SES Chapter 127 Part 1

Following Luo Ren’s instructions, Cao Yanhua called Yan Hongsha and told her to come as quickly as possible.

Even though Xiang Silan could no longer speak a word, if she could remove the fourth cursed slip, their task would still be considered complete. And based on their experience, forcing the slip out with the blood of five people was far safer than faking Xiang Silan’s death.

Mu Dai searched through the house, hoping to find something—some trace or object—that might stir a memory.

There was nothing. Not a single thing. She sighed softly, stepped outside, and sat against the wall.

Cao Yanhua jogged off with his flashlight, heading to the main road to meet Yan Hongsha.

Inside, Mu Dai heard Wan San asking Luo Ren:

—“Someone like her… is she still human?”
—“If the cursed slip leaves her body, will she die?”
—“Once it’s out, will she stay like this, or go back to normal?”

Luo Ren was silent for a long moment before saying, “Xiang Silan’s condition is actually… a kind of evolution.”

“Evolution?” Mu Dai looked up at him.

He continued, “Think back to history class—when humans evolved from apes. At first, they were covered in hair, walked on all fours, and had smaller brains. Over time, they stood upright, their skulls rounded, their canines shortened. From the outside in, everything changed.”

Wan San grunted in vague agreement. He had never attended a proper school, but he knew the basics.

“This process of evolution still happens today,” Luo Ren said. “Some theories suggest that in the distant future, when technology advances far enough and humans no longer need to move or labor, our limbs will slowly degenerate while our brains grow more powerful. In other words, the organs you rely on and strengthen will grow stronger, while the ones you no longer use will disappear.”

At that point, Luo Ren suddenly thought of Aoki.

Aoki had once told him about his first childhood surgery: an appendectomy. Luo Ren had asked if he’d really had appendicitis so young.

Aoki had replied, “No. It’s just that the appendix doesn’t do much, and if it ever gets infected, it can be fatal. So in Japan, many people choose to remove it when they’re little.”

If an organ serves no purpose and causes no harm when removed, wouldn’t it eventually disappear through evolution?

Luo Ren said, “I don’t fully understand the mechanism behind Xiang Silan’s condition. But it’s clear her power to influence people comes from her heart. Mu Dai saw it before through the thermal imaging device—the so-called ‘wind’ she produces originates from her heart.”

So among all her organs, her heart had to grow abnormally large, forcing the others aside to make space.

Wan San muttered, “Good thing she can’t affect us. Otherwise, no one could ever catch her.”

Mu Dai said, “If she had built her network more carefully and longer, people around her might not have even realized she existed.”

Luo Ren paused, then nodded. She was right. Xiang Silan could manipulate perception, turning herself into a kind of visual blind spot. She could walk right among them, day after day, yet when asked, everyone would respond blankly: No, I’ve never seen her. Don’t remember her at all.

At that point, she would’ve become an “invisible person” who wasn’t invisible.

Luo Ren felt a strange relief. So far, each cursed slip had been more twisted and unpredictable than the last—but at least, every one of them had a weakness.

Still…

Three slips remained.

Where were they? Did they act independently or in sync? What was their purpose—to harm, or something deeper? Why were they scattered across the world instead of gathered together?

Luo Ren rubbed his temples. His brain felt overworked.

In the distance, a flashlight beam waved in circles—Cao Yanhua must have met Yan Hongsha.

“I’ve always wondered about something,” Luo Ren said suddenly.

It was rare for him to voice curiosity, so both Wan San and Mu Dai looked up.

He said, “According to legend, when Laozi passed through Hangu Pass, the gatekeeper Yin Xi stopped him. That’s when Laozi gave him the Tao Te Ching, and asked him to seal seven cursed slips with phoenix clasps to contain the violent energy.”

Of course—they all knew that story by heart.

“But if such a legend exists,” Luo Ren went on, “how is it that there’s no record anywhere describing what these cursed slips actually are—why they exist, how they harm, or how they can be subdued?”

Wan San gave him a sideways look and said with a teasing tone, “Sounds like you wish there were some ancient manual out there—a book on how to deal with cursed slips.”

Luo Ren replied evenly, “I really do wish there was.”

Yan Hongsha arrived then, panting as she followed Cao Yanhua.

She carried a plastic hospital bag, which she tossed to Luo Ren as she came near.

Inside were bottles of alcohol, cotton balls, tubing, tweezers, and a neat row of disposable syringes with needles.

“They don’t sell this stuff easily,” Yan Hongsha grumbled. “I had to sweet-talk the nurse for ages and slip her extra cash…”

As she spoke, she craned her neck toward the house, curiosity and unease mixing on her face. Cao Yanhua had told her the basics on the way, but his words were rushed and confusing.

By the time she turned back, Mu Dai had already rolled up her sleeve for Luo Ren to draw blood.

Then, one by one, the others followed.

Five tubes of blood were mixed in a sterilized bottle, then drawn into a single syringe.

Everyone went inside. Cao Yanhua, without being told, fetched a bucket of water and placed it nearby. The windows were shattered, but Wan San still drew the curtains closed—ever diligent.

Luo Ren gestured for Yan Hongsha to help roll up Xiang Silan’s sleeve. Perhaps from years of crawling, her forearm was thick and hard as iron, like the muscle of a calf.

The fine needle pierced her skin. The prick was nothing, but Xiang Silan’s eyes rolled wide, her nose hissing through quick, harsh breaths.

Luo Ren hesitated, then told Mu Dai, “Find some cloth to gag her mouth.”

Mu Dai froze. “She can’t speak,” she said instinctively.

“She can’t speak now,” Luo Ren replied. “Once she recovers, she might. If she screams and someone hears, that’ll be trouble.”

Mu Dai had no choice. She found a piece of cloth, balled it up, and stuffed it between Xiang Silan’s teeth.