Chapter 117: Dolma

About ten minutes later, the police arrived and took the research team away, arresting Lin Ya. Despite being gravely wounded at the time of her arrest, Lin Ya laughed maniacally.

Bi Youqian, who had just thoroughly defeated the giant stone monster, had now shrunk like a deflated balloon. His body gradually returned to normal size, his skin becoming loose and layered with thick wrinkles.

Bi Youqian helped Li Tianque back into an off-road vehicle, squeezing his bulky frame inside and turning the key. The engine roared to life. Li Tianque’s whole body ached, but as the aflatoxin began to take effect, his body started to heal itself. The pain lessened, but his fatigue deepened.

Li Tianque scrutinized Bi Youqian eagerly and asked, “What exactly is going on? How did you end up here? And why were you disguised as Officer Zhu?”

“Ha, you ask too many questions. I don’t even know where to start,” Bi Youqian said hoarsely.

The insecticide device he used seemed to have significant side effects, leaving him gasping for air.

“Then start by telling me about the boss’s orders. All this commotion—is it really just to test my insecticide device?” Li Tianque panted heavily.

“Well, you guessed it. This insect-related incident is quite unusual. At the start, no one expected anyone would die—after all, no one imagined there would be a madwoman like Lin Ya.

“When you first arrived in Luosa City, the company got some intelligence indicating there might be nuclear insects near Wuerkolo Township.

“Because the estimated threat level of these nuclear insects was low, the boss changed the itinerary and planned for you to handle the insect issue in Wuerkolo Township yourself. Partly to test the power of the No. 9 insecticide device, and partly to assess your personal abilities.

“So, Wu Miaoran and the others deliberately left you near Hell Demon Valley.

“But no one expected that these nuclear insects were just derivatives—ordinary insects imbued with power.

“Even more surprising, such small creatures triggered multiple murders.

“You already know what happened next. The company worried you couldn’t handle it alone, so they sent me to assist.

“I had only just become familiar with the insecticide device, but thankfully, with Xiaoyu guiding me remotely, it went smoothly enough.

“I borrowed the identity of Zhu Chunguang from the county, secretly helping you without disturbing you.

“I wanted to discuss solutions with you earlier, but you went and hid in the car on your own. If Ma Baoguo hadn’t reported the situation and sought help, I wouldn’t have known about your plan.”

“I see. So what do we do next?” Li Tianque asked.

“Leave the rest to that girl named Danny. The boss said she’s an expert in handling public opinion. Honestly, that little sister is really cute…” Bi Youqian said, swallowing nervously.

“Ah? Danny’s here too?” Li Tianque was astonished.

“Yeah, that girl is really strange—she sleeps clutching a big teddy bear tightly,” Bi Youqian said.

Li Tianque glanced at the rearview mirror and indeed saw a large teddy bear, now crumpled and worn.

“So where are we heading now? To pick up Danny?”

“No need. The boss said she’ll stay behind a while to manage local affairs. Ling Chi will pick her up and join us later.”

“Alright.” Li Tianque, utterly exhausted, took a cigarette from Bi Youqian and slumped in his seat.

The off-road vehicle exited the valley, preparing to rush overnight to Dada Ge’s “Wolf Totem” restaurant.

On the way, the two revisited the three murders and finally pieced together the truth behind the incident.

It all began with Zhuoma:

Grandma Zhuoma was the shaman of Wuerkolo Township, highly respected. Her devout faith in the insect god stemmed from a special childhood experience.

As a diligent and sensible child, Zhuoma followed her father to herd sheep at the age of eight.

One day, while chasing a stray lamb, she got separated from her father and accidentally entered the forbidden valley known as Hell Demon Valley.

Lost inside, Zhuoma wandered alone for three days and nights, witnessing many grotesque and terrifying illusions.

Yet she persevered, praying repeatedly to the spirits.

But she was still just a child, brave though she was, nearing the edge of collapse.

When her food was all gone and despair was imminent, she unexpectedly found a black beetle.

The beetle’s shell was glossy and hard, with razor-shaped mandibles that looked fierce and imposing.

Zhuoma had heard elders say that if lost, one could follow small animals to find the way out. She believed this beetle must know the exit.

So she carefully followed it, and fortunately, the beetle led her out of the forbidden valley.

She believed this was divine favor, a heavenly arrangement.

From then on, she regarded the tiger beetle as her savior and took it in, caring for it attentively.

Time passed, and Zhuoma grew up. The tiger beetle grew too, developing a huge appetite—from initially eating small fish fry to eventually consuming beef and mutton.

Ordinary tiger beetles live only two to three months, at most half a year.

But this imperial tiger beetle Zhuoma raised was remarkably long-lived and increasingly large.

When Zhuoma turned eighteen, she fell ill, and the imperial tiger beetle also grew listless.

Bedridden, unresponsive to medicine or injections, Zhuoma’s mother grew anxious and sought a local female shaman for alternative treatments.

Upon arriving at Zhuoma’s home and seeing the imperial tiger beetle, the shaman immediately knelt down in awe.

She was astonished, declaring the beetle to be the reincarnation of Deva, the insect god she worshipped, and that Zhuoma was its guardian.

According to legend, when Deva is born, the guardian loses much energy and must accept the Guardian’s Flute inheritance within seven days, or face death.

The shaman was the previous guardian. She passed the Guardian’s Flute to Zhuoma, urging her to remain faithful to Deva so it would bless and protect the land.

If Deva died, the grasslands would suffer disasters again during the interim before its next rebirth.

Zhuoma’s family recalled that the two to three years before she obtained the beetle, the grasslands indeed endured continuous calamities, greatly troubling the herders.

Villagers tried many prayers and offerings to various deities, all in vain.

Since the beetle arrived in Wuerkolo, the past ten years had been peaceful, free of major disasters.

Thus, Zhuoma accepted the guardian’s legacy and mastered the use of the Guardian’s Flute.

This was Zhuoma’s story, widely told among the elder villagers. But as many who knew it passed away, now only the three clan leaders remembered this secret.

Still, the villagers deeply respected Zhuoma. When facing difficult ailments or evil diseases, they would seek her divination to solve problems.

Zhuoma’s reputation in the township was thus very high.

Lin Ya learned of Zhuoma’s past during their encounters and successfully manipulated her into a suicidal sacrifice, drawing everyone’s attention to Zhuoma.

Unfortunately, Li Tianque saw through the scheme in the end, thwarting it at the last moment.