Die, Replay, Repeat

Yan Changshou fumed internally, silently cursing Wen Yang. 'What a worthless idiot! I told you to bring back Fang Xiu, but instead, you let him get in control. And what did you even manage to bring back? Nothing! If it weren't for your incompetence, I wouldn't be stuck in this mess!'

Despite the anger boiling inside him, Yan Changshou kept a calm exterior. He knew he couldn't afford to lose people now—every extra hand meant more strength.

So, he decided to play the part, tricking Wen Yang into continuing to work for him.

Yan Changshou didn't realize that Wen Yang was playing a part too.

Wen Yang stopped in front of him, his expression a mix of concern and guilt.

"I'm fine," Yan Changshou said, his tone steady.

Wen Yang sighed with relief, a small smile of happiness flashing across his face. "I'm glad to hear that, Captain Yan. I knew you'd pull through."

"Hmm, this isn't the time for that. The Pokers are fighting with headquarters. Get over there and support them!"

"Yes, sir, I'll—"

Out of nowhere, countless sharp, white bones erupted from his body. These bones, pointed like spears, gleamed with a cold, eerie light as they struck straight toward Yan Changshou.

Yan Changshou was already injured and, he didn't anticipate an attack from Wen Yang, so he was caught off guard. In an instant, his body was skewered like a porcupine.

"You!" Yan Changshou's eyes widened in shock as blood gushed from his wounds. His throat, eyes, heart, neck—nearly every part of him was pierced by the bones, leaving him looking like a horrific sight.

At that moment, Wen Yang's cold smile revealed his true identity: King of Spades.

With a mocking tone, King of Spades said, "Captain Yan, Mr. Fang Xiu sends his regards."

"Wha—?" Yan Changshou was stunned. Realizing that Wen Yang was actually a Poker in disguise was shocking enough, but what really threw him was the name King of Spades mentioned.

"Fang Xiu? Damn it! What's happening?!" Yan Changshou suddenly felt as though he was caught in a giant, inescapable web, completely at the mercy of someone else.

And that someone was Fang Xiu!

"It's you again! Fang Xiu!" Yan Changshou screamed, his voice full of rage.

King of Spades' expression grew cold as he kicked Yan Changshou's battered body away.

Yan Changshou's form flew off the bone spikes like a ragdoll, tumbling across the ground until it finally lay still, lifeless.

"Hmph! You don't get to speak his name!"

King of Spades doubted if the guy's name was really Fang Xiu, but that was at least what he always referred to himself as. King of Spades assumed it was his code name, maybe.

King of Spades was well aware of how terrifying Fang Xiu was—able to summon Specters straight from the Other Side.

Right now, Fang Xiu might even be watching him, so King of Spades knew he had to act like a loyal servant to keep Fang Xiu pleased.

After finishing off Yan Changshou, King of Spades walked over to the corpse, intent on cutting off the head to present it to Fang Xiu as a reward.

Just as King of Spades approached, a crimson tentacle shot out from Yan Changshou's seemingly lifeless body.

King of Spades, caught off guard, quickly summoned his bone armor.

Pale, sharp bones covered his form, but the tentacle tore through the armor as if it were paper.

The tentacle's corrosive energy eating away at the protection and stabbing deep into King of Spades' chest.

"What?" King of Spades was stunned. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Yan Changshou was still alive. Despite being struck by the energy of the Xuanyuan Sword and having his body impaled, Yan Changshou still had enough strength to mount a surprise attack.

In desperation, King of Spades fought back. His spine twisted violently, and a pale bone dragon emerged from his body, lunging straight for Yan Changshou.

But before he could even reach halfway, the bone dragon collapsed, falling lifelessly to the ground.

The crimson tentacle was rapidly draining King of Spades of his flesh and blood, leaving him nothing but skin and bones, a dried-out husk of what he once was.

Meanwhile, Yan Changshou's broken body began to heal before King of Spades' very eyes. His wounds closed at an unnatural speed, though the deep gash in his chest from the Xuanyuan Sword remained.

Yan Changshou retracted his crimson tentacle, and King of Spades' lifeless body crumpled to the ground.

Without even sparing a glance at the corpse, Yan Changshou's eyes burned with an intense, murderous fury.

"Fang Xiu! You've pushed me too far!"

Yan Changshou had been outplayed by Fang Xiu three times now, and his patience had worn thin—especially given his half-transformed state as a Specter, which only heightened his instability.

The first time, Fang Xiu tricked him at his own home, leading him to torture a decoy.

The second time, at the conference, Fang Xiu upended his plans and made him the target of a coordinated attack.

And now, this third betrayal, with Fang Xiu sending King of Spades disguised as Wen Yang.

These consecutive deceptions had driven Yan Changshou to the brink, like a cornered animal ready to lash out.

At this point, Yan Changshou no longer cared about the Pokers or the headquarters. All that filled his mind was a burning desire for revenge against Fang Xiu. But before he could act, a cold voice echoed through the air.

"Bear the darkness—Shadowy World!"

A pitch-black shadow spread across the ground, enveloping everything around Yan Changshou. He found himself trapped within a shadowy domain, with Ace of Spades looming above him.

Ace of Spades glanced at the shriveled corpse of King of Spades, his expression darkening with anger.

"Damn fool! I told you to wait for me so we could execute Mr. Fang's orders together, but you just had to rush in, trying to snatch all the credits…"

Ace of Spades' words were abruptly interrupted by a furious, almost animalistic roar.

"Fang Xiu! It's you again!!"

Yan Changshou had lost all semblance of sanity. Three times was already too much to bear, but now there was a fourth! Any remaining shred of his reason was burned away by his rage.

BOOM!

The other half of Yan Changshou's body morphed grotesquely, completing his transformation into a Specter.

He became a monstrous figure, covered in writhing crimson tentacles. His face still held traces of humanity, yet it was twisted and covered in countless eyes.

He lunged at Ace of Spades, and the two clashed fiercely.

Meanwhile, at the edge of the battlefield, Xiao Zhenhua was urgently trying to get Fang Xiu and the Director to safety.

He opened the car door with urgency in his voice. "Fang Xiu, you and the Director need to get in the car and leave now!"

Despite the chaos engulfing the entire headquarters, Xiao Zhenhua's protection had ensured that Fang Xiu and the Director reached this point unscathed.

"Let the Director go alone. I still have things to take care of," Fang Xiu replied, his voice calm and unwavering amidst the turmoil.

Xiao Zhenhua immediately frowned, concern etched across his face. "You're just a second-tier psychic. Staying here won't help anyone. Your abilities are too valuable to risk. What if you end up getting killed?"

"I won't die," Fang Xiu responded, his voice steady. "Because I've already seen the future."

Xiao Zhenhua was taken aback. It was as if the air had been knocked out of him, leaving him momentarily speechless.

He stared at Fang Xiu, stunned by the calm certainty in his words. Before he could gather himself to argue, Fang Xiu had already turned and started walking away.

Watching Fang Xiu's retreating figure, Xiao Zhenhua gritted his teeth, battling the urge to call him back.

In the end, he chose to prioritize the unconscious Director's safety, deciding to get him out first before returning to the battlefield as quickly as possible.

Meanwhile, in a corner of the conference hall, the scene was grim.

The floor was littered with severed limbs and the bodies of countless unconscious people, the aftermath of a brutal fight.

Yang Ming had managed to resist the intoxicating alcohol thanks to his Corpse Bead.

Bai Qi, being a third-tier psychic, naturally had a strong resistance and had regained his clarity after stabbing himself a few times to stay focused.

Xiao Chuxia, having absorbed a significant amount of the power of lies the night before, easily dispelled the drunken haze that had overtaken so many others.

But Liu Shuai and Zhao Hao weren't so lucky—they were completely knocked out, dead drunk and oblivious to the chaos around them.

Seeing the situation escalating, Bai Qi pulled out a short knife and gave both Liu Shuai and Zhao Hao a sharp jab, hoping to rouse them. But it was no use; they were far too intoxicated to wake up.

Bai Qi frowned in frustration. "Yang Ming, you grab one, and I'll take the other. We need to get them out of here."

They were all investigators from Greenvine City and had faced life-and-death situations together. Leaving their teammates behind wasn't an option.

Just as the two were about to lift Zhao Hao and Liu Shuai, Xiao Chuxia stepped forward with a sly smile.

"No need to carry them. Watch this."

She bent down and shouted into Zhao Hao's ear, "Luo Qingxin is wearing stockings!"

Zhao Hao, who had been entirely passed out just moments before, suddenly sprang to his feet like a rocket.

Despite the fog clouding his mind and the bleary look in his eyes, he immediately blurted out, "What? Where? Where?"

Yang Ming couldn't help but grin and give Xiao Chuxia a thumbs up.

"Impressive!" he said, clearly amused by her unconventional but highly effective tactic.

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