No wonder before he recovered his memory, Zhu Yanchen never mentioned that they were friends.
They knew each other when they were too young, and the reality in front of them was too heavy. What could Marshal Zhu say? We said goodnight to each other every day when we were kids, so you have to trust me?
Imagining Zhu Yanchen saying this with a straight face, the half-asleep Shu Jun felt like laughing.
Although his memory hadn’t fully returned, he remembered the trivial things they had done together. If mentioned alone, any one of them would be too childish to be laughed at. But they did make a difference—adding a little fire to the dull memories and gradually warming them up.
He had once had such a special friend.
A sour feeling rose in Shu Jun’s heart. Sixteen years ago, he didn’t understand, but now he could guess the reason why Smoke cried that night.
Sixteen years had passed, and this person’s shell seemed to have been replaced, but inside was still a familiar breath.
He sensed a familiar feeling. With his memory not yet complete, naturally Shu Jun wouldn’t be naive enough to let down his guard. However, at this moment, the pain in his chest was real.
Shu Jun finally mustered the strength to move his sore and weak arms and hug Zhu Yanchen’s back.
“Are you awake?” Zhu Yanchen asked with a barely perceptible tension in his voice.
“You’ve lost some weight.” Shu Jun quickly regained his spirits after taking a break. “Back then, I could hug you and spin around in place.”
Zhu Yanchen: “…”
The darkness around them was cold and gloomy, but the atmosphere didn’t feel heavy.
As soon as Shu Jun spoke, Monday quickly recognized his voice and began to howl in various pitches. Shu Jun didn’t let go of Zhu Yanchen and buried his face in his shoulder, quietly waiting for a while.
Zhu Yanchen didn’t say anything either. He reached out, and the tattered fabric of his glove slipped over Shu Jun’s neck.
“Let’s go back.”
“Don’t we need a long-awaited reunion hug?”
“… ” Zhu Yanchen was silent for a few seconds. “We can hug since it’s a long-awaited reunion, but you should put on some clothes first.”
Only then did Shu Jun realize that he was almost naked, and Zhu Yanchen’s clothes were also a mess. Something was off in the picture.
He had regained much of his memory and thought he could adapt to these physical contacts. Back then, he had given Smoke a lot of physical training guidance, and children’s play and hugs were a natural part of it. He hadn’t felt any restraint or awkwardness back then—children of eleven or twelve were innocent enough that it was impossible to taint their relationship.
It was confirmed that Marshal Zhu was indeed his childhood best friend, and all those question marks in his mind finally disappeared. Their compatible personalities were the result of being together night and day, and their closeness came from the nostalgia of reuniting after a long separation. There was no hint of any ambiguous thoughts, but rather just their subconscious playing tricks on them.
…That was what Shu Jun had intended to think, but reality was beyond his control.
Something was off.
He couldn’t keep his composure, and the sensation was peculiar, like their skins burning as they touched. With the memories now fresh in his mind, Shu Jun, as a healthy adult, immediately realized what the problem was—that deadly hint of romance wasn’t dead at all but rather stirred up a few sparks of anger.
This was terrible.
Shu Jun took a few deep breaths to calm his heart rate. “Okay, hold on, let me practice my ability a bit.”
He reached out and touched the Erosion Swamp on one side of his hand. The Mirror Erosion Swamp was much easier to control than that of the Sweet Edge, and the erosion substance slowly crawled up his arm, taking on the form of a protective suit.
Then, he pulled out Monday, and the erosion substance wrapped around the blade, forming a wide cloth that covered its screaming mouth. Satisfied with his control, he then turned to repair Zhu Yanchen’s clothes.
Unfortunately, his “Replication” ability malfunctioned on Zhu Yanchen.
Not wanting to be pulled into the Zhu Black Factory, the erosion substance refused to cooperate and floated on Marshal Zhu’s skin, giving him the appearance of wearing a spacesuit. He looked like he was about to float away.
“You’ll have to put up with it for now.” Shu Jun laughed wryly as he withdrew his ability.
Zhu Yanchen picked up his broken mask with a particularly gentle gaze. “Mm.”
Shu Jun was the first to stand up and offer his hand to Zhu Yanchen. “As for how much I remember… A’Yan, ‘Let’s call it a day and go home first’.”
Zhu Yanchen held onto Shu Jun’s hand. The black eyes behind the mask were full of excitement.
A hurricane suddenly rose, and the broken erosion substance swirled around them. Shu Jun hugged Zhu Yanchen’s waist, and the two flew into the sky. Below the clouds, Zhu Yanchen closed his eyes in peace, exuding a sense of contentment. Shu Jun silently opened his wind shield, flying slower than before, but he had never felt so stable.
In less than an hour, Shu Jun had thought of many things—from Zhu Yanchen’s experiences over the years to the path they would take in the future.
And the sudden throb just now.
It may have been a momentary impulse, or it may have been a slight mistake caused by the suspension bridge effect*. But it was definitely a throb, perhaps mixed with heartache and longing.
*It comes from a psychology term misattribution of arousal which is the process whereby people make mistakes in assuming what is causing them to feel aroused. The initial demonstration to test out this theory was done on a suspension bridge, which is why it is also called as such.
This conclusion was too shocking. Shu Jun’s heart jumped up to his throat, and he almost choked. With the two of them so close now, their blood was pounding in their brains, and the other’s body temperature felt like it was electrified, making him tingle all over and unable to think clearly.
Fortunately, Captain Shu was able to quickly suppress these anomalies after experiencing many storms and waves. Zhu Yanchen was his treasured friend and most powerful collaborator. Now that the other person saw him as a friend, he couldn’t do anything that might cause trouble during times of tension.
But liking was liking, and Shu Jun didn’t plan to intentionally suppress that romantic seed. Before the smoke cleared, the two would continue to interact normally. Whether they water or weed that seed in the future would be up to fate.
Thinking about this, he silently strengthened his wind shield to prevent the tired Marshal Zhu from being blown away.
Shu Jun wasn’t the only one with huge waves in his mind.
After that hug, Marshal Zhu also felt that something was off. Shu Jun remembered many things, which was something to be happy about. But now he not only felt it wasn’t enough, but even felt inexplicably disappointed—
Shu Jun’s attitude just now was clearly that of treating a friend. Marshal Zhu had once anticipated this moment, but when Shu Jun hugged him candidly, he felt a subtle sense of dissatisfaction.
This wasn’t what he wanted.
Marshal Zhu secretly tightened his grip on Shu Jun’s back. What kind of expression would he have when Shu Jun remembered everything?
Emotions for those close to him were like a vine, with fine tendrils climbing all over his life. It was mixed with too many things and gradually turned into an uncontrollable desire.
As the one with the upper hand, he didn’t intend to let this desire spread. Otherwise, even if Shu Jun responded, he wouldn’t be able to tell if he was truly willing or just complying to maintain their partnership.
There was plenty of time in the future, and he happened to have plenty of patience.
At the border of the erosion zone, the Blackbirds vanguard team had already returned to their camp.
Yu Jin was still stunned, while Hu Yan had already found a good excuse to cover up. The vice captain was indeed reliable, and Shu Jun was almost moved to tears.
“There was a problem with that instance just now, and the official team came to adjust it. It’s normal for the official team to use their strongest abilities. Where’s the NPC? Just wait a bit. They might come back soon. Maybe there’s even a follow-up plot.” When Shu Jun entered the camp, Hu Yan was pretending to be serious while laughing.
“We found an abandoned mud sled on the way.” Shu Jun made up something with his NPC identity. “A’Yan was worried about me, so I didn’t get on the ship… I fell into the Erosion Swamp and almost couldn’t get up.”
Yu Jin listened to Shu Jun’s nonsense with a blank expression as he stared straight ahead.
“When we left, the official team was still adjusting the Erosion Swamp. We don’t know what happened afterwards. Sorry, I’ll go back to my tent first and change my clothes before we talk.”
Yu Jin saw the two of them heading towards the NPC tent and immediately wanted to go in and demand an explanation. But he didn’t expect Zhu Yanchen to turn around and stop him, shaking his head solemnly.
What’s wrong? He’s not even allowed to see a man change his clothes? It was just that the blow of being turned into a player NPC was too great, so Yu Jin didn’t even bother to care about it and simply waited outside the tent.
In fact, he really couldn’t see it—the purifier was running inside the tent, and when Shu Jun had just stepped in, the makeshift erosion clothes had already evaporated halfway. Shu Jun quickly changed into his protective suit, packed his sword, and gestured for the two outside the tent to come in.
This time it was Marshal Zhu’s turn to change his clothes. Although his clothes were real fabric, Shu Jun couldn’t help but block Yu Jin’s line of sight.
Yu Jin: “…Okay, I know you can’t bear it, so spare me. I came to talk about business.”
Captain Shu has never been thin-skinned. He calmly accepted the first half of what Yu Jin said. “Ask whatever you want.”
In a sense, Yu Jin represented the people of a border settlement. The three of them had a rare opportunity to meet, and Yu Jin had good character and was a pretty good collaborator. However, he was a true bottom-level person who only recognized strength. Displaying strength in a straightforward and brutal way was more effective than talking too much.
“What the hell are you guys?” Yu Jin got straight to the point. “Someone from Blackbirds asked me earlier, and I prevaricated. Now it’s my turn to ask you two.”
“This is a long story.” Shu Jun took a sip of water. “But we’ve met before…”
……
Half an hour later, Yu Jin emerged from the tent. His face was now fluorescent yellow, which matched his hair color perfectly.
Naturally, it was impossible for Shu Jun to reveal everything, let alone Zhu Yanchen’s identity. He only used the name of a surviving player and tried to persuade him with both emotion and reason. As a result, Shu Jun’s mouth was almost dry, and Yu Jin’s facial features were still twisted together.
Zhu Yanchen only added a few words. “The United Government plans to increase the production of synthetic humans, and you will be the first to be laid off when the time comes. You know this better than I do.”
He straightened his new clothes’ cuffs, and his gaze was as deep as water.
“If there is a conflict between the United Government and the players, you will also be the first to be sent to the battlefield to fuel the conflict. Is this what you want?”
Shu Jun, who was trying to be more tactful: “……”
Yu Jin stood there, sighing heavily for a long time. After a while, he shook hands with the two of them, looking gloomy as he left the tent.
“Should I intervene in Hu Yan’s report? After all, his ‘NPC’ affected quite a few people. What if…”
“It’s okay.” Zhu Yanchen shook his head. “Let him report as he wishes. I know how the higher-ups will judge it.”
He then earnestly touched Shu Jun’s forehead. “The top priority is to return to Y City and check your physical condition as soon as possible. From what we can see now, your memory recovery is likely related to these two battles.”
“Mm.” Shu Jun enjoyed the warmth on his forehead. “But before that, I still need to explain to Hu Yan.”
“What?”
“About the hair and the eyes—I didn’t intentionally create a visual effect. It was all arranged by <Erosion>.”
“……”
Not long after, in the Y City command center.
Yi Ning looked at the report in front of him, his brow furrowing in frustration.
The Blackbirds’ report was quite strange—this time, the Erosion Swamp seemed exceptionally abnormal in terms of ability. And there was a mysterious “official” mentioned in the report—someone who seemed to possess multiple abilities, but nobody could see his face.
According to Blackbirds’ eyewitnesses, the person’s weapon appeared to be a pitch-black mace, which also made strange noises. However, the two team members were extremely weak, and their testimony couldn’t be fully trusted.
The NPCs who escaped also submitted a report, only mentioning that the person’s appearance was abnormal and not human-like. They were too focused on running for their lives to notice any more details.
In terms of results, the strange Erosion Swamp had disappeared, but the whole incident was shrouded in mystery.
“I’ll take a look. The Blackbirds report will be made public sooner or later, so it doesn’t matter now.”
A hand reached out to Yi Ning. It was clearly an aggressive action, but Luo Duan made it seem particularly gentle.
“…And you look quite troubled.”
Lately, Luo Duan had been coming to him more and more frequently, so Yi Ning had already hidden all sensitive information. This team captain was very good at handling people and gave useful suggestions, so he couldn’t just kick Luo Duan out.
God knew why Luo Duan’s injury was healing so slowly. It seemed he needed to find Dr. Ai to have a special look.
“Go ahead.” Yi Ning nodded, allowing Luo Duan to proceed.
“Thank you.” Luo Duan smiled. “These guides are quite interesting. Can I invite Groundwater to do the next mission?”
“As long as they’re willing… Speaking of which, I have to go to the theater tomorrow afternoon. The Xia family is holding a celebratory concert to commemorate Zhu Yanchen’s return, and I have to attend—you don’t need to attend.”
“Okay.” Luo Duan’s smile grew even wider. “I’ll probably still come to check things out since I have nothing else to do. You know, plans always change faster than expected, don’t they?”
The author has something to say:
Both of them realized it and then…
Shu Ge: What a good friend. I can’t take advantage of him.
Marshal Shu: What a good friend, I can’t take advantage of him.
When there’s a contrast between friendship and love, love is even harder to hide (.
On the second night, at eight, there was a knock on the door of Shu Jun’s home. Sure enough, Smoke had come, and he had prepared for it with joy.
Shu Jun didn’t have many friends at school. He spent most of his time studying and training, and at most, he would play games online with his friends at night. Perhaps it was because he was used to living alone, but Shu Jun didn’t feel that there was anything wrong with his situation.
But Smoke was different. He was the first special friend that Shu Jun had ever met—a friend he could hang out with in his free time.
“You’re here.” Shu Jun eagerly opened the door.
Smoke stood at the door, looking more relaxed than yesterday, but still a little restrained.
“I applied for my allowance this month and bought a cabinet full of snacks.” Shu Jun puffed out his chest, as if he were a wealthy man with tons of gold. “You can eat as much as you want.”
“I brought a gift.” Smoke whispered and pulled out a small book from his pocket. “It’s a tactics textbook from my side. I memorized it, and we can study it together.”
Then he seemed quite embarrassed. “I only have this one book. I haven’t learned anything else.”
“Come in, come in.” Shu Jun pulled Smoke through the door and opened a package of snacks. “How long can you play? Will your mom come to pick you up?”
At this moment, Smoke was sitting upright on the sofa. When he heard this question, his face turned ashen.
“My mother isn’t well. She goes to bed at 7:30 and sleeps until the afternoon of the next day. I come over every afternoon to accompany her, and spend the night alone, then go… somewhere else in the morning.”
Smoke stared at the table. “But she doesn’t mind me making friends with you. When we’re done playing, the nanny will come to pick me up.”
However, the two of them played until the early hours of the morning, and it became a sure thing that Smoke would stay the night.
Shu Jun looked at the time listlessly. Although Smoke was introverted, when they chatted, they were exceptionally happy, as if they could naturally know what the other was thinking.
He hadn’t been this happy in a long time.
Previously, Smoke had taught him tactics, so Shu Jun had thought about helping him with his strength training. He kept a close eye on Smoke’s movements until they were exhausted from playing sports games, and they decided to take a break before competing in tactics.
“Don’t you have training at school?” Shu Jun took a sip of his drink.
“I don’t go to school. My family hires a private tutor.” Even though he was exhausted, Smoke’s posture was still very proper. “They only teach things like etiquette, literature, and math. There’s no physical training.”
“But you’ve had tactics classes.” Shu Jun opened the small book and could tell that Smoke had studied it very seriously, with extra notes on many passages. “Why didn’t you continue?”
Could it be that something happened during the class that made Smoke’s mother so opposed to anything related to tactics?
Smoke’s body, which had been relaxed, became tense again at this question. “I don’t know either. According to my father’s arrangements, I was supposed to enter school, but she just wouldn’t agree… My physical condition, personality, and grades are all bad; my father doesn’t like me, so it’s up to her.”
Shu Jun: “…” The more he heard about Smoke’s family situation, the stranger it seemed.
“As for the reason, my mom mentioned it once—she said some talents don’t disappear and some imprints are engraved in the brain and can never be erased for a lifetime.”
“I don’t understand,” Shu Jun said, feeling a little dizzy.
“Neither do I.” Smoke took a sip of his drink awkwardly, coughing and almost spilling it. “Ahem… But she also said that once I’m sixteen and still want to follow my father, she won’t stop me.”
Shu Jun took out a handkerchief and wiped Smoke’s mouth. “Your family is complicated, but school is just school. The teachers don’t like me very much.”
Smoke spilled his drink and was wiping the table awkwardly. Hearing this, he turned his head in surprise.
“Because I don’t listen,” Shu Jun grumbled. “If I don’t give standard tactics, I get penalized, and if the tactics aren’t effective, I get double penalized. My tactics scores are terrible, and I rely on evenly distributing points in single combat. If I can’t pass the simulation test in the end, I’ll be advised to drop out.”
“Drop out?”
“I’ll be transferred to the ordinary level, and I definitely won’t be able to enter a good combat team. But following those standard tactics is just so boring… A’Yan, your tactics are much better-looking than theirs!”
This time, Smoke didn’t blush from the compliment, but his ears flushed, and he was silent for almost half a minute.
“Then let’s get started.” After half a minute, Smoke shook his clothes that were wet from his spilled drink. “Can I borrow your bathroom? I want to deal with my clothes first.”
“Oh, sure. I’ll get you some clean clothes.”
Shu Jun took out a T-shirt from the closet and walked into the bathroom, only to find that Smoke was staring at a corner of the bathroom in a daze.
There was a small vase on the sink with a bunch of flowers in it. With new technology, these flowers could last a long time, and the manager would change the variety every week. Shu Jun had always treated it as a decoration.
But Smoke held his breath and gently touched the velvety petals of the flowers.
The flowers in the vase this week were bellflowers. “Do you like flowers?” Shu Jun asked as he threw a t-shirt to Smoke.
“This flower isn’t common where I live.” Smoke still hadn’t taken off his dirty clothes and just held the t-shirt carefully to avoid staining it.
“I heard there’s a huge flower field outside the city, and they even built an observation tower.” Shu Jun said enthusiastically, “When I become a team member, I can leave the city. We can go see it together.”
Smoke turned his head, and that strange expression appeared again. He seemed to be enduring something painful, as his eyes showed a hint of sadness. Then he turned away, and Shu Jun couldn’t see his face.
“Okay,” he murmured vaguely. “You can go out first. I’ll change my clothes and come find you.”
From that day on, Smoke became especially serious about strategy games, and Shu Jun cherished their friendship even more. The way children expressed their affection was simple: They remembered what you said and shared with you what they liked.
At first, Shu Jun would just share some snacks, but later on, the pies at the school cafeteria was particularly delicious, and he would save a piece to take home. Unfortunately, Shu Jun had no experience storing food, so by the time he got home, the pie was cold and greasy.
But Smoke still ate it all without saying a word.
Smoke’s family education was quite strict, so he couldn’t bring practical gifts and instead brought a brain full of strategic knowledge every time he came over. Shu Jun had never heard of those battles, and the school didn’t teach them macro-battlefield analysis, so he was very happy to listen.
Later, Smoke’s sleepovers became the norm—every time Shu Jun finished school, his secret friend would come to play. And before school, they would have breakfast together.
He was no longer alone but could happily say “see you tomorrow”. If Smoke hadn’t earnestly requested that he keep it a secret, Shu Jun would have wanted to publicize this magical friend throughout the school.
They never even had a fight.
Shu Jun thought he had gained a true brother, but after six months of being together, things finally started to go wrong.
It was during a festival, and the whole city was celebrating. Shu Jun loved this day, as the streets were filled with people and the night was lively—after Smoke appeared, he looked forward to the festival even more. He had never stayed out with a friend so late, watching the beautiful fireworks burst in the sky.
That night, as soon as Smoke arrived, Shu Jun brought out two backpacks.
“I’m all ready!” His nose was pointed high in the sky with an expression saying “praise me”. “A’Yan, let’s go to the river. I know a great place to watch.”
Smoke opened his mouth a little hesitantly.
“It’s okay, there are a lot of people, but it won’t be too crowded.” After half a year, Shu Jun had figured out his friend’s temperament. Smoke didn’t like places with too many people, and he had considered this factor early on.
And Smoke always trusted him. Sure enough, Smoke obediently nodded his head and carefully slung the backpack on.
Shu Jun happily grinned and added a few flowers to his backpack.
Smoke had looked increasingly unhappy lately. Even though he was trying to suppress it, Shu Jun could still tell. Maybe taking him to a lively place could improve his mood a bit.
He even made a small firework as a surprise.
At night, the riverside was packed with people. Shu Jun scurried through the crowds like a monkey, and eventually climbed onto a low building by the riverbank, using the gaps between walls and windowsills. Down below, masses of people bustled about. Sitting on the edge of the roof, Shu Jun swayed his legs with excitement while Smoke, who wasn’t as coordinated, kept his knees close together and his hands on his knees.
“At midnight, the sky will be filled with fireworks, and they’re especially beautiful.” Shu Jun gestured with excitement, enjoying the cool breeze. “This is my special viewing spot. The view is amazing!”
Smoke, however, didn’t look up at the sky. His eyes were down on the bustling crowd below.
“Right, there aren’t usually many people at night. This is your first time seeing so many people, right? Look over there, those are my classmates. The one in the blue shirt! She and her family came out too.”
The expression on Smoke’s face was slightly bitter. Shu Jun thought perhaps it was too dark at night, and he had misread it.
“And those two over there are my classmates too. They’re brothers. Hey, I’ve been keeping my tactical grades in check. I’m going to soar to the top in the simulation test and scare them! When I get first place, I’ll treat you to a big meal.”
His two classmates were having fun playing around, and their laughter was clearly audible.
“Okay.”
“Ah, do you see that person over there? That’s the Blackbirds captain, Xu Kan, who I particularly admire!” Shu Jun stretched his neck. “Quickly look, A’Yan—Captain Xu just retired and is supposed to be taking a long vacation abroad with his family. See, isn’t he handsome!”
Xu Kan was standing by the riverbank with a little girl about eight years old perched on his shoulder. He was laughing and talking with his wife, and the festival lights reflected off his eyes.
“His daughter goes to our school too, and she’s also taking a long vacation. I’m so envious.”
Occasionally, laughter rang out from the crowds. In another half a minute, the colorful fireworks would fill the night sky. As usual, everyone would make their own wishes.
The wishes were simple; most wished for family harmony and good health.
But Shu Jun had no family, and there was nothing to worry about with his health. He had long decided on his wish—he hoped to be long-time friends with Smoke.
He didn’t know what Smoke would wish for and turned his head to look at him.
Smoke’s eyes were red.
Lights dotted the crowds, and everyone was smiling. The gentle evening breeze blew, and the river water washed gently against the bank as the whole city was lit up. Everything was incredibly beautiful.
The fireworks exploded.
Dazzling colors jumped in the air. People looked up, and their smiles grew wider. Xu Kan’s daughter was screaming with excitement, the two boys were shouting into the sky, the crowd was buzzing, and countless families touched each other like a dance.
But Shu Jun didn’t look at the sky. He worriedly looked at his friend.
The fireworks illuminated the entire night sky and also lit up Smoke’s tear-streaked face. He didn’t convulse or choke, and his breathing didn’t change too much, but tears kept streaming down.
Smoke tried to wipe his tears with his hand, but the tears seemed to be endless. Finally, he started to sniffle.
“Are you feeling unwell?” Shu Jun lost his mood for watching the fireworks. He wanted to make Smoke happy, but it seemed to have the opposite effect.
“I have…I have something I want to ask you.” Smoke’s voice was hoarse. “If everyone tells you that a certain behavior is right, but you feel like something is not quite right… What would you do?”
“Uh, I don’t know.” Shu Jun was frightened by Smoke’s tears—he had never seen Smoke shed a tear in the past six months. “But, if you feel like something is not quite right, then you should think about it more?”
“Well, I’ve thought a lot about it,” Smoke said softly, tears still streaming down his face. “I’ll keep thinking about it.”
“And… and you’re the most amazing person I’ve ever met, so if you feel like something is not right, you must have your own reasons.”
Shu Jun searched his brain, trying to find the right words.
“Shall we call it a night and head back home?”
On the way back home, Smoke remained silent. However, before going to sleep, Smoke suddenly leaned over and kissed Shu Jun on the forehead.
Shu Jun was taken aback.
“That means ‘goodnight’,” Smoke said hoarsely. “I read in a book that it’s a way to say goodnight to someone ‘important’.”
“Our teacher said that a kiss means ‘like’,” Shu Jun pointed out seriously.
“A kiss on the cheek means ‘like’.” Smoke turned over. “Goodnight, let’s sleep.”
“Goodnight… A’Yan, are you okay now?”
“……”
Smoke didn’t answer.
And Shu Jun’s memory stopped there, once again falling into an unnatural darkness.
The Mirror Erosion Swamp collapsed, and the area around them became a little brighter with the moving light source tremblingly floating. Limbless human skin balloons lay stiffly on the ground; their pale skin tinged black from the Erosion Swamp, forming a strange sea of corpses.
Shu Jun knelt by the Erosion Swamp and supported his almost naked body with his greatsword. The fragments of the Erosion Swamp’s brain slowly reassembled, and viscous erosion clumps coalesced and slid over his cheeks, neck, and chest. Unlike the human skin balloons around him, his slightly dull skin and gray-white hair became particularly noticeable, seeming to be the only living things in the world.
But that wasn’t all.
A peculiar web-like erosion hung from Shu Jun’s back, spider-webbing between his back and the ground. The Erosion Swamp on the ground submerged his calves and wrapped around his ankles. Coupled with Shu Jun’s handsome face, it created a scene of strange beauty.
Zhu Yanchen thought he was hallucinating—as if the concept of “natural disaster” had turned into the person in front of him.
There was only one thing out of place.
Seeing Zhu Yanchen approach, Shu Jun smiled. His spirit didn’t seem sober, but there was no malice in his smile, which was so pure that it was shocking. He reached out and pressed his hand against Zhu Yanchen’s chest, and the connecting flesh turned into a branding iron.
“Long time no see,” he said.
Then Shu Jun’s entire body went limp. Zhu Yanchen caught him in his arms in time, holding him tightly. Shu Jun’s breathing was even, and his eyes were tightly closed, probably due to physical exhaustion after the outburst.
Zhu Yanchen sat firmly on the ground, hugging the person in his arms tightly, and stopped moving. The surrounding Erosion Swamp squeezed out into a circle, avoiding him like he was a snake or scorpion*.
*Idiom used to describe someone who’s particularly unpleasant or harmful to be around, as if they were dangerous like venomous snakes or scorpions.
The wind gradually picked up around them. The swamp was bubbling as the human skin balloons’ popping echoed continuously. Monday lay on one side as it muttered intermittently, letting out a few unkind words. Zhu Yanchen tightly wrapped the coat on Shu Jun’s back and closed his eyes.
“Sleep,” he whispered to Shu Jun. “I’ll be right here waiting for you.”
Shu Jun sighed lightly.
He was completely exhausted, and his spirit was shattered. His eyelids were as heavy as if they were hung with two lead weights, and he couldn’t even tell if he was asleep. He tried to control his limbs but couldn’t even move his fingers. His thoughts became even more muddled, and the fear of losing control over his body gradually gripped him.
Fortunately, his legs were cold, and Zhu Yanchen’s embrace was scorching hot. Being held tightly by Zhu Yanchen finally brought some peace of mind in the midst of his uncontrollable panic.
Half asleep and half awake, he finally felt that the battle was over. The Mirror Erosion Swamp left them with more mysteries, but at least one thing was clear—
This time, Shu Jun didn’t need to search for memories in his dreams. During the battle, his head throbbed, and memories rushed back to him. As for the dream he had before, Shu Jun remembered the follow-up.
“Then I’ll call you A’Yan,” he said to the lost child sixteen years ago on that night.
Immediately, he realized that the child in front of him looked familiar—he seemed to have seen an NPC with a similar appearance before.
“Have we met before? During the mission to save Yu Jin, I remember you were on the NPC side. It’s me, Shu Jun, S-001 in <Erosion>!” Shu Jun asked directly.
At that time, he was wearing a protective mask, so it was normal for the other person not to recognize him. Although they were not part of <Erosion>, this child was probably just a facial model for an NPC, so asking an extra question wouldn’t hurt. Shu Jun never suppressed his curiosity.
The child named “Smoke” stared blankly, and his gaze towards Shu Jun gradually became complex. After a while, he said, “I remember you. But I’m not an NPC. That was… That was a role-playing experience level.”
As he said this, Smoke kept twisting his fingers, as if struggling with something.
“As I thought. It’s really you!”
Shu Jun was instantly happy. Although he hadn’t heard of any experience levels, he assumed it was a new game mode for rich people and decided not to worry about it. “Where do you live? I’ll take you home. Can I find you to play in the future? You were really cool that time!”
Smoke’s ears turned red. He struggled for a while and replied in a low voice, “Thank you.”
After a few seconds of silence, he raised his head and looked at Shu Jun seriously. “My place is a bit far. I need to take a car, so you can’t send me.”
“Really? There are no buses at this time. Why don’t I take you to the nearby management office—”
“No.” Smoke’s refusal was quite firm this time.
“You can’t go home, and you don’t want to go to the management office for the night, but I can’t have you sleep outside.” Shu Jun scratched his head. “Why don’t you come to my place…”
“Can I stay at your place for a night?” At the same time, the other person asked tentatively.
“I was just about to ask that. Of course you can!” Shu Jun’s eyes curved. “By the way, you’re so far from home and don’t seem lost. Did you run away from home?”
Smoke shook his head but didn’t explain. He bit his lip and changed the topic. “I… I just don’t want to stay at the management office overnight. And even if I’m sent back, I can only be alone.”
After speaking, he looked a little pleading, like an injured little animal.
With Yu Jin’s mission, Shu Jun already had a great impression of Smoke. Moreover, children were easily attracted to people with good looks. Although at that time Shu Jun considered himself a “mature man” of eleven years old, he still couldn’t escape from the other’s gaze.
Moreover, he understood what it was like to live alone.
“Come on, follow me.” Shu Jun stopped asking. He grabbed Smoke’s hand and led him towards his home, feeling quite happy—everyone liked to communicate through voice or video, but this was his first time entertaining someone of the same age at home.
Shu Jun’s place was a one-bedroom and one-living-room apartment; not too big or too small, and quite clean and comfortable. The kitchen was semi-separated, and the refrigerator contained simple foods with a long shelf life. The hot water in the bathroom never ran out, and the view outside the window was quite pleasant.
After bringing Smoke into the house, Shu Jun opened the refrigerator and took out some milk to heat up. “You can use my communicator. If it’s not convenient, I can also help you contact your family or the management office. Oh, A’Yan, do you want sugar in your milk?”
After finally having a guest, Shu Jun could now play the role of host. When he finished heating up the milk, he happily turned on all the lights in the house and started up the communicator.
Smoke held the hot milk in both hands and stared at the communicator for a while.
“It’s okay.” After a while, Smoke didn’t touch the screen in front of him, and his voice was still low. “I can explain it to them when I go back tomorrow.”
Shu Jun’s gaze suddenly became sharp. He understood that this kid must have had a conflict with his family, and he ran too far away, and was now embarrassed to ask for a ride back. Anyway, his crime had already become history, and the city was very safe, so Smoke probably just wanted to take advantage of the situation and have some fun.
He understood. He understood too well.
“Okay, no need to contact them then. Anyway, I have blankets and pillows at my place.” Shu Jun gulped down the milk and slammed the cup on the table. “Let’s play!”
Smoke sipped the milk with a confused expression on his face.
“What do you usually play with your friends?” Shu Jun started up the augmented reality, and a large number of game icons appeared in the living room. “Not to brag, but I have all kinds of games here.”
“…I don’t know.”
“Ah?” This answer was quite strange. How could someone not know what games they usually play?
“I don’t really play games usually. Um, at home, there are only adults…”
In other words, he didn’t have many friends. Shu Jun couldn’t help but sigh. No wonder he had conflicts with his family. Compared to that, he himself was much freer.
“This is Virtual Combat. I love this one! The only downside is that it requires a lot of physical activity, and if you play too late, you won’t be able to sleep. This one here is chess, but I find it a bit boring. This one is Monster Shooter. Oh, right, do you want to play a shooter?” Shu Jun’s eyes lit up.
Last time, this person was very interested in his gun, and it was clear he hadn’t played much.
Sure enough, Smoke eagerly responded, clumsily jumping off the chair without even wiping the milk off his mouth. Shu Jun could tell that Smoke’s movements weren’t very coordinated. Not to mention formal training, he didn’t even seem to have done much regular exercise.
No wonder he was so thin and weak.
‘What a shame,’ Shu Jun thought. If Smoke was a reserve member of a combat team, he would have been able to block that attack last time. Although his actions were very cool, his physical fitness was really holding him back. Shu Jun rubbed Smoke’s arm a few times, looking rather regretful.
Smoke froze. “…”
Shu Jun then walked around Smoke a few times as his thoughts raced. This person usually didn’t have contact with people his own age, so it wasn’t surprising that he lacked confidence. Perhaps he had a falling out with those child NPCs because of his poor social skills. Since Smoke had taken the initiative to ask to stay overnight, they could at least be considered half-friends.
Even if it was just half, he would do his best to be that half.
A sense of responsibility suddenly arose in Shu Jun’s heart as he handed the controller to Smoke. “Don’t worry if you haven’t played before. I’ll teach you step by step.”
The game started. With the influence of augmented reality, the living room floor turned into a small outpost, and hideous mutant beasts charged at them from the ground and sky.
The two controllers turned into flashing guns.
Shu Jun took the lead. “This is a small game developed based on <Erosion> and the details are similar. Look, the gun needs to be loaded like this… Yes, yes! Is it really your first time using a gun?”
Smoke almost blushed at his praise and looked down.
“Your shooting posture should be like this. Pay attention to the movement of your shoulder. The controller will simulate recoil, so be careful not to hurt yourself.” Shu Jun helped him adjust his posture. “Don’t be nervous. It’s just a game. Okay, three, two, one, fire!”
A mutant beast with an abnormally long arm was shot down and struggled for a while at their feet before disappearing in a burst of light.
Shu Jun had the idea of helping Smoke build confidence, so he purposely led him to shoot down one of the monsters during the tutorial. Although it was just a game, it felt very real. Smoke stared at the gun in his hand, his hand shaking a little.
“It’s your first time. It’s normal to be nervous. It’s okay. It’s not real—”
Before he could finish speaking, Smoke fired again.
For a beginner, Smoke’s accuracy was quite shocking. The monsters moved very fast and weren’t friendly targets. However, even if Smoke failed to get a headshot, he did manage to hit the target without missing a beat.
And he was becoming more and more accurate.
Unable to resist, Shu Jun looked at Smoke’s face—at this moment, Smoke was particularly focused, with no trace of restraint or timidity. His jet-black eyes seemed to be on fire. He seemed rooted to the ground, not even budging when monsters spewed blood and charged at him.
As expected of his friend. Shu Jun thought to himself and became more convinced of his ability to judge people.
After observing for a while, Shu Jun withdrew his gaze from Smoke’s face and instead focused on his body movements, afraid he might accidentally hurt his shoulder. He wasn’t surprised by Smoke’s frightening progress—Shu Jun was also quite talented in combat, and now he found it endearing in Smoke.
Once he confirmed that Smoke had mastered the correct posture, the two started to compete in shooting games.
“You know, you can unlock more small props in this game later on. But they’re all just small weapons with no special features.” Shu Jun introduced while playing. “When I join a team, I’ll definitely choose a super-cool big gun.”
“…These are good enough for me.” Smoke murmured. “I don’t need anything else.”
“Huh? You’re too simple,” Shu Jun exclaimed.
“…”
They had fun playing, but Smoke’s stamina was limited. After an hour, his arms became too weak to lift, so they had to stop. It was Shu Jun who noticed Smoke was covered in sweat and trembling, and suggested they stop.
“My score is much worse than yours…”
“It’s your first time playing. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Besides, the scores aren’t that different.”
“That’s because you let me.”
“I didn’t let you.”
“You did.”
“If we played too long, your shoulder would definitely get injured.” Seeing Smoke’s determined face, Shu Jun pinched his arm and changed the subject. He figured out that Smoke was someone who loved to focus on details. “Let’s play something else. It’s boring to play just one game.”
“Something else?”
“Yeah, even though I prefer fighting games—if we’re talking about multiplayer strategy games, then it’s this one… but I’m not good at it.” Shu Jun brought over two cans of cold drinks and spoke in a quieter voice.
Smoke wiped the sweat off his face with a towel and looked at him curiously.
Shu Jun grinned and started another game.
The desolate horizon turned back into the wall, and the cracked ground of the outpost turned back into the floor. In front of them was a sand table about two square meters in size, and even small black clouds floated above it.
“This is also a mini-game from <Erosion>, which tests your tactical ability. The rules and controls are very simple. Just eliminate the monsters in the field.”
There were countless strategy games, and Shu Jun chose the one he was worst at. Both of them started on equal footing, which was more beneficial for Smoke to discard unnecessary feelings of inferiority.
‘Plus, the games under <Erosion> have the coolest effects,’ Shu Jun thought solemnly.
“Let’s play together. It can have two commanders.”
Smoke hesitated for a moment. “My mom doesn’t let me touch this kind of stuff…”
Are there really such strange parents? Shu Jun was momentarily confused. He had only heard of parents forbidding pure casual games, but tactical games were officially recommended by the school. Parents should be happy if their child shows interest in them.
“You’ve come out by yourself. What are you afraid of? It’s not like you’re doing anything bad, and nobody will know if we don’t tell anyone.”
Smoke was still hesitant. “I actually like this kind of stuff, but my mom got really angry last time when she caught me secretly reading tactical books.”
“Parents aren’t always right.” Shu Jun poked at the little monster on the sand table and spoke seriously. “It’s just tactical planning. It won’t take your money, it won’t teach you bad things, and it won’t get in the way of your work. Maybe your mom has her reasons, but playing for an hour won’t hurt anyone.”
After some persuasion, Smoke agreed. Ten minutes later, Shu Jun discovered that this game could indeed bring confidence to Smoke, and it worked surprisingly well. Unlike the shooting game they played earlier, Shu Jun could deeply feel Smoke’s strength this time.
Smoke took only eight minutes to familiarize himself with the game controls and another two minutes to break through the level. His score was recorded under Shu Jun’s account, and Shu Jun’s level ranking shot up from over 3,000 to top 100.
This was even counting the first eight minutes.
Shu Jun blushed with embarrassment and quietly turned off the score upload.
The school had tested them, and Shu Jun was particularly good at handling predetermined battles. Once the situation became too large and complex, he began to go wild with ideas. As a result, his overall command score had always been low.
This tactical game, however, tested complex situations and command skills. Every time he saw it, his head would hurt. Who would have thought that he would bring back a monster—was Smoke’s mom afraid of scaring others?
What a waste!
This person was clearly so strong, but still restrained!
Shu Jun rolled up his sleeves and said aggrievedly, “Did you see your score? Did you see it? If you hadn’t spent so long getting familiar with the level just now, you could have taken first place. My god, I don’t even know what you’re doing with your head down all the time. If I could achieve such results…”
As he spoke, his eyes began to feel sore. “I’m not convinced! Let’s keep going—”
An hour later, Shu Jun ran into the bathroom and sniffled for a full three minutes. As an eleven-year-old mature young man, he wouldn’t normally be so unrestrained, but his mentality was just too broken. He didn’t know if Smoke had regained his confidence, but his own confidence was almost gone.
Smoke passed a high-difficulty level on his first try, as easily as tying his shoes. Shu Jun had struggled for a long time, and his tactical score only made up a fraction of Smoke’s. Even without the tactical score, Shu Jun was still an excellent student, so he had never experienced such a blow.
Even if he counted the tactical score, no one else in the school was as savage as this guy, right?
With him crying like this, it would be hard for Smoke to think that he deliberately let him win. With tears in his eyes, Shu Jun tried to save face.
“I’m sorry, I… I didn’t mean to win so much. I controlled myself…”
“What are you saying?!” Shu Jun hiccupped. “Listen to yourself!”
Unable to persuade him, Smoke was at a loss. “Your tactics are really good, and there are many angles that I didn’t think of, but they are a bit… scattered. As long as you make a little change, the effect will be just as good as mine.”
Seeing Shu Jun wiping his nose and tears, Smoke started to stutter anxiously.
“Really?” Shu Jun wiped his nose hard.
“Really, I can show you the changes.”
Shu Jun immediately stopped crying. “Tell me.”
Smoke didn’t expect this person to change his mood so quickly and froze on the spot.
“It was me who couldn’t control my emotions.” Shu Jun tore a piece of paper. “After all, I’m older than you, so I shouldn’t be like this… By the way, how old are you?”
“Twelve.”
“…” A tear slowly fell from the corner of Shu Jun’s eye. So he was actually the younger one.
“Wuuu.” He sniffed again, sadly. “Brother, please tell me how to improve my tactics from earlier?”
Smoke: “…”
Smoke: “…How about we analyze it?”
Shu Jun’s sadness came and went quickly. The two kids played and chattered until dawn, and Shu Jun satisfactorily took notes. On the other hand, Smoke’s expression and movements became more natural, and even a smile appeared on his face.
“Can you come play with me in the future?” Shu Jun made room for Smoke on the bed. “Or I can come play with you?”
“I… I’ll talk to my family when I go home tomorrow.” Smoke grabbed the edge of the blanket tightly. “It should be okay. Anyway, I’ve been alone at night. If it’s not okay, I can come out by myself.”
“Okay.” Shu Jun yawned. “We made a promise, okay?”
Smoke hesitated for a moment, carefully reached out his hand, and shook Shu Jun’s hand.
“Good night.”
“Good night.”
Shu Jun slept soundly that night, and when he woke up the next morning, he found that he had used Smoke as a pillow—his octopus-like arms wrapped around the rolled-up Smoke like a cushion. Smoke frowned slightly, but his breathing was still steady.
Shu Jun carefully released his grip and got out of bed. He sent a message to the manager that he didn’t need breakfast, and then started to cook enough noodles for two people—he actually cried in front of Smoke last night, so he had to quickly restore his mature and reliable image.
Although Smoke was older than him by a year, this age gap could be completely ignored—he was taller than Smoke, after all.
…And now that he thought about it, he did get half of a super cool friend.
No, they had so much fun playing together; they should be considered “real friends” now, right?
How great.
The author has something to say:
In the real world, children should not wander around alone at night! There is no crime in the virtual world, but there is in the real world.
—————
Shu Ge, 16 years ago: When I grow up, I want to have a super cool weapon!
Monday: ?
Shu Ge: ?
—————
Shu Ge, 16 years ago: Although A’Yan is older than me, he is skinny and shorter than me… Spiritually, that makes me the big brother. I have to take care of this introverted friend…
Marshal: ?
Shu Ge: ??????
Kinky Thoughts:
Wow I just died of sweetness. They are so cute!!! I love childhood sweethearts!
Hu Yan was shocked on the spot. “Is this within the rules?”
Despite the danger, he still had a game mindset—NPC never participated in battles before, and someone like “One Eye” who was willing to assist deeply was also rare. Moreover, the task needed to be scored, so this might be considered cheating.
Yu Jin was even more terrified. “Yeah, is this within the rules? When can players become NPCs?”
After their duet, they looked at each other sympathetically.
With a burst of energy, Shu Jun looked like he was about to weaken. “…Just consider me a special guest. I’ll clear the way first, okay?”
His response was clever, and each of them interpreted it according to their own understanding. With the situation critical, Hu Yan didn’t say much. The rocks opened like petals and gave way to the upward path.
It was still dark overhead, with no light in the sky. The passage leading out was like an upside-down dry well.
Shu Jun raised a wind beside him, but he didn’t immediately fly away. He nodded at Zhu Yanchen and then tilted his head in the direction where the Blackbirds was.
After years of tactical communication, Zhu Yanchen immediately understood Shu Jun’s meaning—he wanted to lure the attention of the Mirror Erosion Swamp away as a “player”. If the situation changed, the Erosion Swamp might still attack other members of the Blackbirds. Shu Jun wanted him to help protect the team.
Zhu Yanchen nodded calmly. After receiving the other’s feedback, Shu Jun was lifted up by the wind, and his feet left the ground. “Do you want me to help you get another brain?”
When facing Sweet Edge, Zhu Yanchen almost died, and he definitely wouldn’t consider researching. Now another opportunity had presented itself, and it had to be said that it was a perfect opportunity.
“No need,” Zhu Yanchen said softly. “Stay safe.”
“If it’s a safety issue…”
“No, if you dig out its brain, it will soon turn back into an ordinary Erosion Swamp.” Zhu Yanchen explained helplessly. “Just be careful…”
“I know, I know.” Previously, Grand Marshal Zhu had a cold and hard demeanor, but now that he knew his own life was out of danger, he developed a subtle tendency to be overprotective. “Don’t worry. I’m good at running away.”
Although he said that, Shu Jun knew in his heart that they had no other choice.
He couldn’t just leave the missing Blackbirds members alone, nor could he upgrade the battle into a conflict between two Alpha Erosion Swamps—not to mention how to explain it to the Blackbirds vanguard team. Once it was determined that he was a troublemaking humanoid Erosion Swamp, this incident would be classified as an Erosion Swamp conflict. The Mirror Erosion Swamp might clear the field first, and the vanguard team would inevitably be the first to bear the brunt.
To put it another way, even if they could ruthlessly run away, the Mirror Erosion Swamp wouldn’t let the vanguard team go, so conflict was inevitable.
He could only first confront the Erosion Swamp as a powerful player, take advantage of its carelessness, and play dirty.
“Go to the cave entrance.” After Shu Jun flew away, Zhu Yanchen naturally took over the command. “Paprika*… Hu Yan, the three of us will go to the top of the mountain. The view is better there, and it’s also convenient for you to use your ability.”
*Clarity: Zhu Yanchen almost called Hu Yan by his game ID, which literally translates to ground pepper.
This person with the same ID as his sister-in-law had a very pleasant voice, like ice water flowing through his throat on a scorching hot day. It made Hu Yan take a moment to realize that his own ID was indeed harsh to the ears and didn’t match this voice at all.
This voice was more suitable for calling out to someone with an elegant ID like Luo Duan’s. But when he thought of the original name of Shu Jun, [See You Tomorrow], Hu Yan regained his mental balance. “Visibility? It’s pitch black outside…”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Hu Yan realized that, even though he was the captain of the Blackbirds, he had been swept away by the other person’s imposing manner.
“I have a way.” Zhu Yanchen spoke concisely, turning to Yu Jin. “Are you coming? If not, you can wait in with the Blackbirds.”
“I’m already here,” Yu Jin responded absentmindedly. “It’s just a few steps more.”
“Let’s go.” Zhu Yanchen took out his gun.
The stones under their feet rose up and slid smoothly and quickly towards the cave entrance. The journey wasn’t short or long, just long enough for Hu Yan to ask a question. “What’s the relationship between you and Shu… uh, Gray Claw?”
Hearing the key words, Yu Jin turned his gaze slightly, obviously also curious about the answer.
Naturally, Zhu Yanchen wasn’t stumped by this situation. He fiddled with the gun in his hand, not even bothering to look up. “Family.”
The simple and powerful word was accompanied by a cold feeling of “if you ask again, I won’t answer”.
Hu Yan: “…” It really was his sister-in-law’s relative.
Yu Jin: “…” He knew that the two were a couple. Now that he thought about it, was Smoke also a player?
In a moment of silence, the stones emerged from the cave entrance and were surrounded by the rest of the rocks, pushing towards the mountaintop.
“Captain Hu, get ready.” Zhu Yanchen took out a ball the size of a billiard ball from his backpack, threw it into the air, and instead of falling to the ground, it slowly rose, emitting a bright light as if a flash had been paused.
For a moment, the Blackbirds below could be vaguely seen. The entire small rocky hill was illuminated, and a sticky light emanated from the central liquid column.
The visibility was indeed clear enough, but unfortunately, Shu Jun had long since disappeared.
Shu Jun was propelled upwards by the wind but suddenly stopped in the middle of his ascent—countless men and women with the same appearance hugged the liquid column, covering the surface of the Erosion Swamp like aphids. As soon as Shu Jun appeared, all those human skin balloons turned their heads and looked at him together.
Shu Jun’s body trembled all over from being stared at, and he held onto Monday tightly.
For convenience in battle, the cloth strips that bound Monday’s mouth and brain had long since floated away. Monday didn’t have any complicated thoughts. It felt quite comfortable using its mouth to catch the refreshing wind and was panting happily. Now that Shu Jun had stopped and the comfortable wind was gone, Monday began to grumble and yelp.
As soon as Monday made a sound, the human skin balloons were awakened and began to scream together. The voices were so densely intertwined that it made his hair stand on end. Monday probably didn’t expect so many “accompaniment” voices, so it choked and obediently shut its mouth.
If they were still wandering around below, the Mirror Erosion Swamp could have given the four of them a really hard time in the cave. Shifting his gaze over the densely packed human skin balloons, Shu Jun tried to search for living people inside them with his wind manipulation.
Zhu Yanchen didn’t suggest retreating and given the earlier explanation about the Erosion Swamp needing a prototype, his team members should still be alive. However, he had no clue where the two large human figures were hidden and where the Mirror Erosion Swamp’s brain was concealed.
The Mirror Erosion Swamp wasn’t stupid and knew it wouldn’t be able to trick Shu Jun a second time. The human skin balloons were firmly stuck to the liquid erosion column, and the wind couldn’t blow them away again. Shu Jun was also afraid of blowing the real people away, so he continued to fly upward. The liquid column seemed to pierce the sky, and Shu Jun could feel the temperature dropping significantly. The light from below couldn’t reach here, so he took a deep breath, letting the airflow revolve gently around him.
He relied on the subtle resistance to roughly sketch out the appearance of the top of this thing. The Mirror Erosion Swamp didn’t really have a head like a garden eel. Its top was more like a hydra*, with six or seven tentacles swaying in the air.
*Genus of small freshwater organism of the phylum Cnidaria and class Hydrozoa, not to be confused with the hydra of Greek mythology.
Compared to this, Sweet Edge was a much more friendly opponent.
Shu Jun licked his dry lips. This thing had stretched him too thin, spanning the heavens and the earth. Its brain could be anywhere. Even if he used his power to suppress it, he couldn’t cover such a large area. He needed to chop it up like an onion, but that was only possible if the thing didn’t resist and let him cut it up.
After considering it for a while, he smiled and rushed to the top of the column.
Sure enough, the Erosion Swamp, like a hungry hydra, wrapped several tentacles around him at once. Shu Jun put on a look of effort, struggling to chop off those tentacles.
The tentacles quickly took control of him, and the erosion substance invaded his protective suit, pushing him into an empty space inside the column. Shu Jun patiently suppressed his and Monday’s auras, allowing the tentacles to bind him tightly.
To deceive the people below, he was the perfect example of a human skin balloon. The Mirror Erosion Swamp had to constantly produce human skin balloons while keeping the samples alive. Its structure wasn’t very stable, so it shouldn’t spend much effort separating the samples. Even if he guessed wrong, there was still a way to escape.
Luckily, Shu Jun wasn’t wrong.
There was a thin erosion net in the empty space, like a ghost lantern, trapping two Blackbirds members inside. The net was so dense with the erosion substance that they could barely support themselves. The thin erosion silk penetrated the protective suits and covered their bodies, probably copying information.
Shu Jun took a deep breath and released the pressure on Monday’s aura.
Monday was originally happily looking around, wondering if it could rub off some erosion substance. When the pressure was released, it completely exposed its aura, and the Mirror Erosion Swamp’s attention almost instantly focused on it.
Monday: “…Help.” The oppressive feeling squeezed in from all around, and it didn’t even dare to shout out loudly.
Shu Jun remained silent, while Monday’s rough voice made the two Blackbirds members think it was him speaking. Despite being in a critical condition, the female member of the team managed to speak up. “Screaming for help is useless. Hurry… Hurry up and turn on your purifier… Every second counts.”
After discovering Monday, the wall of the Mirror Erosion Swamp began to gather and fluctuate in a regular pattern towards the center.
In order to appear like a good player, Shu Jun had indeed brought a purifier with him. He skillfully activated it, dispersing the erosion filaments on the two team members’ bodies, and then grabbed their emergency hooks, hooking them onto himself.
“It’s dinner time,” he whispered to Monday.
Compared to the battle with Sweet Edge, Monday had made some progress. This time, it didn’t remain motionless like a log but stiffened into a board throughout the process. The sword edge sliced through the erosion net that enveloped the three people, and it hesitantly absorbed the heavily erosion substance, allowing the three of them to break free from their restraints.
Subsequently, Shu Jun didn’t use his trump card of suppression. He concentrated, adjusting the distribution of air—with a whoosh, the thick wall of the liquid column was torn open by a wind blade, and Shu Jun rushed out like a drill while controlling the surrounding air.
“You…” This wind manipulation ability looked exceptionally familiar, but the man was so tightly wrapped up that it left the Blackbirds members completely puzzled.
The captain retired, and everyone on the vanguard team was a familiar face. Except for NPCs without any special abilities. Where did this person come from?
Shu Jun, of course, didn’t wait for them to finish their questions. He waved his hand and unceremoniously scraped off the human skin balloons stuck to the erosion filaments on the liquid column. After confirming that the erosion filaments instinctively wrapped tightly around the two people, he loosened the hooks—
“Ahhhhh—!” The two team members were unprepared. With a large group of human skin balloons hanging behind them. They were about to fall from a high altitude.
Naturally, Shu Jun wouldn’t let his teammates fall to their deaths. With his wind manipulation ability, he borrowed the resistance of the human skin balloons, and the two people fell at a not-too-fast speed, even though the visual effect was quite exaggerated.
The Mirror Erosion Swamp bent the liquid column down, wanting to pull the two people back with its top tentacle, but Shu Jun blocked it with his sword.
The two people quickly descended to the illumination range at the bottom of the liquid column.
The Blackbirds members who saw that scene swallowed their saliva to a greater or lesser extent. Seeing their comrades—or rather, a large group of comrades—screaming and falling, the scene was quite mentally traumatic.
Unlike the shocked Hu Yan, Zhu Yanchen remained quite calm. “Build up stone pillars as a buffer and raise two purifiers to their highest power. First, remove the erosion filaments on the surface of their bodies.”
Hu Yan simply handed over the broadcasting authority to Zhu Yanchen. Apart from the two large human skin balloons connected to people, there was occasionally falling debris from the sky. The whole scene was like a nightmare, and his brain couldn’t accept it for a moment.
Zhu Yanchen readily accepted and gave instructions directly. “Stay away from falling objects and check the wounds on those two people. If there are no penetrating wounds, there is still time for deep cleaning.”
“Captain Hu, change the stone pillars into shields.” After giving orders to the Blackbirds members, Marshal Zhu turned to Hu Yan. “There will be attacks from above, and I will calculate the position. I will control the light source for guidance, and you need to ensure that the shield is above the light source.”
“Oh, okay… Got it.”
“One Eye, keep an eye on Captain Hu’s feet, and don’t let him fall.”
“Okay.”
Zhu Yanchen summoned a light screen and stared fixedly at the sky full of human skin balloons and the swaying liquid column without blinking. He controlled the light source, while Hu Yan controlled the shield, and many hard-to-dodge human skin balloons were blocked, leaving a relatively peaceful location for the Blackbirds to rescue the falling people.
After the emergency treatment was completed, they could consider retreating. In the best-case scenario, they could temporarily disable the Mirror Erosion Swamp’s ability to move, as long as Shu Jun didn’t reveal his identity as an Erosion Swamp.
It all depended on what Shu Jun planned to do.
Shu Jun counted the seconds himself. He saw that there were more light sources and a shield blocking below, indicating that the two team members had probably landed. The emergency treatment would take about fifteen minutes, and after enduring these fifteen minutes, the Blackbirds vanguard team would be able to return to a convenient state of action.
Now it was time for a one-on-one battle again.
The Mirror Erosion Swamp was clearly unhappy about Shu Jun taking away the human skin balloon sample. It slammed its tentacles, trying to sweep up a few more from the ground, but even if it could break through Shu Jun’s defense with its volume advantage, its attacks were always blocked by the shield below. Shu Jun’s ally, Monday, became its primary target of attention. Monday whimpered in fear and had to dodge each attack while wailing.
After five minutes of back and forth, the Erosion Swamp realized the problem. Since it couldn’t easily retrieve the hostages, it might as well focus on shooting the head bird in front of it.
The liquid column no longer thrashed about and attacked Shu Jun again in unison.
The Mirror Erosion Marsh was too large, and the airflow it stirred up was quite chaotic. Shu Jun couldn’t control all of its movements, let alone infer the location of its brain. He could only defend passively.
This couldn’t go on.
Despite Shen Jun’s agility, he suffered several bruises. Monday had been whipped hundreds of times to the point of putting it in a stupor. It became more and more sluggish and was unable to even groan.
He needed a solution, but it wasn’t yet time to give up. Revealing his identity and forcing a path was a last resort…
[What should we do here? It’s too troublesome.] A vague voice appeared in Shu Jun’s ear, sounding like a child’s complaint. [The team of monsters is so long. Who knows where the captain is hiding. Or just defend until the end, as long as we reserve our strength?]
[…You can send a small team to launch a surprise attack on the head, middle, and tail of the team.]
Another child’s voice was even quieter, sounding a bit shy.
[Uh, what do you mean?]
[Once attacked, the team will be disrupted. The captain must react and adjust in time. This map… um, doesn’t it not support long-distance communication? Then…]
[I got it, I got it! Simultaneous attack, and watch the team’s reaction speed, right?]
[Mm… yeah.]
[Wow, this angle is so amazing! I was just thinking about how to operate on defense, thank you—] The complaining child’s mood took a turn, becoming excited again. [Oh, by the way, we got chocolates today… I think these types are pretty good. You should try them all.]
[Okay.]
[Also, if we send another team to divide the team in the middle, wouldn’t that be more effective? …A’Yan, look over here, look over here.]
As the memory faded, Shu Jun awoke from his trance. He didn’t have time to ponder the details of that memory. He immediately took action—Shu Jun raised his greatsword and enveloped himself in a thick wind shield, cutting the liquid column from the middle. At the same time, he focused on sensing the airflow.
Separated by the thick wind shield, the bottom half of the Mirror Erosion Swamp became stiff for a short moment while the top half continued to twist madly. Soon, the upper and lower parts quickly fused back together, but Shu Jun’s attack didn’t stop.
This thing had stretched itself too thin, and there was indeed a delay in its reaction.
Without giving it time to transfer its brain, Shu Jun lifted his hand, and three huge wind blades shot out, hitting the upper half of the Mirror Erosion Swamp head-on. Without the help of Monday to clear the way, the wind blades couldn’t cut through the swamp’s body, and the wound would heal within seconds.
However, seconds were already enough time.
The healing of the wound and the rearrangement of the liquid column’s shape had a subtle time difference. After several waves of attacks, the positions of the wind blades became increasingly concentrated, and the Mirror Erosion Swamp finally realized the danger.
It quickly changed its shape and shrank towards the ground while attacking the people on the ground without any regard for its own safety.
Unfortunately, it had missed the best opportunity—the fifteen minutes were already up.
Using the fragments of the rocky mountain, Hu Yan stuck together a thin-hulled ship. The Blackbirds vanguard team evacuated onto the ship, and Hu Yan even reused some waterproof fabric as sails, pulling them up in front of the team members’ eyes full of confusion.
Zhu Yanchen, Hu Yan, and Yu Jin were the only ones who hadn’t boarded the ship yet.
On the other side, Shu Jun quickly descended. He didn’t stop sensing the airflow around him—this Mirror Erosion Swamp messed with its body structure, playing the guessing game of which cup the ball was hidden under. The Mirror Erosion Swamp was much larger than Sweet Edge and hadn’t received any substantial damage. If he lost its brain now, the next battle would be several times more difficult.
“You guys go first!” Shu Jun opened the amplification device inside his protective suit. “Everyone get on board the ship. I’ll send you away!”
If he concentrated his attack on the brain of the Erosion Swamp, it wouldn’t dare fully attack the vanguard team. As a first-tier player, Hu Yan wasn’t just sitting around. If he could buy enough time, others would have a higher chance of escape.
The rest was a head-to-head with him and the Mirror Erosion Swamp.
After all, it came to test humanity and was stronger than Sweet Edge. To be honest, Shu Jun wasn’t sure if he could win. But on the other hand, there was no such thing as a battle that was a sure win.
As long as Zhu Yanchen and the Blackbirds vanguard team could escape successfully, the plan could continue. He was already the one with the highest hope of survival in this group of people, and it was a stable gain.
Hu Yan didn’t know the truth, so he had less psychological pressure and was more decisive at the moment. “Then we’ll go first!”
Seeing the Erosion Swamp collapsing with the momentum of an avalanche in front of him, Yu Jun didn’t dare dawdle. The two of them boarded the ship in a flash. Shu Jun was about to raise his hand, but he found that one person hadn’t moved yet.
Zhu Yanchen had no intention of boarding the ship. He held a fully opened purifier in his left hand and a gun in his right with an unreal sense of calm.
“Aren’t you going to board the ship?” Shu Jun almost hit the ship’s sail with a wind blast, barely retracting it.
But Marshal Zhu immediately took action—he threw two small bombs at the sail, and they exploded into a huge blast of wind, almost pushing the ship out of their sight. Seeing that Zhu Yanchen had no hope of boarding, Shu Jun gritted his teeth and had to push the sail again. The thin-hulled ship disappeared into the horizon in an instant, flying at a high speed.
“Zhu Yanchen, you’re fucking back to your old ways again?!” Just as Shu Jun felt this guy had a positive sign of living actively, Grand Marshal Zhu had started spinning around Death again.
“You need lighting to determine the change in the Erosion Swamp’s location.” Zhu Yanchen saw through Shu Jun’s tactics at a glance. “The concentration of erosion here can’t break my immunity. With me here, your chances of winning will be higher. Besides, once the news of this leaks, the threat of ‘two people cooperating’ sounds much lower than ‘single-handedly’.”
“I understand the principle, but the problem is we don’t know anything about this thing! I can’t guarantee that I can—”
Before he could finish, Shu Jun was interrupted by Zhu Yanchen’s calm voice.
“I know you won’t lose,” he said.
A familiar feeling suddenly hit, and Shu Jun was stunned for half a second. “What if…”
“We might die, and if we do, the Erosion Swamp behind it may relax its guard. I’ve already arranged plans for what to do afterwards… My survival was already an accident, so everything will just return to the original track. Plus, with the recent intelligence, Dong Lao and the Fourth Squadron can act more effectively.”
Staying behind to increase their chances of winning? Compared to Marshal Zhu’s previous behavior, this was really not conservative.
But it had to be said, with the lighting operation and Marshal Zhu’s instructions made the delay tactics much easier—Zhu Yanchen was extremely skilled in calculating the flow of the Erosion Swamp, so Shu Jun didn’t need to distract himself by sensing the air currents. Once the Erosion Swamp attempted to engulf them, Shu Jun would take Marshal Zhu and fly into the air, continuously attacking the brain.
“It’s about time.” Zhu Yanchen fired several shots at the Mirror Erosion Swamp, interrupting one of its tentacles. “The vanguard should have already escaped.”
“But we can’t leave.” Shu Jun’s sweat was dripping down his neck, and his clothes inside the protective suit were already soaked.
Seeing that there was no hope in chasing after the vanguard, the Mirror Erosion Swamp repeated its previous tactic and spread “petals” around the liquid column. However, this time the petals were particularly thick, tightly wrapping the two of them in the middle. Although Shu Jun kept using wind attacks, the gaps kept getting smaller and smaller.
Without even having to use erosion, it wanted to suffocate them with physical means.
The battle had reached the point of revealing his trump card. Shu Jun and Zhu Yanchen were flying in an increasingly narrow space. His suppression was a sneak attack, and it was the most effective for the first time in the face of this kind of deformed, experienced Erosion Swamp.
Shu Jun was a bit nervous.
He had faced uncertain situations before, but he was always carefree then. One reason was the optimism brought by his blessings since childhood. As for the second… life was just like that. Regardless of whether the world was real or not, he didn’t have any relatives.
Compared to Zhu Yanchen’s eighty-year-old man scheme, Shu Jun felt that he was at least honest with himself, and his friends knew the risks of battle. In a corner of his heart, Shu Jun always had this thought—he was a soldier after all, and if the time came, it wouldn’t be so bad to die calmly.
But now he was sweating all over, looking disheveled, and full of anxiety.
…If he died, Zhu Yanchen would inevitably be buried with him.
Seeing that the closed space had stabilized again, the Mirror Erosion Swamp once again used its ability. Countless faceless skin balloons appeared along the inner wall of the Erosion Swamp and gradually filled the space. Numerous soft hands reached towards Shu Jun, frantically hindering his movements.
Piercing screams rose and fell one after another. They didn’t know where the sound was coming from, as these things had no mouths.
“I’m going up.” Shu Jun’s hoarse voice sounded like it had been torn apart. “It’s an old tactic. I can’t take you with me.”
“I know.”
Zhu Yanchen swung his purifier behind him, forcing the surrounding erosion back and created a standing space for himself. The purifier was so incredibly powerful that the skin balloons couldn’t get close to him for a while.
Shu Jun charged towards the Mirror Erosion Swamp’s brain.
The process was much more painful than the fight with Sweet Edge. Countless thin threads instantly squeezed into his protective suit, drilling into Shu Jun’s mouth and nose, trying to strangle him in place. Shu Jun used all his strength and desperately used his suppression ability, slowly moving towards the brain of the Mirror Erosion Swamp.
His attention had never been so focused, and for the first time, he truly hoped that the blessing really came from God. Even if his posture was extremely ugly, he still wanted to win this battle.
The thin erosion threads were tearing his flesh, suppressing one layer after another. To protect itself, the Mirror Erosion Swamp wrapped layers of erosion like human skin around its brain, making it extremely difficult to crack.
But he couldn’t give up. Zhu Yanchen was still struggling behind him.
Shu Jun gritted his teeth and almost squeezed out all his strength. He didn’t know how long he had stopped breathing, and his vision started to darken. Amidst the screaming of the human skin balloon, blurred colors and shadows gradually appeared.
[You will never lose.]
Yes, I will never lose.
With his greatsword, he cut through layer after layer of protection and forced himself towards the Mirror Erosion Swamp’s brain. The pain scorched between his bones, and he almost thought he was being burned alive.
This was his only chance.
Suppress. Suppress. Continue to suppress.
‘…Go fuck yourself,’ Shu Jun thought. He must survive.
He reached out his hand, and gray-white erosion flowed from his claws. Shu Jun didn’t stop for even a moment—in the previous battle, his suppression was relatively calm and had a soothing nature. This time, he wished he could turn into a human blender and wreak havoc in the Mirror Erosion Swamp’s brain.
In the end, his own consciousness became blurry, and the destruction and suppression in his hands became crazier. More erosion substance emerged from his spine, forming a huge blade that resembled wings in the darkness.
Unfortunately, Shu Jun almost lost consciousness.
While the sharp blade was churning, the device on his wrist was still working quietly.
[Fusion Degree: 45%]
[Fusion Degree: 57%]
[Fusion Degree: 73%]
……
He suddenly felt his breathing loosen. Shu Jun knelt down with a “plop” and the greatsword pierced into the ground. The Mirror Erosion Swamp lost its shape, and the erosion flowed quietly around it. Many human-skin balloons that hadn’t yet disintegrated floated on the Mirror Erosion Swamp, dissolving slowly.
Zhu Yanchen’s moving light source floated tremblingly, like a firefly with its wings injured.
Torn and thrown around by the human skin balloons, Marshal Zhu himself was a bit disheveled, but he was indeed still standing. With the confirmation that the enemy had been defeated, Shu Jun weakly smiled.
His protective suit had long since decayed and fallen apart during the fierce battle, leaving him almost naked. Monday was scared out of its wits again, but it quickly regained its composure and started howling on the spot.
“We were separated for nine minutes.” Zhu Yanchen approached and took off his tattered coat, gently draping it over Shu Jun’s back. “It didn’t have time to transmit information about the ‘Humanoid Erosion Swamp’, so don’t worry.”
“…Really…?”
Zhu Yanchen calmly opened his waist pack and tested the erosion substance around them for a moment.
“I’m pretty sure. They were suppressed quite obediently and wouldn’t have retained too much information. We really kept our trump card.”
“Nine minutes… I thought it was nine years…”
Shu Jun looked at Zhu Yanchen dazedly. He had so much to say, but now he couldn’t say a word. In the midst of tremendous pain, he did recall some memories. However, unlike when he faced Sweet Edge, the Mirror Erosion Swamp was pure erosion, and no one else’s memories surged into his mind.
He remembered his own memories. Even if they were just fragments, they were enough to piece together many things.
“A’Yan…”
Shu Jun stretched out a hand and placed it on the spot where Zhu Yanchen’s heart was. The strong pulsation passed through the muscles and knocked on his nerves along his palms.
“…Long time no see.”
Kinky Thoughts:
I have to say, this chapter was truly exciting to read.
When they walked out of the cabin, it was raining heavily outside in Hongjing.
It wasn’t the usual light rain in the city, but a torrential downpour. It seemed to have started after they landed and showed no signs of stopping.
Lin Chen took a deep breath of the damp air mixed with the scent of airport fuel and earth, which still felt comforting to him.
Xing Conglian held his hand, and they looked at each other, unable to express the thousand words they felt.
Wang Chao stumbled and collided with their shoulders. Xing Conglian turned around and caught him. The young man was so exhausted that he looked like he could sleep through the whole planet’s destruction if given a bed.
Xing Conglian pinched Wang Chao’s nose and ears repeatedly for a while, but eventually gave up and carried him on his back towards the exit.
After passing through the immigration checkpoint, Lin Chen noticed that Xing Conglian had pressed the button for the parking lot on the minus one floor.
“Are we going home first?” Lin Chen asked.
Xing Conglian turned his head and glanced at him, smiling. “Are you trying to test me, Mr. Lin?”
Lin Chen didn’t know how Xing Conglian suddenly became a psychologist, but under his gaze, he felt a sense of guilt. “No one has lived at home for so long, so why not go to a hotel first?”
He deliberately raised his tone at the end, but all he got was a faint “Hmm?” from Xing Conglian.
Xing Conglian had an expression of “tell me the truth”, so Lin Chen had no choice but to hold his hand and say, “I don’t want to go to the hospital. I have some psychological trauma.”
“That’s perfect,” Xing Conglian said seriously. “Mr. Lin can use his expertise and do some treatment…like the desensitization therapy?”
“Why are you so difficult to deal with? No wonder I had such a hard time chasing you,” Lin Chen joked.
Xing Conglian laughed out loud. They got off the elevator, and Wang Chao hiccupped on his back.
“You can also find something to do that makes me unhappy, and I’d be more than happy to back you up,” Xing Conglian said.
Lin Chen thought this was a really good idea. He stopped the person and reached into their pocket. Of course, when his hand reached down, Xing Conglian’s face had a moment of subtlety. Lin Chen coughed lightly, took his hand out, and in his hand was Xing Conglian’s work phone, not the one used in Dana.
Xing Conglian’s face immediately looked unpleasant. “Consultant Lin, we don’t have to go to the hospital.”
But before he finished speaking, Lin Chen had already turned on the phone. Xing Conglian showed an unusually ashen expression.
At the moment they entered the parking lot, Xing Conglian’s phone immediately started ringing continuously, and the message tone continued to ring like it would never stop until they reached Xing Conglian’s Jeep. Lin Chen glanced apologetically at Xing Conglian and then realized that the Jeep was the one parked at the Yongchuan subway station. It was unclear why it was now in the underground parking lot of the Hongjing Airport.
Xing Conglian opened the car door, threw Wang Chao into the back seat, and the teenager turned around as if he had found a comfortable place to lie down and began to snore.
“You had someone bring the car back?” Lin Chen asked.
“Yes.” Xing Conglian didn’t immediately sit in the driver’s seat but leaned against the car door and looked at his phone.
“After flying on a plane, you still have to drive home yourself. Don’t you feel tired?” Lin Chen opened the passenger door and fastened his seat belt.
“It’s tiring, but there are important things in the car that can’t be left elsewhere.”
Lin Chen didn’t know what he meant by “important things”, but he remembered the dozens of diamond VIP cards that Captain Xing took out of the trunk, so he decided to keep quiet.
Lin Chen sat in the car for a while and found that Xing Conglian hadn’t entered the car yet.
He didn’t know what Xing Conglian saw on his phone, but after a long time, he finally opened the car door and sat in it. He rested his hand on the gear lever and didn’t move for a long time.
Lin Chen looked up and saw that Xing Conglian’s expression was gloomy. There were probably some not-so-good things in the text messages he received just now.
“What happened?”
“Consultant Lin…” Xing Conglian handed him the phone, which showed the usual briefings from the police station.
——At 10:07 a.m. on June 10th, the identity of the unnamed male body stabbed to death in Hongjing Amusement Park has been confirmed. The deceased is Dr. Tan Kang, the senior president of the R&D department of Zhourui Pharmaceutical…
In the dim space of the car, the phone screen glowed with a faint white light. When he saw the words “Zhourui Pharmaceutical” and “Tan Kang”, he thought it was an illusion caused by the long flight and thinking about the case day and night, but it was obviously not the case. As the key R&D personnel and insider of the Zhourui Pharmaceutical case, Tan Kang was stabbed to death by someone before their plane landed.
Lin Chen’s mind turned over countless speculations, but in the end, he could only say, “They move quickly.”
He glanced at the clock on the car and saw that it was exactly 1:00 p.m. in the afternoon. He was afraid that the police officers investigating the scene hadn’t left yet, so he asked Xing Conglian, “Shall we go and take a look?”
Before Xing Conglian’s gaze swept over, he added in advance, “I’ve recovered from my fever. It should be fine to stay there for a while.”
Seeing that he insisted, Xing Conglian nodded reluctantly and said, “Okay.”
……
Outside the window was the familiar scenery of Hongjing’s streets. Lin Chen leaned against the front passenger seat.
They had only been gone for less than half a month, and the students had not yet started their vacation. There was no change in the surroundings; not even in the configuration and speed of their journey to the scene of the crime.
Wang Chao turned over again in the back seat. Perhaps because he was starving or perhaps because he felt the familiar atmosphere, the teenager suddenly opened his eyes. Hearing the rustling sound coming from the back seat, Lin Chen turned his head and saw Wang Chao taking out a half-opened package of Pocky from the car door storage box and started to eat without hesitation.
Those were the snacks that the teenager had left in the car half a month ago.
Lin Chen couldn’t help but speak up. “It’s been stored for too long. Don’t eat it now. I’ll buy you some when we get out of the car.”
Wang Chao was still in a half-dream state, mechanically nodding his head but still stuffed the snack into his mouth.
“Just eat it. It’s all preservatives. It won’t go bad, and it won’t kill you,” Xing Conglian said indifferently.
“Wait, where are we going?” Suddenly realizing something important, Wang Chao woke up abruptly and asked, “Are you kidding me? We just came back from such a scary place. Don’t we need to take a break for ten or twenty days before starting work again?”
Xing Conglian withdrew his gaze from looking at Comrade Wang Chao in the rearview mirror and asked, “What does he mean?”
“Maybe he’s been spending too much money on in-game purchases lately, so he wants to scam overtime pay,” Lin Chen replied.
Wang Chao shouted, “A’Chen Gege, you can’t do this to me. Are we still good friends?”
Xing Conglian pretended to suddenly realize, “What should we do?”
Lin Chen pretended not to hear Wang Chao’s protest and said, “There’s no other way. If he doesn’t want to go, just forget it. Let’s get out of the car now?”
They were driving on the elevated highway, and Wang Chao looked outside in horror, swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and complained, “A’ChenGege, when did you become like this?”
“Comrade Xiao Wang…” Xing Conglian dragged on, “Why don’t you understand yet?”
“Understand what?”
Xing Conglian spoke in the tone of a sociologist. “When a person’s identity changes, his behavior and way of doing things will also change accordingly.”
“What’s different about my A’Chen Gege?” Wang Chao was very confused.
Lin Chen had already guessed what Xing Conglian was going to say and couldn’t help but shake his head.
But Xing Conglian still smiled and said, “Your A’Chen Gege is now the head of the family, so we have to listen to him, understand?”
……
On the way from the highway to the amusement park, Wang Chao kept studying the term “head of the family”.
The teenager’s face was mixed with various expressions such as “flattering”, “admiration”, “speechless”, and “flunky”, and kept changing. Just before they arrived at the scene, Wang Chao stopped him and asked a very important question, “A’Chen Gege, if I want to call you Boss from now on, do I have to call Captain Xing sister-in-law?”
In any case, this question received a warning from Captain Xing himself in the form of a knock on the head.
Lin Chen was very clear that Xing Conglian brought up the topic of the head of the family just to make Wang Chao not too depressed.
The rain was still falling. Xing Conglian tilted the umbrella towards him, and Lin Chen looked ahead.
In front of him was a familiar, bright yellow warning sign. They were standing outside the waterside gallery where the victim’s body had been taken away. The scene-of-crime officers were hiding under the eaves, looking up at the clean crime scene washed by the rain with a sigh.
The ground markings were washed away very lightly, and the direction and position where the victim fell could be vaguely seen. There was no trace of blood on the small path paved with square bricks. The heavy rain was probably the best way to wash away the evidence.
They stood outside the crime scene for a while, finally catching the attention of the police officers under the eaves.
Two pairs of eyes swept over, and at first, the two officers just stared at them. Suddenly, a shout pierced through the rain curtain.
The voice grew louder and louder, and several people rushed towards them. Lin Chen thought they still underestimated the sudden appearance of horror.
In such a short time, Comrade Zhang Xiaolong had already rushed to their side.
What surprised Lin Chen was that the policewoman didn’t look at Xing Conglian but instead dreamily touched his shoulder with tears in her eyes and her voice trembling. “Lin… Consultant Lin… You’re still alive. That’s great!”
“Thanks to Captain Xing’s help, I’m still alive,” Lin Chen replied.
“You’re welcome.” Xing Conglian nodded in acknowledgment.
Perhaps because the umbrella covered Xing Conglian’s face earlier, Zhang Xiaolong didn’t even realize someone was standing next to her. She was completely absorbed in her own excitement. “It’s good that you’re back… It’s good that you’re back… Just like last time, why do you always encounter these kinds of situations?!” But before she finished her sentence, she seemed to sense something and looked towards his side in disbelief.
“Captain…Captain Xing!”
Captain Xing raised an eyebrow. “Yes, it’s me.”
“You’re back?!” Zhang Xiaolong was even more incredulous.
“Don’t you see that?” Captain Xing said.
“You saved Consultant Lin?”
Xing Conglian was very satisfied with the policewoman’s insight and proudly said, “Isn’t it obvious?”
Zhang Xiaolong’s face turned red. It seemed like if Xing Conglian continued speaking, she would get too excited and faint.
Their colleagues arrived one after another, and they chatted for a while before Lin Chen interrupted and turned his gaze towards the crime scene, asking, “What happened?”
Zhang Xiaolong had grown a lot and quickly took out her notebook from her pocket and got into work mode.
“The victim’s name is…”
Xing Conglian interrupted her. “It’s in the briefing you gave me. Let’s briefly talk about the situation at the time of the crime.”
“This is a vicious murder that took place in a crowded area. According to eyewitnesses, the footbridge was packed with tourists who were going to watch the water magic show. The victim was walking in the opposite direction, from south to north, on the footbridge. After walking less than 10 meters, the victim suddenly fell down. A man holding a child was the first to notice the victim’s abnormality and called on the surrounding crowd to avoid trampling. At first, they thought it was an acute heart attack, but then they saw a large amount of blood flowing out of the victim’s chest…” The female officer spoke softly, and Lin Chen looked towards the water. Even in the rain, he could feel the screams that erupted from the dark footbridge when blood seeped out.
Zhang Xiaolong tapped her ballpoint pen twice and handed her notebook to Xing Conglian. “This is the forensic report from the crime scene.”
[Puncture wound under the third rib on the left side. The wound is about 2.5 cm long. The victim’s heart ruptured, and he died on the spot.]
The morgue remained a void, with no visual, auditory, olfactory, or gustatory sensations.
Outside, people hadn’t left yet, so Zhong Chengshuo was dutifully playing the part of a corpse.
The slight vibration gradually faded away and ended with a dull thud of the heavy door closing. Then there were the clicks and clacks of mechanical locks, which Zhong Chengshuo could “feel” more vividly than before.
His senses were becoming sharper. If the previous touch was like a screen covered in dirt and fingerprints, someone had now wiped away all that grime, and everything he felt was fresh and new.
…A familiar yet strange feeling.
He narrowly escaped being gutted, and excitement and fear mingled as Zhong Chengshuo’s muscles trembled slightly.
He could finally think somewhat calmly.
The liquid on his body was slightly sticky, and the feeling was quite familiar. It was a high-end preservative solution that he often used. It could preserve cell activity to a certain extent and delay the decay of organisms. However, this solution had a shelf life, and to ensure the best preservation effect, it needed maintenance every 24 hours.
The people who came were here to “maintain” him. “No need for dissection at the moment” probably meant that his body was still relatively fresh and didn’t require special organ separation and preservation.
It seemed that this institution valued his flesh.
Sunken Society.
In an instant, Zhong Chengshuo came to a conclusion—Wei Huaqian was his blood relative. For cultivators, a blood relative’s corpse was excellent material for sacrifice.
As for whether the deceased was a science post in life, that was irrelevant—whether one was a cultivator or a scientist, once they died, the body they left behind was nothing but a “dead object”.
But Sunken Society didn’t have the ability to invade the Fu residence and commit murder on the spot. The attacker was likely a third party, and Zhong Chengshuo’s body had been handed over to Sunken Society.
Now there was a big knife hanging over his head—Zhong Chengshuo couldn’t say for sure when Wei Huaqian would use him for sacrifice. He needed to escape before the worst happened.
Before he escaped, there was one thing he needed to confirm.
Zhong Chengshuo wasn’t sure if he was dead or not, and he didn’t know if he would slowly rot away in this posture. Even zombies needed to ensure that their heads were intact. His situation was unprecedented, and he must be cautious.
He tried again to focus and strengthen his other senses. In the cold, empty morgue, all the sensations from his memories seemed distant and blurry. Only one thing remained clear in his chaotic memories—
It was warm, soft, and emanated the scent of Yin Ren.
Suddenly, the fear of “not being able to escape” amplified once again. Zhong Chengshuo trembled all over, and his body and senses were like a car with faulty brakes, becoming increasingly difficult to control.
He had a clear feeling that the emotion called “fear” was slowly seeping into him, bringing about various unknown changes. He had no idea what he would become, or how this would end.
However, there were two things that he could be clear about at the moment.
First, fear had its benefits for him.
Second, as the person just said, his nerves still had activity. Through his own verification, he could obtain some sensory functions through his incomplete physical body.
So “recovery” became simple.
If he had no clothes, he could steal them. If he had no weapon, he could steal one.
If he had no head, perhaps he could still steal one!
But before the time came… Patience. He must be patient.
Zhong Chengshuo endured the fear like being bitten by insects and ants, continued to turn over, and felt and adapted to this new state.
……
Shian Campus, Haigu, interrogation room.
The small room was locked, and all the devices were shut down. Thanks to the layers of magic defenses around it, it became an absolute island and one of the “most confidential” places in Shian.
This time, Fu Xingchuan sat on the side being interrogated. Professor Li sat behind the one-way glass; his face was frighteningly pale.
“You’re crazy,” Li Nian said.
“You just threw the big trouble of Xiang Jiang to me, and you think it’s not chaotic enough? Do you want to let Yin Ren continue to cause trouble? …Or is it that when you confirmed that he was the Great Master Zhong Yi, everyone in your Fu family planned to worship him as an ancestor?”
His hands clenched tightly on the interrogation table, and there was a faint green and black color in his eyes.
“Because the mortal he liked died, he will use Shian as a tool for revenge, and won’t listen to any objections—this is the evil you contracted, Fu Xingchuan. I’ve told you many times that you can’t gamble with ‘human nature’.”
No matter how good a person was, they would inevitably lose their reason when they were passionate. But for Yin Ren, no one could bear the consequences of his loss of control.
Fu Xingchuan took a sip of his latte and listened to the soothing music, playing with the tip of the potted plant’s leaves.
“Lao Li, take a breath,” he comforted. “Being too excited is not good for your health.”
“Fu Xingchuan—” Professor Li gritted his teeth.
“I know what you’re thinking. You think that the most urgent task is to figure out the type of evil Yin Ren is, grasp his weaknesses, so that Shian won’t be at the mercy of others.”
“Is there a problem?”
“Yes, I am no longer the head of the Emergency Management Department. I don’t want to use my brain to think about these things—ah, don’t smash the window. I’m kidding!”
Fu Xingchuan saw the one-way glass tremble and almost explode.
“Okay, okay, let me be serious. His plan is beneficial to Shian. Obstructing him will only make things twice as difficult!”
Fu Xingchuan sighed and looked at his reflection in the one-way glass. In the dim light, he seemed to have returned to that collective ward.
At that time, Yin Ren let the evil qi wrap around him, standing in the middle of the ward.
Yin Ren had extraordinary and eerie features. He was usually easygoing and had a gentle smile on his face. After getting used to it, it was easy to overlook the sharpness in his brows and eyes.
When this person shed that gentle outer layer, no one would think of him as a “normal person”.
Even Lu Xiaohe noticed something was off this time. The killing intent was so thick that it was almost tangible. Except for the immune Zhong Chengshuo, almost all living creatures could sense Yin Ren’s strength. Even the mosquitoes flying around made an emergency stop and flew straight out of the ward.
“This is a missing person case, and Special Investigation Unit 9 has always been good at tracking missing people, right?”
Lu Xiaohe didn’t move, perhaps out of shock or fear, while Ge Tingting, as a former “missing person”, was completely dumbfounded. Only “Missing Person No. 2” Huang Jin was forced to speak out by his desperate survival instinct.
“What do you mean?” Huang Jin’s voice was extremely dry. “You want us to investigate…the case Zhong Chengshuo mentioned? You… ahem, you’re giving us too much credit.”
In the face of such a bizarre attack, Shian would definitely send out strong personnel to investigate in detail. No matter how they looked at it, there would be no room for a C-level investigation team to get involved. Even Ge Tingting, who had just joined, understood that.
Furthermore, for C-level investigation teams, this unknown enemy was too powerful. Huang Jin was very visibly shaken, perhaps thinking of the scene where Zhong Chengshuo was easily shot to death.
“I just want this case. It doesn’t matter if you are credited or not,” Yin Ren responded casually.
Fu Xingchuan naturally heard the underlying message. With a regular mission, Yin Ren could legitimately use Shian’s resources.
“The key is that I know everything about you. Lu Xiaohe, as the most senior member, has only been in Shian for two years. You all have a clean background and aren’t very loyal to Shian. That’s the best way.”
Yin Ren’s words were surprisingly blunt.
Huang Jin immediately looked at Fu Xingchuan, who saw deep doubts and fears in the young man’s eyes—how could he say such things directly?
Comrade Fu Xingchuan stuck his two fingers in his ears and focused on observing the chandelier in the ward.
“…It’s not easy to investigate with only one person.” After a moment of silence, Lu Xiaohe spoke in a hoarse voice.
“I can assist as the rear commander for the investigation.”
“Huh? Lu Xiaohe?!” Huang Jin exclaimed.
“You must have some feelings if you haven’t immediately applied for a transfer. In the face of that attacker, Shian cannot protect us. This is not a problem that can be solved by not participating in the investigation or switching teams.”
Huang Jin clicked his tongue, looking away in embarrassment without answering.
“Zhong Chengshuo was a newcomer like us, but he was killed just like that, and we don’t even know why. What if that guy was trying to create a terror attack—who can guarantee that we’re not next? Rather than passively waiting to die, I’d rather explore and then die.”
Lu Xiaohe clenched the sheet in the ward. Her hair was messy, and she looked a little haggard.
“Yin Ren seems to be quite formidable…an evil? A person? This is a good opportunity. Maybe we’ll make a big discovery.”
“I want to participate too.” Ge Tingting typed one letter at a time.
“I’m sad that someone I know was killed.”
Huang Jin’s expression twisted for a while, and after about five minutes, he slapped his face and sighed heavily. “Okay, anyway…”
He stole a glance at Yin Ren.
“Anyway, if this path doesn’t work, it’s useless for me to switch teams.” As he said this, he glanced in the direction of the headquarters of Shian, as if he were looking at someone in the distance.
Faced with the support of his colleagues, Yin Ren just nodded lightly.
Fu Xingchuan withdrew his gaze from the chandelier and looked at Yin Ren. Knowing him well, Fu Xingchuan thought Yin Ren would show some emotion at this moment. However…
“I understand.”
Yin Ren didn’t show a soft expression, he just stood there. Wrapped tightly in the evil qi, he was like an overly exquisite statue.
“If I can find him smoothly, I will give you a reward.”
Huang Jin smiled bitterly. “At this point, whether there’s a reward or not, it doesn’t matter…”
“Each of you can make a wish. Anything is fine as long as it doesn’t involve bringing the dead back to life,” Yin Ren said softly.
The evil qi around him suddenly tightened, and Fu Xingchuan’s heart trembled. Yin Ren’s aura had undergone subtle changes—this evil was like a ferocious beast that had just exposed its paw pads before. At this moment, that person had completely revealed his bloody claws and fangs.
At that moment, on a certain street.
With a cigarette in his mouth, Qiu Fang was walking in the most chaotic area of Haigu. He hummed a song and looked at the passing crowd in a good mood. However, in that instant, for some reason, he shuddered.
“This aura… is strange.”
He extinguished the cigarette butt and looked towards Haigu Municipal Hospital.
Fu Wuya swayed the willow branches listlessly. He didn’t even feel like watching TV. According to the usual practice, he had sheltered a bunch of people before and needed to rest to recover his strength. But now, even the Fu family’s ancestor dared not rest and completely ignored the rule of “ignoring outside affairs”.
At Fu Wuya’s strong request, The Fu family equipped him with a complete set of instant communication devices.
Professional personnel came and went, covering Fu Wuya with all kinds of obstructions for a week to ensure both his psychological and physical health. The strong human presence made him uncomfortable, and even the willow branches were withered.
There was no choice. Zhong Yi had run outside. If he did not clarify the whole story of the event, Fu Wuya would not be able to sleep.
For the Fu Family, which was full of loyal believers of the “Great Celestial Master”, Fu Wuya kept this secret that no one knew how to describe. Fortunately, there was still Fu Xingchuan outside, so the old ancestor didn’t have to bear the outrageous reality alone.
At this moment, the broadcast screen stopped at the Haigu Municipal Hospital.
The screen showed the emergency ward of Unit Nine, with exactly five hospital beds. Two of the beds were empty, and the sheets were tucked into the mattress, flat and smooth without any wrinkles.
Ge Tingting and Lu Xiaohe were arranged on the side close to the window, with nameplates on the head of the bed. The two girls had lost their usual vitality and looked like two stiff mannequins. Huang Jin’s bed was on the other side of the ward—he sat cross-legged at the head of the bed with a gloomy face, playing with a carving knife non-stop.
On the screen, Yin Ren was wearing a high-necked white line shirt with a suitcase by his side.
He sat quietly next to one of the empty beds, looking like he was about to move in.
“I received the post-mortem email from Zhong Chengshuo, and I saw the addresses he copied. You all received it too,” Yin Ren said.
His tone was so calm that it was a bit scary. However, his face was almost integrated with the white shirt, and there was a hint of redness in the corners of his eyes, indicating that he was not as indifferent as he sounded.
Yin Ren rarely wore such bright colors as white. At the moment, he was wearing the same shirt as Zhong Chengshuo. His hair was loosely tied, and there was a strange sense of oppression.
Fu Xingchuan, the carrier of Fu Wuya’s vision, nodded and looked straight into the camera. “We have all received it, and I have asked Li Nian. The situation is special now, and we will cooperate with Zhong Chengshuo’s wishes and not notify his parents for the time being. However…”
“There is no ‘however’,” Yin Ren said. “If you are worried about not being able to hide the problem…”
He waved his left hand, and the air distorted for a moment.
“Zhong Chengshuo” appeared in the ward out of nowhere. He was wearing the same high-necked white shirt as Yin Ren, with dark eyes like two deep wells. His slightly long bangs hung over his glasses, and every detail, from the brand carved on the frame to the sneakers he was wearing, was extremely vivid.
These days, the memories of the past few months have chewed repeatedly on Yin Ren. And they were like a carving knife, sharpening those subtle details.
A lifelike illusion.
“’We’ will always be together, going back to accompany the elders until the end. As for all those messy procedures of yours, do as you please. Zhong Chengshuo has written everything in the email. He understands this better than me.”
Yin Ren didn’t look at the phantom of Zhong Chengshuo. He slowly withdrew his hand, allowing that familiar shadow to instantly dissipate.
“You’re still staying in Shian?” Huang Jin muttered.
“Mhm. He’s not here, and I have no concept of dealing with electronic data and such. I need assistance. Whether it’s a targeted attack or a random one, I will bring him back.”
Yin Ren raised his gaze, which appeared slightly dimmer than it had been in the past.
“As for the person who made the move, they must disappear completely.”
Faced with these outrageous statements, Fu Xingchuan coughed twice and didn’t say anything. He was now just an innocent and injured lower-level combat advisor, and it made no sense to pay attention to the “outrageous remarks” of a senior employee.
Moreover, the real reason why Yin Ren stayed in Shian was tacitly understood between the former Great Celestial Master and the Fu family.
[Fu Xingchuan, do you know about “The Other Side”?]
Yin Ren asked this after his “processing meeting”.
Phenomenon A-A1, “The Other Side”. Shian’s high-level executives tended to call it “The Other Side.” Currently, it had been confirmed that Phenomenon C-B4 “Gap”, Phenomenon A-D512 “Archive”, Phenomenon A-A2 “Divine Descent”, as well as hundreds of anomalies large and small, were all related to “The Other Side”.
Both in the metaphysical and scientific world, the understanding of “The Other Side” was even less than that of black holes. Only those with the ability of a Charon could truly come into contact with “The Other Side”, so the research they could do was extremely limited.
Why did “The Other Side” exist, whether there was real life within it, and what kind of impact it had on this world were all unknown mysteries. For some reason, research in this direction always seemed to be difficult to make progress.
These should have been Shian’s top secrets.
…But Zhong Chengshuo was able to learn about the existence of “The Other Side” through his own efforts.
And now, the culprit was precisely using methods related to the “Gap” to move and attack, which was inseparable to “The Other Side”. Regardless of whether Shian cared about Zhong Chengshuo personally, they must investigate his “missing person case” thoroughly.
After understanding all of this, Yin Ren only left behind a few words.
[Shian has always given us interesting tasks, but this time I want to propose a task myself. His case is mine… Whether the attacker is on this side or the other, I will kill him.]
“Since everyone is here, I’ll be straightforward.”
Yin Ren stood still, with a surging and majestic evil qi constantly flowing around him. It was like a semi-transparent giant snake that kept circling around his body. This was Shian’s territory, and countless aura monitors surrounded Yin Ren, but none of them sounded any alarms.
“This is a missing person case, and Special Investigation Unit 9 has always been good at tracking missing people, right?”
……
At the same time, the missing person struggled to turn over underground.
The good news was that Zhong Chengshuo had learned how to turn over without a head. The bad news was that there was no sign of his head growing back. The ruptured wound was still open, without even a hint of new flesh growing.
That strange and unfamiliar emotion constantly enveloped Zhong Chengshuo.
His thoughts seemed to be out of his control, constantly sliding in a negative direction. Zhong Chengshuo tried to concentrate on his thoughts, but the annoying emotion kept disturbing him and hitting the pause button on his thinking.
Is this “fear”?
If he was provoked like this, would that person lose control? If the Evil Spirit Yin Ren were to appear, would Haigu already have disappeared in a mushroom-shaped cloud?
It was too scary.
But when he turned over, he thought again that maybe he wasn’t that important.
Yin Ren had lived for fourteen hundred years…three hundred and sixty years…no, a hundred and eighty years. He and that person had only spent a few months together, and he was at most like a stone that fell into a surging river, causing only a small splash. Perhaps that person could soon emerge from the shadows, move to the Fu residence, and continue to live comfortably.
This possibility was better, but Zhong Chengshuo tasted another kind of vague fear.
He didn’t want to be forgotten by that person.
Fear was like the surrounding low temperature, making his thinking slow and his joints stiff. Zhong Chengshuo could only slowly adapt to this new feeling. Although it was only a new emotion, it made him feel itchy and uncomfortable all over, like being pricked by needles.
His body didn’t respond well, but unfortunately, he couldn’t determine if it was the side effect of “fear”, or the natural reaction brought by “death”.
Unable to think smoothly, Zhong Chengshuo could only turn his body over and try to keep it flexible.
Keeping active was always a good thing, but unfortunately, the space here was too small to do push-ups.
Crack.
Just as Zhong Chengshuo was trying to develop a new way of exercising, a slight vibration came from the metal door.
Zhong Chengshuo’s hand slipped, almost causing him to fall onto the metal wall, but he managed to barely hold on. He had to admit that it was difficult to maintain his balance without a head.
He straightened his legs, positioned his arms, and resumed the appearance of a corpse.
There was a faint tremble… Footsteps were getting closer. The metal door above his neck suddenly shook, and the metal compartment was pulled out entirely. A gust of air brushed past his chest, but fortunately, the compartment was cold enough that it didn’t give him goosebumps.
The air was trembling, and the person approaching seemed to be saying something. Something cold and damp kept wiping his body, and he tried his best not to tense his muscles. He wasn’t sure if continuing to play dead was a good idea—if these people decided to dissect and store him, there would truly be no hope for him.
He needed to know what the person was saying, but he had no ears.
If only he could grow organs on his body like Yin Ren, it would be great. Zhong Chengshuo suddenly had an idea. He used all his strength to imagine what he would look like with ears growing on the back of his head.
The only result was that he almost choked, and his skin twitched, but his body didn’t change at all.
What should he do?
If this had happened earlier, he might have chosen to accept his fate calmly. But now, the fear seized him again, regardless of the situation.
Will the bone saw or dissecting knife be the next thing coming at him?
… If he couldn’t grow organs, he could only rely on identifying the vibrations in the air. He had no head, so he wasn’t sure if bone conduction would still work, but this was his last hope.
In the face of the unknown fear, Zhong Chengshuo forced himself to keep calculating.
Concentrate, concentrate, concentrate.
Surprisingly, the fear turned into an adrenaline rush. He had no heart to beat faster; only skin that was extremely sensitive. Every wisp of air, every touch, became a sharp blow.
“Woo… woo…” The vague tremor stirred his nerves.
The vibration in the air seeped through his skin, penetrated his cold flesh, covered his bones, and echoed constantly inside his body.
“Hey… the material condition is good. No signs of decay or mutation… no need for dissection… for now…”
It was a recording of the examination.
“Wound cross-section recorded… no special growth observed… Hmm… It seems that a nerve is emerging from the cross-section…”
Zhong Chengshuo quickly dispersed his focus, and the person’s voice instantly became blurred. A sharp metal was placed on the cross-section of his neck, and Zhong Chengshuo’s attention was completely scattered.
“Did I read it wrong?”
The inspector carefully examined the frozen wound for a while.
It wasn’t until he was pushed back into the morgue drawer that Zhong Chengshuo felt a little relieved… No, he let go of his fear a little.
Regarding his escape plan, he suddenly had a ridiculous idea.
Lin Chen didn’t know how much “medical fees” Xing Conglian paid, but the amount of money that could support Duan Wanshan’s wish was probably not a small number.
Normally, after hearing such an answer, most people would probably ask him, “Where did you get so much money?” while ordinary couples and spouses might also ask the other party, “Did you spend so much money with my consent?”
But Lin Chen thought the relationship between him and Xing Conglian wasn’t destined to be ordinary like this. Speaking of which, he didn’t know Xing Conglian’s exact background, experience, and life, but he fell in love with this person and decided to be with him. This in itself was a ridiculous thing, but… Lin Chen turned his head to look at the man who was already sleeping soundly on the narrow sofa bed on the side of the cabin—love itself was quite ridiculous.
After thinking about these things for a while, Lin Chen also fell into a deep sleep.
……
China, Hongjing.
Dr. Tan Kang, who was in charge of the research and development of Zhourui Pharmaceutical’s new drug, suddenly opened his eyes. He seemed to feel a simple discussion about his company in the rainforest deep in his mind, and suddenly felt a strange palpitation.
At this moment, he was sitting in the conference room on the 20th floor of Zhourui Pharmaceutical’s headquarters, and his ears were full of fierce arguments. As the head of the laboratory responsible for the development of the new drug “Nordren”, he was urged by dozens of calls to participate in the EIF meeting in this office, but the so-called “discussion” was purely a quarrel.
A few days ago, after a key employee in the promotion department died, the Food and Drug Administration finally issued a license for “Nordron” to be listed, but this didn’t ease the tense atmosphere within the company.
Even though he didn’t know exactly what had happened, the CEO’s gloomy expression on his face said it all.
In any case, this revolutionary new drug that should have been smooth sailing, was always like a turbulent undercurrent. It was like a thin and vicious chain, tightly wrapped around the neck of every insider.
Dr. Tan Kang looked at the blue sky and white clouds outside the 20th-floor window. For a small moment, he was thinking about what it would feel like to open the window and step out, but his thoughts were limited by the glass window that could only be opened up and down.
He shifted his gaze to his notebook, gently opened it, and saw his daughter’s photo attached to the inner page.
He carefully thought about it. How long had it been since he saw his daughter since he came to China to work? 105 days, and this number was likely to continue to increase.
At that moment, he suddenly realized that it was ridiculous to choose to end his life for some salvageable things. Family always changed one’s mindset when they least expected it. Dr. Tan Kang pressed the ballpoint pen on the notebook, making some decisions.
Finally, the meeting ended. Dr. Tan Kang hugged his notebook, squeezed through the angry people, gave up taking the elevator with the other employees, and prepared to walk back to the R&D laboratory on the 10th floor.
The pharmaceutical company was always so bright and clean; even in the emergency passage, there was a clean smell of disinfectant, and he himself was very used to this atmosphere.
He slowly walked down from the 20th floor to the 19th floor when suddenly he heard a slight creaking sound from the safety corridor door on a certain floor.
Not sure if it was due to the anxiety caused by the new drug on the market or for some other reason, he had a vague feeling that someone had walked into the emergency corridor.
Therefore, he deliberately stopped and listened carefully for a moment, but there were no footsteps, and no sound of footsteps could be heard either above or below the hallway.
He pretended to step down two floors, making a clear sound of the leather shoes rubbing against the tiles.
Just then, the sound of leather shoes hitting the ground suddenly came from above his head, once or twice, making him shudder.
As if making some kind of decision, Dr. Tan Kang grabbed his phone and pressed the alarm button. He held onto the railing, turned around, and walked up. What was even more strange was that the footsteps upstairs stopped in tacit understanding.
Soon, a slowly moving mop appeared in his field of vision, and he also saw the black rubber boots of a cleaner.
In that moment, he even had a sense of escaping death. He closed his eyes gently and let out a long sigh.
……
When Lin Chen woke up, it was already the next morning.
The daylight outside the window was bright, and the sky was blue, as thin and transparent as melting glass. He subconsciously covered his eyes with his hand, but Xing Conglian leaned down and placed his hand on his forehead, smiling. “So, you want me to accompany you to sleep to reduce your fever faster?”
Lin Chen lazily held Xing Conglian’s hand and kissed it. When he raised his head, he saw that Xing Conglian was already dressed neatly and was clean-shaven, which surprised him. “We’re here already?”
“Yes, we’re here.”
“Why didn’t you wake me up?”
“Seeing off the Gaomeng people isn’t as important as you sleeping.”
“Why are you so cute?” Lin Chen smiled.
“I’m serious. Watching you sleep is more beautiful to me than watching a hundred Hollywood classic movies in a row.”
Xing Conglian’s sweet words were really entertaining, but Lin Chen sat up, not letting him disrupt the rhythm. “How do we go back?” he asked.
“Although I was originally planning a resolute Atlantic Circle tour without Wang Chao, given your physical condition and the matters we need to handle when we return home, we can only take a plane,” Xing Conglian said with a disappointed expression on his face.
Lin Chen let out a long sigh. “Please don’t tempt me with these luxurious trips. We law enforcement officers can’t possibly have such a long vacation.”
“Then we can only go home, Consultant Lin…” When Xing Conglian said the words “go home”, Lin Chen felt an extremely comfortable and pleasant feeling.
He nodded, about to say something, but saw Xing Conglian hand him a set of clean clothes from somewhere and asked him with meaningful intentions, “Do you want to take another bath?”
Earlier, they had also engaged in some friendly and harmonious two-person bathing activities on the ship, mainly because his wound couldn’t touch water, and Xing Conglian had to help, but now it seemed inappropriate to take a bath again at this moment.
Lin Chen looked at him and said, “Is anyone waiting?”
“Only me,” Xing Conglian said without hesitation.
Lin Chen looked at him suspiciously, then looked out the window. From his angle, he could see a clear harbor, a blue sky with white clouds different from the rainforest scenery, and a long coastline. The port in Kaga was located on the western estuary of the Dana River and was under the control of the United States. It was also the endpoint of their rainforest escape.
There were cruise ships, containers, and occasionally landing helicopters, giving people the feeling of entering modern society from the barbaric era. But modern society wasn’t necessarily a good thing because there were also warships and soldiers guarding the port here.
In the end, Lin Chen refused Xing Conglian’s proposal to take a bath. Xing Conglian pulled the curtains and closed the door, helping him change his clothes. The process was, of course, a bit long, and after changing, both of them were a little breathless.
They walked out of the ferry side by side, and the sea breeze and brilliant sunshine greeted them as if washing away the gloom of the rainforest.
There was no trace of Gaomeng people in the cabin, and the bloodstains from yesterday had been cleaned up. Duan Yang was standing on the dock with his hands in his pockets, alone.
Xing Conglian’s two subordinates, Zhang Long and Zhao Hu, were squatting on the dock with Wang Chao, boredly watching seagulls. Lin Chen looked at Xing Conglian, thinking what a joke that no one was actually waiting for them.
“The others sent the Gaomeng people on their way. I’ll let these two stay here with Duan Yang until things are resolved,” Xing Conglian whispered.
In fact, he wasn’t really worried about Xing Conglian’s arrangements.
Duan Yang walked towards them, as if he had undergone some contemplation, and slowly said, “Consultant Lin, Mr. Xing…”
Lin Chen nodded.
In fact, during the time when he couldn’t sleep last night and throughout his fugitive journey, he also thought about what to say when he parted with Duan Yang. After all, they had gone through life and death together, but when it came to the moment of saying goodbye, he suddenly couldn’t come up with anything profound. Looking at the slightly longer hair of the young man in front of him and his resolute and calm expression, Lin Chen suddenly realized that Duan Yang, who was now in front of him, was no longer the young man who needed constant encouragement from him to have a firm belief.
Growing up was so painful, but people had to grow up.
Lin Chen reached out to Duan Yang. “We will meet again.”
Duan Yang opened his mouth, his expression full of a thousand words, but in the end, he just reached out his hand, shook hands with him, and said, “Goodbye.”
……
China, Hongjing.
The weather was again at that time of year when it was very unstable, with pouring rain one moment and clear skies the next.
After a whole day of contemplation, Tan Kang finally made a complete plan.
He sat in his office, nervously clicking a ballpoint pen.
It was 6:30 p.m., and most of the employees had already gone home. The lights in the large office outside had been turned off. His personal secretary had knocked on his office door over half an hour ago, asking if he needed dinner. At that time, he was pretending to be sorting out files on his desk and refused the offer, citing that he would finish work soon.
Time passed second by second.
Tan Kang sat in his office, trying to make himself look busy.
It wasn’t until the last person outside turned off the lights and left that he stopped all his movements instantly.
He stared outside for a while, then quickly pulled open the second drawer of his desk, where a small USB flash drive was neatly placed.
He moved the computer mouse gently, and the computer screen instantly lit up.
……
Lin Chen leaned back in the soft cabin seat. This flight spanning ten time zones had made his circadian rhythm completely confused.
In a daze, he could feel Xing Conglian covering him with a blanket. Besides the sound of the engine, the only noise in the cabin was the snoring of Wang Chao. Lin Chen opened his eyes slightly. Although it felt like he had slept for an entire night, it was still daytime outside the window. He wrapped the blanket tighter around himself, and Xing Conglian habitually reached out to touch his forehead to check his temperature. He rolled over and woke up.
On Xing Conglian’s side table was a cup of coffee that looked extremely bitter, and Wang Chao’s laptop was propped up on the table with the screen still lit. From his angle, Lin Chen could only see a bright white light.
“Did I wake you up?” Xing Conglian withdrew his hand and asked gently.
Just now, in his dreams, he thought he was still in the dark and sunless hold of a small fishing boat, where the smell of fish mixed with the odor of the middle-aged man’s body made him shiver. Perhaps because he subconsciously curled up his body, Xing Conglian covered him with another blanket.
Lin Chen’s vision gradually became clearer, and to his surprise, when he thought of the small fishing boat and the middle-aged man, he saw the black ring that had been taken from him by Xing Conglian on his desk.
Previously, he had used some technical means to make Xing Conglian give up investigating how he accidentally obtained this iron ring, which he wore on his left ring finger. Now that he saw this thing again, he couldn’t help but have a headache. He then asked in a businesslike tone, “Have you found out anything?”
Although he didn’t specify the exact object, they had a tacit understanding. Xing Conglian turned the ring half a circle and replied, “You guessed it right. It’s indeed a locator.”
“Can you find out who issued it?”
“That’s difficult, but this thing is not easy for individuals to obtain. It should belong to the government. After we return to China, Wang Chao should be able to find out.”
Lin Chen turned his head to look at the teenager sleeping upside down in his seat and asked Xing Conglian, “Did Duan Yang tell you the whole process of our kidnapping?”
“He did.”
“Did he mention the origin of this ring?”
“He did.” Xing Conglian looked at him and continued to stare at the ring. “How come you always run into this kind of thing when you get kidnapped? Drugs, human trafficking, or something else? And do you think the investigation he was conducting is related to Zhourui Pharmaceutical?”
As he spoke, Lin Chen felt like he was turning into Duan Yang.
“Consultant Lin.” Xing Conglian turned his head and looked at him helplessly.
“Yes?”
“Have you noticed that you get into investigation mode too quickly?”
Lin Chen looked out at the vast sea outside the window and admitted frankly, “Maybe it’s because I had a not-so-good dream just now.”
……
The climate at sea was changeable, but the city of Hongjing was covered in brilliant summer sunshine.
Mr. Tan Kang lowered his hat and wrapped his coat tightly as he walked slowly into Hongjing Amusement Park.
Perhaps because his outfit looked out of place, the staff at the entrance checked him twice with a metal scanner.
Mr. Tan Kang coughed lightly.
“Sir, are you not feeling well?” the staff member asked.
“Even if you’re not feeling well, you still have to go on a date, right?” Mr. Tan Kang smiled and replied.
This amusement park had been built for about 20 years, and the furnishings were outdated. Hongjing itself was too comfortable, so there were no crazy sights in the park. Citizens conventionally thought that even the carousel, the less intense roller coaster, or even the slightly squeaky pirate ship were suitable.
Today was Sunday and also a summer holiday, so there were more visitors in the park than usual, mainly parents with children. The children were holding cotton candy with bright faces, chattering and laughing, making Mr. Tan Kang feel like he was back in his childhood.
A violin tune that he couldn’t name began to play on the park’s broadcast, and the music was melodious.
Walking under the sun, he felt that the dirty haze on his body evaporated from his pores. Mr. Tan Kang gradually loosened his tightly wrapped clothes and felt relaxed. He didn’t buy cotton candy but instead spent ten yuan to buy a bottle of Coke. Junk food and the smiles of young people could soothe the soul.
On the grass by the lake, not far away, gray or white pigeons walk on the lush green lawn. A balloon vendor was selling red balloons to a cute pair of twins. There were many colorful balloons tied to his booth, and many people surrounded him—no child disliked balloons. After selling those two red balloons, many parents also handed him money. For a moment, piles of balloons of various colors were flying away, looking very cute.
Mr. Tan Kang smiled, bypassed the carousel area, and the violin tune became cheerful. Music always had such a strong infectious power. He walked up the bridge with small steps. Looking around, there were crowds of people everywhere. The magic show on the water stage not far away was about to start. Only when he walked to this crowded place did he regret his earlier choice.
People were crowded in front and behind, and many people still had balloons of different colors floating above their heads. The cute things that looked lovely earlier now made him inexplicably nervous. He clenched his fists, went against the crowd, and watched the road ahead with vigilance.
Going against the grain, the oncoming people were like hard rocks. Even children just above the knee could give him enough force of impact. Each time an elbow rubbed against his shoulder, it made his heart tighten by a few points. The Coke bottle had been squeezed to deformity at some point, and the liquid inside was covered with brown foam, which seemed it could spray out at any moment when it accumulated at the mouth of the bottle.
Tan Kang was hit by people continuously. For some reason, more and more people came from the right side. He was almost pushed in the direction he came from by the crowd against the current. He could only protect his chest with his hands, and he tried his best to walk faster. In order to avoid the oncoming tall man holding a child, he squeezed to the side but stepped on a female student’s leather shoe. The girl screamed, and he had to apologize in a low voice. “I’m very sorry. I’m very sorry. Can you let me through.”
The mixture of sound and noise in the air was so loud that the girl didn’t hear him, and no one around even noticed him.
Tan Kang finally avoided the stocky man and breathed a small sigh of relief. He had not yet exhaled the turbid air in his mouth when his pupils suddenly shrank, as if he saw something. Colorful balloons floated in front of his eye, and the plastic film gently collided.
Then, he sensed something.
The sound of the piano crossed a high note, then suddenly fell, and the fountain in the distance splashed white waves.
It was a thin knife that was not too long. The tip of the knife pierced his clothes and skin, and the blade pierced into his internal organs. After stirring it, the knife was quickly pulled out. The hand holding the knife suddenly let go of the handle, and the blade seemed to be attracted by some kind of suction as it suddenly retracted into the assailant’s sleeve.
All this happened within the blink of an eye.
Parents with children in their arms, boys and girls who came to hang out, and old people who took their grandchildren out to play continued moving. No one noticed that Dr. Tan Kang, who was in the crowd, clutched his ribs and slowly fell to the ground next to a sign that read: [Crowded. Please be careful.]
The sun was still shining on the grass, and the violin music became light and beautiful again after the climax as the crowd finally passed through the narrow area of the bridge.
On the lakeside path, a man in a dark blue jacket slowly and methodically took out a small black bag from his sleeve and tied the bag tightly with three balloon strings in his hand.
The balloons floated up with the bag, and he looked up and watched as they flew into the blue sky before he heard the screams of panic coming in the distance behind him.
He didn’t turn around and instead slightly rolled up his bloodied cuffs, then straightened his dark blue coat.
Ten paces away from him stood a little boy, about five or six years old. The little boy was so fat that his t-shirt was stretched out several times its original size, looking like a fat doll made of lotus roots. The fat boy’s big black eyes stared at the last balloon in his hand.
The man went to the fat child, tied the string of the last balloon on his lotus-root-like wrist, and patted the boy’s head. Perhaps he was feeling very good, as there was a hint of laughter in his breath.
Li Han’er lay drenched on the sandy ground. In the past, she would have felt uncomfortable all over, wishing she could rush to take a shower and change clothes immediately. But now, as the mist hadn’t yet gathered, sunlight shone down from the sky cleared of dark clouds, warming her body and filling her heart with a sense of contentment.
She gazed at Dong Zhi from a distance with a slight smile forming at the corner of her mouth and exhaled a long breath.
Li Han’er still remembered the moment she learned that she had been temporarily assigned to the exchange team and that the team captain was Dong Zhi. There was a sense of dissatisfaction in her heart. Although she wouldn’t go to the leader to strongly protest and request a replacement, she did harbor ill intentions towards Long Shen’s disciple. Because of the unrequited affection she had once held for Long Shen, she found anyone who was favored by him displeasing in her eyes.
But when did this emotion change? Perhaps it was during the time when everyone was in a state of disappointment and despair, yet Dong Zhi remained calm and composed, seemingly unfazed by any difficulties. Perhaps it was when Dong Zhi took the lead, running at the forefront in the face of danger. Or perhaps it was during his bantering with Liu Qingbo, repeatedly pulling unexpected things out of his backpack to ease their tension and give them new hope. Li Han’er had to admit that Dong Zhi was simply not someone you could hate. Instead, he had a charm that made you involuntarily like him.
It was as if, wherever he was, the vitality of the world could be seen. Who could possibly dislike the vibrant and warm sunlight?
If it were Liu Qingbo, Zhang Song, or even her own elder brother, Li Ying, serving as the team leader, perhaps they could still achieve the final victory. However, it would inevitably come at the cost of sacrificing one or two people, and they would not have the same cohesive force as they did now. Only Dong Zhi could achieve this.
“My dear Han’er, who are you looking at?” William followed her gaze and couldn’t help but widen his eyes. “Are you looking at Dong? My goodness, do you have a crush on him? Do I still have a chance?” His astonished tone attracted a lot of attention, and Li Han’er wished she could sew his mouth shut.
“Who said I have a crush on him!” Li Han’er gritted her teeth. This person seemed to challenge her good manners every time. Li Han’er suspected that if this continued, by the time they returned home, she might age several years due to anger.
“You were looking at him just now, with a sad smile!” William had an innocent look on his face. “Han’er, although my skin isn’t as fair as his, I’m taller than him and have a better physique. I can make you happy. Besides, he clearly doesn’t like you!”
“That’s not sadness; it’s contentment! Get it right!” Li Han’er couldn’t hold back any longer and grabbed his ear, shouting, “And you don’t call it a good physique, you call it strong*!”
*Clarity: William is using the term “good physique” (身材好) in the sense where it’s a slim, fit, aesthetically pleasing figure, whereas Li Han’er is correcting him using the term “strong” (雄壮) which is more of a muscular, strong, robust figure.
Everyone: …
“Dial it down. Calm down. Think about your ladylike demeanor. Think about our reputation,” Dong Zhi said.
Li Han’er took a deep breath, smiled slightly at William, and spoke softly, but her words sent a chill down one’s spine.
“If you keep talking nonsense, be careful; I’ll twist your head off and use it as a ball.”
William looked at her in horror, thought for a moment, and whispered, “If you’re willing to accept my pursuit, it’s okay to let you play with my head. Don’t you Chinese have a saying that goes, ‘Even if one were to die immediately, it’s worth it if they can kiss the most beautiful flower?'”
That’s called “dying under the peony flower, remaining a romantic ghost*.” Li Han’er was furious but couldn’t help laughing. “If you can learn Chinese and use idioms proficiently, then I’ll accept your pursuit.”
*(牡丹花下死，做鬼也风流) Idiom referring dying for love is seen as romantic.
William’s eyes lit up. “Really?”
But he wasn’t stupid. He immediately added conditions. “Is it okay if I just become fluent in spoken Chinese?”
Li Han’er thought that the conditions shouldn’t be too difficult, or the other party would suspect something was amiss. So she nodded. “That’s fine. But you have to understand idioms and their origins. I don’t want to be in a relationship with a man who can’t even understand simple idioms like ‘tiger’s back and bear’s waist*.'”
*(虎背熊腰) Idiom referring to someone who has a robust and strong physique (broad muscular back and well-defined waist) || Basically, what William’s physique is supposed to be.
She said the last sentence in Chinese.
“Tiger’s back and bear’s waist?” William imitated her tone and looked puzzled. “What does that mean?”
Li Han’er remained unfazed. “It means you’re handsome and suave.”
William became excited. “Don’t worry, my dear. I know you’re concerned that I’m just temporarily enthusiastic, but I have genuine feelings for you. Give me six months, and I’ll learn Chinese. But during these six months, you can’t have a boyfriend.”
Li Han’er nodded. “Of course, I am a person who keeps promises.”
The two reached an agreement, and everyone was happy. Dong Zhi and the others pursed their lips but ultimately didn’t say anything. They could all tell that Li Han’er was teasing William. However, who knew what the future held? Perhaps William would give up on his own before six months, or maybe the two of them would develop into a pair of happy enemies. Life was always full of variables, and no one could predict the future.
The storm subsided, and the sea gradually calmed down, but the islands were left in ruins. Diana Island seemed to be the most devastated, with trees falling or leaning haphazardly, in a state of disarray. The flood had not completely receded, leaving pits and ditches between the trees—a distressing sight.
In the distance, a ship emerged from the mist and gradually approached. It was the boat sent by the organizing committee to pick them up.
Liu Qingbo sighed. “Like the movies, the police always arrive hastily after everything has settled.”
Dong Zhi couldn’t help but laugh.
……
Japan, Atsuta Shrine.
Long Shen carried his sword and kept moving forward. In every direction, there were countless mirrored spaces, one after another, with no end in sight. The space beneath his feet extended infinitely, but unless something unexpected happened, no matter how he walked or where he went, he could never escape from here.
However, Long Shen didn’t stop his steps because he knew that once he halted, his perspective would easily be confused by the mirrored contents, and he would lose his way. Losing direction was just the first step, and eventually, even his mind would be lost in the mirrored space. He had just shattered the surveillance of Otowa Hatsuhiko, but if he couldn’t find an exit, he would be forever trapped here.
The scenes within each mirrored space were roughly the same, but there were subtle differences. For example, every Li Ying inside had a different expression—some looked anxious, some looked worried, some smiled, and even exhibited happiness and the seven emotions, making it difficult to distinguish which Li Ying was real. While Long Shen seemed to keep moving forward, he was actually observing each Li Ying at an extraordinary speed that ordinary people couldn’t match.
He believed that there must be one real Li Ying among them.
“Li Ying,” Long Shen said in a deep voice. “Keep speaking. It doesn’t matter what you say, just don’t stop your voice.”
“Boss Long!” Numerous Li Yings responded in the mirrored space, their voices overlapping like countless echoes. However, no matter which Li Ying it was, their tone sounded weak, indicating that they were likely seriously injured.
“Boss Long, if I can’t return, I have to trouble you to please inform my master, parents, and my sister Han’er for me. Tell them that I’m incompetent, unable to complete the mission. And for Han’er, ask her to take good care of our parents…” Li Ying gasped for breath. “And also, Banxia. Tell her I’m sorry and ask her not to wait for me anymore!”
A true man sheds no tears easily, and Li Ying didn’t cry when mentioning his master and parents. However, when he uttered the name Banxia, he couldn’t help but shed tears.
He recalled the time when he first joined the Special Administration Bureau, seeing that lively and smiling girl who instantly captivated his attention. He remembered the ambiguous interactions between them during missions, and he recalled how he abandoned a promising team to join the so-called miscellaneous group of Team Three, which caused his father to be furious. But Li Ying had no regrets.
Throughout his life, he had been mature and responsible, considering the overall situation. His every word and action were almost a model among his Maoshan peers. After joining the Special Administration Bureau, he became the future pillar in the eyes of his superiors. Many people couldn’t understand why he didn’t choose the outstanding junior sister in Maoshan but fell for a mysterious and unpredictable witch instead.
Li Ying had always thought that he would follow a steady path in his cultivation journey, either inheriting the position of head of Maoshan or joining the Special Administration Bureau like his father, Li Rui, and gradually climbing the ranks to become a high-ranking official, perhaps even a Director with considerable power.
However, he had never expected that he would meet his downfall before achieving his goals.
Besides the fear and unease towards death, what constantly came to his mind was the face of Chi Banxia.
He knew that Chi Banxia would never be able to escape the shadow of his death. Perhaps when others saw the title of a witch, they would feel a sense of mystery and fear, not daring to provoke, but Li Ying knew that this lively girl was more sentimental than anyone else.
As Long Shen swept his gaze, numerous reflections of Li Ying displayed expressions of pain. However, most of the mirrored Li Yings had a sluggish and numb kind of pain, like puppets imitating their agony with poor acting skills, which failed to touch anyone’s heart and instead felt eerie. There was only one. The only one that genuinely revealed pain and fear on his face. Even though he was a practitioner and more outstanding than most of his peers, Li Ying was still human. He was still young and couldn’t remain calm in the face of true death, especially when he faced eternal separation from his loved ones and family. Even Long Shen would be moved, let alone Li Ying.
Without hesitation, Long Shen immediately shot out a beam of sword light, directly aimed at the Li Ying with the most genuine expression of pain!
The mirror shattered, and Li Ying stared in astonishment at the swiftly approaching sword light. He instinctively wanted to dodge, but with his severe injuries and facing Long Shen, there was nowhere to escape. The cold and sharp sword aura reached his forehead, causing a stinging sensation. His arm was already tightly restrained by someone.
“Boss Long!”
He looked at Long Shen, who appeared beside him, with both surprise and joy.
“Let’s go!”
As soon as Long Shen spoke, his figure didn’t stop, and Li Ying felt the world spinning before his eyes. Countless images flew backward, layers of mirrors shattered, and fragments scattered throughout the space, cutting through his clothes and skin, causing him to feel pain.
“This is real!” Long Shen seemed to perceive his confusion and rapidly explained, never stopping his footsteps as he pulled Li Ying along.
A protective energy surrounded Long Shen, preventing the fragments from coming near, but after being trapped for days, Li Ying’s mind was in a haze. Sometimes he would see Chi Banxia and his senior martial brothers, and other times he found himself in the depths of hell, surrounded by skeletons and evil spirits, unable to break free. His consciousness was already somewhat confused, and now he couldn’t tell if he was truly saved or in another illusion.
In a moment of desperation, he reached his hand beyond the protection of the energy and touched the fragments. As expected, his fingertips stung, and blood droplets immediately emerged.
“Isn’t this an illusion?” Li Ying said in confusion.
“True is false, and false is true. Any illusion is based on reality,” Long Shen replied, turning his head with a furrowed brow. He extended his finger and flicked Li Ying’s forehead.
Li Ying’s body trembled slightly, and his expression instantly became much more sober.
“Boss Long…” His voice was hoarse, as if he had just been pulled out of water, drenched in sweat.
“Don’t move, don’t speak.”
Although Long Shen had seen through the formation that Li Ying was trapped in, the surroundings were still filled with numerous illusions. He couldn’t afford to spare attention for Li Ying and needed to focus entirely on finding a breakthrough.
Li Ying, indeed, dared not speak again. He was being pulled forward by Long Shen, unable to resist. He watched as countless fragments of mirrors came towards them, only to diverge and create paths as Long Shen passed through. It was as if wherever Long Shen went, the sinister entities and inner demons automatically made way for him.
From this, Li Ying gained a deeper understanding of this man’s strength.
Unaffected by external factors and not swayed by any emotions of weakness, Long Shen’s heart was as firm as a rock. These illusions naturally couldn’t influence him.
Coming from a prestigious sect, Li Ying didn’t possess the same strong desire for performance as Zhang Song and Liu Qingbo. His sharpness was naturally restrained, which made him appear stable in the eyes of his elders. However, he couldn’t help but carry the pride of a disciple from a renowned sect. Before joining the Special Administration Bureau, apart from Wu Bingtian’s team, he regarded the other teams as being average. Although Long Shen’s name was already widely known, in Li Ying’s heart, Long Shen was ultimately just one person and couldn’t compare to the profound heritage of renowned sects like Maoshan and Mount Longhu.
Yet at this moment, he realized that even the head of Maoshan would speak of Long Shen with solemnity, not because Long Shen was a Director of the Special Management Bureau, holding high status and seniority, but because of Long Shen’s true strength.
Whether on the righteous path or among demonic beings, human society and the animal world, fundamentally, there wasn’t much difference. They all sought continuous self-improvement and pursued strength. The strong may not earn respect through their character, but they would make others have no choice but to face them.
Suddenly, Li Ying felt fortunate.
He was glad that Long Shen was on his side and not an enemy. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have the opportunity to escape now. He would be like Ding Lan, with his soul trapped or even dead without a complete corpse.
Thinking of Ding Lan, Li Ying couldn’t help but shudder.
In the brief moment that he lost focus, Long Shen had already found the final exit of the mirrored space.
The sword light in his hand flew up and shot forward according to his will, finally piercing into a piece of debris containing a pine tree. Li Ying couldn’t figure out why that pine tree was the key to breaking the formation, but Long Shen could see it with just one glance. Wherever the sword light reached, the pine tree vanished with a loud noise, and all the floating fragments of the mirrors also disappeared in an instant.
The scenery around them suddenly changed!
No more countless repetitions of mirrors, no more confusing reflections and fragments obstructing their vision. They found themselves on an open lawn, not far away from a picturesque lake and mountains, reflecting the blue sky, serene and peaceful.
It was an excellent vacation spot. If Long Shen had assumed his previous disguise, he would have been delighted to immediately take out a camera and start framing shots. However, he wasn’t a genuine photography enthusiast. It was just an identity he randomly adopted to infiltrate the Atsuta Shrine.
Li Ying became even more nervous. Without Long Shen needing to say anything, he also knew that this couldn’t be the original scene in the Atsuta Shrine. In other words, had they once again entered an illusion?
“Boss Long, is this an illusion?” he asked in a low voice.
Unexpectedly, Long Shen gave him a surprising answer. “No.”
Before Li Ying could ask further, Long Shen answered his doubt, “This is also real.”
If this was real, did it mean that they were still within the barrier of the Atsuta Shrine?
Or perhaps, they had already left the Atsuta Shrine and arrived in another place?
Li Ying noticed that Long Shen’s words were cryptic and could be interpreted in various ways.
Just then, the man beside him spoke again. “Don’t forget what I said earlier.”
Li Ying forced a bitter smile. He suddenly sympathized with Dong Zhi. How high of an understanding did he have to stay by Long Shen’s side without constantly doubting his own intelligence?
But he also understood that with his serious injuries and his mind not as clear and sharp as usual, Long Shen wanted him to engage his thinking abilities, ignore his own condition, and avoid falling into a state of unconsciousness due to severe injuries.
The fragrant breeze blew on their faces, inducing drowsiness. There seemed to be distant singing, clear and melodious, reminiscent of the way his sister used to sing when she was little, innocent and carefree. In such an environment, it was difficult for anyone to muster their fighting spirit, and Li Ying was no exception. He almost involuntarily relaxed his mind. However, deep within, he suddenly remembered Long Shen’s reminder.
True is false, and false is true.
This sentence felt as cold as ice on his spiritual platform, forcefully pulling him back from the sleepy warmth. Li Ying pinched the palm of his hand, feeling the stinging sensation and the sticky liquid, instantly alerting him.
There was no warm fragrance, no singing. The lake was still a lake, and the grassland was still a grassland.
Indeed, it was an endless illusion of reality and falsehood. Li Ying couldn’t help but break out in a cold sweat, unable to imagine the consequences if he had truly fallen asleep just now.
Perhaps he would never wake up again.
He couldn’t help but look towards Long Shen beside him, hoping to draw some confidence from him.
But Long Shen had disappeared.
Li Ying’s heart skipped a beat, and he couldn’t help but panic. The feet that were stepping on the grass unknowingly sank downward. Li Ying lowered his head and realized that the grassland had turned into a marsh, with rampant wild grass growing around the lake. He was trapped in the swamp, unable to free himself, and his body slowly sank. In an instant, the water reached his knees.
He struggled to move forward, but it only caused his body to sink further. There was nothing around to grab onto or hold onto. Li Ying instinctively reached behind, only to remember that his sword had been taken away during his previous confinement.
“Boss Long? Boss Long!”
He pinched his palm forcefully, closed his eyes, and then opened them again, but before him was still the marsh. His body had sunk up to his chest, and breathing was starting to become difficult. It wouldn’t take long for the swamp to block his breath, cover his eyes, and bury his entire being. Over the course of several decades or centuries, he would slowly dissolve, merging with the swamp.
Li Ying felt liquid flowing down his nose and reached out to touch it. His hand was stained with a bloody red color. It was likely caused by the pressure on his original wound in the chest and abdomen. His body was sinking rapidly, and the swamp had already reached his neck. Breathing became increasingly difficult. He couldn’t convince himself that this was an illusion, so he closed his eyes and silently recited the spiritual mantra of Maoshan.
After a few sentences, his mood gradually calmed down, and he felt the pressure on his chest lighten. He bit his tongue, spewing out a mouthful of blood, and then opened his eyes. As expected, it was an illusion. Long Shen was still standing beside him, with grass beneath his feet and a lake in front of him.
Li Ying’s body weakened, and he was about to collapse. Long Shen reached out and grabbed his arm, looking calm as if he wasn’t surprised that he looked like he had just finished running a five-kilometer race.
“How long has it been…” Li Ying gasped.
“Only three seconds,” Long Shen replied.
Three seconds, but it felt like he had experienced a lifetime.
Li Ying forced a bitter smile, relying on Long Shen’s strong support to stand unsteadily, and apologized, “I’m sorry, Boss Long. I’m so useless.”
Long Shen said, “Otowa has set up multiple layers of illusions here. It’s already impressive that you managed to break free in such a short time.”
Li Ying couldn’t help but ask, “Compared to Dong Zhi?”
It was inevitable for outstanding peers to have a sense of comparison, and Li Ying was no exception. Suddenly, Long Shen smiled.
This smile was like a clear sky after rain, with stars hanging in the vast expanse. Li Ying was momentarily captivated by it. But before he could examine it closely, Long Shen had already regained his usual calmness. “He’s about the same as you. Have confidence in yourself.”
Li Ying doubted that these were just words of consolation from Long Shen himself. Otherwise, why would he smile so happily when mentioning Dong Zhi? But he didn’t delve further into it. The exhaustion from breaking free of the illusion had drained all the strength from his body.
He didn’t have time to ponder further because, the next moment, the calm surface of the lake suddenly trembled violently. Ripples spread out from the center of the lake, growing larger and larger. After a few seconds, a colossal creature burst out of the water, announcing its presence with a roar!
At first glance, the body of the monster almost obscured the sky and earth, casting a shadow that blocked the light from Long Shen.
When the majority of the monster’s body emerged from the water, Li Ying’s heart couldn’t help but tremble, and his expression changed drastically.
It looked like—
Eight giant snakes twisted together, with blurred flesh at the junctions, but they were indeed connected as one. Eight ferocious heads swung in the air, and eight tails thrashed the surface of the lake restlessly. Each of their wide-open mouths spewed out a massive poisonous breath, exuding impatience and greed, revealing their arrogant desire to devour everything.
Yamata no Orochi?
Li Ying couldn’t believe it. Wasn’t this legendary monster from Japan supposed to have been killed long ago?
“Is this another illusion?”
“No, it’s real. Be careful!”
Just as Long Shen finished speaking, a large snake tail was already lashing towards them. Long Shen pulled Li Ying to evade, and the snake tail struck the grassy ground, leaving a scorch mark in an instant.
Li Ying could even smell the scent of burnt grass. He was pushed aside by Long Shen, stumbling back a few steps and falling to the ground.
Meanwhile, Long Shen leaped up and gestured, summoning a beam of sword light from an unknown source, shooting it towards one of the snake heads.
Li Ying understood that his physical condition rendered him unable to fight. It was already good enough if he didn’t become a burden. He quickly found a concealed spot to hide and watch the battle, hoping that the Yamata no Orochi wouldn’t notice him; otherwise, Long Shen would be distracted.
The impact of the waves was quite strong, but the greatsword itself was wide enough. Monday was thrown around by the wave and screamed, but luckily everyone was so dazed by the water that they couldn’t tell where the source of the scream came from. The protective suit was thick and slippery when wet, making it difficult for Shu Jun to pull the straps on both sides. During this process, he had to focus on suppressing his own and Monday’s breath, which made things even more miserable.
However, just before the next wave came, Zhu Yanchen reached out his arm and tightly hugged Shu Jun’s waist, holding him close to his body. He held him tightly as the two tumbled in the water until they hit the rocky wall with a loud thud, without any signs of separation.
The thick protective suit served as a cushion, and the speed of the central water flow wasn’t very fast. It was only after the water flow gradually dissipated that the world became pitch black, and they looked like fish caught in a net.
The Erosion Swamp didn’t plan to drown them directly, so the water quickly dispersed. As soon as Hu Yan stood up, he opened the short-range communication to the maximum and then fired a flare into the sky.
“Immediately assembly!” Hu Yan ordered.
The communication device made an unpleasant rustling sound. Under the glare of the flare, the huge liquid column of the Erosion Swamp slowly writhed.
They had been washed up near the huge liquid column. Zhu Yanchen and Shu Jun’s orders had taken effect—after enabling oxygen support and erosion protection, Hu Yan’s condition was quite good. On the other hand, the waterproof cloth was limited, so the team members had to share it. Although the thirteen people were scattered by the water, they managed to ensure that there were two to four people in each group. With the protection of the waterproof cloth, the sharp fragments in the water flow couldn’t hurt the protective suits.
“Damn it, the erosion concentration is too high. Short-range communication devices probably won’t last long.” Hu Yan lit a cold light and looked at the reading. “This Erosion Swamp is really strange. It’s like a flytrap.”
“I took a look just now, and including us, the waterproof cloth wrapped around four groups of people,” Yu Jin recalled. “As long as your people don’t get washed away alone, the situation isn’t that bad.”
“The vanguard team are all elites. They won’t get washed away alone. I’m afraid that—” Hu Yan hadn’t finished speaking when intermittent sounds came from the communication device. “We’ve been washed into a cave… Can’t find our way out…”
Hu Yan sighed and turned the illumination towards the rocky mountain remnants full of holes. “I was afraid of this.”
Yu Jin also sighed heavily. “To be honest, I’ve never seen anything as weird as this. At most, I’ve encountered some strange mutant beasts, but this is fucking strange.”
Shu Jun thought for a few seconds. “The team outside the rocky mountain should assemble at the lighting. ‘One Eye’ will assist Hu Yan here. Smoke and I will go into the rocky mountain to find the missing people.”
“I’ll come with you.” Hu Yan shook his head. “The cave is narrow, and I can widen it. Otherwise, if you encounter something like that… that thing that pretended to be Xiao Zhang earlier, you two may not be able to handle it. Moreover, I’m now the captain of the Blackbirds. I can’t just sit around waiting for you two to risk your lives.”
“I’ll also come and broaden my horizons.” Yu Jin hammered a glowing marker into the ground. “The two of you are even more badass than me in a fight. Anyway, inside or outside, it’s only a few steps away, so I might as well go with you.”
His voice carried a hint of humor. “I’m quite familiar with this kind of mountain terrain. They say that if you benefit from someone, don’t forget to repay them*. I can’t just take advantage of you guys for nothing.”
*When one eats the food of another, one’s mouth becomes shorter. Idiom referring to one shouldn’t be greedy and take advantage of others without giving anything back.
“Okay, but we have to retreat when it’s time to retreat.” Shu Jun surveyed the cave.
If Hu Yan was there, retreating would be easy, not to mention the fact that the erosion concentration here was extremely high and Hu Yan could exert a great deal of power. If things went wrong, compared to himself, Hu Yan could at least send people out faster.
Since the water was flowing towards the center, except for the group that was washed into the cave, the other two groups weren’t far apart. After the two teams gathered, Hu Yan briefly explained the current situation.
Seven people, plus themselves, gathered together. There was one man and one woman missing.
“For now, the situation is unclear. You should gather here and not act separately. We’ll go in and find the missing people. If we haven’t returned within three hours, you should turn the purifiers to maximum power and retreat as fast as you can.”
“It’s best not to use maximum power.” Zhu Yanchen suddenly spoke up after pondering for a while.
Hu Yan wasn’t annoyed by the response. “Why?”
“Its intention is to make us actively approach the center. That’s why it made a fake messenger. If it wants to hunt, it doesn’t need to bother with so many tricks. Just waiting for you to come and investigate is enough.”
If all three hundred core members of the Blackbirds were there, it would be understandable to catch them all at once. With only thirteen people, it seemed like an overkill*. There was no reason to hunt in this way, as the Erosion Swamp also had to calculate energy consumption.
*Using a cleaver to slaughter chickens (杀鸡用牛刀了) Idiom describing a situation when someone uses excessive force or resources to deal with a problem that could be solved with simpler or more appropriate means.
Zhu Yanchen patiently explained in a calm voice. “After it brought us to the center, it didn’t immediately attack us. According to reason, it would have trapped us in water, making it difficult for us to survive. From what I can see, it seems more like it’s observing us.”
“…No, bro. The Erosion Swamp doesn’t have this kind of intelligence, does it?” Hu Yan lowered his voice. “It’s just a lump of erosion.”
As soon as the words came out, he choked a little himself—looking at the fake Xiao Zhang, it was hard to say it didn’t have a brain.
Marshal Zhu didn’t dwell on this issue and changed the subject directly. “Regardless of its purpose, its desire to attack isn’t strong at the moment. The energy storage of the purifiers is limited. If it is fully opened, it won’t be able to sustain until you leave the heavily eroded area… It’s better to save it until it shows aggressive tendencies.”
“That makes sense. Ah, this is the first time we’ve been pulled in directly. Before this, Zhu Yanchen would always give an assessment report on the swamp.” Hu Yan scratched his head. “Shu—bah—Gray Claw, what do you think?”
Shu Jun always had unconventional ideas, and Hu Yan hoped that he would come up with some more unusual ones.
“My opinion is the same as Smoke’s.” Shu Jun suddenly understood how Zhu Yanchen felt—after knowing the truth, he didn’t want his teammates to take risks. “Something’s not right here. Safety comes first.”
“…Okay, then let’s do that,” Hu Yan instructed the remaining members again. “Don’t try to act like heroes and investigate randomly. Stay here honestly and stay alive.”
The rocky mountain had already been eroded into strange shapes by the erosion. The cave was like an ant’s nest, with tunnels leading in all directions that were so deep it looked bottomless. If the team members were simply trapped, with Hu Yan’s abilities, they wouldn’t take more than three hours to get out. But this Erosion Swamp could make human skin balloons, so things were uncertain.
Before they approached, no one knew if the cries for help and knocking were made by “people.”
Hu Yan was straightforward, but he couldn’t be called impulsive. He commanded the rock wall to split and gather, allowing them to avoid many dead ends, and they didn’t need to advance in the narrow and suffocating rock passage. The route was integrated by Hu Yan into a straight and flat passage so that the four of them could turn back and escape at any time.
However, as they went deeper, faint cries for help came from all directions.
“Those two sides shouldn’t be it.” Yu Jin twisted the fibers on the rock wall. “Judging from the torn cloth, they were washed to the far left by the water.”
“Thanks, brother.” Hu Yan turned his flashlight in annoyance—they were getting closer and closer to the liquid column, and all their equipment was being rapidly eroded. At the moment, the light kept flickering, making people dizzy.
“I’ve collected a lot of corpses on the edge of the erosion zone before, but I didn’t expect that trick to work here.” Yu Jin turned to Shu Jun and murmured.
Shu Jun: “…” Has this person been infected by Hu Yan’s pessimistic words?
“I hope they’re okay. When I think what’s calling out over there isn’t a human, I get goosebumps… Wait, there are some marks over there. Let me take a look.” Yu Jin didn’t slack off and went over to the shining object at the cave entrance.
“How’s it going?” Shu Jun took the opportunity to turn his head and interview the only Erosion Swamp expert present.
“It’s still testing the waters.” Zhu Yanchen stared at the readings on the device. “When it detects an abnormal Erosion Swamp, the exploration team is inevitably the best. It seems that it intends to trap this team here. Then, in the next wave, and the next, until it is certain that humans really have no threats.”
Unlike Sweet Edge, which only sought death, this thing wanted them to use all their means to survive, as direct slaughter was too crude.
Before it confirmed that they were of no value, this Erosion Swamp wouldn’t attack on its own and would only observe quietly—after all, even if it did nothing, the air containing high-concentration erosion substance was enough to kill them.
‘I can’t just attack,’ Shu Jun thought. If he really defeated this Erosion Swamp, the “big boss of the Erosion Swamps” hidden behind it would definitely be alert. For now, it was best to find the missing team members as soon as possible and try to leave quietly.
But if they could also think of this, then the Erosion Swamp was likely thinking of it too.
Two hours passed, and the four of them had found nothing. The flashlight finally gave out, plunging them into darkness. Hu Yan sighed and began to use a cold light stick for illumination. The dim light illuminated the pitch-black rock walls, and the shadows pressing in from all sides felt more suffocating.
To conserve their energy, the trapped team members stopped shouting and began tapping the walls. The similar frequency tapping sounds came from all sides, making people shudder.
“I need a break… This mountain is about to break me, and there’s still no progress.”
Hu Yan had been fixing the cave all the way, and his physical exertion was the highest. Afraid of dropping the ball at a critical moment, he stopped and struggled to take a sip of the fluid food. The concentration of erosion substance here was too high, and even eating and drinking carried a high risk. Shu Jun watched him anxiously, silently suppressing the erosion around them.
The footsteps of the four people disappeared, leaving only the eerie sound of knocking echoing around them.
“Come to think of it, this ability is a bit like Sweet Edge’s.” Unable to withstand the oppressive atmosphere, Shu Jun muttered to Zhu Yanchen. “If this Erosion Swamp knew how to fill the human skin with something, I might not have recognized it at first.”
“Sweet Edge’s ability is ‘Creation’.” Zhu Yanchen stopped in his tracks. “To be precise, it uses erosion to construct structures similar to living beings. From the perspective of those four-legged monsters, her ability to control their appearance isn’t very strong.”
“Why?” Shu Jun asked curiously. He had obtained a similar creation ability, which allowed him to repair wounds. Neither he nor Zhu Yanchen had created anything as bizarre as those monsters.
“Because your repairs are partial and the original prototype remains. When she created those things, most of X City’s victims had been swallowed up by the Erosion Swamp. She could only extract information from the fragments of the bodies and create something similar to them.”
Zhu Yanchen’s voice was low and serious.
“This Erosion Swamp’s ability leans toward ‘Replication’. Rather than creating from scratch, it’s more like a mirror. If I’m not mistaken, it probably heard our conversation near the heavily eroded area and modified the content.”
Shu Jun understood. Since it was a mirror, it couldn’t reflect the interior. If it filled the layer of “human skin” with pure erosion substance, it would be more difficult to control the shape and more likely to be exposed.
“A mirror… A’Yan, let me confirm something.”
“Hmm?”
“Does it keep in contact with other Erosion Swamps?” Shu Jun glanced at the surrounding darkness. “The uninterrupted kind.”
“Can’t. The transmission of information through the erosion substance is more like sending letters. Even if it sends information outside regularly, there will still be a certain time delay.”
“I see.” Shu Jun rubbed his chin.
He gestured to the path that Hu Yan had opened up and stirred up a breeze around him, then fell into deep thought.
“Something’s not right,” Yu Jin suddenly said. “We’ve turned so many corners, but the distance of the knocking sound hasn’t changed much, and this part of the path behind us is too clean. I couldn’t find any human traces.”
“There’s still an hour left.” Hu Yan gritted his teeth. “This place isn’t that big? I don’t believe it.”
Shu Jun took the opportunity to pick up the topic. “Captain Hu, can you sense the situation of the entire mountain now that we’ve come this far?”
“Of course I can…” Hu Yan was really close to breaking through the mountain.
“Yu Jin, how many sources of knocking sounds are there around us?”
“Five. Why do you ask?”
“Captain Hu, open up all the channels where the knocking sounds are coming from. Can you do that if someone is directing the direction?”
“I can.” It seemed pointless and just a waste of energy, but Hu Yan recognized this tone—Shu Jun must have thought of something devious.
“Open them up now.”
Hu Yan and Yu Jin looked at each other. Hu Yan clicked his tongue and pressed his hand against the rock. Yu Jin’s skeptical gaze ran around Hu Yan, but he still cooperated obediently.
“That channel over there, and that one—I’ll mark them with a fluorescent pen,” he muttered, pointing them out.
The remains of the rocky mountain weren’t large, and under Hu Yan’s control, it trembled slightly, and a lot of fine dust poured down on the four of them.
Then the wind rose.
The wind was neither too strong nor too weak, and it blew forcefully against the cave wall. The dull collision sound came from all directions.
Ten human skin balloons were pushed all the way by the strong wind, rolling and bumping through the tunnel, and collapsed at the feet of the four.
“…It’s even more sinister than I thought,” Shu Jun murmured. “It didn’t even create a single group.”
Yu Jin’s mouth opened and closed—only players had abilities, and Hu Yan’s ability was clearly written on the player information. This wind didn’t seem natural, so it must also be an ability…
“It looks like we have to fight.” Shu Jun drew out his greatsword. “Lao Hu, lead the way.”
Kinky Translations 