The black shadow that left Xia Xia's body had a figure like that of a pug.

With the scruff of its neck being held by Fan Jialuo, its four fat and short legs obediently curled up at the front of its body. Whining sounds could be heard coming from its slightly protruding nose.

The dog obviously didn't realize or understand the fact that it was dead. It was still full of vigor and playfulness.

After it had been separated from her body, Xia Xia slowly opened her eyes and looked around in a daze. Her parents hurriedly rushed over to the bedside, then held her hands tightly and called out her name.

They were both clearly very nervous, but the tone they used to call out to her was soft and gentle, they were afraid of disturbing their daughter. Not too long ago, their daughter had been making trouble all day and night, and no matter how much they shouted her name, it was useless, making it seem as if her sanity had flown away.

She had failed to recognize anyone and had been unable to say even a single word. Instead, she had just kept barking, had sniffed at everything around her, and at one point, had even laid prostrate on the floor, trying to lick a meaty oil stain. If someone pulled her away from what she was doing, she would run away while screaming in horror.

Her every action had been no different from that of a dog's.

The doctor couldn't find a reasonable explanation for her illness, and had only advised them to get a more detailed CT scan of the brain done tomorrow.

According to the doctor's words, this strange illness wasn't one which could be cured in a single moment, but strangely, after Xia Xia opened her eyes and clearly saw where she was, she asked in a weird tone, "Mom, Dad, why was I suddenly admitted to the hospital? What's wrong?"

"Xia Xia, you can speak again? Xia Xia, call out Dad and Mom again, will you?" Xia Xia's father and mother cried as they hugged their daughter in ecstasy.

"Dad, Mom, what's wrong with me?" Xia Xia's expression sank and her voice trembled as she said, "I-I, am I terminally ill? Just tell me honestly, I-I can accept it, really. Don't hide something like this from me!"

"I'm afraid you won't be able to accept it. This, just take a look at what you were like before." A colleague squeezed over to the bedside and showed her the video he had taken of her when she was barking.

"Ahhhh, what the hell is going on? How could I be barking like a dog? It must not be me! I don't accept it. I can't accept it. Delete it quickly!" Xia Xia's scream was almost loud enough to overturn the roof.

By this time, Fan Jialuo had already stepped out of the ward that was filled with her lively and energetic pitch, unnoticed by anyone.

Zhao Wenyan had seen everything clearly and understood it in his heart, but he didn't ask anything. He simply followed Fan Jialuo in silence.

Cao Xiaohui couldn't suppress the fear and unease that had arisen in him, so he whispered, "Fan... Teacher Fan, just now, after you patted Xia Xia, she woke up. Was she being possessed by evil spirits? Did you save her?"

Cao Xiaohui must be the first agent in the entertainment circle to call his artist with the title of 'Teacher'.

"Well, it was indeed an evil spirit." Fan Jialuo stopped a familiar crew member and asked, "Which ward did you arrange for Taoist Chongming to be placed in?"

This person was one of the crew members who had come to visit Xia Xia along with Fan Jialuo, so he quickly replied, "Teacher Fan, he is in ward 607. Turn left downstairs and the third room is his."

"Thank you for telling me." Fan Jialuo nodded politely and walked towards ward 607.

Chongming was laying on the bed with an IV drip attached to his arm. When Fan Jialuo opened the ward door, he jerked his body up and ran to the window, preparing to jump from the building.

As long as he could escape this demon's pursuit, he would be free to do anything he wanted, so it didn't matter even if he ended up crippled while escaping. After all, the other shouldn't dare to do anything to him in front of the public, right?

But, it was at this very moment that a human-shaped fog suddenly rushed in from outside the window and knocked Chongming over. It then crossed its legs and sat on his stomach, pressing down on him firmly and keeping him under control.

This series of events bought enough time for Fan Jialuo.

He walked inside the room unhurriedly, and then brought the furry black shadow that had been hanging on his fingertips since he had removed it towards Chongming.

He leaned towards the other's ear and whispered, "Your soul is far more powerful than Xia Xia's, so, will you be able stay awake the entire time? Then, I wish you good luck. Remember, the things you've done are not unknown. The gods know, the Earth knows... and I know."

He patted Chongming's shoulder and walked back to the doorway. He stood for a moment before nodding to bid farewell. In terms of courtesy, he was more thoughtful than anyone else.

But before he had gone far, Chongming crawled out from the ward on all fours, barking and shouting, "Stop it, quick! It wants to eat shit! It wants to eat the shit in the toilet!"

Cao Xiaohui couldn't restrain his laughter. Eating shit? Did he hear it right?

The same time his awe towards Fan Jialuo had risen to another level. If Boss Zhao hadn't come together with him, he might have fled to somewhere else entirely.

He afraid that Fan Jialuo would pat his shoulder to turn him into a dog.

Zhao Wenyan soon got to the point. "Was that person the one who harmed Xia Xia?"

"Yes." Fan Jialuo gave a slight nod.

"Then he received his retribution." Not only was Zhao Wenyan fearless, but he also thought that the events that happened took place as they rightly should have.

***

It was three in the morning when Fan Jialuo finally returned to the Moon Bay Garden Community.

No one else could see that beside him was a familiar little human-shaped fog. The two of them walked hand in hand as they slowly approached the artificial lake in front of Building 1. They stopped at the shore and watched the foggy lake in silence.

The silvery white moonlight sprinkled across the surface of the water, making the seemingly bottomless lake appear slightly phosphorescent.

Wisps of white fog gathered and dispersed, floating just above the surface of the water, before gradually condensing into a group of oddly shaped phantoms. A fishy smell, mixed with the astringent taste of water weeds, blew against his face.

Just by the smell alone one could figure out that this was a lake filled with stagnant water. Without any flowing water to carry on the circle of life, it would eventually become a foul-smelling and filthy grave.

The little humanoid fog-figure didn't like the lake and was afraid of it. He pulled at the big brother, warning him not to go near it.

The only boat that could be used to traverse this lake had been destroyed by his parents back on that certain day. Without a boat, the big brother couldn't go to the spot where his dead body lay.

Fan Jialuo gently patted the little hands that were grabbing him and whispered, "Wait here, I'll be back soon."

Then, he removed his black shirt and dived straight into the depths of the deep lake. Not only was the color of the water dark and blackish-green, but it also emitted a stench akin to rotten fish.

After entering the water, he pedalled his slender legs in order to swim further and deeper into the lake. He continued onwards, unobstructed by the darkness, not once needing to surface and catch his breath.

When the water weeds entangled his body, he gently cut them away, and when rocks impeded his path, he swiftly avoided them.

The dense darkness and his encumbered sight were not obstacles; despite their presence, he could still swim freely and unhindered.

His goal was very clear—the suitcase, tied to a huge sunken boulder, which lay at the center of the lake.

The lake, despite having been artificially constructed, was very large and deep.

A few hours later, the initially calm surface of the lake showed tiny waves that had started to ripple towards the shore.

The little human-shaped fog figure, who had been sitting and waiting by the lake while hugging his legs, quickly stood up and craned his neck to look into the distance.

Not long after, a slender figure finally emerged out of the lake, slowly walking out of the deep water onto the shallow shore, while also dragging a huge suitcase with his hand.

The little humanoid fog figure hurriedly passed the neatly-folded black shirt that he held to the big brother, before condensing into the form of a small and delicate child.

He raised his head and stared at the big brother with his large and shining eyes, which were full of expectation, but also uneasiness.

He didn't know how to return to his body.

Fan Jialuo wiped the drops of water from his face, removed the water weeds in his hair and then put on his shirt. He removed the seemingly sturdy combination lock on the suitcase with his bare hands, thus exposing the curled-up corpse that lay sideways in the box to the pale moonlight.

Even after being immersed in the water for several days, the body had only turned slightly pale, and had taken on a purplish blue hue, it hadn't swollen much, nor had it even begun to rot.

The strong aura of the evil spirits in the community had acted as the best preservatives.

The little child squatted down and tried to touch his body, but his fingers directly passed through it. He was already dead, so the soul could never go back.

Upon seeing him be so dispirited, with rows of black teardrops falling one after another from his eyes, Fan Jialuo sighed, "Although life and death are ruled by fate, I have promised you, and I never go back on my word. Go, I'll send you back."

He stroked the little child's head and then patted him on the back.

The little child nodded and then stuffed himself into the suitcase. For unknown reasons, this time he didn't pass through the dead body, instead, he directly settled into it.

This was Chongming's original ability, which had been refined and amplified by Fan Jialuo, so that now, even a soul could be returned to its dead body.

The little corpse that lay curled up in the suitcase suddenly awakened. He looked left and right, then sat up, touching every inch of his own body with surprise and disbelief.

"Ah ah!" He grinned at the powerful big brother with eyes gleaming full of light, struggling for a moment before he managed to spit out three words full of love from his long-broken throat, "Bro... ther... thanks!"

Fan Jialuo's tightly drawn face finally cracked as a faint smile appeared. He patted the child's wet head. "Let's go, I'll take you home."

The little boy nodded excitedly. He crawled out of the suitcase using his stiff hands and feet. His actions were just like that of a little turtle that was eager to turn over, causing more smiles to form in Fan Jialuo's eyes.

The silvery-white moonlight that fell on their heads slowly dissipated as the morning light approached and some rosy clouds formed in the sky.

The dawn of the next day was there before they had realized it.

On that certain early morning, Building 1 was the only building in the whole community that saw rays of warm, orange sunlight shine down upon it.

The drenched young man led the drenched little boy in climbing up the spiral staircases together, one step at a time.

The housewife on the fourth floor was going down with a haggard face and a head like a bird-nest. Her parents-in-law always asked her to get up at this time so that she could buy the cheapest vegetables in the market.

There was a thick purple bruise at the corner of her red and swollen eyes. Her appearance was so miserable that anyone who met her could easily imagine the kind of torment she had experienced last night.

She was taken aback at the sight of a big one and a small one before her, both of whom were also dripping wet. After staring at them for a long time, she felt that the handsome young man appeared to be somewhat familiar.

The little boy lowered his head to avoid her sight.

As they continued to climb up the staircase, they met a middle-aged man on the seventh floor who seemed to be in a hurry. The man wore a pair of black-framed glasses, a neat formal suit, and carried a beige briefcase—all in all appearing to be an honest and law-abiding person.

Seeing that the young man and the child were drenched, he asked them a few questions in a voice full of concern and urged them to quickly go home and change their clothes so as not to catch a cold. His personality seemed to be gentle and considerate.

The security door on the fourteenth floor had been replaced, but the tenant had not dared to return, mainly because the outer wall of his house had been covered with scarlet letters, which looked as if they were dripping blood. The words read—

【Sisters, this person is a liar. He not only cheats for money and love, but also aims at your life! It's estimated that 18 female compatriots have been victimized. Be careful! If you don't believe it, join the group! We will chat to you with real names! Group number: XXXXXXX.】

Some of the strokes had been scraped off, but even more words had then been added onto the surface of the wall. It could be said that they would never stop appearing.

Fan Jialuo glanced into the corridor and pursed his lips. Seeing that the big brother seemed to be happy, the little boy also pursed his mouth and smiled.

The two continued to ascend, passing by more than a dozen floors, but neither of them started sweating, nor were they short of breath.

When they finally reached the seventeenth floor, the little boy's relaxed expression began to tighten.

However, it seemed that someone had been one step ahead of them and had come to the little boy's house in the early morning, for they were banging at the front door. The commotion being created by this wasn't light.

"Where is Yangyang? The more I thought about it last night, the more I realized how wrong I was! I went to visit Mr. Xu's parents, but I didn't see Yangyang there at all. The neighbors around here also said that you didn't send the child away.

"Why did your parents cooperate with your made-up story? Where did you send the child?"

"That's my own child. Where I send him to is none of your business!" Father Xu boldly retorted back.

"If I don't see Yangyang within 24 hours, I will have reason to suspect that he is missing and will investigate this. You are his guardians, and thus have an unshrinkable responsibility for his personal safety. You will then be my primary subjects of investigation!" Liao Fang's voice, mixed with worry and anger, reverberated throughout the corridor.

It seemed that there was no one other than the police who would work day and night to search for a child who had no blood relationship with them.

A fierce light flashed in Father Xu's eyes, and the tips of his teeth ground together, making a harsh sound. He had made up his mind.

He suddenly changed his attitude and said sadly, "Now that you are speaking like this and want to investigate, I can only say that I have nothing to hide. Please come in and see for yourself."

He leaned over to reveal the dark living room, which didn't have even a single light switched on. His wife had been hiding in a corner and listening to their conversation for a long time now, and it was at this moment that she finally moved out of the darkness to stand behind her husband, just like a ghost.

Liao Fang didn't notice anything odd, and moved to enter the house. She was too worried about the child's safety.

At that moment, Fan Jialuo, who had been standing in the stairwell and watching for a long time, raised his voice and called out, "Officer Liao, long time no see."

Liao Fang's steps paused as she turned around. "Mr. Fan? Where have you been? Ah, why are you all wet?"

Father Xu, who had only just managed to control his facial expression, also looked in the direction that voice came from. Then, his entire body stiffened.

Mother Xu, who was hidden behind him, let out a scream, it seemed that she had been frightened out of her wits.

"Yangyang!" This name was called out by three different voices, bearing three different emotions, all at the same time.

Father Xu was frightened beyond disbelief, Mother Xu was scared and in a panic, while Liao Fang was purely surprised.

Fan Jialuo led the little boy out of the darkness step by step. "He was playing by the lake and accidentally fell into it."

The two of them walked to the doorway, illuminated under the sound-activated lights that had just turned on, and then he explained, "Mr. Xu, Mrs. Xu, saving Yangyang took me a great deal of effort. The spot where he fell into the water was quite far from the shore, and he almost couldn't make it back.

"This time, you have to watch over him carefully, and you should not let him run into any danger." He gently covered the little boy's back with his palm and pushed him forward, propelling him back to his home.

The little boy's face was exposed under the beam of light. Skin whiter than paper, black pupils darker than ink, and bruised bluish lips—his appearance was like that of a corpse.

No, no, no, he was a walking corpse!

Father Xu, who, just moments ago, had been full of murderous intent, peed his pants in shock the very moment his son's dark eyes met his own.

No one knew how the child had died better than him.

He had personally felt his non-existent breath and pulse, had then twisted his stiff bones and joints, rolled him into a ball and stuffed him into the cramped refrigerator.

No human could come back alive after having been frozen in a refrigerator for several days and nights, and then being drowned in a lake! Unless, that wasn't a human!

Father Xu was so scared that he felt that his soul would fly away!

He gritted his teeth again, for he didn't dare to show that he had lost his mind in front of the police officer. Fishy-smelling hot urine filled his crotch area, but he could only pretend that everything was normal.

Mother Xu was right behind Father Xu. The sound of her own teeth grinding sounded particularly grating in the silence.

The child had been stuffed into the large suitcase and had been thrown into the lake by her own hands.

Fan Jialuo pushed the little boy forward again and smiled at the woman. "Mrs. Xu, your son has returned home safely, do you have nothing to say?"

"What? What do you mean?" Mother Xu stiffened.

Father Xu woke up from his thoughts and quickly fished his wallet out, stuffing some cash into Fan Jialuo's hand. He bowed and thanked, "Thank you Mr. Fan. Thank you so much for your help. This is just a little token to show my respect to you."

Within the pair of dark eyes flashed a touch of coldness, but he didn't say anything more. Instead, he pushed the little boy past the doorway and quietly said, "Come, go inside."

The door soon closed, and its loud bang caused all the sound-activated lights in the corridor to brighten.

Only then did Liao Fang completely relax. She patted her chest and exclaimed, "So the child really was missing all night!