Chapter 204: A Second Time

Star Chamber of Commerce.

"Uncle Long, hasn't he returned yet?" Yan Xishou checked the time and asked, sitting on the sofa with some unease.

"Not yet, but he should be soon," the old butler said slowly. "Young Master, don't worry... The Puppet Master is a Tier 4 powerhouse, and his combat strength is the highest among the three left guarding the Chamber of Commerce. With his strength, there won't be any mishaps."

"That's good," Yan Xishou breathed a sigh of relief. "Have the law enforcement officers been taken care of?"

"Yes. Even if there was a big commotion tonight, no law enforcement officer will come to meddle... As for the subsequent cleanup, someone will handle it, so it won't cause any waves."

Yan Xishou nodded and took a sip of the tea on the table. Just then, the door to the room was pushed open.

A figure walked up and whispered something in the butler’s ear. The latter nodded slightly:

"Young Master, the Puppet Master is back."

"Oh? Did he succeed?"

"Jian Changsheng has been brought back. That Wen Shilin and Lin Yan are quite cunning; they didn't go home at all last night... However, he said he caught a guy suspected of being related to them. After soul-shattering interrogation, we should have results."

"The two most important people weren't caught..." Yan Xishou’s brow furrowed slightly. "Give him the authority for soul-shattering interrogation. Tell him that no matter what method he uses, he must catch those two within today... dead or alive."

"Yes."

……

Dim torches illuminated the dungeon corridor. A hunchbacked man carrying a paper figure walked slowly among the many cells.

With his appearance, the guards stationed throughout the dungeon felt fear rise in their eyes and silently lowered their heads, not daring to meet his gaze.

Finally, the hunchbacked man stopped in front of two of the cells.

With a casual wave, two paper figures drifted automatically into the cells. As the paper folded, two figures stumbled out from mid-air and were locked inside the cells.

"Watch them well. I'm going to prepare for the soul-shattering interrogation," the hunchbacked man said indifferently. "Bring them to the interrogation room in ten minutes."

"Yes!" A scarred man walked over from the side and answered immediately.

The hunchbacked man was about to leave when he turned back to look at the scarred man, "I heard that a few days ago, you let someone escape from the dungeon?"

As soon as this sentence was spoken, sweat seeped from the scarred man’s forehead. He forced a smile at the corner of his mouth,

"At that time... that time was an accident..."

The hunchbacked man looked deeply at the two cells and was silent for a moment,

"Forget it. Both of these people are God Path users; you might not be able to hold them... I'll come to collect them myself in a moment."

After speaking, the hunchbacked man waved his hand again. Two paper figures drifted out from his side as if they had no weight, guarding the entrance and exit of the dungeon. Only then did he feel at ease, turning and walking toward the interrogation room.

With the hunchbacked man’s departure, the atmosphere in the dungeon finally relaxed. But even so, the guards stationed everywhere felt a chill in their hearts as they looked at the two vivid and eerie paper figures at the main entrance.

"Are they looking down on us that much... He left, but still had to leave two to keep watch," a guard said with some displeasure after the man had walked far away.

"Keep your voice down. What if those two paper figures can hear?"

"Paper figures don't have ears; how could they hear?"

"What method did that guy named Jian use to escape last time? I still haven't figured it out..."

"It was very strange at the time. Everything was fine, we went on patrol, turned a corner, and came back, and the cell was empty... It was like he evaporated into thin air."

"Isn't he just an ordinary Military God Path user? How could he evaporate into thin air... You must have overlooked something, that's why you let him go."

"Forget it. Where could this kid run to? Isn't he caught back now... Keep a close eye on him this time. Absolutely don't let him run away again."

“……”

The guards talked one after another, and from time to time, someone would go to Jian Changsheng’s cell door to take a look, their eyes full of vigilance, as if they were afraid that if they turned their heads, Jian Changsheng would disappear again...

Jian Changsheng looked at the familiar environment, a bitter smile appearing on his bruised face.

"Round and round... I'm back again."

Jian Changsheng never expected that he would have a day where he would be caught back... This time, his heart was dead. He knew that the people from the Twilight Society wouldn't come to save him a second time, and on his own, it was impossible to complete a prison break.

He had completely messed up this trial from the Twilight Society. What awaited him was perhaps endless soul-shattering torture.

"Lin Yan? Are you okay?"

Jian Changsheng leaned weakly against the wall, remembering that there was another unlucky guy who had been caught with him in the next cell, and said helplessly.

There was no sound from the next cell. It was likely that Chen Ling hadn't woken up yet, or perhaps he was too disappointed in his own performance during the battle and couldn't be bothered to pay attention to him.

"Sorry, that [Puppet God Path] user was too strong; I couldn't get close to him at all," Jian Changsheng sighed. "This time, it was me who dragged you down..."

"I thought that if I escaped from here, I could start a life of my own. I didn't expect fate to play such a trick on me; I ended up back here after all... Why is my life so miserable? I'm either being killed or being hunted. Ever since I stepped onto this [Asura] path, my luck has never been good."

"Is this the price for gaining talent? But I didn't even get a chance to use my talent!"

Jian Changsheng cursed indignantly, his eyes full of bitterness and helplessness. He was silent for a long time, then spoke again:

"Not everyone can survive the soul-shattering interrogation... You should be prepared... Maybe in ten minutes, it will be our final farewell."

"Actually, I hid some things from you before. My name isn't Jian Wubing; my name is Jian Changsheng..."

Things had come to this, and Jian Changsheng no longer had any need to disguise himself. He spoke quietly and sadly, as if he were giving his last words or saying goodbye to Chen Ling;

However, just as he was halfway through, a few patrolling guards passed by his cell door. After glancing at him and confirming that Jian Changsheng hadn't evaporated into thin air this time, they felt a slight relief in their hearts, and then their peripheral vision looked toward the other cell next door...

The next moment, they froze in place!

The scarred man leading them rubbed his eyes, his mouth wide open in shock, as if he had seen a ghost!

"Damn it! Where is the person in the next cell?!!!"