Die, Replay, Repeat

Chapter 221: Boring Tricks

"Mr. Fang, what's that supposed to mean?" Wen Yang was slightly surprised and looked confused.

Fang Xiu calmly watched him pretending, a mocking smile appearing on his face. "You said my full name in the hotel on purpose, trying to make everyone recognize me. Then Chu Feng came to challenge me, and Sun Dehua came to my room to provoke me... You're behind all these, right? You've been looking for a legitimate excuse to take me away. It seems like Yan Changshou's got the security system here under his thumb, so you used these petty tricks."

As Fang Xiu exposed his plan, Wen Yang's friendly expression faded, replaced by a cold smirk. "No wonder you've successfully handled a Grade-S Specter event. You got me. But if you knew about our plan, why did you get into the car? Isn't that like walking into a trap?"

"Oh? And why shouldn't I come?" Fang Xiu retorted, "You think you all are so formidable?"

Wen Yang burst into laughter. "Fang Xiu, seems like your foresight isn't working that well. If you really saw the future, you'd know that once you put on those handcuffs, you're as good as done."

Just as he finished, Fang Xiu felt a sharp pain on his wrist. He glanced down and saw a fine needle emerging from the handcuffs, injecting some unknown substance into his system.

As the liquid spread through his body, Fang Xiu quickly realized something was off—his Spiritual Energy was suppressed, and even the Specter's power was muted.

"Can you feel it? This is a rare suppressant. Just a tiny bit and you're an ordinary person for an hour. No tricks up your sleeve can help you now," Wen Yang said smugly.

Fang Xiu just shook his head, looking disappointed. "I had some hopes for Yan Changshou. Thought he might surprise me with something different. But seeing these methods now… It's pretty disappointing. Using tricks isn't the issue, but only relying on tricks is."

Before long, they arrived at a secret detention facility. Fang Xiu didn't put up a fight, walking in as if he owned the place, not like a prisoner at all.

He was soon taken to an interrogation room. Oddly enough, no one came in to question him.

Soon, another person walked into the room—a middle-aged man with an ordinary appearance. He nodded at Wen Yang and made his way toward Fang Xiu.

As he got closer, he placed a hand on Fang Xiu's shoulder, and something strange happened.

The man's body and features began to shift until he looked exactly like Fang Xiu. The two now appeared as identical twins—or more accurately, as a perfect copy.

Seeing this, Fang Xiu quickly figured out what Yan Changshou and his team were planning. "Let's go; it's time to meet Captain Yan," Wen Yang said, his voice cold and commanding.

The middle-aged man, now a duplicate of Fang Xiu, stayed behind in the interrogation room for what seemed like a formal questioning. Two officers entered the room, taking notes and recording everything.

Meanwhile, Fang Xiu was escorted back to the car.

This time, they drove to a secluded estate. The property was expansive and isolated, surrounded by tall trees that obscured it from view, creating a menacing atmosphere.

At the estate, Fang Xiu finally came face to face with Yan Changshou in the dining room.

Yan Changshou, dressed in an immaculate black robe, had long black hair tied back. He was using a knife and fork to cut into a plate of bloody meat.

He sat at a long mahogany dining table, adorned with various pieces of raw meat and garnished with flower petals.

The scene was macabre; Yan Changshou looked like a sophisticated cannibal, elegantly feasting on human flesh.

Fang Xiu recognized it instantly, as he had experienced the horrors of being consumed by Taotie multiple times.

"Captain Yan, Fang Xiu is here," Wen Yang announced respectfully.

Yan Changshou put down his knife and fork. He wiped his mouth with a white napkin and smiled, "Mr. Fang, please, have a seat."

This unsettling scene would likely disturb most people, but Fang Xiu remained calm and took a seat. They sat across from each other at the long table.

Wen Yang bowed slightly and exited, closing the door behind him. Yan Changshou smiled, "Mr. Fang, please enjoy the meal. I wasn't sure what you preferred, so I had a variety prepared. There are men, women, and some tender children. I avoided elderly meat, as it's often too tough; I figured you wouldn't enjoy it."

Yan Changshou smiled politely, like a high-society gentleman.

Fang Xiu, however, was unimpressed. "Boring tricks," he remarked, looking at Yan Changshou with a neutral expression.

Yan Changshou didn't seem bothered by Fang Xiu's comment. He calmly replied, "Mr. Fang, we are quite alike, aren't we? There's no need to pretend. Specters are meant to feast on humans, after all.

"You've got the Genesis Mask, so you've been holding back that urge for a long time, haven't you? Today, feel free to indulge, and then you can meet your end. Oh, I almost forgot you're still wearing those handcuffs; that must make things a bit tricky."

As he finished speaking, a crimson, tumor-covered tentacle extended from beneath Yan Changshou's sleeve, darting toward Fang Xiu's eyes like a snake.

_WHOOSH!_

The tentacle stopped just two centimeters from Fang Xiu's eyes. Yet, Fang Xiu's expression remained unchanged; he didn't even blink.

The tentacle then shifted direction, wrapping around the handcuffs on his wrists. With a quick twist, there was a cracking sound, and the supposedly unbreakable Mind Steel handcuffs shattered.

The tentacle swiftly retreated back into Yan Changshou's sleeve.

"I don't know if you're trying to act like a gangster or just enjoy these little scares. But if there's nothing else, I'll be on my way," Fang Xiu said, his tone calm but laced with impatience. He was clearly fed up with Yan Changshou's theatrics.

Maybe Yan Changshou was trying to intimidate him, but after experiencing the horrors of Taotie, Fang Xiu found these tricks to be almost laughable—like a child pretending to be scary with a toy gun.

"