Ning An's Wild Wish System

The sky was clear, and the blue sky was bright.

A long-distance bus was leisurely traveling on the asphalt road from Z City to Y City.

The bus’s terminal was Pixian County in Y City, very close to the city center, known as the burial ground of history.

An older and a younger apprentice duo looked somewhat bored at the view outside the window.

”We should reach Pixian County before sunset,” Ning An exhaled.

From Z City to Y City, it was just over two hundred miles. Even if there were traffic jams on the highway, at the current speed of the bus, they could still reach Pixian County before sunset.

”That’s not a given.”

Lin Yanke helplessly spread her hands, saying, ”It’s not the traffic that’s slow recently, it’s the police checks. They slow us down even more than traffic jams.”

Just as she finished speaking, the bus came to a screeching halt. Up ahead, there were police cars with sirens, signaling to pull over.

Once the bus stopped, a police officer and two armed police officers boarded. The traffic officer took out his credentials to show around, then said, ”Dear passengers, sorry to take up your time. Please take out your ID cards. It’s a special time, and we ask for your understanding.”

”Huh? When I took the bus a few days ago, there was no check at all.”

”Armed police? Is something going on again?”

”Wasn’t the recent case in the city already causing a big stir? Surely another psycho killer hasn’t popped up already?”

”Who knows, but either way, when the sky falls, the tall ones hold it up. It’s not up to us ordinary folks.”

The passengers were buzzing with discussions, but the police officer ignored them, checking IDs one by one, always alert and watching the passengers intently.

Nothing significant happened until it was the turn of a tourist from Lingnan, when the police officer clicked his tongue in surprise.

The distance on the map is as if it could be measured with a ruler.

”Comrade, what brings you to Y City?” the officer asked.

”Tourism, Pixian County is known as the burial ground of history, so I’m here to see,” the young man answered a bit nervously.

”Alright.” The officer gave him a once-over, casually returned the ID card: ”Traveling far isn’t easy; if you have any trouble, promptly call the police for help.”

”Thank you all for your cooperation. I won’t hold you up any longer. Have a pleasant journey,” he said after finishing the ID checks and then left.

”Damn cops!”

The driver spat quietly and then continued the journey.

After a few more checks, they finally arrived at Pixian County.

Ning An and Lin Yanke got off the bus and casually booked a room at Home Inn through an app, two rooms.

After a short rest, the two set out to experience the local customs.

The streets were noisy, but Ning An felt something was off. On the streets and in alleys, the passersby moved hurriedly with expressions of slight gossip and unease.

Even at the stalls in each alley, there were groups of people smoking, seemingly enjoying the street life but hardly speaking, their eyes constantly scanning the surroundings.

Without showing it, Ning An counted that they had encountered eight or nine plainclothes officers after only passing through two streets.

It was the fifteenth of January, the peak of bustle, with market stalls and vendors’ shouting endlessly echoing around.

”Lamb soup, lamb soup, Angora goat soup!”

”Grilled chicken frame, cheap, ten yuan for three!”

”Boss, want to try a fish cake, it’s really good!”

”Boss, taste my roasted sweet potatoes; if they aren’t sweet, they’re free...”

Not only were the vendors passionate, but the shops on both sides didn’t hold back either, with numerous staff performing energetic dances at the storefronts to attract customers.

A street full of shops covering dining, clothing, lodging, and transportation: hardware stores, inns, mahjong rooms, foot massage clubs, hotpot places, and most notably, stewed dish restaurants, about four or five of them.

Just stepping into a stewed dish restaurant, a cool breeze from the air conditioning greeted them, as inside, people of all ages were happily enjoying their stewed dishes.

Ning An and Lin Yanke exchanged smiles, ordered a set meal, and sat down.

At the table next to them, there were also several young tourists, faces flushed, alternating bites between food and drink, speaking in Mandarin: ”I must tell my classmates when I go back, the public security here is nothing like ours.”

”The security is good, but it’s a hassle, getting our IDs checked two or three times just walking a few streets, sigh.”

”Aren’t you just never satisfied, huh? With such good security and you’re complaining, should I send you to Yingjiang to feel the taste of freedom, huh?”

...

The further north they went, the warmer people became. Indeed, after just a few words, a local elder couldn’t resist turning around and saying, ”You came at the wrong time, go back a few days and you wouldn’t see this commotion.”

”Yes, the racket last night was huge. I heard several police officers died on duty,” another elder at the next table interjected.

”Pah, Old Sun, don’t speak nonsense if you don’t know. My second daughter works at the hospital, and she said some officers were sent there, but it wasn’t serious. Why do you say they died on duty...” laughed and clapped his neighbor at the table.

Originally just a few out-of-town tourists chatting, they somehow piqued the interest of the elders in the restaurant, and a conversation ensued across tables.

Ning An listened with his ear turned towards them and found it increasingly absurd.

Things like coeur à coeur, beheading, invincibility to knives and spears—are stories this immersive nowadays?!

Eating while listening to the elders chat passionately, Ning An gathered a few key pieces of information.

The notorious murderer who was causing a big stir in Y City had already fled to the area near Pixian County since yesterday.