Chapter 42: When the Shadow Gained Self-Awareness

On the dusk-lit street, a car sped by, Lu Ming was resting with his eyes closed.

"Family Head..." After a moment of silence, Chang Qinglan said, "Excuse me, may I ask, is it really alright to bring the child back?"

The girl named Mu beside him was leaning against the soft cushion, her body moving slightly with each even breath.

"What do you think?" Lu Ming closed his eyes and said, "From the very beginning, you've always wanted to say something, right?"

Chang Qinglan fell silent for a moment: "As an official, one ought not to deceive the Family Head's actions; the official indeed wants to speak."

"You want to plead for that child?"

Lu Ming raised an eyebrow: "Then why say it?"

Indeed, what's written in Chang Zhou's diary is off; I don't know where it began, but Changlan grew distant, as if a thin film lay between us—so thin, yet impossible to pierce.

"As an official, even if you doubt the Family Head's decisions, you cannot deny it without harming the Family Head's authority." Chang Qinglan said, "Actually, the official hopes to keep Mu."

As a miserable childhood loli, she knows that for refugees, death makes no difference; she hopes the girl is the same, drifting aimlessly on the refugee ship.

So, upon hearing Lu Ming say that one could only be a refugee, she felt awful.

That girl's condition meant Lu Ming had to protect his daughter; that bag of bread had been laced with sleeping pills—if she ate just a bit, she would soon fall into a deep sleep.

Why would sleeping pills be put in the bread?

Perhaps to seek a painless death, or perhaps that bag of bread was originally meant for the mother and daughter, but the mother ultimately could not bear to let the child die alone...

When Lu Ming entered the bedroom, the girl was already lying quietly in bed, holding a piece of bread she had taken a bite of, eating it slowly, as if truly waiting for her parents to eat together.

Originally Chang Qinglan was supposed to carry the girl, but Lu Ming saw that their heights differed greatly, and being male himself, he said he would carry her.

Chang Qinglan initially agreed, but Lu Ming kept insisting, so she didn't say anything more.

"From now on, just say whatever you need to... Qinglan sister." Lu Ming took a long breath.

It seems only Chang Qinglan is fully on my side, and my side quest still offers protection, bringing about unfamiliar good fortune.

Chang Qinglan remained silent for a long time before letting out an "hmm".

Returning to the manor, Lu Ming immediately organized the clues.

I think it's off; the Chang Clan crew were indeed framed, and the crew member who wrote the confession was also instructed by some well-known figure.

They promised the crew generous pay and could even send a family away to avoid trouble, but even though the crew ended up in shackles and prison, the so-called generous pay never arrived.

That woman also dared to speak up, for if the matter were exposed she would surely die, but she quickly realized that even if she spoke out, the other side might still let a family go.

Regarding this, Lu Ming could only think of the other two families; perhaps one of them deliberately framed the Chang Clan to oust them, or perhaps both...

His chest felt like a sudden surge of qi; Lu Ming held back a cough, quickly took the pill, yet his survival index still dropped a bit.

【【Doomed, my body keeps getting worse.】】

【【The late emperor had barely founded his dynasty when he collapsed...】】

【【.....】】

Lu Ming processed the bullet comments, then flipped through Chang Zhou's diary, feeling great interest in Chang Zhou; of course, while reading the diary he also turned off the livestream view.

【【S Player is very privacy-conscious.】】

【【Sure, go ahead and watch!】】

【【How to immerse?】】

【【.....】】

The diary is filled with the boy's fantasies about the Land; he once greatly yearned for the Land, upon learning of the gods' existence.

Closing the diary, he stared into the empty half-space for a long time.

【【Hope to become an adventurer, hope to bring the clan back to the Land.】】

【【There, mountains and rivers, ice-source forests, and a land one could never finish walking in a lifetime.】】

【【The ancients recorded that the year divides into four seasons, but the sea seems quite obvious.】】

【【\"Like the sea, likewise yearning for the Land. \"】】

【【Character line: 30%】】

"Panel." Lu Ming softly said.

Player: Lu Ming

ID: 94968

Skill: Phantom Shade (Lv. 2)

Achievements: Decisive Slaughter, Manager's Appreciation, Plum Blossom Blooms Twice

【【Current dungeon: Sea Bulwark】】

【【Time remaining: 28】】

Lu Ming still remembered that he had three unused skill points, because of those few tasks in the Main God Space, he had almost forgotten everything.

After adding skill points to "Phantom Shade," several lines of text immediately appeared in his field of view.

【【Phantom Shade: Lv2 (15/30)】】

【【Advancement: Player causes the split shadow to possess independent consciousness (a shadow with independent consciousness affects the host in any way)】】

Does it affect the host in any way?

Moreover, it can have autonomous consciousness, which directly amounts to a clone.

Lu Ming suddenly felt his skill seemed to have many uses.

He immediately used the skill.

Only see a mass of black shadow split from Lu Ming's shadow, gather, and gradually form a shape.

"Good." Lu Ming tried to greet the shadow.

Shadow Lu Ming looked at the main body, nodded: "Good."

"Who?" Lu Ming began to test the shadow's self-awareness, seeing how far it could go.

"Yeah." The shadow said: "Lu Ming, C Country, and also… S Player?"

"Do you know your own shadow?" Lu Ming continued to ask.

"Know." The shadow froze, saying: "Rest assured, absolute obedience, no need to worry about betrayal or the like; moreover, it also lacks that ability."

The shadow knows itself well; basically, it's another Lu Ming.

Impressive…

Lu Ming examined the shadow, and the usual appearance, while the true Lu Ming's appearance.

Looking at oneself from another angle, feeling inexplicably strange.

【Is the S Player speaking?】

【Seems like the skill…】

【Shadow?!】

【Can the shadow talk?】

【Hearing speech, the shadow seems also intelligent…】

【……】

Obviously, even closing one's eyes cannot hide the skill, Lu Ming contrary intention.

But then take on more important tasks.

Then, closed the Live Broadcast Room again.

Facing a black screen, the audience finally held back.

【Damn, closed the stream again?!】

【Third time, right? Three times!】

【Meaning, no longer will watch the S Player's stream.】

【Impressive, just move a little and close the stream, earn enough points and close the stream?】

After closing the stream, Lu Ming instantly felt light and relaxed.

Looking at the shadow: "Can you change appearance?"

The shadow didn't hesitate, immediately said: "Who do you want to become?"