How did I, a fake bodyguard, become a terrestrial immortal?

"Captain Qin, where is the real Mr. Fang?" Bai Yixin stepped forward, carrying Bai Miyao, and asked anxiously, "Is he still alive?"

Captain Qin remained silent for a moment: "His life force has not been extinguished."

A glimmer of hope reappeared in Bai Yixin's eyes.

"But we don't know where he is."

Captain Qin continued, "The Metamorphosis Gu needs the life force of a living person to maintain its transformations. As long as the real Fang Xuan is still alive, it can continue to steal his memories."

"In other words, Fang Xuan is very likely being imprisoned."

"When was he replaced?" Lu Yang asked.

"Based on the timing of the abnormal movement in the Fate Array, it should have occurred on the second day after the Ice Silkworm rampage."

Lu Yang's heart sank slightly. That day, he had fallen into a coma...

In other words, the one who helped them solve the Ice Silkworm Queen Worm in the small building was indeed the real Fang Xuan.

But when he woke up from his coma, the person sitting by his bedside drinking tea had already been replaced.

No wonder Fang Xuan urged them to set off as soon as possible.

Most of what the fake Fang Xuan said was true, but the more true it was, the easier it was for them to believe it.

One lie is mixed into nine truths.

Often more deadly than ten lies...

"There's one more thing."

Captain Qin looked at Bai Miyao: "That fake Fang Xuan helped this child conceal her aura, not to save her."

Bai Yixin's body stiffened slightly.

Did he know everything?

Lu Yang took a step forward, blocking Qin Xiaowei's view.

The atmosphere in the alley became tense again.

Captain Qin remained unfazed: "Don't worry."

"What I'm arresting are members of the Qinglian cult, not some innocent child who doesn't even know what the Qinglian cult is."

Lu Yang stared at him: "You knew?"

Captain Qin said, "The Fate Master said that this child holds the secrets of the Green Lotus Sect within him."

"However, I followed the rules, and the Soul-Illuminating Lamp couldn't detect any aura of the Azure Lotus. As for what that secret is, I don't care."

Bai Yixin did not completely relax after hearing these words.

It was the Zhenwu Division that stormed into the Bai family and kidnapped her father back then.

She found it difficult to trust the entire Zhenwu Division based on just one sentence from Captain Qin.

Lu Yang did not press the matter further.

Whether Qin Xiaowei represents himself or the Zhenwu Division of Hanlin City, at least for now, no one has taken direct action.

That's more than enough.

"So what exactly is the fake Fang Xuan's goal?" Lu Yang asked.

"It's unclear at the moment."

Captain Qin looked at him: "But the unusual phenomena in your physique, and the secret within this child's body, could both be its targets."

"It insisted on taking you away from Hanlin City, not to cure the disease and save lives."

"If you actually follow the route it has laid out to the Valley of a Thousand Flowers, you will most likely fall into a trap along the way."

Lu Yang's face darkened.

It seems we need to reconsider our plans to visit the Valley of a Thousand Flowers.

But Bai Miyao's health couldn't withstand the strain.

Without being able to find the real Fang Xuan, they didn't even know where to go next.

Lu Yang rubbed his temples.

This damn mess keeps piling up.

Just then, Captain Qin seemed to suddenly remember something.

"When the fake Fang Xuan left the city lord's mansion, did he carry a black box with him?"

Lu Yang paused.

Black box!

When Fang Xuan got into the car, there was indeed a small black box on his waist.

The box was smaller and more worn than the jade box containing the ice silkworm mother.

At the time, Lu Yang asked him what was inside, and Fang Xuan only said that it was something he could use on the road.

"Yes." Lu Yang immediately turned around and looked at the spot where Fang Xuan had just disappeared.

The ground was empty, except for a few wisps of dissipating black smoke.

"The box is gone!"

Several officers from the Zhenwu Division immediately drew their swords and began searching both sides of the alley.

Captain Qin's expression also turned serious.

Bai Miyao suddenly raised her head from Bai Yixin's embrace.

"The box is in the car."

Everyone looked at her at the same time. Bai Miyao was so frightened by being stared at by so many people that she shrank into Bai Yixin's arms.

"When Uncle Fang got on the bus just now, he put the box under the seat."

He also told Yao'er not to touch it.

Lu Yang and Captain Qin exchanged a glance.

The next moment, Lu Yang crawled into the carriage and yanked open the wooden board under the seat.

A small black box, about the size of a palm, lay quietly in the corner.

The box has no pattern on its surface.

The material is like wood, or perhaps some kind of dried-out bone.

Just as Lu Yang was about to reach out, Captain Qin immediately shouted, "Don't touch it!"

But it was still too late.

Lu Yang's fingertips had already landed on the surface of the box.

It's ice cold!

It felt like touching a bone that had been buried underground for many years.

Immediately afterwards, the Xuanwu pattern on Lu Yang's chest trembled slightly.

A heavy aura flowed from his fingers and slowly pressed down on the black box.

Boom!

A muffled thud suddenly came from inside the box.

Lu Yang froze.

The sound didn't resemble the crawling of worms.

It was more like a heart, beating through the thick wooden planks.

Boom!

The second sound rang out.

A dark red pattern slowly emerged on the surface of the black box.

"Take your hand away!"

Commander Qin shouted again.

Lu Yang quickly withdrew his hand and took half a step back.

Once the black box lost the suppression of the Xuanwu aura, the dark red patterns on its surface quickly faded, and the heartbeat inside also disappeared.

The alleyway fell silent again.

Bai Miyao suddenly raised her head and looked at the black box in the carriage.

"Uncle Fang..."

Bai Yixin's expression changed: "Yao'er, what did you say?"

Bai Miyao stretched out her little hand and pointed to the area under the seat.

"Yao'er heard Uncle Fang speak."

Everyone's expression changed simultaneously.

Lu Yang hurriedly asked, "What did he say?"

Bai Miyao frowned, as if trying hard to recall the sound she had just heard.

"Uncle Fang said..."

"Help me."

Captain Qin strode forward, but instead of touching the black box directly, he took out the blackened Destiny Needle from his pocket.

The moment the needle tip approached the box, it suddenly began to tremble slightly.

hum-

The Destiny Needle emitted a soft chime, its tip slowly rotating until it finally pointed south.

Captain Qin stared at the black box for a moment, his expression growing increasingly solemn.

Lu Yang asked, "What exactly is this thing?"

"Life-Locking Box"

Captain Qin said in a deep voice, "The Life-Melting Gu can imitate a person's appearance and voice, but it cannot steal a person's entire memory at once."

"Therefore, the person who casts the Gu will extract a wisp of life essence from the original owner, seal it in a life-locking box, and carry the Gu body with them."

"As long as the real Fang Xuan is not dead, the Life-Transforming Gu can continuously read his memories through this box."

Lu Yang felt a chill run down his spine.

Good guy.

Not only did they steal accounts, but they also carried cloud synchronization with them.

No wonder the fake Fang Xuan acted almost flawlessly.

Lu Yang looked at the black box: "Since Fang Xuan's life essence is here, can we use it to find him?"

"Can."

Commandant Qin put away the life-seeking needle.

"But I can only determine the general direction."

"To find the exact location, we must ask the Master of Fate to take action personally."

Bai Yixin immediately said, "Then I will ask that Fate Master for help. I am willing to pay any price as long as we can find Mr. Fang."

Captain Qin glanced at her.

"The Fate Master has already set off."

"However, the box cannot be opened until he arrives."

Lu Yang asked, "Why?"

"The Life-Locking Box is connected to the real Fang Xuan."

Captain Qin's expression was serious: "Forcibly opening it will at best sever the connection between the two sides, causing us to lose our only clue."

"In severe cases..."

"Fang Xuan's life flame will be extinguished along with the box."

Lu Yang silently withdrew his outstretched hand.

Excuse me.

excuse me.

It's better to leave this to professionals.

Just then, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from outside the alley.

A moment later, a Zhenwu Division officer dismounted and quickly approached Captain Qin.

"Captain!"

"The Fate-Illuminating Array has just shown signs of unusual activity again."

Captain Qin's gaze sharpened: "In which direction?"