Chapter 342 172: Grief

Ruan Yuqing looked at the pearl in Jiang Ran's hand, then back at the corpse. Seeing no change whatsoever, she nodded.

"It really is unrelated. In fact, this just further proves that this is the Falling Star Pearl."

Jiang Ran held up the pearl.

"What does this thing do?"

"If it is the Falling Star Pearl... it's said to have wondrous effects. Placing it in drinking water can give ordinary water the ability to neutralize poisons.

"If a person channels their Inner Strength through it, it provides a massive boost to healing injuries.

"Wearing it year-round can also extend one's life.

"However, the people of the Astronomical Bureau used it to observe the stars at night. They believed that no matter how wonderful a thing fallen from the heavens was, it shouldn't be kept near the Emperor. It was too much of an unknown. Who could say if today's benefit might become tomorrow's poison?"

Ruan Yuqing was quite learned. She explained eloquently, and while she might not have covered every detail about the Falling Star Pearl, she gave him the gist of it.

After wiping the object clean with a cotton cloth, Jiang Ran looked back at the corpse.

He reached out, lifted the coffin lid, and set it on the ground.

Then he looked at the child in the coffin, who appeared to be only seven or eight years old.

The child's face was a livid color. His limbs were disproportionately small, while his head was large, creating a jarring disharmony.

'He's deformed...'

Jiang Ran's brow furrowed slightly. He reached out to take hold of the corpse.

Ruan Yuqing also craned her neck to get a better look.

But at that very moment, Ruan Yuqing's eyes shot wide open.

"It opened its eyes!!"

"Hm?"

Jiang Ran glanced down. The corpse in the coffin had indeed opened its eyes.

Its eyes were completely blood-red. It shot its hands out to grab Jiang Ran's wrist.

"Insolent!"

Jiang Ran snorted coldly. He channeled his Great Brahman Vajra Skill, and a shimmer of light flashed across his palm.

The child's hands stopped just three inches from Jiang Ran's wrist, unable to advance any further!

Realizing it couldn't overpower Jiang Ran, it suddenly slapped the inside of the coffin and launched itself up, about to climb out.

How could Jiang Ran let it escape?

A moment ago, when its eyes were closed, Jiang Ran couldn't be sure if it was dead or alive.

But now that it had opened its eyes and dared to attack him, Jiang Ran could see clearly—this wasn't a dead person at all, but a living one!

This person was undoubtedly connected to all the strange occurrences here.

He immediately thrust his five fingers forward, aiming for the child's chest, intending to seize him.

But just then, Jiang Ran's brow twitched. The sound was faint, but he could still hear it clearly.

The sound of something slicing through the air lingered all around them.

It was as if something was riding the wind.

'It's threads!'

At this thought, Jiang Ran yanked Ruan Yuqing, who was about to draw her sword, to his side. With a flicker, he leaped into the air.

His feet tapped on nothingness, and streams of Gang Qi erupted skyward, coalescing into a great projection.

Meanwhile, his body landed steadily in mid-air, his feet treading upon a thread so fine it was nearly invisible.

Looking up, he saw the child had darted to the edge of the high platform, where a figure was striding toward them.

The figure reached out, swept the child into an embrace, and asked repeatedly:

"Zhi'Er, Zhi'Er, are you all right?"

The child tilted his head to look at the newcomer, then buried his face in his arms and began to wail.

His cries were shrill and wretched, like the howling of ten thousand ghosts.

Jiang Ran watched the newcomer with a thoughtful expression and sighed softly.

"Old man, it really is you."

The newcomer was, of course, none other than the hunched old man.

But he paid Jiang Ran no mind, gently patting the child's back and comforting him in a low voice.

"It's okay, it's okay. Father's here now. Father's here, so there's nothing to be afraid of.

"No one can hurt you anymore..."

"The pearl... they took it."

The child lifted his head and spoke in a coarse, cracked voice.

"They... they took it!"

Hearing this, the hunched old man immediately turned to Jiang Ran, his gaze filled with a sinister malice.

"Give me back my son's Falling Star Pearl!!"

'So this thing really is the Falling Star Pearl?'

Jiang Ran held up the pearl in his hand and chuckled.

"Does that mean the people who died here back then were really from the Astronomical Bureau?"

"What does that have to do with you?"

The hunched old man glared at Jiang Ran, grinding his teeth.

"You shouldn't have come here... I meant you no harm, originally.

"You barged in here, disturbing my son and me. You're clearly the ones in the wrong...

"So why did you have to steal my son's Falling Star Pearl?

"He... he can only survive by relying on it!

"Hand over the Falling Star Pearl, or I'll refine you two into 'Sorrow'!"

"Sorrow?"

Jiang Ran's expression was odd.

"What is 'Sorrow'? The greatest sorrow of all time?"

"Sorrow..."

The hunched old man's eyes seemed to glaze over. After a moment of stupor, he finally said:

"Sorrow... Sorrow is a medicine!!

"It can neutralize poison and extend life! The greatest sorrow of all time is the greatest medicine of all time!

"This medicine... can grant immortality!!"

At this, without giving Jiang Ran a chance to react, he broke into wild laughter.

"That dog emperor of the Golden Cicada is on his deathbed, and he wants this medicine of immortality.

"My wife and I... my wife... we submitted to the Court just to save my Zhi'Er.

"They used our geomancy Secret Technique, our ability to find dragon veins and pressure points, hoping to find the legendary treasure medicine of the Demon Sect.

"We... we did our best to help them find it...

"But they broke their promise!

"They called us sewer rats who couldn't see the light of day, saying that being able to serve the imperial family was a blessing accumulated by our ancestors.

"They said that dreaming of getting the Falling Star Pearl was courting death.

"They... they sliced off my wife's flesh, piece by piece, and took her life right in front of my eyes.