Chapter 233
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“He will attack all of Haigu,” Fu Xingchuan said.
He stood in front of the map of Haigu with a solemn expression.
“Is it your intuition again?” Li Nian’s mocking voice softened a bit. Fu Xingchuan turned to look at his partner, whose face had turned pale and thin, resembling a corpse.
Since being entangled by the angel’s arm, Li Nian hadn’t been able to sleep well. Recently, his sleep was purely maintained by medication, but that wasn’t a long-term solution.
Fu Xingchuan wasn’t in the mood to argue with him and just sighed briefly. “I understand him.”
The stronger Xiang Jiang’s abilities were, the more paranoid he became.
Since Fu Xingchuan took on this new recruit, he tried to handle things gently and let Xiang Jiang handle cases that might suit his taste, such as dealing with criminals who harmed women and children. Compared to when he first arrived in Haigu, Xiang Jiang did seem to be more cheerful, but he still carried a sense of detachment.
He wouldn’t befriend anyone from Shian. When he wasn’t working, he would only buy expensive and comfortable clothes, cut them in half, and sew them back together.
Fu Xingchuan had talked to him several times, and Xiang Jiang always responded without showing any emotion. But there was one time, after they rescued a child who was being used as a living sacrifice, Fu Xingchuan said this:
“The times have changed, and now there are surveillance cameras everywhere in the city. Tragedies will become less and less frequent.”
Xiang Jiang, who was usually reticent and gloomy, reacted as if he had been stung.
“So what?” he asked.
“I know that tragedies will become less and less frequent, but that’s other people’s lives. My parents and brother died painfully and tragically, and the case has had no progress to this day… Should I just give up?”
“There were three lives in my family—the lives of the people closest to me. Should I just let it go because some strangers I couldn’t care less about might have a better life?”
“Xiao Xiang, that’s not what I meant—”
“It’s been too long, so the police can’t find the criminals from back then. That’s just how things are. There were too many people spreading rumors and gossip, but they got away with it lightly, and no one was punished. That’s just how things are… I have to understand these realities and be happy to contribute to society. This is what you mean, right?”
Xiang Jiang twisted his mouth, revealing an ugly smile.
“I can’t look ahead, senior,” he said. “Xiang Hai is behind me, and I can’t raise my head.”
Fu Xingchuan had hoped that with the passage of time and experiencing enough love and hatred, Xiang Jiang would eventually be able to move on.
…But he didn’t.
“Even if Xiang Jiang wants to attack all of Haigu, there must be a focal point. Currently, there are three locations in the city with a large concentration of people.”
Li Nian’s voice brought Fu Xingchuan back to reality.
“The shopping mall in Xizhao District is having a promotional event. They set up a world cuisine venue outside, and currently, there are thousands of people gathering there.”
“Shangguang District is hosting an international furniture expo. The number of people is slightly fewer, but there are a large number of journalists gathered inside.”
“Donghe District is conducting a tourism and cultural promotion. They just opened a popular street for influencers.”
Professor Li’s finger pointed on the map.
“These three places are all near the city center. If they serve as the center for terrorist activities, they can create the maximum impact. A large number of people would ensure a wide reach. What do you think? Do you want to rely on intuition again?”
Fu Xingchuan silently looked at the three red dots on the map. He stood there for a while, then shook his head. “Contact Hao Wenzhe and have him gather information on the social media activities of Coral Reef Group.”
Fu Xingchuan flexed his finger joints.
“Xiang Jiang may not necessarily obey Sunken Society, but Sunken Society will definitely use Xiang Jiang.”
“Coral Reef Group?” Li Nian frowned.
“Yes, that unfortunate group that seems to be involved in every case. I looked into it before, and at least on the surface, they have no connection with Sunken Society,” Fu Xingchuan said. “But in the realm of the metaphysical world, there are not so many coincidences… That’s my intuition.”
Li Nian nodded and typed on the computer for a while.
“According to Hao Wenzhe, all three locations have anchors and influencers from Coral Reef Group. The most people are on the influencer street in Donghe District, but that place already has a strong online presence. You should take that into consideration.”
“Which team is closest to that area?”
“…The joint team of Unit 7 and Unit 9.” Li Nian’s voice instantly lost its emotion.
Fu Xingchuan’s face twitched twice. “Immediately reinforce the team and put them on high alert. I’ll inform Unit 7 and Unit 9 to be vigilant, and also have the Emergency Management Department on standby. Lao Li, do you have anything else to add?”
“Let’s go to the scene.” Li Nian picked up a scarf. “It’s stuffy inside. I want to feel the cold breeze.”
……
At the same time, on the Other Side.
Jiao Lian’s physical condition was special, and Yin Ren didn’t dare let her stay outside for too long. After he gained a preliminary understanding of the Charon technique, he hurriedly sent her back to the base.
Meng Huai wasn’t familiar with Jiao Lian. She was surprised but thought they had rescued someone from somewhere again. Fu Tianyi, on the other hand, had heard of this famous Charon and thought that nothing could shock him more—
“Wait, wait, you guys dug out Minister Jiao?!” Fu Tianyi almost bit his tongue. “According to this, doesn’t it mean that our ancestor is also…”
“He has been inside for too long, and I don’t know his exact location.” Jiao Lian looked at Shian’s familiar style with a sense of nostalgia in her eyes. “But if we have Mr. Yin and Mr. Zhong, they can definitely find him.”
Jiao Lian’s features appeared youthful, and she had cut her hair short, looking clean and lovely. However, her body was still connected to her unconscious partner, and it needed careful dissection to move. At first glance, it was quite terrifying.
Fu Tianyi’s expectant gaze immediately turned to the two of them.
“We don’t have time for that now,” Zhong Chengshuo solemnly stated. “We’ll save it for later.”
Practicing the Charon technique alone already took up all of their time—they even had to cut down their short naps together.
Fu Tianyi: “…Makes sense.”
Comrade Xiao Zhong’s tone was like discussing digging up radishes in the ground, making one want to be angry but not daring to be. But it was true—the Great Celestial Master Zhong Yi was here. If his ancestor was dug out and treated, it was estimated the daylily would grow a second batch*.
*Idiom referring to events are happening too quickly. If they were to find and treat the Fu ancestor, the events outside would already have significantly advanced (thus a second batch of daylily would be produced).
I’m sorry, ancestor, but it seems that Shian isn’t lacking Charons right now.
Fu Tianyi’s face remained expressionless as he continued to chop Elementals. The sharp arrogance of the young man had long been worn down into a high-quality bearing. Even when Zhong Chengshuo and Yin Ren would disappear while holding hands, there was no ripple on his face.
“Fu Tianyi!” Meng Huai called him. “Stop playing with the flesh and come help! We need to separate Xiao Jiao and Xiao Zhou—”
“Okay, coming!” Fu Tianyi wiped his hands and obediently ran over.
He rushed towards Jiao Lian while Yin Ren ran towards Love’s white net. The two new “gods” moved stealthily. Yin Ren restrained his aura and pulled Zhong Chengshuo along, poking their heads out to take a look.
The “Safety First” signs on their heads had also turned into appropriately colored camouflage, looking quite fitting.
The white net remained the same, and there were even more Elementals patrolling around—a large group of them.
The two of them maneuvered through the gaps between different Elementals like protagonists in a disaster film. Yin Ren carefully sensed the surroundings. The “heartbeat” in the center of the white net became increasingly clear. Fortunately, the atmosphere around them remained stable, with no signs of abnormalities.
Zhong Chengshuo carefully observed the structure of the white net. “The explosive points are well-configured. I can bring it all down with a blast.”
“But we also need to protect the survivors,” he murmured, lost in thought.
Yin Ren couldn’t help but look at the small cocoons containing the survivors. If the huge semicircle in the center was a stadium, these smaller cocoons were at most the size of basketballs. They were scattered around the vicinity of the large hemisphere, making them difficult to handle.
“I can remove the cocoons, and Meng Huai and the others can command the ‘Lonelies’ to transport them,” Yin Ren muttered. “As long as we evacuate the innocent, we can go all out.”
Zhong Chengshuo recalled the horde of Lonely cats for a while. “Are they capable?”
It wasn’t that he discriminated against Elementals, but those “Lonelies” didn’t seem to be very bright and had little courage.
“If this plan succeeds, they will have officially cooperated with Shian, and Shian will definitely be willing to bear this cost.” Yin Ren quickly calculated. “They are already skilled at cognitive attacks, and with Meng Huai’s command, they are very suitable at escaping… What do you think?”
Zhong Chengshuo nodded. “It’s feasible.”
Being accustomed to working alone, at most he would incorporate Yin Ren into his plan. When it came to group fights, the Great Celestial Master himself had more experience. Zhong Chengshuo continued to calculate the points of destruction, his dark eyes scanning between the strands of the white net.
After this inspection, they could go back and develop a battle plan.
Suddenly, those black eyes were fixed in a certain direction.
In a corner, the massive white web seemed to have gathered some gray particles, with vertical black traces. The black spot was positioned high and maintained a distance from the surrounding swarm of Elementals.
Strange, he had just scanned the area with his gaze, and there was clearly no such “dust” before. Zhong Chengshuo imagined a telescope and looked towards that faint black impurity.
As Zhong Chengshuo’s eyebrows went from furrowed to relaxed and then raised again, Yin Ren curiously squeezed over. “What’s wrong?”
“There’s someone.”
Zhong Chengshuo tried hard to think about the internal structure of the telescope, envisioning a higher magnification.
“…Indeed, it’s a person, and still moving.”
“Let me see.”
Yin Ren swallowed the “impossible” that nearly slipped out of his mouth—all surviving members of Shian were in the stronghold, and the ancestor of the Fu family was still buried in the interstitial space. It was impossible for someone to freely move here. Could it be a talented survivor?
However, Zhong Chengshuo didn’t hand him the telescope.
“I have seen this face,” Zhong Chengshuo said in a deep voice. He pressed down on Yin Ren’s “Safety First” helmet and said slowly, “In the personnel files of the Charon Ability Branch, there is Shen Mo, a traitor of Shian and a current high-ranking member of Sunken Society.”
Yin Ren immediately clicked his tongue. “It seems that there are more than just us trying to use humans to command the Primordial Elementals.”
Charons weren’t easy to catch; they had to be eliminated with a single blow. However, the person’s position was delicate. If they acted recklessly, it would definitely alert “Love”. “Love” reacted quickly, having suffered a setback last time, so this time it found some help.
Zhong Chengshuo: “Retreat?”
“Retreat.” Yin Ren sighed. “It seems that Minister Jiao has beaten this guy before. I need to go back and do some research.”
But as he took a few steps back, Zhong Chengshuo disappeared. Yin Ren quickly turned around, only to see the person frozen in place, seemingly contemplating something.
“Zhong Ge?”
“Not right.”
Zhong Chengshuo moved his fingers, gesturing in the empty air as if writing and calculating on an invisible notebook.
“Sunken Society itself is weaker than Shian. A ‘Charon’ is a force that can reverse the situation at critical moments. Why would Wei Huaqian allow Shen Mo to act on the other side?”
“If a Charon wants to leave, Sunken Society wouldn’t be able to stop them, right?” Yin Ren halted his steps.
“No, Sunken Society seeks revenge for any slight. Even if it’s a Charon, they wouldn’t risk offending Sunken Society at this moment.” Zhong Chengshuo pondered for a bit. “If Shen Mo is here with Wei Huaqian’s consent, then things are troublesome.”
“This shows his confidence—confidence that Haigu will fall into chaos to the point where Shian has no energy to deal with him.”
After speaking, Zhong Chengshuo raised his gaze, his expression unusually serious.
“Something is wrong. We need to contact the human world as soon as possible.”
……
Shian Building. Lu Xiaohe patiently listened to the on-site reports.
“…Evil qi reaction has occurred near Yinhua Road in Donghe District. We are rushing to the scene…”
“…Evil qi reaction has occurred near Yinhua Road in Donghe District, with an evil qi value fluctuating around 3.21fR…”
Wang Zhou’s voice came through the earpiece.
Lu Xiaohe: “Data analysis complete. The epicenter of the evil qi radiation is approximately at the new pedestrian street on Yinhua Road in Donghe District. Emergency Management team members have arrived in the vicinity. Minister Fu and Minister Li have rushed to the scene.”
“Everyone, be cautious and don’t act rashly,” Xiao Zhao said with seriousness. “Let the main force of the Emergency Management team handle this. The concentration of evil qi is not something to be taken lightly. Especially Linlin Jie—Wang Zhou, you must keep an eye on her.”
“…” There was only silence in response.
“It’s no use being silent. We must restrain her!” Xiao Zhao rolled his eyes in frustration.
Lu Xiaohe wanted to laugh, but then she realized something, and her smile vanished.
There was no background noise without electromagnetic interference, no warning of equipment malfunction. The communication channel was silent, and even the sound of everyone’s breathing couldn’t be heard. If it weren’t for the normal data, Lu Xiaohe would have suspected that she accidentally muted herself.
Lu Xiaohe cleared her throat. “Can you hear me? Huang Jin? Please respond if you hear me.”
Still, there was no response.
“Hello? Unit 7, please respond!” Xiao Zhao gradually straightened up. “Don’t act rashly, don’t act rashly!”
The communication equipment wasn’t damaged, and the physiological indicators of the individuals were within the normal range. Theoretically, there was no problem.
But there was an inexplicable silence in the earpieces.
After reporting the issue, Lu Xiaohe and Xiao Zhao quickly adjusted various parameters. The programs were working properly to an exasperating extent, and there were no abnormal communications from other teams. The current situation couldn’t be explained at all.
The deadly silence lasted for more than ten minutes.
Just when Xiao Zhao was anxiously stomping his feet, a new signal finally appeared.
“…Hello, there was a communication problem just now.” Wang Zhou gasped for breath. “I took out my drone. Make do with watching through it.”
With a beep, the same scene appeared in front of the two rear commanders.
The angle of the image was facing the sky. Under the dark clouds, the stone tower on the new pedestrian street exposed its tip, as if about to pierce through the sky. This was clearly the central scene of the new pedestrian street.
“The image is wrong!”
Lu Xiaohe’s hair stood on end.
Ever since they learned about the threat from the Other Side, Shian had further tightened equipment restrictions—even the investigation drones used by the science posts were only allowed to transmit processed visual data.
What could have been used to capture such a clear image?
“Xiao Zhao, don’t look at the screen!” Lu Xiaohe shouted sternly. “Wang Zhou, what did you use to capture this?!”
Unfortunately, it was already too late.
The image shook for a moment and turned to Wang Zhou’s face. Xiao Zhao stared blankly at his familiar teammate—Wang Zhou was missing an eye, and his left eye socket was bloodied and empty.
And behind him, on top of the stone tower, was Xiang Jiang’s fragmented and broken body.
The author has something to say:
The shopping mall in Xizhao District is doing promotional activities, and a world cuisine venue has been set up outside. ←
Xiao Yin: Look at what I missed.
The hatred for “Love” intensifies!
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
“He will attack all of Haigu,” Fu Xingchuan said.
He stood in front of the map of Haigu with a solemn expression.
“Is it your intuition again?” Li Nian’s mocking voice softened a bit. Fu Xingchuan turned to look at his partner, whose face had turned pale and thin, resembling a corpse.
Since being entangled by the angel’s arm, Li Nian hadn’t been able to sleep well. Recently, his sleep was purely maintained by medication, but that wasn’t a long-term solution.
Fu Xingchuan wasn’t in the mood to argue with him and just sighed briefly. “I understand him.”
The stronger Xiang Jiang’s abilities were, the more paranoid he became.
Since Fu Xingchuan took on this new recruit, he tried to handle things gently and let Xiang Jiang handle cases that might suit his taste, such as dealing with criminals who harmed women and children. Compared to when he first arrived in Haigu, Xiang Jiang did seem to be more cheerful, but he still carried a sense of detachment.
He wouldn’t befriend anyone from Shian. When he wasn’t working, he would only buy expensive and comfortable clothes, cut them in half, and sew them back together.
Fu Xingchuan had talked to him several times, and Xiang Jiang always responded without showing any emotion. But there was one time, after they rescued a child who was being used as a living sacrifice, Fu Xingchuan said this:
“The times have changed, and now there are surveillance cameras everywhere in the city. Tragedies will become less and less frequent.”
Xiang Jiang, who was usually reticent and gloomy, reacted as if he had been stung.
“So what?” he asked.
“I know that tragedies will become less and less frequent, but that’s other people’s lives. My parents and brother died painfully and tragically, and the case has had no progress to this day… Should I just give up?”
“There were three lives in my family—the lives of the people closest to me. Should I just let it go because some strangers I couldn’t care less about might have a better life?”
“Xiao Xiang, that’s not what I meant—”
“It’s been too long, so the police can’t find the criminals from back then. That’s just how things are. There were too many people spreading rumors and gossip, but they got away with it lightly, and no one was punished. That’s just how things are… I have to understand these realities and be happy to contribute to society. This is what you mean, right?”
Xiang Jiang twisted his mouth, revealing an ugly smile.
“I can’t look ahead, senior,” he said. “Xiang Hai is behind me, and I can’t raise my head.”
Fu Xingchuan had hoped that with the passage of time and experiencing enough love and hatred, Xiang Jiang would eventually be able to move on.
…But he didn’t.
“Even if Xiang Jiang wants to attack all of Haigu, there must be a focal point. Currently, there are three locations in the city with a large concentration of people.”
Li Nian’s voice brought Fu Xingchuan back to reality.
“The shopping mall in Xizhao District is having a promotional event. They set up a world cuisine venue outside, and currently, there are thousands of people gathering there.”
“Shangguang District is hosting an international furniture expo. The number of people is slightly fewer, but there are a large number of journalists gathered inside.”
“Donghe District is conducting a tourism and cultural promotion. They just opened a popular street for influencers.”
Professor Li’s finger pointed on the map.
“These three places are all near the city center. If they serve as the center for terrorist activities, they can create the maximum impact. A large number of people would ensure a wide reach. What do you think? Do you want to rely on intuition again?”
Fu Xingchuan silently looked at the three red dots on the map. He stood there for a while, then shook his head. “Contact Hao Wenzhe and have him gather information on the social media activities of Coral Reef Group.”
Fu Xingchuan flexed his finger joints.
“Xiang Jiang may not necessarily obey Sunken Society, but Sunken Society will definitely use Xiang Jiang.”
“Coral Reef Group?” Li Nian frowned.
“Yes, that unfortunate group that seems to be involved in every case. I looked into it before, and at least on the surface, they have no connection with Sunken Society,” Fu Xingchuan said. “But in the realm of the metaphysical world, there are not so many coincidences… That’s my intuition.”
Li Nian nodded and typed on the computer for a while.
“According to Hao Wenzhe, all three locations have anchors and influencers from Coral Reef Group. The most people are on the influencer street in Donghe District, but that place already has a strong online presence. You should take that into consideration.”
“Which team is closest to that area?”
“…The joint team of Unit 7 and Unit 9.” Li Nian’s voice instantly lost its emotion.
Fu Xingchuan’s face twitched twice. “Immediately reinforce the team and put them on high alert. I’ll inform Unit 7 and Unit 9 to be vigilant, and also have the Emergency Management Department on standby. Lao Li, do you have anything else to add?”
“Let’s go to the scene.” Li Nian picked up a scarf. “It’s stuffy inside. I want to feel the cold breeze.”
……
At the same time, on the Other Side.
Jiao Lian’s physical condition was special, and Yin Ren didn’t dare let her stay outside for too long. After he gained a preliminary understanding of the Charon technique, he hurriedly sent her back to the base.
Meng Huai wasn’t familiar with Jiao Lian. She was surprised but thought they had rescued someone from somewhere again. Fu Tianyi, on the other hand, had heard of this famous Charon and thought that nothing could shock him more—
“Wait, wait, you guys dug out Minister Jiao?!” Fu Tianyi almost bit his tongue. “According to this, doesn’t it mean that our ancestor is also…”
“He has been inside for too long, and I don’t know his exact location.” Jiao Lian looked at Shian’s familiar style with a sense of nostalgia in her eyes. “But if we have Mr. Yin and Mr. Zhong, they can definitely find him.”
Jiao Lian’s features appeared youthful, and she had cut her hair short, looking clean and lovely. However, her body was still connected to her unconscious partner, and it needed careful dissection to move. At first glance, it was quite terrifying.
Fu Tianyi’s expectant gaze immediately turned to the two of them.
“We don’t have time for that now,” Zhong Chengshuo solemnly stated. “We’ll save it for later.”
Practicing the Charon technique alone already took up all of their time—they even had to cut down their short naps together.
Fu Tianyi: “…Makes sense.”
Comrade Xiao Zhong’s tone was like discussing digging up radishes in the ground, making one want to be angry but not daring to be. But it was true—the Great Celestial Master Zhong Yi was here. If his ancestor was dug out and treated, it was estimated the daylily would grow a second batch*.
*Idiom referring to events are happening too quickly. If they were to find and treat the Fu ancestor, the events outside would already have significantly advanced (thus a second batch of daylily would be produced).
I’m sorry, ancestor, but it seems that Shian isn’t lacking Charons right now.
Fu Tianyi’s face remained expressionless as he continued to chop Elementals. The sharp arrogance of the young man had long been worn down into a high-quality bearing. Even when Zhong Chengshuo and Yin Ren would disappear while holding hands, there was no ripple on his face.
“Fu Tianyi!” Meng Huai called him. “Stop playing with the flesh and come help! We need to separate Xiao Jiao and Xiao Zhou—”
“Okay, coming!” Fu Tianyi wiped his hands and obediently ran over.
He rushed towards Jiao Lian while Yin Ren ran towards Love’s white net. The two new “gods” moved stealthily. Yin Ren restrained his aura and pulled Zhong Chengshuo along, poking their heads out to take a look.
The “Safety First” signs on their heads had also turned into appropriately colored camouflage, looking quite fitting.
The white net remained the same, and there were even more Elementals patrolling around—a large group of them.
The two of them maneuvered through the gaps between different Elementals like protagonists in a disaster film. Yin Ren carefully sensed the surroundings. The “heartbeat” in the center of the white net became increasingly clear. Fortunately, the atmosphere around them remained stable, with no signs of abnormalities.
Zhong Chengshuo carefully observed the structure of the white net. “The explosive points are well-configured. I can bring it all down with a blast.”
“But we also need to protect the survivors,” he murmured, lost in thought.
Yin Ren couldn’t help but look at the small cocoons containing the survivors. If the huge semicircle in the center was a stadium, these smaller cocoons were at most the size of basketballs. They were scattered around the vicinity of the large hemisphere, making them difficult to handle.
“I can remove the cocoons, and Meng Huai and the others can command the ‘Lonelies’ to transport them,” Yin Ren muttered. “As long as we evacuate the innocent, we can go all out.”
Zhong Chengshuo recalled the horde of Lonely cats for a while. “Are they capable?”
It wasn’t that he discriminated against Elementals, but those “Lonelies” didn’t seem to be very bright and had little courage.
“If this plan succeeds, they will have officially cooperated with Shian, and Shian will definitely be willing to bear this cost.” Yin Ren quickly calculated. “They are already skilled at cognitive attacks, and with Meng Huai’s command, they are very suitable at escaping… What do you think?”
Zhong Chengshuo nodded. “It’s feasible.”
Being accustomed to working alone, at most he would incorporate Yin Ren into his plan. When it came to group fights, the Great Celestial Master himself had more experience. Zhong Chengshuo continued to calculate the points of destruction, his dark eyes scanning between the strands of the white net.
After this inspection, they could go back and develop a battle plan.
Suddenly, those black eyes were fixed in a certain direction.
In a corner, the massive white web seemed to have gathered some gray particles, with vertical black traces. The black spot was positioned high and maintained a distance from the surrounding swarm of Elementals.
Strange, he had just scanned the area with his gaze, and there was clearly no such “dust” before. Zhong Chengshuo imagined a telescope and looked towards that faint black impurity.
As Zhong Chengshuo’s eyebrows went from furrowed to relaxed and then raised again, Yin Ren curiously squeezed over. “What’s wrong?”
“There’s someone.”
Zhong Chengshuo tried hard to think about the internal structure of the telescope, envisioning a higher magnification.
“…Indeed, it’s a person, and still moving.”
“Let me see.”
Yin Ren swallowed the “impossible” that nearly slipped out of his mouth—all surviving members of Shian were in the stronghold, and the ancestor of the Fu family was still buried in the interstitial space. It was impossible for someone to freely move here. Could it be a talented survivor?
However, Zhong Chengshuo didn’t hand him the telescope.
“I have seen this face,” Zhong Chengshuo said in a deep voice. He pressed down on Yin Ren’s “Safety First” helmet and said slowly, “In the personnel files of the Charon Ability Branch, there is Shen Mo, a traitor of Shian and a current high-ranking member of Sunken Society.”
Yin Ren immediately clicked his tongue. “It seems that there are more than just us trying to use humans to command the Primordial Elementals.”
Charons weren’t easy to catch; they had to be eliminated with a single blow. However, the person’s position was delicate. If they acted recklessly, it would definitely alert “Love”. “Love” reacted quickly, having suffered a setback last time, so this time it found some help.
Zhong Chengshuo: “Retreat?”
“Retreat.” Yin Ren sighed. “It seems that Minister Jiao has beaten this guy before. I need to go back and do some research.”
But as he took a few steps back, Zhong Chengshuo disappeared. Yin Ren quickly turned around, only to see the person frozen in place, seemingly contemplating something.
“Zhong Ge?”
“Not right.”
Zhong Chengshuo moved his fingers, gesturing in the empty air as if writing and calculating on an invisible notebook.
“Sunken Society itself is weaker than Shian. A ‘Charon’ is a force that can reverse the situation at critical moments. Why would Wei Huaqian allow Shen Mo to act on the other side?”
“If a Charon wants to leave, Sunken Society wouldn’t be able to stop them, right?” Yin Ren halted his steps.
“No, Sunken Society seeks revenge for any slight. Even if it’s a Charon, they wouldn’t risk offending Sunken Society at this moment.” Zhong Chengshuo pondered for a bit. “If Shen Mo is here with Wei Huaqian’s consent, then things are troublesome.”
“This shows his confidence—confidence that Haigu will fall into chaos to the point where Shian has no energy to deal with him.”
After speaking, Zhong Chengshuo raised his gaze, his expression unusually serious.
“Something is wrong. We need to contact the human world as soon as possible.”
……
Shian Building. Lu Xiaohe patiently listened to the on-site reports.
“…Evil qi reaction has occurred near Yinhua Road in Donghe District. We are rushing to the scene…”
“…Evil qi reaction has occurred near Yinhua Road in Donghe District, with an evil qi value fluctuating around 3.21fR…”
Wang Zhou’s voice came through the earpiece.
Lu Xiaohe: “Data analysis complete. The epicenter of the evil qi radiation is approximately at the new pedestrian street on Yinhua Road in Donghe District. Emergency Management team members have arrived in the vicinity. Minister Fu and Minister Li have rushed to the scene.”
“Everyone, be cautious and don’t act rashly,” Xiao Zhao said with seriousness. “Let the main force of the Emergency Management team handle this. The concentration of evil qi is not something to be taken lightly. Especially Linlin Jie—Wang Zhou, you must keep an eye on her.”
“…” There was only silence in response.
“It’s no use being silent. We must restrain her!” Xiao Zhao rolled his eyes in frustration.
Lu Xiaohe wanted to laugh, but then she realized something, and her smile vanished.
There was no background noise without electromagnetic interference, no warning of equipment malfunction. The communication channel was silent, and even the sound of everyone’s breathing couldn’t be heard. If it weren’t for the normal data, Lu Xiaohe would have suspected that she accidentally muted herself.
Lu Xiaohe cleared her throat. “Can you hear me? Huang Jin? Please respond if you hear me.”
Still, there was no response.
“Hello? Unit 7, please respond!” Xiao Zhao gradually straightened up. “Don’t act rashly, don’t act rashly!”
The communication equipment wasn’t damaged, and the physiological indicators of the individuals were within the normal range. Theoretically, there was no problem.
But there was an inexplicable silence in the earpieces.
After reporting the issue, Lu Xiaohe and Xiao Zhao quickly adjusted various parameters. The programs were working properly to an exasperating extent, and there were no abnormal communications from other teams. The current situation couldn’t be explained at all.
The deadly silence lasted for more than ten minutes.
Just when Xiao Zhao was anxiously stomping his feet, a new signal finally appeared.
“…Hello, there was a communication problem just now.” Wang Zhou gasped for breath. “I took out my drone. Make do with watching through it.”
With a beep, the same scene appeared in front of the two rear commanders.
The angle of the image was facing the sky. Under the dark clouds, the stone tower on the new pedestrian street exposed its tip, as if about to pierce through the sky. This was clearly the central scene of the new pedestrian street.
“The image is wrong!”
Lu Xiaohe’s hair stood on end.
Ever since they learned about the threat from the Other Side, Shian had further tightened equipment restrictions—even the investigation drones used by the science posts were only allowed to transmit processed visual data.
What could have been used to capture such a clear image?
“Xiao Zhao, don’t look at the screen!” Lu Xiaohe shouted sternly. “Wang Zhou, what did you use to capture this?!”
Unfortunately, it was already too late.
The image shook for a moment and turned to Wang Zhou’s face. Xiao Zhao stared blankly at his familiar teammate—Wang Zhou was missing an eye, and his left eye socket was bloodied and empty.
And behind him, on top of the stone tower, was Xiang Jiang’s fragmented and broken body.
The author has something to say:
The shopping mall in Xizhao District is doing promotional activities, and a world cuisine venue has been set up outside. ←
Xiao Yin: Look at what I missed.
The hatred for “Love” intensifies!
He will attack all of Haigu, Fu Xingchuan said.He stood in front of the map of Haigu with a solemn expression.Is it your intuition again? Li Nian's mocking voice softened a bit. Fu Xingchuan turned to look at his partner, whose face had turned pale and thin, resembling a corpse.Since being entangled by the angel's arm, Li Nian hadn't been able to sleep well. Recently, his sleep was purely maintained by medication, but that wasn't a long-term solution.Fu Xingchuan wasn't in the mood to argue with him and just sighed briefly. I understand him.The stronger Xiang Jiang's abilities were, the more paranoid he became.Since Fu Xingchuan took on this new recruit, he tried to handle things gently and let Xiang Jiang handle cases that might suit his taste, such as dealing with criminals who harmed women and children. Compared to when he first arrived in Haigu, Xiang Jiang did seem to be more cheerful, but he still carried a sense of detachment.He wouldn't befriend anyone from Shian. When he wasn't working, he would only buy expensive and comfortable clothes, cut them in half, and sew them back together.Fu Xingchuan had talked to him several times, and Xiang Jiang always responded without showing any emotion. But there was one time, after they rescued a child who was being used as a living sacrifice, Fu Xingchuan said this:The times have changed, and now there are surveillance cameras everywhere in the city. Tragedies will become less and less frequent.Xiang Jiang, who was usually reticent and gloomy, reacted as if he had been stung.So what? he asked.I know that tragedies will become less and less frequent, but that's other people's lives. My parents and brother died painfully and tragically, and the case has had no progress to this day Should I just give up?There were three lives in my familythe lives of the people closest to me. Should I just let it go because some strangers I couldn't care less about might have a better life?Xiao Xiang, that's not what I meantIt's been too long, so the police can't find the criminals from back then. That's just how things are. There were too many people spreading rumors and gossip, but they got away with it lightly, and no one was punished. That's just how things are I have to understand these realities and be happy to contribute to society. This is what you mean, right?Xiang Jiang twisted his mouth, revealing an ugly smile.I can't look ahead, senior, he said. Xiang Hai is behind me, and I can't raise my head.Fu Xingchuan had hoped that with the passage of time and experiencing enough love and hatred, Xiang Jiang would eventually be able to move on.But he didn't.Even if Xiang Jiang wants to attack all of Haigu, there must be a focal point. Currently, there are three locations in the city with a large concentration of people.Li Nian's voice brought Fu Xingchuan back to reality.The shopping mall in Xizhao District is having a promotional event. They set up a world cuisine venue outside, and currently, there are thousands of people gathering there.Shangguang District is hosting an international furniture expo. The number of people is slightly fewer, but there are a large number of journalists gathered inside.Donghe District is conducting a tourism and cultural promotion. They just opened a popular street for influencers.Professor Li's finger pointed on the map.These three places are all near the city center. If they serve as the center for terrorist activities, they can create the maximum impact. A large number of people would ensure a wide reach. What do you think? Do you want to rely on intuition again?Fu Xingchuan silently looked at the three red dots on the map. He stood there for a while, then shook his head. Contact Hao Wenzhe and have him gather information on the social media activities of Coral Reef Group.Fu Xingchuan flexed his finger joints.Xiang Jiang may not necessarily obey Sunken Society, but Sunken Society will definitely use Xiang Jiang.Coral Reef Group? Li Nian frowned.Yes, that unfortunate group that seems to be involved in every case. I looked into it before, and at least on the surface, they have no connection with Sunken Society, Fu Xingchuan said. But in the realm of the metaphysical world, there are not so many coincidences That's my intuition.Li Nian nodded and typed on the computer for a while.According to Hao Wenzhe, all three locations have anchors and influencers from Coral Reef Group. The most people are on the influencer street in Donghe District, but that place already has a strong online presence. You should take that into consideration.Which team is closest to that area?The joint team of Unit 7 and Unit 9. Li Nian's voice instantly lost its emotion.Fu Xingchuan's face twitched twice. Immediately reinforce the team and put them on high alert. I'll inform Unit 7 and Unit 9 to be vigilant, and also have the Emergency Management Department on standby. Lao Li, do you have anything else to add?Let's go to the scene. Li Nian picked up a scarf. It's stuffy inside. I want to feel the cold breeze.At the same time, on the Other Side.Jiao Lian's physical condition was special, and Yin Ren didn't dare let her stay outside for too long. After he gained a preliminary understanding of the Charon technique, he hurriedly sent her back to the base.Meng Huai wasn't familiar with Jiao Lian. She was surprised but thought they had rescued someone from somewhere again. Fu Tianyi, on the other hand, had heard of this famous Charon and thought that nothing could shock him moreWait, wait, you guys dug out Minister Jiao?! Fu Tianyi almost bit his tongue. According to this, doesn't it mean that our ancestor is alsoHe has been inside for too long, and I don't know his exact location. Jiao Lian looked at Shian's familiar style with a sense of nostalgia in her eyes. But if we have Mr. Yin and Mr. Zhong, they can definitely find him.Jiao Lian's features appeared youthful, and she had cut her hair short, looking clean and lovely. However, her body was still connected to her unconscious partner, and it needed careful dissection to move. At first glance, it was quite terrifying.Fu Tianyi's expectant gaze immediately turned to the two of them.We don't have time for that now, Zhong Chengshuo solemnly stated. We'll save it for later.Practicing the Charon technique alone already took up all of their timethey even had to cut down their short naps together.Fu Tianyi: Makes sense.Comrade Xiao Zhong's tone was like discussing digging up radishes in the ground, making one want to be angry but not daring to be. But it was truethe Great Celestial Master Zhong Yi was here. If his ancestor was dug out and treated, it was estimatedthe daylily would grow a second batch*.*Idiom referring to events are happening too quickly. If they were to find and treat the Fu ancestor, the events outside would already have significantly advanced thus a second batch of daylily would be produced.I'm sorry, ancestor, but it seems that Shian isn't lacking Charons right now.Fu Tianyi's face remained expressionless as he continued to chop Elementals. The sharp arrogance of the young man had long been worn down into a high-quality bearing. Even when Zhong Chengshuo and Yin Ren would disappear while holding hands, there was no ripple on his face.Fu Tianyi! Meng Huai called him. Stop playing with the flesh and come help! We need to separate Xiao Jiao and Xiao ZhouOkay, coming! Fu Tianyi wiped his hands and obediently ran over.He rushed towards Jiao Lian while Yin Ren ran towards Love's white net. The two new gods moved stealthily. Yin Ren restrained his aura and pulled Zhong Chengshuo along, poking their heads out to take a look.The Safety First signs on their heads had also turned into appropriately colored camouflage, looking quite fitting.The white net remained the same, and there were even more Elementals patrolling arounda large group of them.The two of them maneuvered through the gaps between different Elementals like protagonists in a disaster film. Yin Ren carefully sensed the surroundings. The heartbeat in the center of the white net became increasingly clear. Fortunately, the atmosphere around them remained stable, with no signs of abnormalities.Zhong Chengshuo carefully observed the structure of the white net. The explosive points are well-configured. I can bring it all down with a blast.But we also need to protect the survivors, he murmured, lost in thought.Yin Ren couldn't help but look at the small cocoons containing the survivors. If the huge semicircle in the center was a stadium, these smaller cocoons were at most the size of basketballs. They were scattered around the vicinity of the large hemisphere, making them difficult to handle.I can remove the cocoons, and Meng Huai and the others can command the Lonelies' to transport them, Yin Ren muttered. As long as we evacuate the innocent, we can go all out.Zhong Chengshuo recalled the horde of Lonely cats for a while. Are they capable?It wasn't that he discriminated against Elementals, but those Lonelies didn't seem to be very bright and had little courage.If this plan succeeds, they will have officially cooperated with Shian, and Shian will definitely be willing to bear this cost. Yin Ren quickly calculated. They are already skilled at cognitive attacks, and with Meng Huai's command, they are very suitable at escaping What do you think?Zhong Chengshuo nodded. It's feasible.Being accustomed to working alone, at most he would incorporate Yin Ren into his plan. When it came to group fights, the Great Celestial Master himself had more experience. Zhong Chengshuo continued to calculate the points of destruction, his dark eyes scanning between the strands of the white net.After this inspection, they could go back and develop a battle plan.Suddenly, those black eyes were fixed in a certain direction.In a corner, the massive white web seemed to have gathered some gray particles, with vertical black traces. The black spot was positioned high and maintained a distance from the surrounding swarm of Elementals.Strange, he had just scanned the area with his gaze, and there was clearly no such dust before. Zhong Chengshuo imagined a telescope and looked towards that faint black impurity.As Zhong Chengshuo's eyebrows went from furrowed to relaxed and then raised again, Yin Ren curiously squeezed over. What's wrong?There's someone.Zhong Chengshuo tried hard to think about the internal structure of the telescope, envisioning a higher magnification.Indeed, it's a person, and still moving.Let me see.Yin Ren swallowed the impossible that nearly slipped out of his mouthall surviving members of Shian were in the stronghold, and the ancestor of the Fu family was still buried in the interstitial space. It was impossible for someone to freely move here. Could it be a talented survivor?However, Zhong Chengshuo didn't hand him the telescope.I have seen this face, Zhong Chengshuo said in a deep voice. He pressed down on Yin Ren's Safety First helmet and said slowly, In the personnel files of the Charon Ability Branch, there is Shen Mo, a traitor of Shian and a current high-ranking member of Sunken Society.Yin Ren immediately clicked his tongue. It seems that there are more than just us trying to use humans to command the Primordial Elementals.Charons weren't easy to catch; they had to be eliminated with a single blow. However, the person's position was delicate. If they acted recklessly, it would definitely alert Love. Love reacted quickly, having suffered a setback last time, so this time it found some help.Zhong Chengshuo: Retreat?Retreat. Yin Ren sighed. It seems that Minister Jiao has beaten this guy before. I need to go back and do some research.But as he took a few steps back, Zhong Chengshuo disappeared. Yin Ren quickly turned around, only to see the person frozen in place, seemingly contemplating something.Zhong Ge?Not right.Zhong Chengshuo moved his fingers, gesturing in the empty air as if writing and calculating on an invisible notebook.Sunken Society itself is weaker than Shian. A Charon' is a force that can reverse the situation at critical moments. Why would Wei Huaqian allow Shen Mo to act on the other side?If a Charon wants to leave, Sunken Society wouldn't be able to stop them, right? Yin Ren halted his steps.No, Sunken Society seeks revenge for any slight. Even if it's a Charon, they wouldn't risk offending Sunken Society at this moment. Zhong Chengshuo pondered for a bit. If Shen Mo is here with Wei Huaqian's consent, then things are troublesome.This shows his confidenceconfidence that Haigu will fall into chaos to the point where Shian has no energy to deal with him.After speaking, Zhong Chengshuo raised his gaze, his expression unusually serious.Something is wrong. We need to contact the human world as soon as possible.Shian Building. Lu Xiaohe patiently listened to the on-site reports.Evil qi reaction has occurred near Yinhua Road in Donghe District. We are rushing to the sceneEvil qi reaction has occurred near Yinhua Road in Donghe District, with an evil qi value fluctuating around 3.21fRWang Zhou's voice came through the earpiece.Lu Xiaohe: Data analysis complete. The epicenter of the evil qi radiation is approximately at the new pedestrian street on Yinhua Road in Donghe District. Emergency Management team members have arrived in the vicinity. Minister Fu and Minister Li have rushed to the scene.Everyone, be cautious and don't act rashly, Xiao Zhao said with seriousness. Let the main force of the Emergency Management team handle this. The concentration of evil qi is not something to be taken lightly. Especially Linlin JieWang Zhou, you must keep an eye on her. There was only silence in response.It's no use being silent. We must restrain her! Xiao Zhao rolled his eyes in frustration.Lu Xiaohe wanted to laugh, but then she realized something, and her smile vanished.There was no background noise without electromagnetic interference, no warning of equipment malfunction. The communication channel was silent, and even the sound of everyone's breathing couldn't be heard. If it weren't for the normal data, Lu Xiaohe would have suspected that she accidentally muted herself.Lu Xiaohe cleared her throat. Can you hear me? Huang Jin? Please respond if you hear me.Still, there was no response.Hello? Unit 7, please respond! Xiao Zhao gradually straightened up. Don't act rashly, don't act rashly!The communication equipment wasn't damaged, and the physiological indicators of the individuals were within the normal range. Theoretically, there was no problem.But there was an inexplicable silence in the earpieces.After reporting the issue, Lu Xiaohe and Xiao Zhao quickly adjusted various parameters. The programs were working properly to an exasperating extent, and there were no abnormal communications from other teams. The current situation couldn't be explained at all.The deadly silence lasted for more than ten minutes.Just when Xiao Zhao was anxiously stomping his feet, a new signal finally appeared.Hello, there was a communication problem just now. Wang Zhou gasped for breath. I took out my drone. Make do with watching through it.With a beep, the same scene appeared in front of the two rear commanders.The angle of the image was facing the sky. Under the dark clouds, the stone tower on the new pedestrian street exposed its tip, as if about to pierce through the sky. This was clearly the central scene of the new pedestrian street.The image is wrong!Lu Xiaohe's hair stood on end.Ever since they learned about the threat from the Other Side, Shian had further tightened equipment restrictionseven the investigation drones used by the science posts were only allowed to transmit processed visual data.What could have been used to capture such a clear image?Xiao Zhao, don't look at the screen! Lu Xiaohe shouted sternly. Wang Zhou, what did you use to capture this?!Unfortunately, it was already too late.The image shook for a moment and turned to Wang Zhou's face. Xiao Zhao stared blankly at his familiar teammateWang Zhou was missing an eye, and his left eye socket was bloodied and empty.And behind him, on top of the stone tower, was Xiang Jiang's fragmented and broken body.The author has something to say:The shopping mall in Xizhao District is doing promotional activities, and a world cuisine venue has been set up outside. Xiao Yin: Look at what I missed.The hatred for Love intensifies!
