Agent David was gasping for air, drenched in sweat as though he had just survived a brutal battle. With a trembling hand, he ripped the talisman from his forehead. «I saw it! I saw the whole thing-everything Alice went through! I saw the killer, saw him so clearly…»
Li Yunlong pulled out a chair and sat down. «Easy there, Agent David. The spiritual séance went smoothly, and the memories you gained during the process are firmly rooted. You won't forget them anytime soon. So take a breath, rest for a moment. There's no rush.»
Agent Gillian hurriedly fetched some water for David to drink. After a few minutes' rest, the agent slowly recovered. Though his appearance had been terrifying moments ago, it was merely the physical toll of a short, intense burst of exertion-a rapid drain on his stamina rather than any actual harm.
«Thank you so much, Mr. Brook Lee. Your spiritual séance is truly extraordinary! In that dream state, I experienced everything alongside Alice…»
Li Yunlong raised a hand to cut him off. «Since my spell succeeded, I believe you should have more than enough information to catch the killer on your own.»
Though confused as to why Li Yunlong had interrupted him, Agent David nodded nonetheless. «That… yes, that is true.»
Li Yunlong stood up and brushed away non-existent dust from his clothes. «Very well. I have delivered what I promised. As for the rest, I won't be participating.»
The two agents tried to persuade him to stay, but Li Yunlong remained firm. In the end, he declined their offer to drive him home, opting to catch a cab instead. In his view, he had done more than enough for them. As an occult scholar, he had a certain professional dignity to maintain.
Despite not earning any money, Li Yunlong was quite satisfied with the day's work. First, he had secured a title as a special consultant for the FBI. Whether that title proved useful or not, it was still an officially recognized expert status-one that might come in handy in the future. Second, it had been a swift affair, taking up less than a day of his time. Finally, and most importantly, he had gained something he truly desired. He hadn't made money or obtained physical treasures, but what he had acquired was far more precious than gold-the wisdom of ancient predecessors!
The mirror used as evidence in the Mirror Game cold case was a classic tool of the dark arts. It belonged to a different lineage than the Eastern occultism Li Yunlong specialized in. The core value lay not in the physical mirror itself, but in how it functioned as a medium to achieve real-time connection across time and space. That was the prize he truly cared about.
The great Dao lies open beneath the sun and moon, laid bare between heaven and earth for anyone to behold. Yet how one actually puts it into practice-that remains the closely guarded secret of each sect and school. Li Yunlong possessed the supernatural gift of sensory control, putting his starting point far beyond that of ordinary mortals. Phenomena that appeared dull and mundane to ordinary eyes were brilliant landscapes in his vision. But a beautiful view was only as valuable as one's ability to interpret it. Looking upon the exact same landscape, a master swordsman might comprehend a new sword technique, a scientist might derive a law of gravity, and a painter might create a masterpiece for the ages. If Li Yunlong stared at it for hours and saw nothing more than a landscape, how would that differ from entering a mountain of treasures only to leave empty-handed?
The significance of the mirror's ability to establish a real-time connection across time and space lay right there. It was a key that pierced the paper window veiling human perception, allowing Li Yunlong to trace the clues and seek out priceless treasures. What was more, Agent David had unwittingly served as a live experimental subject for him. Endowed with both his supernatural sensory control and his extraordinary vitality, Li Yunlong's capabilities had grown significantly. Without needing physical contact, he could manipulate a portion of David's senses, allowing the agent to read the information stored within the mirror. At the same time, as the controller of the entire ritual, Li Yunlong participated directly, experimenting on the spot with the phenomenon of real-time spatial and temporal connection. Given the vast gap in strength between him and David, the information Li Yunlong gathered far exceeded the agent's in depth, scope, and scale.
When the ritual concluded, Agent David had intended to explain everything he saw, but Li Yunlong cut him off directly. Beyond signaling his desire to step back from the case, Li Yunlong simply had no need to listen-he already knew everything David had seen, whereas David might never comprehend what Li Yunlong had perceived.
With the principles of real-time connection across space and time now clear to him, Li Yunlong could effortlessly brainstorm a dozen practical applications. To him, mastering these concepts was all that mattered. The cold case of the Mirror Game was utterly worthless by comparison, and he had no interest in playing detective alongside the two agents any longer.
On the morning of May 3rd, the following day, the two agents arrived at Li Yunlong's door once more, hoping to enlist his help again. The reason the Mirror Game had remained unsolved for so long was twofold: first, the police were unwilling to commit significant resources; second, the killer was cunning, keeping himself well-hidden while operating across multiple jurisdictions. Lacking a concrete target, law enforcement had been helpless.
Yesterday, thanks to the shortcut provided by Li Yunlong's spiritual séance, Agent David had successfully replayed the entire sequence of Alice's murder and drawn a composite sketch of the killer from memory. With that sketch, the killer could no longer hide. The vast machinery of law enforcement swung into motion, quickly picking up his trail-the suspect had already fled to Wyoming.
The agents wanted Li Yunlong to join them in hunting the killer down, but he had no interest in chasing a fugitive across the country. He told them bluntly to drop the pipe dream and go handle it themselves. Though dissatisfied, the agents could see his firm stance. Having witnessed his abilities firsthand, Agent David lacked the courage to press the issue, settling instead for advice on how to confront the murderer.
Li Yunlong considered the request for a moment. «Judging by his actions, the killer likely possesses abilities such as hypnosis, illusion, or invisibility-though his capabilities may not be limited to those. With your resources, locating him won't be a problem; the real danger lies in making the arrest. Whoever commands the operation should stay off the front lines and direct the action remotely through communication gear. It would be best if none of your high-ranking officers get anywhere near him during the entire process. Deploy plenty of field personnel, and rotate them out immediately after the arrest to prevent fatigue. Most importantly, keep a close watch on one another.»
He paused, choosing his words carefully. «Ensure no one gets manipulated by the killer, leading to an accident.» What he meant, in truth, was preventing the killer from using his powers to control the officers-if that happened, total chaos would ensue.
Though they had only known each other briefly, Li Yunlong had gotten along reasonably well with the two agents. He decided to be generous and offer them something for self-defense. «Wait here a moment,» he said, turning back into the house.
When he returned under their expectant gazes, Li Yunlong handed each of them a small glass vial containing a single black pill the size of a longan fruit. «This is Bitter Medicine I prepared myself-consider it a gift. If you find yourselves on the front lines during the arrest, take this pill out and strap it to your wrist.» He pointed to the inside of his left wrist. «Make sure the medicine stays in direct contact with your skin. That way, its potency will continuously release into your body. If any of the pill remains after the operation, wipe it clean with a tissue and store it back in the vial. This Bitter Medicine has a long shelf life-you won't need to worry about it expiring for two or three years.»
Agent David closely examined the pill inside the bottle. «Thank you very much, Mr. Brook Lee. Does this medicine have any special effects?»
Li Yunlong replied, «In Eastern Buddhist tradition, it is believed that human life is composed of four noble truths: suffering, origin, cessation, and path. The Bitter Medicine I crafted draws upon the essence of 'bitterness' – suffering itself. It allows both your mind and body to experience that sensation simultaneously.»
Agents David and Gillian broke into a cold sweat. So he was simply giving them a way to suffer because he disliked them?
Li Yunlong continued, «When you face the killer on the front lines, he may use spells to control you or illusions to deceive you. But as long as you wear the Bitter Medicine I gave you, your mind and body will remain steeped in 'bitterness.' Unless his magic surpasses the potency of my medicine, his spells will be completely useless against you!»
Upon hearing this, David and Gillian were overjoyed! Only after encountering mystical forces firsthand did they realize how fragile ordinary mortals were against the supernatural. Looking at the pills in their hands felt like holding priceless treasures-a true defense against anomalous powers!
Seeing their eager expressions, as if they were ready to swallow the Bitter Medicine right then and there, Li Yunlong quickly warned them, «This Bitter Medicine was refined according to the standards of practitioners. If a normal human swallowed an entire pill at once, they wouldn't be able to withstand its potency. At best, you'd go insane; at worst, you'd literally be driven to death by the sheer bitterness! Whatever you do, do not swallow it directly!»
Hearing his warning, the two carefully put the medicine away and took their leave.
After driving a considerable distance, Agent Gillian glanced back to confirm that Li Yunlong's house was far behind them, completely obscured by other buildings. Only then did she turn to David. «Are we flying to Wyoming?»
David shook his head. «No. We're heading straight back to headquarters in Washington.»
Gillian was puzzled. Shouldn't they strike while the iron was hot, capture the killer, and close the cold case of the Mirror Game once and for all?
«Someone like Brook Lee is far too dangerous!» David explained, his expression grim. «Because he possesses supernatural power, he doesn't care about the Constitution at all! Even if he acts friendly and accepted the title of FBI special consultant, I can assure you he is infinitely more dangerous than that killer!»
Gillian thought it over and nodded in agreement. «You're right. So what are we doing back at headquarters? If we want to arrest him, couldn't we just request backup from the Los Angeles Police Department?»
«No, acting recklessly carries too high a risk of failure,» David said. «If the first attempt fails and he escapes, do you have any idea how catastrophic the consequences would be? We must plan every step carefully. When we make our move, it must be a guaranteed success.»
Gillian nodded. «You're right. A failed operation is a price we simply cannot afford.»