Nightmare Apostle

Chapter 983: Chapter 692: The Lost Lantern_3

With the sudden anomaly surrounding the Ghost Coffin, the young master and his three companions visibly panicked. The young master tightly gripped the steelyard’s handle, attempting to retract the Green Light Cage belonging to the Ghost Lantern, but it was beyond his ability. A massive force dragged him toward the Ghost Coffin.

In the nick of time, an explosion of dazzling green light burst before Yang Xiao’s eyes, resembling the way the Ghost Lantern had detonated before. The scene before him instantly shattered.

In that final moment, he faintly heard the sound of something being torn apart.

He collapsed to one knee on the ground, gasping heavily. When he lowered his gaze, he saw the familiar rings of bullseye targets beneath him—he was back in the pitch-black room.

How he left this place, he could no longer remember. Nor could he recall what Lu Youdao said to him outside the door. Dazed and muddled, he had stumbled back to his office, throwing himself onto the couch, his mind entirely consumed by the image of the explosion.

In the very last moment, the drama robe woman had used some unknown means, orchestrating a mutual destruction between the Ghost Coffin and the young master’s group of four.

Whether those four ultimately survived, Yang Xiao had no way of knowing, but what was certain was that the drama robe woman did not survive.

Yang Xiao could also speculate about the tearing sound he had heard—likely the drama robe’s power, which could consume magical artifacts. The essence of the Ghost Lantern had been destroyed, its lantern section devoured by the Ghost Coffin in the final instant, while the steelyard’s handle had been lost.

The Ghost Lantern, incomplete without its handle, was a terrifying artifact when fully intact. Used effectively, it could even kill someone as powerful as the drama robe woman.

Now Yang Xiao had one more task to accomplish: he needed to locate the missing steelyard handle and piece together the Ghost Lantern.

Clinging to that thought, his mind utterly drained, Yang Xiao drifted off into a hazy sleep. It wasn’t until the next morning that the ringing of his office phone jolted him awake. freёwebnoѵel.com

It was Nalan Shuo calling, instructing Yang Xiao to go to his office immediately. Sensing urgency, Yang Xiao rushed out without even washing his face.

"Director, you wanted to see me." Walking into Nalan Shuo’s office, Yang Xiao stood there, his hair disheveled and his mental state far from optimal.

"The investigation results are in. On the night you were attacked at the hospital, someone was with Master Lin," Nalan Shuo began directly.

"Is the information reliable?" Yang Xiao immediately perked up.

"Absolutely credible."

If Nalan Shuo vouched for it, there was no doubt. This meant that the mysterious expert who attacked Yang Xiao at the hospital was someone else entirely.

Yet Yang Xiao couldn’t fathom who in Rongcheng would possess such immense strength. This individual didn’t seem to match the female assassin from Jingping Town.

"By the way, do you still remember Jiang Qingluan?" Nalan Shuo suddenly asked.

The question stumped Yang Xiao. He didn’t understand why her name had suddenly come up. "I remember. Why?"

"During the latter part of your last mission, I wasn’t with you. Between you and her... did anything unpleasant happen?" Nalan Shuo’s tone was oddly peculiar.

"No, nothing at all. What’s the matter? Why are you suddenly asking about her?" Yang Xiao quickly sensed that something wasn’t right. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com

"Take a look at this." Nalan Shuo picked up a dossier from his desk and handed it to Yang Xiao. The folder was marked with the word "TOP SECRET."

The dossier had been sent by the Provincial Office, detailing the supernatural incident in Jingping Town. The report was extraordinarily thorough, with professional perspectives and meticulous analyses. Upon reaching the third page, Yang Xiao’s fingers suddenly froze, his expression becoming a mix of surprise and disbelief. According to the Provincial Office’s analysis of the scene where Captain Fang and his team were killed, the female assassin was highly suspected to be from the Yi Sect, and her estimated strength indicated she held a significant status within the sect.

"Someone from the Yi Sect?"

Yang Xiao was utterly stunned. He swore he bore no grudge against Jiang Qingluan; he hadn’t even so much as laid a finger on her. If not for his own morality, Jiang Qingluan would probably be at the bottom of the muddy well at Fushou Manor’s secluded courtyard by now.

"The Yi Sect members keep themselves hidden. They’ve never had any interactions with our Rongcheng Patrol Division. They have no reason to attack us," Nalan Shuo stated bluntly.