Chapter 724: Yorick Duo

"Tsk… you just love playing those useless little tricks!"

After glancing back at his coffin, now kicked far away, the old man with a square head—whose eyeballs and pupils were inverted, yet otherwise looked no different from a living man—grumbled with obvious displeasure:

"I've already climbed out of my coffin, accepted the materials you brought—what's the point of crawling back in if I don't finish the job?"

"Mm-hmm, you're absolutely right."

The red-haired director, criticized by the old man, didn't get angry; instead, she smiled warmly, shoved the square-headed old man toward the forge, helped him set up a large black iron pot, then began recounting recent events.

"Third Generation, don't let Li Ang's newcomer status fool you—he's only been with our branch for less than a year, yet he's completed many dangerous missions, even exposing the Aquarius Director's conspiracy…"

If the forging has already begun… then I should be able to act now!

Watching the old man, who was chatting with the director while tossing a serpent tail and half a trident into the pot and stirring it laboriously, Li Ang confirmed his attention was fully diverted—then he tiptoed two steps back, seized the coffin on the ground, and bolted away!

…

Time rewound slightly.

"Li Ang, the person we're about to meet is the second-best anomaly forger in the world—and the third director of the Cleanup Bureau."

Pointing at the distant, dilapidated graveyard, the red-haired director, holding a large iron shovel, said with serious caution:

"Third Generation can mark a soul by its voice—once you've spoken a single word to him, you can't escape his perception no matter where you go. So once we enter, no matter what he says to you, ignore him completely. If you absolutely can't, just smile at him and pretend you're mute."

"Understood…"

Li Ang, also carrying an iron shovel, nodded, then couldn't help asking:

"Director, shouldn't the third director of the Cleanup Bureau be long dead? How can he still forge anomalies for us? After you or I die, could we become like him?"

"We certainly can't—and neither can Third Generation, really."

The red-haired director shook her head:

"The real Third Generation died long ago. The Third Director inside is much like the 【King of Drama】 we caught at the Central Cross Theater when you and Princess Wang Nuwei went to watch a play—it's a manifestation of Third Generation's obsession with anomaly forging.

Back then, he was the best among all students of the Taurus Secret Art, far surpassing the rest, on the verge of becoming the new Taurus Director—until his talent was deemed so extraordinary he was suddenly appointed Third Director, losing his chance to master the Taurus Secret Art, a regret that haunted him his entire life."

With a loud bang, the red-haired director kicked open the graveyard gate, counting graves as she continued:

"You know, obsessions and regrets like these easily trigger anomalies. Add to that Third Generation's own immense power and truly top-tier forging skill, and the probability skyrocketed.

After Third Generation died, his obsession—over losing the chance to become the greatest anomaly forger—manifested as an anomaly capable of forging anomalies, preserving his unparalleled forging skill."

"Naturally, the Bureau was delighted by such a high-level forger's emergence. But although Third Generation's forging skill was supreme, he never truly mastered the Taurus Star Palace. Once a new Taurus Director appeared, he could only remain the second-best anomaly forger.

Even though every new Taurus Director's forging skill was far inferior to his, once the Taurus Star Palace's enhancement was added, they always surpassed him by a hair—no matter how hard he tried… Li Ang, dig up that grave. Third Generation isn't buried there—he may have moved."

Pointing to the grave directly opposite, the red-haired director switched to digging another grave as she continued: "Third Generation could tolerate it at first, but after several generations, his proud nature couldn't bear being perpetually second—he had himself transported to the Death Realm, declaring himself the best forger among the dead.

And whenever a new Taurus Director died, their soul, stripped of the Taurus Star Palace's power, would be dragged by him to a forging contest, proving who was truly the strongest forger.

But this generation's Taurus Director chose ascension—their soul never reached the Death Realm. He lost his chance to compete against a Taurus Director without the Star Palace's power and prove himself the strongest forger… so he flew into a rage, crawled into his coffin, and buried himself alive… Hmm, this must be it!"

After digging through seven or eight graves, the red-haired director finally struck the coffin. Satisfied, she nodded and called Li Ang over to help dig up the coffin, which was covered by a large iron pot.

"Remember—don't speak to him at all."

After repeating the warning, the red-haired director dropped her shovel and pointed at the coffin covered by the pot:

"The forge is right beside the graveyard. I'll help him set up the pot. Once Third Generation begins forging, you steal his coffin!"

"Huh?"

"Don't 'huh' me—just touch it and you'll understand."

Grabbing Li Ang's hand and pressing it against the coffin, the red-haired director explained:

"You managed to free Emma from the 【Emerald Dream】, but she died over three hundred times inside—much of her body has been turned to jade, and even her soul has been infused with the Dream's power.

While many anomalies could fix Emma's condition, most of those at this level are stored in the Central Bureau. Only Third Generation's coffin remains outside—so we have no choice but to steal it."

"…."

Staring at the black iron pot and the dusty coffin before him, Li Ang hesitated:

"Director, why must we steal his coffin? Can't we just ask him to borrow it?"

"If he'd willingly lend it, do you think I'd be scheming to steal it?"

The red-haired director shot him a glare and urged:

"The living Third Director might agree to lend you the coffin—but the dead Third Generation, no matter how human he seems, is merely an obsession. To him now, becoming the strongest forger matters more than anything.

Once someone else lies in that coffin, his maintained corpse-form will slowly unravel, and he'll revert from 'strongest forger among the dead' back to 'second-strongest forger among the living.' So he'll never lend it…"

"Look, just trust me—I'll distract him, you steal the coffin, put Emma inside, cover it, and let her rest awhile. Once her injuries heal, sneak the coffin back. That's the whole plan. Any questions?"

(End of Chapter)