Chapter 72 Who should we choose for the next chess piece?

Xiao Yizhou's name was displayed on the screen.

Jiang Yubai's empty eyes were unfocused. He let it ring a few times before slowly answering, "...Yizhou."

On the other end of the phone, Xiao Yizhou's voice was filled with unprecedented anxiety and sternness:

"Yu Bai! Where are you?! Don't do anything foolish!"

Jiang Yubai listened quietly, his gaze fixed on the distant waves that seemed capable of swallowing everything, a bitter smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"Yizhou..."

He spoke slowly, his voice low and melancholic, carrying a sense of having seen through the ways of the world:

"In the past, when I watched the news, I saw ordinary people without power or influence being bullied by the powerful and wealthy, with no way to seek redress for their grievances, and ultimately their families being destroyed and their lives ruined..."

"I didn't take it seriously at the time. I always felt that it was something far removed from me."

He paused for a moment: "It wasn't until Wanxing's accident that I truly realized how desperate ordinary people are."

"My Jiang family is wealthy, yet we still can't bring the murderer to justice..."

Downstairs, Shen Yurou's screams seemed to have weakened due to exhaustion, but the howls of the evil spirits and some nauseating sounds continued.

“Yu Bai, listen to me! Come back and hand the evidence over to the police! Shen Yu Rou will be punished! You…” Xiao Yi Zhou shouted urgently.

"punish?"

Jiang Yubai interrupted him, "That kind of painless punishment? A few years? Life imprisonment? Or a suspended death sentence?"

"Ha... Is that enough for Wanxing? Is it enough for me?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a series of urgent knocks came from downstairs.

The door was pounded on loudly, accompanied by stern shouts: "Police, people inside, please open the door immediately to cooperate with the investigation."

The officers from the Special Cases Investigation Unit were originally just routinely following Shen Yurou.

They were originally lurking around the villa, but at one moment they suddenly felt an extremely cold and evil aura spreading from inside the villa.

Take decisive action.

"Help! I am Shen Yurou, save me! Jiang Yubai is trying to kill me! There's a ghost! There's a ghost—!!"

Inside the door, Shen Yurou seemed to have grasped at the last straw, bursting out a shrill and distorted cry for help.

The sound clearly penetrated the door and reached Jiang Yubai's ears.

He knew that time was running out.

Xiao Yizhou's voice was almost a roar on the other end of the phone: "Yu Bai, did you hear that! The police are here! Stop! Don't make any more mistakes!"

Jiang Yubai's eyes, however, were unusually calm, even conveying a sense of relief.

“Yizhou…” He suddenly chuckled softly, his voice low and deep as if it came from a very distant place, “The days without Wanxing are like being trapped in an endless desert.”

His gaze fell on the surging waves, “Every day, every second, felt like walking barefoot on scorching sand.”

Xiao Yizhou was still speaking urgently on the other end of the phone, but Jiang Yubai could no longer hear him.

He slowly pressed the hang-up button and casually tossed his phone into a corner of the terrace.

He then turned around and walked downstairs.

Downstairs living room.

The scarred demon released Shen Yurou, whose eyes were glazed over from the torture and whose body was covered in bruises and black marks, and looked up at Jiang Yubai who was walking down the stairs.

His soul had become somewhat more solidified from the pleasure he had just enjoyed, but the fear in his eyes for Jiang Yubai remained undiminished.

"Young Master Jiang...we have done everything you instructed, please see..."

The other evil spirits also stopped what they were doing and looked at Jiang Yubai.

Jiang Yubai stood at the top of the stairs, looking down at the mess in the living room.

His gaze swept over the evil spirits, finally settling on Shen Yurou, who was curled up on the ground, his eyes showing no emotion whatsoever.

He nodded slowly, his voice eerily calm: "Hmm, well done."

"Then...then can we be allowed to reincarnate?" the evil spirits pleaded eagerly.

A strange smile slowly crept onto Jiang Yubai's lips.

"Okay," he replied softly.

The moment the words left his mouth, Jiang Yubai bit his tongue hard.

After tasting the blood, he did not hesitate at all and formed a hand seal.

This was a forbidden technique that those "masters of the Xuanmen" bestowed upon him as a final gift when they gave him the bone flute.

Using its own essence and soul as a catalyst, it ignites a soul fire that incinerates everything, including the caster himself.

As he completed his hand seals, a black flame radiating destructive power suddenly rose from beneath Jiang Yubai's feet.

The flames spread rapidly and engulfed him in an instant.

At the same time, the taboos surrounding the entire villa seemed to be completely ignited.

All the runes and array bases set up by the evil cultivators in the villa, as well as the bone flute in Jiang Yubai's hand, simultaneously erupted with dazzling light, instantly connecting with the black soul fire burning on his body.

"Jiang Yubai! You lied to us!" The evil spirits let out a desperate scream.

They tried to escape, but were firmly bound by the bone flute.

The dark red light acted like chains, fixing them firmly in place.

The black soul fire instantly engulfed the entire first-floor living room.

The flames first engulfed the imprisoned evil spirits, who let out extremely shrill screams as their souls turned into wisps of smoke in the flames.

Immediately afterwards, the flames surged towards Shen Yurou, who was lying on the ground in terror.

"ah!"

Shen Yurou only had time to let out a short scream before the black fire completely engulfed her.

In the flames, her body and soul were burned at a visible speed.

Jiang Yubai stood at the top of the stairs, his body completely enveloped in black soul fire.

Intense pain burned through every inch of his flesh and soul; he could feel his life and soul rapidly slipping away.

In the moment before his consciousness completely sank into darkness, all he could do was use his last bit of strength to tightly clutch the soul-protecting talisman given to him by Chen Yuepo in his arms.

Outside the villa, several police officers who had just forced their way in were pushed several meters away by an invisible force before they could even see what was happening inside.

In the end, everything returned to silence.

Only the sea breeze continues to blow tirelessly, carrying the scent of ashes and despair.

Far away in the underworld, Mingye leaned against the throne belonging to Fengjin, toying with a dissipating black bone nail between his fingertips.

His scarlet eyes narrowed slightly: "The Yin Serpent Devouring Marrow Nail... has actually been broken."

The bone nail turned into a wisp of black smoke and dissipated in his palm.

Instead of getting angry, Mingye laughed, his pale fingers lightly tapping the armrest: "Interesting..."

He murmured to himself, "Who should I choose for the next chess piece?"

He suddenly remembered Shen Yuepo, who had escaped from the encirclement of ten vengeful ghosts that night, and Shen Yurou's words, "The true daughter of the Shen family is no ordinary person."

“I’ll choose you.” Mingye licked his lips, his eyes flashing with a morbid light. “What I love to see most… is you self-proclaimed righteous people falling into the abyss step by step.”

At this moment, on the winding mountain road leading to Qingchuan, a brand-new bus was bumping along the rugged and winding road.

Outside the window are rolling, verdant mountains.

There weren't many passengers on the bus; they were sitting sparsely.

Shen Yuepo and Feng Jin sat in the back.

Shen Yuepo originally wanted to call a rideshare, but she was worried that if they ended up sharing a ride, Feng Jin would be squeezed together with a stranger...

Shen Yue Po Guang imagined that scene and felt it might lead to unpredictable consequences.

Ultimately, we chose a long-distance bus.

Although the bus is slow and bumpy, at least the space is more private.

Her choice proved to be wise.

After boarding the train, Feng Jin merely glanced at the carriage environment, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly, but he did not offer any opinion.

The continuous travel and mental strain left Shen Yuepo feeling exhausted.

She leaned back in the not-so-comfortable chair and closed her eyes.

The mountain road became increasingly bumpy, and the car lurched violently. A sharp turn caused Chen Yuepo to lose his balance, his head tilting uncontrollably to the side—

She landed perfectly on Feng Jin's shoulder.

Feng Jin's finger, which was swiping the screen, suddenly stopped, and his body stiffened almost imperceptibly.

His dark golden eyes slowly moved away from the screen, looking down at Shen Yuepo leaning on his shoulder.

Her eyes were closed, her breathing even, and a few strands of her dark hair fell across her fair cheeks and his shoulders.

That usually cool and calm face now appeared much softer because of his sleep.

Feng Jin's gaze lingered on her face longer than usual.