Volume 1, Chapter 119: Reclaiming the Body

"Skinny Cat" found himself walking toward Chi Xingwan against his own will. His mouth hung open, unable to utter a single word; he could only plead with the bald man using his eyes.

The bald man, completely oblivious, was focused on a message on his phone. Seeing that this "young master" had no gambling debts, he did not stop him and even bid him farewell with enthusiasm.

"Young Master, leaving so early today? Remember to come back tomorrow."

Skinny Cat felt his heart turn to ice. With limbs numb, he walked out the door and stood before Chi Xingwan.

"Little brother, let’s go home."

The smile on the woman’s face was so gentle, and her tone so soft, yet to Skinny Cat, it sounded like the whisper of a demon. He followed her uncontrollably, walking through the narrow alleys until he was led into a car.

Once inside, he found that while he still could not move his body, he had regained the ability to speak. He said coldly, "What exactly did you do to me?"

At that moment, Pang Tao received a message from a friend. She cleared her throat and said, "Skinny Cat—a somewhat notorious hoodlum from the old district. He was caught cheating at a gambling table a while back, and no one has seen him since."

"W-what are you talking about?" Despite the biting winter cold, Skinny Cat broke into a cold sweat.

Pang Tao put down her phone and stared straight at him. "I'm talking about you. I’m not wrong, am I?"

Skinny Cat felt a flicker of relief that he couldn't move his body; otherwise, he would surely be trembling uncontrollably. Now, he only needed to focus on controlling his voice.

He forced a facade of composure. "What are you talking about? I am Jiang Xiaozhou, not this 'Skinny Cat' person."

"Oh?" Chi Xingwan asked, "You are Jiang Xiaozhou? Why do I feel like you aren't?"

Skinny Cat managed to squeeze out a smile. "Sis, what are you saying? If I’m not Jiang Xiaozhou, then who could I possibly be?"

Chi Xingwan chuckled. "Who is your sister? Don't go around claiming relatives you don't have."

Skinny Cat’s heart skipped a beat. He clearly remembered that Jiang Xiaozhou had a cousin. She wasn't supposed to have returned to the country, but after the old man was hospitalized, it was rumored that Jiang Xiaozhou’s aunt and cousin had booked flights immediately. They should have arrived by now.

So, was the person before him Jiang Xiaozhou’s cousin?

***

Pang Tao turned her body from the driver's seat and asked curiously, "So, Skinny Cat, who helped you steal Jiang Xiaozhou’s body?"

Skinny Cat was shocked, his speech becoming stuttered. "Y-you’re talking nonsense! I-I am Jiang Xiaozhou!"

Chi Xingwan raised her hand, tapping a flicker of spiritual energy onto Skinny Cat’s forehead. He felt a sudden, sharp dizziness and reflexively closed his eyes, but recovered almost instantly.

When he opened his eyes again, the world looked different. Beside him, the real Jiang Xiaozhou was glaring at him with murderous intent, as if he wanted to tear him apart and swallow him whole.

"Help! Who are you people? Let me go!" Skinny Cat’s lips quivered.

Chi Xingwan nodded. "You make a fair point. It’s the New Year; we don't want to keep you around."

Skinny Cat was struck by a dark premonition. Unable to move his body, he looked at Chi Xingwan in terror. "What are you trying to do?"

A golden chain appeared in Chi Xingwan’s hand, swirling around her fingers. "You stole someone’s body—don't you think you should return it?"

With that, the golden chain lunged at Skinny Cat, instantly sinking into Jiang Xiaozhou’s body. A moment later, the chain pulled the soul of the "Skinny Cat" out.

Seizing the moment, Jiang Xiaozhou’s soul lunged toward his own body and merged with it instantly. When he opened his eyes again, he was truly himself once more.

"I’m really back?" He clenched his hands tightly, finding it slightly difficult to exert force.

Pang Tao said to him, "You’ve been out of your body for so long that your soul and flesh need time to realign. In a few hours, the weakness will pass."

Jiang Xiaozhou breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Brothers and sisters, I have a request. Can you take me to the hospital? I need to see my grandfather."

Chi Xingwan said to Pang Tao, "Let’s go to the hospital."

Pang Tao started the car. Within the car, Jiang Xiaozhou’s body still retained some of Chi Xingwan’s spiritual energy, allowing him to see the soul of the Skinny Cat.

Skinny Cat was currently bound by the golden chain, unable to move a muscle. Even as a soul, his face was deathly pale.

"Do you want to talk voluntarily, or would you prefer to be tortured into speaking?" Chi Xingwan asked calmly.

***

Ever since he had been pulled out, Skinny Cat knew the game was up. He was never a man of backbone to begin with; terrified by Chi Xingwan, he spilled everything.

"I cheated at gambling, and those people caught me and wanted to beat me up. But they went too far and beat me to death. When I woke up, I was already a soul, and my body had been flushed into the sewer."

"I was drifting around alone until I met someone. He asked me if I wanted to be reborn. Of course, I said yes—I still wanted revenge on the people who killed me. Then he asked me whose body I had my eyes on, and I, I..."

He glanced at Jiang Xiaozhou. "I said his."

"How did you know Jiang Xiaozhou?" Xiao Yue asked.

"I know," Jiang Xiaozhou answered himself. "When I first returned to the country, I was feeling playful and hired a guide to take me around. I went to the old district back then and ran into that gang of hoodlums."

Skinny Cat continued, "I knew that guide, so I asked around out of curiosity and found out he was a third-generation heir returning home. When that person asked me, I immediately remembered him. But you can't blame me for that! Given the chance to be reborn, who wouldn't want a good background?"

Jiang Xiaozhou was so angry his face turned crimson. He hadn't offended anyone; why did he have to suffer such an unprovoked disaster?

Pang Tao was driving, eyes fixed on the road, but her ears were perked high. Hearing no further explanation, she asked, "And then?"

Skinny Cat said, "Then that person brought me to the Jiang family. I don't know how he did it, but we walked right through the front door, and the Jiang family didn't react at all. He took me to Jiang Xiaozhou’s room. Jiang Xiaozhou was sitting on the bed watching a movie, and with a wave of that man's hand, I lost consciousness."

"When I woke up, I found I had become Jiang Xiaozhou. I went downstairs, and the Jiang family didn't notice that the soul inside the body had been swapped..."

"So you just did whatever you wanted?" Xiao Yue said. "Confess—what did you do while using Jiang Xiaozhou’s body?"

Jiang Xiaozhou turned deathly pale upon hearing this. He hadn't been watching Skinny Cat the entire time he was disembodied; he had no idea what had been done using his own skin.

Skinny Cat had just said he wanted to be reborn and get revenge on those who killed him, so...

Everyone, except for Pang Tao who was driving, looked at Skinny Cat.

Jiang Xiaozhou growled, "What exactly have you done!"