Desperate people, accept the seed of my soul!

Inside a hotel room in Somyeong City, Jeolla Province.

Wen Yan leaned against the headboard, his fingertips lightly touching his pulse.

My heart was beating steadily and powerfully, completely without the sluggish feeling I had a few months ago, the feeling that it might stop at any moment.

The power of the nine Soul Seeds flowed gently through his meridians, and the life feedback brought by each of the host's revenge was gradually pulling him back from the brink of death.

Just as the Su siblings killed Li Zhengmin, two streams of cool yet warm power surged into their bodies.

He could even clearly perceive the subtle tactile sensations of ice piercing and water swirling, just as Su Wanxing and Su Mingyu themselves perceived.

A very faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

His secret tricks earlier weren't in vain.

Lin Shen's ability to weave illusions was already beyond his limits, enough to single-handedly tear through an encirclement of over two hundred people.

He borrowed a portion of his illusion-weaving ability temporarily through the soul connection.

This allowed Lin Shen to simultaneously block all communications and create the illusion of large-scale internal strife;

This added even more force to Su Wanxing's ice spikes, helping them carve a path through the enemy lines.

He can now skillfully disassemble and recombine the abilities of all his hosts, calling out whichever one he wants and amplifying the power of whichever host he wants.

Ice and water can coexist, fire and electricity can be combined, and even the vitality of plant growth and the vibration of sound waves can be combined to unleash power far exceeding the limits of a single host.

With a flick of his fingertips, a small cluster of ice flowers, a wisp of electric arc, and a swaying flame of karmic fire simultaneously appeared in Wen Yan's palm. The three forces did not interfere with each other and swirled gently in his palm.

With a gentle clench of his fingers, the three forces vanished instantly, leaving no trace.

He looked out the window toward Somyeong City, Jeolla Province, a hint of amusement flashing in his dark pupils.

The story of the Su siblings is not over yet.

The story of the Su siblings is not over yet.

He could sense that the emotional fluctuations in Zhaoming City were several times more intense than before.

Li Zhengmin's death was like a stone thrown into a stinking swamp, bringing to the surface all the filth hidden beneath.

Zhang Bingkun's ledger contained records of more than just Li Zhengmin.

The densely packed names above range from squad leader of the security team to director of the municipal bureau;

From developers to officials of the Political Affairs Committee, they were all connected like a tangled snake.

The Su siblings only cut off the outermost section.

The smugglers are hiding even deeper, and those people are now frantically tearing up ledgers and destroying evidence.

All he could think about was how to pin all the blame on the dead Lee Jung-min and how to clean up the mess.

However, Wen Yan has no plans to get involved for the time being.

He has plenty of patience.

When those people feel the heat has died down and they start bullying others again, someone will naturally stand up and chop their hands off one by one.

Wen Yan withdrew his gaze, closed his eyes again, and his spiritual power spread out along the soul connection, like an invisible net, covering the streets and alleys of the entire Zhaoming City.

He needs to find a new suitable candidate.

There are already enough seeds in Lieyang Province; sowing any more could easily attract excessive attention from the Bureau of Abnormal Affairs.

The Emperor Club incident just happened in Jeolla Province. It's a good time to sow a few more seeds while the authorities are still trying to cover it up.

------

At the entrance of the workers' shed at the construction site in the east of the city, Song Chao was squatting on the steps making a phone call, his smile so bright it was almost blinding.

He was twenty-seven years old. He worked on construction sites year-round, exposed to the wind and sun, his skin was dark, there were fine lines around his eyes, and a few gray hairs had grown at his temples, making him look like a forty-year-old.

His work clothes were stained with cement, and there was a hole worn through at the knee, revealing the faded thermal underwear underneath.

"Oh, I know, don't be stingy with your food."

His voice was loud and clear, with a booming quality honed from working on construction sites, and when he deliberately softened it, it sounded a bit clumsy and gentle.

"I've already transferred Niu Niu's kindergarten tuition to your account. The project payment was settled quickly this month, and the foreman said he'd give me a raise next month. Then we can enclose the balcony to prevent drafts in winter."

After hearing something said on the other end of the phone, he laughed even harder, revealing a set of white teeth.

"I'm not tired. This little bit of work is nothing. Your husband has plenty of strength. By the way, where's Niu Niu? Let her say a few words to me."

He held the phone to his ear, and upon hearing the childish "Daddy" on the other end, his eyes instantly lit up, and his whole demeanor brightened.

"Hey! Sweetie, Daddy will buy you that Barbie doll you wanted last time when I go back next month, okay?"

And your favorite strawberries, Dad will buy you two pounds, you can eat them all.

"Okay~ Daddy, be careful~" came his daughter's sweet voice from the other end of the line, soft as cotton candy, making Song Chao feel warm inside.

"Okay, I know, Niu Niu is the best girl."

His voice unconsciously softened further, as if afraid of startling his daughter on the other end of the phone:

"Listen to Mom at home, and don't be naughty. Dad will buy you something delicious when he gets back. Does Niu Niu miss Dad?"

"Yes!" came the daughter's clear, bright voice.

"When is Daddy coming back? Mommy said you won't be back until next month. I want you to come back soon."

"Almost done, almost done. Dad will go home after he finishes this job."

As Song Chao spoke, his fingers unconsciously traced the scratches on his phone case, scratches his daughter had made with her fingernails six months ago.

"Is Niu Niu being a good girl at home? Did your kindergarten teacher praise you?"

"My teacher praised me today! She said I draw well!"

The daughter's voice rose with pride, like a little bird showing off its new feathers:

"I drew my dad, mom, and me. The teacher said I drew well and gave me a little red flower sticker! Dad, can you come back and see my drawing?"

"Okay, okay, Dad will definitely watch it." Song Chao smiled so much that wrinkles appeared at the corners of his eyes.

"Niu Niu is amazing, much better than me. When I was little, I couldn't even draw a perfect circle. Your mom said you've been coughing these past few days, have you taken your medicine?"

"I ate it~ The medicine Mom made for me was a little bitter, but I drank it all!"

The daughter reported earnestly, and added at the end, "Dad, I miss you."

"Dad misses you too, misses you terribly." Song Chao's eyes welled up with tears, and he blinked hard to suppress the ache.

"Alright, alright, stop bothering your dad and let him rest for a bit."

Yuan Qiao's voice came from the other end of the phone, smiling, gentle and familiar, followed by her daughter's unwilling whimpering, and then Yuan Qiao's concerned expression after taking the phone:

"Have you eaten? Don't just keep working without eating, your stomach will get upset from hunger."

"I ate, I ate! The construction site canteen made pork ribs today, and I ate two big bowls." Song Chao patted his stomach, as if Yuan Qiao could see it. "What about you? Have you and Niu Niu eaten?"