Snow-white sheets of paper extended from the floorboards, slowly coiling around Jian Changsheng's body, sealing him inside once more like a coffin.
A glimmer of despair rose in Jian Changsheng's eyes.
He had thought that after being rescued by Chen Ling, the two of them working together might stand a chance—or at the very least, he could use [Blood Drop Step] to escape. But he never imagined that, after all this circling, he would still fall back into the enemy's hands.
This Path of the Puppeteer outsider was simply too powerful, far beyond what they could handle at their current level... And once he was captured, Chen Ling would likely be unable to escape either.
The white paper completely engulfed Jian Changsheng's form, reshaping into a paper figure once more. With a casual flick of the hunchbacked man's finger, two crimson eyes were painted onto it, plunging it into utter silence.
The hunchbacked man slung the paper figure over his back and turned his gaze toward the opposite building.
"Still not caught yet... Do I have to intervene myself?"
Looking at the gradually brightening lights in the residential buildings in the distance, his brow furrowed involuntarily. His instincts told him he needed to capture that fleeing rat as quickly as possible.
He began walking toward the opposite building.
A full minute ago, it had lost track of Chen Ling. Even after combing through several derelict rooms nearby, it found no trace of any living presence... It was as if Chen Ling had simply vanished into thin air.
But it was certain Chen Ling hadn't left the building—otherwise, he would never have escaped the notice of the main body outside.
As its hollow gaze swept over an abandoned kitchen, confirming it was empty, it moved on to the next room. By the time its figure had completely disappeared, an old, empty bottle in the corner of the windowsill trembled faintly.
Chen Ling's heart had sunk to the depths.
From this angle, he could see everything happening in the opposite building through the window—including the moment Jian Changsheng was instantly countered. Chen Ling was almost certain that his opponent was far beyond just fourth-tier.
Chen Ling and Jian Changsheng were both second-tier. Even with his greater number of skills, defeating the enemy was impossible. His only option was to hide using the twisted path's abilities, but this wasn't a long-term solution... because the main body was now heading straight for this building.
That left Chen Ling with only two paths:
First, he could try to escape unnoticed, though the odds of success were uncertain.
Second, he could continue hiding in disguise, gambling that they wouldn't find him.
Chen Ling felt the second option was more feasible. After all, the [Faceless] skill—which allowed him to transform into objects—was unique to him in this world. No one would suspect an empty bottle sitting in the corner, so maintaining the disguise was the safest bet.
Chen Ling's mind raced. But just as he was about to commit to the cautious strategy, a far more radical idea suddenly flashed through his thoughts—
If no one expects me to transform into an object... could I use that to gamble for a bigger opportunity?
Chen Ling had been searching for his heart but still lacked any solid leads. The doctors Wen Shilin had captured likely couldn't provide information about it either... And now, a direct path to the mastermind behind the organ trade lay right before him.
That hunchbacked man wanted to know the whereabouts of Wen Shilin and "Lin Yan," which meant he wouldn't kill Chen Ling outright. Instead, he would take him back for soul-crushing interrogation. That gap, combined with [Faceless], might leave room for maneuvering.
The moment this thought entered Chen Ling's mind, he was startled by his own audacity. The plan was far too reckless, far too dangerous. Without sufficient audience expectation, death would spell disaster...
Yet, inexplicably, the idea refused to leave his mind. His long-empty chest seemed to thrum with the familiar thrill of danger.
The last time he'd felt this way was when he'd infiltrated the Flame Usurpers on his way to the Soldier's Ancient Repository.
Tap—tap—tap...
The familiar sound of footsteps approached from downstairs. The hunchbacked man was drawing near. Time for hesitation was running out.
In the empty, abandoned building, the figure carrying the paper figure on his back slowly came to a stop. His gaze swept over the labyrinth of rooms around him before he spoke softly, "Search."
With that command, white paper figures folded into existence behind him, scattering like ghosts in every direction.
If one paper figure couldn't find Chen Ling, then a dozen would. At this scale, they could turn the entire building inside out, leaving Chen Ling no room to hide or evade.
The man idly toyed with a sticky note in his hand, standing perfectly still. Yet his peripheral vision locked onto every window and doorway. If anything tried to leave this building, he could transform that sticky note into a lethal weapon in an instant, crippling the target before they took another step.
Just then, the man seemed to notice something. His brow arched slightly as he turned his head.
From the shadows between the rooms, a muzzle flash erupted—
Bang!
A bullet tore through the air, streaking straight for the hunchbacked man's forehead!
Before it could even come within half a meter, a sheet of white paper unfurled like an umbrella in front of him. The bullet struck the paper surface, its force harmlessly deflected, leaving not even a scratch.
"A gun, too?" the man remarked leisurely. The paper umbrella folded back into a sticky note in his palm before he flicked it forward with a snap of his fingers.
Chen Ling, hidden in the darkness, grimaced as his shot failed. He turned to flee toward the nearest window but the moment he took a single step, the flying sticky note folded midair, morphing at terrifying speed into the outline of a paper figure that slammed him violently into the wall!
Boom!
The wall shattered under the impact, and Chen Ling was sent flying backward.
At the same time, countless paper strips coiled around his body like serpents. Before he even hit the ground, they had bound nearly every inch of him, leaving only his head exposed as the paper slowly consumed him.
A hunched figure walked toward him unhurriedly.
Chen Ling could no longer move his body. He could only shift his gaze to see the hunchbacked man standing before him, his drooping eyes cold and indifferent. A hoarse voice spoke, "Where are Wen Shilin and Lin Yan?"
Chen Ling smirked coldly. "Who? Never heard of them."
The answer didn't surprise the hunchbacked man. With a casual glance, the remaining paper strips wrapped around Chen Ling completely, transforming him into a trembling paper figure.
The man pulled out a pen, drawing two crimson eyes onto the figure's head before murmuring:
"Once we return to the commerce... you'll talk, whether you want to or not."