Chapter 124: The Fourth Time

“He… his eyes are still moving!”

The striking woman’s sudden scream at the narrow restroom doorway was like a clap of thunder.

Fang Shenyan hadn’t even reacted yet, still trying to comprehend what was moving.

Then, abruptly, a massive cloud of black mist appeared before him.

It spread instantly, filling the entire restroom, obscuring all vision. At the same time, Fang Shenyan heard a dull thud and a scream.

The young man in the down jacket was hurled backward, a huge footprint pressed into his chest, slamming him heavily against the wall behind.

His face flushed deep red, sweat rolling down his forehead, and after a tense moment, he coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Only then did Fang Shenyan identify the source of the black mist.

It came from a tiny porcelain bottle in the young man’s hand.

The cap had been left open, and the ever-expanding black mist poured out from this small vessel.

“Close it! Are you trying to get yourself killed?”

Xue Tinghai stormed from the restroom, one foot pressing down on the young man’s chest, cursing fiercely.

The young man finally realized the danger and scrambled to seal the bottle.

The mist ceased pouring out, but the young man’s already pale face turned even paler.

A cough followed, and several teeth flew from his mouth.

Xue Tinghai’s scar flushed with anger; his gaze seemed to want to kill the young man on the spot.

He snatched the porcelain bottle from the youth and, in the middle-aged man’s astonished gaze, tossed it into the striking woman’s hands.

Her eyes lit up, nearly speechless with excitement.

“You had no right to use the Sin Artifact. It was only a minor incident—we don’t even know if it was real—and yet you were terrified enough to open it!”

Suppressing his urge to kill, Xue Tinghai spoke slowly and deliberately:

“A Sin Artifact can only be used three times per mission. Exceed that, and the user immediately transforms into a ghost, worse than death.

And you, before the mission even began, foolishly used your first opportunity!

If we weren’t short-handed this mission, you’d already be dead!”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Assisant Manager! I was wrong! I promise I won’t do it again. Please return the bottle…” The young man knelt, pounding the floor repeatedly.

But it did not sway Xue Tinghai. He returned to the restroom, focusing instead on the eyes the striking woman had mentioned.

Seeing him leave, the young man turned to her, gazing at the porcelain bottle in her hands, weeping:

“Sister Qing! Sister Qing, please return the bottle! I barely borrowed it from the manager, I beg you…”

But she barely registered the plea. She was too captivated by the Sin Artifact in her hands.

Though the young man had already used one chance, she still had two more before reaching the ultimate cost—the transformation into a ghost.

Counting her original Sin Artifact, she now possessed two—her determination for this mission was absolute.

Meanwhile, Fang Shenyan had learned a critical detail.

A Sin Artifact could never be used more than three times in a single mission.

The first three uses inflicted only the literal costs—the young man’s bleeding and lost teeth, Fang Shenyan’s previous bodily weakness.

But the fourth use…

The Sin Artifact would turn on the user, transforming the living into a ghost.

“So there’s a hidden rule governing Sin Artifacts…”

Fortunately, Fang Shenyan’s Ghost Eye had a passive effect with no cost. Otherwise, he would not only have missed this information but could unknowingly transform into a ghost if he exceeded three uses in the future.

“This must be a warning from the ghosts. The burnt card ashes are a hint, though useless to us for now.”

Xue Tinghai wiped his hands and exited the restroom, ignoring the corpses, heading straight out.

He glanced at Qing holding the Sin Artifact and sneered.

The Sin Artifacts in the Fourth Branch were distributed strangely. Ordinary staff were forbidden from holding them—except for a few key roles.

Sin Artifacts acquired during missions were handed over to the manager. Each mission’s items were redistributed, ensuring uniform allocation.

Xue Tinghai didn’t care whose hands the porcelain bottle ended up in; his own Sin Artifacts were sufficient, and more would only risk overwhelming him with their costs.

As they stepped out of the cabin, the airport was devoid of living people.

Yet he noticed a single fresh footprint in the snow, solid and deep—unlike the others, which had already been partially covered by new snowfall.

Moreover, the person seemed to have made no effort to hide…

Otherwise, the footprints wouldn’t have been left right in front of them.

Xue Tinghai furrowed his brow. He knew clearly that someone had left before them.

And by leaving the footprints, they were sending a deliberate message: someone knew their movements, tracking their actions…

The cunning and psychological strategy behind this made him realize that this individual was far from ordinary.

“Assisant Manager? What’s wrong?”

“Stop underestimating the Seventh Branch. There are experts among them!”

“I see. Meet at 315 Changzui Street in Lower Kyoto District.”

Inside a cozy little house, Ji Li sat cross-legged by the window, watching the heavy snow outside as he hung up the phone.

He reached for a cigarette, lit it with the nearby stove, and took a drag.

Meanwhile, Kondo Sei, having changed her clothes, wanted to say something but pressed her lips together and stayed silent.

She looked bewildered. A few hours ago, she had been reading at home. Suddenly, she was dragged to China to participate in a terrifying ghostly mission.

And now, hours later, she had returned home with a group of strangers.

Watching Ji Li, calm and composed as if this place were his own domain, only added to her confusion.

Sei’s little house, only twenty square meters, now held six people—it felt unbearably cramped.

Ji Li and Mei Sheng each occupied a corner, leaving Sei, Cui Yanqing, and the remaining four squeezed onto the tatami.

Chi Rou shivered as she accepted a cup of tea, sipped lightly, and looked at Ji Li in puzzlement.

She nudged Gao Liangping and whispered, “Ask the manager—aren’t we supposed to go to Sunset Bridge first to take the lead? Why are we resting at Sei’s place instead?”

Gao Liangping shook his head, leaning back on the tatami as he sipped his tea, clearly relaxed.

For him, it seemed the best strategy during the mission was to do just enough and follow orders.

Finally, Kondo Sei broke the awkward silence, asking on behalf of the others:

“Ji… why are we waiting here?”

Ji Li didn’t turn around, seemingly lost in the snowy scene outside.

After a long pause and a slow drag of his cigarette, he finally spoke words that made everyone gasp.

Even Mei Sheng, usually detached and composed, furrowed her brow and turned to look at him.