Yama Reborn-Chapter 491 - 488 [That Light.]

Chapter 488: That Light.

So there she was, sitting in Chen Nuo’s bedroom, between her mentor and the strange woman. Louise kept watch for a long time, getting up every now and then to listen to the woman’s heartbeat or to check on her teacher’s wound. With her master’s words before he fell unconscious heavy on her mind, she was both worried and scared.

Time passed, and eventually, the little girl’s energy waned, and her eyelids began to droop. The pitch-black night seemed like it would never brighten. At this moment, Louise desperately wished to see the sunrise. The young girl didn’t know much, instinctively feeling that daylight would bring her a sense of security.

Finally, Louise could not hold out any longer. She slumped next to Chen Nuo, her head nearly falling, her consciousness growing blurrier...

DING-DONG.

In the darkness, the crisp sound of the electronic doorbell came from the direction of the window.

Louise suddenly shuddered, jerking her head up! In the darkness, she widened her already drowsy eyes. Like a startled little animal, she carefully watched the window, then tiptoed over to the windowsill. Not daring to show herself, she tilted her head and listened intently to the sounds from outside. Her palms were sweaty.

Just as Louise prayed in her heart: It’s a hallucination, it’s a dream, let it not be real, please let it not be real...

Then, DING-DONG.

Once more! This time she heard it loud and clear, shattering Louise’s hopes. It was the manor’s outside doorbell! Clear and distinct!

Louise immediately covered her mouth with her hand to stop herself from crying out. Then, she took a deep breath and first turned her head to look at her master sleeping on the floor.

Then, Louise thought for a moment. The little girl crept up, crawled to the balcony, found a spot she thought was relatively hidden, pulled open a crack in the curtain, and peeked outside quietly. From this angle, she could only see a silhouette of the manor’s gate in the distance. Not very clear, but... barely visible.

Outside the manor’s fence, it was pitch black. With her limited eyesight, she couldn’t clearly see who was standing on the other side.

She waited, anxious and worried. After about ten seconds, the sound of the doorbell finally did not ring again.

Louise harbored a sliver of hope in her heart: Maybe... they left.

Yes! Teacher had her write on the sign outside the door. Maybe... the visitor was scared away.

Or perhaps... the visitor hadn’t seen the sign before ringing, but saw it afterward, got scared, and left...

Yes... Louise thought fearfully, comforting herself.

But the not-so-clever girl was at least clearly aware of one thing: Who would visit in the dead of night? This is the suburbs, after all... So, the visitor must be no ordinary person.

Lost in wild thoughts for who knows how long, restraining her breathing due to fear and worry, Louise found herself feeling more and more breathless. Finally, after a long while without any movement, the little girl gradually relaxed her fingers that were gripping the curtain.

But just as she let out a sigh of relief...

BANG!!

She heard another noise! It came from downstairs! From the direction of the manor’s first-floor hall! Judging by the sound, it seemed to be... the hall door?

Louise’s heart trembled! Then, she heard a voice, clear and distinct, spreading through the entire room! Every word seemed to fall clearly into her ears, as if someone was speaking right beside her.

"I am Wizard... I’ve taken the liberty of visiting the master of this place."

The Wizard stood in the grand hall of the manor. The lock on the door had been snapped, and the door was wide open. He glanced at the sofa and fireplace in the living room to the left, and the dining table in the dining room to the right. A chandelier hung overhead, and directly in front was the staircase leading upstairs. The interior decoration was in the standard British style. It looked a bit dilapidated, clearly the estate of a noble family in decline.

But... the Wizard was certain he had not sensed incorrectly!

So many things had happened tonight. First, the Wizard had been severely beaten by a strange Controller. The feeling of being trampled upon like an insignificant ant stirred great anger and resentment in him. Afterward, being a standout in the field of spiritual power, the Wizard keenly felt that a war had broken out over this city between top-tier Controllers!

Then... the Wizard made a decision; far from leaving, he stealthily followed!

A war among Controllers! For a Wizard who was widely recognized as having the potential to become a Controller, witnessing or observing a battle between such high-level beings would be enormously beneficial.

And, if it so happened that life and death were decided... perhaps...

The Wizard decided to take a gamble. Ordinarily, the cautious Wizard might not act so rashly. After all, when Chen Nuo was known as Chen Yanluo, the Wizard was universally acknowledged as a master of cunning. Being slippery and evasive was his style.

But this was 1981, and the young Wizard was far from as crafty as his later self. Moreover, being wantonly oppressed by a Controller tonight had also ignited an unusual desire within him!

If I also possessed great power, how would he dare to bully me?!

Perhaps... the one who bullied me was one of the Controllers fighting tonight! Then... this might be an opportunity!

Although his senses weren’t perfectly accurate, they were generally correct. He had clearly felt two strong spiritual powers colliding and fighting fiercely for over an hour, then both weakening simultaneously! The depletion was immense! Clearly, both Controllers had suffered great damage to their strength! Then, one of them nearly vanished, no longer detectable.

And the other... seemed to have come all the way to this manor!

Upon seeing the "Trespassers Shall Die" sign outside the manor, rather than being scared away, the Wizard became even more certain of his theory!

It must be here! That Controller must be here! And this fellow is most likely injured! Otherwise, why use such a sign to frighten others? If a Controller were in good health, why resort to such tricks?

Moreover... the handwriting on the sign was obviously hasty and crude.

Chen Nuo’s arrangement wasn’t wrong, per se... he just hadn’t anticipated that a young Wizard would be observing tonight’s battle from the shadows. He also hadn’t anticipated that a typically cautious individual like the Wizard, after being beaten by the Son of the Sun and filled with resentment, would act out of character and dare to take such a risky action.

He ran his hand over the furniture; his fingertips came away clean of dust. The Wizard sneered and nodded. This place was inhabited. There were uncleaned ashes in the fireplace.

At this moment, the Wizard’s heart gradually relaxed! Breaking in and making such a racket... if the other party still doesn’t show themselves, it means the owner of this place is definitely in a very bad situation! Had the situation been good, a Controller would have already beaten an intruder like me like a dog.

The more reluctant the owner was to show themselves, the greater the Wizard’s assurance became!

Finally, after a minute passed, as the Wizard stood under the chandelier in the hall, intending to check the rooms down the left corridor, he heard footsteps coming from upstairs. Someone was coming down.

Then, the Wizard saw a slight, small figure carrying a candlestick, slowly, step by step, descending the staircase. The candlelight reflected on the girl’s face, making her complexion look even paler.

For a moment, the Wizard’s breathing subconsciously quickened. This... It was indeed a bit scary. Deep in the night, an old manor. A little girl in a nightgown descending the stairs, holding a candle, her face pale.

However, the Wizard soon calmed down. The little girl coming downstairs was an ordinary person. His spiritual power told him she was clearly very weak. The Wizard steadied himself, simply turning around with a faint smile, watching Louise descend the steps.

Louise’s legs, hidden under her nightgown, were trembling slightly. But the hand gripping the candlestick was forcefully digging her nails into her own fingers. A twinge of pain allowed the girl to forcefully keep herself steady.

"Who are you? Why did you break into my home?" Louise tried to make her tone sound as light as possible. She remembered her master telling her that when facing danger, one must stay calm and appear even more composed in front of the villain to make them uncertain.

The Wizard scrutinized the little girl, his smile growing more triumphant. "You’re not the owner of this place, dear." The young Wizard, his pale face bearing a gentle smile, even walked closer and squatted in front of Louise. "Tell me, where is the owner of this place?"

Facing this person so close, almost within reach, Louise subconsciously held her breath. "We do not welcome guests here, so please leave... Otherwise, the master will be very angry when he wakes up. The master is very powerful, and he hates being disturbed when he is sleeping."

The Wizard laughed again. He even reached out and touched Louise’s head. "Interesting child... No one must have taught you how to lie."

With that, his gaze shifted past Louise, and the Wizard looked towards the staircase. "The owner is upstairs, right?"

"..."

"Alright, I don’t like to hurt children. You can stand a little further away." The Wizard stood up and, moving past Louise, headed towards the steps.

"You can’t!!" Louise suddenly widened her eyes. She reached out to grab the hem of the Wizard’s clothes!

The Wizard quickly swung his hand back, attempting to swat Louise’s hand away. But... her month of training with her teacher, Chen Nuo, now kicked in. Facing the Wizard’s casual slap, Louise’s muscle memory activated; countless training sessions prompted her to react instinctively. Dropping her elbow and flipping her palm, her hand quickly slipped away, and then she immediately threw a punch at the Wizard’s elbow! The master had taught her that spot was where the arm was most prone to numbness.

"’Oh?’" The Wizard’s expression changed. After his hand was freed by Louise, he clearly saw the little girl’s move, and with a peculiar look in his eyes, he deftly dodged her attack.

Louise gritted her teeth; she suddenly thrust the candlestick she was holding fiercely towards him!

The Wizard’s expression grew stern. He let out a snort and kicked out.

BANG!

Louise’s body was sent flying. She landed on the ground, her back hitting the leg of a table, the pain instantly distorting her face. Her arm throbbed with a drilling pain; the kick had landed squarely on the five-year-old girl’s forearm. The candlestick also clattered to the ground, its flame extinguished.

"I said I don’t like to lay hands on children, but that’s just a dislike. If necessary, I don’t mind at all. So, little one, don’t bring trouble upon yourself," the Wizard said, chuckling coldly before turning back and striding up the stairs.

Louise, half-lying on the ground, finally bit her lip hard! A struggle flashed in the girl’s eyes, and finally...

"Hey!!! You can’t go up there!"

The Wizard sneered as he turned his head. "I told you, children should not—"

In an instant, the Wizard froze. The little girl at the bottom of the stairs was sitting on the ground but had straightened her back! In her tiny hands, she held a black, metallic object.

That was... a gun! A small, delicate, ladies’ handgun! The way she held the gun was surprisingly professional. Right hand gripping the gun, elbow slightly bent. Left hand wrapped around for stability, left arm lowered. The little girl bit her lip hard, her body trembling, yet her gun-holding hand was steady.

As the master had taught her... Aim...

BANG!!!

The Wizard’s pupils shrank instantly! Then, his chest burst into a spray of blood!

Louise gasped for air, staring as the strange man on the steps fell backward. With the gun in hand, the girl widened her eyes and watched him for a long, long time. She was, after all, still very young. The fact that she could fire a gun was only because she had recently spent a month with Chen Nuo, that old dangerous element, learning too many things she shouldn’t have. And this gun had always been kept in his room. Usually, apart from training, she didn’t have the chance to touch it.

But today... I... did I just... Kill someone?

Just as the little girl was trembling all over, her arms aching from the recoil and her grip on the gun softening, the Wizard suddenly stood up straight on the stairs!

Louise cried out in alarm, instinctively raising the gun... This time, she couldn’t inflict any effective damage.

The wooden stair railings shattered instantly! A large piece of the broken railing whizzed towards her, hitting the girl—more precisely, hitting her on the head! She pulled the trigger, but this time, in her haste, she couldn’t control her strength. The recoil jerked the gun upwards, and a bullet flew towards the ceiling.

As her head was struck, the girl immediately fell back, blood gushing from the wound. The Wizard had already leaped in front of her! With a flick of his hand, the gun automatically flew into his grip! Then, the Wizard coldly looked down at the little girl lying on the ground, her head bleeding profusely.

"Very good, dear. You’ve truly surprised me." The Wizard looked down at the bloodstain on his chest and lightly flicked it. A bullet dropped to the floor.

At the moment of the first shot, the Wizard had unleashed his telekinetic power. Although it was hasty, he had still managed to form a protective Mentality Barrier before the bullet hit. After penetrating the Mentality Barrier, the remaining momentum of the bullet could only pierce his clothes and slightly break the skin on his chest before its force was spent.

Even so, the Wizard was now uncontrollably furious! It was so close! Just a tiny bit closer! I was almost killed by an ordinary little girl!! That bullet, by some freak chance, hit right where my heart was! If not for my cultivation level allowing me to release a Mentality Barrier in that moment of haste... Who could have expected a timid and weak little girl, looking no more than five or six years old, to pull out a gun? And from behind my back, no less?

What infuriated the Wizard the most was... I actually didn’t notice!! This little girl must have hidden the gun under her nightgown! Although the Wizard was no villain, he was certainly not a pervert. So, even though he had sensed the little girl with his spiritual power, he couldn’t bring himself to use that power to peer under a five-year-old girl’s dress!

So... I nearly capsized in the gutter!

His eyes flickered with angry rage. Beaten by the Controller tonight, chased away like a stray dog, then mustering the courage to risk spying on the battle of Controllers... Anger, resentment, and the hidden tension and fear in my heart. All these emotions exploded at this moment! All because of this little girl in front of me! She almost shot me dead!!!

"You almost killed me, little one!" The angrier the Wizard felt, the calmer his expression became, though the slight twitch of his lips held a terrifying quality. He fiddled with the gun in his hand, even ejecting the magazine for a look before sliding it back in.

"You can be proud of yourself, little one. Because you almost, with your vile and filthy hands, your mediocre and lowly hands... killed a future noble Controller! Well? How does it feel? To have almost killed a future legend, what are your feelings now?" His ice-cold tone carried a hint of madness.

Louise’s head throbbed with unbearable pain. She could no longer speak, merely covering her head weakly with her hands, her eyes barely able to stay open.

"Not talking? Good. Then let me tell you how I feel at this moment. My feelings are..." The Wizard raised his hand.

BANG!!

A bullet pierced Louise’s chest. Beneath the girl’s small body, a large pool of blood rapidly spread...

"This is how I feel right now. You’ve experienced it." The Wizard coldly tossed the gun aside. Louise was already barely breathing...

"The master of this place, you’d better be the injured Controller I’m looking for. I originally just wanted to sever your Consciousness Space. Now... I think I can do much more!"

The Wizard nonchalantly threw the gun away, letting it fall into the pool of blood by the little girl’s feet. And just as he was about to lift his foot to go back upstairs...

Sudden noise erupted from the manor’s main gate.

WHIRR!!

Following the sound of a car engine, a London police car rammed through the manor’s gate and charged in! Then, it screeched to a halt outside the doors to the great hall!

"HEY!!!!!!!!" Two police officers pushed open the car doors and jumped out from either side. One of them immediately drew his gun and pointed it towards the hall, the beam of his flashlight landing accurately on the Wizard!

"Hey, you inside! Drop your weapon!! Now!! Right now!!" While shouting, the officer couldn’t help but complain to his partner, "Bloody hell! Jack, how did you know something was actually going to happen here? When you drove us here, I thought you’d gone mad!"

His partner, Jack, seemed indifferent. He simply stood by the car, then looked up at the manor’s architecture, an expression of easy nonchalance on his face.

"Jack! I’m going in to apprehend him! Cover me!" The officer with the gun crept up the stairs, keeping a tight watch on the Wizard standing in the hall.

The Wizard frowned, looking at the two police officers outside. Instinctively, he felt something was off. The arrival of police didn’t concern him in the least. With his abilities, not just two police officers, but even a whole unit of the Royal Army wouldn’t faze him. Being wounded by Louise’s gun was purely an accident due to his own carelessness. With the Wizard’s strength, as long as he was on guard, ordinary people with guns, no matter how many, couldn’t hurt him.

However... Why would two police officers come to such a godforsaken place in the middle of the night?

The policeman with the gun entered the hall, his weapon still aimed at the Wizard. But behind him, his partner, Jack, made no protective gestures. Instead, he casually swung his hands and lightly stepped up the stairs, following him into the doorway.

Then, the Wizard suddenly felt a shiver in his heart! This man, his gaze fixed on me... in that instant, I felt as if even my Consciousness Space was seen through by him!

"Jack! What the hell are you daydreaming about?!" The gun-holding policeman was displeased, showing distinct annoyance at his partner’s slack attitude.

"Alright." The policeman named Jack didn’t even glance at his companion but stared directly at the Wizard, his mouth corners lifting slightly. "You can go now."

"’...What?’" the Wizard stammered.

"Ah..." The policeman named Jack heaved a light sigh and suddenly drew his service weapon from his waist. Then he raised the muzzle...

To the Wizard’s surprise, the gun was pointed at...

BANG!!

A bullet went straight through Jack’s own head!! This guy Jack had actually committed suicide!!

The Wizard suddenly felt completely unnerved!!!!

"See clearly now? If you have, you can get lost." The voice came from another direction in front of him.

The Wizard looked in horror at the person—the policeman who had been holding the gun all along and had appeared to be just an average human!! The professional, tense expression on his face had completely disappeared! His current expression was one of casual indifference! Just like the now-deceased Jack!!

"You... are... him? You..."

The policeman slowly holstered his gun, then shook his head. "I don’t like to waste words on irrelevant people, and you don’t need to know too much. You only need to know... I can freely use a spiritual entity, possess any human being... You are a human who cultivates spiritual power. You should understand, to achieve such a degree, how great the disparity in our powers is compared to yours, right?"

Spiritual entity... Free possession... The Wizard’s face turned pale, and he began to tremble! He knew very well what such a degree meant... In fact, he didn’t even dare to imagine reaching such a realm! Immortality on a spiritual level? Freely discarding and exchanging physical bodies? Disparity? This was beyond an issue of disparity. If one must talk about disparity... it was like the difference between a highly advanced intelligent human and a single-celled organism!!

The tone of this unfamiliar policeman was still very calm. "In terms of the process, I’m quite satisfied with your participation tonight... You helped me achieve the result I wanted. I’m happy about that. But personally... I detest you. So, although I have reasons not to kill you, sometimes I can’t control my emotions. Therefore, while I can still control myself, you’d better disappear from my sight. Understand?"

The Wizard’s entire Consciousness Space felt as if it was enveloped by the other’s intimidating power! Instinctively, he nodded. "...I understand!"

"Then, from now on, after you leave here, head straight home without looking back. On the way, you will not speak a single word, not eat a bite of food, not drink a sip of water. Apart from traveling, you will not do anything else. Once you get home, you will close the door and confine yourself inside. Hmm... let’s say for five years. For the next five years, you will not go outside. As for what you want to do, that’s up to you. Cultivate your spiritual power, enhance your strength, anything is fine. Within five years, you won’t take a single step outside. Yes, that’s it."

Having said that, the police officer nodded and then waved his hand. "You can scram."

BOOM!!!

The Wizard’s body soared into the air! Then, under a force he couldn’t resist, he flew out and landed on the road outside the manor! One of his legs was clearly broken! During his flight, all the strength in his body had been sealed off! He couldn’t even control his landing to ensure his safety!

Struggling to get up from the ground with one clearly twisted, broken leg, the Wizard looked back at the manor with a complex expression, and then... in the darkness, he quickly hobbled away, limping.

"Now, it’s time to deal with your issue, little one." The police officer stood by Louise’s side. To be precise... by Louise’s... corpse.

"The body is already dead, the Consciousness Space has collapsed... and is about to be completely annihilated." The police officer sighed and then smiled, stretching out his hand lightly, as if he were a music conductor, and tapped twice in the air.

A ball of spiritual power, entwined with faint light, emerged from Louise’s body! It was obviously shattered to a large extent! Strands of a strange force that seemed similar to spiritual power, but slightly different, emerged from the police officer’s fingertips, slowly wrapping around the ball of spiritual power. Then, the crumbling ball of spiritual power was stilled.

The police officer patted his pocket, and then, he suddenly laughed. "It seems I’ve forgotten to bring it."

With a light swipe of his other hand through the air!

SSS...

In the air, a crack was sliced open, and on the other side of the ruptured space was a warm room. There was a fire in the fireplace. A soft cushion was placed beside it. A plump cat was curled up on top, comfortably licking its fur...

Then... facing the sudden tear in space.

"MEOW!!!!!!!!" The Gray Cat’s fur bristled! It sprang up from the ground in an instant!!

The police officer waved his hand. "I know, I promised not to bother you again."

"MEOW!!!!!"

"It’s not that I’m breaking my word, but I forgot to bring something. However, I remembered you definitely have it, so I’m here to borrow it."

"...MEOW!!!!"

"Yes, that thing. The crystallization of the Seed... Ah, never mind. I’ll get it myself." Suddenly the officer reached out, his arm passing through the spatial crack, directly to the other side! He grabbed the scruff of the Gray Cat’s neck and gave it a couple of shakes. Two Jade Rice Grains, one black and one white, fell out! He let go of the Gray Cat and caught them with one hand!

The Gray Cat shrieked, "MEOW!!!!"

"Don’t be stingy. At worst, I’ll find you again to return them."

"MEOW!!"

"No need to return them? Are you genuinely that generous, or do you just really not want to see me again?" The officer shook his head. Finally, his expression suddenly grew serious. "Alright, speaking of which, I do indeed need one more thing from you."

The Gray Cat’s eyes narrowed.

"Don’t worry, I’m not going to kill you. I just want to extract a little something from your consciousness... a memory I don’t want you to retain." Saying this, the officer reached out again. "You’d better not resist. You know you’re no match for me; your resistance won’t stop me, it will only cause you more pain."

The Gray Cat’s fur was bristling, but in the end, it didn’t resist the hand reaching out to it. Seconds later, a strand of peculiar consciousness thread was extracted from the Gray Cat’s body, vanishing into thin air!

SWISH!

The spatial crack disappeared. The Gray Cat collapsed onto the cushion, its eyes wide as it stared at the fire before it. In the cat’s eyes, there was only confusion.

This cat... What am I doing? Huh?

Inside Chen Nuo’s bedroom, the police officer stood within the room. He glanced at Chen Nuo, who was lying on the floor. Then, he walked directly toward Yun Yin, who was in another corner. In one hand, he supported the swirling orb of Louise’s spiritual power. With his other hand, he quickly crushed one of the two Jade Rice Grains, turning it into a beam of light that entered Yun Yin’s body.

"If I apologize at this time, it might seem a bit melodramatic. After all... I am about to kill you. I doubt anyone would accept such an apology. But, I don’t really care about such things anymore. Because, not only will I kill you, but back then, I also killed your father, and... his few comrades. Remember, this isn’t personal; it’s all official business. I have my goals and missions. You, your father, and the others... Well... consider yourselves ants that just happened to be in the path of rolling wheels. Besides, you hold special value to me. Ah...

"Moreover... your life is meaningless anyway. That fool who chose you as a Chosen One is nothing but a disgrace to the Seeds. To obtain maximum power enhancement from a Chosen One, he actually came up with such a foolish idea: selecting an outstanding Chosen One, then continuously providing Life Force to repair the physical body and extend life, all in exchange for that power enhancement! Only he could come up with something so stupid. Taking shortcuts.

"In the process of evolution, any attempt at taking shortcuts will backfire. The Mother gave us Seeds this ability, allowing us to select certain Chosen Ones. This power is not at all meant for us to gain power enhancement. This ability was never meant to be used like this. The Mother’s intent was for us to continuously extract and merge with superior, talented lives, to touch the very source of their being. Then, by choosing again and again, extracting excellent life forms, we were meant to perceive the possibilities of life’s fusion and evolution through this unending process of exploration. But... that fool actually tried to cheat. He truly is the dumbest, without equal.

"So... I have no psychological burden in killing you. Because... you were never meant to live this long. Since it was all unearned, there shouldn’t be any problem with me taking it away now."

After finishing his words, the police officer looked down at the orb in his hand, the waning consciousness of Louise. It was already very weak. But even so, the consciousness orb seemed to have a bit of instinct as it drifted around in the police officer’s palm, faintly, bit by bit, trying to move towards another direction in the room—where Chen Nuo was lying.

"Alright, no need to be so attached. You’ll have plenty of time to meet and be together in the future. Of course... if you’re unlucky, this process might repeat many, many times. But I’m sorry, your consciousness has already dissipated quite a bit, so... you may forget many things. After all, the Consciousness Space has already collapsed, and the parts I’ve repaired are certainly missing something."

With that, the police officer crushed the other Jade Rice Grain! Then, it merged into the consciousness orb...

In the dark night, a light suddenly shone in the manor that had been pitch black!

This light flashed and then was gone!