Fu Xingchuan didn’t faint on the spot and instead went to sleep normally last night. To be precise, out of the five people trapped inside the abandoned building, only Fu Xingchuan remained conscious from beginning to end.
Otherwise, the heart of the Corpse Cage wrapped in a dark red shroud would most likely hit the space cracks, old scaffolding, damaged electrical wires… In short, there was a 99% chance that it would get stuck inside the building and not flow out smoothly with the Evil Force.
The rotten heart wrapped in the dark red shroud was quite conspicuous in the translucent stream of Evil Force. Zhou Gong, the “#1 Evil Craftsman” who could also control corpses, noticed this thing in less than five seconds.
Fu Xingchuan strained himself to lift the corpse-retraining spell. The members of Unit 9 and Fu Tianyi all fainted due to the excessively strong Evil Force.
Minister Fu… No, Advisor Fu, supported it for nearly 48 hours, confirming that all reports and samples were completed before falling into a deep sleep on the sickbed.
The high-risk evil, Yellow Millet, was held tightly in his hand like a stress ball that he refused to let go.
The next day, Li Nian arrived at 6 in the morning. Fu Xingchuan, who had slept for most of the day, woke up slowly.
“The situation is special. The participating team will stay in the hospital for recuperation for the time being, Zhou Gong and Qiao Shang will also stay behind. The base built in interstitial space is being cleaned up. Most likely it’s an internal stronghold of Sunken Society, so we’ll be quite busy after.”
Professor Li moved a chair, crossed his legs, and clasped his hands on his knees. He was dressed cleanly, with a shaven, smooth chin, but his eyes were full of exhaustion.
“As for the on-site data and samples, they have been followed up on. From the current research, this incident is very helpful for the study of ‘Evil Spirits’ and ‘the Other Side’.”
When he said the second half of the sentence, there was a bit of brilliance in his eyes.
Minister Fu turned his head on the pillow and grimaced. “Why are you telling me all this? I’m just an innocent advisor—I’ve been up for two days straight!”
Professor Li shot him a piercing glare.
“The person you brought up, Xiang Jiang, is so ‘capable’, that there’s nothing I can do about it.” Li Nian sneered.
“I didn’t die in the accident, so that kid is probably a little disappointed.” Fu Xingchuan finally let go of Yellow Millet in his hand. The latter made a small puff and then quickly slipped under the pillow.
Li Nian pretended not to see this tangible evil.
“Let’s talk about business. You wouldn’t be so bored as to ask me here just to have a chat.”
“Yin Ren sealed himself in the interstitial space. Be careful when you investigate.” Fu Xingchuan turned his head and looked at the ceiling. “I announced to the public that he died.”
Professor Li: “……”
He didn’t answer directly.
Fu Xingchuan chuckled wryly and said, “Lao Li, I guess we’re thinking the same thing.”
Sealing himself off might be a good outcome for everyone when it came to Yin Ren.
“The Great Celestial Master Zhong Yi sealed six Evil Spirits. I have never had doubts about this historical event.” Li Nian sat motionless in his chair and lowered his gaze slightly. “Even if it’s possible for one person to subdue countless evil beings, or even if those evil beings were helping him, it’s an exaggeration to say that ants can kill elephants.”
“Zhong Yi is definitely a very powerful evil. According to records, his strength is at least on par with or even greater than the Evil Force.”
“I know what you want to say—regardless of what kind of species Yin Ren is, his danger is no less than the Evil Force.” Fu Xingchuan pointed to Yellow Millet, who was peeking over the pillow, and it quickly scurried back under.
“There is no record of why Huajisi didn’t leave any information about Zhong Yi or why the Great Celestial Master was sealed for a thousand years. To trust an evil after only a few months of contact is too risky.”
Professor Li remained calm and composed.
“The current situation might not be a bad thing—Sunken Society has already reached interstitial space, so it would be nice to have fewer ‘unknown forces’ to worry about.”
“I’m just thinking, he has the ability to seal himself off and even break free, but still… Yin Ren is a very emotional and loyal person. Now I understand why the Fu family admired Zhong Yi so much,” Fu Xingchuan said softly.
“Now that Yin Ren has sealed himself off, and Zhong Chengshuo is dead, we can put the investigation aside for now. As for comforting the family, we’ll just follow Zhong Chengshuo’s own arrangements…”
After their musing, Fu Xingchuan put on a serious expression and intended to discuss important matters with Professor Li. Suddenly, he felt his pillow shake violently, and something shot out from underneath.
A loud bang shortly followed.
The flying Yellow Millet had smashed open half of the door of the isolation ward. Fu Xingchuan frowned and was about to perform a spell, but his gaze froze.
On the other side of the broken door, there was a familiar face.
The “emotional and loyal” Yin Ren was standing outside the door with a smile on his face, but his smile was a bit…no, very stiff. Yellow Millet was sticking to Yin Ren’s chest and making soft, puffing noises.
Fu Xingchuan: “…”
He stiffly turned his head to look at Li Nian, whose eyes widened slightly in rare surprise.
Oh no, it’s not an illusion.
‘Truly you can’t trust an evil being’s words,’ Fu Xingchuan thought blankly. Not to mention sealing himself off, Yin Ren’s skin looked radiant, and his hair was silky smooth—his condition was much better than before.
Fu Xingchuan straightened up solemnly, and he decided to find a serious expression in his head to at least calm the situation down—but as he moved, his angle changed, and he saw another familiar face behind Yin Ren.
Zhong Chengshuo stood expressionlessly behind Yin Ren with his hollow black eyes without focus.
Fu Xingchuan laid down.
Since the appearance of the small Divine Descent, this #1 Ghost General had been working tirelessly, yet his spirit had never been as exhausted as it was now.
Forget it, let’s talk while lying down. Anyway, he couldn’t win in a fight, and he didn’t feel like fooling around anymore. Fu Xingchuan even slowly turned over, leaving his back to Yin Ren outside the door.
Yin Ren: “……”
In the end, it was Li Nian who spoke, but the person he spoke to was Zhong Chengshuo. “What’s your situation?”
Zhong Chengshuo glanced at Yin Ren, maintaining his expressionless state, and responded with a calm, AI-like tone. “I am a flesh puppet created by Yin Ren to take care of the two Zhong elders and help them live out their later years in peace.”
After speaking, he even bowed properly.
Yin Ren quickly switched to a mournful tone and added, “That’s right. Zhong Chengshuo’s sudden departure was too abrupt, and I also wanted to use him to help me cope.”
“You’re saying this is a spirit weapon?” Li Nian frowned, completely ignoring the deep sadness.
As a result, Professor Li waited for a while but didn’t get a response from his partner. Li Nian turned around and saw that Fu Xingchuan was resolutely playing dead, facing away from them.
Without hesitation, Professor Li pinched him.
Fu Xingchuan squirmed in his blanket for a while before saying softly, “It’s hard to investigate these flesh puppets. Naturally the things made by the Great Celestial Master can certainly pass as genuine. If we want to check properly, we need to completely dismantle the flesh puppet.”
‘”Protocol”. Is this word even relevant in this room?,’ Fu Xingchuan thought mournfully.
Whether or not they could dismantle the flesh puppet depended on Yin Ren—to be honest, Fu Xingchuan had no interest in this so-called flesh puppet. With nuclear warhead Yin Ren right in front of them, it wasn’t necessary to worry about whether the warhead had been poisoned or not.
“No need to dismantle it.” Sure enough, Yin Ren quickly spoke up. “I can guarantee that as long as we’re inside Shian, I’ll be with him all the time, and won’t let him wander around on his own.”
Finally, Fu Xingchuan slowly sat up again with an expression that was hard to describe.
“You want to go back to Shian? I’ve already written your death report.” Fu Xingchuan looked melancholy. “It’s not impossible, but at least explain the situation first.”
After living for more than forty years, Fu Xingchuan suddenly felt that his life was really heavy, and he was afraid that even after death, he would have to carry a tombstone made of lead. The Great Celestial Master Zhong Yi was indeed a very emotional and loyal person, but his temperament was a bit too much, making it really difficult to judge.
For example, at this moment, Yin Ren instinctively grabbed the hand of the flesh puppet and held its fingers tightly.
It’s hard to say whether this was pitiful or creepy.
……
Under the abandoned building, Sunken Society Haigu Branch.
The stronghold in the interstitial space was mostly destroyed, and the other half was completely cut off from the original space, hidden in the vast expanse of interstitial spaces. Unless Shian could find a “Charon” who was proficient in breaking open space, they would never be able to dig here.
Shian did have a Charon named “Jiao Lian”, but she had long been disabled and was no longer a threat.
With the loss of the underground corpse vault, the Haigu Branch suffered heavy losses. However, the members coming and going in the stronghold had no worries on their faces. Instead, they showed a subtle excitement—
“Minister Shen has sent a signal!”
The group rushed towards the surface, their faces flushing.
“Quick, inform Boss Wei. Minister Shen is coming back early. He said next week, but he’s coming back early!”
Their destination was the deepest part of the Haigu Branch, almost as deep as the underground corpse vault.
Before the split in the interstitial space, along with the underground corpse vault, these two parts formed a perfect inverted pyramid structure, connected to form two sharp peaks. Now that half of the underground corpse vault was gone, the only thing left was the “brain door”.
The group of people in white coats hurriedly rushed towards the underground. They crossed the equally complex, infinite corridors and reached the deepest part.
There were no doors here; only a vast and empty darkness.
In the darkness, there stood an old-fashioned, dark white “city gate” about three meters high. There were no walls on either side, nor anything behind it, and it was only as thick as a hair.
The team cautiously stopped ten steps away from the gate.
At this distance, they could clearly see the brain-like structure on the city gate—or rather, it was a genuine brain. Hundreds of brains were interconnected, emitting a faint shimmer under the illumination.
The capillaries on their surface were semi-transparent black, and their orange-like convolutions were twisted and distorted.
Under the cover of the black blood vessels, hundreds of brains emitted soft squeezing sounds, twitching and trembling non-stop. Countless soft tubes were inserted into these brains, tangled like a snake, extending in the darkness and leading to machines placed in all directions.
As long as he didn’t turn around, he could treat that voice as an illusion and hold onto the positivity and relief he felt just a few minutes ago.
The terrible evil hadn’t let him go—it patted Huang Jin’s shoulder with one hand, and Yin Ren’s tone became gentler. “I actually wanted to visit you first, but now I don’t have to. Do you know where Fu Xingchuan is?”
Yin Ren’s hand lightly pressed on Huang Jin’s shoulder, and Huang Jin could feel the lingering Evil Force within him being quickly suppressed and drained. The coldness in his organs faded away, replaced by a warm flow like some kind of healing magic.
Thanks. Huang Jin painfully closed his eyes, realizing his full salary sick leave was being shortened again.
He tremblingly leaned on the IV stand, struggling to turn and face Yin Ren.
“I don’t know where Fu Xingchuan is,” Huang Jin said dreamily.
Yin Ren was still dressed in Zhong Chengshuo’s clothes, and his long hair was casually tied back behind his head. The warm sunlight slanted down, neutralizing the eerie atmosphere in Yin Ren’s eyes, giving him a look of classical beauty.
But in Huang Jin’s eyes, the mosaic was still there, appearing a lot calmer than before, without any signs of weakness.
And not far from him, there was another person standing. That person’s footsteps were as light as if they had pads on their feet, and Huang Jin hadn’t noticed them earlier.
The familiar pattern operated, and the familiar edge “diffused” into a fuzzy state. Huang Jin stared blankly at the person, only to see a thought slowly rolling by. “Is today a supermarket member day? I remember beef is 20% off. I can make some fresh beef slices on the weekend.”
People’s thoughts were like fingerprints—similar at first glance but with significant differences in features.
Huang Jin remembered this thought pattern, and this thought pattern belonged to a dead person.
Zhong Chengshuo.
So that’s it. Huang Jin thought peacefully. I’m dreaming. Now everything makes sense!
Thinking of this, even a smile like a stone Buddha statue appeared on his face.
Yin Ren saw through him but didn’t expose him. “Scared you? This is my flesh puppet. I found Zhong Ge… a part of Zhong Ge there.”
Although Yin Ren knew Huang Jin couldn’t see his expression, he still faithfully sprinkled sadness around.
Huang Jin’s eyes were blank.
What are you talking about? A flesh puppet can’t think.
Yin Ren sorrowfully stroked the face of the “flesh puppet”.
And the thoughts of the Zhong Chengshuo-brand “flesh puppet” shifted to “Oh right, Yin Ren likes to eat beef dumplings. We should buy more scallions and ginger when we go back.” and “We can make some extra and give it to the elders.”
“I can only bring him back this way.” Yin Ren lightly touched Zhong Chengshuo’s face. He “put on a forced smile” and said, “His parents are both criminal police officers, and a tangible ‘illusion’ is more reliable. It’s also more comforting.”
Huang Jin: “…” This dream was too weird that he couldn’t understand it.
Comrade Huang Jin stood like a statue in place.
Yin Ren let go of Zhong Chengshuo’s face and took two steps forward, pressing both hands on Huang Jin’s shoulders, adding a little force. “Huang Jin, with your expertise as a spirit smith, this is still qualified to be considered a flesh puppet.”
He spoke very slowly, with an extremely sad tone that made listeners feel heartbroken and brought tears to their eyes.
Huang Jin really did feel like crying.
Yin Ren’s pressure on his shoulder was neither light nor heavy, making him shudder. The pain was so real that Huang Jin couldn’t deceive himself any longer.
The gruesome scene of Zhong Chengshuo’s head being blown off was still vivid in his mind, while the “Zhong Chengshuo” with a complete thought process in front of him was contemplating ten different ways to wrap beef dumplings and his exact division of labor with Yin Ren. This scene was so fragmented that Huang Jin couldn’t comprehend it.
He foolishly stuttered a few “ahs” with empty eyes.
Yin Ren didn’t let go of Huang Jin, and his words became even more solemn and slow. “Do you really have no suggestions for my flesh puppet?”
Huang Jin: “Uh…um…”
“Great. If there are any shortcomings in the future, I’ll come to you for advice first.” Yin Ren forced a smile.
Huang Jin’s eyes were numb as they shifted, and his pupils suddenly shrank.
Wait a minute.
Regardless of what this Zhong Chengshuo was, he was definitely not a flesh puppet. Yin Ren dared to bring him back so brazenly, indicating that this thing was either Zhong Chengshuo himself or a creature that couldn’t be detected like Yin Ren.
Either situation was terrifying. Yin Ren came to find him specifically, probably to give him a heads-up.
Anyway, he was stuck dealing with these two scourges! As a small fry, he shouldn’t get involved in the fights of the gods.
Huang Jin wilted like a dying flower in the scorching sun. “Um, this, ahem, flesh puppet is perfect. I have nothing to add…”
It’s up to you to reveal the truth, Minister Fu. Huang Jin thought to himself.
“Good.”
Yin Ren not only didn’t leave, but his hands tightened even more.
“What about your wish?”
Huang Jin almost blurted out, “Can I never see you guys again?”, but he instinctively closed his mouth.
He couldn’t make wishes casually. If he had to make one, it must be within human capabilities.
Otherwise, he would be “followed” by “certain things”, which may not be a good thing.
…If he wished for wealth and riches right now, perhaps Yin Ren could really figure out a way to make it happen. With the bottomless power of this evil, producing some mystical treasures was probably not a problem.
Thinking about the wish, Huang Jin quickly became focused, and his limbs weren’t as stiff as before.
“Can I really make a wish?” He swallowed his saliva.
“Mm, I found him.” Yin Ren smirked. “We had a deal.”
Fear, numbness, desire, tension… Countless emotions pelted Huang Jin like hail.
He wanted to wish for money—to escape from everything and live a carefree life.
The idea buzzed in his head like a hornet’s nest. As long as he had a lot of wealth, he could spend his life in anonymity and comfort.
“Remember. Be cautious when making a wish,” Yin Ren answered softly. “I will only help you realize it, and I am not responsible for after-sales.”
Huang Jin looked at Yin Ren’s distorted mosaic, and suddenly became a little sober.
No matter how powerful an otherworldly evil was, it couldn’t alter the digits in a bank account. Even if it could, banks had skilled technicians and lawyers who could track the money. And if Huang Jin couldn’t explain where the money came from, he could get into trouble.
No matter whether it was a large amount of gold that Yin Ren offered him or some rare treasures to sell, with the advanced technology of modern times, anyone with a will could trace the whereabouts of the money. Whether he could protect himself when that happened was another question.
Unless the amount wasn’t too large, in the range of several million or tens of millions, at least it wouldn’t alarm those big shots. But if that were the case, this hard-won opportunity would lose its meaning.
Not everyone had the opportunity to make a wish to a “relatively friendly” evil.
Wishes must be made cautiously, and one shouldn’t be too greedy*.
*Beware of a snake’s stomach being too small for its prey (切忌人心不足蛇吞象) Idiom referring to one should not be too greedy or overreach oneself.
Huang Jin bit his nails.
Yin Ren let go of Huang Jin’s shoulder. “If you can’t think of anything, I’ll put it on credit for now and pay it off later.”
“Heal Ding Lizi’s eyesight, without leaving any other effects,” Huang Jin said.
Yin Ren was slightly stunned.
“Are you sure?” he said seriously.
“Yeah.” Huang Jin scratched his head. “I’ve thought about it, and this is the best wish.”
Under the thick mosaic, Yin Ren’s eyes and eyebrows curved, and he clicked his tongue twice. “I see. You rest, I’ll go find Fu Xingchuan myself.”
“Wait!”
Yin Ren had just taken a few steps when Huang Jin called out to him from behind.
Is he regretting it? Yin Ren raised his eyebrows and turned around.
“Don’t tell her that I made the wish. Just say that Shian found a treatment plan,” Huang Jin stared at the floor crack. “And please symbolically charge her some money. Thank you.”
“Huang Jin.”
“What?”
“Did I ever tell you that you might make a big achievement in the future?”
“No, you didn’t!” Huang Jin forgot about going to the toilet and started limping towards the ward. “Ah, what did you say just now? I didn’t hear anything…”
……
“The spatial partitioning is complete. According to the plan, we abandoned half of the base as a transition space and used it as a barrier layer. Theoretically, Shian can’t detect the remaining half. After careful processing, the base can still be used.”
Wei Huaqian returned to the top floor of the luxurious hotel.
He savored the liquid in the wine glass while listening to the incessant report in the communication line.
“The materials in the corpse vault are almost all destroyed, leaving only digital samples. There is no loss in the research data, but if there are to be any sacrificial activities in the future…”
Wei Huaqian moved his finger and cut off the line.
“Has the Minister of Technology returned from his investigation?” Wei Huaqian asked the newly cut line.
“Reporting, no. According to the current progress, Minister Shen and his team will not be able to return until next week.”
“I see.”
“Regarding the loss of sacrificial materials…” the voice on the other end trailed off.
“I’ll figure out a way,” Wei Huaqian replied impatiently and cut off the line again.
The large hotel room suddenly became quiet. The top-level manager of Sunken Society didn’t move, staring at the shaking wine in the glass.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Someone was knocking on the door. The sound was very light, and the interval was exactly the same.
“Come in,” Wei Huaqian said in a flat tone.
Click.
The soundproof and tightly locked door was pushed open by someone.
The man who came in was wearing a black coat and old-fashioned cloth shoes. He looked around forty, with a bald head. This person should have had a round and cheerful face, but he was so thin that he looked disfigured, matched with two huge bags under his eyes, and his face looked gray and harsh.
The man sat opposite Wei Huaqian, panting heavily, and his throat made a heavy sound of phlegm. Even through the fabric, one could see the sharp corners of his bones, making him seem like a shriveled, dry leaf that could be blown away with just a breath.
“It’s really not easy to see you. After so many years of cooperation, I don’t even know what your organization is called,” the man said.
Wei Huaqian stood up and poured him a glass of wine.
“This is the first time I’ve seen ‘you’. What should I call you?”
“My surname is Le, just call me Lao Le.”
Lao Le wrinkled his face and showed a bitter smile, not saying anything more. Wei Huaqian didn’t know if he didn’t understand his sarcasm or pretended not to understand.
Wei Huaqian’s gaze moved from Lao Le’s gray hair to his dusty cloth shoes.
“You have shown your face, which is considered a gesture of goodwill. Our branch suffered heavy losses this time. We hope that your side can provide some support in terms of sacrificial materials.”
Mr. Le looked at him bitterly. “There was a small Divine Descent in your base, and the remnants left behind are enough to use.”
“That’s the second thing I want to say—with all this commotion, our base’s location has been exposed to Shian. Whatever the minor Divine Descent left behind has fallen into the hands of Shian. Their elites have not been harmed but have gained a large amount of data.”
“I had to divide the territory in half, allowing those hypocrites from Shian to think they found the complete Haigu stronghold. Before we transfer to the backup stronghold, we can only play in the dark like this.”
He paused meaningfully for a moment.
“We couldn’t get the things we needed and instead added a lot of risks. If your side still wants to continue funding the research, you’ll have to show more sincerity.”
Mr. Le sighed loudly, wheezing for a while before turning his cloudy eyes to him. “Your research cannot stop. We can help you find another safe interstitial space, like before. As for the materials…”
He grabbed his hair in distress. “We don’t have much on our hands either. So, for the next six months, we will compensate you with six tons of Evil Force corruption sources—the high-quality type…yes, yes… it’ll be free.”
Wei Huaqian instinctively wanted to raise the price, but at this moment, a subtle sense of satisfaction and happiness rose from the bottom of his heart.
Enough. He made a lot of money. He needed to celebrate this successful negotiation. With six tons of Evil Force corruption sources, he didn’t know how much material he could produce from it. This made him truly happy…
It wasn’t until Mr. Le left coughing that Wei Huaqian realized that this compensation was almost worthless—the other side was willing to provide Evil Force corruption sources just to invest in the human experiments conducted by Sunken Society. The money collected wasn’t much to begin with.
That mysterious organization had only agreed to help them find a new place—but Sunken Society had already prepared a backup stronghold, so this “assistance” wasn’t substantive.
Wei Huaqian’s face turned black like the bottom of a pot.
This negotiation wasn’t even worth being called a negotiation; it was more like a scam. But when Mr. Le spoke, he genuinely felt excited and satisfied from the bottom of his heart.
And when he tried to recall Mr. Le’s face, he could only remember a blank space.
“Damn it.” Wei Huaqian gritted his teeth and cursed.
Forget it. For the sake of their goal, he would endure it.
……
At the same time, in Haigu Municipal Hospital.
After wandering around, Yin Ren finally found Fu Xingchuan’s ward. Fu Xingchuan had a leg injury even before the incident, and unlike Huang Jin, he was someone who knew about Yin Ren’s “self-sealing”.
Yin Ren hesitated for a moment, and the corners of his mouth drooped involuntarily.
“It’s over, it’s over.” The former Great Celestial Master was full of pain. “I gave him such a big melodrama. Even if I know how to explain it, it’s still too embarrassing!”
It’s just like if Romeo announced the death of Juliet, declared he was going to commit suicide, and then went home as if nothing had happened.
He needed to brew his emotions and adjust his state of mind. Moreover, he needed to be careful in his approach. In case Fu Xingchuan was seriously injured and weak, he might startle him…
“Puff—Puffffff—!!!”
As Yin Ren was contemplating, a shrill scream accompanied by a loud bang echoed, and a colorful ball smashed through the door, pouncing straight onto his chest.
Through the broken door, Yin Ren quickly scanned the area and locked eyes with Professor Li Nian along with Fu Xingchuan, who was lying on the bed.
Yin Ren: “……”
Fu Xingchuan and Li Nian: “……”
The “flesh puppet”, Zhong Chengshuo, had a serious face on while quietly taking half a step back.
The author has something to say:
Fu Xingchuan immediately set his new mobile phone ringtone: I don’t believe you asshole, you old rascal*.mp3
*This comes from an internet meme that refers to not believing what someone is saying. It spawned from a clip of a food delivery boy who took a short video and said this sentence, which was later made popular by netizens.
Kinky Thoughts:
You know, a lot of people don’t seem to like Huang Jin, but I feel for him. Poor guy is constantly met with misfortune in life, and he’s the only one (besides Fu Xingchuan) who somewhat knows the truth about Yin Ren (and also Zhong Chengshuo).
As Zhong Youde spoke, Zhong Chengshuo was calmly picking up garlic vegetables stir-fried and chewing them in small bites.
Half of the dishes on the dinner table were missing, and all kinds of aromas were mixed together. There were smiles on the faces of the two elders, as if they were treating it as an amusing little matter.
Yin Ren almost choked on his beer and had to hold back from coughing.
“Did you make a wish?” he asked, pretending everything was normal.
“How could we? We’re both too old to be fooling around like children.”
Cheng Xuehua laughed, making her wrinkles gather as she did. She had cut her hair short and dyed it black to look younger than her actual age.
“It must be that I told him that it was for the birthday boy to make a wish, and we didn’t want to interfere.”
Zhong Chengshuo continued chewing on his vegetables as if it had nothing to do with him.
“Really?” Yin Ren began to suspect something was amiss.
Seeing Yin Ren had a strange reaction, the two elders looked at each other.
“What happened at the time—I went to answer the phone after I finished speaking. Lao Zhong, you didn’t really make a wish, did you?”
“Isn’t this a way to get closer to children?” Zhong Youde was slightly drunk, shaking his head, “Xuehua’er*, you were too stubborn back then, so I was a bit more lax…”
*Adding an [er] (儿) to the end of a name when used as an address is a common way to express endearment towards that person.
Cheng Xuehua clicked her tongue and took the wine bottle away. “After drinking just two sips, you can’t even remember your own name. Cut it out.”
“What did you wish for, uncle?” Yin Ren looked at Zhong Chengshuo from the corner of his eyes and asked while still smiling.
Comrade Xiao Zhong was undoubtedly aware of Yin Ren’s gaze. He thought for a moment, then pushed the garlic vegetables in front of Yin Ren.
Zhong Youde was about to answer, but then something seemed to occur to him, and his expression became somewhat gloomy. Seeing her husband’s expression, Cheng Xuehua’s face suddenly became serious. “Lao Zhong, what did you say at that time?”
“It was nothing,” Zhong Youde said, shrugging his neck. “I couldn’t deceive the child. At that time, Xiao Zhong was so insistent, so I said, Dad will make a wish with you. At that time, we couldn’t let go of that case…”
“Zhong Youde!” Cheng Xuehua called out her husband’s full name.
“I, ahem, I just said that, ‘Daddy and Mommy hope to find your sister soon.’ Our son was so young and hadn’t heard about the case, so I just mentioned it briefly.”
Cheng Xuehua opened her mouth but only sighed. “You…”
Zhong Youde scratched his head and handed Cheng Xuehua an egg. “Don’t be mad.”
Yin Ren timely changed the topic. “Uncle and Auntie, shall we stay here tonight? We’ve just finished dinner, so let’s clean up the guest room. We haven’t seen each other for so long, let’s spend some more time together.”
Cheng Xuehua’s displeasure disappeared instantly. “Ah, that sounds good!”
The guest room in the elder couple’s house wasn’t big, with only a bed and a wardrobe, and the bedside table was squeezed into a small gap. When Yin Ren closed the door, it made the space even more cramped.
Zhong Chengshuo sat on the bed with his hands on his knees, innocently looking at Yin Ren. He wasn’t wearing his glasses now, which made him look even more innocent.
“…So you investigated the Divine Descent because of your sister. And you investigated your sister’s case just because your father made a wish on your birthday?” Yin Ren cut to the chase.
“That’s right.”
Without explaining or using ambiguous words, Zhong Chengshuo answered directly. He even seemed to wonder why he was being asked such a simple question, making Yin Ren speechless.
Since elementary school, Zhong Chengshuo had been conducting outrageous investigations. On the one hand, he transformed into “King Yama” and slew evil spirits to accumulate funds, while on the other hand, he was studying the “Divine Descent”, a huge topic that even Shian couldn’t handle. He even took the risk of exposing his own anomalies and joined Shian to gather more intelligence.
And all of this was just because his “sister”, whom he had never met, went missing during the Divine Descent.
This was already ridiculous enough, but it could still be explained by the desire to “repay his foster parents”.
But the reason this person started investigating in the first place was only because of a joke-like wish made by his adoptive father… And all of this investigation still hadn’t stopped to this day, all for the cost of a cake.
Sometimes Yin Ren really couldn’t tell if Zhong Chengshuo was too smart for his own good or if he was really a bit foolish.
When he was the Great Celestial Master Zhong Yi, he also listened to all kinds of wishes.
When faced with someone much stronger than themselves, many people liked to make wishes, from small things like stealing chickens from one’s neighbor to grander things like destiny and their future—Yin Ren didn’t know how many wishes he had heard.
And yet, those were just wishes.
As for him, he helped as much as he could, and if he couldn’t, he would tell them straight up. He had too few contacts, and compared to listening to wishes from a higher position, he believed his approach was more like “helping neighbors”. People gave him daily necessities and food, and he sold his strength in return. It was a fair exchange.
This was how he, as a “person”, perceived things. Even if he lived like an Evil Spirit, he was a child born of humans. His physique prevented him from belonging to the human world, but he still yearned for the sights and sounds of the other side.
The problem was, Zhong Chengshuo didn’t care about any of that.
…So where did Zhong Chengshuo’s idea of “fulfilling other people’s wishes” come from?
Yin Ren reached out and cupped Zhong Chengshuo’s face. Zhong Chengshuo blinked and lifted his head to cooperate.
“Why?” Yin Ren’s voice was a bit hoarse.
Zhong Chengshuo clearly understood the question. He smiled very slowly, and his black eyes were still dim.
“Because everyone thinks this way,” he said. “People offer sacrifices to gods, and gods fulfill their wishes.”
Yin Ren’s palm was as cold as ice. “You said before that you didn’t know what you were.”
“That’s right, I don’t know.” Zhong Chengshuo tilted his head slightly and leaned against Yin Ren’s palm. “But this ‘concept’ has been acknowledged by someone before. So even if I do become a human, I still have to keep the promise.”
Someone had acknowledged it before.
In other words, before Zhong Chengshuo’s elementary school days, someone had acknowledged it.
“How long ago was that?” Yin Ren subconsciously swallowed a mouthful of saliva.
“I don’t know. Actually, I’m quite interested in myself.” There was a hint of anticipation in Zhong Chengshuo’s eyes. “Now we can study each other to our heart’s content, Yin Ren.”
Yin Ren: “……”
Just when he thought he wouldn’t be surprised by any weirder things, Zhong Chengshuo always managed to surprise him.
Perhaps Yin Ren’s expression was too serious that Zhong Chengshuo’s face went from expectant to uncertain, and then to a slight nervousness. He stared at Yin Ren’s face fixedly without blinking.
“I have confirmed that except for being particularly healthy and having good physical fitness, I am no different from an ordinary person.”
Zhong Chengshuo sincerely added, “There’s nothing special about me, and I will bleed if I am injured. I have always guessed that if I were fatally injured at the human level, I would also die.”
Maintaining the posture of holding each other’s faces with both hands, Yin Ren leaned down. His smooth black hair slid down Zhong Chengshuo’s shirt as he spoke, swaying gently.
It was a kiss.
“I understand,” Yin Ren said gloomily. “The secret of the degree of marriage you mentioned refers to the difficulty of obtaining a marriage license, right?”
With his own situation already unclear and coupled with the even more unpredictable Zhong Chengshuo, Yin Ren was already worried for the people of Shian.
Zhong Chengshuo hesitated for a moment before reaching out his hand, then held Yin Ren’s waist with bated breath and focused attention.
He rested his forehead on Yin Ren’s chest, visibly relaxing his body.
“It seems that this time, we can’t avoid returning to Shian.”
Yin Ren stroked Zhong Chengshuo’s nape, and the soft hair brushed through his fingers.
The level of trouble with the current problem wasn’t something they could solve on their own. Compared to the infinite unknowns in front of them, the mediocre card of the “Great Celestial Master Zhong Yi” should be played out.
At that moment, there was a knock on the door.
“Xiao Yin, Xiao Zhong, do you want some fruit?” Zhong Youde cautiously greeted them from outside the door. “Dad just peeled some pomegranates, and the seeds are soft.”
“We’re coming!” Yin Ren replied loudly, then turned to see that Zhong Chengshuo had already gone to the closet to look for a nightcap.
The Ghost King couldn’t help but smile.
Oh well, the truth had been exposed. The real body of the sniper appeared, leaving many clues pointing to the Other Side—they had already caught a glimpse of the truth.
Zhong Chengshuo was still Zhong Chengshuo, and life had to go on.
The origin of the Divine Descent and Evil Spirits, the truth of the Other Side, and his mysterious lover. Let them unravel these mysteries one by one.
……
When Huang Jin woke up again, he saw the pale ceiling of the hospital.
His whole body felt like it had been run over by a truck, and every joint in his body creaked when he moved. Huang Jin nervously raised his head—luckily, his limbs were still intact and he hadn’t turned into a mutant or become disabled.
Huang Jin laid heavily back on his pillow.
This was a single-person ward, and his field of vision was filled with lightly colored IV drips. The palm of his hand, which had been cut open during the battle, was wrapped in thick gauze, and it was both painful and itchy. However, based on Huang Jin’s experience with injuries, this was already the result of scientific and metaphysical dual treatment.
They had come into close contact with a high concentration of Evil Force corruption, and just dealing with the contamination had probably exhausted all the efforts of the black seals of Shian. If they had left it alone, not only would his wound not heal, but it might even twist into a mouth.
Huang Jin grinned self-deprecatingly and struggled to recall his recent memories…
He remembered Fu Xingchuan repeatedly using sealing techniques to reinforce the flesh walls, and soon there was no place to apply his own tranquility talismans. He didn’t know what was happening outside, but the flesh walls they were in shook violently.
Although the flesh was relatively soft, it was still very dangerous. Lu Xiaohe came up with a clever idea and had everyone take off their jackets and tear them into strips to tie everyone together.
No one cared about gender differences, and everyone hugged tightly together. Within the spinning and swirling flesh cavity, Huang Jin quickly lost consciousness.
Since he had woken up, things were probably not too bad for the others.
Huang Jin instinctively breathed a sigh of relief, but then felt uneasy about it.
He chewed on the short few seconds of the outbreak of Evil Force, and the miraculous cooperation of the group. If he had been alone in that situation, he would have lost all his bones long ago.
This feeling of having support behind him was a bit exhilarating.
Huang Jin struggled to twist and finally sat up halfway at the head of the bed. Outside the window, it was already bright daylight, and the leaves had been dyed golden-red by autumn.
Maybe he shouldn’t have been so hostile to Shian… Even if they were sometimes excessive, they were the most reliable organization for metaphysicians. Maybe if he accepted this job, set his mind straight, his life would be more comfortable.
After this battle, it showed that his tranquility talismans were truly effective. Maybe he could use this to negotiate a raise?
Lu Xiaohe and Ge Tingting were also good partners. They had formed a bond through life and death, and it would be easy to get along with them in the future.
And… and King Yama was already dead, and according to Fu Xingchuan, Yin Ren, that monster, had also “died”. Although it was sad, without these two big obstacles, their future tasks would definitely be much more normal.
Next, even if the sky fell, it had nothing to do with their small C-level investigation team.
From today on, he would embrace life with optimism, and a peaceful life was ahead!
He had been on the IV drip for too long, and his bladder couldn’t take it anymore. Huang Jin took a few deep breaths and decided to solve the problem himself. He reluctantly got out of bed, propped up the IV pole, and planned to go to the bathroom.
This was Shian’s special campus, and the birds were singing outside. Huang Jin held the IV pole and basked in the sunshine of the corridor. The temperature was just right, and the air was filled with a sense of release.
Footsteps sounded behind him, and they sounded like those of a man.
It was probably a hospital staff member, so Huang Jin didn’t turn around and continued to feel the first ray of sunshine in his new life.
“Huang Jin, are you okay? That’s really great.”
A familiar voice sounded from behind him. The voice was soft and pleasant, and Huang Jin recognized it even if he turned to ashes.
Yin Ren.
Comrade Huang Jin’s face turned pale, and the warmth of the sun just now turned into ice and snow. His whole body was stiff, and he couldn’t move at all.
Although it was a bit immoral to say so, Fu Xingchuan had said it himself—Yin Ren was already dead! How could an evil die once and then become an evil again? What exactly was Yin Ren—some kind of evil matryoshka doll?
Fuck Shian, the world is really going to be destroyed!
The author has something to say:
The three-day period is up, and the Ghost King returns!
Yin Ren posed the question, but unfortunately, it didn’t successfully enter Zhong Chengshuo’s mind.
Unusually, Comrade Xiao Zhong was absent-minded.
The memories of the past three days kept spinning in his head, and Zhong Chengshuo found it hard to describe his feelings.
He had always been cautious, trying to minimize contact with others—just as bad habits could lead to disease and dirtiness, so could contact. Truthfully, Zhong Chengshuo wasn’t sure whether his condition could cause illness in ordinary people or what the consequences might be if they were infected.
All he could do was “raise” himself scientifically. Contact with people was too exhausting.
Perhaps due to his origins, Zhong Chengshuo had never had much sense of affiliation with “humanity”, let alone emotional needs. He knew very little about his physiological condition and had to be careful in every respect when he was in contact with his adoptive parents. Friends were naturally unnecessary, and he would never seek a romantic partner.
He had thought that he wouldn’t have any physiological desires—after all, he hadn’t even seen a member of his own kind.
Zhong Chengshuo had never thought that there would be a “person” who would instinctively make him wary, who was as afraid of the light as he was but attracted him in every way.
A few days ago, he felt more like a child who had never eaten ice cream.
Naturally, if he never tasted it, he wouldn’t crave it.
Sharing secrets with another person, creating secrets. The freshness of this “sharing” hadn’t yet passed, and it was an even greater shock.
‘What’s written in books wasn’t entirely right,’ Zhong Chengshuo thought.
If there was one word to describe the intermittent absurdity of the past, he would choose “safe”.
Even if this was the most dangerous situation of his human life.
Zhong Chengshuo’s fingers slid over the soft bundle of wings, passed over the firm and smooth skin, and finally delved into the fluttering wings. When Yin Ren breathed rapidly, those soft wings would tighten, and some would tremble slightly.
His monster accomplice was also unfamiliar, but extremely proficient in “how to adjust the state”. Yin Ren was still the calm Yin Ren. The Great Celestial Master of a thousand years ago, had never taken his eyes off him.
There was no infatuation or dissipation in those non-human red eyes; only the joy of being lost and found again, and a reassuring nonchalance.
But a strand of black hair always wound around his fingertips and never let go.
Perhaps they had never been so close to another person before. In their violent movements, there was tranquility. All uneasiness was expelled by those biting kisses, while worries faded by the skin sticking together, gradually disappearing without a trace. Zhong Chengshuo’s innate vigilance kept sounding the alarm until he became numb.
The only things left were desire and attachment.
Sensory and psychological stimulation hit at the same time, and Zhong Chengshuo didn’t want it to stop.
Inside the room, a sea of wings surged, and strange limbs that didn’t exist in the world passed over his fingers. Underneath his fingertips, there were slightly darkened, pale red marks. Yin Ren hung his head, and his soft hair scattered on Zhong Chengshuo’s chest.
For an Evil Spirit, his skin was slightly cool, probably specially controlled, and there was no sweat.
There was only Yin Ren’s strong and pleasant scent.
…And mint.
As the wings swayed and shook with the rhythm, Yin Ren involuntarily tightened his waist. He held a piece of mint facial tissue in his hand and had a smile on his face.
“You sweat just like a human.”
In his rapid breathing, the thousand-year-old Ghost King muttered in a low voice.
The slightly cool tissue gently swept up Zhong Chengshuo’s throat, all the way up. Compared to the hot skin, it was as cold as ice, licking away the sweat on his cheek.
The wing cluster on Zhong Chengshuo’s back swayed slightly, teasing and embracing at the same time. At that moment, Yin Ren bent down with difficulty, looking down at him, and that beautiful face was incredibly close.
His crimson eyes emitted a faint light, like wine shining by candlelight.
Zhong Chengshuo felt for the first time that this person’s beauty wasn’t simply attractive to mortals.
It was a shocking impact that belonged to him alone.
The last of the sweat was wiped away, and Yin Ren’s eyes curved with a smile. This time, the thing that brushed past his cheek was Yin Ren’s hand, and although his body trembled, his movements were extremely gentle.
From his cheek to his throat, it returned to the position where Zhong Chengshuo’s head had been severed.
…The weakness was exposed, and the instinct sounded the alarm, but the fierce sense of security surged more and more, almost overwhelming Zhong Chengshuo.
This feeling might be what humans call “happiness”.
Zhong Chengshuo lay on his lover and carefully analyzed his memories.
And whenever he stopped to think like this, Yin Ren would always give him a kiss—whether he was naked or not.
“You were distracted just now.” Yin Ren pointed out seriously. “So do you have confidence in playing an illusion?”
He waved his hand, and a figure exactly like Zhong Chengshuo stood by the sofa. The illusion was dressed neatly, expressionless, and wearing the loose clothes that he often wore.
Zhong Chengshuo: “……”
Zhong Chengshuo looked at Yin Ren in amazement, and his ears were dyed pink again.
“Yes, I remember you very clearly.” Yin Ren didn’t blush at all. “Do you have any objections, Mr. Zhong?”
“I can simulate this state.” Zhong Chengshuo rubbed his ears and turned his gaze to the illusion. “But this is an illusion, right? Once I touch something, I might reveal the truth.”
Yin Ren chuckled, and his eyes crinkled in amusement.
“Do you remember the ‘flesh puppet’ made by Fang Yuanyuan?”
“The fake Fang Yuanyuan that was used to test employees’ adherence to the rules when we joined the company?” It took less than half a second for Zhong Chengshuo to recall. “I remember, it’s a type of spirit weapon. Its breathing and heartbeat are indistinguishable from a living person’s, and even ordinary evil creatures can’t tell the difference.”
It was something that only high-level spirit smiths could create, and as “King Yama” of the Nightwalkers, Zhong Chengshuo had heard of it.
“I am the Great Celestial Master of Huajisi. Even if I’m only a spirit smith, I can still do it. It takes about three days… Well, top-level spirit smiths can make this kind of flesh puppet in three to four days, so that’s about right.”
Looking at the phantom sitting on the sofa, Yin Ren quickly calculated in his mind.
Even though he had been hesitant about the idea of “self-sealing” and felt embarrassed about changing his mind, he still didn’t want to stay outside for too long.
When the Evil Force erupted, he left Yellow Millet outside and made all the necessary preparations. With the symbol array suppressing the area and the incident happening in the hospital, his colleagues wouldn’t be wiped out on the spot.
But corruption was still a possibility.
If those corruption weren’t handled properly, there might be after-effects. Putting aside unfulfilled wishes, at least they were colleagues, and he didn’t want Unit 9 to end up with disabilities.
Even if the worst-case scenario happened and both Fu Xingchuan and Unit 9 were in danger… the world wouldn’t be in chaos. As a force to be reckoned with, he had to be at the forefront of Shian.
……
That night, the two of them, dressed in the same clothes, knocked on the door of the Zhong elders.
The one who answered was Cheng Xuehua, and her expression of surprise turned into delight when she saw her son and his boyfriend at the same time.
“Oh my, why didn’t you give us a heads-up before you came?” Zhong Youde’s voice boomed like a bell. “Your mom and I were just making plain noodles… Wife, bring out the lamb and make some more. There’s still time!”
“No need to trouble yourselves. We can just order takeout.”
Yin Ren squeezed Zhong Chengshuo’s hand tightly when he smelled the familiar scent of smoke.
Looking at the intertwined fingers of the two, Cheng Xuehua smiled and said, “Why order takeout? The oil and ingredients used outside aren’t good, unlike the food made at home. I just tried cooking lamb the other day, and it’s delicious—you two don’t move and just wait to eat!”
The old lady took out a full glass container from the freezer, which looked like it had been prepared carefully for a long time, and the amount of food inside didn’t look like leftovers at all. Even in its frozen state, the tempting aroma of the meat whetted their appetite.
“What’s wrong with you, Xiao Zhong? Your phone has been off for days, and your dad was worried sick!” Cheng Xuehua scolded as she heated up the lamb, throwing a sharp look at Zhong Chengshuo.
“In these past few days, I didn’t have time to prepare my phone.”
The two suspects had colluded with each other, and Zhong Chengshuo gave a straight-forward answer.
“It was our fault that Yin Ren happened to be busy as well.”
Zhong Chengshuo silently took two steps back, partially shielding himself behind Yin Ren. Cheng Xuehua shook her head with a smile and resumed her busywork.
Yin Ren: “…”
Perhaps Zhong Chengshuo hadn’t noticed it, but since stepping into this house, he had become more ordinary than ordinary people.
“We’ve been really busy these past few days, and as soon as we’re free, we came to see you guys. It was Zhong Ge’s idea to give you two a surprise.”
“You have a sweet tongue, but too bad my son’s brain can’t think that far ahead.”
Cheng Xuehua covered the pot with a lid.
“Don’t cover for him next time. You young people are really…”
Yin Ren inwardly smiled bitterly. If he were to be completely honest about his and Zhong Chengshuo’s “real work” in front of the Zhong elders, the old lady might have a heart attack.
But he suddenly realized a benefit—before, he felt a bit guilty facing the Zhong elders, but now that he saw that Zhong Chengshuo wasn’t really human, he didn’t feel guilty anymore as an ancient evil eating young grass*.
*(吃嫩草) Idiom referring to an older person having a romantic relationship with a much younger person (usually it’s a negative connotation implying the older person is taking advantage of the younger one).
Yin Ren happily sat down.
Tonight’s dinner at the Zhong family went from “vegetable and egg noodles” to “braised lamb noodles with garlic stir-fried vegetables and green onion omelet with tofu”, and the small dining table was nearly full of dishes.
The braised lamb was red and shiny, tender, and fragrant. The green onions paired with the chewy hand-pulled noodles emitted a warm aroma that made people’s appetites soar.
“This lamb is especially delicious when freshly stewed,” Cheng Xuehua said, poking at the meat and sighing. “Next time, give us some advance notice.”
“Going back to work tomorrow?” Zhong Youde casually picked up the conversation, handing Yin Ren a bottle of beer. “You’ve been so busy. Hasn’t Shian given you any time off? I heard there was a big incident at the Municipal Hospital.”
“Yeah, we’re going back to work tomorrow.”
Yin Ren paused in opening his beer.
“Uncle, what did you hear?”
“Isn’t Lao Sun’s daughter at the hospital? That girl, Sun Qi’an, works there. You guys met her—she was on duty there recently, and there were a lot of people yelling about ghosts in the hospital. There were also many suspicious-looking people around the hospital, and their abandoned building even collapsed… It was a disaster.”
Zhong Youde took a few sips of beer.
“Fortunately, that building had been abandoned for a long time, and there weren’t any homeless people in the hospital. No one died. Shian has been investigating it, and there were no signs of you two anywhere, so I thought you might be on some secret mission there…”
Yin Ren tightly gripped his beer bottle, his eyes shining slightly. “No one died?”
“We weren’t involved in the hospital operation.” Zhong Chengshuo truthfully added.
“Right, I heard a few people were injured and treated on-site.” Zhong Youde breathed a sigh of relief. “It’s good as long as everyone’s safe… Yin Ren, let’s have a drink together!”
“Xiao Yin, what month is your birthday?” Cheng Xuehua smiled at the “elder and younger” pair. “Xiao Zhong’s is at the end of this month. It’s almost here. If it’s close, why not celebrate together and let Lao Zhong make a double-layer cake?”
“Twenty-ninth of the twelfth lunar month*.” Yin Ren smiled and looked at Zhong Cheng. “It’s still a bit far away.”
*Basically Chinese New Year’s Eve (which normally varies depending on the lunar calendar).
Zhong Chengshuo hummed lightly.
“Well, that’s a hassle. I’ll have to make two cakes.” Zhong Youde laughed loudly. “Did Zhong Chengshuo never tell you about his childhood? It’s quite interesting.”
This time, Yin Ren became genuinely interested. “His childhood?”
“Yes, my silly son’s first proper birthday party.”
Zhong Youde’s gaze stopped in the air; his face was slightly reddened from alcohol, and a hint of nostalgia appeared on his face.
“At that time, Zhong Chengshuo was so young… We thought, since he had just started first grade, let’s celebrate together and buy him a big cake. I’m ashamed to say that my wife and I hadn’t retired yet, and we hadn’t had much time to spend with him.”
The Ghost King listened with a smile, and a strand of long hair inadvertently draped over Zhong Chengshuo’s sleeve, wrapping around his arm.
“Then what happened?” Yin Ren asked eagerly.
“Then? Then we put candles on the cake and sang ‘Happy Birthday’. Do you know what his first reaction was?”
Zhong Youde chuckled.
“He asked very seriously, ‘Is this fresh milk, oil, sugar, and wheat for me?’ We said yes, and this kid still didn’t stop asking.”
“Then he asked, ‘Are these candles and the song for me too?’ My wife and I were amused and said yes, they’re all for you. Xiao Yin, can you guess how he responded?”
Zhong Youde put down his wine glass and laughed out loud.
“He said, ‘Okay, then you guys can make a wish.'”
The author has something to say:
When writing about Xiao Yin’s return, I suddenly remembered the story I had seen before about an “Indian couple jumping into the river for love, with one person faking the jump and the other knowing how to swim”…
After Xiao Yin and Xiao Zhong’s situation is revealed, I’m afraid it will become:
“Shian couple sealing their love by dying together, with one person faking death and the other not sealing.”
It was the first time Xia Liang had witnessed this kind of lockdown.
Y City was the most vital city in the entire continent, with a population of over tens of millions. The purification status in the city was excellent, and it had established the largest-ever network of factories. The resources produced not only served the needs of Y City itself but also supplied the surrounding expanding towns.
If Y City were compared to an anthill, the daily flow of people would resemble the level of ant colonies. Suddenly cutting off all connections with the outside world would deal a heavy blow to the city’s economy.
Zhu Sheng took drastic measures this time, and the city lockdown wasn’t a simple matter of manpower. Thick isolation walls rose from the ground, towering over twenty meters high. Heavy-duty purifiers were installed every five to six meters, ensuring tight defense.
Within this castle-like enclosure, only one entrance remained—many soldiers, merchant caravans, and citizens were still outside the city and unable to return momentarily. As long as they passed through the layers of screening at the entrance, they could reenter the city.
As for the residents of the settlements, who were usually not allowed to enter the city, everything remained unchanged. To make matters worse, the distribution of medicine to various settlements had also started to decrease.
Y City was gradually tightening its grip.
While the citizens hadn’t fully grasped the situation yet, Xia Liang understood clearly that the city was about to enter a state of war.
In addition, this city lockdown dealt a severe blow to the commerce-focused Tang family. With the elections yet to be held again and the settlements being excluded, the situation ahead was uncertain. Zhu Sheng clearly wanted to end the elections quickly and place the impostor Zhu Yanchen in the position of the city’s leader to focus on dealing with the Erosion Swamps.
However, the gesture was truly unsightly.
Zhu Sheng wasn’t a fool and wouldn’t be frightened by an Erosion Swamp-transformed Shu Jun. From the current perspective, he must have obtained other intelligence.
Unfortunately, her own abilities weren’t enough to be seen in front of that old fox. To probe recklessly would only expose Zhu Yanchen. Xia Liang tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and continued walking towards Zhu Yanchen’s office.
“Marshal Zhu is out.”
“He’s out again? Well, I’ll wait in his room then.”
With so many recent events, she had missed quite a few of her concerts. With no tasks at hand, Xia Liang found herself being sent over to Zhu Yanchen’s side by her family every other day. She was too lazy to go back home and face their nagging, so she decided to pass the time by watching television in Zhu Yanchen’s lounge as usual.
This way, she would be able to receive any news from Zhu Yanchen as soon as possible.
But it was a bit boring; not as interesting as arguing with Ai Xiaoxiao. Xia Liang let out a big yawn. In a rather unladylike manner, she propped her feet up and played with a tactical chip at her fingertips.
Everyone around her was bustling, leaving her with that peculiar feeling of emptiness once again.
The news on the screen was also quite dull. The sudden appearance of the isolation walls caused a small panic, and the official explanation was quite intimidating—to prevent a potential erosion flood following the erosion storm. In order to avoid a catastrophe like what happened in X City, Zhu Yanchen ordered the erection of the isolation walls.
It was also Marshal Zhu’s proposal to raise the defense level of the city during the Reunion Festival. The general public had a negative impression of Zhu Yanchen, so the media controlled by the Zhu family repeated that sentiment to the city’s residents for three days and nights.
Xia Liang sneered at the screen and cracked open a cold beer.
According to the program schedule, the next segment was supposed to be a debate between Zhu Yanchen and Yi Ning. Marshal Zhu must have gone out for that. However, after waiting for a few minutes, she received the news that the program was temporarily postponed.
What’s going on?
Now that Zhu Yanchen was the real deal and had his own affairs, she could understand that. But Yi Ning wasn’t that kind of person. He rarely canceled appointments. As long as Yi Ning was present, they could have switched to a solo interview with him.
Could it be that Luo Duan had targeted Yi Ning in light of the city lockdown?
Xia Liang put the beer down, opened her own screen, and used Zhu Yanchen’s authorization to access the surveillance footage inside the building. In the white room, Luo Duan was sitting by the windowsill, looking outside.
At first glance, there seemed to be nothing wrong. Xia Liang narrowed her eyes and observed more carefully.
The window was slightly ajar, and the white curtains swayed with the breeze. Luo Duan sat by the windowsill with his slightly long hair hanging down smoothly, without any movement.
Xia Liang abruptly stood up and skillfully tied her hair into a bun. Making sure her perfume masked the smell of alcohol, she strode out of the room.
“What is this about?” The guard stationed at Luo Duan’s door was taken aback.
“I’m here to offer my condolences.” Xia Liang smiled sweetly. “I’ve always liked Groundwater, so I wanted to meet their captain. Is that not possible?”
“I’m sorry Miss Xia. Marshal Yi Ning specifically instructed that nobody can see ‘Bitter Rain’ without his permission.”
“Could you make an exception?” Xia Liang showed a disappointed expression and her eyes welled with tears. “I just wanted an autograph, and all of you are here. What could possibly happen? ‘Bitter Rain’ has been quiet lately, so he probably doesn’t know what’s going on outside. Please, I’m begging you. Just three minutes.”
Then she murmured in disappointment. “If it’s not possible, I’ll go find Zhu Yanchen and have him grant permission.”
“Uh…” Setting aside the guard’s soft spot for a beautiful girl, Miss Xia not only represented the Xia family but was also the future fiancée of Marshal Zhu. The relationship between Yi Ning and Zhu Yanchen was already tense enough, and if Miss Xia were to mention something unnecessary…
“Okay, but we’ll accompany you inside. Please understand.” The guard relented.
“No problem.”
Xia Liang entered the room first and quickly glanced at the items near the window. Then she quietly took a breath and let out a fearful scream.
Sure enough, Luo Duan wasn’t in the room. Two layers of thin erosion substance were standing, one facing the surveillance camera and the other facing the monitoring window at the door, disguised to appear as a person sitting by the windowsill.
With the mission accomplished and the guards busy reporting, Xia Liang quietly left the room.
She had already provided the necessary alerts, and the internal inspections would be handled by the command center. There was a more serious problem now—
Where did Luo Duan go?
Where did Yi Ning and Zhu Yanchen go?
The current situation was extremely tense, and any slight misstep could have unimaginable consequences. Xia Liang made a quick decision and, after returning to Zhu Yanchen’s office, she immediately began contacting Marshal Zhu, whom she didn’t know the whereabouts of.
“Is your girlfriend checking up on you because you keep running to find this old man?”
Tang Heyu asked with a smirk in the underground bar.
“No,” Zhu Yanchen replied after the communication, sitting back in his seat. “It was just a report from my subordinate. Luo Duan has run away.”
This was the fourth day of their secret meeting.
Four days ago, Zhu Yanchen had briefly explained the situation to the old man. Tang Heyu’s mind hadn’t been ruined by alcohol; it was still as sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel, and he quickly accepted the reality.
To be honest, Zhu Yanchen wasn’t surprised. The drunken image of the old man was probably a kind of charm to ensure he didn’t enter politics again. Since he had been working for the Old Fourth all along, he couldn’t really be an alcoholic.
During these few days, in addition to perfecting the design of the “Suppression” weapon, the two of them also discussed a lot of knowledge and arguments related to the Erosion Swamp. Although their research directions initially had some differences, in the end, their basic understanding was similar.
Rather than wasting time on useless programs, Zhu Yanchen wanted to make the most of his time to absorb the knowledge of his senior.
“Considering the time, we should leave.” Tang Heyu took a sip of his drink. “I don’t know about others, but I’m not familiar with A’Sheng’s little tricks. Just watch, the next step will come soon—he will conduct a comprehensive screening before the city is completely locked down.”
“According to Zhu Sheng’s logic, there must be synth spies in the city. Luo Duan sought refuge with Yi Ning and played a game of hide-and-seek, which is why Zhu Sheng didn’t discover him—of course, now I know that the biggest spy is you, kid. There’s also the third party, Sigma, in this war.”
Zhu Yanchen had considered this point. If he were in Zhu Sheng’s position, he would probably do the same thing. But…
“I didn’t expect him to act so quickly.” Zhu Yanchen couldn’t hide his doubt.
“Yeah, according to common logic, a comprehensive screening should be done at least after the city is completely locked down, more like a last resort. So, compared to your old man, you’re still a bit green.”
Tang Heyu gave Zhu Yanchen a sideways glance.
“A’Sheng is doing this because he really wants to catch spies, and this forces them out—he has witnessed the ability of synths to control the Erosion Swamp. If a spy also has that kind of ability and is driven to a dead end, they will inevitably cause major casualties within the city. The fact that he’s sealing off the city so conspicuously and leaving such a long ‘buffer period for return’ implies it clearly. Any spy with a bit of brain will escape before the entrance is completely sealed.”
Zhu Yanchen slowly furrowed his brow and his expression turned grave.
“What? You don’t understand?”
“No, if Luo Duan is truly a spy for the synths, this approach is indeed reasonable. It might even buy us some time. But Luo Duan obeys Sigma, or rather…”
“Rather, it can be said that Luo Duan is almost like the ‘brain’ of Sigma, which is very important,” Tang Heyu said calmly.
“Yes.”
“Give up hope. Even if you call that guy Shu Jun over, you won’t be able to catch him now. Unlike ‘Purification’, ‘Suppression’ doesn’t kill the Erosion Swamp. Even if Luo Duan’s water control ability has been significantly weakened, he still has the ability to escape. He can completely disintegrate his body, infiltrate underground, and follow the flow of the underground water veins. Shu Jun can’t stop the natural flow of underground water veins.”
In other words, Zhu Sheng’s move hit the mark. Luo Duan wasn’t incapable of breaking through the containment, but rather was in poor physical condition and wanted to avoid conflict. Or worse, he believed that there was no high-value intelligence within the city, so there was no need to stay longer.
It was time to find an excuse to slip away and meet with Shu Jun.
Since Y City has been sealed, there had been no communication between the two for four whole days. However, with the strict lockdown in place and the entire city being inaccessible, he must find a way to transmit the information properly.
Just as Zhu Yanchen was pressing his temples, he heard the sound of a doorknob turning at the entrance. His scalp tightened, and he stood up, gripping the handle of his gun—
However, before he could turn around, his wrist was grabbed, and a head rested on his shoulder from behind.
“Don’t be so nervous, A’Yan.” Shu Jun released his grip on Zhu Yanchen’s wrist, lowered his hood, and leaned over to give a peck on the cheek. “It’s always been you who comes to find me, so I occasionally need to come to find you too.”
Tang Heyu gripped his bottle tightly, coughing forcefully a couple of times.
“Who is this?” Shu Jun straightened up, and a strand of erosion emerged from his sleeve, trembling as it closed the door.
“Tang Heyu, Senior Tang. An esteemed senior in erosion research. He’s on our side. I gave him a brief overview of the situation.” Zhu Yanchen introduced, extending his hand. “Shu Jun, why did you come?”
“Well, because ‘I really miss you,'” Shu Jun replied with a playful smile.
Marshal Zhu hesitated for a moment, and his pale earlobes reddened slightly. “There’s another reason.”
“Luo Duan has escaped, and I came to give you a warning. After all, I can fly fast,” Shu Jun said solemnly. “But this lockdown in Y City is really strict. There are alarm grids deployed even in the sky. I suppressed the erosion within my body and disguised myself as an ordinary person to blend in… But when it comes to leaving, it’s bound to be troublesome.”
“No wonder you don’t have a girlfriend checking up on you. Turns out, it’s your boyfriend checking up,” Tang Heyu said in a faint tone. “Chenchen, you never mentioned that you have this kind of relationship with the leader of the synthetics.”
“I wanted to tell you when the situation was right. After all…”
After all, this matter was irrelevant to the current situation, and he didn’t know how receptive the old man would be. If the two of them ended up arguing about this, it would only waste precious time.
“What? You actually hid our relationship from your elders.” Shu Jun sniffed mockingly. “Chenchen, that’s too much.”
Zhu Yanchen’s face twitched a few times. He seemed like he wanted to explain but also appeared somewhat at a loss, frozen in place.
Seeing the shattered facade, Shu Jun burst into laughter and playfully pinched Zhu Yanchen’s face. When he turned to Tang Heyu, his expression became completely serious.
“Mr. Tang.” He nodded. “Since A’Yan trusts you, I’ll be straightforward. Yesterday, I had a meeting with Luo Duan—it wasn’t a chance encounter, but an official meeting.”
“Neither A’Yan nor I expected that he would leave Y City so early. I handled the matter according to the original plan, but A’Yan needs to know.”
“…How many people?” Zhu Yanchen remained silent for a while, sighing.
“Twenty one people.”
“What are you talking about? The number of casualties?” Tang Heyu set down his glass, furrowing his brow tightly, deepening the wrinkles on his face.
“Yes and no.” Shu Jun took a deep breath. “I will tell you everything that has happened.”
Two days ago.
Luo Duan, who had escaped from Y City, followed the guidance of the Erosion Swamp and headed towards the direction where Sigma was located. However, he hadn’t gone far when his whole body felt heavy, causing him to immediately kneel down. In the midst of struggling breaths, a figure appeared in front of Luo Duan.
“Shu Jun,” Luo Duan said hoarsely.
“No wonder there was such a unique erosion reaction suddenly.” Shu Jun touched Monday, who was twisting around seeking praise. “Lao Luo, you managed to escape early.”
“Thanks to you.” Luo Duan took two steps back and sneered. “If it wasn’t for you causing a commotion at the stronghold, Zhu Sheng wouldn’t have reacted so intensely.”
“You’re well-informed. Living in the command center suits you.” Shu Jun waved at Monday, and the wind generated by the swing of his large sword carved several whirls in the muddy ground.
Luo Duan narrowed his eyes. “This place is surrounded by water, and there are also underground water veins. You can’t catch me.”
“I know,” Shu Jun said in a deep voice. “I just want you to wait here for me for twelve hours.”
“No need. I don’t want to listen to your grand speeches or watch your prepared tricks.” Luo Duan responded hoarsely. “Rest assured, I won’t attack immediately. Your cooperation with humans won’t last long. As long as you reveal a weakness, I will immediately bring the Erosion Swamp here and kill all of you…”
“You talk tough, but if you were really that ruthless, you wouldn’t have given Yi Ning a little tip.” Shu Jun interrupted without any reservation. “Lao Luo, do you know that Yi Ning went to the settlement today? He’s searching for the NPC that ‘assisted the Blackbirds in fighting against the Erosion Swamp back then.’ As a gesture of goodwill, he left the city before the lockdown and personally went to the settlement to invite them.”
“That idiot is certainly capable of doing such a thing.” Luo Duan suddenly laughed. “It seems that one of the NPCs is you? That sword of yours… Tsk, no wonder when we last met, you deliberately came empty-handed. Quite cunning, Captain Shu.”
“That’s not the point. You’re giving Yi Ning a chance—a chance to protect the settlements.”
“I just wanted him and Zhu Sheng to fight like dogs—a fierce fight. If you want to discuss these trivial matters, I’m sorry, but I have to hit the road.”
“Actually, giving someone a chance is not a bad idea.” Shu Jun looked straight into Luo Duan’s eyes. “Back at the Reunion Festival, if you had given your people a choice, there might have been quite a few who would have followed you.”
“And then you took them all away.” Luo Duan snorted coldly.
“That’s what I wanted to say.” Shu Jun plunged his sword into the muddy swamp. “Give me twelve hours, and I’ll return a portion to you.”
“What did you say?!”
“I said, give me twelve hours, and I’ll return a portion of the players to you.”
Luo Duan’s expression turned grim. “I thought you would…”
“I will take care of my own people. But as you can see, some people will always harbor hatred that can’t be resolved.”
Shu Jun spread his hands; his voice soft.
“I have done everything I can, but there are still those who hold onto their hatred, intending to kill or commit suicide. These people are old soldiers, and after all this time, that sentiment is certainly not a momentary impulse or confusion. I can’t force them to live in misery—I’m sure you understand that, Lao Luo.”
Luo Duan held his breath, his expression becoming complicated.
“You would kill them, right? Ah, I mean, feed them to Sigma…”
“Sigma?”
“The Erosion Patriarch that’s waiting for your return.”
“…I will.”
“So give me twelve hours. I will explain this matter and its consequences to those people clearly. If they still choose to follow you, I’ll bring them along. They’ve had enough time in the front lines, and a twelve-hour period of reconsideration should be enough.”
This time, Luo Duan fell silent for quite a while.
“Are you insane?” After a moment, Luo Duan spoke again. “You—”
“You think you’re black, and I’m white. You think I’m the compassionate ambassador guarding our people.” Shu Jun smiled, taking a step closer. “You think I would tie up those people without a second thought, then quickly eliminate Sigma to sweep everything under the rug?”
“Or rather.” Shu Jun took another step towards Luo Duan. “Do you think I’m willing to play the role of the good guy so that you can comfortably push yourself towards the path of the villain? You’re not good at being ruthless. That’s why you’ve always lost to me. I heard, Lao Luo, that you deliberately killed your own teammate, right? Tell me, did you cut off all your retreats, afraid that you might have a change of heart?”
The complex expression on Luo Duan’s face vanished, leaving behind a heavy atmosphere of gloom and suppression.
But before he could speak, he was seized by the scene in front of him—
Now Shu Jun stood just a step away from him, emanating an immensely oppressive aura. This oppression didn’t stem from a fighting intent, but rather carried boundless hatred and malice. The air instantly thickened like glue, and breathing became suffocatingly painful, reminiscent of drowning. His limbs felt as if they were frozen in ice, unable to move.
The difference in combat power was too great. Was it due to the disparity in the size of the Erosion Swamp within them? Or was it the difference in the Erosion Swamp’s unique abilities?
Luo Duan clenched his teeth, forcing himself to look into the other’s eyes. The grayish-white pupils held no trace of light, only bringing to mind the ashes of burnt bones.
“Sigma has shown me many things. It’s quite ironic, considering I’ve died once before as well.” Shu Jun grabbed hold of Luo Duan’s collar. “If it weren’t… truly a plan for human destruction, you wouldn’t have been involved in this, Luo Duan.”
“Twelve hours.” Luo Duan made a decisive decision, splitting himself into multiple fragments, ready to escape at any moment. “Alright, I’ll wait for you.”
Those fragmented pieces hung in the air, resembling shattered colorful sculptures. Shu Jun released his grip on Luo Duan’s collar partially, snorting. “Then it’s settled.”
Twelve hours passed.
“Is it really okay to let them go like this?” Hu Yan watched more than twenty people leave, his voice trembling slightly. “They’re going to…”
“We managed to persuade seven of them to stay, and we did our best. As for Luo Duan, even provocation couldn’t bring him back. I believe he has made up his mind.” Shu Jun patted Hu Yan’s shoulder. “Those people will definitely disclose the location of the underground stronghold to Luo Duan. Let’s return early and arrange the transfer of the remaining teams. The remaining individuals have mostly stabilized, so things should be much easier.”
“Captain…”
“Yes?”
“I heard that when the Erosion Swamp devours a synthetic human, it becomes stronger. By doing this, won’t Sigma…”
“I will protect all of you. Don’t worry.” Shu Jun stared in the direction where the small group of people disappeared. “As for the humans… they have an obligation to resist the fury of those people.”
“…”
“Let’s go back.”
“Captain, is your cooperation with humans truly cooperation? Now that it’s just the two of us, if you have… ahem, if you have any other intentions, it would be good to let me prepare mentally.”
“What are you thinking!” Shu Jun gave Hu Yan a pat on the back of his head. “Why would I deceive you? Cooperation is just that, cooperation.”
“Because your expression just now was terrifying,” Hu Yan said softly.
“Oh.” Shu Jun rubbed his face. “You’re right, I should find someone to relieve some stress.”
……
“So, I came to deliver the information and relieve some stress.” Shu Jun summarized briefly, hugging Zhu Yanchen’s waist and burying his nose in his shoulder. “Anyway, that’s the situation. The synthetic humans have been organized into groups and taken to other settlements by members of the Old Fourth.”
The relaxed expression on Tang Heyu’s face disappeared. The old man stared intently at Shu Jun, his lips pursing and relaxing repeatedly.
“Are you worried, Tang Lao?” Shu Jun smiled, sensing the scrutiny. “Worried that your Grand Marshal has been deceived by me? Hey, A’Yan, what are you doing?!”
Zhu Yanchen turned around and flicked Shu Jun’s forehead. “Stop teasing the elder.”
Shu Jun’s hands still encircled Zhu Yanchen’s waist as a piece of cool erosion slipped from his hand and rubbed against his forehead. He buried his nose in Zhu Yanchen’s shoulder again making his voice slightly muffled. “Luo Duan is cautious. I’ve shown my strength, and with the collaboration of humans… From the current situation, if Sigma takes action, there are only two possibilities. First, friction arises between humans and synthetics, resulting in mutual destruction. Second, Luo Duan’s lifespan is nearing its end, and if Sigma doesn’t take action, they won’t be able to utilize his brain.”
“In other words, we still have time.” Tang Heyu summarized slowly while his eyes remained alert as he stared at Shu Jun.
“At most six months. I’ve reviewed Luo Duan’s information. The erosion has severely affected his brain, and its functions will gradually deteriorate. Now that he is partially fused with the Erosion Swamp, this process will only accelerate.” Zhu Yanchen jotted down a series of calculations and pushed them towards Tang Heyu. “Although Sigma will try to prolong his life, in the worst-case scenario, we only have two to three months left.”
“So, my Grand Marshal, put in more effort and quickly finish that election of yours. Time waits for no one.”
Shu Jun nudged Zhu Yanchen’s shoulder with his chin.
“Become the leader sooner and let me experience being the First Lady… er, First Gentleman.”
His tactics were quite successful. Tang Heyu’s expression shifted several times between “This thing is quite dangerous” and “This guy is improper”, eventually settling on the latter. The old man no longer glared at him but turned his head towards the corner of the wall, unable to bear it any longer.
“You two go ahead and talk. I’ll leave. Besides, I wouldn’t understand what you’re talking about anyway.” Shu Jun waved his hand after completing the relieving hug. “I actually have something to do. A’Yan, I’ll see you tonight.”
“I’ll see you off.” Zhu Yanchen calmly held Shu Jun’s hand, their fingers interlocking.
“Go on, go on.” Tang Heyu waved his hand impatiently, as if shooing away invisible flies.
The underground bar was deep underground, with a staircase that went up for at least two floors. The corridor was dimly lit, and Zhu Yanchen didn’t let go of Shu Jun’s hand the entire time.
“Do you really have something to do?” he asked seriously.
“Well, didn’t I just say it? Yi Ning went to the settlement to find us. I gave him a response, saying that I’m willing to meet him.” Shu Jun’s voice was filled with a smile. “After all, I have to make some effort to help you secure the leadership position, right?”
“Don’t tease him too much. Yi Ning is quite talented, but he’s too naive.”
“That’s good, it’s not a ‘don’t kill him’ situation.” Shu Jun slightly loosened his grip, and his claw lightly scratched Zhu Yanchen’s palm. “Ah, A’Yan, I really like you.”
In the next second, his waist was embraced, and Zhu Yanchen kissed him gently, neither intense nor passionate. From their breaths to the touch of their tongues, Zhu Yanchen’s actions were full of tender solace.
Shu Jun let out a muffled sigh in his throat. His claw hooked onto Zhu Yanchen’s back, wholeheartedly responding to the kiss in the dimly lit corridor.
“Sir!” As Zhu Yanchen reached the exit of the building, his assistant, who was waiting outside, approached him. “Rest assured, the election is not over yet, and we won’t resort to violence easily.”
The Reunion Festival unrest disrupted the normal announcement of the election results. It had been too long, and the vote counting lost its effectiveness, requiring a restart. The Tang family saw this as an opportunity and sent people to the command center every few days to cause trouble, using it as a chance to make some mischief.
After all, Marshal Zhu’s position was high enough that it wasn’t easy for him to come out and meet people. The media added fuel to the fire, ready to throw countless accusations.
The Zhu family didn’t pay much attention to these behind-the-scenes maneuvers. Marshal Zhu’s reputation was already bad, and with so many fleas, what was a few more fabricated stories?
A pregnant woman showed up the day before, claiming that Marshal Zhu was the father of her child. Yesterday, a little boy with a Zhu family custom tie clip came and shouted “Dad” at Zhu Yanchen’s room. Compared to these people, although the old man this time was a bit crazy, he could be considered cute.
The guards at the entrance, seasoned from their experiences, looked at Marshal Zhu with sympathy in their eyes.
“Do you want us to drive him away for you, or just meet him casually?” The assistant carefully chose his words.
Recently, Zhu Yanchen either went out or hid in his room without being seen. Today, it was rare for him to appear, probably because he was tired of the harassment.
“Since I’m heading out anyway, I’ll just meet him casually,” Zhu Yanchen replied simply. “Do you have pen and paper?”
He took out a folded envelope from his pocket and quickly wrote a note on a piece of paper, then put an electronic wallet inside it. “Come with me. After I leave, give this envelope to the old man.”
Marshal Zhu put away the pen and looked at his assistant. “You know what to say.”
The assistants around the marshal were all experienced, so naturally, they understood Marshal Zhu’s intentions—use money to silence these people without being seen giving the money, to avoid being accused by the media.
“Understood, I won’t mention that it’s your money.” The assistant saluted. “I’ll find someone to distract him and handle it properly.”
“Mm.”
Strangely enough, the strange man didn’t show much excitement when he saw Zhu Yanchen appear.
Marshal Zhu reprimanded the man briefly, using official jargon. However, unlike the previous troublemakers who would lie on the road and make a scene when confronted with Zhu Yanchen’s “I don’t know” or “I don’t recognize” answers, the old man remained calm.
“Oh, then I must have found the wrong person.” Seeing Zhu Yanchen leave in a car, the old man’s emotions were unusually stable.
Two hours later, in an underground bar on the outskirts of Y City.
“…You’re indeed someone from ‘Marshal Zhu’s’ side.” The old man took a sip of the warm wine and let out a long exhale. “Ha, refreshing!”
“Your way of finding people is quite unique as well.” Zhu Yanchen had already disguised himself as “Smoke” in his usual appearance, sitting on the other side of the table.
“I may be old, but I’m not senile. I wouldn’t really think that such a genius could come from a settlement.”
The old man crunched a few beans and poured himself another cup of wine. The pungent smell of alcohol mixed with the heat caused the eyes to sting.
“To come up with a weapon completely different from the purifiers, one needs to have an understanding of the Erosion Swamp and solid research experience. Not to mention Y City, there are only a few places in the entire continent where such a person can come from—the self-built laboratory of the Tang family, the group of scholars raised by the Xia family, and the command center controlled by the Zhu family. I’ve caused quite a stir in all three places.”
The old man shifted his gaze and smiled at Zhu Yanchen with narrowed eyes.
“In the first two places, nothing happened after I caused a commotion. As for the command center, someone just dragged me into an alley a moment ago, shoved an envelope at me menacingly, and it even included the time and place of this meeting… But to be honest, I’m not surprised.”
Zhu Yanchen hadn’t touched his drink, but seeing the old man enjoying himself, he ordered a plate of meat.
The dim lights of the underground bar couldn’t conceal Zhu Yanchen’s discerning eyes. Not only himself, but the old man also wore a layer of disguise on his face. Serving the Old Fourth for so long, this old man was obviously not an ordinary person.
According to the rules of the Old Fourth, it was quite impolite to inquire about the other party’s background during a transaction. Zhu Yanchen wasn’t sure why the old man was breaking this rule, but the improved plan for the “Suppression” weapon was indeed in the old man’s hands.
He could only play along with him.
“Not surprised?”
The sauce-drenched meat slices quickly arrived at the table. Zhu Yanchen crossed his arms and continued calmly.
“Elder, you violated two taboos on this trip—as a researcher, you shouldn’t personally bring the merchandise. Second, you shouldn’t inquire about my identity either.”
“Why should I care about those rules? Now, I’ll do as I please.” The old man picked up a piece of meat with his chopsticks and waved it in front of Zhu Yanchen without courtesy. “I can see that you have something important to discuss! I’m not quite sure about some details of the weapon you made, and I can’t just guess them myself. As for the second thing…”
He coughed and raised his cloudy eyes. “I just wanted to confirm whether that kid Zhu Yanchen left behind any living legacy.”
Zhu Yanchen pursed his lips.
The old man leisurely drank another cup while his gaze turned sharp like an eagle. “Now it seems that you’re probably someone left behind by Zhu Yanchen, whether it’s an assistant, apprentice, or trusted subordinate… I don’t care who you are. I just want to know. Besides you, is there anyone else?”
Who is this old man?
“No, there isn’t.” Zhu Yanchen didn’t deny it.
“Hmm? What about that Gray Claw and One Eye? Aren’t they the same kind of people as you… Haa, what a pity.” The old man sighed. “I was thinking that if all of you had researched these things, we could have exchanged ideas and inspired each other.”
After speaking, he spread a blueprint on the table, not minding the greasy stains on the surface.
“Your previous design pursued perfection too much, the cost was very high, and the complex components inside are difficult to make.”
The old man tapped the paper, which still had soup stains on it.
“I made a few modifications for you. The power of this thing will be reduced by 20%, but the cost can be lowered to one-tenth of the original. Take a look and see if there’s anything that can’t be changed.”
Zhu Yanchen glanced at the densely packed calculation notes on the edge of the blueprint, and his heart skipped a beat.
This old man had real skills.
Zhu Yanchen knew firsthand the effectiveness of the “Suppression” ability from his acquaintance with Shu Jun. Only then could he understand its principles from the bottom of his heart. The old man, without any preparation, touched the new system and made changes without any issues, clearly having thoroughly grasped his train of thought.
Although Ai Xiaoxiao was able to operate outside the regular system with the tacit approval of the command center, suggesting that she was involved in the gray market, this old man was different—clearly possessing such talent, yet only working for the Old Fourth that managed the border markets…
He brought the blueprint closer and carefully examined the old man’s calculation methods and handwriting. Suddenly a sense of familiarity suddenly arose.
…Tang Heyu’s <Observation and Geographic Distribution Speculation of Dispersed Erosion Pathways> once included some manuscripts. The way the numbers were written, and the calculation habits were almost identical to those on the blueprint.
So that’s it.
This was truly an unexpected gain. Zhu Yanchen composed himself. “Let’s talk inside the private room.”
“Hmm? This is the Old Fourth’s territory, and there aren’t many people here now, so it shouldn’t be that sensitive.”
“Just in case.” Zhu Yanchen stood up. “I’ll have to trouble you.”
“Hmph.”
The two entered the private room, and Zhu Yanchen immediately locked the door and set up a disturbance device on the table to ensure that there wouldn’t be any audio or video recording.
“Young people are so fastidious these days.” Tang Heyu held a bottle of wine and burped. “Speak up. What modification needs to be kept this confidential?”
“Mr. Tang, long time no see.” Zhu Yanchen took off his mask and smiled slightly.
At the same time, in a distant settlement.
“Oh, when did you two go out?… Oh my, what happened to Brother Smoke? Why are your eyes bruised like this!”
Uncle Pan’s tumor on his head trembled, almost causing him to drop the pastry in his hand. “Do you want me to get some medicine? I got a good batch recently; I can give you a 30% discount—”
“We had a little conflict—a minor scuffle.” Shu Jun’s voice carried a hint of amusement.
Xia Yufeng had a swollen nose and bruised face, unable to speak in anger.
“Okay, but why resort to violence?” Uncle Pan frowned and his tone became serious. “Listen to your older brother. No matter the situation, when a couple is living together, no matter how angry you are, resorting to violence is unacceptable. Go back and apologize to Brother Smoke. Do you hear me?”
A trace of grievance appeared in Shu Jun’s joy. Unfortunately, the situation was sensitive, and he couldn’t implicate Uncle Pan, so he could only relent. “Uh, okay.”
He had inquired about the situation from Xia Yufeng. That group of elites had also been interviewed—all of them missed the spectacular scene of Shu Jun undergoing erosion transformation, so they only thought of Shu Jun as an exceptional synthetic human.
According to the soldiers, they were aware that Zhu Yanchen was a counterfeit, but they didn’t really care. In the eyes of the elite soldiers, replacing Xia Yufeng with Zhu Yanchen was like replacing non-recyclable garbage with recyclable garbage; fundamentally, there wasn’t much of a difference.
They simply followed Zhu Sheng’s orders and made themselves available to Xia Yufeng. This attack was also launched by Xia Yufeng under the pretext of “investigating the traces of synthetic humans”.
Knowing that these people were far from the truth, Shu Jun didn’t bother them further, only asking routine questions.
However, since they knew he was in this settlement, he couldn’t just let them go. The settlement had no shortage of experts, so he would keep them detained for a while and release them when the time was right. Shu Jun directly sent them to the synthetic human underground base, where Hu Yan would keep an eye on them.
As for Xia Yufeng, after extracting the information from him, Shu Jun really wanted to package and send this guy back to Y City. Unfortunately, it was already late in the day, and without the elite soldiers by his side, if Xia Yufeng encountered any trouble, he wouldn’t be able to explain it to Zhu Yanchen.
Captain Shu could only lock him in a cloakroom and secure the small door properly.
Having witnessed Shu Jun’s inhuman form, Xia Yufeng became much more obedient. He didn’t even dare to curse and wished he didn’t exist.
At midnight, Zhu Yanchen’s mutant beast messenger finally arrived. It entered through the window, stretched its eight legs as usual, and returned to its original position.
The Erosion Storm had just passed, and the concentration of erosion substance was higher in various areas, causing this creature to fly slower, resulting in a one-day delay in delivering the message.
Marshal Zhu didn’t send electronic messages and still used handwritten letters. The handwriting was beautiful and powerful as each stroke was carefully crafted. The content, as always, was concise and to the point—
[Obtained the plans today. Everything went smoothly. The vulnerabilities around me have been taken care of. Feel free to fix them as you wish. The new election is approaching, and the atmosphere in the city is tense. The leader may make significant moves in the near future.]
[You have a heavy workload over there. Don’t forget to rest and eat on time.]
“So long-winded.” Shu Jun muttered with a smile. “Is that okay, Marshal? Every time it’s the same sentence—at least change the wording.”
But today’s letter was different from the previous ones, as there was an additional line below. Zhu Yanchen was always meticulous, and this was the first time Shu Jun saw evidence of alterations in his letters.
The sentence [I miss you.] was crossed out and changed by Zhu Yanchen to [I will try to come back early.]. Then, [I will try to come back early.] was crossed out again and changed back to [I really miss you.].
Unfortunately, though Marshal Zhu had crossed them out carefully, he couldn’t escape Shu Jun’s sharp eyes.
The final alteration was forceful, although the handwriting was a bit soft, probably because Marshal Zhu was not accustomed to expressing himself in this way. Shu Jun shook his head with a smile, carefully folded the letter, and placed it in the deepest part of the bedside table. Then he took a pen, unfolded a piece of paper, and happily began drafting the contents of his reply.
However, things took an unexpected turn.
At the crucial moment when the election was about to be resumed, Zhu Sheng made an unexpected move—
Y City went on lockdown. Starting from today, no one could leave the city.
The author has something to say:
Shu Ge: ? Why are there still people going to visit the command center to touch porcelain? Monday, let’s go and call Dad!
Countered by Shu Jun, Xia Yufeng was initially angry. However, the scene of a living person changing form became overly stimulating that his anger couldn’t hold on for long.
Is it a mutant beast? Is it an illusion? Everything in front of his eyes seeped into his nerves, but his brain couldn’t comprehend it.
The elites he brought along were all knocked unconscious by Shu Jun’s erosion vine, and they didn’t even make a sound. Shu Jun’s wing-like structure behind him suddenly spread open, wrapping forward, and the sharp bone tips on the edges were aimed directly at Xia Yufeng’s throat.
Everything was planned, Xia Yufeng thought dazedly. No wonder he found the informant from the Fourth Family so easily and left the city smoothly. He should have anticipated that, as cunning as Zhu Yanchen was, he wouldn’t let him easily discover where his partner was.
Unless he had complete confidence in his partner’s strength.
Zhu Yanchen had gone mad. This wasn’t even a problem of collaborating with synthetics. No matter how he looked at the thing in front of him, it had nothing to do with synthetics. Zhu Yanchen was even more ruthless than Zhu Sheng—he must have deliberately revealed his flaws to completely regain the position of Marshal while letting him fall into a trap and having him disappear cleanly.
He didn’t even mind sacrificing a few innocent elite soldiers.
A sense of oppression and fear choked Xia Yufeng’s throat, and he could only let out a hoarse and frightened cry.
“Why are you not speaking?” Shu Jun approached again; his vertical pupils glowing in the dim environment, looking particularly terrifying. “Weren’t you quite talkative just now?”
“Well… You’re going to kill me anyway…” Xia Yufeng suddenly felt a sense of sorrow.
“You’re so negative.” Shu Jun lifted the corners of his mouth.
“What do you want me to say? My perspective?” This indifferent smile provoked Xia Yufeng once again. “My perspective is that I’m not wrong!”
“I was destined to be a servant of the Zhu family since I was born. Nowadays, who isn’t just trying to make a living? Zhu Yanchen’s original research was already against the rules. If he were discovered, I would definitely be punished too! What’s wrong with me reporting it? If you want to talk about the player system, fine. Let’s talk about it. Zhu Yanchen doesn’t know the hardships of the world. There are currently only thirty thousand synthetics in total. The purification progress is slow. The settlement policies haven’t kept up, and there are tens of millions of people in the city waiting for land to survive! He abandoned the productivity project and went to research the Erosion Swamp? Sympathizing with synthetics?”
Xia Yufeng raised his voice and his tone became shriller.
“Did he ever sympathize with the patients who were invaded by erosion in the hospital? Did he sympathize with the abandoned residents of the settlements? Things always have priorities, and he simply doesn’t know what’s good for him!”
“I know, I’m a small-minded person. I can’t do great things, and I don’t care about fairness. I just want to live a peaceful life and let my parents live well. But now? The patriarch of the Zhu family is using me as a substitute, and the son of the Zhu family is treating me like garbage and throwing me to you. Do they see me as a human? Why can’t I stand up for myself?”
Shu Jun looked at Xia Yufeng expressionlessly and slowly raised his hand.
Xia Yufeng quickly closed his eyes, curled his neck, and waited for death to come—it took him a lot of effort not to wet his pants.
But the expected pain didn’t come for a long time. Xia Yufeng cautiously opened one eye and found that Shu Jun took out a small notebook from his pocket and was earnestly writing something, resembling a gossip reporter during an interview.
Xia Yufeng: “…” This doesn’t seem right.
“Hmm, this should represent the thoughts of many citizens.” Shu Jun swiftly finished writing a page, biting the tip of his pen. This action, accompanied by his terrifying and eerie wings and the deformed tail-like structure, appeared particularly discordant. “Why are you stunned? Continue, continue.”
Xia Yufeng: “…No, continue what?”
“Continue with the momentum you had just now? Also, say more bad things about Zhu Yanchen.”
With a burst of determination followed by a decline, Xia Yufeng struggled to muster some courage, but now he couldn’t find the same resentment as before. He could only stand there awkwardly.
No, what’s going on? Are they a bickering couple? Even if they are arguing, it’s too childish to say bad things about someone.
“If… If you’re going to kill me, just do it! Stop with all the nonsense!”
“In that case, I’ll make my move—”
Xia Yufeng quickly closed his eyes again, his neck tensing even more than half a minute ago. He waited for a while, but there was no movement. Xia Yufeng opened his eyes again—Shu Jun had a serious expression, trying his best to hold back a laugh.
Damn demon!
Xia Yufeng almost burst into tears, but he held back, showing his strength.
“I won’t tease you anymore.” Shu Jun suppressed his smile and put the notebook and pen back in his pocket. “Since you don’t want to cooperate, I’ll correct your misconceptions.”
At this point, Xia Yufeng couldn’t figure out how the other party would refute him. He had been sitting on the cold bench in a border stronghold for so many years that these thoughts had seeped into his bones. Moreover, the other party wasn’t even human, so at least their standpoint was questionable.
However, Shu Jun didn’t lecture him with any profound truths.
He took a deep breath, and his vertical pupils contracted. The barren land not far away began to tremble, and a pitch-black erosion substance crawled up from the ground, gathering together. It seemed to form a huge Erosion Swamp. But it didn’t end there. The erosion substance continued to twist and deform, entwining into bizarre catapults, hurling several large rocks.
The wreckage of the purifiers was accurately hit, causing splashes of muddy water. Shu Jun clearly held back his strength—if those rocks had hit harder, the fragments of the purifier would have been scattered everywhere, and the guards’ lives would have been in danger.
The sky had become even darker at some point, with a cold wind swirling in place. The assembled catapults in the distance automatically disintegrated, and the Erosion Swamp crawled closer. It didn’t slowly devour like a normal Erosion Swamp but instantly sprouted black spikes taller than a person, all standing haphazardly. Those sharp black spikes intentionally avoided the people present, but judging from their sharpness, they were capable of piercing through anyone.
Xia Yufeng slowly turned his gaze and looked at the spike closest to him—it wasn’t just a simple spike. When he got closer, he realized that they were actually sharp black fingers with pointed nails, dry as corpses.
“If I were to act now, even if I couldn’t kill all the humans in the distant cities, wiping out 90% of Y City’s population wouldn’t be a problem. And that’s just considering me alone… Just like you said, we have 30,000 people.”
Shu Jun approached, and the bone tips on his wings scratched Xia Yufeng’s neck, causing dark red droplets of blood to slowly seep out.
“Guess why I haven’t made a move yet? Do you really believe that a human official can come and negotiate terms so casually?”
Xia Yufeng gulped down his saliva.
Could it be that this seduction tactic wasn’t orchestrated by a synthetic human but by Zhu Yanchen? This could be considered “feeding oneself to the swamp”.
“How difficult it is for you or how much the people in the settlements suffer, I don’t care. Regardless of how noble the humans’ reasons may be, we don’t have an obligation to understand them—since the harm is man-made, someone must pay the price.”
Those gray-white eyes were extremely cold.
“If it weren’t for the ‘research on the Erosion Swamp’ and the sympathy for synthetic humans that you mentioned about Zhu Yanchen, you would already be finished.”
Xia Yufeng gasped for breath. “S-So, are you cooperating now? What is there to cooperate on? Are you expecting Zhu Yanchen to cure you…?” This seemed too unreliable.
“The reason for cooperation is simple: There is an Erosion Swamp that is several times stronger than me watching us now. It is just waiting for the synthetics and humans to perish together so that it can take advantage. I really don’t want to do something that harms ourselves and benefits others.”
Shu Jun’s tone was equally cold.
“So, if Zhu Yanchen can become the leader and handle the matter of synthetic humans properly, then we can talk about this. Don’t you want to stay alive? He is your only chance for survival, so you better cooperate with all his actions.”
With that, Shu Jun let go of Xia Yufeng. Originally, Xia Yufeng was already breathless under the other party’s pressure, and now he sat down in the mud.
“I’ll tell you—I’ll tell you anything you want to hear.”
Shu Jun stared at him for a while, then took out the small notebook again with a serious expression. Finally, the surrounding air began to flow. “Hmm. Zhu Yanchen’s reputation, the current situation in the city, the habits of news transmission, one by one.”
Xia Yufeng took two deep breaths and began to explain everything in detail.
Y City.
“Xia Yufeng should be close to the settlement by now.” Xia Liang took a sip of tea. “How pitiful.”
“The next step is a critical moment, and I can’t leave any flaws around him. He has always disliked me and wouldn’t listen to what I have to say. Shu Jun’s persuasive ability is stronger.” Zhu Yanchen sat in front of his desk, reading the documents in his hands.
“A critical moment? I don’t see it. Those people from the Xia family were nagging at me today, telling me to come here and ‘repair the relationship’ with you.” Xia Liang twirled her hair ends. “Since the synthetic humans have all fled and ‘Dong Lao’ has nothing to do, I can only come here to kill time. Don’t worry, I don’t intend to ruin your relationship with Shu Jun.”
Zhu Yanchen looked at Xia Liang in silence.
“What? Are the two of you allowed to have a lovey-dovey time underground, but others are forbidden to speak about it?” Xia Liang rolled her eyes.
“Ai Xiaoxiao,” Zhu Yanchen said in a low voice.
“Don’t blame her. Encountering such earth-shattering news, Dr. Ai also had no one to confide in. In the end, she still doesn’t know who I am.” Xia Liang took another sip of tea and picked up a piece of pastry. “Go ahead and do your work. Once this period is over, I can return to the Xia family and report my progress.”
“Didn’t Zhu Sheng ask you to lead the troops?”
Xia Liang’s hand, holding the pastry, froze in mid-air. “Hmm, not just me—Zhu Sheng recently recalled the troops from the border outposts, and all the important positions are on high alert. Everyone is prepared to retreat at any time. I suspect he wants to implement a turtling tactic. What exactly did you do two days ago?”
“Shu Jun partially turned into an Erosion Swamp in front of him.”
“Wait a minute?! This isn’t what we agreed upon…”
“The operational strategy needs to be adjusted.” Zhu Yanchen withdrew his gaze, glanced at the screen in front of him, and then lowered his head to look at the documents. “Shu Jun proposed a new approach that is more reasonable than our previous ideas.”
It was different from the formal discussions Zhu Yanchen was accustomed to. This approach was suggested by Shu Jun while sitting on his lap, blowing air into his ear. Although the occasion proposed by the other party was quite ambiguous, the approach itself was clever and daring—it was quite good.
Unfortunately, being caressed by the erosion substance and having the other person’s legs hooked around his waist, Zhu Yanchen had to exert a lot of effort to focus. He suspected that this was one of Captain Shu’s newly developed pranks.
“Be careful not to be dazzled by love.” Xia Liang seemed to sense Zhu Yanchen’s momentary distraction and muttered softly.
“I won’t tolerate him in matters of such magnitude.” Zhu Yanchen obviously heard her. “As a Marshal, my primary duty is still to protect the people.”
“Okay, okay. What should we do now?”
“Maintain the situation, reinforce the military firepower, and buy time.” Marshal Zhu adjusted his gloves and lowered his eyes. “Wait for the right moment.”
“What is the right moment?”
“The moment when Sigma is lured here.”
“…Speaking of that, I’ve been concerned about it for a while.” Xia Liang cleared her throat. “Never mind how to deceive Sigma, how do you plan to convince the synthetic humans to deal with Sigma?”
“I don’t intend to convince them to deal with Sigma.”
“What are you saying?!”
“My thoughts haven’t changed. As long as the synthetics don’t cause trouble, it’s already being tolerant. It’s up to the humans themselves to fight this battle.”
Zhu Yanchen picked up the photo of fireworks on the table.
“This war is nearly two hundred years late.”
Xia Liang held onto the pastry, not eating or letting go. She finally realized that, in a certain sense, her boss was a complete madman.
A perfectly timed call released her from the situation.
“Marshal, there’s a strange person outside the command center gate, shouting to see you. He says the bird-repelling device you ordered is almost ready and wants you to come down and take a look.”
“I’ll go now. Xia Liang, I won’t be back for a while. You can go home.”
“Tsk.” Miss Xia quickly finished the pastry and drank the tea. “Understood, understood. You go ahead. I’ll lock the door.”
“Okay.”
Zhu Yanchen put on his coat and walked quickly towards the exit of the building. As he crossed the empty hallway, someone was walking back slowly and brushed past him.
“Yes.” Yi Ning just glanced at Zhu Yanchen lightly and then turned his head away, continuing his phone call. “One Eye, Gray Claw, and Smoke. These are the recruitment records of only three individuals… Hmm, I see. Send me the coordinates of the settlement later.”
Noticing Zhu Yanchen slowing down his pace, Yi Ning turned his head again and nodded perfunctorily at him.
Zhu Yanchen also gave a cold nod in return. Both of them quickened their steps simultaneously, walking away from each other, disappearing into the darkness at either end of the corridor.
The author has something to say:
Today, I, like Xia Yufeng, have become a little brother (.
——
Shu Ge in A’Yan’s eyes: A straightforward (?) and adorable boyfriend.
Shu Ge in the eyes of others: What the hell is this guy?
Yi Ning quickly detached himself from his emotions and calmly faced Luo Duan.
Unlike before, Luo Duan didn’t deliberately try to get close. He was like an ordinary person who had been cooped up in a room for a long time and gave Yi Ning a perfunctory greeting. Luo Duan glanced around the room, and his gaze lingered for two seconds in the direction where the screen had disappeared.
“The post-mission of the Reunion Festival is a closed mission, and we can’t add anyone to it,” Yi Ning explained preemptively. “I will notify you as soon as the next phase begins.”
“Mm.” Luo Duan’s smile was gentle. “Sir, I trust you quite a bit.”
Yi Ning held his breath for a few seconds.
The impact of observing someone else’s pain from a distance was far different from touching someone’s pain. He knew something had happened to Luo Duan, perhaps influenced by the recent recording. His heart stung for a moment.
“If there’s nothing else, you can leave.” Yi Ning immediately issued the dismissal order. “I remember telling you not to come here unless necessary.”
“I haven’t forgotten. This is the last time.”
Yi Ning narrowed his eyes.
Luo Duan paused for a while before continuing officially. “By the time the closed mission is over, I’ll be able to return to the team. I came here mainly to ask a question—I understand that we can’t add non-combatants like me to the closed mission, but what about the general public?”
“What general public?”
“I can help Groundwater recruit non-combatants and hire them temporarily,” Luo Duan continued with a smiling face. “Is that possible?”
“We can’t add anyone.” This was just to hire an NPC. Yi Ning waved his hand. “I have other matters to attend to, so you can go back.”
…The so-called “closed mission” didn’t exist at all. Marshal Yi just wanted to buy some more time. The rules were nothing more than a fabrication.
“It’s a shame. I rarely find someone useful.” Luo Duan shook his head. “You don’t seem interested in discussing the matter with me anymore, haa.”
Luo Duan stood up. His hair had grown a bit longer since his first visit, softly touching the back of his neck. Yi Ning stared at his figure with every cell in his body on high alert.
The captain of the Groundwater was very clever. If he continued to fabricate stories, it wouldn’t be long before he couldn’t hide it anymore.
The information about the X City ruins had spread, and the situation had escalated to this point. The tactic of coaxing synthetic humans was most likely not going to work. Luo Duan’s value was now minimal; at most useful as a hostage when necessary. But since large numbers of synthetic humans had yet to appear, there must be someone behind the scenes guiding them. Would this hostage really be useful to them?
Should he preemptively kill Luo Duan, who is considered one of the few strong individuals among the synthetic humans?
The erosion substance concentration in the command center was very low, making it convenient to take action here…
Sensing Yi Ning’s killing intent, Luo Duan stopped at the door, turned back, and still had a gentle smile on his face.
“As a parting gift, let me give you another hint.” Luo Duan’s voice remained soft and natural. “Zhu Sheng is not solely obsessed with power. If you find his weakness, you can counter him… You still want to save your compatriots, don’t you?”
Yi Ning was familiar with this tone. During those nights of endless conversation, Luo Duan liked to use this soothing tone to speak.
…Forget it. Let him stay. Besides being a hostage, Luo Duan might also know something about the black-robed individuals.
Closing the door, Yi Ning suddenly felt an unprecedented fatigue.
He had never felt his weakness so vividly before, but he truly couldn’t abandon his vulnerable side.
Tang Heyu was wrong; he wasn’t someone like Zhu Sheng. He couldn’t make “necessary sacrifices” to fulfill the needs of others. If he had to compare, he was quite cowardly, just like Mr. Tang in the past. Even if he knew the “right” path, he couldn’t take the first step.
Even with the impending disaster of the Erosion Swamp, he still wanted to protect those “burdensome” individuals rather than sacrificing them for the survival of the human race.
Yi Ning slumped onto the couch, grabbed a bottle of alcohol, and let the bitter liquid slowly slide down his throat.
He understood the hint Luo Duan gave him. Now was a great opportunity to restrain Zhu Sheng. If he handled it well, he should be able to save as many people from the settlements as possible while ensuring the preservation of humanity…
If he failed, he would only be able to offer his life as atonement.
…But thinking about it, he might not be able to afford that either. Yi Ning finished the bottle of alcohol and chuckled to himself.
Wait, something’s not right. Luo Duan just said, “As a parting gift, let me give you another hint.”Did he give me a hint before? Luo Duan previously mentioned hiring NPCs and assisting Groundwater…
NPCs?
[These people are quite interesting. Can I invite them next time Groundwater goes on a mission?]
Luo Duan mentioned something similar before. At that time, the Blackbirds was on a mission dealing with the abnormal Erosion Swamp near X City. There were three NPCs at the time: Gray Claw, Smoke, and One Eye.
Having “talents” with experience dealing with abnormal Erosion Swamps could be a breakthrough. Yi Ning placed the bottle down and took a deep breath. It seemed that keeping Luo Duan around was the right decision. He indeed had some usefulness.
While the situation wasn’t too severe, it was time to visit the settlements.
However, what Yi Ning didn’t expect was that someone had already taken the initiative before him, but this person wasn’t going to recruit talents. Xia Yufeng secretly selected a few experts from the elite team and quietly headed towards the settlement.
He chose the perfect timing. Ever since the Zhu father and son returned from the cultivation stronghold, they locked themselves indoors, busy with who knew what. Xia Yufeng snuck out of the command center, secretly brushing Zhu Yanchen’s face, and gathered manpower.
Opportunity waited for no one.
The recent news of the ruins of X City had filled him with fear. During this time, Zhu Yanchen had been carrying the title of “Marshal Zhu”, and Xia Yufeng had nothing to do, unable to stop his mind from wandering.
Zhu Yanchen barely said anything to him, treating him like a puppet. Considering his history of betrayal, Xia Yufeng couldn’t find fault with Zhu Yanchen. But with the situation becoming so dire, Zhu Yanchen was still busy with miscellaneous matters, making it impossible for him to relax.
Zhu Yanchen had a synthetic partner, and Xia Yufeng witnessed it! It was manageable during peacetime. Xia Yufeng could be cautious around him, working towards abolishing the player system and seizing power with the help of synthetic humans.
If the player system was abolished, people would suffer a bit more, but Xia Yufeng could still keep himself calm as long as he saved his own life.
But what about now? With the rebellion of the synthetic humans and the mutations in the Erosion Swamps, humanity was about to face a devastating war. This person actually dared to interact with the synthetic humans. Xia Yufeng feared Zhu Yanchen truly desired the leadership position to the extent of courting danger. If something went wrong, humanity would suffer heavy losses, and as a member of the three major families, Xia Yufeng would be the first to bear the brunt.
That wouldn’t do. He had to wake Zhu Yanchen up.
Why not start by ruining their cooperative relationship? After all, the synthetic humans had already severed ties with humanity. It was better to have an additional heavyweight traitor among humans than among the synthetics. Xia Yufeng summoned his lifelong courage and prepared a plan.
After Zhu Yanchen returned from the stronghold, he explicitly stated that he would need three days. Xia Yufeng had long prepared everything and was only waiting for this time limit.
After all, he had specifically selected top-tier elites, so his chances of survival were definitely high.
He took the worn-out armor that Zhu Yanchen had changed out of and bribed some lackeys from the Old Fourth merchant convoy, finally learning the location where Zhu Yanchen was hiding outside the city—a seemingly inconspicuous settlement.
“Hey, Brother Smoke.” When Xia Yufeng approached the inn, Uncle Pan warmly waved at him. “Why did you suddenly come back? Gray Claw isn’t here right now… Oh, and why do you have so many friends with you on this trip?”
Uncle Pan glanced at the six guards behind him, rubbing his hands even more eagerly.
As the human traitor, Xia Yufeng snorted behind his helmet. “Arrange rooms for these friends of mine. Where’s Gray Claw?”
“He’s negotiating with someone at the usual place.” Uncle Pan smiled, his eyes narrowing. “Do you want me to call him? Well, you go back to your room and wait. He’ll return on his own after he’s done.”
Xia Yufeng: “?!?”
He had seen the key to this inn in Zhu Yanchen’s possession, deducing that Zhu Yanchen had rented a room here… But usually, would the two cooperating parties stay together?
However, Xia Yufeng couldn’t afford to be too obvious. He took the room keys for the other and pretended to distribute them. Once they were away from Uncle Pan, he immediately led them all to Zhu Yanchen’s room.
As Xia Yufeng opened the door, his emotions were indescribable.
In his imagination, since Zhu Yanchen had rented the room for an extended period, he must have made some modifications. This place should be filled with the scent of war and conspiracy. It might even have multiple sleeping arrangements to explain why Zhu Yanchen and the synthetic human were living together in the same room.
But this room… felt like a home.
The curtains were drawn tightly, blocking the view of the grim buildings outside. The entire room was decorated in a fresh and cozy manner, with added bedside tables and other small furnishings. There was even a potted plant standing in the corner. A warm-toned tablecloth covered the old table, and in front of the small kitchen were oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and some unused basic ingredients in the cupboard.
The sleeping arrangements Xia Yufeng imagined were nowhere to be found. He only saw a large double bed. The mattress was obviously a high-quality replacement, the blanket was a mess, and it was clear that the other occupant of the room hadn’t bothered to tidy it up.
One pillow was crooked and askew at the head of the bed, showing signs of being slept on. Another pillow was bundled up within the sheets, with a slightly wrinkled pillowcase, clearly indicating that someone had tightly embraced it while sleeping. Considering that Zhu Yanchen had stayed in Y City for some time, this must have been the doing of the other occupant of the room.
This was the hidden lover in the golden house! Xia Yufeng suddenly realized.
All the mysteries were solved. It must have been the synthetic humans who used the strategy of a beautiful woman to bewitch Marshal Zhu. Zhu Yanchen, who already sympathized with the synthetic humans, was further misled by the seductive beauty, causing him to side with them at every turn and disregard the pressing human crisis.
“Find a place to hide. When that woman returns, pay attention to my hand signals—we’ll abduct her and get rid of her.”
“Yes!”
Xia Yufeng took a deep breath, removed his mask, and absentmindedly picked up a book from the bedside, pretending to read.
He waited for more than two hours.
Finally, a sound of a key opening the door came from outside. Xia Yufeng stopped flipping the pages, subconsciously held his breath, and prepared to meet Zhu Yanchen’s secret lover.
The door slowly opened.
……Zhu Yanchen’s secret lover was nothing like what Xia Yufeng had imagined.
A handsome young man stood at the door, carrying a huge black sword on his back and holding a large bag of food and drinks in his hand.
That person had a tall and beautiful figure, accentuated by the simple uniform, with a particularly sharp waistline. He didn’t cover his face, and his slightly dark complexion was accompanied by gray-white hair and eyes, like burnt ashes.
The young man’s facial features were also remarkably outstanding. Even though his gender seemed a bit off, he could still be considered on the level of a “Marshal’s lover”. However, that face seemed somewhat familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before.
Yes, it seemed to be the former captain of the Blackbirds. Xia Yufeng had spent a few years on the sidelines of the outpost, so he had come across some news about the players.
Zhu Yanchen… this is simply absurd!
Wait, didn’t Shu Jun of the Blackbirds die?
Ignoring the tumultuous thoughts in Xia Yufeng’s mind, Shu Jun furrowed his brows slowly. “I can’t believe Uncle Pan said A’Yan returned early. Why is it you? What are you doing here?”
Xia Yufeng hadn’t even started acting, and his identity had already been exposed. He felt a bit perplexed. “Ah?”
“You’re Xia Yufeng, the one we met at the Grand Theatre. I was wearing a mask at that time, so it’s normal that you didn’t recognize me.” Shu Jun sighed and placed the food on the table. “I specifically bought expensive eggs and sugar and wanted to try baking some small cakes…”
Xia Yufeng: “…” He couldn’t keep up with the pace of reality.
No, unexpected as it was, this person was still Zhu Yanchen’s little… No, Zhu Yanchen’s lover. Although dealing with Shu Jun would be tricky, they should be able to catch him off guard.
Shu Jun seemed completely defenseless as he unpacked the fresh ingredients and carefully put them in the refrigerator. “Speak up. A’Yan wouldn’t send you here for no reason. Has something happened in Y City? If you need my help…”
“There… is…” Suddenly, a strange sound came from behind Shu Jun.
As a result, Shu Jun pulled out a white pill from his pocket and stuffed it into the cloth wrapping his sword. The strange sound instantly disappeared, replaced by a strange and contented rumbling.
“If you need my help, I’m available now.” After completing this series of inexplicable actions, Shu Jun calmly continued.
Whatever.
Xia Yufeng made an attacking gesture. In an instant, the electric shock gun and the tranquilizer gun were aimed at Shu Jun. He let out a muffled groan and fell to the ground. The guards took out prepared bags and stuffed him inside.
“We can’t remove this sword.” One of the guards tugged at the sword belt, expressing confusion. “We don’t know how it’s secured, but anyway…”
“Just take everything with us and leave no trace.” Xia Yufeng gave the order. “Let’s leave through the back door.”
“Understood.”
To avoid other synthetic humans, Xia Yufeng found a sled at the door, and they headed straight for the edge of the erosion zone. Once they confirmed that there was no one around, they poured Shu Jun out of the bag.
“Let’s squeeze some information out of him and then get rid of him,” Xia Yufeng whispered. “Listen carefully, next—”
“If you kill me, A’Yan will be heartbroken. I advise you to think twice.” A cheerful voice interjected.
Shu Jun had at some point woken up. He turned himself over and was still tightly bound by metal chains. Instead of fear, the former captain’s face showed more curiosity.
“I know you two have a thing going on.” Xia Yufeng regained his composure upon seeing the chains still intact.
The guards were professionals and had already set up the highest-level purifiers around them. At the same time, six weapon-type purifiers were aimed at Shu Jun’s head. Even if Shu Jun could manipulate erosion, no erosion substance would dare approach this area.
“I never expected Zhu Yanchen to be so confused. It’s truly outrageous.” Confident of his safety, Xia Yufeng stood tall. “Today, I represent humanity and will put an end to his delusions.”
“Excuse me, I didn’t realize you were Zhu Sheng after all.” Shu Jun exclaimed in surprise. “You’re quite powerful, even managing the love affairs of adults.”
“Love affair? One for power, the other for revenge. It’s clear that you are colluding together. Listen, now you’ll confess what needs to be confessed, and I can make your death a bit easier. Otherwise—”
“How do you plan to deceive him? After all, Uncle Pan saw you and me enter the room.” Shu Jun interrupted Xia Yufeng’s speech.
“By then, we’ll take care of that Pan person. I warn you, don’t interrupt me again.” Amidst the loud buzzing of the purifiers, Xia Yufeng cleared his throat, his voice filled with satisfaction. “I represent humanity—”
“Why do I feel like you’re more of a personal grudge settler?” Shu Jun interrupted once again, smiling cheerfully. “Let me guess… half of it is for the righteousness you’ve imagined, and the other half is to embarrass Zhu Yanchen, or should I say, to embarrass the Zhu family?”
“I’m doing this to sever this abnormal relationship! And I’ve said it before, don’t interrupt me—”
“Just admit that you’re afraid. You’re afraid of the synthetic humans going out of control, and you’re also afraid of the Zhu family’s power. It’s not a big deal.” Shu Jun stared intently into Xia Yufeng’s eyes. “To be honest, it makes me a little disgusted when you talk to me with his face.”
“Third time’s the charm. I’ve warned you.” Xia Yufeng confirmed the status of the purifiers once again. Making sure they were still working, he lifted his foot, ready to kick Shu Jun in the face.
In the next second, all the purifiers exploded.
Xia Yufeng’s foot hit something hard, and as the smoke from the explosion cleared, he could see clearly—Shu Jun had instantly broken free from the chains, and the black giant sword was right in front of him.
The sword’s blade had a mouth that was excitedly howling and spewing out drool. “Block! Candy! Block! Candy!”
“Are you singing?” Shu Jun threw a white pill into the mouth and turned back to Xia Yufeng. “It seems A’Yan is really busy, so he asked me to discipline his underlings. You haven’t been very honest lately, have you?”
“You…”
“Do you really think A’Yan would be foolish enough to let you out and lead you here?” Shu Jun sneered. “Alright, then I’ll help him discipline you. As for the reward, we can discuss it when he comes back.”
He deliberately made the last sentence sound extremely ambiguous.
“You traitors.” Xia Yufeng’s face turned purple with anger, and he stuttered for words. “Enemies of humanity!”
“The purifiers are broken. Hurry up and put on your mask. It’ll make it more satisfying for me to beat you up.” Shu Jun extended a hand and easily blocked several purification bullets. Then he flicked the ash off his hand and grabbed Xia Yufeng by the collar.
“Opportunities like this are rare. Let me take this chance to listen—Mr. Xia, as a standard citizen of Y City, how do you view the current situation?”
Xia Yufeng couldn’t utter a word.
Shu Jun’s clothes transformed in a bizarre way, with strange “wings” spreading out from behind his waist and countless tail-like black vines sprouting from his back. Before the skilled fighters brought by Xia Yufeng could switch weapons, they were tightly bound by the erosion vines.
“Didn’t I say it before? Now I have some free time, and this time, I won’t interrupt you at all.”
The author has something to say:
Xia Yufeng: *Whimpers* Marshal Zhu has such peculiar tastes!
Shu Ge: I’m scaring people again, and I get a little excited thinking about it.
Yi Ning finally got his wish and met with Tang Heyu. Behind him was the Tang family, which made things much easier compared to Zhu Yanchen’s situation.
However, Tang Heyu himself didn’t seem very willing.
Seeing this young junior with high status and influence, Tang Heyu didn’t bother to clean himself up. He wore a dirty robe with traces of vomit in the corners. His gray hair was disheveled, emitting a strong odor. His nails hadn’t been trimmed in who knew how long, with black dirt accumulating in the crevices.
With a table between them, Yi Ning sat upright while Tang Heyu slouched in his chair, creating an extremely awkward atmosphere.
“What do you want, kid? I’m busy as hell. I don’t, hic, don’t have time to deal with you dogs fighting each other.” Tang Heyu was the first to speak, followed by a foul-smelling belch.
Yi Ning had seen a photo of Tang Heyu when he was young in the archives. The young man in the photo was elegant, vigorous, and completely different from the beggar-like old man in front of him.
“I didn’t come here for a power struggle. Recently, there has been a synthetic human rebellion. Have you heard about it?”
“My family talks about it all the time. Even the dogs in the backyard know. Is that all? I have things to do.”
Yi Ning didn’t mind Tang Heyu’s bad temper. “I want to ask about synthetic humans.”
“Ask me? Are all the researchers from the Tang family dead?” the old man muttered.
“Mr. Tang, you have extensive experience in the field of erosion prevention. The research we are currently conducting is dictated by the Zhu family, rather than being independent. I believe you know more than our generation.”
“The Zhu family, huh? Just because of that statement, I’ll let you ask a question.” Tang Heyu sneered, finally turning his drunken eyes towards Yi Ning. “Kid, what exactly do you want to ask?”
Yi Ning opened the briefcase beside him, took out a storage device, and projected the screen onto the center of the table.
“Zhu Yanchen’s thesis,” Yi Ning said in a solemn tone. “The Tang family researchers couldn’t fully interpret it.”
When Tang Heyu looked at the screen, his cloudy eyes cleared for a moment. But when Yi Ning looked closer, the old man’s gaze became unfocused again.
“I thought you were going to, hic, ask something else. Instead of asking this dim-witted old man, why don’t you ask the Zhu boy directly? Even if you two fight for the leadership position, it wouldn’t… escalate into an endless feud, right?”
After speaking, Tang Heyu pounded his belly twice and made a couple of burping sounds. Seeing the old man staring at the storage device, Yi Ning sighed and pushed the device a bit closer.
Tang Heyu had been abandoned by the Tang family. This old man either locked himself in his house and drank or slipped out of the Tang family mansion to get drunk. It was inevitable that he would be out of touch with firsthand information.
“I can’t ask him anymore. The real Zhu Yanchen is already dead, and the current one is a substitute brought by Zhu Sheng.”
The old man’s movement froze for a moment. “Dead?”
“Yes, I have my own set of speculations.”
Yi Ning didn’t hide anything from Tang Heyu. Combining the conclusions of the researchers, he detailed his conjecture about “Zhu Yanchen researching the Erosion Swamp since the age of fourteen or fifteen.” In the end, fearing that Tang Heyu might not be well-informed, he showed him the recent circulating “Ruins of X City” footage.
“…In short, I don’t think he would die in vain. I’m familiar with Zhu Yanchen’s methods. These theses and footage are most likely intentionally arranged by him. The reason he personally investigated is likely that he had been researching the Erosion Swamp for too long and was already seriously ill, so he decided to risk his life.”
Tang Heyu remained silent.
His intoxicated expression had long vanished. After a few minutes of silence, he slammed the teacup on the table to the ground.
“I only remember that he’s that old bastard Zhu Sheng’s son.” When Tang Heyu looked at Yi Ning again, his gaze became sharp. “…I almost forgot. He’s also Xia Jing’s son. I was wrong after all. That child followed Xia Jing.”
He stared at the shattered pieces of the teacup as the steam slowly dissipated. Then he wiped his eyes with his sleeve before raising his head.
“Kid, you got some backbone since you can speak like this for your opponent. But since Chenchen is gone and you brought his thesis here, what else do you want to ask?”
…Indeed, Tang Heyu was hiding something. He wasn’t the useless drunkard that the outside world portrayed him as.
“I don’t want to deceive you. I admire Zhu Yanchen’s perseverance, but I can’t empathize with synthetic humans.”
Yi Ning sat up even straighter.
“Given the current situation, although we have let them down, I cannot sit idly by while my compatriots die tragically. Zhu Sheng will undoubtedly sacrifice the settlements to ensure the safety of Y City. I want to save those people. Zhu Yanchen must have come up with countermeasures after studying the Erosion Swamp for so long. You are an expert in erosion prevention, and if there is a plan hidden in there, you will surely be able to see it.”
“I can’t access the command center’s system right now. Previously, I looked at his thesis based on occasional discussions with acquaintances.”
Tang Heyu scanned between the screens.
“I can probably see his train of thought. He’s proving that the player system has more disadvantages than benefits, providing sufficient reasons to suspend this system. It’s not an easy task, and at least he couldn’t have done it alone… What you’re looking for is probably not here.”
Yi Ning clenched his fist.
“But with the footage from X City, if Zhu Sheng is willing to investigate, he can find the problem. The person you should be looking for is not me—it’s Zhu Sheng.” Tang Heyu summarized leisurely.
“Even if he’s willing to accept the notion that ‘the player system has issues’ and suspend the production of new synthetic humans, it would still fulfill Zhu Yanchen’s wish, not mine.” Yi Ning’s voice was somewhat hoarse. “I can’t persuade Zhu Sheng, and I know myself that abandoning the settlements is the most rational course of action—I understand it logically, but I can’t accept it.”
“The great enemy is at hand, and you still want to save everyone?” Tang Heyu burst into loud laughter that was hoarse and unpleasant. “What a retribution, indeed. Do you know that you are just like the old Zhu Sheng back then—fucking identical.”
Yi Ning was stunned on the spot, not expecting to receive such an evaluation.
“To put it bluntly, I don’t have many years left to live. Isn’t the evidence from X City clear enough? These mutated Erosion Swamps were created by humans themselves. If humans are to perish like this, it’s just retribution.”
“But most people are innocent—”
“Tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes.” Tang Heyu counted on his fingers. “Which natural disaster considers the victims? Tell me. Forget it, if you want to dream, go ahead… If you really want to protect the settlements, why not find some talented individuals from there and pave your own way?”
He gave Yi Ning a meaningful look. “The things the young people from the settlements come up with might actually be useful. Let’s end it here for today; I have my own matters to attend to.”
The old man stretched lazily. “I still have a bird repellent device to ponder over.”
Yi Ning gritted his teeth and bowed his head to bid farewell to Tang Heyu. It was clear that the old man intended to see him off, and there would be no results by staying any longer. Considering Tang Heyu’s hint, it seemed that he should pay more attention to the people in the settlements… but with so many settlements, how could he find said talented individuals?
“Oh, I almost forgot.” Just as Yi Ning was about to close the door, a thin and withered hand reached out, grasping the door frame. “I can’t access the command center’s system right now. I’ll give you a list, help me get the items on it.”
Yi Ning: “… ” This old man really had no manners. It was already so late, and he still wanted to study bird repellent devices.
“The FR-0923 file from Section C of the archives.” The old man lowered his voice and spoke solemnly. “Before bringing it to me, take a look at it yourself.”
Command Center.
Yi Ning was feeling restless. After leaving the Tang’s residence, he went straight to the archives.
Section C was the area where old files were stored. After rummaging for a while, Yi Ning pulled out a dusty box. The contents inside didn’t look like scientific research materials, no matter how he looked at them. If he remembered correctly, the documents on this shelf hadn’t even been entered into the system.
He brushed away the dust on the box and carefully took out the storage device and documents inside. After completing the borrowing procedure, Yi Ning brought them back to his own office and used a large screen to view the contents of the storage device.
<Records of Synthetic Human Mind Modifications>. The name Tang Heyu appeared in the column for the document organizer.
…What use did he have for looking at this? Just the long list of document names made his head spin.
However, as soon as the first video appeared, Yi Ning instantly abandoned his doubts.
The first section belonged to Xu Kan.
Yi Ning had heard this name before. Xu Kan was quite famous, considered one of the rare powerful individuals in the history of synthetic humans. Yi Ning was still young when Xu Kan retired, so even when he climbed to a high position, he never specifically looked into this person’s background.
Now he finally understood what had happened.
In the video, a young and beautiful girl was playing the piano. She played in remote settlements, in the depths of city streets, and in strongholds near the erosion zone. As long as she had a piano, even if it was damaged and out of tune, she could play clear and melodious tunes.
The girl was called Orphan Ai Jing, an important “NPC” recruited by the command center. She was adopted by the Xia family when she was fifteen years old and was renamed Xia Jing. She started appearing on the public stage and became extremely popular.
Like many other “entertainment stars” from the Xia family, Xia Jing often went on tours to player-rested towns, adding a touch of brightness to the gloomy world of <Erosion>.
Then she met Xu Kan.
When they first met, Xu Kan was eighteen years old, and Xia Jing was around twenty. No one knew what happened between them. By the time Xia’s family realized it, their music star seemed to have developed feelings for that handsome synthetic human.
Feelings that shouldn’t exist.
She composed music for him, and the two of them danced in empty rooms at the base. No one knew what Xu Kan was thinking. To him, she should have been just a pile of data. But he still watched over her and smiled brightly by her side.
Naturally, the Xia family couldn’t turn a blind eye to their adopted daughter getting involved with a synthetic human. It was a scandal at that time. Finally, after an accident, they took action.
Although they called it an accident, it was actually quite simple. Xia Jing, whether due to her intelligence or information she obtained elsewhere, informed Xu Kan about the truth of the player system, directly triggering a shock to his brain.
The Xia family dealt with the situation thoroughly—they specially arranged an NPC on the “other side” for Xu Kan; a woman NPC who bore a resemblance of about fifty to sixty percent to Xia Jing. The Xia family spared no expense, hiring someone to write a script based on Xia Jing’s personality and then finding another pianist to meticulously portray the girl who claimed to be the controller of Xia Jing within <Erosion>.
In the virtual city on the “other side”, Xu Kan quickly started a relationship with that fictional girl and soon got engaged. Xu Kan was busy with combat, so he had little private time, so it wasn’t difficult to deceive him.
As for the real Xia Jing, her performing career had come to an end. The Xia family made the decision to marry her off to Zhu Sheng, who was widowed and living alone. To prevent Xu Kan from suspecting anything, the wedding and the bride weren’t publicized to the player’s side. If someone mentioned it later, they would only say, “A member of the Xia family.”
On Xu Kan’s side, the Xia family had already prepared a deceptive explanation—they claimed that it was against regulations for players to be involved with NPCs, and since the two had established a romantic relationship, it was natural for “Xia Jing” to resign. Xu Kan didn’t inquire further about Xia Jing’s disappearance in <Erosion>.
The two of them disappeared from each other’s lives just as simply as dew drying up.
The matter was settled, but the aftermath remained. Xu Kan was deeply attached to the shadow of “Xia Jing”, and the Xia family had to arrange for him to marry the NPC. To enhance the authenticity and make the “other side” more real, they went all out and designed a daughter for Xu Kan.
A puppet-like wife, a puppet-like daughter.
Fortunately, as the captain of the Blackbirds, Xu Kan was busy and unable to be with his wife and daughter. He was destined not to retire, so the possibility of a leak was slim.
This enriched the player ecosystem on the “other side”, and Zhu Sheng tacitly approved of the Xia family’s actions. With Xu Kan’s death, the “other side” would only be left with a harmonious NPC family of three, making other players envious.
Thus, the matter was perfectly resolved. Although it didn’t affect the public, it had a significant impact on the upper echelons. Since then, Zhu Sheng specifically added a research topic to allow the modification of individual synthetic human memories, preventing the emergence of a second Xu Kan.
As the recorder, Tang Heyu’s dissatisfaction was evident on the paper.
[Human hearts are not child’s play.] Tang Heyu evaluated it this way. [This matter is wrong.]
The true event that caused the rift between Tang Heyu and Zhu Sheng occurred sixteen years ago.
…The second part of the record belonged to Zhu Yanchen.
There wasn’t much information about Zhu Yanchen. The entire incident occurred on the “other side”, and intelligence was limited. It was merely the termination of a friendship, but people were more concerned about the unexpected gift of artificial thoughts that could be implanted into a living person’s body.
This meant that the player system could be further improved, and people no longer needed to worry about cultivating synthetic humans with extreme or weak personalities. By erasing their original consciousness and implanting a well-planned personality, they didn’t even need to spend many years training soldiers, and the production cycle could be significantly shortened.
Zhu Sheng found Tang Heyu and invited him to lead a team to conduct this research, but Tang Heyu harshly rejected the offer. Tang Heyu even recorded their argument.
[Wasn’t I clear enough?] Tang Heyu, who was in his prime, roared. [The matter of the player system must be handled with utmost caution!]
[You’ve expended a lot of manpower and resources on research, and then what? Did you find any evidence?] Zhu Sheng’s expression was unpleasant.
[Do you really think this damn system is reasonable?] Tang Heyu’s face turned pale. [It’s not like I’m deliberately trying to give you trouble, A’Sheng. I found Zhu Rong’s manuscript at home, and you’ve seen it. It clearly states that this system should only be used as an emergency measure—]
[I have indeed seen it, and it mainly focuses on the treatment of synthetic humans. I placed it in the Zhu Rong Memorial Hall, where researchers come and go, and so far, no one has raised any questions. If even the founder, Zhu Rong, couldn’t provide the proof, do you really think you can decipher it?]
[…]
[Heyu, I won’t change my mind just because the founder said “how it should be”. What I want is evidence.]
[By the time evidence appears, it will be too late for you over there—]
[Do you want me to stop it? If I reveal such anomalies, not only your family but the Xia family will immediately turn against me. I will be ousted from this position, and a new leader will take the stage to restart the player system. By then, you won’t even have funding for basic research.]
[Then find a solution!]
[Why? Without synthetic humans purifying the surroundings, the people will never be able to live in peace. The mortality rate will rise again. The purifiers have been improved to the point where they can’t be improved any further, and the results are quite impressive. Instead of blindly stopping the system, it’s better to take advantage of this precious time for further development—after societal progress, there will undoubtedly be safer solutions. We still haven’t solved our most fundamental social problems, and the death rate in the settlements is still…]
[You can’t save everyone.]
[But I want to give it a try. Until we resolve our own predicament, we will always have to compromise on the synthetic human issue.]
[…You are too greedy.]
[Pot calling the kettle black.]
[It seems I’m really not suitable for this path. Let’s leave it at that. A’Sheng, I’m done. I understand your reasoning, but I just can’t bear to watch it anymore.]
[Heyu, don’t be stubborn. You have to shoulder your responsibility—]
[Fuck responsibility! If I could truly shoulder my responsibility, I should be immersed in the erosion and study it thoroughly.] Tang Heyu responded coldly. [But the lesions from the erosion are too painful, so I can’t do it… Since I am a coward, let me be weak till the end.]
A knock on the door sounded. Yi Ning quickly closed the screen. “Who is it?”
“It’s Luo Duan.” The person’s voice carried a smile. “Marshal Yi Ning, I have something I want to discuss with you.”
“Yes, the erosion concentration outside is too high. We just received close-range communication.”
Zhu Zheng nodded, feeling troubled.
“Marshal Zhu said that the Erosion Storm has just passed, and the nearby erosion concentration has remained high. When he heard that you were coming here, he specially brought in a number of heavy purifiers to reinforce the defense of the stronghold.”
Seeing Zhu Sheng’s silence, the messenger immediately added, “Based on the situation outside, he has already activated the heavy purifiers and is deploying them outside.”
Zhu Sheng snorted coldly.
When he found himself inspecting the cultivation stronghold, the Xia family’s boy hurriedly followed to show his loyalty. He was flattering too eagerly and ended up hitting a sore spot—considering the situation with the synthetics, those purifiers would inevitably need to be brought back to the city, making his efforts futile.
However, they could indeed make use of the heavy purifiers at the moment. The timing was quite fortunate. But considering the time, Xia Yufeng had already left Y City before he was attacked. This was probably just a pure coincidence.
“Have him surround the area. We can’t let this monster escape today. We must capture it for research. Its nature is similar to that of the Erosion Swamp, so start by using the purifiers to cut off the external supply of erosion substance.” Zhu Sheng waved his hand. “Don’t stop the attacks from outside.”
“Understood.”
The monster howled even louder, and fine cracks appeared on the thick glass of the observation platform. Fortunately, its movements were slow, and the elite soldiers reacted quickly, avoiding any fatal injuries.
“I’m curious. What are you exactly?” Zhu Sheng tapped his cane on the ground, took two steps forward, and pressed his hand against the specially reinforced glass. A few steps away, a massive claw covered in erosion swung past, leaving behind a large splatter of black dots resembling blood.
“Commander, th-th-that thing…” Although under Zhu Yanchen’s command, his subordinates had already started placing the heavy purifiers, they were still terrified.
“We received information from inside. That thing is composed of erosion substance. Since it’s erosion, the purifiers can be used.” Marshal Zhu stood in the wasteland, trying to make himself sound less calm.
He knew it was Shu Jun.
He also knew that the original plan had completely changed. The synth team should have conducted a standard infiltration and an attack within the realm of ordinary players. They no longer had a script in their hands, and now they could only rely on speculation to solve the situation.
The eerie creature shrouded in black mist exuded intense hatred with every move, completely unlike the person he knew.
“It’s too frightening.” Zhu Yanchen heard someone beside him sigh. “What is that thing exactly? Is it trying to assassinate Zhu Lao?”
“Don’t worry about anything else. Continue setting up the purifiers.”
“…Understood, sir.”
Xia Yufeng didn’t like commanding from the outside. In order to maintain his image as a fake, Zhu Yanchen climbed back into the car and closed his eyes.
He had lived for more than ten years in the worst-case scenario, and countless terrible assumptions exploded in his mind. As long as Zhu Sheng was killed, humanity would inevitably fall into chaos. What Shu Jun wanted was the survival of synthetic humans, not peaceful coexistence between humans and synthetics.
Those negative emotions didn’t disappear from within him. There was still a possibility of Shu Jun losing control—for example, he could have waited for Zhu Sheng to leave and then launched the attack, but he acted now and changed the plan.
As “Marshal Zhu”, he had ten thousand reasons to doubt the other party and assist in the attack.
Behind the tightly sealed mask, Zhu Yanchen slowly revealed a satisfied smile. After walking alone for so long, he had almost forgotten how good it felt to trust someone.
It was as if his entire heart had become lighter.
“Sir, isn’t the layout of this place problematic?” One of his subordinates tapped on the car window. “If it breaks out from this spot, our encirclement might collapse.”
“We don’t have enough purifiers. We must prioritize Zhu Lao’s safety.” Zhu Yanchen had already prepared an excuse. “This gap is enough to hold the monster.”
“But if one of them goes down, then here—”
“There’s no other choice. Zhu Lao’s safety comes first,” Zhu Yanchen repeated, gripping the steering wheel tightly. “Bring a spare purifier onto the car. I’ll go inside the building for support.”
“But you just said we don’t have enough purifiers.” The subordinate squeezed the words out through his teeth. “Sir, this one can be used to reinforce the encirclement.”
“Zhu Lao is under attack. I need to go in and distract it.” Zhu Yanchen imitated Xia Yufeng’s tone. “The concentration of erosion inside is so high. I can’t just drive in there without any protection.”
“But Zhu Lao said—”
“I’m your direct superior.”
As soon as the purifier was in position, Zhu Yanchen stepped on the accelerator. The expensive armored vehicle broke through the black mist and headed straight towards the monster.
The purifier on the car was set to maximum, quickly thinning the black mist. The monster seemed to be provoked and raised its hand to strike the armored vehicle, diverting its attention away from Zhu Sheng for the first time. As it turned around, it was riddled with bullets from Zhu Sheng’s elite troops.
It let out a mournful scream.
The black mist descended entirely, rapidly churning around the armored vehicle, becoming so thick that it seemed to solidify, as if it wanted to drown the car’s owner alive in the mist.
Zhu Sheng lowered his gaze, looking at the vehicle in the courtyard—his expression constantly changing.
Relying on the thick anti-erosion coating, the armored vehicle rampaged through the courtyard, crushing the lower body of the monster. Deprived of its erosion supply, the colossal creature gradually collapsed, clawing at the ground and moving forward in an extremely eerie manner. Its attention was completely absorbed by the armored vehicle making its actions carry an unstoppable momentum.
On the verge of being swallowed by the black mist, the armored vehicle turned towards the gate, accelerating once again, barely exposing its front from the mist. The enraged monster chased after it, now reduced to only its upper body, but its wings continued flapping, allowing it to climb rapidly.
The armored vehicle started circling around the stronghold, luring the monster towards the perimeter of the purifier network to wear it down. The creature clearly sensed this scheme, and its tattered wings stirred up strong winds. It targeted a weak spot in the encirclement and managed to topple several heavy purifiers.
A breach was torn in the purifier network.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Marshal Zhu immediately increased the vehicle’s speed to the maximum, intending to make up for the loss and lead the freed monster away from the stronghold. Under continuous fire from numerous purification guns, the armored vehicle was enveloped in black mist and headed towards the depths of the wilderness.
That clever Xia Yufeng had ultimately let it escape. Zhu Sheng’s face turned extremely ugly as he glanced at the claw marks and cracks on the glass, fiercely knocking his cane on the floor.
In the wilderness, the black mist gradually dissipated, revealing the erosion net behind the armored vehicle—
The synths hung from the erosion net, surrounded by thick layers of erosion, being dragged behind the armored vehicle. Covered by dense black mist, no one noticed anything amiss as they escaped right under the eyes of the humans.
All thanks to the reckless intruder who burst in.
In a safe area, Shu Jun directly severed the erosion net. The synths lay scattered on the muddy ground like dried fish in a fishing net. The erosion net gradually transformed into pure erosion, blending into the wet mud.
Including Chai Xuyang, more than half of the thirty-something people were vomiting. However, the team had only experienced a rough journey, which was still better than being caught by the humans.
Shu Jun was indeed terrifying, and the strength of the human elite team was also awe-inspiring. They had never seen those intricately designed weapon-type purifiers before—they were powerful, but they required a high-erosion environment for adaptation. Even if Shu Jun had allowed them to seek revenge, they still wouldn’t have been able to lay a finger on Zhu Sheng.
The makeshift team lay sprawled in the wilderness, immersed in a long silence.
“…Let’s wait for Captain Shu to return and discuss it thoroughly.” Chai Xuyang was the first to speak. “Even if we want revenge, we need a more meticulous plan and more people.”
“I’m more concerned about Shu Jun’s abilities.” Another team member sighed. “If each of us could possess that kind of power, who needs a meticulous plan?”
“Speaking of this, why did Shu Jun abandon us?”
“It’s simple. He didn’t want any casualties in advance. That car just now could definitely ‘escape’ back to the base, so he had to drop us off beforehand. Once he drove the car far away, he would definitely come back.”
“That makes sense.”
“In terms of the outcome, can we consider this operation a success?”
“Judging from the results… I guess so.”
A few kilometers away.
Making sure there was no one around, Shu Jun dispersed the camouflage material and collapsed in a prone position on the muddy ground. “I’m exhausted.”
Zhu Yanchen got out of the car and stepped on the black mud with his military boots. “Why did you change the plan suddenly?”
“A’Yan.” Shu Jun grinned, revealing a big smile. “The plan did change, but we cooperated well together.”
Marshal Zhu reluctantly lifted his face mask. “Answer my question. Why didn’t you wait for Zhu Sheng to leave before making a move?”
Shu Jun turned his head; his vertical pupils contracted, giving a meaningful look in his eyes. “Because suddenly I felt that the destruction plan was better. Kill Zhu Sheng first, then wait for Luo Duan to kill Yi Ning, and completely suppress humanity—”
As he said this, he reached out and grabbed Zhu Yanchen, throwing him to the ground.
“When Sigma comes knocking, I’ll use human resources to destroy it and ensure the survival of the synthetic humans and a few useful humans.”
With that, he leaned down and teased Zhu Yanchen’s throat with his canine teeth as if he was going to bite.
“You kept playing along.” Marshal Zhu didn’t struggle.
“After fighting so many battles, I naturally would come up with similar ideas.” Shu Jun looked a bit dejected when he realized he didn’t deceive Zhu Yanchen. His Marshal was becoming more cunning and harder to fool. “A’Yan, would you dare say that when you just saw ‘that side of me’, you didn’t consider this possibility?”
He adjusted his posture, and a speck of black mud splashed onto Zhu Yanchen’s face. The black mud dot below his eye looked like a teardrop mole.
“I did consider it.” Zhu Yanchen didn’t deny it. He placed his hand on the back of Shu Jun’s neck, pressing his head down, and their foreheads touched. “But I trust you.”
“You, like this… haa, even if I wanted to do something bad, I wouldn’t have the heart to do it.” Shu Jun’s eyes curved, and his gray-white hair fell softly. “Actually, I was inspired by the original plan and found a better direction.”
“Mm, talk inside the car.” Zhu Yanchen let go of his hand. “You should rest for a while.”
With the ever-dutiful camouflage creatures around, they got into the car, and there was no trace of dirt left on them. This car was assigned to Marshal Zhu, with a comfortable and spacious backseat, along with drinks and food. It was the first time Shu Jun had ridden in such a car, and he forgot about his fatigue, unable to resist poking and prodding with his claws.
“Business.” Zhu Yanchen sighed, handing over a bottle of water.
“What’s the rush? Let me see… It’s best if we wait for another two hours before going back. It will be more thrilling that way.” Shu Jun retracted his messy claws and chugged the entire bottle of water in one breath. “Forget it, I won’t keep you in suspense—actually, it’s simple. Since we were able to use the ‘synthetic human threat’ to force the stronghold to strengthen its defense, indirectly protecting the children, why can’t we use the ‘synthetic human threat’ to force Zhu Sheng to enhance the defense and protect Y City?”
Zhu Yanchen was slightly taken aback.
“I promised my compatriots that I wouldn’t let them fight to protect humanity anymore, and I intend to keep that promise.”
As Shu Jun spoke, his aura became sharper, getting closer to the monster from earlier.
“But you have considered so much for us, so I want to consider something for you as well. By informing Zhu Sheng in advance about the existence of the mutated Erosion Swamp, if he has any sense, he will immediately strengthen the city defenses in Y City. When Sigma attacks, your compatriots will have a better chance.”
“The premise is that Sigma is willing to attack.” Zhu Yanchen furrowed his brow. “It won’t take unnecessary risks. It will surely wait for both sides to be weakened before making a move.”
“A’Yan, I won’t pretend to be a monster just to scare Zhu Sheng.” Shu Jun narrowed his eyes. “Besides, that image can be reused.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s not easy to explain in just a few words. We need to discuss and refine the next actions together.” Shu Jun sighed. “But two hours from now, you’ll have to ‘escape’ back to the base. Let’s wrap up this operation first.”
He flipped over, sat on Zhu Yanchen’s thigh, and used his claw tip to hook the collar of his clothes. “To play the role of an escapee, you have to look more disheveled.”
Sure enough, Marshal Zhu froze in his seat again.
Shu Jun laughed for a long time, almost bursting into tears. When he finished laughing, he reached out and gently stroked the other’s cheek with his palm.
“…Thank you.” He leaned in gently. “Thank you for believing in me, A’Yan.”
On ordinary days, he had to calm his compatriots and couldn’t let his emotions get out of control. On the other hand, Shu Jun didn’t want to use Zhu Yanchen as a venting outlet, so he had to suppress the darkness brought by the Erosion Swamp deep in his heart. He had released it during the battle just now. Now, that darkness blended with Zhu Yanchen’s body temperature and settled down once again.
He let out a long breath and lightly kissed the tip of Zhu Yanchen’s nose.
“My Grand Marshal, we’ve talked about important matters. What do you plan to do with the remaining time?”
A strand of erosion substance climbed along his fingers, slipped into Zhu Yanchen’s collar, and sensually brushed against his collarbone. Marshal Zhu quietly gazed at the person on his lap for a while, then grabbed Shu Jun’s collar and pulled him in for a deep and passionate kiss.
“I should be the one saying thank you.” After a long kiss, Zhu Yanchen responded with slight breathlessness.
“Ohhh—” Shu Jun elongated his voice and unbuttoned the top button of Zhu Yanchen’s clothes with a bite. “Don’t misunderstand. I’m not interested in helping humanity. I’m only interested in you.”
“…I understand.”
“Good, as long as you understand.” Shu Jun closed the car windows, and in the darkness, the sensation of their skin touching became particularly clear. “Since we both have gratitude, how about we commit ourselves to each other?”
Zhu Yanchen remained sitting upright while his hands firmly held the waist of the person on his lap, feeling the supple and warm muscles beneath his palms.
“That’s a good idea,” he replied.
The author has something to say:
It’s not an exhilarating chase, but more like running on the beach (×
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