“I am, after all, of a certain age. I’ve seen things like this before. Look at his left wrist.”

Logan Barrett looked over.

He saw that on the inside of the corpse’s left wrist, there was a very small black mark, resembling that lotus from before.

So, it really isn’t the real body, just an empty shell?

A few subordinates were still talking, but Logan Barrett was no longer listening closely.

Because he was pondering a question—

Since the one in the jade coffin wasn’t the real body, and there was no sign of a corpse coming back to life,

Then… who just opened the coffin?

In an instant, he lowered his head and glanced at his own hand.

He almost suspected that the so-called original demon lord hadn’t completely dissipated, and perhaps some lingering power still remained in his hand.

But that didn’t seem right either.

When he touched the coffin, he hadn’t used any strength at all, he really had just touched it.

Besides…

If the original owner was still around, with their abilities, wouldn’t it be easy to seize this body? Why would they let him occupy it until now?

As Logan Barrett was thinking all this nonsense, he suddenly caught sight of something under “Owen Fletcher’s” palm, covered by the slightly curled fingers of Elder Harrison, with just a corner exposed.

Was it a jade carving?

Logan Barrett hesitated for a moment, muttering in his heart, “Even though you’re just a shell, I still have to greet you. Pardon me.”

He pried open the corpse’s cold fingers and took out the object from beneath the palm.

It was a white jade figurine, exquisitely carved, but the figure had no face, so it was impossible to tell who it was. However, it held a long sword in its hand, and stood atop a carved pedestal.

In Que City, stone or jade carvings with a pedestal were only used for one thing—worship statues.

He wondered if it was the same here.

If it was a deity statue, and it held a sword, it should be Elder Harrison himself.

Logan Barrett guessed, his thumb unconsciously brushing over the carvings on the pedestal.

He didn’t know which spot he touched, but suddenly his heart skipped a beat, and he heard a voice.

“Have you ever been to Chunfan City on the west side of Mengdu? There’s an extraordinary person there, Ethan Brooks.”

Logan Barrett: “…”

He almost threw the statue away.

But fortunately, he had witnessed countless scenes in Que City before, and his greatest skill was keeping a straight face.

Who’s speaking? Why am I hearing this voice?

Logan Barrett lowered his eyes, but his heart was surging with undercurrents.

Was it because he was holding this statue?

Logan Barrett was silent for a moment, then rubbed the same carving with his thumb again.

This time, nothing happened.

What’s going on? Am I being haunted, or just having a hallucination?

Logan Barrett turned the statue over and over, muttering to himself.

“Do you want to go back? Go find him.”

In that instant, the voice appeared again, out of nowhere.

Logan Barrett’s fingers tightened.

The words were still cryptic, but that “Do you want to go back?” struck right at his heart.

Do you want to go back?

Of course he did.

He wanted to return to Que City so badly.

There were no evil spirits or demonic ways there, no desolate northern lands like Canglang, and no clanging heavenly shackles.

There was no division between the immortal capital and the demon lair, only the human world and the bustling traffic, where one could come and go freely.

Chunfan City…

Ethan Brooks…

He unconsciously repeated these two names, then gave a self-mocking smile in his heart.

You really are obsessed. Logan Barrett said to himself.

You don’t know whose voice this is, or who these words are meant for. Most likely, it’s just some lingering spiritual sense on the statue, coincidentally matching your thoughts, and yet you’re taking it seriously.

He shook his head lightly, about to put the troublesome statue back, when that indistinct voice sounded again.

“This kind of shell is the most useful. Pinch the center of the wrist, pour in spiritual sense, and the puppet is complete. If it’s someone important, then you’ve struck it rich—take it out, it’ll be obedient and impressive… Are you obedient?”

“…”

Logan Barrett immediately tossed the statue back into the coffin.

He did respect Elder Harrison, so he avoided touching the person. The statue clattered onto the jade bottom, startling Henry Collins and the others.

“City Lord, you can’t just… City Lord?” Henry Collins was halfway through his sentence when he saw their city lord bracing himself on the side of the coffin, bending over to reach toward the corpse.

He saw Logan Barrett grasp Owen Fletcher’s wrist, his slender thumb pressing and rubbing the black mark.

Isn’t this— isn’t this the method for making a puppet?!

The subordinates were all shocked: “City Lord! You—you’re not planning to turn Elder Harrison’s mortal shell into your own puppet, are you?!”

Logan Barrett thought, of course not, would I dare? Besides, do I even know how?

In fact, he couldn’t even explain why he went to touch it. To prove the voice in his head wasn’t an illusion? But he couldn’t really prove anything, since the voice had said to pour in spiritual sense.

He had nothing to pour in, only pressed down, so how could he possibly get any result—

Before this thought was finished, he suddenly felt something jump beneath his thumb.

Very faint, like the pulse of a living person.

Logan Barrett: “?”

……

……

……

Wait a minute?