Professor Li immediately understood from Ying Chen's tone that it was not appropriate to ask more questions.
He restarted the car and sped eastward amidst the wind and sand.
Ying Chen closed his eyes, his thoughts seemingly returning to two thousand years ago.
That year, just one step away from becoming a supreme Fangshi, he was deceived by his master's lies, mistaking eight "Ba Ji Xian Gu" for "Ba Bai Gu" and letting his master dig them out.
As a result, he was immediately cast down into the earth by his master and suppressed within a coffin.
His eight immortal bones were then offered by his master to the First Emperor, becoming sacrifices for the Emperor's mausoleum and pursuit of immortality!
His fate was thus irrevocably altered, rendering him a living dead man, perpetually imprisoned underground.
Now, in this life, since heaven has allowed him to see the light of day again, he is determined to mend the regrets of his past life, re-cultivate to become a supreme Fangshi, and find that "good master" to exact revenge!
For he believed that if he could survive for two thousand years, then his master, who was once the foremost Fangshi of the Qin Dynasty and well-versed in various secret arts of soul possession and reincarnation, must also be alive!
Perhaps, the child who inexplicably awakened him this time was a scheme left behind by his master!
Swish!
With this thought, Ying Chen abruptly opened his eyes and coldly uttered two words.
"Accelerate!"
Professor Li quickly stepped on the accelerator upon hearing this.
After an unknown period of time, the car finally stopped at Ying Chen's command.
Checking the map, they had arrived in Su City.
"The plea for help came from here earlier."
"You get out and inquire about the situation."
Ying Chen instructed Professor Li.
Professor Li nodded, opened the door, and got out.
It was after dinner, the usual time for an evening stroll, so there were still quite a few pedestrians on the road.
Professor Li casually grabbed someone and asked, quickly learning about the day's events.
"It's like this, Mr. Ying..." Professor Li returned to the car and respectfully narrated the day's events to Ying Chen.
"I've also inquired about the child's home address; it's in a nearby residential area. She also has a mother, whose name seems to be..."
Professor Li recalled.
"Min Ziqiong!"
"Min?" Upon hearing the surname, Ying Chen's pupils contracted sharply.
"Let's go. Forget about the child for now; let's go see her mother first!"
Professor Li was taken aback, muttering inwardly, "Didn't we agree to find the child? The child isn't found yet, and he's already concerned about the mother. Indeed, all men are the same."
But Professor Li dared only grumble in his heart, and in the end, he obediently led Ying Chen towards a slightly dilapidated residential area.
"It should be here." Professor Li pointed to a room.
From within, various noises were emanating.
The sound of cups shattering on the floor, tables and chairs being overturned, a woman's sobs, and a man's sinister laughter.
"Min Ziqiong, is it? You're quite an interesting sight! It's a pity you don't know with which stray dog you had that little bastard, causing me so much trouble!"
"That little bastard was taken away by that surnamed Ma; I can't touch him. But you... I have no pressure whatsoever; I can do whatever I want with you!"
"My life is ruined, and you won't have a good time either!"
"Heh heh, widowed for so many years, you must not have experienced some advanced play, have you? Tonight, I'll let you experience it!"
Listening to the voice, it was the middle-aged胖子 who had forced the little girl to wear mourning clothes earlier!
He knew his own situation was hopeless, so he decided to lash out in his final moments and take revenge on the little girl's mother!
"No, don't come near me..."
A woman's desperate plea could be heard from inside the house.
But it could not stop the middle-aged胖子's advancing steps.
Just as the woman was about to become the plaything for the middle-aged胖子's revenge and anger.
"Alas!" At this moment, a faint sigh sounded from inside the house.
The middle-aged胖子 turned around abruptly: "Who?"
"Misfortune and blessings have no fixed door; they come from oneself. I intended to spare your life, but you insisted on seeking your own death." The faint voice sounded again.
The next second, a person appeared before the middle-aged胖子.
It was Ying Chen!
Seeing Ying Chen's attire and physique, the middle-aged胖子 immediately sneered: "Who did I think it was? Turns out to be some punk! You want to play the hero saving the damsel, but you have to see if you're qualified!"
"Since you want to be the early bird, I'll kill you first to liven things up!"
With that, the middle-aged胖子 waved his hand!
Several figures immediately darted out from the shadows in the corner.
Each of them held a boning knife, their eyes gleaming with ferocity.
These were all thugs kept by the middle-aged胖子, who had done many dirty deeds for him over the years.
The scent of blood had almost seeped into their bones.
Just the smell emanating from them was enough to make one feel fearful and nauseous.
This was the so-called "killing intent."
However, Ying Chen remained unfazed.
His gaze towards the thugs was akin to looking at a few puppets.
"Tear him into pieces for me!" the middle-aged胖子 grinned and gave the final command.
The thugs, like wild dogs unleashed, rushed forward.
But before they could thrust their boning knives into their target's heart as usual, they all froze in place.
Each of them showed a look of horror in their eyes, as if they had seen something terrifying.
The next second, the thugs suddenly turned their knives and stabbed at each other.
*Slice!*
*Slice!*
With several sounds of blades entering flesh, the thugs committed fratricide, perishing together!
Even as they lay in pools of blood, a look of lingering terror remained on each of their faces.
It was as if that terrifying thing could penetrate the realms of yin and yang, following them all the way to the underworld.
"How... how could this happen?"
The middle-aged胖子 was stunned at the sight.
His face, which had been smug and confident moments ago, was instantly etched with fear.
Ying Chen, still calm, looked at the middle-aged胖子: "Thousands of miles away, you escaped this time; now that you are close, do you think you can escape the Lingxi Shadow Kill?"
As Ying Chen's voice fell, a bloody phantom suddenly appeared before the middle-aged胖子's eyes.
Seeing this bloody phantom, the middle-aged胖子's face contorted in horror, and he retreated repeatedly: "It's it! It's it! So it was all you..."
Before he could finish his sentence, the bloody phantom entwined itself around the middle-aged胖子's body like an amniotic sac.
The middle-aged胖子's face turned red, his breathing became difficult, and his eyes became panicked and disoriented.
A few seconds later, he suddenly grabbed a knife and plunged it into his own heart!
*Thump!*
As the middle-aged胖子 fell to the ground, all was settled.
Only a woman huddled in the corner, and Professor Li, who had just rushed into the room, were left staring at the scene in a daze.
"You... you killed someone?" Professor Li stammered.
Ying Chen didn't even look at Professor Li and retorted, "Did you see me kill anyone?"
Professor Li was taken aback.
Indeed, Ying Chen hadn't made a move from beginning to end.
Those who died either died by others' hands or by their own.
Even the most professional detective would be unable to convict Ying Chen!
A bitter taste spread across Professor Li's mouth.
But then he thought, the deceased deserved their fate. He was, after all, too academic and had a bit too much saintly compassion.
Ying Chen seemed indifferent to Professor Li's thoughts; if Professor Li understood, he understood; if not, Ying Chen had ways to make him understand.
Ying Chen looked at the woman huddled in the corner.
It was evident that she was a beauty.
However, the smudged makeup from her sobs made her appearance slightly odd.
"You are Min Ziqiong?" Ying Chen asked, looking down at the woman.
The woman looked up in panic, clearly now believing Ying Chen to be even more brutal than the middle-aged胖子.
Her body trembled, and she shook her head desperately: "I'm not... I'm not..."
"I really am not!"
"The debt has its owner; if you want to find that promiscuous vixen, go to the Min family in Jianghai to find her, why do you insist on troubling me!"