Chapter 64: Reality: Six Thousand

Chapter 64: Reality: Six Thousand

The young man, who had just been stern and emotionless, now wore a childlike look of bewilderment.

It seemed he had yet to fully return to reality from some unrealistic fantasy. The redness around his eyes stood out vividly against his tanned skin.

His voice was still cold, somewhat harsh.

This could have been his natural tone, but the barely concealed tremor in it betrayed the turmoil within him:

"I found his matching bracelet."

The youth's dirt-stained hand, no longer recognizable in its original color, clutched the polished bracelet tightly.

Pan Hu didn't know how to respond.

Chi Zihe, on the other end of the call, couldn't see the expression on the other side, and radio waves couldn't convey the subtle tremors. Upon hearing Ming Yiyang's voice, he immediately cursed:

"What nonsense about a matching bracelet! It must be with him, or else how would we end up on the same train? Hurry up and clean up his body with Pan Hu to Shujiacun! I won't talk more; I need to help Lingshuang set up a formation. Hurry up!"

He abruptly hung up the phone.

Ming Yiyang remained kneeling by the bathtub, his mind seemingly elsewhere, not knowing if he had even processed Chi Zihe's words.

Pan Hu sighed and, with remarkable calmness, picked up the scattered fragments of flesh that hadn't been cleared from behind the door. He said,

"Mr. Ming, you should take a bath. I'll clean up over here... It'll probably take a few hours."

The matching bracelet clanged to the ground, and the young man seemed to snap back to reality. He lowered his head to compose himself, then picked up the bracelet and slipped it onto his wrist.

"I'll assist you," he said.

Reaching out to gather the remains, he was stopped by Pan Hu.

At this moment, Pan Hu showed no trace of his previous ferocity. He spoke with a hint of helplessness,

"Mr. Ming, it's best to tend to those injuries on your hands. There is a risk of bacterial infection from Mr.'s flesh. If anything were to happen to you, Mr. would blame me for being an inhospitable host."

"I'd rather not have Sir wake up to be scolded by him first thing."

Ming Yiyang paused, seemingly caught off guard.

"Can he still be saved?"

Then, as if something clicked in his mind, he posed and answered his own question:

"Yes... He is the Master of Oblivion, not so easy to die..."

Pan Hu's eyes flickered with surprise. He hadn't expected that Ming Yiyang would have uncovered their master's identity and background in just a few short hours... But considering the turmoil that had unfolded tonight, he wasn't overly shocked at this point.

After all, Chi Zihe's relaxed demeanor also hinted at certain truths.

Ming Yiyang seemed calm on the surface but was unknowingly bordering on madness. Pan Hu pondered for a moment before gently diverting the conversation:

"Of course there's a way to save him. Let's discuss the specifics when we reach She Village."

Not at all, you should take a bath first."

Ming Yiyang rubbed the matching bracelet on his wrist, feeling a sticky heaviness on his arm caked with blood.

The slashed wounds only throbbed intermittently now, including the places where he had been bitten by the canine teeth. Though still bleeding, they were numb enough to send chills down his spine.

After a moment of silence, he nodded and left the bathroom, heading for the guest room that Yan Qiling had arranged for him earlier.

No sooner had he entered than Pan Hu, thoughtfully, brought in towels and his own clothes – Ming Yiyang's outfit had been ruined by the bathtub, but the black fabric concealed the damage.

Moreover, Pan Hu fetched a large first-aid kit and placed it by the door, apologizing for his earlier breach of manners.

Ming Yiyang didn't respond.

Pan Hu returned upstairs and meticulously searched for every fragment, while he covered the leak in the bathtub with gauze before starting to fill it with water.

As the water level dropped, the figure in the bathtub became visible.

However, it was debatable whether that figure could still be referred to as "human."

It was an apt description of a pile of flesh clad in clothes.

The flesh was slowly carried away by the flow, forming a slope with a curved contour.

They were all one-centimeter cubes, be it skin, muscle, tendon, or even the extremely hard bones, all evenly divided without any trace of mess.

This method of handling was akin to preparing freshly made silken tofu.

Pressing down on it with a square wire mesh and then slicing it from the side, a whole piece of tofu would transform into beautiful, shattered fragments.

However, such a depiction was hardly appealing when applied to corpses.

For an ordinary person not to vomit upon seeing this would be a testament to their strong mental fortitude.

Pan Hu didn't directly grab those chunks with his hands; it was obvious that doing so would turn the flesh into a paste.

First, he used large scissors to cut the clothes open from the center, then spread them apart.

Next, using a prepared cement spade, he scooped and placed each cube neatly into a black waterproof shoulder bag lined with towels, ensuring none were damaged in the process.

He performed the task before him with such practiced ease, without complaint, as if it were an utterly routine chore.

He even counted the pieces of flesh meticulously, estimating there to be over six thousand.

Having transferred all the bits of flesh into the duffel bag, he zipped it shut, washed his hands thoroughly, and then entered the room to prepare Yan Qiling's daily attire, packing them neatly into a small leather suitcase. He didn't forget to include the hair gel and styling spray that the other commonly used.

When he emerged again, he saw the young man, now presentable, standing in the hallway on the second floor, asking,

"Ready to go?"

The day outside had already brightened, and the sounds of traffic and bustling activity were growing louder.

Pan Hu was somewhat surprised,

"Is Mr. Ming's friend arriving so soon?"

Ming Yiyang maintained his composure,

"The fewer people who know, the better. Use my car; I'll drive."

Pan Hu didn't decline the offer:

"…Alright, Mr. Yan's body is already in a black waterproof bag. Mr. Ming, you can carry it to the car first. Be extra careful not to damage it; otherwise, it will be a huge hassle."

"I still need to gather Mr. Yan's toothpaste and soap. Please bear with me."

Ming Yiyang entered the now spotless bathroom and gazed at the two black waterproof bags neatly placed on the countertop. A strange feeling stirred within him.

Such a large person was reduced to being packed into a simple bag.

The bags were heavy, so Ming Yiyang initially put them in the trunk. Considering the stuffy environment, he moved them to the back seat instead. He then turned on the car's air conditioning, settled into the driver's seat, and waited for Pan Hu to finish packing.

Only now did Ming Yiyang have time to ponder over the neglected matters due to his anxiety.

He had no idea what had transpired after the portrait was completed. Why was Yan Qiling seemingly fine when he emerged but suddenly started bleeding profusely? And why did this translate into such a state in reality?

He yearned for a cigarette but remembered that his pack and lighter were in the inner pocket of his down jacket. He rummaged through the glove compartment and found his cigarettes and lighter, just as expected.

However, after a long stare, he closed the compartment without lighting up.

Leaning against the dashboard, his thoughts drifted to the two bags in the back that contained Yan Qiling's flesh, and he found it impossible to maintain his composure.

As for why, it was probably because he wished to be special in this person's heart. For that to happen, the person had to be alive and well.

Certainly not in the state of two bags of minced meat.

He still couldn't shake off the gloominess within him.

Opening the glove compartment, he grabbed a pack of cigarettes and a lighter before stepping out to smoke in the garden.

The nicotine from the cigarette tendrils temporarily calmed his emotions.

Already, joggers could be seen on the road, with some even greeting him warmly and curiously.

He nodded back at them in a casual manner, maintaining his normal demeanor.

A handsome young man stood by the wall covered in ivy, lost in thought as he smoked.

Soft rays of light illuminated the exquisitely crafted mixed-race face, with deep black eyes hidden beneath the shadows of his lashes, resembling a serene landscape painting.

Little did anyone know that just a few steps away, inside the black Maybach, two bags of still-odorous flesh were concealed.

-

Pan Hu didn't let Ming Yiyang drive. He said,

"You've just returned from the Netherworld. That would count as driving under fatigue. Let me take the wheel."

Ming Yiyang didn't insist and moved to the passenger seat.

At this point, he reeked of smoke. Pan Hu rolled down the window, allowing the wind outside to dispel the stench and smoke within the car. Once the dog's sensitive nose found the scents less pungent, he slowly rolled the window back up.

Pan Hu drove smoothly.

As a butler, he was indeed worth more than his pay. Not only was he discreet, capable of fighting, meticulous, but he also knew how to drive.

Unfortunately, not everyone could afford his services.

Sitting in the passenger seat, Ming Yiyang was wide awake. Gazing out the window at the receding scenery, his mind was still replaying the scene of Yan Qiling's incessant bleeding.

Yan Qiling met and defeated the Celestial Ruler of the Netherworld behind the painting frame, otherwise they wouldn't have been able to leave so effortlessly, nor would Yan Qiling have accomplished his goal of devouring the hotel world.

It was a narrow victory, however.

Yan Qiling must have paid a terrible price, but he had somehow managed to suppress it, maintaining an appearance of normalcy until the very end when it was fully revealed.

Moreover, he suddenly realized something that had aroused suspicion at the time but was later overlooked.

Since Yan Qiling knew he might enter the Gate of Death next, why did he bring along the blind Patland?

A myriad of thoughts swirled in his mind.

Ming Yiyang didn't believe that Yan Qiling had merely sacrificed his physical body in the mortal realm; there must have been other, unknown costs involved.

But this person was notoriously tight-lipped.

There were secrets he didn't wish to reveal, not even if every word was pried open; no information could be extracted.

Ming Yiyang had the habit of reviewing each world. He had no inclination towards self-destruction and loathed the sensation of being manipulated by the Unseen Master. He continuously strategized in order to counter the Unseen Master's plans and free himself from those perilous constraints.

Yet, in the previous world, especially after entering Yan Qiling's "Gates of Death."

He keenly felt his powerlessness.

If not for breaking the seal, he wouldn't have even had the right to glimpse the truth, let alone resist.

His eyes gradually veiled with gloom as the young man leaned against the soft cushion and gently closed them.

In the dim blue light, he unintentionally fell into a brief, shallow slumber.