Various experts spent a day observing the Red Lotus through the glass container.
On the second day, under strict protective measures, technicians manipulated mechanical arms to lift multiple seals, preparing to observe the Red Lotus’s entity.
Looking through the glass, the details that can be observed are ultimately limited.
Once the glass container was opened, everyone was stunned.
They realized the Red Lotus had disappeared.
It was a magical process; as soon as the cabinet door of the glass container was opened, the Red Lotus vanished.
But once the cabinet door was closed, the Red Lotus reappeared.
What principle could this be?
Experts held an emergency meeting, conducting in-depth research and discussion. Upon detailed inspection of the glass container, they discovered a mirror placed on the cabinet door, with some sort of technique projecting the image of the Red Lotus onto the glass container.
In other words, there was no Red Lotus in this glass container at all.
When did the Red Lotus in the container disappear?
Xia Shumin was stunned; the only conclusion he could offer was: "I don’t know, I haven’t touched it."
Indeed, he hadn’t touched it.
Ever since the Red Lotus entered the glass container, no one had touched it. Even though it was sealed with an array, no one dared to touch it, for everyone feared the Heavenly Light.
But how exactly did the Red Lotus go missing?
...
Director Du dialed a call: "Teacher, there’s an issue with the Red Lotus; it’s gone missing on the road..."
On the other side of the phone, a voice questioned, "What’s Liao Zihui doing? Such an important matter, how can this situation arise?"
Director Du reminded, "Teacher, this matter wasn’t under Liao Zihui’s responsibility..."
"He wasn’t responsible for the transport, but isn’t the matter of Puluo State his responsibility? Such an important task, didn’t Liao Zihui do the appropriate preventative work beforehand?"
"Teacher, Liao Zihui is currently in the Outside Provinces receiving medical treatment; during this period, the overall work in Puluo State is overseen by Xia Shumin."
"Treatment for illness, is this an excuse? In any case, he cannot be extricated from this matter!"
Click! The phone was angrily hung up.
Director Du sighed deeply, contemplating how to explain the subsequent matter.
Such a large Red Lotus, how can it just disappear?
...
At Yuezhou East Station, Chu Shaoqiang carried his briefcase as he boarded the 1160 train.
He carried a very small, narrow briefcase, seemingly only able to fit a few documents inside.
After entering his carriage, Chu Shaoqiang settled into his seat with the briefcase.
A day later, the train arrived at Hai Chi Ridge. Chu Shaoqiang disembarked, instead of leaving the station, boarded train 1165 towards Soda Kiln.
While waiting in the waiting room, a man approached Chu Shaoqiang, coughed twice, and said, "Sir, may I borrow some fire?"
Chu Shaoqiang handed a match to the man, who lit a cigarette, took a puff, returned the match to Chu Shaoqiang, and in a negotiating tone said, "Leave this briefcase to me, and I will spare your life, would that be acceptable?"
Chu Shaoqiang stared at the man for a moment and asked, "May I respectfully ask your name?"
The man laughed, "I’m Ye Jianhuang, anyone who loves smoking is a friend of mine."
Ye Jianhuang, a Master of Smoke Cultivation.
"So it’s Elder Ye, my apologies!" Quickly, Chu Shaoqiang handed the briefcase to Ye Jianhuang.
Ye Jianhuang accepted the briefcase and glanced inside; the Red Lotus was indeed in the bag.
How could such a large Red Lotus fit into such a small briefcase?
This was the marvel of the Craftsmanship Method.
Ye Jianhuang took a puff of his cigarette and said to Chu Shaoqiang, "Technically speaking, given my status, I shouldn’t take things from a junior like you. How about you pick something nice from me as compensation?"
Chu Shaoqiang shook his head repeatedly, "I wouldn’t dare; this is my genuine respect for you."
"You’re sensible." Ye Jianhuang smiled, taking the briefcase and leaving the waiting hall.
Chu Shaoqiang sat in the waiting hall, completely still.
Once train 1165 came to the station, Chu Shaoqiang immediately boarded, entered his carriage, and again settled quietly into his seat.
Before long, a new briefcase appeared in his hands.
...
Ye Jianhuang was carrying the briefcase, entering the New Land of Hai Chi Ridge, walked a while, then suddenly felt the weight of the briefcase wasn’t right.
He opened the briefcase to check again, and his brow furrowed.
The Red Lotus was gone.
"What a bold kid, daring to play tricks with me!" Ye Jianhuang threw the briefcase, his body transforming into smoke and disappearing without a trace.
...
Arriving at the Soda Kiln, Chu Shaoqiang disembarked the train, hurriedly proceeded into an abandoned factory.
At Soda Kiln, the local deity Shi Gongxing was repairing bearings. Chu Shaoqiang approached and respectfully offered two pliers from his briefcase to Shi Gongxing.
"Master, I have a request."
Shi Gongxing accepted the pliers, examined them carefully for a long time, and nodded slightly, "Go ahead."
These two pliers were rare craftsman spiritual objects.
Carrying his briefcase, Chu Shaoqiang headed straight to the end of the workshop.
By the ladder, Chu Shaoqiang saw the pool beneath it.
He was about to jump into the pool when he suddenly found his left foot turning into smoke.
Chu Shaoqiang was shocked, only to see Ye Jianhuang’s figure appearing before him.
"Who gives you the nerve to play tricks with me?" Ye Jianhuang’s brow twitched, causing Chu Shaoqiang’s right hand to turn into smoke, the briefcase falling to the ground.
"Master!" Chu Shaoqiang turned to look at Shi Gongxing.
Shi Gongxing held the pliers, watching Ye Jianhuang.
Ye Jianhuang glared and scolded Shi Gongxing, "What are you looking at? You shame your master! I ought to kill you!"
Shi Gongxing lowered his head, continued repairing the bearings, not daring to look again.
Ye Jianhuang opened the briefcase and examined for quite some time.
The Red Lotus was indeed inside the briefcase, seemingly real from the outside.
But Ye Jianhuang, worried that Chu Shaoqiang might still have tricks up his sleeve and could reclaim the Red Lotus.
"Kid, I intended to spare you, but you dared to deceive me, you sought your own doom." Ye Jianhuang’s brow twitched again, transforming Chu Shaoqiang’s remaining arm and leg into smoke, dissipating into the air.
His other body parts were also emitting smoke but hadn’t dissipated immediately.
"You kid are quite resilient." Ye Jianhuang smiled, took out tobacco, clenched it between his lips, and lit it.
He breathed out smoke at Chu Shaoqiang, whose body swayed, seemingly about to turn into smoke dust, but after swaying for a moment, the smoke reconverged.
Ye Jianhuang was shocked, puffing smoke at Chu Shaoqiang again.
Chu Shaoqiang burped, "Hurrrrrr."
From his mouth, came a stream of soap bubbles, first blocking the smoke, then spreading all over his body. After a minute, under the soap bubble’s envelope, Chu Shaoqiang’s limbs grew back.
The hands were a bit short, over twenty centimeters.
The legs weren’t long, around a foot.
Following along his thighs upward, things seemed smaller, yet still complete.
Ye Jianhuang became more cautious, asking, "What trick is this?"
Chu Shaoqiang couldn’t speak, still blowing bubbles.
Beside him, someone remarked, "It’s certainly not his trick; he doesn’t have such abilities."
"Then who could...?" Ye Jianhuang paused and turned to look at the speaker.
A middle-aged man with crossed arms, squatting honestly on the ground, spoke to Ye Jianhuang, "Keep fighting with him; I’ll watch closely to see whose trick this really is!"
Ye Jianhuang inhaled smoke from his pipe, watched the middle-aged man nervously.
The middle-aged man laughed, "Come on, keep fighting with him. Once you’re done, I’ll take action; isn’t this how you did back then?"
PS: It seems they have quite a history of grudges.