Wang Xiaomie was unable to provide a clear answer to this question as well. He wasn't sure if he was a zombie or a living dead.
He could feel warmth and consume normal food, and he had the sentiments and soul of a human, but he was also aware of his own changes, strength, and other abilities that came from the body.
Some of his emotions were deteriorating, the kind of feelings that could lead to awe or terror of things and creatures.
For example, a regular person's heart would be terribly panicked and fearful if they saw a ferocious criminal or a corpse, but Wang Xiaomie was considerably calmer in this regard. Although he felt terrified, it was to a far lesser extent.
Perhaps it was the result of his own changes, or perhaps it was the result of getting his past life memories.
After all, in his past life, he had lived in an era when his life and dignity were meaningless.
Wang Xiaomie was lying on the ice-cold iron frame bed, his jacket removed, but he was covered by a layer of cloth starting from his chest. Because the anesthetic was ineffective for him, the badly battered[1] Yi Yan smiled and picked a small incense burner from the cabinet.
Light purple smoke floated up from the incense burner's many little holes, slowly ascending into the air.
Wen Fengjin scowled and held his breath before turning to face Yi Yan, who stood opposite him: "You actually have this."
"After all, I work in this field. After a long period, one always gets his hands on something nice." Yi Yan got a rag towel soaked in something and put it around his mouth and nose. When he heard Wen Fengjin's comment, he smiled like a fox. "However, keep in mind that using this will cost you."
"You know very well how rare this item is."
"I know." Wen Fengjin indifferently said, "Go ahead and use it."
The valuables in his tomb palace were stacked up into mountains, and the treasures that many people had spent their entire lives crazily looking for were a dime a dozen in his hands. This was why so many people were fascinated by the tomb palace.
Yi Yan's slender eyes were bent and sharp. "As one would expect from you. Today appears to be a good day for me to make a lot of money."
Wen Feng ignored him. As he gazed at Wang Xiaomie on the bed, his lanky and straight shoulders sagged and his long silver hair flowed down the back and dropped down on Wang Xiaomie's stomach. His haughty and indifferent expression contained a hint of tenderness. "Are you scared?"
Wang Xiaomie pursed his lips tightly and shook his head.
The instant he finished shaking his head, a cool palm covered the side of his face, a thumb pressed against his lower lip, and Wen Fengjin looked Wang Xiaomie in the eyes. "Talk."
"I'm a little worried." Wang Xiaomie sniffed and stared at him expectantly.
Wen Fengjin laughed quietly. "Then I'll just stand here and let you look at me, all right? Good?"
"Good."
Wang Xiaomie smelled the aroma at the tip of his nose, curious about the incense's composition. Even the anesthetic wasn't working very well, but he was now sleepy, his head wasn't hurting, and the sensation of Wen Fengjin stroking his palm across his face had vanished.
To say he was terrified was incorrect, but to say he was fearless was also untrue.
He had never even had an appendix operation from childhood to adulthood. He was harmed in ancient times, but is that the same as being detained in a "shady clinic" and allowing a weirdo to put a knife on him?!
To be honest, he couldn't put his trust in Yi Yan. Some people may look each other in the eyes and immediately realize, 'This is not my type.'
Wang Xiaomie kept having the impression that Yi Yan was odd, living freely and gracefully, but ruthless and decisive.
Once such a person validates his theory, even if you try to communicate with such a guy, he can politely bring you tea and carefully listen to all you say, then turn around and continue to behave at his own pace.
In short, he was a difficult individual.
Wen Fengjin nodded to Yi Yan, "Proceed," when he noticed Wang Xiaomie slurring his words.
"It's time to begin," Yi Yan turned around and murmured to the silent girl behind him.
The girl standing behind Yi Yan was the 'Sailor Moon' they'd seen previously, but she was dressed cleanly and her hair was dyed black. She appeared to be a sweet junior high school girl going to start senior high school.
Yi Yan made a call and invited her to come over. Wang Xiaomie was intrigued by this young girl's connection with Yi Yan, but lacked the courage to inquire further.
The little girl was silently holding a tray. She quietly began to prepare various things after hearing what Yi Yan stated.
She appeared to be quite skilled and professional.
Wang Xiaomie stared at Wen Fengjin's face, becoming increasingly sleepy till he passed out. Before falling asleep, he heard Bai Yu cheer him on from outside the cubicle.
… … …
The surgical light's illumination made the man on the bed's already fair complexion even whiter.
Wang Xiaomie had his eyes closed, his lashes casting little shadows. Wen Fengjin remained standing beside him, holding his dangling hand and gently looking at his face.
Yi Yan's narrow eyes skimmed over him, his smile deepening on the corner of his lips. He turned around and got a bottle of clear liquid medicine from the tray held by the girl.
Wang Xiaomie's uncovered left chest received a few droplets of liquid from the glass bottle with a pointed mouth.
What Yi Yan mentioned about dissection and what not moments ago was entirely intended to tease Wang Xiaomie. The extraction of the feather pattern was actually quite simple, at least before the feather pattern was transmitted to a second host.
The deathly pale skin turned blood red on a wide scale the minute a few drops of the colorless and odorless liquid pierced the skin's surface, and the feather pattern spread rapidly and even surged like a reaction!
More liquid poured from the bottle, and more medicine spilled onto it.
Those red lines that had only recently begun to appear on the skin actually popped up!
The red feather pattern looked as if silk threads or gu worms had drilled into the skin, and because of the medicine, the red things were twisting and swaying like a drunk person.
"Wow, this is even wilder than I expected." Yi Yan was stunned and then added with a little deep meaning: "This body appears to be more suited to this little thing than Yan Chun's. Look at how long it is; it almost reaches the cheek."
His tone was soft and helpless, as if he were a relative referring to the family's extremely obese child.
Wen Fengjin's deep pupils reflected the scarlet color, and his revulsion was palpable.
Yi Yan lightly touched the red 'silk strands' with his fingers.
"You dislike it? Actually, this is one of my most spectacular works."
"...Your aura has changed." Yi Yan erupted in laughter. "It appears that calling him a 'collectible' is quite inaccurate, but this is the first time I have seen such a perfect form of sacrificial practice as he. His physique and mentality are identical to those of humans. It is absolutely the most flawless work of art I pursue."
"The child next to me is my creation as well." Yi Yan patted the girl who was holding the tray on the head. The girl kept holding it with no expression or emotion.
"I obviously cherish this thing a lot, and it took me many years of diligent care to give it a human-like life. I assumed that this technology had already achieved its pinnacle among craftsmen."
"Until I saw your creation..."
"As expected, the soul is the key..."
Yi Yan asked, "Can you give it to me or let me study—oof—"
Due to friction on the floor, the iron frame bed made a harsh sound, which was accompanied by the 'clatter clang clank' sound of objects colliding.
Bai Yu, who was still ogling the rare materials outside the cubicle, was shocked into jumping and looked to the cubicle. However, there was no strange sound coming from it.
"Did you hit the tray by accident?" Bai Yu scratched his head and continued to drool over the materials.
If only all of these treasured materials were mine!
… …
'Drip, drip'
'Drip, drip'
The bright red liquid splattered on the floor, splitting into little flowers.
Yi Yan covered the right side of his face with his hand, blood dripping from the seams of his fingers. He grimaced in pain, and his normally beaming face bore no indication of a smile.
His hand and the majority of his face were covered in sticky blood. When Wen Fengjin, who was standing opposite him, made his move, he didn't even notice until he was already injured.
One eye's vision was blurry, and it reflected a figure emitting terrifying pressure on the opposite side.
"Remember the agony now, and never again make me unhappy by probing." Yi Yan's wretched appearance seemed a bit joyous in the deep eyes that were staring fixedly, and the lips curved sharply in a sinister and murderous manner.
Wen Fengjin didn't have to hide in front of the unconscious Wang Xiaomie. The previous insufferably haughty 'Demon Lord' was only gazing, but he clearly despised Yi Yan.
Wen Fengjin's strength and longevity enabled him to command the life or death of others at will. After all, any calculation in the face of unlimited power is pointless.
Do you feel horrible about stepping on an ant and crushing it to death?
Absolutely not. So killing undesirable people was the same for Wen Fengjin.
"I don't mind your purpose because I'll kill you before you strike my shixiong with your cunning thoughts, and then I'll rip out your entire brain."
"Do you understand? Get rid of the feather pattern right away."
"...I understand."
Yi Yan remained motionless for a few moments before picking up the bandages and bottled medicine next to him and expertly handling the savage wound that ran from the corner of his eye to his chin. The girl next to him stood motionless in her spot from the time he was attacked until he was hurt.
Like a machine that seems to be unable to function in the absence of an instruction.
Yi Yan's smile faded when he finished treating his wound. He examined the red pattern, which had already consumed the medicine and was no longer struggling. He took a pair of slender gold-and-copper-colored scissors from the tray, opened them, and covered the blades with the medicine before plunging them into the feather pattern's root.
Wen Fengjin's gloomy and icy power was wrapped around Yi Yan's neck like a venomous snake, as if he only needed to press down the scissors with a little force for his neck to be broken instantaneously, and his entire head torn off and blood spattered on the spot!
And this was nothing more than the pressure of Wen Fengjin’s power—
How many people have to be slain for such a frightening aura of death to exist? The feather pattern under his control emitted smoke as if splashed with sulfuric acid and wrung wildly, producing a burning sound of 'hss hss'.
Even when the feather pattern was totally removed, the person on the bed remained silent.
But he was alive, and Yi Yan could feel his heartbeat via his fingers even when separated by the scissors!
In contrast, the masterpiece he was most proud of next to him was practically a failure...
Yi Yan, too, had made sacrifices to create a human-like puppet, but in the end, it either became a tool capable of killing people beyond recognition, or it didn't have a human shape at all.
The special blood...
It's truly incredible...
How many years of sacrifice did it take to create such a flawless work of art? How much blood was needed?
"It's done." Yi Yan walked over to the basin next to him, expressionless, to clean the scissors. He bowed his head to hide the intense emotions that were burning in his eyes, while lightly rubbing his fingers, which had just felt the heartbeat.
What ordinary people had to strive hard for to get all their lives, those monsters could get it easily.
Yi Yan thought: This is precisely why I hate these creatures so much. These monsters are not human and have no right to exist in this world. They are the ones who disrupt the order and rules of existence!
These monsters could surpass others without effort!
"Your payment will be in your hands tomorrow."
Wen Fengjin stated indifferently, assisted Wang Xiaomie, who was on the bed, put on clothing, and carried him neatly before turning to leave.
He didn't even look at Yi Yan from start to finish.
If you lose your value, you’ll be ignored at once.
Yi Yan clenched his fists fiercely as soon as the sounds of him heading downstairs faded.
[1] Looks like "Laogong" really beat him up! hahaha