With a grimace of despair, Wu Dajin said, "Yesterday, when the trouble started, we were offering sacrifices in the ancestral hall. That thing suddenly dropped down from above, and everyone in the hall started kowtowing to it as if possessed. No matter what we did, we couldn't drag them away, and more and more people kept falling under its spell.
"Seeing that something was terribly wrong, I rushed out immediately to evacuate the townsfolk, but I was still too slow. The town has around a thousand residents, and three to four hundred of them are affected right now.
"I tried turning back and charging inside to kill the damned thing, but we ended up losing over a dozen more brothers to it. There was nothing else we could do, so we had to pull back."
Although he only had about twenty security team members left, if he organized the evacuated townsfolk, raising a force of over a hundred wouldn't be difficult. The real problem was that the flying head was far too troublesome to deal with. Getting close made people go mad and start kowtowing to it alongside the others, and some even blocked them with bloodshot eyes.
Which of those affected townsfolk wasn't a relative of theirs? Even with weapons in hand, they couldn't bring themselves to strike, leaving them no choice but to retreat in disarray.
After the commission firms arrived, someone suggested bringing in a few fire engines to disperse the villagers with water, but Wu Dajin adamantly refused. In weather this freezing, spraying them with cold water would inevitably cause severe frostbite, not to mention that there were many elderly people and children in the ancestral hall who could never survive such an ordeal.
Some members of the commission firms refused to believe it was that bad and tried charging in several times without hurting anyone, but none succeeded. One of the commissioners even ended up kneeling and kowtowing to the flying head just like the townsfolk. Chilled to the bone, no one dared to rush in blindly anymore without a proper countermeasure against the flying head.
A lead commissioner from one of the firms stepped forward and asked Chen Chuan, "Commissioner Chen, I've heard that if the flying head is eliminated, everyone will regain their senses?"
Wu Dajin also looked over with an expectant gaze.
Chen Chuan replied, "That's true. However, if we approach right now, the nearby townsfolk will definitely attack us proactively. As long as we try to force our way in from the perimeter, a clash with them is unavoidable."
Disappointment immediately showed on the man's face. If that was the case, Chen Chuan could only make a difference at the very end or at a crucial moment; figuring out how to break in was still up to them.
Just then, everyone suddenly heard a sound that resembled both a bird's cry and a child's wail.
Chen Chuan looked up and saw a bird-like black speck take flight in the distance. He could see clearly, however, that it was no bird at all—it was distinctly a human head!
Its two ears were spread wide like bird wings, and a half-smiling expression hung on its face. It circled once over a certain building before dropping back down.
With an ugly expression, Wu Dajin said, "Commissioner Chen, that's the ancestral hall. That thing comes out to hover around once every hour."
A thoughtful look appeared on Chen Chuan's face.
One commissioner spoke up somewhat impatiently: "Captain Wu, we sympathize with what Wujia Town is going through, but we were hired to resolve this. We can't just stay in a deadlock here. You demand that not a single person gets hurt, but that's very difficult for us to guarantee.
"You must realize that if we fail to complete this, the Municipal Administration might deploy the constabulary squad next time. They carry guns and handle things far more brutally; they won't be as reasonable as we are."
Wu Dajin hesitated. He knew the man was right. The constabulary only answered to higher orders. To resolve the trouble, they certainly might not show mercy to the deranged townsfolk.
At that moment, Chen Chuan said, "Actually, there's no need for us to go over there."
Everyone couldn't help but look at him.
He continued, "The flying head keeps coming out because it's looking for sacrificial blood and flesh. The townsfolk have merely lost their senses under its influence. Without anyone organizing them, they don't know to set up a sacrificial altar. That being the case, if we set up a makeshift sacrificial site out here and offer up a sacrifice, it will come on its own."
Wu Dajin's eyes lit up, and he asked excitedly, "Commissioner Chen, will that work?!"
Chen Chuan nodded to him, then addressed the personnel from the commission firms behind him: "However, once the flying head is attacked, the deranged townsfolk might rush out to stop us. I will have to trouble all of you to handle that."
Hearing this, the commission firm members chorused in agreement. "Don't worry, Commissioner Chen, leave that to us!"
Chen Chuan knew full well in his heart that when the flying head flew over, the townsfolk wouldn't run around erratically. Even if they ran, they couldn't possibly move faster than something flying; by the time they reached them, he might have already finished it off.
Still, leaving the other commissioners out of it would make them seem useless and inevitably hurt their performance ratings. By mentioning this role for them, whether they proved useful or not, their ratings would at least be secured.
He was not doing it purely to give them face. These commissioners were numerous and possessed real martial capability; the twenty-odd security guards could never have held them back. If they had truly decided to force their way through regardless of consequences, the unarmed townsfolk inside would not have stood a chance. Yet they had refrained from using brute force out of concern for the townsfolk's well-being. For that alone, he was willing to lend them a hand.
He said to Wu Dajin, "Captain Wu, I need you to do a few things and gather some materials."
"Commissioner Chen, just say the word! I'll find whatever you need!" Wu Dajin responded at once.
Chen Chuan said, "First, disperse the uninvolved bystanders in the surrounding area. When the flying head emerges later, they could be severely affected."
Someone from a commission firm offered, "We brought barrier ropes this time; that should help."
"That's great," Wu Dajin said. He hauled over a town security guard, instructed him to lead people over to assist, and asked Chen Chuan, "Commissioner Chen, what else do you need?"
Chen Chuan listed what he needed. Wu Dajin immediately summoned the available townsfolk and guards to fetch the items, and in less than half an hour, everything requested had been gathered.
Following Chen Chuan's instructions, they used salvaged bricks and stone to construct a makeshift altar, then brought over a sheep, knocked it unconscious, and placed it on top.
However, in addition to offering the sacrifice, someone had to step forward and kowtow to complete the ritual.
Chen Chuan said to two trembling security guards who had been selected, "Don't worry. Even if you accidentally lose your senses, you'll recover quickly once we eliminate the flying head."
Seeing the two men still shrinking back, Wu Dajin marched over, kicked each of them once, and lashed them several times with his belt. "What the hell are you standing around for? Aren't you embarrassed? Get your asses up there!"
Scolded and beaten, the two guards had no choice but to bite the bullet and step forward. Once they knelt, Wu Dajin, following Chen Chuan's instructions, went up personally and slit the sheep's throat with a knife. A jet of fresh blood spurted out instantly, swiftly collecting in an earthenware basin placed below, and a pungent stench of blood wafted through the air.
Wu Dajin barked at the two stunned guards, "What are you staring at? Kowtow! Kowtow!"
As if waking from a dream, the two frantically began bowing toward the altar over and over.
The surrounding crowd hastily backed away, each waiting with tense, solemn expressions. Yet after a long wait, there was still no movement in the vicinity.
Just as everyone was beginning to wonder if the plan had failed, Chen Chuan suddenly noticed a blurring effect manifest on his Second Self. Raising his head, he spoke: "There."
Everyone looked up, only to be struck with horror. Without anyone realizing it, a flying head was already hovering directly above them.
Chen Chuan took a closer look, only to realize something was off. This flying head was distinct from the one he had seen earlier; they were not the same one.
This took him by surprise as well. Could there actually be two of them?
His thoughts flashed rapidly. Regardless of whether this head was related to the one in the town, the townsfolk clearly were not under the sway of this one, so the head inside the town had to be dealt with first.
Reaching into his pocket, he flung his hand outward, sending several pebbles whistling through the air. One struck the flying head. Startled, it let out a sickening screech and instantly darted away.
Baffled, Wu Dajin asked, "Commissioner Chen, this..."
Chen Chuan said, "That wasn't the right one. There are two flying heads, and we can only handle one at a time. Send a few people to drive that one away as best you can, but don't get too close, lest you fall under its influence."
A commissioner chimed in immediately, "Commissioner Chen, leave it to us." With that, he gathered several men and their prepared gear, setting off in pursuit of that flying head.
Not long after that head was chased off, a harsh, grating screech rang out. A black speck emerged from within the town, flying straight toward them.
Chen Chuan called out, "Fall back! Everyone fall back!"
Having spotted it as well, the others hastily retreated, leaving him standing alone in front.
The flying head flew directly over to the altar and circled twice above it. At close range, everyone could see the withered, desiccated skin clinging tightly to its skull yet covered in deep wrinkles. A look of grotesque satisfaction and ravenous hunger showed on its face as it plunged impatiently downward, burying itself headfirst into the pool of blood.
At that moment, aside from the two men still kowtowing, several security guards standing nearby suddenly convulsed. The commission firm members quickly restrained them. Farther away, bystanders watching from behind the barrier ropes began vomiting one after another, and within moments, hardly anyone remained standing upright.
Chen Chuan glanced at his Second Self, which showed obvious signs of blurring. Taking a deep breath, he stabbed the Xuejun Saber into the ground, gripping the hilt as he stepped forward, slowly dragging the blade along with his motion.
His first few steps were slow and measured. The flying head had not yet noticed, gnawing at the sheep with wet, chewing sounds. As he drew nearer, however, it seemed to sense danger and raised its head to look around.
Chen Chuan had been watching its every movement. Even though he had not yet reached the optimal striking distance, he waited no longer. In a flash, he crossed seven or eight meters, and a gleam of blade light swept upward!
With a piercing screech, the flying head dodged just in time, yet a chunk of bone and flesh along with half an ear still sheared off into the air. However, the wound did not seem to impair its flight; the remainder of the head surged upward, on the verge of escaping beyond the reach of his blade. Behind him, the onlookers watched in panic.
Chen Chuan's expression remained utterly calm. At that moment, he drew the Wuji pistol from his waist and fired seven consecutive shots upward—bang, bang, bang—blasting bloody holes into the head's surface.
The flying head wobbled violently several times before plunging straight down, slapping hard onto the dirt. At that very instant, the blurring over his Second Self deepened abruptly, as if an intense assault was bearing down on his body.
Unmoved, he lowered his gun and strode forward unhurriedly. Bringing his boot down with a sharp crunch, he crushed the head into pulp beneath his heel. Then, with a calm expression, he turned back to the dumbfounded crowd and called out, "Captain Wu."
"Here, I'm here!" Wu Dajin stammered as if waking from a trance, hurriedly running up to look at him with a mix of excitement and tension.
Chen Chuan said in an even voice, "Captain Wu, please set up another altar. Let's see if we can lure the other flying head over as well. Since we've encountered it, we might as well get rid of both."
Chapter 109