C83

Holding the blood jade in my hand, I found myself asking, "Second Uncle Lei, do you know the origins of this blood jade? Boss Wu mentioned that my father stole it..."

Second Master Lei let out a sigh and responded, "Ever since I laid eyes on this blood jade, I've been certain that Half Immortal Zhao has met his end. He would never have shown it so readily otherwise. This blood jade is the treasured cornerstone of Heaven Connecting Palace. Rumor has it that the jade harbors a very mysterious power."

"Then... do you know why my father would steal the blood jade?" I inquired.

Second Master Lei shook his head gently and replied, "I'm not the only one baffled; nearly everyone in the Supernatural World can't fathom why your father would take this blood jade! He's always been honest and upright, never stooping to petty theft. At Heaven Connecting Palace, he was revered as a once-in-a-millennium prodigy... However, I do know that a significant event occurred just before your father decided to steal the blood jade. Perhaps it was this incident that compelled him to take such a grave risk, even if it meant defying the world to steal this sacred artifact of his own sect."

"What... What happened?" I pressed, my excitement growing.

Second Master Lei was initially reluctant to divulge more, but after my persistent pleading, he finally offered, "Changsheng, if you agree to join us on our expedition to the ancient tomb, I'll share the details of the incident that happened seventeen years ago. I'll also use my connections with Lei's Brand to discreetly reach out to your uncle, Zhao Guizhen."

I paused, hesitant. I considered the risks of heading to the Heaven Connecting Palace on Wuling Mountain without any clear information. I might end up captured or worse, without even a chance to find Zhao Guizhen.

The thought of the ancient tomb brought back Deaf Zhang's words about the Blood Corpse, possibly lying within. This venture might just be the opportunity I needed to encounter the second of the thirteen corpses.

Yet, I was still at a loss about what to do upon finding those thirteen corpses. My foster father had only mentioned that they held the key to altering my destiny and ensuring my survival, without detailing how. Surely, I couldn't just haul each corpse back home, hoping to gather all thirteen and summon a dragon to grant me Immortality.

I made the decision to accompany Second Master Lei to the ancient tomb and began to tell him, "Second Uncle Lei, I..."

But before I could finish, Second Master Lei's phone rang abruptly. He took the call, and though I couldn't hear what was said, his expression shifted subtly.

Once he hung up, he turned to me and said, "That was one of Old Wu's men. They've just told me that Xiaodieh's body has vanished, and the circumstances are quite peculiar. They want us to come and see for ourselves."

"What?" I exclaimed in astonishment.

Second Master Lei and I then headed to the chaotic graveyard on the outskirts of town. We learned that as they were about to load Xiaodieh's body into the vehicle, it mysteriously disappeared.

They had searched the graveyard thoroughly but to no avail. Moreover, two of them had encountered a ghostly illusion, narrowly escaping danger. The whole situation was eerily inexplicable.

"Second Uncle Lei, what is happening? Could it be that Xiaodieh has come back to life?" I asked, bewildered.

Second Master Lei remained silent, walking with me to the two pits. He crouched down, scooped up a handful of dirt, sniffed it, and surveyed the surroundings.

The atmosphere grew tense and peculiar as gusts of cold wind swept through, causing the leaves in the woods to rustle. Glancing down, I suddenly noticed a series of footprints next to the pit.

The footprints were unmistakably Xiaodieh's. I traced them with my eyes all the way to the edge of the woods, where they vanished.

"Changsheng, they've already combed through that forest and found no sign of Xiaodieh's body," Second Master Lei informed me.

But then, something caught my eye. Trembling, I pointed towards the forest and cried out, "But... But who is that standing beneath the tree?!"