Rounding a corner, the trio arrived at a dilapidated police station. Standing at the entrance was a rabbit-headed figure.
"Here we are!" Ole Lu announced. "Looks like it’s already over..."
Qi Xia glanced at the rabbit-headed figure, noticing it was likely another woman. Her mask was battered, and her suit was covered in dust. Clearly, she was {Mortal Rabbit}, which meant if Officer Li had indeed participated in her game, his life was probably not in immediate danger.
"Care to play my game?" Mortal Rabbit asked with a smile.
"No..." Qi Xia shook his head. "I wanted to ask—are the man and woman who came here earlier still around?"
"Man and woman?" Mortal Rabbit rested one arm gracefully across her chest while propping up her chin with the other, adopting an air of charm. "Oh… you mean that well-built young lad, don't you?"
"Ah, that fellow lacked understanding of the atmosphere and tone." Mortal Rabbit waved her hand coyly. "I even told him he could keep his {Dào}, all I asked was for him to spend a day with me, but he was as stiff as a plank…"
"Young lad, you're quite handsome yourself..." Mortal Rabbit suddenly reached out to stroke Qi Xia's cheek, startling him.
"Though you're not as well-built, if you spend just one day with me, I'll not only give you {Dào}, but I'll also tell you where that man went. How about it?"
Qi Xia swiftly brushed away her hand, turning to Ole Lu and Lin Qin. "Forget it, let's just search nearby," he said, deciding not to waste more time.
Both Ole Lu and Lin Qin, fully aware of the dangers of entangling with the {Earthly Branches}, immediately followed Qi Xia's lead as they began to walk away.
Mortal Rabbit's voice chimed behind them. "If you're going to search on your own... you better hurry. That young lad is badly injured. If you're too late, he may be beyond saving."
"What?" Qi Xia froze mid-step, his body stiffening as her words registered.
"Why is he injured?" He turned back, puzzled. "Was your game really that dangerous?"
"Oh no, not quite," Mortal Rabbit swayed her hips as she took a step forward. "My game is an {escape-type} challenge. This jie jie designed some very intricate traps. But that young lad—relying on his strength—decided to brute-force his way through. What could I do?"
Qi Xia remained silent, his gaze shifting downward until he noticed fresh bloodstains on the ground. His expression turned cold, and he spoke curtly, "Let's go."
The group trailed the path of blood, advancing steadily. Based on the quantity, Qi Xia inferred that Officer Li’s injury was not severe—Mortal Rabbit had likely exaggerated, employing alarming language to intimidate them.
Soon, the trail brought them to the entrance of an old pharmacy. From within, the clattering of objects resonated, signaling the presence of someone inside.
"Officer Li?" Qi Xia called out.
The noise from inside paused momentarily, and then, stepping out first, was Lawyer Zhang.
"Qi Xia?!" Lawyer Zhang exclaimed, looking disheveled in a way that startled him. Her previously neat appearance was now drenched, as if she'd been submerged in water.
"What happened?" Qi Xia asked, "Where's Officer Li?"
Lawyer Zhang’s eyes widened in panic, and she suddenly grabbed Qi Xia by the arm. "You have to help me! Officer Li… he's not going to make it!"
Qi Xia was taken aback. Following the faint trail of blood earlier had suggested no more than a minor injury—likely just a cut on his arm. How could things have escalated to this?
The three followed Lawyer Zhang into the room, immediately hit by the overpowering stench of rust.
After just a few steps, they saw Officer Li, his body drenched in crimson. The blood coated him so thoroughly that it was impossible to tell where the injury lay. His lips pale, his face ashen, and he sat on the ground, completely drained of strength.
"Wh—What happened…" Lin Qin stammered as she rushed forward, trembling. "Officer Li… where are you hurt?"
Officer Li turned his head toward Qi Xia and Lin Qin, managing a faint, pained smile. He slowly extended a hand, as though attempting to communicate.
Qi Xia glanced down and felt his heart lurch violently.
This was no longer merely about {where} Officer Li was injured—
His entire right hand was missing.
At the wrist, there was a jagged, brutal stump, as if the hand had been wrenched away rather than cleanly severed. In a desperate effort to stem the bleeding, a piece of wire had been tightly wound around his forearm, cutting deeply into the flesh. The skin around it was swollen and discolored, turning a sickly purple.
And it was thanks to this makeshift tourniquet, only a trickle of blood seeped from the raw stump of his arm.
"Heavens..." Lin Qin instinctively reached out, wanting to assist, but quickly realized there was little she could do. "Lawyer Zhang, what on earth happened?" she asked, her voice trembling.
"It was that rabbit's game..." Zhang Chenze bit her lip, her frustration evident. "That woman—she's an absolute lunatic..."
Qi Xia's expression grew somber, his gaze growing colder as he drew closer to Officer Li. Words hovered on the tip of his tongue, but each felt stifled in his throat, too weighty to articulate. He had envisioned countless scenarios for their reunion, yet nothing could have prepared him for the grim reality before him.
"Lawyer Zhang," Officer Li suddenly spoke, his voice weak but determined, "take them outside. I want to speak with Qi Xia alone."
"Alone?" The group exchanged puzzled glances, unsure of what more could possibly need to be said.
Zhang Chenze hesitated for a moment before nodding, leading Lin Qin and Ole Lu out of the room.
Once they were gone, Officer Li let out a faint chuckle, looking at Qi Xia with a weary expression. "Why the furrowed brow? You look as though you've suffered some great injustice."
"I..." Qi Xia sighed, struggling to find the right words. After a moment, he managed to say, "I'll avenge you. That rabbit—"
"No..." Officer Li interrupted, shaking his head. "That woman is crazy. Stay out of her games."
Qi Xia felt his unspoken words once again lodge in his throat, rendering him speechless.
With a faint, almost resigned smile, Officer Li asked, "Have you found a way out of here yet?"
"No…" Qi Xia said, his voice laden with self-disappointment. "I fear I may have been mistaken. Not only have I failed to find a way out, but I’ve also inadvertently contributed to the deaths of Qiao Jiajin and Tian Tian."
With only Officer Li remaining, Qi Xia finally voiced the deep sorrow he had kept hidden. "I’ve underestimated everything…"
Officer Li’s pale lips curved into a weak smile. He adjusted his position slightly to make himself more comfortable.
"What’s the matter?" Officer Li asked. "Is there something you can't solve?"
Qi Xia shook his head, unable to find the right words to describe the situation with Xiao Xiao.
Now that even Officer Li, whom he held in such high regard, is on the brink of death, Qi Xia senses his headache will soon resurface. He shook his head, trying to clear his mind, and asked with forced nonchalance, "Why did you ask to speak with me alone?"
"There are some things I wish to confess before I die," Officer Li reached into his pocket and pulled out a tattered cigarette case. Inside were two moldy cigarettes, likely scavenged from some abandoned building. He put one between his lips, then fumbled through his other pocket, cursing softly under his breath.
"I forgot I don’t have a lighter," he muttered bitterly. "Looks like I won’t get to smoke this one before I go…"