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In the depths of Jue Liu Prison, located on the outskirts of Linzhou, Envy huddled in a corner of his cell. He gnawed frantically at his fingernails, tearing at the flesh until his fingers were a bloody, mangled mess. His words became a jumbled mess of curses.
“That damned Consultant, that deceitful, vile, stray dog from hell who deserves a thousand cuts! The sequence has changed! Once I get out, you’ll be the first I kill! Then Fireworks and Lily of the Valley—”
“Are you calling for me?”
A calm voice drifted into the cell, and The Consultant’s shadow fell upon Envy.
The Incarnation of Original Sin froze completely, then spun around to face the robed intruder, frantically kowtowing and begging for mercy.
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! Those were just foolish words spoken in anger! Please, spare me!”
The Consultant crouched down, a faint smile playing on her lips.
“My dear Lord Envy, there’s no need to panic. This was indeed my oversight; I failed to resolve the issue cleanly and took longer than anticipated.”
Even with The Consultant’s apology, Envy remained cowering on the floor, trembling. He had come to understand her volatile nature and dared not defy her in the slightest.
****
The Consultant’s promise to ‘take him out’ wasn’t an immediate release, but a conditional one.
He carefully chose his words, testing the waters.
“So, you failed? Then, my release date… will it be delayed?”
“I merely took a little more time to decipher the formation; the plan is proceeding very smoothly. The effigy you provided me was utterly flawless.”
At these words, Envy instantly forgot his panic, his face lighting up with excitement.
“Yes! You did well! The heavens truly favor me!”
Through ‘Skin-Painting and Bone-Concealing,’ Envy could freely manipulate his own body, and the definition of ‘body’ was remarkably broad, not necessarily limited to a single human form.
His sole restriction was the inability to control multiple brains simultaneously.
In such a scenario, his consciousness would clash, and his sense of self would become chaotic and dissipate. Envy could not accept such a fate.
However, he could freely create more humanoid clones. For instance, when battling Lily of the Valley, he manifested as an army of puppets with simple movements and unified wills.
The Consultant’s plan was built upon this very magic.
On the night of her first visit, The Consultant temporarily lifted the seals placed on him by the sorcerers. She then brought a vial of blood, whose origin was unknown, instructing him to use ‘Skin-Painting and Bone-Concealing’ to create a ‘Mask Potion.’ From this potion, he crafted a clone in the form of a little girl.
That child possessed an independent brain, and Envy had not taken over her consciousness.
Nevertheless, she remained a part of Envy’s body.
Not only was her existence dependent on Envy, but if he so desired, he could transfer his core to her at any time, taking over her body within a few hours.
According to The Consultant, this little girl—Lily of the Valley’s sister, Gu Pan—would, under her arrangement, naturally infiltrate between Lily of the Valley and Xia Shi. Within the next few days, she would retrieve the Heart of the Moon.
At that point, Envy could transfer himself over, achieving fusion and advancement in one swift move.
Despite this, Envy had long wished to simply transfer himself and make a clean getaway. However, his magic was usually sealed by sorcerers, and he dared not act recklessly in front of The Consultant, forcing him to endure until now.
After a brief cheer, a chilling doubt surfaced in the man’s mind.
A soul resided within a human brain, possessing astonishing complexity. Relying on just a few drops of blood, Envy couldn’t perfectly replicate Gu Pan’s state before her death.
The new “Gu Pan” he had created was merely an artificial doll, flawless in appearance but utterly devoid of a soul. Her personality and memories were, at most, 70% similar to the original Gu Pan.
He lay prostrate, carefully gazing up at The Consultant, speaking respectfully.
“I’m not questioning you. But Lily of the Valley is a despicable and suspicious wretch, and my doll is inevitably crude… will she truly not see through the deception?”
The Consultant replied candidly.
“Of course, she will. She will definitely see through it.”
“What! You idio—I’m sorry. What should we do then?”
The Consultant tilted her head slightly, her gaze fixed on the empty wall. Her eyes seemed to pierce through the sturdy iron bars, the thick soil, and even Lily of the Valley’s very being.
‘There’s no need for any special countermeasures. Lily of the Valley is a responsible and good child; she will make the correct decision.’ The Consultant’s tone was uncharacteristically subdued and weary.
Her bandaged lips curved into a smile. “You needn’t worry. Just wait here patiently. I assure you, good news will arrive very soon.”
****
On Thursday morning, several white doves gathered around the Morning Star statue in the park square. They hopped and strolled over fallen leaves, their pristine, soft feathers gleaming with an oily sheen. Nie Weifeng stood amidst the plump birds, occasionally taking a handful of golden corn kernels from a plastic bag and scattering them on the ground. He watched them eagerly peck at the feed, the scars on his face etched with lines of pleasure.
After The Matchmaker’s arrest, he had nothing to do, so he often came to the park to walk and feed the pigeons, staying for an entire day. Usually, he would enjoy the park’s sunshine and fallen leaves alone, but today he had a companion. The middle-aged man turned to Lu Chen beside him, saying with surprise, “Little Lu, your corn kernels are truly excellent. The pigeons all rush over as soon as you scatter them.”
Lu Chen smiled and nodded in response. “If you like them, I’ll bring some more next time.” “Ha, you’re too polite. Oh, right, a few days ago I saw on the headlines that the scenery at Fenglin Reservoir is beautiful, and the fish are plump and plentiful. How about we go fishing together sometime? Bring Miss Fireworks along too.”
Upon hearing the young woman’s name, Lu Chen’s expression faltered, his smile freezing as a shadow crossed his face. After a moment, he said, “Thank you for the invitation, Mr. Nie. I actually have something I’d like to ask of you.”
“That’s great, I happen to be free these days. What is it?” Lu Chen concentrated, ensuring no one was eavesdropping nearby. He then unzipped his waist pouch and retrieved the entirely black ‘Mask Potion’ from within. “I hope you can help me analyze the components of this potion.”
Nie Weifeng took the potion, held it up to the sunlight, and squinted as he examined it from top to bottom.
“It’s not easy to test for just ‘a component.’ What exactly do you want to test for?”
“…Is it poisonous?”
“…I want to confirm if Xia Shi’s blood has been mixed into it.”
The middle-aged man’s movements paused, and he opened his eyes wide in surprise. “Miss Fireworks’s blood?”
“Please. If necessary, I can procure some blood samples from Xia Shi for you.” “No, it’s fine. My friend has access to the Candlelight Council database, and Miss Fireworks must have stored her blood there. But why are you asking…”
“I apologize, but I cannot explain the reason now, or it might escalate too much and cause unnecessary trouble. However, I promise to clarify everything to you afterward.”
The young man’s expression was serious, his voice calm. Nie Weifeng gazed into his eyes for a moment, then said, “Alright, I’ll help you this time.”
“Approximately how long will it take?”
“It won’t take long. I’ll go back and test it now. You’ll have the results by tomorrow night.”
“Thank you very much. Oh, and this potion is a remnant from the Incarnation of Original Sin, Envy, so please—” “Please handle it with extreme care. There’s no need for such pointless warnings; I am a sorcerer of the Council, after all.”
Nie Weifeng let out a long sigh, then offered Lu Chen a wry smile. “Mr. Lu, you and Miss Fireworks must take good care of each other. Don’t end up like me.”
“Thank you for your admonition.”
Lu Chen nodded solemnly and bid farewell to the middle-aged man.
‘…Alright, everything that could be done has been done. Stop dwelling on this illusory possibility.’
There were more important, more wonderful things to do right now. The breeze was gentle as he stepped out of the park into the sunlight, feeling a great weight lift from his heart, replaced by a pleasant, light warmth.
After walking for a while in the park, he picked up his phone, tapped on Xia Shi’s profile picture, and sent her a message.
[Are you free tomorrow evening? I’d like to go out with you.]
Tomorrow was the day he planned to propose to Xia Shi.
You think this chapter was thrilling? Wait until you read To Become the Strongest and Reclaim My Manhood! Click here to discover the next big twist!
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