Chapter 80: Nine Dragons (Part 2 of 2)

The Night Patrol God smiled."All right, I understand. Since you've made your choice, the person who sent me also left you a message."

"What message?" I asked in surprise.

He said slowly and clearly:"Leap before the Gate of Nine Dragons—mortal or immortal, it will decide your fate. Remember that place."

The words were like fog in my ears—cryptic and puzzling. I wanted to ask what he meant, but before I could open my mouth, a sudden strong wind blew in my face. The Night Patrol God let out a loud laugh and said,"Heaven's secrets… must not be revealed."

His voice grew distant as the wind howled louder. I felt my body suddenly flying backward, as if my soul were yanked from my body. As I was lifted into the air, I heard his fading voice echo in my ears:"Remember this message. Even those above dare not speak it aloud. Take care, and don't forget the promise you made me."

The world spun wildly.Then came another voice—closer, familiar:"Dabao! Wake up! Are you okay?"

Someone was shaking me violently. I opened my eyes to find myself lying on the paved village road. The one shaking my arm was Jiang Shiyu.

Just moments ago, I was still in that eerie cornfield with the Night Patrol God. Could all of that… have been a dream?

My head throbbed. The events felt far too real to be a dream. And yet the bright sun above told me that not much time had passed since I left the village.

As I moved to wipe the sweat from my forehead, something slipped from my hand—it was a wooden plaque, about the size of a cellphone.

"What's that?" Jiang Shiyu asked curiously.

I snatched it up and looked—two characters were carved into it: Qiao Kun.

I flipped it over. There was a birth date engraved on the back. It matched the legendary figure Qiao Kun, who was granted the title of Night Patrol God in The Investiture of the Gods!

I fought back the chill crawling up my spine. This confirmed it—what I experienced had not been a dream. The Night Patrol God had come to me personally and entrusted me with his nameplate.

It was clear now. Since I had promised to find him a spiritual site blessed with fortune and incense, he honored the bond by giving me his nameplate in return. If I failed to follow through, who knew what trouble might come my way in the future?

"It's nothing," I muttered. "Maybe I just got heatstroke."

"Thank goodness." Jiang Shiyu's face relaxed with visible relief. "I thought… I thought some monster dragged you off."

The concern in her voice was genuine—so sincere it couldn't be hidden. I may not be quick-witted, but even I could tell what she felt in that moment.

But love isn't something you can force. Just like what happened with Zhao Na—passion rises, fades, and betrayal leaves its scars. Some feelings don't need to be spoken aloud. Just like how, right now, my heart still lingered on Liu Ruoyi.

And with only two years of life left… a wave of sorrow quietly welled up again.

Honestly, I hadn't expected the Night Patrol God to leave me with such a mysterious riddle:"Leap before the Gate of Nine Dragons—mortal or immortal, it will decide your fate."

What is this "Gate of Nine Dragons"? The world's so big—I have no idea where that place might be. The only "Kowloon" I know is Hong Kong's Kowloon District from old gangster movies. Surely the Night Patrol God doesn't want me to join the triads?

Sensing the awkward silence, I changed the subject."Right, where's Master Yicheng? Is the situation in the village handled?"

A flash of unease flickered in her eyes as she replied:"Master Yicheng went with Cui Hai to the temple to fetch a Buddha statue. I didn't see you around, so I came out to look for you… and found you passed out. I really thought something terrible had happened."

"Just heatstroke," I forced a grin. It made my face hurt—I winced and touched my jaw. "That monk hits way too hard."

"Are you okay?" Jiang Shiyu reached out, her cold fingertips brushing against my cheek. She must've realized how intimate the gesture was, because she quickly pulled her hand back."A-anyway… Zhang Dabao, don't be too mad at Master Yicheng. That's just the way he is. When I was a kid and went to the temple, my dad told me… Master Yicheng's had a pretty rough life too."