The reason for my shock was that when I tore the photograph, the face of the pottery figure was blank; where the features should have been, there was only a deep, empty pit, and inside the hollow skull sat a toad-like creature.

Moreover, this toad wore a tall, pointed white hat, which made it look utterly ridiculous.

As for the toad's specific appearance, I didn't get a clear look because just as I reached out to grab it, it suddenly opened its mouth and belched out a cloud of black mist. This mist spread rapidly, quickly enveloping the entire body of the pottery figure.

Then, the figure vanished from my sight in a swift motion.

I paused, thinking, This is absolutely certain; the black mist spat from the toad’s mouth was a spatiotemporal rift.

I just hadn't anticipated that such a peculiar rift could be conjured so freely, and by the mouth of a toad, no less.

As I pondered this, a series of loud smacks echoed nearby. I turned my head to see that Number 2 had, at some unknown point, produced an iron staff and was now wielding it with strange, powerful movements that whipped the air into a frenzy.

With every swing of his staff, a pottery figure had its head smashed to pieces or was cleaved directly in half.

The small platform of barely ten square meters we occupied had turned into a slaughterhouse. In less than a moment, every last pottery figure lay defeated on the ground, dissolving into plumes of black smoke.

Finally, Number 2 struck a pose, exhaled, retracted his staff, and murmured, “Amitabha.”

I wondered what kind of staff technique this was—a storm of fatal blows, seemingly invented purely for fighting humans, so vastly different from the body-strengthening martial arts taught at Shaolin Temple.

Seeing my strange look, Number 2 merely smiled faintly and asked, “Want to learn?”

I shook my head and replied, “Too much killing intent. I don’t want to learn it. How could Shaolin Temple possess such a murderous technique?”

Number 2 explained, “This is the Demon-Subduing Staff. I only use it against demons or ferocious beasts. Expelling evil and upholding righteousness is also a form of Buddhist practice, so even if the killing intent is heavy, it serves the righteous path.”

I nodded, conceding, “Alright, I see your point.”

Perhaps surprised that we had defeated the summoned pottery figures so quickly, Number 12, seated atop a nearby mound of earth, froze, showing absolutely no reaction.

However, knowing Number 12’s personality, the chance of him being a villain was extremely low. Before he left Beijing, he was basically a shut-in who had very little contact with others and wouldn’t associate with people who sought to use him.

Therefore, I reasoned that his current behavior was due to being controlled by something.

It was like when Dazhu kept his hand resting on Old Man Li’s shoulder; perhaps there was something similar behind Number 12, controlling him in the same manner.

If that were the case, Number 12 must have encountered danger after he went missing, which led to him being controlled.

With this thought, I spoke to Number 2, “I can jump the entire distance, but before I go over, I need you to tell me what Number 12’s ability is.”

Even though we had traveled together in the same vehicle, I had never actually seen Number 12 use his power.

Initially, seeing his frail build, I guessed he couldn't possess any remarkable abilities.

But later, at the restaurant, he single-handedly eliminated Boss Bai, who was nearly a spirit, reducing the opponent to a dried husk. That made me view Number 12’s abilities with newfound respect.

It was embarrassing; although the abilities of the Nine Fates members weren't secrets among us, I was still ignorant of the capabilities of a teammate I was on assignment with. That was inexcusable.

Upon my inquiry, Number 2’s expression grew grave. He said, “His ability is extremely dangerous. He accidentally killed over a dozen people once, though that was when he was a child. After growing up and becoming more sensible, he never made that mistake again, but the trauma from his youth made his personality extremely withdrawn.”

“Over a dozen people? Then why wasn't he arrested? Even for a minor, killing that many people is a bit extreme, isn't it?” I said quickly.

Number 2 shook his head. “If he were from an ordinary family, he would certainly have been sent to a juvenile facility for life. But because he’s an ability user, the State Security bureau took him in. Truthfully, his parents probably think he’s dead by now. We changed his name, provided him with lodging and food, and paid for his schooling, all with a purpose.”

I nodded, thinking that anyone who could join the Nine Fates certainly wasn't ordinary, and the state would naturally want to protect such a promising talent.

Number 2 continued, “The key is that the boy is inherently very kind and never intends to harm others, which is why he needs guidance even more.”

I hummed in agreement and asked, “So, what exactly is this boy’s ability?”

Number 2 looked at me and said, “Swap…”

He had barely finished speaking, and before I could ask for clarification, my vision blurred. Suddenly, Number 2’s face transformed into Number 12’s face.

That ashen, bloodless face, paired with lifeless eyes, stared intently at me. A dagger held high in his hand thrust towards my throat.

Luckily, I reacted quickly. The moment he lunged, I urged my telekinesis to push myself back three or four meters.

However, the opponent seemed fully prepared; he surged forward in one swift movement. His blade swung down, narrowly missing my nose by mere centimeters and slicing off a few strands of my hair.

A chill ran through me. I flipped backward, and when I landed, I found myself backed against the edge of the cliff.

At that moment, Number 12 charged again, eyes vacant, thrusting the dual-wielded knives toward my abdomen.

I was cornered; there was no more room to retreat.

Logically, anyone in this predicament would be in extreme danger.

But in terms of pure combat, Number 12 was still no match for me.

I used a gentle nudge of telekinesis to trip his supporting leg mid-run, causing him to tumble to the ground. The knife flew from his grasp.

He had charged too fast and couldn't stop, rolling a couple of times before he was about to fall off the cliff beside me.

This drop was forty meters, equivalent to over ten stories. A fall from that height would certainly kill him.

Seeing this, I quickly reached out to grab him. But just as my hand was about to connect, he suddenly kicked off the ground, twisting sideways, and shot off the edge of the cliff.

My heart went cold; I didn't know what he was trying to do.

But then I noticed a strange, faint smile on his face.

Before I could process it, Number 2’s voice called from a distance, “Be careful!”

I saw him sitting atop the same mound of earth where Number 12 had been, and I understood: the so-called Swap meant exchanging spatial positions between individuals.

This skill seemed useless at first glance, but in reality…

Just as I realized this, the ground beneath my feet gave way, and I lost my balance, hearing the rushing wind near my ears.

After a moment of panic, I looked up to see Number 12 standing on the earth mound, looking down at me.

At that instant, I realized he had swapped places with me while I was falling; now, I was the one plummeting from that ten-story height.

It was fortunate my reflexes were quick; I immediately used telekinesis to cushion my descent.

But just as I settled smoothly onto the ground, my feet suddenly felt a tremor, and a spire of earth erupted from the ground beneath me.

I could no longer evade it; I was about to be impaled by this earthen spike, sending my internal organs raining down like dust.

I had no choice but to concentrate all my telekinetic energy to inhibit the upward thrust of the cone-shaped earth spire.

My telekinesis could withstand a maximum of ten tons of force. Using it on this spire truly managed to slow its ascent considerably.

I used the reprieve to roll aside, but I dared not stop. The ground continued to vibrate, and spire after spire erupted from the earth in the path I had just cleared.

I rolled over a dozen times on the ground, kicking up dust and sand that coated my face.

Knowing this couldn't continue, I used my telekinesis to launch myself upwards, flying toward a nearby earth mound.

I clung tightly to the side of the spire, clinging to it like a gecko.

But when I looked back down, Number 12 was standing on the ground not far from me, smiling at me.

I saw the soil shifting beneath his feet; another earthen pillar was about to emerge.

This was clearly not a suicide attempt on his part, but a plan to swap positions with me at the last second, leaving me no escape.

I was in despair, preparing to use my telekinesis to strike him down.

At that exact moment, a tall figure clad in a black robe leaped down from another earth mound, raising his staff like a soaring eagle, descending with immense power toward Number 12’s head.

I thought, This is bad! If he hits him, Number 12 will definitely die instantly, his skull smashed.

So, I shouted from my perch on the spire, “No! Spare his life!”

However, Number 2 seemed not to hear me at all. His staff swept around and slammed viciously into Number 12’s back.

I heard a piercing shriek as green fluid sprayed from Number 12’s back; something inside had been pulverized.

At that critical juncture, Number 2 had saved Number 12, but the upward surge of the emerging earth spire had not abated.

Number 2 had no choice but to grab Number 12 by the collar and hurl him away, while he himself was struck by the ascending pillar and sent flying.

Although he wasn't split in half directly, the blow to his back sent him crashing over fifteen meters away. He flew out in a parabola, spitting blood, before landing hard on the ground.

Seeing this, I immediately leaped to the ground, disregarding the danger, and rushed toward where Number 2 had fallen.