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He had never seen any projections related to the “Eight-armed, eight-eyed monster,” neither dream projections nor illusions in reality, nor had he ever felt the influence of associated fear and emotions.

However, through his old classmate Guo Lin’s father, Mr. Guo, he had seen multi-armed “gatekeepers” when Mr. Guo was resuscitated after a heart attack, and also saw the eight-armed, eight-eyed wood carvings in Qi Haoguo’s new home, which made him associate it with Xiang Kun.

He believed that Xiang Kun might have some special gift or tool, capable of utilizing the power of the “eight-armed, eight-eyed” entity. Hence, during the times Xiang Kun saved Mr. Guo and intimidated Qi Haoguo, they all saw the existence of the “eight-armed, eight-eyed” monster.

Moreover, Chu Xiuwen speculated that it was not only Xiang Kun who had this ability, but they should be part of an organization where others are also capable of doing the same.

After all, when Xiang Kun was in Citong, another city had experienced criminal suspects being intimidated by the “eight-armed, eight-eyed monster.”

Chu Xiuwen knew about the kidnapping of the individual from the Xia family and that “Dr. Xia” Xia Libing was very close to Xiang Kun. Thus, he actively helped Xia Libing’s third Uncle to contact Qi Haoguo to use his connections in Burma to assist.

He remembers correctly that the Xia family member was kidnapped in Myitkyina.

The news of a Xia family member being kidnapped in Myitkyina came two days ago, and today it was reported that an “eight-armed, eight-eyed monster” appeared in Myitkyina. If he was told there was no connection, Chu Xiuwen absolutely wouldn’t believe it.

Chu Xiuwen, seemingly absent-mindingly sipped his soup, and told: “Stop looking at your phones for the entire meal. I’m still an elder, after all.”

Zi Cheng promptly sat upright, appearing somewhat embarrassed.

In response, Chu Xiaoting laughingly said, “Oh, please, uncle. You’re often looking at your phone during meals too. I heard dad say that Auntie always gets on your case about that, yet you tell her to make the most of fragmented time!”

Chu Xiuwen felt a little uncomfortable. This niece doesn’t play by the rules. Does she care about his face as an uncle?

He quickly changed the topic and asked, “So, about what you two were just talking about, that strange thing in that Burmese location Meg… what? Is it just a rumor?”

“It’s probably not a rumor. There are lots of posts from tourists who personally experienced it in Myitkyina, and they’re from all different countries. Most of the descriptions are quite similar,” Chu Xiaoting said.

“I believe that there should be some sort of natural phenomenon in Myitkyina that we can’t currently describe and understand, something that dramatically altered the magnetic field in certain areas there, and even affected people’s senses and cognition,” Zi Cheng couldn’t resist providing his own analysis.

Chu Xiuwen followed their conversation and said, “Oh, so you’re saying that monster was just an illusion produced by certain individuals and doesn’t really exist?”

Chu Xiaoting retorted, “I don’t think it’s an illusion! If it were an illusion, not everyone would see a giant with eight arms and eight eyes!”

Zi Cheng adjusted his glasses and said, “That’s why I said that the change in the environment probably affected human-sense and cognition within that area. The eight-armed and eight-eyed figure might be some actual thing that looks similar, like a building, a big tree, or a statue. Under the influence of the environmental changes, the affected people visualized it as an eight-armed, eight-eyed giant. You see, many of the witnesses have different descriptions for the giant or the monster. Some say it was as tall as a two-story building, some say it was as tall as a mountain — at least dozens of meters tall. Some say it was metallic, sharply angular, and reflective. Others say it was fully tumorous and secreting juice. So, I would say they saw the same thing, and yet not. It’s probably related to their exact location, and surrounding environment. Of course, this is just my speculation.”

Chu Xiaoting, her eyebrows creased slightly, nodded thoughtfully, “Now that you’ve said that, I actually agree with your judgment.”

Chu Xiuwen was taken aback and thought that Zi Cheng indeed made a fair point and that it sounded reasonable. Could it theoretically be implemented in such a way?

After all, Zi Cheng and Xiang Kun were close and had known each other for a long time. Could he possibly know something?

However, judging from Zi Cheng’s demeanor and the way he phrased it, Chu Xiuwen thought that he probably didn’t know anything. If he did, he wouldn’t be making these speculations and wouldn’t reveal some of these things.

He knew that from yesterday onward. Xiang Kun and Dr. Xia were not in Chongyun Village.

As for where exactly they went, whether they went to Burma or Myitkyina, he wasn’t sure about that.

He knew that Xiang Kun must have official backing, but he wasn’t sure whether the widespread illusion of the “Eight-armed, Eight-eyed monster” in Myitkyina was special countermeasures taken by the authorities against attacks on the local Chinese population and tourists, or if it was a individual action taken by Xiang Kun solely to save Xia Tianhuo.

At this point, Chu Xiuwen was not aware that Xia Tianhuo had been rescued and instinctively felt that the appearance of the “Eight-armed, Eight-eyed monster” in Myitkyina was related to the rescue of Xia Tianhuo.

“Where did you get this news? From the Today’s Headlines app or from the Penguin News?” Chu Xiuwen asked.

“You can read it on those news apps if you’d like, but most of them just translate articles from foreign social media platforms or news websites. Besides, a lot of the content is directly lifted from local online platforms. I’ll send you the ones we’re reading. Many of them are first-hand information posted by people who were in Myitkyina last night,” Chu Xiaoting replied, sharing a few articles she and Zi Cheng had been reading with her uncle over WeChat.

Chu Xiuwen, ignoring his own recent admonishment against using phones during meals, began browsing through the articles and discussions on his phone right at the dining table.

The official Myanmar announcement had been released at noon, stating that last night’s tumult in Myitkyina was caused by skirmishes between local evil forces. It claimed that local law enforcement had taken strong and effective action to promptly quell the rioting and reassured that no tourists had been killed in the disturbance. The relevant individuals had been severely punished by the law, and Myitkyina law enforcement had the capacity to maintain local security and protect tourists.

It was evident that the Myanmar government was making a conscious effort to sidestep discussing the collective attacks on Chinese traders and tourist, and the illusion of the monster or giant that had not only affected many people, but also caused a stir on the international internet.

However, the online discussions were not swayed by the Myanmar government’s announcement. The main focus remained on the illusion of the “Eight-armed, Eight-eyed monster”, with numerous speculations and discussions continuing to emerge.

After finishing the meal with Zi Cheng and Chu Xiaoting, Chu Xiuwen immediately called Qi Haoguo to ask if he had heard about the incident in Myitkyina.

“I know.” Qi Haoguo’s answer over the phone was quite straightforward. He didn’t say much and surprisingly didn’t mention the help he had arranged for Dr. Xia’s uncle in contacting powerful figures in Myanmar.

As Chu Xiuwen was about to share some of the stuff he had just seen, assuming that Qi Haoguo might not be very familiar with the Myitkyina incident or not know about the “Eight-armed, Eight-eyed monster”, Qi Haoguo invited him over instead, “Are you free now? I have just bought some good Tieguanyin tea. Would you like to try some?”

Chu Xiuwen accepted the invitation gladly and drove to Qi Haoguo’s mansion in Tongshi Town.

In his bedroom, having put down his phone, Qi Haoguo looked towards a custom glass cabinet installed against a wall. Inside this cabinet was an Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wood Carving that he had had made to his own specifications.

Qi Haoguo got up and slowly walked to the glass cabinet, feeling a bit excited.

However, the excitement had nothing to do with the wood carving. Although he tried to reproduce the details of the “Eight-armed, Eight-eyed monster” he originally saw, and the master he had entrusted did an exquisite job, the wood carving itself didn’t have the same psychological impact on him as the original monster had.

The excitement came from the news of Myitkyina.

Qi Haoguo had known about the appearance of the “Eight-armed, Eight-eyed monster” in Myitkyina much earlier than Chu Xiuwen, and his sources of information were more comprehensive and immediate.

After Xia Tianhuo was rescued yesterday afternoon, his uncle informed Qi Haoguo, since he previously intended to ask Qi Haoguo to investigate and establish contacts in Myitkyina through his connections.

Xia Tianhuo managed to escape due to infighting among the kidnappers, which naturally had nothing to do with Wu Lun, who Qi Haoguo had asked for help.

Initially, he was a bit disappointed, as he couldn’t take this opportunity to mend his relationship with Xiang Kun via the Xia family.

But later when he tried to contact Wu Lun, he found no matter what, he couldn’t get in touch, which he found strange. So, he tried to contact some of his older contacts in Myitkyina, none of whom were big shots like Wu Lun.

Then he received the surprising news that in Myitkyina, there was a rumor stating that the death of Teng Li, the only son of the boss, was caused by forces from the Gui Hai region.

He knew that before Xia Tianhuo was kidnapped, it was likely that he and Teng Li were in the same car. So, the people who caused Teng Li’s death were also very likely to be the people who kidnapped Xia Tianhuo.

If this news was true, why didn’t Wu Lun tell him about it when it was known all over Myitkyina today?

Of course, because Xia Tianhuo had already escaped, he was just merely curious and puzzled about this, which was why he used more channels to keep an eye on the follow-up of this incident.

As a result, he learned about the appearance of the “Eight-armed, Eight-eyed monster” in Myitkyina last night and how it deterred all the rioters.

Just after the wee hours of the morning and before the Chinese internet could overflow with the news, he had already learned details of the situation through someone who had seen the events firsthand in Myitkyina.

When he heard that the Chinese factory owner in his forties—quite prestigious in Myitkyina—excitedly and incoherently described over the phone the enormous “giant” he had seen, with multiple arms and eyes, Qi Haoguo’s hand, clutching the mobile phone, started to tremble slightly.

After repeatedly confirming the spectacle that the Chinese boss had seen, and verifying that the “giant” he saw—despite minor differences in size and some details—was essentially the same as the “Eight-armed, Eight-eyed monster” he had initially seen, Qi Haoguo’s excitement was not less than the boss’ at the other end of the call.

This feeling was like persistently practicing a big question before a college entrance examination, confidently anticipating it to be on the test, and then seeing that question actually appear on the examination paper on the day of the examination.

It was also similar to quietly listening to a niche song—hardly heard by anyone else—and then suddenly one day, seeing that song dominating various media and topping various charts, instantly becoming a phenomenal song.

At one o’clock in the morning, after ending his call with the Chinese boss from Myitkyina, he went to his bedroom excitedly and looked at the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wood Carving.

Qi Haoguo had rebuilt and clarified his personal pursuit and codes of conduct a long time ago after confronting his inner fear. However, knowing the existence that had guided him to seek his true self, and its shocking appearance in Myitkyina, even though he was unable to see or feel everything that happened in Myitkyina, he still felt strongly stirred and inspired, his will becoming even more steadfast.

However, looking at the wood carving in his bedroom that he had someone carve, he didn’t have the slightest desire to kneel before or pray to it, nor to sing its praises, because his soul, his spirit had been truly influenced. He had truly been in contact with it, and he knew that it was not traditionally a god that needed to be worshipped by others.

To revere it, one should recognize one’s own fears and comply with the desires of the heart, truly being one’s self.

When you want to help others, do so. Do as much as you can, and try your best, regardless of whether or not you can receive praise or thanks from others;

When you think something is wrong, do not do it, even if doing it might bring benefits with little risk;

When you consider certain things or people to be essential to you, maintain and pursue them, not being tied down by reality or hesitations;

When you feel a responsibility is yours to bear, stand straight and take on it, even if it might be difficult and hard.

It’s simple to say these things, but in practice, it is challenging. Qi Haoguo had not managed to achieve all this, but he was moving in the direction of “compliance”.

As he understood what true fear was, as long as he was “compliant”, he could continue moving in another direction.

The further he moved, the stronger his conviction, and the feeling of being incredibly “certain” on a spiritual level, was truly mysterious.

Qi Haoguo’s family didn’t move to Tongshi Town with him. The only descendant that followed him, “Xiao Liu”, was assigned to help at the “Youlong Restaurant”. The housekeeping aunt was sent out to buy groceries, so when Chu Xiuwen arrived, Qi Haoguo was the only one in the three-story building.

After briefly exchanging pleasantries in the living room, Qi Haoguo shared the “inside information” about Myitkyina he had gathered, with Chu Xiuwen.

“Although the Myitkyina officials’ statement was that no tourists died last night and it seemed the riots didn’t cause much fuss. But, in truth, last night, 29 people died and nearly a thousand were injured. However, among the deceased, 17 resulted from local power clashes, and 12 were killed due to self-defense during a raid on the Chinese shop, or died from injuries inflicted on each other during internal disputes. Indeed, not a single tourist died. Oh yes, do you remember the Wu Lun that you mentioned when you contacted me yesterday? That guy also died last night. He was killed by one of his own men. The specific reason is still unknown.”

This information was certainly not available in the online news that Chu Xiuwen had seen. However, he was very clear about the real reason for the minimal casualties amongst the tourists. It was not the inside information or the deaths of mobsters like Wu Lun that he cared about. His real concern was the illusion of the “Eight-armed, Eight-eyed monster” that appeared in Myitkyina, so he actively mentioned it:

“Have you seen the discussions on the internet? The illusion that appeared in Myitkyina last night? According to the descriptions of those involved and the witnesses online, I feel… it’s somewhat similar to the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wood Carving I saw at your house the last time?”

After Chu Xiuwen finished, he stared closely at Qi Haoguo’s face, trying to notice any changes in his expression.

This was a rather straightforward probing, but there was no change in Qi Haoguo’s expression. He calmly continued brewing tea and then casually asked, “Brother Chu, what is your deepest fear within?”

Qi Haoguo naturally wouldn’t reveal the information he knew about the “Eight-armed, Eight-eyed monster”, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have any methods to discuss it.

He knew that Chu Xiuwen also held some information unknown to him and that Chu Xiuwen must know some secrets about the “Eight-armed, Eight-eyed monster”. He wanted to probe them out.

…

Yangcheng City.

After returning from Pancity, Zhao Feng and Wang De’an returned to the special case team, constantly following the instructions of the team leader to trace the whereabouts of the suspect, Guo Tianxiang.

Despite their investigations, there had been no progress, even though they had found Mijoe, who had had long contact with the suspect and had been significantly cooperative, they still could not further locate the whereabouts of the suspect.

All they could confirm was that the suspect went to Liushi City to see someone before disappearing, but never made the meeting.

Despite expending great efforts to ask for assistance from their colleagues in the technology department to conduct the investigation, they still could not determine the identity of the person the suspect intended to see.

Zhao Feng and Wang De’an went to Pancity to investigate Guo Tianxiang’s activities in Star City in his early years and to see if Guo Tianxiang was possibly hiding in Pancity.

Wang De’an worked in Pancity before joining the special case team, so he partnered with Zhao Feng to investigate.

However, after completing their assigned tasks, they “took the opportunity” to visit a witness and reporter from a case that Wang De’an previously handled.

Honestly speaking, their chat with the blind girl named Li Jun, which lasted over an hour, left a deep impression on them.

They were “educated” about bird knowledge for over an hour, and once Li Jun started talking about bird-related topics, she was unstoppable.

But surprisingly, over 90% of the content shared by Li Jun was new to them, and it was quite intriguing.

They felt that if they hadn’t actively excused themselves, Li Jun could have talked for several more hours without any problem.

They also got to see the canary as they wished, but according to their observation, they couldn’t distinguish any difference between this canary and other canaries.

As Li Jun’s father, Professor Li Yang, was nearby, they weren’t comfortable asking directly about the abnormal behavior of the canary caught by the car dashcam of the suspect that night. If they had done so, it would indicate that they were there to “question” Li Jun about the case which would not only prohibit them from continuing their conversation, but also expose them to possible repercussions.

So, they could only pretend to inquire about how to train a “guide bird”. However, according to Li Jun, her ability to train a canary into a guide bird was directly related to her familiarity with birds, which might be difficult for others to imitate. Yet, she did propose her own related theory and offered a few potentially implementable methods to tame a “guide bird”, which could be attempted by the staff of the “blind school” may mentioned by Zhao Feng.

Though they didn’t find any unusual evidence about the canary this time, after ending their meeting with Li Jun, both of them shared a similar feeling:

“This girl does not seem blind at all.”

“She has a very certain sense of her surroundings.”

“She’s gentle and speaks softly, but when she talks, she’s extremely confident.”

“This girl is extraordinary.”

But these were all subjective feelings, and they didn’t find any substantive evidence to support them.

Moreover, both of them appreciated this optimistic, knowledgeable, intelligent, enthusiastic, and righteous blind girl and did not want to affect her even slightly because of some reckless investigations.

Just as they were staying in Yangcheng, and tentatively considering setting aside the “Multi-armed monster” investigation to focus on the hunt for Guo Tianxiang, they came across online accounts of the incidents that occurred in Myitkyina, and the descriptions of the experiences shared by the involved parties.

As they were looking up related information online with astonishment, the leader of the special case team called them into a separate meeting room to introduce them to a leader.

What puzzled them was that the leader did not mention any title, introducing himself only as Old He.