While crafting her paper effigies, Song Miaozhu kept a close eye on the situation surrounding Feng Jinwen. She hadn't forgotten who was responsible for forcing her to live alone in the remote mountains, far from civilization.
But Feng Jinwen had been in a coma this entire time, completely unresponsive no matter what anyone tried.
Originally held under strict watch at the SEIU's Lingcheng Division, he was later transferred to a hospital for a full physical exam. His body was perfectly healthy, yet for unknown reasons, he remained unconscious. Eventually, Zhao Huoyan had him moved back into SEIU custody.
Zhao Huoyan suspected there might be an insider within the Lingcheng branch, so he temporarily moved into the room next door and kept personal watch over Feng Jinwen.
Today, Feng Jinwen finally woke up.
The first to notice was the little paper servant hidden on his body. It immediately alerted Song Miaozhu when it detected an irregular spike in his heartbeat. She set aside her bamboo strips and turned her full attention to the feed.
The two other little paper servants hidden in the room subtly shifted to angles that gave her a clearer view.
The room was simple and bare. The only entrance was a solid iron door. Surveillance cameras were installed in all four corners, trained on the lone single bed in the room. Two IV bags hung beside the bed, filled with nutrient solution prescribed by SEIU doctors to prevent his body from deteriorating during prolonged unconsciousness.
No one else was in the room besides Feng Jinwen.
Song Miaozhu saw his eyelids twitch. A full minute passed before he finally opened his eyes, disoriented. He sat up slowly, then a sudden flash of memory returned. He threw off the blanket and glanced at the character "Life" carved into his thigh. A crazed grin spread across his face.
"Hahaha! Bet you didn't expect this! I carved the character for 'Life' into myself and survived! I'm alive, and I'll make sure none of you get away with what you've done..."
The room may have been empty, but the surveillance was always under live monitoring. Zhao Huoyan sat nearby, carving wood as he watched the footage.
Once he saw Feng Jinwen wake and observed his initial reaction, Zhao Huoyan finally entered the room with his team. As soon as the door opened, Feng Jinwen turned his head sharply.
"I knew it was you! I want to report internal corruption. Someone in your ranks has been taking bribes, selling spiritual items and weapons to the Eternal Life Society!"
Zhao Huoyan had anticipated all kinds of responses—denial, excuses, even defiance—but he hadn't expected Feng Jinwen to immediately file a report.
Still, Zhao Huoyan wasn't swayed. If anything, this only made him more cautious.
"Aren't you part of the Eternal Life Society yourself?"
The Eternal Life Society was an underground group made up of people who had made the Underworld's blacklist—those who feared death and sought immortality through cultivation.
"I was, but not anymore. They dared to betray us, setting off hidden bombs without warning. If I hadn't engraved the 'Life' talisman onto myself, I'd be dead too. What a joke, right? We were supposed to chase immortality together, but from the moment we left for that mission, they were already prepared to eliminate us if anything went wrong."
Feng Jinwen's face twisted with resentment.
"If they want me dead, then I won't make things easy for them either."
It was clear he had made up his mind.
"I'm willing to hand over a full list of Eternal Life Society members I know. I'll even raise one hundred Life Talismans for the SEIU, free of charge, in exchange for protection."
"My Life Talismans can shield people in life-threatening moments. They're stronger than any current defensive spiritual items. I survived a massive explosion with one. Isn't that proof enough?"
Zhao Huoyan didn't trust a single word.
But a voice came through his earpiece, directly from SEIU headquarters.
"Accept the deal for now. Get all the information you can from him before making any decisions."
Zhao Huoyan reminded himself this was just a temporary measure.
"Fine. Start by naming the SEIU insiders. Otherwise, you'll pay for what you did to Master Song."
"I know the loss of Master Song is a big blow to you. But you can't throw away what's left just because something's already been lost. The Life Talismans I raise are a unique class of spiritual item. They may not match the top-tier Spirit-Gathering Dolls, but it's not something anyone can create either."
"All I want is a quiet place to practice my calligraphy and cultivation. I don't want to keep hiding."
"If you promise me that, I'll give you everything I know."
"But I need more than just your word. I want SEIU's central command to make a formal promise. If I turn over the list and raise Life Talismans for you, you must drop all charges related to my past actions. I want to join the SEIU like a normal member, with equal access to cultivation resources. You can't suppress my rankings in spiritual item evaluations either."
He sounded sincere, like someone determined to defect but still worried about being mistreated later.
Zhao Huoyan picked up on the implication right away.
"Spiritual item rankings? You're not seriously thinking about using your Life Talismans to qualify as an elite master, are you?"
"Why not?" Feng Jinwen replied confidently. "Are you saying the Life Talisman doesn't meet the criteria for a high-grade spiritual item? If Peace Charms qualify, why wouldn't mine?"
Zhao Huoyan didn't answer, staying firmly in control of the conversation.
"This isn't the time for you to be making demands. You're a prisoner. If you want to redeem yourself, show us proof first. Otherwise, how can we trust you? For all we know, you could just be making things up."
Feng Jinwen lowered his head, silent, as if weighing his options. Finally, he spoke.
"The head of the SEIU's Kuncheng Division is one of ours. All our high-level spiritual items came from him. We used the names of other members in the division to bind the items with our spiritual power. Go check. You'll find it's true. That's my goodwill offer. But I won't say anything more unless I get an official promise from SEIU."
With that, he turned away and refused to speak again.
"Then sit tight," Zhao Huoyan said. He headed toward the door but stopped just before stepping out, as if he'd suddenly remembered something.
"Oh right. I forgot to tell you—Master Song isn't dead."
His words were aimed at two audiences: a jab at Feng Jinwen, who was now trying to leverage the very spiritual item used in the bombing, and a reminder to SEIU headquarters that this man was still the one responsible for blowing up Song Miaozhu's home.
Feng Jinwen whipped around in shock. Panic flickered across his face.
"No... that's impossible... She didn't have a Life Talisman!"
He couldn't believe any other cultivator could have survived that explosion without one.