then looked at Sha Wuji. We hadn't had a chance to introduce ourselves in the car.
"Captain Shen, we meet again," Sha Wuji smiled.