In the empty room, Song An came to after passing out from the excruciating pain. His hands instinctively covered the wound where his leg had been severed, and his body trembled.
Crimson blood slowly spread across the floor. Song Mingzhe crouched nearby, placing his son's severed leg into a long wooden chest.
With his head lowered, he said hoarsely, "You stayed at the explosion site too long. Your scent is strong there, but there aren't any pieces of your body. A spirit beast would know with one sniff. I can't explain that to the higher-ups... You'll have to pay with a leg. I'll secretly leave it at the explosion site to muddy the waters... Only then can I make it look as though Old Yan and the other traitors kidnapped and killed you."
"You lived in the Tiangong Building, and you were the same age as those foolish kids. You happened to discover their identities, and you're the eldest son of two chief officials. After their failed prison break, they tried to take you away as a hostage. It all makes sense."
"But don't think any of this is easy for me. Understand?"
At this point, Song Mingzhe slowly raised his head to look at his son, traces of displeasure filling his eyes. "You have the right to choose to be useless, but only if you don't drag anyone else down with you. That includes your parents."
Song An panted violently, his mind clouded by pain, but he dared not speak or respond.
Smack!
Song Mingzhe put away the wooden chest containing his son's right leg, then picked him up himself and turned to leave the room.
His footsteps echoed hollowly through a dim corridor.
At that moment, the consciousnesses of Ren Ye and the other four saw that this