Chapter 470: The Soul is Gone
A Sister's Intuition
"Keep your voice down, or everyone will know!"
Qin Ya pushed her friend's head away, but Lin Yun clung to her like a caterpillar.
"Little sister-in-law!"
"Little sister-in-law!"
"I love you, little sister-in-law!"
"Come here, give me a smooch."
"Stop fooling around, my mind is a mess."
Lin Yun retorted, "I think you don't know how lucky you are! That's Luke Shaw, the perfect male god—handsome, stylish, talented, and charming! And he's your biological brother?"
"Oh my god, you don't know how envious I am."
"I have to get close to you. What do you want for lunch? My treat."
"I don't have an appetite."
Qin Ya smiled wryly. "That was just something Dad let slip during an argument with Mom. I don't know if it's true, and besides, Dad wasn't even certain of that person's identity."
"Why don't you just ask the person in question?"
"The person in question?"
Qin Ya paused, then waved her hands frantically. "No, absolutely not!"
"Why not? He's your brother, not some stranger."
"Please stop. My head is really spinning right now."
Lin Yun grinned. "This afternoon, Luke Shaw is going to the radio station for an interview. Afterward, there will be a fan meet-and-greet event. And I just happen to know the time and place. I wonder if a certain someone wants to go?"
Avoiding Kinship
Lately, "Luke" had been floating high. He was either attending banquets or on his way to an interview. The Twelve Apostles took turns managing the body, using Luke's identity to experience the beautiful life of the upper class.
Number Nine had even been flirting with several wealthy socialites. If Linda hadn't been keeping such a close watch, he would have already sealed the deal.
This afternoon, after finishing an interview with a beautiful host, "Luke" arrived at the fan meeting and fully experienced the life of a celebrity. Unfortunately, all the pleasantness came to an abrupt halt when a certain girl showed up.
Qin Ya held up a notebook and carefully extended it forward.
"My name is Qin Ya. Could you sign this for me, please?"
Number Eleven's heart sank. He took the pen, scribbled his name, and quickly turned away.
At the same time, the apostles hidden inside the body were frantically communicating.
"Is it her?"
"It has to be. Qin Ruchuan's daughter, she looks exactly like the photo."
"How did she get here?"
"Who knows? Maybe she's just a fan!"
"How do we handle this?"
"Don't ask me, who am I supposed to ask?"
Number Seven coughed. "Theoretically, she's our sister."
"You should ask the Original Body that. The Original Body has never shown any intention of recognizing them."
"Recognizing them is one thing; blood relation is another. Regardless, she is our sister."
"Bullshit!"
Number Six scoffed. "They haven't seen each other in over ten years. What kind of sibling relationship is that?"
"I agree with Brother Six. Our only sister is Julian. This one doesn't count."
Number Seven mocked, "Number Six, Number Nine, you are truly heartless."
"Just telling the truth. It's not about being heartless or not."
"Guys, stop arguing! The girl is following us again."
Number Eleven, known for his womanizing, was flustered by Qin Ya. He genuinely didn't know how to interact with her. After all, this was the Original Body's blood-related sister. While the Original Body hadn't shown interest in acknowledging her, that didn't mean he didn't care about her well-being.
"Big Brother, why don't you take over? I can't handle this."
Number One yawned and remained silent.
"Third Brother, Fifth Brother, what about you?"
Number Three and Number Five both turned their heads away, looking elsewhere.
"Fourth Brother!"
"Don't call me. I'm busy."
The others were either silent or closed their eyes. Number Nine and Number Twelve even shielded their senses—out of sight, out of mind.
None of them were fools. With the Original Body's attitude unclear, who would touch this hot potato?
Number Eleven wanted to cry. Seeing no escape, he simply rushed onto the podium and gave a speech. Afterward, he left without looking back.
Qin Ya didn't know what to do, but Lin Yun wasn't giving up. She dragged Qin Ya all the way to the parking lot and shouted, ignoring the bodyguards,
"Hey! Luke Shaw! Do you know Qin Ruchuan? We want to talk to you!"
Number Eleven ignored them and ordered the driver to leave.
Lin Yun stomped her foot angrily. "What does he mean by that? How can he act like that?"
Qin Ya, however, let out a sigh of relief and smiled.
"Maybe he really doesn't know, or maybe Dad recognized the wrong person."
"Then we'll force the issue! I don't believe he can run forever."
Lin Yun waved her hand, acting like a fierce leader.
Qin Ya, though, didn't want to chase him. He was a person from a different world than her. She wasn't the type to cling on desperately. If he was her biological brother, that was great. If not, that was okay, too.
After escaping Qin Ya, Number Eleven sighed. He suddenly thought of the Original Body. After so much time, the Original Body should have responded by now, but strangely, his soul had remained in an unstable, flickering state. It was truly puzzling.
A Mountain Village Tragedy
China, Yungui Mountain region, Hejiatun Town.
This remote mountain village seemed frozen decades in the past. There were no neon lights or high-rise buildings. Sparse houses were surrounded by layers of terraced fields, creating a unique, picturesque view from afar.
Two black SUVs stopped at the crossroads at the entrance of the village.
The car door opened, and a burly man named Lin Dong stepped out first. He belonged to the Special Affairs Processing Department, specifically responsible for non-natural events, including cases involving super-abilities.
Three colleagues, also members of the department, followed him.
Lin Dong removed his sunglasses and walked to the other car, speaking softly to an elderly man dozing in the seat.
"Daoist Master Zhang, we've arrived."
The old man opened his eyes, habitually wiped the corner of his mouth, and then quickly lowered his hand after realizing his surroundings. He spoke with an air of profound wisdom.
"Lead the way."
The old man removed his headphones, put on a headpiece, changed into a Bagua robe, and flicked his whisk. He looked every bit the ethereal sage.
Lin Dong didn't dare to be slow. He personally led the way. The group walked forward along the dirt road. After only a few steps, the old man suddenly stopped, his face tense and abnormally serious.
Lin Dong's body also stiffened.
"Daoist Master, have you found something?"
"It's too quiet."
"This village, and this mountain forest, are eerily quiet, not like the world of the living."
Hearing this, the other four also realized it. The surroundings were indeed silent. There was no human chatter, no dog barking, no insect chirping, and no bird calls. The vast fields made not a single sound.
The old man rolled up his sleeves and walked into the village first.
Pushing open the door of a rural house, they were met by a local dog lying on the ground. Lin Dong stepped forward to check the dog's breathing and shook his head. The hen in the pigpen was the same: not injured, not poisoned, just lying there like a corpse.
The old man looked grim. He walked into the house. The owners were a middle-aged couple, lying quietly in bed, seemingly asleep.
"Daoist Master, what's going on?"
The old man said coldly,
"Their souls are gone."
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