Chapter 104: Persuasion Through Emotion

Guang Qi clutched his aching shoulder and muttered under his breath, “I didn’t expect Zi Long to be so ruthless. Thankfully, I possess a transcendent physique; if it had been my old self taking that blow, I’d probably have been knocked out on the spot.”

No wonder Ye Dong said he felt injured—it turned out Zi Long had struck Guang Qi.

“That’s Wan Tianze’s residence?” Guang Qi cast a cold gaze upon a lavish villa surrounded by layers of patrolling bodyguards. It was a fortress, truly fortified inside and out; breaking in would likely require a tank.

“Hmph, luckily I have memories!” Guang Qi tapped his temple. “Ye Dong’s grand gesture just now didn’t yield results, so I’ll just leverage Wan Tianze’s daughter.”

Suddenly, a vague image surged into Guang Qi’s mind.

Amidst a snowy expanse, a faint light flickered, wavering near and far, seemingly searching for something. Soft breaths whispered by his ears; a chilling cold seeped beneath his skin, sending a shiver down his spine.

“Is this how Ye Dong feels now?” Guang Qi quickly realized, sneering, “Looks like the memory regression is nearly complete. But what is that flickering light?”

As Ye Dong had guessed, their bodily sensations were beginning to interact—in other words, Ye Dong was in greater danger.

Drawing on his recollections of various texts, Guang Qi shuddered and whispered, “Damn, that’s the Daylight Taoist’s ‘Soul Seeking Lantern’! That’s bad news!”

Indeed, Guang Qi was right, and Ye Dong on the other end wasn’t mistaken either; it was the soul-seeking lantern lit by Chen Yao, meant to locate Ye Dong’s soul.

“My dear disciple, where on earth are you being held?!” Chen Yao’s heart brimmed with anxiety. He didn’t hesitate to mobilize his spiritual power and use soul projection to seek Ye Dong, but Guang Qi was devilishly cunning, hiding Ye Dong too thoroughly.

“It’s impossible. We’ve searched the hospital back and forth,” Xiao Wang lamented, “Even the basement was scoured, but to no avail. It’s truly frustrating!”

“Ring ring!”

A phone inside the villa rang. Wan Zhengzheng hurriedly answered, “Hello? Who’s this?”

“It’s me,” came a dry cough from the other end. “Ye Ye Dong!”

“Ah?! Ye Dong!?” Wan Zhengzheng’s heart tightened. She quickly called Nian Xue closer, who covered the phone and whispered, “It’s Ye Dong!?”

Upon hearing the voice, Nian Xue’s brows furrowed deeply.

In a low voice, she said, “Don’t panic. Ye Dong’s body is currently occupied by Guang Qi, who now holds Ye Dong’s vital memories.”

Wan Zhengzheng nodded repeatedly, steadying herself before replying, “You’re not Ye Dong—you’re Guang Qi!”

“Just now, Guang Qi lost to Senior Brother Zi Long in their duel. I seized the moment when his spiritual barrier was weak to reclaim my body,” came the heavy breath on the phone, as if he was seriously injured.

“Oh!?” Wan Zhengzheng didn’t dare delay, pressing, “Why are you calling me? Shouldn’t you be calling Master Chen now!?”

“Because I’m near your house!” The voice grew dimmer. “Right after regaining control, I found myself near your backyard. I suspect Guang Qi intends to harm you. Get Nian Xue out to help me recite the ‘Purifying Mind Spell’!”

“He says he’s in the backyard!” Wan Zhengzheng’s face filled with worry as she pulled Nian Xue to look outside. Sure enough, Ye Dong lay beneath a tree beyond the yard, pale and weak.

“What do we do? That’s really Ye Dong, it’s truly him!” Wan Zhengzheng’s lips trembled with anxiety as she gripped Nian Xue’s hand.

Nian Xue pressed down Wan Zhengzheng’s trembling fingers, taking the phone firmly. “You’re not Ye Dong. Stop pretending!” she snapped, then wrote a message: “Call my father and Officer Li!”

Wan Zhengzheng nodded repeatedly and stepped aside to inform Officer Li.

“That bastard actually went to your house!?” Officer Li’s face was troubled, feeling the situation was dire. “Guang Qi’s counter-surveillance skills are formidable—he completely evaded the SWAT’s search! If he captures Wan Zhengzheng, that jade pendant is essentially under his control.”

“Don’t approach him under any circumstances! I’ll dispatch reinforcements immediately!” Officer Li gave strict orders before hanging up.

“The closest location to Wan Zhengzheng’s house is us. Xiao Yang, Liang Lingzhi, you two lead your teams to assist Nian Xue. Use force if necessary. Just keep him alive!”

Seeing Officer Li’s fierce determination, Xiao Yang and Liang Lingzhi didn’t argue. A police unit swiftly mobilized.

Wan Zhengzheng and Chen Nian Xue—if either suffered severe harm, their fathers would surely unleash a storm. With Wan Tianze’s wealth and influence and Chen Yao’s profound sorcery, any outcry from them would bring unimaginable consequences. This was the last outcome Officer Li wished to see.

Wan Zhengzheng pressed her ear to the phone, eager to hear what Nian Xue and Ye Dong were saying.

“Nian Xue,” Guang Qi’s voice on the line was weak and strained. “I know you won’t trust me now, and I don’t blame you, but *cough cough*—”

Two violent coughs pierced Wan Zhengzheng’s ears, stoking her worry as she glanced once more beyond the backyard.

“He’s coughing blood!” Wan Zhengzheng couldn’t have anticipated that her reunion with the man she had longed for so deeply would be at the brink of his death. As a woman untested by hardship, how could she not be thrown into disarray?

Meanwhile, speeding in a car, Liang Lingzhi cursed quietly, “That despicable Guang Qi actually targeted Wan Zhengzheng’s attention! Nian Xue, don’t be fooled!”

Of course, Nian Xue wouldn’t falter—only Wan Zhengzheng, smitten with Ye Dong, risked confusion.

Guang Qi had deliberately exploited Wan Zhengzheng’s feelings for Ye Dong, choosing her as his point of entry into the villa. Using human emotion as a weapon—that was truly sinister.

“Don’t lose your composure!” Nian Xue scolded Wan Zhengzheng softly. Her eyes flicked toward the yard’s edge, where two bodyguards were approaching Guang Qi. A pang of alarm struck her—too late to stop them now.

Guang Qi, seeing the guards draw near, smirked inwardly, “Come on, just as I expected!”

“What should we do? Will the bodyguards harm him?!” Wan Zhengzheng gripped the curtain tightly, her mind racing.

“Sir, do you require an ambulance?” Bodyguard One stepped forward cautiously, while Bodyguard Two hovered behind, weapon tightly gripped, vigilant of Guang Qi’s every move.

Seeing this, Nian Xue cursed quietly into the phone, “Guang Qi, stop struggling and surrender!”

“Why don’t you believe me?!” Guang Qi feigned indignation. “He’s about to seize my will again; there’s little time left!”

“Don’t be delusional!” Though angry, Nian Xue remained alert and did not hang up.

Seeing the call still connected, Guang Qi chuckled inwardly, “Nian Xue, you’re too clever for your own good. I want you to overhear this conversation. Did you forget I’m an undercover agent?”

“Sir, please answer our questions!” The bodyguard raised his voice when Guang Qi ignored him.

Guang Qi’s eyelids drooped heavily, lips pale as he lowered the phone. He seemed utterly drained, barely able to speak: “I’m… I’m losing a lot of blood… I’m not going to make it…”

One must admit, Guang Qi’s undercover training made his acting impeccable.

“Call an ambulance,” Bodyguard One whispered, “We can’t let anything happen here, or the master will be in the news.”

“Understood,” Bodyguard Two quickly dialed emergency services.

Guang Qi whispered into the phone, “Zhengzheng, thank you for trusting me. But unfortunately, I’m no longer myself.”

After speaking, he closed his eyes, his head tilting—apparently fainting.

At that moment, seeing a figure who once faced death alongside them now near death, Nian Xue’s heart ached. Yet she fretted deeply—if this was a trap set by Guang Qi, the consequences would be dire.

Wan Zhengzheng heard the exchange clearly over the phone, her eyes reddening, tears streaming down her cheeks. “If he really is Ye Dong, then… then we’re just watching our comrade die!”

Overcome with emotion, she dashed toward the door.

“Don’t rush!” Nian Xue hurried after her. Just as they moved away from the window, Guang Qi’s closed eyes suddenly snapped open on the other end of the line, revealing a sinister smile to the bodyguards.

The game was far from over.