Chapter 145: Children’s Laughter (24)
Even though Jing Xiaobao kept staring at Yan Shixun with big eyes full of tears, trying to win his sympathy and stop him from telling Lin Ting about his matters, Yan Shixun had already fully realized the strength of the vicious ghost that Chi Yan had raised after their recent encounter.
So, facing Jing Xiaobao, Yan Shixun remained unmoved, his heart as hard as iron.
Jing Xiaobao sniffled and cried, shrinking further behind Yan Shixun’s long legs with every word Yan Shixun spoke. He tried to use Yan Shixun’s tall body to block his small, round body, as if that could make Lin Ting not see him, adopting an ostrich-like mentality to avoid the situation.
But his small body was not even as high as Yan Shixun’s knee. The ghost child was also pampered and nourished, making his skin smooth and delicate. This beautiful appearance was so deceiving that anyone who looked at him would feel softhearted, unable to feel any harshness.
—Even though everyone present had just witnessed the fierce, skull-like ghost hidden beneath this human skin.
They were all witnesses to the terrifying power and threat of the vicious ghost.
Only Yan Shixun could harden his heart and ignore the pitiful sight of Jing Xiaobao.
He even lowered his head, sneering as he met those watery big eyes. “Hold it in. You’re a little ghost, not a seductive fox spirit, and I’m not King Zhou. Your tricks won’t work on me.”
Jing Xiaobao hiccupped with a sob, clutching Yan Shixun’s long leg with his soft little hands, rubbing his tears all over Yan Shixun’s suit pants.
Yan Shixun: ……
What kind of sin had he committed? Why was it that every big child liked to rub their tears on him?
Meanwhile, Ye Li beside them slightly moved his eyebrows, seemingly noticing the silent struggle between Yan Shixun and Jing Xiaobao.
However, he felt no sympathy for the ghost child.
This little ghost had just injured Yan Shixun.
Yan Shixun, whom Ye Li treasured and feared losing, the one who could control ghosts—was hurt and bled because of this little ghost.
Though Ye Li knew very well that the reason Yan Shixun had done this was that both he and the ghost shared a similar Evil Spirit Bone Transformation, and the blood between them carried a similar aura. This was the fastest way to suppress this little ghost.
Apart from Yan Shixun, no one—no person or ghost—could suppress a vicious ghost raised to such a powerful state.
Knowing the full story, Ye Li thought of Chi Yan as both foolish and wicked. She believed that by raising a ghost child, she could combine the luck of both humans and ghosts, thereby ensuring endless luck and achieving everything she desired without any effort.
But greed had blinded her eyes.
Having tasted the benefits of this luck, how could Chi Yan let go of it?
She had already become addicted to this sensation.
So, she refused to let the ghost child leave, fearing that its power would be exhausted. She was even willing to deplete her own strength for it.
In Taoist teachings, there is a saying: “Nine returns to one.”
Ten is the number of perfection, the number of the gods.
The closest number to ten is nine.
Chi Yan had fed the little ghost nine times, both in terms of power and rituals. This had allowed the ghost to pass an invisible threshold.
It was like a carp leaping over the dragon gate.
The ghost child had transformed from a normal “vicious ghost that threatens humans and is difficult to deal with by exorcists” into a “powerful evil ghost that cannot be dealt with, even by gods and spirits.”
Ye Li saw it clearly—the ghost child was on the verge of becoming a ghost deity.
It was only a matter of time before the Dao would either recognize or suppress it, and then it could truly become a ruler in its own right.
It would follow the same path Ye Li had walked a thousand years ago.
That was why, at first, Ye Li hadn’t even realized the existence of this ghost child. He was suddenly pulled into this ghostly realm in the hotel, unable to perceive the outside world.
Because, in the eyes of the heavens and earth, a new deity was about to be born. This was the ghost child’s world now, and in this world, the ghost child was the law.
That’s why Yan Shixun had struggled to find the exit outside the concession zone. He had to rely on the identities assigned to everyone, searching for fleeting clues within, and eventually, like peeling away layers of silk, he uncovered the truth and the existence of the little ghost.
—He even managed to subdue the ghost child completely.
It was obvious that the child was about to burst into tears.
With Yan Shixun’s conflicting actions—pressing the child down one moment, helping him the next—his mood swung wildly. In the chaos of these emotional ups and downs, Jing Xiaobao had completely lost the will to resist Yan Shixun. He became like an ordinary child, simply letting Yan Shixun shape him however he pleased, just hoping that Yan Shixun would say less to Lin Ting.
Ye Li watched as Yan Shixun said something crucial but dragged out his words, speaking to Lin Ting, leaving her on edge, urging him to continue. Meanwhile, Jing Xiaobao, with teary eyes, reached up and tugged at Yan Shixun’s leg, trying to interrupt his speech with a little playful gesture.
This scene caused a smile to appear in Ye Li’s eyes. His previously cold gaze, which had been as frigid as mountain snow, slowly melted into warm spring water, gently flowing.
Although Ye Li was surprised by the result, he wasn’t truly shocked.
His exorcist, even without the talismans or the divination powers that others relied on, could rely on his strong, unyielding willpower to strike down the evil god from the divine platform.
How could a new god, one who had not even ascended to the throne, possibly challenge his exorcist?
However, while Ye Li remained calm, he knew very well that if he and Yan Shixun hadn’t ventured here, if the crew and production team had been drawn into the ghost child’s world without Yan Shixun, they would not have been able to make the right judgment in their fear. They wouldn’t have the caution, strength, and accuracy of Yan Shixun’s decisions, and they wouldn’t find the correct path out.
They might never uncover the truth that Chi Yan had hidden. They wouldn’t know that all the suffering they endured was the result of the ghost child’s backlash, with the ghost child’s only target being Chi Yan. They were merely collateral damage.
Yet, if they had chosen to help Chi Yan without knowing the truth, they would have been seen by the enraged ghost as helping the deceased master, and thus, the ghost’s resentment would fall on them as well.
At that point, the crew and production team would have no hope of leaving alive.
Their end would likely resemble that of the master—horribly twisted in death, their souls trapped here, endlessly wandering, never to escape.
It was Yan Shixun, by his sheer willpower, who had turned all of this around.
And if he hadn’t followed? When Yan Shixun was injured and finally made the decision to temporarily reconcile with the Great Way, choosing to bear its responsibilities and powers, allowing the ghost child to regain its sanity, perhaps…
Yan Shixun, who already bore old wounds, would have sustained irreversible injuries.
Even life-threatening ones.
Thinking of this, Ye Li narrowed his long, slanted eyes and cast a cold, dangerous look at the child.
Ye Li knew that Yan Shixun’s current apparent ease was just a facade. This man had walked alone for too long. He had no habit of seeking help from others, nor would he easily lower his guard.
That was why Yan Shixun maintained such a relaxed demeanor, as though the blood on his shirt was merely a prop.
Even a beast, when wounded, would lick its wounds in private.
In the face of possible danger, it would never reveal a trace of weakness.
Ye Li was both furious at the ghost child and helpless against Yan Shixun.
Trust him… just a little more.
Perhaps, one day, the ultimate hunter, having fully laid down his guard, would softly lie in his lap, exposing his fragile neck and abdomen, allowing him to caress them.
But that day was certainly not now.
Ye Li’s fingers, hanging at his side, moved slightly. His long fingers rubbed against each other instinctively, as if stroking the ears of a large cat.
His gaze toward Yan Shixun softened with a faint, tender smile.
Jing Xiaobao noticed the look in Ye Li’s eyes. He shivered and hid further behind Yan Shixun.
The tall, imposing man’s figure loomed over the child like an unclimbable mountain, full of pressure.
But that wasn’t why Jing Xiaobao feared him.
When he was born, Jingshi Wanxiu, his father’s first wife, had already passed away, so he didn’t know the woman at all.
At first, when he pulled Ye Li into the world he had created with his ghostly energy, it was because he had confirmed that Yan Shixun was Jing Bin.
So, vaguely sensing a deep connection between Yan Shixun and Ye Li, Jing Xiaobao had assigned Jingshi Wanxiu’s identity to Ye Li, believing that it made the most sense.
Originally, Jing Xiaobao hadn’t thought much of Ye Li. Even though he vaguely felt something was off about him, he didn’t notice any ghostly energy on Ye Li—after all, Taoists who dealt with ghosts and spirits often carried some trace of it. Even Yan Shixun had more ghostly energy than Ye Li. So, after a brief moment of doubt, Jing Xiaobao didn’t pursue the matter further.
Until just now.
After regaining his sanity, Jing Xiaobao slowly remembered. He could feel the warmth of Yan Shixun’s strong chest, and the warmth of blood, which had once been cursed and corroded by insects, began to revive his bones, pulling him back to the human world. He felt again the warmth of life, remembering the beauty of his short life.
This warmth awakened a fragment of his sanity. Instinctively, he didn’t want his ghostly energy to spread any further.
It would… destroy everything.
The time spent with his parents, the flowers, animals, and the bright sun…
All the beautiful memories and warmth would be destroyed by his ghostly energy.
So he couldn’t… he couldn’t continue.
Jing Xiaobao felt like he was caught between two worlds—one of humans, and the other of ghosts. He wandered in this limbo, struggling to find release.
Yet, the tall man above him looked down with a cold, menacing gaze, as if Jing Xiaobao had ruined something precious to him, making him angry.
But when the man slowly extended his hand toward him, it was as heavy and suffocating as a mountain descending, a force too strong to resist or break free from.
In that moment of dazed clarity, Jing Xiaobao realized what that was.
—The Great Way.
This man, suddenly, was one with the Great Way.
Jing Xiaobao was very clever.
Having the Evil Spirit Bone Transformation, he had always learned quickly, impressing those around him. Even the elders who came to visit Lin Ting were astonished by his talent. At just over one year old, he had already made arrangements for himself to enter the capital city’s university.
But after death, Jing Xiaobao had spent a long time in carefree oblivion.
He had seen the suffering of the people, the growing number of ghosts who came to keep him company, but he remained indifferent to the human world. Aside from his parents and the younger brother he had met only briefly before parting, he showed no interest in others.
But those ghosts were naturally afraid of him.
Jing Xiaobao knew it. After all, he had an Evil Spirit Bone Transformation through and through. He was very powerful.
He stood proudly, hands on his hips.
However, Chi Yan’s actions shattered the original balance.
Jing Xiaobao had been too young when he died. He didn’t want to hurt his mother’s unborn child, so when he realized that his existence had caused his parents’ fate to worsen, even leading to multiple assassination attempts, he made a decision—he would no longer be his mother’s child. A lovely younger brother would take his place and keep his parents company.
“I’ve given the best parents to my younger brother.”
Xiao Bao thought magnanimously.
But even with that thought, Jing Xiaobao still missed his mother. He wanted to see her again, but the burial site was too far from Binhai, and he couldn’t return.
So, when Chi Yan gently approached, influenced by the master’s talisman, Jing Xiaobao mistook Chi Yan for his mother and was carried away by him, confused and unaware.
By the time he realized, it was too late.
Heaven and earth were indifferent, and when a contract was made between humans and ghosts, the yin-yang bond had to be followed. If one tried to break it, they would pay a thousand times the cost.
No matter the reason.
Xiao Bao had thought of resisting, but the innate spiritual energy carried by Chi Yan’s unborn child and the thoughts of the child’s soul embedded within the flesh had fused with Xiao Bao.
In gaining strength, Xiao Bao was also forced to accept the recognition of Chi Yan’s “mother” identity within the blood and flesh.
——Because she’s my mother.
She is the mother I love the most, so I must protect her.
Xiao Bao had been in a daze, struggling over and over for more than ten years.
Then, after the last bite of flesh and blood entered his stomach, his power reached its critical point, and the barrier that had always existed was suddenly broken.
For all this time, Xiao Bao had been controlled by the Master’s talismans and Chi Yan’s flesh and blood, but finally, his eyes opened again, and he clearly saw the world as it truly was.
…She is not my mother.
My mother was a great person. She saved lives, guarded the flame, and gave hope to others.
But Chi Yan, Chi Yan deserves to die!!!
Anger and hatred sent Xiao Bao into a frenzy, and the ghostly aura and resentment consumed him. He hunted Chi Yan down, vowing to make her die in the most painful way possible.
Chi Yan, realizing the danger, quickly chose to flee abroad for safety.
The move suggested by the enlightened monk did indeed work.
Xiao Bao was enraged that everyone was helping Chi Yan, yet she wanted to kill him. So, he ended up hating all living people as well.
But there was some confusion within him.
He couldn’t find Chi Yan.
And… he missed his younger brother.
The brother he had only met once when he was just born but who had been willing to play with him after death, so adorable.
Xiao Bao went to find his brother, only to be shocked to discover that, in the years they hadn’t seen each other, his brother seemed to be in a bad condition.
He was no longer the bright and lively person from his memory. His brother was lying in a hospital bed, connected to a respirator and heart monitor, the rhythmic “beep beep” of the machines filling the room. But his brother showed no response, his face was dark with a sickly aura, looking no different from death.
Xiao Bao learned about his brother’s condition over the years from the ghosts in the care home. He discovered that his brother had chosen to inherit their father’s business.
Just like their father, who had once negotiated with the golden-haired, blue-eyed people at the Jing Estate with dignity and resolve, fighting for the greater good of his family and country, his brother had also chosen a path filled with danger but was the right one.
And like their father, because his brother was so exceptional, many people wanted him dead.
That’s why his brother had been lying in a hospital bed for over ten years, not coming to play with him, not realizing that Xiao Bao was no longer around.
Xiao Bao pouted, feeling a bit wronged.
When the night darkened, as the human world fell asleep and the ghosts awoke, Xiao Bao entered his brother’s dream.
He bit his lip and tearfully told his brother that he had encountered a bad woman.
Her name was Chi Yan. She pretended to be their mother and controlled him to do many terrible things over the years.
He wanted to kill Chi Yan, but… he couldn’t find her anymore.
Brother, I want to play ball with you again.
So… can you come find me?
This was Xiao Bao’s last kindness and gentleness toward the human world.
In his eyes, everyone except for his brother was Chi Yan’s accomplice and deserved to die.
But he hadn’t expected a variable like Yan Shixun to appear.
——He wouldn’t hurt him, he wanted to save him.
…And he even went to tell on his mother!
Xiao Bao clung to Yan Shixun’s leg, his soft hair messily rubbing against the bend of Yan Shixun’s leg, like a cat nestling into a blanket, its soft and beautiful fur now frizzing up.
It was so cute that it made people want to reach out and stroke the fur.
Of course, Yan Shixun, who couldn’t see Xiao Bao’s position behind his legs at this moment, remained unaffected.
Even if he could see it, it wouldn’t change his mind.
Lin Ting, however, looked anxious, listening intently as Yan Shixun calmly explained what Xiao Bao had gone through over the years.
This included why there was this strange “Jing Estate” and why these people had appeared here.
Lin Ting’s emotions were like being on a ferry, rising and falling, at times happy and sad, at times angry and worried. She was so nervous that she instinctively placed her hand over her chest, unable to take her eyes off Yan Shixun for even a moment.
But the people nearby, seeing Xiao Bao in this state, were not as calm as the others.
The first person to be overwhelmed by the cuteness was Zhao Zhen.
Although his personality was usually steady, because he had a sense of responsibility, when he saw such a cute little human child, he naturally felt a protective urge to hold this small bundle in his arms.
It must feel so nice to touch, right?
Zhao Zhen’s fingers twitched, feeling like he was hallucinating, as if he could feel the soft, warm body of the child.
Especially when Xiao Bao, crying pitifully and holding onto Yan Shixun’s long model-like legs, was too small and couldn’t quite hold on, Zhao Zhen felt like he had been struck straight in the heart by the cuteness.
Even An Nanyuan, who had been terrified moments before, hesitated when he realized that this small, soft bundle was the very one who had dragged them into this world.
“Actually, it’s nothing… just a child being mischievous.”
An Nanyuan sighed as he placed his hand over his chest, reflecting on how human children were basically weapons—capable of making one soft-hearted enough to forgive anything.
Song Ci, however, was furious: “Pah! An Nanyuan, you big fool, wake up! If it weren’t for Brother Yan and that assistant director, you’d have been dead hundreds of times by now! With your ability to imagine things, if it weren’t for Lu Xingxing, you wouldn’t even be able to make it to Jing Estate!”
The young master had always been the most spoiled child in his family, and he wouldn’t fall for Xiao Bao’s tricks!
An Nanyuan snapped out of his daze, embarrassed, rubbing his nose and apologizing.
When they got back, he swore he wouldn’t watch movies anymore… sob!
However, among the group, Zhang Wubing was the one whose attitude toward Xiao Bao never softened.
Even when Xiao Bao was clinging to Yan Shixun’s long legs and acting spoiled, he glared at Xiao Bao with a vigilant, angry expression. It looked as if, if he weren’t concerned about his image in front of Li Xuetang, he’d have rushed over to yank Xiao Bao off Yan Shixun’s legs.
“My dad’s good son can only be me!”
Zhang Wubing was furious: “I will never accept a second child!”
The others were speechless: “………”
Director, wake up! You just said that in front of Director Li Xuetang!
Also, you’re making us all feel embarrassed, like the whole production team has some big illness.
Where’s your director’s dignity?
The audience watching the live broadcast had also slowly relaxed, their anxiety and fear relieved by the reactions of Zhang Wubing and the others.
Earlier, when Xiao Bao had gone on his rampage, many viewers were almost scared out of their minds.
Though Xiao Bao now seemed cute and well-behaved, it couldn’t change the fact that he was a vengeful ghost child.
What had just happened, even other exorcists hadn’t seen before, let alone the ordinary audience members.
Now that they’d calmed down, they finally began posting comments again.
The screen, which had been eerily silent due to the viewers being too frightened to comment, was now filling up with one comment after another.
[Holy… I almost couldn’t breathe just now. I almost died from the scare.]
[Wuwuwu, I just realized, I’m actually Ye Gong who loves dragons! I used to love Gothic style, dressed cool and sharp, with tons of demons, skulls, crosses, and the like in my house, even researching demon rituals. But after that scene, I was totally dumbfounded! Especially since my bed is facing a skull, I screamed for several minutes thinking the skull came alive. I thought demons were cool, but now I see they’re terrifying!!! I regret it, wuwu.]
[… I yelled so loud my downstairs neighbors called the police, and they came knocking on my door. Can you imagine a 1.8m tall guy crying to the police? Yep, that was me. And after I finished crying, the police officer told me he was two years younger than me. Thanks for the invitation, I’m officially socially dead.]
[I was watching the livestream while hugging my cat, thinking that would give me some courage. I was wrong, I overestimated myself. Watching this show late at night, my courage is definitely thanks to Liang Dada.]
[You’re lucky, your cat still stayed with you. I was holding my cat, screamed in fright from the livestream, and my cat slapped me in disdain before running off… just ran away.]
[Does this kid have some evil vibe? I swear, when I came back from the bathroom and entered my room, I saw the skull on my tablet, and I almost had a heart attack! And now this kid’s acting like this??? Is he a ghost hiding in a human body?]
[He looks so cute now, but why was there such a terrifying scene earlier… Wuwu, I can’t even look at kids properly anymore. Now their laughter sounds so creepy.]
[Thanks, the kid next door suddenly started laughing, and it scared me to death in the middle of the night.]
[Why didn’t you all send comments earlier!!! I watched the whole scene where the kid was biting Brother Yan, damn! The blood was flying, even the camera lens had blood splatters. I was so scared, I couldn’t move at all, okay?]
[I really admire Yan Shixun. He was able to hold that terrifying kid without changing his expression. If it were me, I’d have killed it.]
[But from what Brother Yan said to Lin Ting, this kid is Chi Yan’s ghost child? Chi Yan is really something! How can she be so cruel to a child like this?]
[That just goes to show, you’ve never seen how far people will go for wealth and power. Chi Yan is probably one of the craziest of them all. Just hearing Brother Yan talk about it gives me chills.]
[Chi Yan is definitely sick!! Damn it, people like her should be beaten up every time I see them! Even if Chi Yan’s fans come to insult me, I’ll insult her back—Chi Yan should go straight to hell!!!]
However, the anger and fear of the viewers could not be known to the people in Jing Estate.
They had no idea that the live broadcast was even happening, and so in their conversation, they were completely unguarded, casually exchanging all the information they knew. In doing so, they exposed Chi Yan and other people involved in raising ghost children.
This conversation caused a massive stir on social media, with even the official PR team having to increase their efforts to steer the public opinion towards “script” and “film production.”
However, the names of Chi Yan and others mentioned in the conversation were documented by the officials.
If it had been just simple prayers and offerings, they wouldn’t have interfered.
But with the number of people sharing blessings and wishes every day on social media, there was no way to monitor them all.
But Chi Yan’s actions had involved human lives.
Even though the fetuses had not been born, and hadn’t even received basic human rights, the repeated nine times was a serious violation of morality.
Even the coldest people felt something was wrong, and many were even more furious, believing that Chi Yan no longer deserved to be a mother.
The officials contacted Chi Yan’s company and manager, who stammered and hesitated, unwilling to speak but also unwilling to deceive the officials.
Under pressure, they quickly revealed everything.
The assistant and manager were also taken by the officials for questioning late that night.
The manager stood there, staring at the livestream of Jing Xiaobao, with a lump in his throat and a feeling of sorrow welling up inside. He muttered, “What have I been doing all these years…”
The young staff member snorted angrily, “You’ve been helping her do evil. Even though you knew it was wrong, you still did it, didn’t you? What’s the use of regretting now?”
But both the manager and the onlookers knew the truth—
Chi Yan’s career was completely ruined.
Meanwhile, in the Jing Estate, after listening to Yan Shixun’s account, Lin Ting stood silently with her head lowered, her expression full of sorrow and pain.
It was the same expression Jing Bin had worn decades ago, when he stood in the living room looking at the bodies of his two daughters.
That was the remorse and anger of a parent who couldn’t protect their child.
Jing Xiaobao clung to Yan Shixun’s leg, anxiously gazing at Lin Ting, biting his lip, looking pitiful.
Lin Ting noticed the shift in Jing Xiaobao’s emotions.
She hurriedly gathered herself, hiding her emotions, and put a smile back on her face. Then, she squatted down in front of Jing Xiaobao, softly asking, “Why didn’t Xiao Bao come to find Mommy? Mommy can protect you.”
If she had been able to protect him, her child wouldn’t have been taken away by an evil person, tormented and hurt!
Just thinking about it made pain flood Lin Ting’s eyes.
Poor her, who had stayed in the Jing Estate for decades after death, worrying that her child would return to look for her and fearing that her family and country still needed her, unable to leave. Yet the child she most wanted to protect had suffered so much pain!
A mother’s heart ached like a knife tearing at it.
But Jing Xiaobao instinctively pulled back, not allowing Lin Ting to embrace him.
“Because… because I’m a bad child now.”
Jing Xiaobao mumbled, lowering his head. “I don’t want Mommy to see me like this.”
He longed for his mother, but how could he allow her to see him, full of ghostly energy and evil traits?
He wanted his mother’s memory of him to always be that of the cute and clever young master of the Jing Estate, untouched and beautiful.
Lin Ting froze.
Yan Shixun lowered his eyes, looking at the crumpled suit pants Jing Xiaobao was gripping with his tiny hands, knowing the boy was also struggling internally.
He let out a scoff, slightly lifting his leg to shake off Jing Xiaobao’s hand and walked to the side.
“Mr. Lin Ting, it seems like you have a lot to say to this mischievous child.”
Yan Shixun smiled. “After such a long time, I won’t disturb your reunion.”
With that, he opened the door and, with long strides, walked out.
Everyone else paused for a moment, especially Li Xuetang, who, upon seeing Lin Ting so close, seemed a little excited. He wanted to go up and ask about things from a century ago.
—How could stories passed down from others compare to hearing them from the source?
Moreover, Li Xuetang had always admired Lin Ting.
When he was preparing the script, he had read a lot of information and learned just how many commendable deeds this humble and unassuming Mr. Lin Ting had done. In fact, many of her initiatives were still in use today.
The sudden opportunity to face his “idol” made Li Xuetang eager to approach and express his admiration.
After all, the chance to meet Lin Ting’s ghost might only come once—if he missed it, it might never happen again.
But fortunately, his rationality kept him in check. He knew it was inappropriate to disturb a mother and son reunited, so he restrained himself and left the room with the others, even thoughtfully closing the door behind him.
Yan Shixun didn’t relax, however; he directly went up to the third floor.
Chi Yan had already been killed by Jing Xiaobao.
She had died in Lin Qiong’s room.
This room, once elegant and exquisite, was now splattered with blood everywhere. Fragments of flesh and bone scattered across the floor, and the blood had soaked and clumped the carpet. A finger was still hanging on the record player, barely hanging on.
Chi Yan’s mangled body lay not far from the door.
Her once exquisite, beautiful appearance was now completely ruined. Her hair was disheveled, her jewelry gone, and the beautiful qipao she had worn, once covered with large red flowers symbolizing wealth, was now stained with blood, replacing the intricate embroidery with fresh, violent flowers of blood.
Chi Yan’s hand desperately reached toward the door, but her once beautiful and delicate hand was now destroyed, as though someone had chopped off her fingers one by one. All that was left was a bloody mess of broken stumps.
She was covered in wounds—not only her hands, but large patches of flesh had been torn from her arms and thighs, as though she had been hunted down and torn apart piece by piece in a room, only to bleed out in the end.
That flesh wasn’t just smeared all over the walls—it had been reduced to a mush and stuffed into Chi Yan’s mouth.
Her slightly swollen abdomen seemed to be full of her own blood and flesh, pushing her stomach out, and even spilling over into her throat, flowing out around her red lips.
Everyone who entered the room was met with this sight.
An Nanyuan’s face changed drastically as he shoved someone aside and rushed out, gagging violently.
Song Ci, unable to catch his breath, rolled his eyes and fell backward, but luckily, Lu Xingxing was quick and caught him in time.
The viewers watching the livestream had just begun to relax, but no one expected something like this to happen. They gasped in shock, many nearly passing out from fear.
A few of the more timid ones trembled uncontrollably and couldn’t stop crying.
Even Lu Xingxing and Zhao Zhen, who remained relatively calm, had their faces turn pale.
Even when faced with death, they weren’t accustomed to such a brutal and horrifying scene.
Only Yan Shixun stepped into the room without changing his expression. He slowly squatted down in front of Chi Yan’s already lifeless body.
Her beautiful eyes were wide open, but there was no life in them. They had turned into dull, cloudy glass orbs, still staring at the door as if hoping for a chance to escape.
Her once stunning face was completely ruined by tears and fear. Her eyeliner, washed away by tears, had created dark trails across her face, looking grotesque and terrifying.
But Yan Shixun simply sighed softly.
If one tries to steal others’ fate, they will eventually have to return it.
Heaven and earth are merciless, and yet, that is what makes things fair.
Even if Chi Yan had found a rare Evil Spirit Bone Transformation, did she really think she could escape the retribution of fate?
The cycle of cause and effect is inevitable.
As Yan Shixun thought about how both he and Jing Xiaobao shared the same Evil Spirit Bone Transformation in their bones, one living, one dead, he couldn’t help but recall the person from the marketplace more than ten years ago.
Who was that person? Was it them who helped him avoid the preordained death of the Evil Spirit Bone Transformation?
Yan Shixun was filled with questions.
Ye Li’s hand landed on Yan Shixun’s arm. He slightly bent down, his strong arm half-forcing, half-supporting Yan Shixun as he pulled him up.
“Husband, you always look at others. I’m getting jealous.”
Seeing Yan Shixun’s confusion, Ye Li remained unfazed. “Did you forget what you said when you married me? That you’d take care of the family and grow together, and our bond would last forever?”
Yan Shixun: “??? I never said that!”
What was with this person, not able to break out of character?
But just before Yan Shixun could get angry, Ye Li pointed downstairs. “Someone’s here to visit.”
Yan Shixun, who had been about to speak to Ye Li, stopped abruptly. His expression hardened as he turned and descended the stairs.
Outside the Jing Estate, a young man wearing a student uniform from a hundred years ago looked up nostalgically at the estate, his youthful face full of energy.
He smiled and knocked on the door.
The wanderer had come home.
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