95 Puppet Jade
A few people returned to the hotel. In the open space in front of their current residence, there were cold rat meat, hot pots and a pile of bones. The lobby echoed with rhythmic snoring.
Tang Yanqiu exclaimed, "Who's inside?"
Cong Xia replied, "Uh, it's that amphibious atavistic man we encountered yesterday."
Cheng Tianbi furrowed his brow and asked, "How did he end up here?"
"He said he's staying here and insisted on roasting rat meat inside the room. I was afraid it would smoke us out, so I used our cooking utensils to cook it for him," Cong Xia explained.
Liu Fengyu shook his head. "That snoring sound..."
Tang Yanqiu lowered his head and looked at the rat meat in the pot, feeling a bit hesitant.
Liu Fengyu patted his shoulder. "What's the matter, Hero Tang? Are you hungry?"
Tang Yanqiu nodded honestly. "I've been flying for a long time."
"In that case, go ahead and eat. The kid said he would give us four rat legs. Hopefully, he hasn't eaten them all himself," Liu Fengyu said.
"No, even if he can eat a lot, he can't finish such a big rat. There's still some meat left, and it won't spoil easily in the cold weather. Let's not waste it and eat it ourselves," Cong Xia said with a smile, glancing at Tang Yanqiu. "Little Tang is hungry."
Tang Yanqiu smiled shyly, his smile both modest and handsome. The group sat around the pot, and Cong Xia added firewood to reignite the cooled rat meat.
Cong Xia said, "We don't have much food left, and it won't be enough to reach Guiyang. Hopefully, that person can prepare more food for us. In the future, let's try to hunt for some food on the way. We can't rely on vegetables every day; it's too extravagant."
Zhuang Yao stroked Abu and said, "Abu can only eat once every two days now. It's indeed difficult to hunt in the winter."
Liu Fengyu remarked, "Abu has thick fat and won't go hungry. Hey, give me that piece of meat."
Cong Xia's chopsticks, holding the piece of meat, had already reached above Tang Yanqiu's bowl. He said, "Liu Ge, we just finished eating."
"But I still want to eat," Liu Fengyu replied.
"Then let Tang eat first. They are all hungry," Cong Xia suggested.
Liu Fengyu nonchalantly said, "This piece is from the joint, the most tender part. Give it to me."
Tang Yanqiu withdrew his hand and said, "Give it to him."
Cong Xia sighed and placed the meat into Tang Yanqiu's bowl. "Liu Ge, stop bullying Xiao Tang. He's just not bothered by it."
"Who said I was bullying him?" Liu Fengyu leaned closer. "Xiao Tang, I just want a piece of meat from you. Don't be so stingy."
Tang Yanqiu picked up the meat and put it into his own bowl, saying woodenly, "Stop messing around and eat."
Liu Fengyu pinched his face hard, making his fair cheeks turn red. "Good boy."
Tang Yanqiu shook his head helplessly.
Cong Xia suppressed a laugh and divided the rat meat among everyone. "What were you all doing this morning? How did you end up being cornered by those people on the square? Did you go to Ai jia's place?"
Zhuang Yao nodded. "We did, but her father wasn't cooperative. It seemed like he didn't want to have anything to do with us. We didn't get any information and left. We wanted to find someone nearby, but we didn't find a single person. Later, we ran into that group of people near the square."
"And what about you, Xiao Tang? Did you discover anything?" Cong Xia asked.
Tang Yanqiu replied, "I went to the vicinity of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda."
Everyone stared at him intently.
Tang Yanqiu put down his bowl. "I came to Xi'an once when I was young, and I have a deep impression of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. So when I flew near it, I decided to take a look."
"What did you see?"
"Nothing, but when I got close, I sensed a very powerful energy. That kind of energy was difficult to describe. Maybe Cong Xia can give a more accurate assessment. For me, that energy is both dispersed and concentrated. I say it's dispersed because the entire Big Wild Goose Pagoda seems like an energy body. The tower is so tall, yet there's such strong energy everywhere. It's strange. And I say it's concentrated because that energy seems to be confined within the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. In theory, if there's truly a powerful energy body inside the pagoda, why would it choose to stay inside? The world is vast, it can go anywhere."
"That's also the most curious point for me. What reason would compel a powerful energy body with the Puppet Jade to squeeze itself inside a tower? And moreover, how does that powerful energy sustain itself?" Liu Fengyu said.
"Perhaps it's some kind of plant that doesn't require food," Liu Fengyu suggested.
"If it's a plant, the walls of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda would definitely be damaged. But from the outside, it appears to be intact," Tang Yanqiu added.
Liu Fengyu furrowed his brow. Somehow, he thought of the tall pine tree he had encountered in Kunming. He said, "Could it be a plant-based humanoid?"
Cong Xia shook his head. "Which human could tolerate staying inside a tower all year round?"
Zhuang Yao held his chin, his mind racing.
Cheng Tianbi glanced at him. "Are you thinking of going?"
Zhuang Yao smiled. "Aren't you curious?"
Cong Xia quickly said, "Although we're curious, we definitely don't want to go. Haven't you heard what that person said? Three waves of people sent by Beijing didn't come back. The cost of this Puppet Jade is too high, and we don't need to take risks."
Zhuang Yao didn't comment but sighed. "The Big Wild Goose Pagoda... What could be inside?" His eyes were filled with curiosity and anticipation.
The others felt a chill run down their spines seeing him like this.
"What are you talking about? What is the Big Wild Goose Pagoda?" a muffled voice came from behind them.
They turned around and saw Deng Xiao, rubbing his hair and walking out. "Oh, more meat soup. Quick, give me a bowl."
"Aren't you full?" someone asked.
"A nap helps with digestion," Deng Xiao replied unceremoniously, sitting next to Cong Xia and eagerly looking at him with innocent and bright eyes.
Cong Xia served him a bowl of soup and smiled. "You can really eat, no wonder you're so tall."
The others looked at Deng Xiao with suspicion.
After finishing the soup, Deng Xiao wiped his mouth and said, "What are you all talking about? I went to a tower here a few days ago. It's really tall and beautiful, but the things inside were a bit scary..."
Everyone's gaze suddenly turned sharp, as if they could devour him.
Deng Xiao was startled. "What's wrong?"
Cong Xia stared at him intently. "Which tower did you go to?"
"I don't know the name of the tower, but it was tall and beautiful. I wanted to take a picture as a keepsake. If I find my mom, I'll show it to her. But when I went inside, I almost didn't come out, and I don't know where my camera went."
Tang Yanqiu stood up abruptly. "Come here."
"Huh?"
Before Deng Xiao could react, enormous wings sprouted from Tang Yanqiu's back, and he grabbed Deng Xiao by the collar, lifting him up.
"Wow, wow, what are you doing? I'm scared! Oh my God, put me down!" Deng Xiao yelled loudly.
Tang Yanqiu held him in the air, pointing towards the distant Big Wild Goose Pagoda, only partially visible. "Is that the tower you went to that day?"
Deng Xiao tilted his head and looked for a moment.
Tang Yanqiu urged him, "Hurry up, you're too heavy."
"I'm thinking... a little to the left, a bit higher. Wow, it would be so exhilarating to fly."
Tang Yanqiu stared at him blankly.
Deng Xiao nodded. "Yes, that's the tower."
The two descended, and Zhuang Yao almost pounced on Deng Xiao. "Did you really go to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda? Did you go inside? What's inside?"
Deng Xiao said, "I went inside. I wanted to go in and take some photos, even though I didn't know what was inside. But it looked like a tourist attraction. The sign in front of the tower did mention something about the Great Wild Goose."
Zhuang Yao angrily said, "Cut the nonsense!"
Deng Xiao shrugged. "Why do you guys want to know about it? The things inside that tower were disgusting."
"What exactly is it?" Even Cong Xia was losing patience.
Deng Xiao replied, "Insects, bugs."
Cong Xia was stunned. "Insects? What kind of insects? How many?"
"I don't know what kind of insects, but they were dark and soft. It was especially disgusting. As for the number, the tower was filled with them. There must have been billions."
Cong Xia was almost scared to the ground.
Deng Xiao continued, "When I went in, the bugs swarmed around me, but fortunately, they couldn't bite through my skin, so I ran out. It seemed like those bugs were afraid to come outside. They all rushed back in when I dashed out. But I managed to catch a few of them. The texture is quite good, like sticky rice dumplings, but they don't taste good. Hey, maybe you could cook them and make them delicious. Do you have any salt?" Deng Xiao looked at Cong Xia with excitement.
Cong Xia didn't know what to say anymore.
If what Deng Xiao said was true, it wouldn't be hard to believe why no one who went inside ever came out. Even if one could easily crush dozens of ants with a single step, they would have no fighting power against billions of insects. It would be disgustingly horrifying, especially considering that those insects had been staying with the Puppet Jade for a long time, undergoing mutation and enhancement.
Zhuang Yao rubbed his chin. "It seems that as long as we leave the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, those bugs won't follow us?"
Cong Xia trembled as he said, "Then we definitely won't go."
Deng Xiao's eyes lit up. "Do you want to go? I can take you there. Let's catch some bugs and make grilled skewers."
Liu Fengyu clicked his tongue. "Is this kid lacking common sense? I'm not going."
Tang Yanqiu said, "I don't mind either way."
Once again, everyone's gaze turned to Cheng Tianbi.
Cheng Tianbi said, "Let's go and have a look nearby. We don't necessarily have to go inside."
Zhuang Yao said, "Cong Xia and Liu Fengyu can stay behind if they don't want to go."
Cong Xia quickly said, "I'll go." Regardless, he couldn't leave so many people in danger. He had to go along.
Liu Fengyu rolled his eyes. "Fine, I'll go."
"Let's go." Zhuang Yao stood up excitedly, grabbing Abu's tail and being swung onto Abu's back in an instant.
Deng Xiao's mouth formed an "o" shape as he eagerly looked at Abu.
One by one, the others were swung up as well. Cong Xia called from above, "Deng Xiao, come up."
Deng Xiao grabbed onto Abu's tail, and with a gentle swing from Abu, Deng Xiao was thrown into the air.
"Wow!" Deng Xiao landed heavily on Abu's back, getting a mouthful of fur. He quickly climbed up, fumbling around excitedly. "This is amazing! Are we riding a cat? So cool! This cat is huge, it can easily carry more people. Oh, and you can even roll!" As he spoke, he actually rolled from the back of Abu's neck onto its back, thoroughly enjoying himself.
Abu turned its large head and gave him a resentful look.
Deng Xiao stared at Abu's purple pupils and murmured, "This cat is really beautiful."
Zhuang Yao angrily said, "Don't disturb Abu. It might feel uncomfortable."
Deng Xiao lay on the thick and soft fur, sighing, "It's so warm. You guys can ride a cat and have salt to eat. That's great."
Cong Xia laughed, "When it's cold, we can sleep in Abu's arms."
Deng Xiao couldn't help but feel envious. Abu started running, picking up speed, and Deng Xiao excitedly shouted from Abu's back.
Among these people, besides Zhuang Yao, Deng Xiao was the youngest. But in Zhuang Yao, there was never a trace of the innocence and liveliness that a child should have. Instead, it was Deng Xiao who possessed the youthful, agile energy and an ever-optimistic spirit that truly belonged to an eighteen-year-old.
The Big Wild Goose Pagoda, which had appeared so close, took them more than twenty minutes to reach. Standing at the foot of the tower, they truly felt its height and grandeur. Adorned in silver, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda had witnessed the rise and fall of Xi'an, the ancient capital of thirteen dynasties. It had witnessed various changes of power and the ebb and flow of tides. But it had never witnessed humanity falling harshly from the top of the food chain, nor had it witnessed a global catastrophe as cruel, bloody, and insane as this one. Now, this iconic structure, steeped in profound history, was occupied by countless mutated insects. It was as if this planet that was once under human control was now being eroded by the so-called lower beings in their mouths, encroaching on their own living space.
Standing in front of this tower, everyone felt a sense of emotion in their hearts.
Cong Xia whispered, "During my freshman year in college, when I first came to Xi'an, the first tourist attraction I visited was the Big Wild Goose Pagoda."
Times change, and things are different.
Zhuang Yao asked, "Can you sense the energy?"
"Of course, it's such a powerful energy." Cong Xia clenched his fist, restraining his body's trembling.
From within the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, he felt two immensely powerful energies. One was the earth energy emanating from those insects, far surpassing the energy of any mutated species he had encountered before. The other was the attributeless energy from the Puppet Jade. Compared to the energy of the insects, the energy of the Puppet Jade seemed insignificant.
Under the pressure of these two energies, Cong Xia even found it difficult to breathe.
The others were also feeling uneasy. After all, encountering such intense energy fluctuations from a creature, every person's heart would be filled with caution.
Except for Deng Xiao.
He said excitedly, "Let's go catch some bugs."
Cong Xia asked, "Don't you sense the energy?"
"I do."
"How did you dare to go in then?"
"I was curious, you know. I wanted to see what was so powerful in there. My plan was to take a photo and leave without disturbing it. But who knew I would be attacked as soon as I entered?"
The disbelief in everyone's eyes grew stronger.
Zhuang Yao said, "Let's go inside and take a look. If he could come out alone, there's no reason why we can't. I want to capture a few specimens to study."
Cong Xia thought for a moment. Since Deng Xiao came out fine, there shouldn't be any major issues, although it might be quite disgusting. He looked at Cheng Tianbi and asked, "What do you think?"
Cheng Tianbi said, "Let's observe at the entrance, catch a few insects, and you can also sense where the Puppet Jade is located."
"Yes, I need to get closer to sense it. Right now, I just feel it everywhere."
The group slid down from Abu's back. Zhuang Yao said, "Abu, wait for us at the entrance."
Abu obediently crouched aside, but its paws scratched the ground restlessly, indicating its strong aversion to this place.
Deng Xiao shouted with confidence, "I'm here again!" Then he forcefully pushed open the door of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda.
95 Puppet Jade
A few people returned to the hotel. In the open space in front of their current residence, there were cold rat meat, hot pots and a pile of bones. The lobby echoed with rhythmic snoring.
Tang Yanqiu exclaimed, "Who's inside?"
Cong Xia replied, "Uh, it's that amphibious atavistic man we encountered yesterday."
Cheng Tianbi furrowed his brow and asked, "How did he end up here?"
"He said he's staying here and insisted on roasting rat meat inside the room. I was afraid it would smoke us out, so I used our cooking utensils to cook it for him," Cong Xia explained.
Liu Fengyu shook his head. "That snoring sound..."
Tang Yanqiu lowered his head and looked at the rat meat in the pot, feeling a bit hesitant.
Liu Fengyu patted his shoulder. "What's the matter, Hero Tang? Are you hungry?"
Tang Yanqiu nodded honestly. "I've been flying for a long time."
"In that case, go ahead and eat. The kid said he would give us four rat legs. Hopefully, he hasn't eaten them all himself," Liu Fengyu said.
"No, even if he can eat a lot, he can't finish such a big rat. There's still some meat left, and it won't spoil easily in the cold weather. Let's not waste it and eat it ourselves," Cong Xia said with a smile, glancing at Tang Yanqiu. "Little Tang is hungry."
Tang Yanqiu smiled shyly, his smile both modest and handsome. The group sat around the pot, and Cong Xia added firewood to reignite the cooled rat meat.
Cong Xia said, "We don't have much food left, and it won't be enough to reach Guiyang. Hopefully, that person can prepare more food for us. In the future, let's try to hunt for some food on the way. We can't rely on vegetables every day; it's too extravagant."
Zhuang Yao stroked Abu and said, "Abu can only eat once every two days now. It's indeed difficult to hunt in the winter."
Liu Fengyu remarked, "Abu has thick fat and won't go hungry. Hey, give me that piece of meat."
Cong Xia's chopsticks, holding the piece of meat, had already reached above Tang Yanqiu's bowl. He said, "Liu Ge, we just finished eating."
"But I still want to eat," Liu Fengyu replied.
"Then let Tang eat first. They are all hungry," Cong Xia suggested.
Liu Fengyu nonchalantly said, "This piece is from the joint, the most tender part. Give it to me."
Tang Yanqiu withdrew his hand and said, "Give it to him."
Cong Xia sighed and placed the meat into Tang Yanqiu's bowl. "Liu Ge, stop bullying Xiao Tang. He's just not bothered by it."
"Who said I was bullying him?" Liu Fengyu leaned closer. "Xiao Tang, I just want a piece of meat from you. Don't be so stingy."
Tang Yanqiu picked up the meat and put it into his own bowl, saying woodenly, "Stop messing around and eat."
Liu Fengyu pinched his face hard, making his fair cheeks turn red. "Good boy."
Tang Yanqiu shook his head helplessly.
Cong Xia suppressed a laugh and divided the rat meat among everyone. "What were you all doing this morning? How did you end up being cornered by those people on the square? Did you go to Ai jia's place?"
Zhuang Yao nodded. "We did, but her father wasn't cooperative. It seemed like he didn't want to have anything to do with us. We didn't get any information and left. We wanted to find someone nearby, but we didn't find a single person. Later, we ran into that group of people near the square."
"And what about you, Xiao Tang? Did you discover anything?" Cong Xia asked.
Tang Yanqiu replied, "I went to the vicinity of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda."
Everyone stared at him intently.
Tang Yanqiu put down his bowl. "I came to Xi'an once when I was young, and I have a deep impression of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. So when I flew near it, I decided to take a look."
"What did you see?"
"Nothing, but when I got close, I sensed a very powerful energy. That kind of energy was difficult to describe. Maybe Cong Xia can give a more accurate assessment. For me, that energy is both dispersed and concentrated. I say it's dispersed because the entire Big Wild Goose Pagoda seems like an energy body. The tower is so tall, yet there's such strong energy everywhere. It's strange. And I say it's concentrated because that energy seems to be confined within the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. In theory, if there's truly a powerful energy body inside the pagoda, why would it choose to stay inside? The world is vast, it can go anywhere."
"That's also the most curious point for me. What reason would compel a powerful energy body with the Puppet Jade to squeeze itself inside a tower? And moreover, how does that powerful energy sustain itself?" Liu Fengyu said.
"Perhaps it's some kind of plant that doesn't require food," Liu Fengyu suggested.
"If it's a plant, the walls of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda would definitely be damaged. But from the outside, it appears to be intact," Tang Yanqiu added.
Liu Fengyu furrowed his brow. Somehow, he thought of the tall pine tree he had encountered in Kunming. He said, "Could it be a plant-based humanoid?"
Cong Xia shook his head. "Which human could tolerate staying inside a tower all year round?"
Zhuang Yao held his chin, his mind racing.
Cheng Tianbi glanced at him. "Are you thinking of going?"
Zhuang Yao smiled. "Aren't you curious?"
Cong Xia quickly said, "Although we're curious, we definitely don't want to go. Haven't you heard what that person said? Three waves of people sent by Beijing didn't come back. The cost of this Puppet Jade is too high, and we don't need to take risks."
Zhuang Yao didn't comment but sighed. "The Big Wild Goose Pagoda... What could be inside?" His eyes were filled with curiosity and anticipation.
The others felt a chill run down their spines seeing him like this.
"What are you talking about? What is the Big Wild Goose Pagoda?" a muffled voice came from behind them.
They turned around and saw Deng Xiao, rubbing his hair and walking out. "Oh, more meat soup. Quick, give me a bowl."
"Aren't you full?" someone asked.
"A nap helps with digestion," Deng Xiao replied unceremoniously, sitting next to Cong Xia and eagerly looking at him with innocent and bright eyes.
Cong Xia served him a bowl of soup and smiled. "You can really eat, no wonder you're so tall."
The others looked at Deng Xiao with suspicion.
After finishing the soup, Deng Xiao wiped his mouth and said, "What are you all talking about? I went to a tower here a few days ago. It's really tall and beautiful, but the things inside were a bit scary..."
Everyone's gaze suddenly turned sharp, as if they could devour him.
Deng Xiao was startled. "What's wrong?"
Cong Xia stared at him intently. "Which tower did you go to?"
"I don't know the name of the tower, but it was tall and beautiful. I wanted to take a picture as a keepsake. If I find my mom, I'll show it to her. But when I went inside, I almost didn't come out, and I don't know where my camera went."
Tang Yanqiu stood up abruptly. "Come here."
"Huh?"
Before Deng Xiao could react, enormous wings sprouted from Tang Yanqiu's back, and he grabbed Deng Xiao by the collar, lifting him up.
"Wow, wow, what are you doing? I'm scared! Oh my God, put me down!" Deng Xiao yelled loudly.
Tang Yanqiu held him in the air, pointing towards the distant Big Wild Goose Pagoda, only partially visible. "Is that the tower you went to that day?"
Deng Xiao tilted his head and looked for a moment.
Tang Yanqiu urged him, "Hurry up, you're too heavy."
"I'm thinking... a little to the left, a bit higher. Wow, it would be so exhilarating to fly."
Tang Yanqiu stared at him blankly.
Deng Xiao nodded. "Yes, that's the tower."
The two descended, and Zhuang Yao almost pounced on Deng Xiao. "Did you really go to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda? Did you go inside? What's inside?"
Deng Xiao said, "I went inside. I wanted to go in and take some photos, even though I didn't know what was inside. But it looked like a tourist attraction. The sign in front of the tower did mention something about the Great Wild Goose."
Zhuang Yao angrily said, "Cut the nonsense!"
Deng Xiao shrugged. "Why do you guys want to know about it? The things inside that tower were disgusting."
"What exactly is it?" Even Cong Xia was losing patience.
Deng Xiao replied, "Insects, bugs."
Cong Xia was stunned. "Insects? What kind of insects? How many?"
"I don't know what kind of insects, but they were dark and soft. It was especially disgusting. As for the number, the tower was filled with them. There must have been billions."
Cong Xia was almost scared to the ground.
Deng Xiao continued, "When I went in, the bugs swarmed around me, but fortunately, they couldn't bite through my skin, so I ran out. It seemed like those bugs were afraid to come outside. They all rushed back in when I dashed out. But I managed to catch a few of them. The texture is quite good, like sticky rice dumplings, but they don't taste good. Hey, maybe you could cook them and make them delicious. Do you have any salt?" Deng Xiao looked at Cong Xia with excitement.
Cong Xia didn't know what to say anymore.
If what Deng Xiao said was true, it wouldn't be hard to believe why no one who went inside ever came out. Even if one could easily crush dozens of ants with a single step, they would have no fighting power against billions of insects. It would be disgustingly horrifying, especially considering that those insects had been staying with the Puppet Jade for a long time, undergoing mutation and enhancement.
Zhuang Yao rubbed his chin. "It seems that as long as we leave the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, those bugs won't follow us?"
Cong Xia trembled as he said, "Then we definitely won't go."
Deng Xiao's eyes lit up. "Do you want to go? I can take you there. Let's catch some bugs and make grilled skewers."
Liu Fengyu clicked his tongue. "Is this kid lacking common sense? I'm not going."
Tang Yanqiu said, "I don't mind either way."
Once again, everyone's gaze turned to Cheng Tianbi.
Cheng Tianbi said, "Let's go and have a look nearby. We don't necessarily have to go inside."
Zhuang Yao said, "Cong Xia and Liu Fengyu can stay behind if they don't want to go."
Cong Xia quickly said, "I'll go." Regardless, he couldn't leave so many people in danger. He had to go along.
Liu Fengyu rolled his eyes. "Fine, I'll go."
"Let's go." Zhuang Yao stood up excitedly, grabbing Abu's tail and being swung onto Abu's back in an instant.
Deng Xiao's mouth formed an "o" shape as he eagerly looked at Abu.
One by one, the others were swung up as well. Cong Xia called from above, "Deng Xiao, come up."
Deng Xiao grabbed onto Abu's tail, and with a gentle swing from Abu, Deng Xiao was thrown into the air.
"Wow!" Deng Xiao landed heavily on Abu's back, getting a mouthful of fur. He quickly climbed up, fumbling around excitedly. "This is amazing! Are we riding a cat? So cool! This cat is huge, it can easily carry more people. Oh, and you can even roll!" As he spoke, he actually rolled from the back of Abu's neck onto its back, thoroughly enjoying himself.
Abu turned its large head and gave him a resentful look.
Deng Xiao stared at Abu's purple pupils and murmured, "This cat is really beautiful."
Zhuang Yao angrily said, "Don't disturb Abu. It might feel uncomfortable."
Deng Xiao lay on the thick and soft fur, sighing, "It's so warm. You guys can ride a cat and have salt to eat. That's great."
Cong Xia laughed, "When it's cold, we can sleep in Abu's arms."
Deng Xiao couldn't help but feel envious. Abu started running, picking up speed, and Deng Xiao excitedly shouted from Abu's back.
Among these people, besides Zhuang Yao, Deng Xiao was the youngest. But in Zhuang Yao, there was never a trace of the innocence and liveliness that a child should have. Instead, it was Deng Xiao who possessed the youthful, agile energy and an ever-optimistic spirit that truly belonged to an eighteen-year-old.
The Big Wild Goose Pagoda, which had appeared so close, took them more than twenty minutes to reach. Standing at the foot of the tower, they truly felt its height and grandeur. Adorned in silver, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda had witnessed the rise and fall of Xi'an, the ancient capital of thirteen dynasties. It had witnessed various changes of power and the ebb and flow of tides. But it had never witnessed humanity falling harshly from the top of the food chain, nor had it witnessed a global catastrophe as cruel, bloody, and insane as this one. Now, this iconic structure, steeped in profound history, was occupied by countless mutated insects. It was as if this planet that was once under human control was now being eroded by the so-called lower beings in their mouths, encroaching on their own living space.
Standing in front of this tower, everyone felt a sense of emotion in their hearts.
Cong Xia whispered, "During my freshman year in college, when I first came to Xi'an, the first tourist attraction I visited was the Big Wild Goose Pagoda."
Times change, and things are different.
Zhuang Yao asked, "Can you sense the energy?"
"Of course, it's such a powerful energy." Cong Xia clenched his fist, restraining his body's trembling.
From within the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, he felt two immensely powerful energies. One was the earth energy emanating from those insects, far surpassing the energy of any mutated species he had encountered before. The other was the attributeless energy from the Puppet Jade. Compared to the energy of the insects, the energy of the Puppet Jade seemed insignificant.
Under the pressure of these two energies, Cong Xia even found it difficult to breathe.
The others were also feeling uneasy. After all, encountering such intense energy fluctuations from a creature, every person's heart would be filled with caution.
Except for Deng Xiao.
He said excitedly, "Let's go catch some bugs."
Cong Xia asked, "Don't you sense the energy?"
"I do."
"How did you dare to go in then?"
"I was curious, you know. I wanted to see what was so powerful in there. My plan was to take a photo and leave without disturbing it. But who knew I would be attacked as soon as I entered?"
The disbelief in everyone's eyes grew stronger.
Zhuang Yao said, "Let's go inside and take a look. If he could come out alone, there's no reason why we can't. I want to capture a few specimens to study."
Cong Xia thought for a moment. Since Deng Xiao came out fine, there shouldn't be any major issues, although it might be quite disgusting. He looked at Cheng Tianbi and asked, "What do you think?"
Cheng Tianbi said, "Let's observe at the entrance, catch a few insects, and you can also sense where the Puppet Jade is located."
"Yes, I need to get closer to sense it. Right now, I just feel it everywhere."
The group slid down from Abu's back. Zhuang Yao said, "Abu, wait for us at the entrance."
Abu obediently crouched aside, but its paws scratched the ground restlessly, indicating its strong aversion to this place.
Deng Xiao shouted with confidence, "I'm here again!" Then he forcefully pushed open the door of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda.
