"Everyone, get out."
Jiang Daolin's voice was calm, but it carried an undeniable authority. He stood beside the broken corpse, his hands already putting on a pair of thin, white gloves made of unknown silk.
The middle-aged man, whose name was Butler Wang, hesitated. "Master Jiang, can I stay? I... I want to make sure Young Master is treated well."
"Rule number one of the Stitcher," Jiang Daolin didn't look up, picking up a pair of scissors. "When the needle touches the flesh, the living must turn their backs. Unless you want your soul stitched into his body too."
Butler Wang shuddered. The eerie atmosphere of the shack and the terrifying skill Jiang Daolin had just shown made him dare not question the young man.
"We... we'll wait outside!"
Wang scrambled out with his bodyguards, closing the wooden door tightly behind them.
The room fell silent again. Only the sound of rain battering the roof remained.
Jiang Daolin looked down at the corpse. The "Young Master" was a mess. His limbs were twisted like pretzels, and the white "Corpse Hair" on his neck was growing longer, swaying in the still air like sea anemones sensing prey.
"Restless, aren't you?"
Jiang Daolin sneered.
He reached into the red wooden box and took out the black Corpse Suppressing Ruler.
Hummm—
As soon as the ruler appeared, the white hairs on the corpse suddenly stiffened, as if they were afraid.
"Down."
Jiang Daolin tapped the ruler lightly on the corpse's forehead.
Bang!
A dull thud echoed, not like metal hitting bone, but like a hammer hitting a drum. A puff of black smoke hissed out of the corpse's nose and mouth. The creepy white hairs instantly withered and turned into black ash, blowing away.
"Now that you're obedient, let's begin."
Jiang Daolin opened his tool kit. inside lay thirty-six silver needles of different lengths and a spool of red thread that seemed to glow faintly in the dark.
Stitcher's Technique: Heaven Mending Hand.
Jiang Daolin's fingers moved.
He didn't look like a doctor performing surgery; he looked like a master pianist playing a fast-paced concerto.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
The silver needle danced in the air, pulling the red thread through the torn flesh.
First, the bones. Jiang Daolin's hands were incredibly strong. He grabbed the shattered leg bones, and with a crisp crack, realigned them perfectly. Then, he used the thicker thread to bind the periosteum together.
Second, the flesh. This was the art. The hideous, gaping wounds on the corpse's face were pulled together. The needle entered at a precise 45-degree angle, making the stitches invisible, hidden beneath the texture of the skin.
As Jiang Daolin worked, a strange sensation flowed from the red thread into his fingertips.
This was the true secret of the Soul Stitcher lineage: Soul Resonance.
By stitching the dead, he could briefly connect with their residual memories.
Flash.
A fragmented image exploded in Jiang Daolin's mind.
... Green lights. Eerie, underwater lights. A massive cruise ship floating on the high seas. The sign on the hull read: The Elysium. He (the dead Young Master) was sitting in a luxurious hall, holding a paddle number 88. On the stage, a host in a tuxedo was shouting excitedly: "Next lot! A pair of healthy kidneys from a 20-year-old athlete! Starting bid, one million!" The Young Master raised his paddle, his face flushed with a twisted excitement. "Two million! I want them for my father!" Then, the scene changed. An operating room. The Young Master was lying on the table, screaming. "No! This heart... it's beating too fast! It hates me! Get it out! Get it out!" ...
Jiang Daolin snapped his eyes open. He was sweating slightly.
The memory ended.
"The Elysium... Human organ auctions..." Jiang Daolin clenched his fists. The rage in his chest burned hotter.
Three years ago, his sister Xiaoyu was taken. Was she also put on that stage? Was she sold piece by piece like a spare part?
"Don't worry, Xiaoyu," Jiang Daolin whispered, his voice trembling with suppressed fury. "If you are alive, I will bring you home. If you are dead... I will bury the entire world with you."
He took a deep breath and finished the last stitch on the corpse's neck.
He tied a "Dead Knot"—a special knot to seal the remaining resentment inside the body so it wouldn't haunt the living.
"Done."
Jiang Daolin wiped his hands with a wet towel and opened the door.
Outside, the rain had stopped. The sky was turning a dark blue; dawn was approaching.
Butler Wang and the bodyguards were shivering in the cold wind. Seeing the door open, they rushed over.
"Master Jiang! Is... is it done?"
"Go look for yourself."
Butler Wang walked into the shack cautiously. When he looked into the coffin (which they had brought in earlier), he gasped.
The shattered, twisted body was gone. Lying there was a young man who looked like he was peacefully asleep. His face was clean, his limbs were straight, and there wasn't a single scar visible on his neck.
If it weren't for the pale skin, no one would believe this man had fallen off a cliff just yesterday.
"Miracle... This is a miracle!" Butler Wang's eyes widened in shock. He had seen many top morticians in the city, but none possessed such god-like skills.
He turned around and bowed deeply to Jiang Daolin, this time with genuine respect and fear.
"Master Jiang, you are truly a god among men! The Zhao Family will remember this favor!"
"I don't need your favor," Jiang Daolin walked out of the shack, carrying his red wooden box on his back. He had changed into a clean gray trench coat.
"I need the ticket."
"Right! Right!" Butler Wang quickly fumbled in his pocket and took out a black metal card with gold edges.
On the card, there was no number, only a relief sculpture of a skull wearing a crown.
"This is the Black Gold Invitation for the 'Elysium' cruise ship," Wang whispered, looking around nervously. "The ship docks at Harbor City in three days. Without this card, you can't even get near the pier."
Jiang Daolin took the card. It felt cold and heavy in his hand.
"Good."
He didn't look back at the village where he had lived for three years. He walked straight into the morning mist.
"Master Jiang! Where are you going?" Butler Wang shouted from behind.
Jiang Daolin raised his hand, waving without turning back.
"To the sea." "To collect a debt."