Chapter 31 Joining the Gang

After I entered the house, I saw that dinner was still on the table, covered with overturned bowls. Both Xiao Liang and Uncle Mei were clearly waiting for me to come back and eat together.

I said with some guilt, "You should have eaten if I wasn't back. Why wait for me? The food's getting cold."

Xiao Liang quickly busied himself, "I'll heat it up again."

But I stopped him, "Don't bother. It's not the dead of winter. Let's just eat a little as it is. Sit down first. We can talk while we eat."

Xiao Liang and Uncle Mei quickly sat down around the table, waiting for me to speak.

I picked up my bowl and shoveled down a few mouthfuls of rice, then told them everything that had happened – meeting Sister Hong, retrieving two corpses for her, and being pulled into her group.

Uncle Mei and Xiao Liang were increasingly surprised as they listened. They even forgot to eat, staring at me in astonishment.

They didn't say a word even after I finished.

I looked at them, laughing and crying at the same time, and said, "Say something! Something so big happened. Why aren't you saying anything?"

Uncle Mei quickly snapped out of it and asked me, "Rongsheng, what do you want to do?"

Xiao Liang also asked, "Yeah, Chen Rongsheng, what are you thinking? Do you want to join?"

I said, "Now that things have come to this, I definitely have to join. If I don't, won't that alert them?"

Uncle Mei immediately nodded and said, "You're right. If you don't join, we'll either have to run away or call Jiang Yongguang to close the net as soon as possible. If we don't take action, they'll kill us."

Xiao Liang said worriedly, "But if you join, will it be dangerous? Grave robbers are a bunch of desperadoes. Chen Rongsheng, do you remember *huo zhong* (living burial) and *cheng di xian* (becoming an earth immortal)?"

In the last tomb, we saw how grave robbers would bury people alive at the slightest disagreement. Xiao Liang's worries were justified. I might end up being "buried alive" halfway through.

Uncle Mei frowned when he heard this. "Why don't we just run away? Let the Xiaoling Guard close the net as soon as possible!"

I quickly shook my head. "No. It's too early to close the net now. If we run away, Sister Hong will definitely get wind of it, and we won't be able to catch Shopkeeper Wang then. The safest way is for me to join, infiltrate their ranks, and then find a way to inform Jiang Yongguang."

"But that's too dangerous," Xiao Liang raised his voice. "Chen Rongsheng, do you not want your life?"

I said, "I'm not afraid of danger. I'm just afraid of not catching Shopkeeper Wang. If I can't catch Shopkeeper Wang, I won't be able to find Little Mei, and I won't be able to avenge Aunt Mei!"

My words immediately convinced Uncle Mei. He had been hesitating, but now, after hearing what I said, he also began to support my idea.

"Then join!" Uncle Mei said through gritted teeth. "Rongsheng, don't be afraid. I'll join with you! Don't they want someone who's good in the water? I'm not bad in the water either. I'll go with you. We can look after each other."

Now that Uncle Mei and I were on the same side, there was nothing Xiao Liang could do to object.

She was still worried about our safety and kept trying to persuade us. "Think about it some more. These grave robbers are ruthless characters who kill for money. They'll do anything for money. Once you join, it'll be too late to regret it."

Uncle Mei and I now had the same goal: to catch Shopkeeper Wang at all costs.

So no matter how Xiao Liang tried to persuade us, we were determined to infiltrate the enemy.

Xiao Liang tried to persuade us for a while, but seeing that we were resolute, she finally gave up.

She ate in silence for a while, then suddenly put down her bowl, looked up, and said, "Alright, alright! Let's die together. Since you two are going, I might as well go with you!"

But I quickly shook my head and said, "You can't go!"

"Why can't I go?" Xiao Liang asked unconvinced. "I'm not bad in the water either. Why can't I go?"

I said, "You have to stay and contact the Xiaoling Guard. After Uncle Mei and I join, it won't be convenient for us to inform Jiang Yongguang. You have to be responsible for coordinating with them."

Uncle Mei also nodded and said, "Rongsheng is right. The three of us can't go together, or wouldn't that be the same as losing contact with the Xiaoling Guard? Xiao Liang, just stay at home. Don't join in the fun."

Xiao Liang knew that what we said was right. She really couldn't act with us, but she was worried about our safety, which made her very conflicted.

When we were washing dishes together after dinner, Xiao Liang repeatedly told me, "Chen Rongsheng, you must be careful. Run away as soon as you encounter danger. Don't get killed by the grave robbers, you hear?"

I smiled and said to Xiao Liang, "Don't worry. This time, the tomb raiding is underwater. In the water, I'm the crown prince of the Dragon Palace of the East Sea. How can those rats fight me? I can make them die without a burial!"

Xiao Liang couldn't help but roll her eyes and muttered, "Keep bragging. Crown prince of the Dragon Palace of the East Sea? I think you're just a shrimp soldier or crab general!"

"Get lost. You're the shrimp soldier and crab general. I think you look like a turtle prime minister!" I immediately retorted with a smile.

Xiao Liang pouted again, looking like a punching bag, stammering, wanting to say something, but her eyes suddenly turned red.

Looking at her aggrieved appearance, I thought I had made her cry by calling her a turtle prime minister.

I quickly comforted her, "What's wrong? You're going to cry just because I called you a turtle prime minister? I apologize to you, okay?"

Xiao Liang turned her face away and said softly, "That's not it. I'm afraid… I'm afraid you won't come back after this trip…"

Hearing these words, I suddenly felt both touched and guilty.

I didn't expect Xiao Liang, who usually bickered with me, to be so concerned about me.

I said softly to her, "Silly girl, I promise you, I will definitely come back safe and sound. Besides, Uncle Mei is following me. It's not like I'm joining alone."

Xiao Liang then rubbed her eyes and nodded, saying, "It's a deal."

That night, Xiao Liang pestered me to tell her stories for a long time before going to bed. Usually, she could fall asleep in a few minutes, but that day she listened to stories for an hour. Finally, after I was talking until my mouth was dry, she slowly fell asleep.

The next morning, I got up and went straight to find Sister Hong.

Sister Hong's massage parlor was open early that day. I looked through the window and saw Sister Hong sitting inside watching TV.

Seeing me passing by, she quickly waved at me.

This time, I didn't avoid her and walked in openly.

As soon as I entered, Sister Hong gave me a charming smile and said ambiguously, "Young man, you're full of fire in the morning. Should I help you release some yang?"

I quickly waved my hand and said, "Don't joke around, Sister Hong."

Sister Hong said seriously, "I'm not joking with you. And I won't charge you! Come on, let me serve you well."