VESSEL - Extinction Countdown 937: Dream of Returning

After a grueling night of turmoil, the group wearily dragged themselves back to their rooms, but hardly had they slept when dawn broke. Ye Shisan slipped into a half-daze state, not dreaming but reliving a vivid childhood memory.

Soon after his grandfather Ye Dongsheng’s death, Li Fang brought Ye Shisan to his stepfather He Dali’s town home, where, feeling utterly out of place and relentlessly bullied by his stepbrother He Qiang, Ye Shisan ran away from home.

He trekked two days, nearly a hundred kilometers back to Touxiang Village.

Amid the wreckage of his dilapidated old home, Ye Shisan wept bitterly until exhaustion overcame him. Upon waking, he stumbled upon Ye Dongsheng’s photo frame, revealing a man in a long robe, exuding a learned and refined aura.

Ye Shisan meant to take the photo but feared rain or sweat would ruin it, so he carefully tucked it back into the frame and took it with him.

He dimly recalled handwritten words scrawled on its back, illegible to his young, unlettered eyes.

To keep it hidden from He Dali and He Qiang, he concealed the frame in a grove near his school in town.

Why did this memory surface now, on his first night back in Touxiang? _Could Hong Lin be right—was someone sending a dream message?_

Might those cryptic words hold Ye Dongsheng’s cure?

Ye Shisan sat up abruptly, his head clouded with fog.

To ward off intruders, Ye Shisan had barred the door, yet Hong Lin, in her black cat form, had somehow slipped inside, now perched gracefully on the desk, her soft gaze fixed on him as her pink tongue flicked her lips.

“Sweet dream?” she murmured softly.

Ye Shisan shook his head. “You’re not here to jump me, are you?”

“I’m not as desperate as they are. One day, you’ll recall our eons of ecstasy… we’ll reunite as one, relive the bliss once more.”

“Enough! I’d rather they tackle me!”

A man in his thirties, Ye Shisan flushed at Hong Lin’s words, her twelve-year-old form delivering such fervent words.

Upon waking, Ye Shisan realized no one else had slept either. You Long’er, fresh from death’s gate, couldn’t. Yi Qing and Vanilla, who’d seen Ye Shisan’s corpse, were too raw to rest.

Soon after, they washed up. Qian Danni arrived with breakfast, relaying Village Chief Dong’s plan for a front hill outing for the “bosses.”

Touxiang’s front hill boasted a crystal-clear stream, its scenic beauty a fine draw for tourists.

Yet Ye Shisan had no heart for leisure, intent instead on coaxing secrets from Village Chief Dong—particularly where the Clay Buddha’s head had been discarded.

Such matters, however, demanded patience.

Over breakfast, Ye Shisan outlined a plan, dividing the group into two teams: one to drive to town to retrieve the frame hidden in his childhood grove and gather supplies, while the other would accompany Village Chief Dong to the Clay Buddha temple on the hillside, then to the stream, hoping to glean clues about the head’s whereabouts through casual talk.

This ignited the so-called “First Scramble for Ye Shisan.”

Leaving the village required the jeep, driven only by Yi Qing or You Long’er, meaning just one could join Ye Shisan.

The hill team, accompanying Village Chief Dong, needed enough members to avoid suspicion, ruling out Vanilla’s chance to follow Ye Shisan.

Ultimately, Ye Shisan paired with Yi Qing, while You Long’er teamed with Vanilla. Hong Lin, lounging on the windowsill with a languid stretch, yawned that she’d nap, opting out of errands.

With the plan settled, they packed and set out.

As Yi Qing fired up the jeep, Qian Danni called out loudly, urging them to return early for an ‘Earth Dragon’ dinner.

In rural parlance, “Earth Dragon” referred to the giant salamander, abundant in remote mountain villages like Touxiang, where locals, unaware of conservation laws, illegally consumed it.

Per Ye Shisan’s plan, they would first navigate the winding mountain road, a grueling two-hour drive to reach the main roadfollowed by a swift half-hour journey to Pang Family Town, the closest settlement to Touxiang Village.

Pang Family Town was once a notorious bandit stronghold ruled by Pang Bandit, who sustained it through plunder and brute force. At its zenith, the town housed thousands, with hundreds serving as professional bandits dominating the region.

After liberation, Pang Bandit faced public trial and took three Peanuts[1]. His followers either perished or scattered, leaving only the town’s name behind.

To Ye Shisan, Pang Family Town seemed unremarkable, lacking major industries but benefiting from its proximity to the provincial capital, which drew a steady flow of travelers and goods.

Over decades, the local government, through tolls, taxes, and fees on passersby, maintained a modest prosperity without true wealth.

As they drove, Ye Shisan marveled at the town’s rapid growth, yet his awe turned to unease when he noticed something odd.

Utility poles plastered with red-on-white posters, initially mistaken for ads but bearing the stark word “Wanted” in bold red.

The portrait on the wanted poster bore an uncanny resemblance to his own.

Was it a twin, or was he truly wanted? What was this?

Yi Qing noticed too, swiftly tossing a baseball cap to Ye Shisan. “Wear it—keep a low profile.”

“I didn’t break the law! Why sneak around?”

“Every town’s got its rules,” she said. “Likely that brawl at the 666 Hotel. We probably crossed someone powerful.”

Ye Shisan recalled the incident, insisting, “It was self-defense! A fist like a sandbag—wouldn’t you hit back?“

“Those thugs deserved a lesson!”

“True, but do you want a swarm of pests hounding us while we work? Better cross a gentleman than a rat.”

Before Yi Qing could finish, a chilling sneer echoed from the backseat:

“Rats? Slaughter them.”

[1]Peanuts: "Take peanuts" is a Chinese slang term for execution by firing squad, likening bullets to peanuts in shape, often used with dark humor in mid-20th century China.