Chapter 1735: The Vanishing Jian Changsheng

"I have to say, this is actually quite convenient."

"Yeah... No need to worry about being seen wherever we go, and we can walk through walls. Won't we be able to walk sideways through this human domain from now on?"

"If we’re in the mood, we can even pretend to be ghosts on the radio to scare people, hahaha!!"

"Still, we have to be careful. In the reflection of glass or mirrors, we’re still quite clear."

"So what if we’re clear? Can they catch us?"

"Among the various Divine Paths, there are plenty of experts who can strike at souls. Don't be too arrogant; if we get caught, we’ll be gossiping about you for a lifetime."

“……”

The night sky shrouded the grassland, and the members of the Twilight Society were still tirelessly studying their own bodies.

Sun Bumian scanned the surroundings, only to find something was missing, and walked straight toward Chen Ling.

"Red Heart... where is Spades?"

"Isn't he here?"

Chen Ling was startled, his gaze following the crowd. Sure enough, he didn't see Jian Changsheng’s figure in the noisy crowd.

His brows furrowed tightly: "Wait... let me look again."

Logically, Chen Ling had released all the ghosts newly contained within the red paper umbrella, including all the Twilight Society members... And Jian Changsheng was the last one to enter the red paper umbrella. Chen Ling had sensed his presence before; he couldn't have just vanished into thin air.

But no matter how thoroughly he searched the red paper umbrella, he couldn't find Jian Changsheng’s ghost. It was as if he had passed through the umbrella and disappeared into nothingness.

"How is this possible... I clearly brought him to this world."

Chen Ling put down the red paper umbrella, a deep sense of bewilderment appearing in his eyes.

He could be certain that Jian Changsheng had been brought to this world, but... where could he have gone? Not to mention whether he had the ability to break free from the red paper umbrella, even if he did, why would he leave?

Could it be that he encountered some mishap during the world restart?

Chen Ling’s heart plummeted.

Seeing the change in Chen Ling’s expression, Sun Bumian guessed something. He was silent for a long time before comforting him:

"Don't worry... That guy may have bad luck, but he’s tough as nails. He probably just accidentally got left behind somewhere in this world."

"Even so, without the empowerment of the Spirit-Medium Field, he can't stay active in the human world for long," Chen Ling said in a deep voice.

"I’m afraid..."

Sun Bumian thought for a moment. "How about this: you and I will join forces and cast a divination for him."

"Alright."

Chen Ling placed his hand on Sun Bumian’s shoulder, and the [Soul-Recall Technique] was instantly activated.

Now that everyone was in a soul state, they couldn't use their original Divine Path powers, but Chen Ling could use the [Soul-Recall Technique] to manifest their abilities from when they were alive, using himself as a vessel. Naturally, this included Sun Bumian’s domain.

Gold and black energy swirled around Chen Ling. The [Divination of Fortune and Misfortune] was activated in a simplified form. Although it wasn't as precise as when Sun Bumian performed it himself, it was enough to predict fortune and misfortune.

Sun Bumian stood beside Chen Ling, watching the energy of fortune and misfortune swirl and eventually converge into a hexagram, falling into deep thought.

"...How is it?" Although Chen Ling could use the ability, he couldn't interpret the hexagram and could only look to Sun Bumian.

"Fortune and misfortune are equal... He should be in some kind of predicament, but in the short term, there shouldn't be any major issues," Sun Bumian said with surprise. "This is my first time seeing such a hexagram... I really can't quite understand it."

Hearing that Jian Changsheng’s soul hadn't dissipated and that he wouldn't be in danger in the short term, Chen Ling breathed a sigh of relief.

"But..."

"Where exactly is he now?"

Chen Ling’s brows were locked in a frown, his gaze seemingly piercing through the night sky above, looking far off into the distance...

……

Aurora Prison.

In a lavishly decorated mansion.

A child wearing a tattered, simple padded jacket knelt by the bed, picked up a steaming hot towel from a basin, folded it carefully into a square, and then cautiously wiped it on a withered, thin foot at the edge of the bed...

Bang—!

A foot kicked him hard in the chest, knocking him over along with the basin. The boy let out a muffled groan and fell clumsily into the corner of the room.

The clatter of the basin hitting the floor followed. Scalding hot water soaked the boy through, and drops of water flowed from his hair, revealing the panicked eyes beneath.

The child was only eight or nine years old, his body not yet fully grown. At this moment, he curled into a ball, like a wet, shivering sphere.

"You idiot! Are you trying to scald me to death!?"

A thin man stood up from the bed, his wet feet stepping on the floor, walking step by step toward the boy, looking at him with extreme arrogance. "What, are you still feeling resentful?"

"Don't forget, my Yan Family Pawnshop is the biggest creditor of your Jian family! You, your father, and the residents on the street owe our Yan family money that you will never be able to pay off in your lifetime!"

"In this district, apart from the Chengtian Prefecture, I, Yan Dongqing, am the sky!"

The young Jian Changsheng sat slumped in the corner, looking at the extremely arrogant Yan Dongqing. After gritting his teeth for a moment, he still spoke stubbornly:

"If it weren't for the underhanded methods you used, who would owe you so much money... You are nothing but bandits and robbers!"

Slap—!

The thin man was furious and slapped Jian Changsheng hard, causing him to collapse onto the floor again.

"Cut the crap! If you have the ability, pay back the money?! Our Yan family is a family passed down for hundreds of years; a lean camel is bigger than a horse. Just a lowly slave like you, and you dare to point fingers?"

Jian Changsheng opened his mouth to retort, but thinking of the astronomical debt his family owed the Yan family and his seriously ill father, he swallowed the words back down.

"Go get me another basin of water, and wash it again!!" Yan Dongqing snorted coldly.

Jian Changsheng didn't dare to say more. His thin arms supported his body as he stood up silently. He first wiped the water stains off the floor with a towel, then carried the basin and walked out.

The wind in Aurora Prison was very cold, blowing against the child’s thin, wet body, causing a bone-chilling pain.

Jian Changsheng shivered and buried his head lower. Grievance and pain welled up in his heart, and tears swirled in his reddened eyes...

This child, only eight or nine years old, wiped his tears while whispering to himself:

"Mom..."

"Little Jian misses you..."

"They all bully me... Why... Why... I didn't do anything wrong..."

Jian Changsheng sobbed quietly, afraid of being heard. He wanted to be strong like a man, but his tears just wouldn't stop swirling.

The bleak, cold wind swept through the empty corridor, freezing the child’s falling tears into frost. As his clothes fluttered in the wind, he felt his vision blur, and a figure appeared before him like a ghost.

It was a black silhouette of a person. He had no physical form, but the killing intent surging around him churned in the void like flames...

The moment he appeared, the child Jian Changsheng was so frightened that his legs went weak, and the basin in his hands clattered to the ground once more.