98 Puppet Jade
Time passed minute by minute, and Cong Xia became increasingly nervous. He knew he should have confidence in Cheng Tianbi’s ability, but the thought of the densely packed bugs inside made his vision blur.
Nevertheless, he was grateful that Cheng Tianbi trusted him so much and brought him along. Otherwise, if he found Cheng Tianbi missing in the middle of the night, he would be even more frightened. Cheng Tianbi could even entrust him with the Puppet Jade alone, and he must guard it well. The worst-case scenario would be Cheng Tianbi not being able to come out, and in that case, he would not hesitate to rush in. With the inexhaustible energy of the Puppet Jade, they would surely be able to survive.
Cong Xia's heart trembled gently. Thinking of the Puppet Jade, he couldn't help but lower his head and take a glance at the Puppet Jade, carefully wrapped in layers of parchment paper at his feet. Although he couldn't see the dark jade, its powerful energy made it impossible for him to ignore its presence. Having the Puppet Jade beside him was like standing next to a mountain of gold, especially when you could freely take the gold. Most people couldn't resist such temptation, but he managed to resist touching it. During times when he was particularly mentally alert, he would slowly absorb some energy from the Puppet Jade, ensuring that his body had sufficient energy without losing his rationality due to excessive absorption. That was why he could control himself so well now.
It was truly convenient. As long as it was with him, there was no need to worry about a lack of energy. With the Puppet Jade, why would he need to cultivate? He could absorb it directly, fast and efficiently...
Cong Xia suddenly snapped out of his thoughts and pinched himself hard. The Puppet Jade had a bewitching effect, how could he relax his vigilance? Since obtaining the Puppet Jade, he had been somewhat negligent in his cultivation. He should always remember that the energy he absorbs will be depleted, only the energy he cultivates himself can regenerate within his body, and only then can he truly strengthen himself!
A loud noise suddenly came from the nearby Big Wild Goose Pagoda, startling Cong Xia. He anxiously looked at the collapsed door caused by Deng Xiao's impact. From here, he could only see a pitch-black opening.
He strengthened his vision once again, finally seeing something ** black wriggling frantically inside the dark opening. The next second, another loud noise erupted, and those black things spewed out from the entrance like a torrential rain, filling the sky. The bodies of the bugs burst open in mid-air, creating pale yellow "raindrops."
Cheng Tianbi's tall figure quickly rushed out of the gate, and Cong Xia was overjoyed. When he saw the black SLR camera Cheng Tianbi was holding in his arms, he became even more excited, anticipating the possible secrets they might uncover.
As expected, the bugs stopped chasing after a while. Cheng Tianbi covered a distance of three hundred meters in just a few seconds. With the assistance of the wind, his speed should have been close to that of a speed mutant.
However, even so, Cheng Tianbi didn't dare to linger. He grabbed the Puppet Jade with one hand and held Cong Xia's hand with the other, urging him, "Let's go quickly."
The two of them swiftly ran along the path, covering a distance of over one kilometer before slowing down their pace.
Cheng Tianbi had many dead bugs hanging on his body, looking as disheveled as during the daytime. However, neither of them paid attention to these details. Their focus was entirely on the camera.
Cong Xia took the camera and examined it. The camera body was relatively intact, but the fragile LCD screen had a large spider web-like crack. It must have been damaged when Deng Xiao was attacked and dropped the camera. It remained uncertain whether it could still be used. The lens didn't appear to be damaged, but if the screen was broken, the lens might not have been spared.
With an anxious heart, he looked at the power switch and found that it was on. He pressed a random button, and the screen immediately lit up!
Cong Xia exclaimed, "It still has power."
"The screen seems unreadable." The crack on the screen was large, making the entire image distorted and difficult to discern.
"Yeah, let me try the lens." Cong Xia pressed the shutter button, and the lens moved. A red dot flashed on the camera, accompanied by two beeps. "The lens is still working, and the camera is currently in video mode."
Cheng Tianbi spoke in a deep voice, "This camera was placed on a shelf not far from the gate, with the lens facing the gate. Is someone using it to record?"
Cong Xia gasped, "Could it be... there are people inside the Big Wild Goose Pagoda?"
Cheng Tianbi shook his head, "It's hard to believe that there would be people inside. Could it be the people from Beijing using it for researching the bugs?"
"If it's them, they should have more advanced video recording equipment. Moreover, the batteries of these DSLR cameras need to be recharged repeatedly, and recording for a few hours would drain the battery. Besides, you mentioned earlier that you didn't see any light when you first entered. So the camera might have been turned on later. Could there really be someone inside...?"
The idea was too horrifying. Who could survive among those piles of bugs unless... unless they were part of the bugs themselves. But that didn't make sense either. If he had been assimilated by those bugs, why wouldn't he leave the Big Wild Goose Pagoda? The world was so vast, and he had the Puppet Jade. What reason would he have to confine himself to such a small tower? Most importantly, if there really were people inside, what was the purpose of placing this camera? And how did they recharge the camera?
Cheng Tianbi also thought of the possibility of bug assimilation, but he couldn't explain the many unanswered questions. He said, "I have a feeling that the camera might be related to the Puppet Jade. Perhaps it can help us understand the Puppet Jade. We still know so little about it, and it feels like we're being led by it. When I think about Zhuang Yao's mention of 'fate' yesterday, what if it's not us making the decisions, but the Puppet Jade? This jade is too sinister, we need to know more."
Cong Xia understood why Cheng Tianbi took the risk to find this camera. The existence of the Puppet Jade seemed like a great blessing for mutant beings, but they also knew that it was precisely because of the Puppet Jade that the world had become so devastated. Everyone feared it because within this small piece of jade was the power to destroy everything. They lived with such a thing every day, and even for survival and strength, they actively sought to obtain it. Whether this was right or wrong, no one could say for sure. That's why understanding the Puppet Jade better would help them protect themselves.
The secret of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda might lie within this camera. If they were lucky, they might glimpse some secrets of the Puppet Jade.
Cheng Tianbi said, "Although the screen is distorted, it can still display an image. Let's see if it works."
Cong Xia nodded, his fingers trembling slightly as he pressed a button to play a recorded video.
At the beginning, the screen was pitch black, complete darkness with nothing visible. Occasionally, there were faint rustling sounds. They waited for a full half a minute, thinking that the camera might be broken when suddenly the screen flickered, and a hint of light passed by. The light was divided into dozens of pieces by the fragmented screen, making it extremely difficult to discern.
Then, the screen began to shake violently, and there were clanging sounds coming from the camera, as if the lens was rolling on the ground. With the faint light, the image kept changing. Most of it was black, but occasionally, they could catch a glimpse of something different. However, the lens kept turning, making it dizzying for anyone watching.
Suddenly, in the center of the cracked screen, an eye appeared without any warning!
Cong Xia was startled, his hand trembling so much that he almost couldn't hold the camera. Cheng Tianbi swiftly supported the camera, taking it from Cong Xia's hand.
Both of them stared fixedly at the screen. The eye remained there, as if staring back at them through the screen. The feeling sent shivers down their spines.
Despite the severe damage to the screen and the unclear image, the eye stayed in the center of the screen. They carefully observed it and felt that it should be a human eye, yet it didn't look entirely human. The pupil of the eye was yellow, even though the lightest shade of human eyes wouldn't be this kind of yellow. It closely resembled... the color of the bugs' **! The emotions emanating from that eye were extremely unsettling, a mix of fear and ferocity, giving them goosebumps all over.
The eye moved for a while, and a low, suppressed gasping sound came from the camera.
They were currently on a street not far from the hotel. The street was pitch black, surrounded by dilapidated buildings and overgrown plants. It was a scene of desolation. At this moment, the two of them stood alone on the street, facing a yellow-pupiled eye through the camera screen. They had to listen to this non-human sound. Cong Xia couldn't help but feel terrified, and even Cheng Tianbi felt uncomfortable.
Cong Xia shivered, "Is... is this a person?"
Cheng Tianbi shook his head, "It's impossible to determine."
"Save... me..."
Suddenly, a hoarse voice sounded from the camera!
Cong Xia turned pale in shock and looked at Cheng Tianbi in disbelief. Cheng Tianbi's face also changed slightly as he made a gesture to keep quiet.
The same voice, the same words echoed once again.
They carefully distinguished that it was indeed the sound coming from the camera. That sound was absolutely not something a human could produce. It was hoarse, strange, and even had a "kakaka" sound with tremors. Cong Xia had never heard such a terrifying sound. Coupled with the gently rotating eye, if he hadn't experienced nearly a year in the apocalypse, he would definitely have been scared to the point of wetting his pants.
The screen suddenly split open from the eye, and a pale face flashed on the screen. The last visual image captured by both of them was that under the skin of the pale face, many things were wriggling, as if numerous moving lumps were growing beneath the skin.
Approaching the end, the camera emitted buzzing sounds, and a white light flashed on the screen before it went completely black.
Cong Xia snapped out of his terror and said, "The screen is completely burnt."
Cheng Tianbi dispiritedly fiddled with the camera. It was true that they couldn't see anything anymore.
What Cong Xia had just witnessed had made him feel somewhat nervous. Now that he couldn't see anything, he felt relieved instead. "It's really scary. There really are people inside the Big Wild Goose Pagoda... but they seem to be on the verge of death."
Cheng Tianbi said, "Let's go back to the hotel first and discuss this further."
The first light of dawn was about to break, and the two hurried back to the hotel. As they approached, Abu woke up again and continued to look at them calmly. Cong Xia patted it gently, and the two of them quietly entered the room.
Cheng Tianbi carefully wrapped the camera in layers and put it into his bag. He separately packed the SD card and batteries, keeping them on himself. He remembered that they had another camera in the car, but Zhuang Yao had taken many photos along the way. He didn't know if there was any battery left, and the camera brand was also different. If there wasn't, they would have to find a camera of the same brand and model to reproduce all the images on the card.
Once they returned to the room, both of them were wide awake. The eastern sky was turning pale, and daylight was approaching.
Cheng Tianbi took off his dirty clothes and used a towel to wipe his body with water.
Cong Xia felt sorry for him, seeing his lips turning pale from the cold, but Cheng Tianbi stopped him when he tried to transfer energy to him. "Don't waste energy at any time."
"It's not a waste if I give it to you."
"No need, I'm not afraid of the cold." He quickly cleaned his body and changed into a fresh set of clothes.
Cong Xia said, "You changed into clean clothes today right after wearing them yesterday. Zhuang Yao might get suspicious."
"Let him be suspicious. After leaving Xi'an, I plan to tell him about the camera anyway and let him analyze it. But not now. The situation in the Big Wild Goose Pagoda is more complicated than we imagined. We can't take the risk of going for that Puppet Jade, nor can we give Zhuang Yao a chance to persuade us. So let's leave this place first and then decide."
"Okay." Cong Xia's mind kept replaying the image of that eerie eye and the inhuman sound coming from the camera. However, that sound was undeniably speaking Chinese and pleading for help. He sat back against the headboard and whispered, "'Save me'... Do you think that person could be one of the mutants who entered earlier from Beijing, and in their final moments, they discovered the camera and wanted to leave something behind?"
"It's possible, but how could their pupils turn that color? No human has pupils of that color."
"Perhaps it happens when they are heavily attacked by the bugs? That day, we only suffered minor injuries and had some blood sucked, but that person was clearly on the verge of death. And if we didn't mistake it, his skin was crawling with bugs." Cong Xia shuddered at the thought of the wriggling things beneath the pale skin. "The bugs may have completely infiltrated his body, causing some kind of transformation."
"If that's the case, then that person must have entered the Big Wild Goose Pagoda shortly after Deng Xiao. The camera still had power back then. But that still doesn't explain why the camera still has power now. Deng Xiao went to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda at least ten days ago."
Cong Xia thought for a moment, "Do you remember the time stamp on the recording?"
Cheng Tianbi pondered, "The time on the screen seemed distorted."
"Yes, it seemed distorted." Cong Xia felt a headache coming on. "Now, the only way to find out what happened is to watch the complete recording. Regardless of the truth, it makes me feel very uncomfortable."
The fearful eyes and pale face that appeared in the darkness, along with the chilling cries for help, had left a significant impact on him.
Cheng Tianbi said, "Let's not think about it for now. It's daylight. Today, that person surnamed Sun should be able to deliver the oil. I'll go ask him about the exact time the three waves of people from Beijing entered the pagoda."
"Okay, I'll start cooking then."
Author's note: Work harder during the Labor Day holiday, hehe!
98 Puppet Jade
Time passed minute by minute, and Cong Xia became increasingly nervous. He knew he should have confidence in Cheng Tianbi’s ability, but the thought of the densely packed bugs inside made his vision blur.
Nevertheless, he was grateful that Cheng Tianbi trusted him so much and brought him along. Otherwise, if he found Cheng Tianbi missing in the middle of the night, he would be even more frightened. Cheng Tianbi could even entrust him with the Puppet Jade alone, and he must guard it well. The worst-case scenario would be Cheng Tianbi not being able to come out, and in that case, he would not hesitate to rush in. With the inexhaustible energy of the Puppet Jade, they would surely be able to survive.
Cong Xia's heart trembled gently. Thinking of the Puppet Jade, he couldn't help but lower his head and take a glance at the Puppet Jade, carefully wrapped in layers of parchment paper at his feet. Although he couldn't see the dark jade, its powerful energy made it impossible for him to ignore its presence. Having the Puppet Jade beside him was like standing next to a mountain of gold, especially when you could freely take the gold. Most people couldn't resist such temptation, but he managed to resist touching it. During times when he was particularly mentally alert, he would slowly absorb some energy from the Puppet Jade, ensuring that his body had sufficient energy without losing his rationality due to excessive absorption. That was why he could control himself so well now.
It was truly convenient. As long as it was with him, there was no need to worry about a lack of energy. With the Puppet Jade, why would he need to cultivate? He could absorb it directly, fast and efficiently...
Cong Xia suddenly snapped out of his thoughts and pinched himself hard. The Puppet Jade had a bewitching effect, how could he relax his vigilance? Since obtaining the Puppet Jade, he had been somewhat negligent in his cultivation. He should always remember that the energy he absorbs will be depleted, only the energy he cultivates himself can regenerate within his body, and only then can he truly strengthen himself!
A loud noise suddenly came from the nearby Big Wild Goose Pagoda, startling Cong Xia. He anxiously looked at the collapsed door caused by Deng Xiao's impact. From here, he could only see a pitch-black opening.
He strengthened his vision once again, finally seeing something ** black wriggling frantically inside the dark opening. The next second, another loud noise erupted, and those black things spewed out from the entrance like a torrential rain, filling the sky. The bodies of the bugs burst open in mid-air, creating pale yellow "raindrops."
Cheng Tianbi's tall figure quickly rushed out of the gate, and Cong Xia was overjoyed. When he saw the black SLR camera Cheng Tianbi was holding in his arms, he became even more excited, anticipating the possible secrets they might uncover.
As expected, the bugs stopped chasing after a while. Cheng Tianbi covered a distance of three hundred meters in just a few seconds. With the assistance of the wind, his speed should have been close to that of a speed mutant.
However, even so, Cheng Tianbi didn't dare to linger. He grabbed the Puppet Jade with one hand and held Cong Xia's hand with the other, urging him, "Let's go quickly."
The two of them swiftly ran along the path, covering a distance of over one kilometer before slowing down their pace.
Cheng Tianbi had many dead bugs hanging on his body, looking as disheveled as during the daytime. However, neither of them paid attention to these details. Their focus was entirely on the camera.
Cong Xia took the camera and examined it. The camera body was relatively intact, but the fragile LCD screen had a large spider web-like crack. It must have been damaged when Deng Xiao was attacked and dropped the camera. It remained uncertain whether it could still be used. The lens didn't appear to be damaged, but if the screen was broken, the lens might not have been spared.
With an anxious heart, he looked at the power switch and found that it was on. He pressed a random button, and the screen immediately lit up!
Cong Xia exclaimed, "It still has power."
"The screen seems unreadable." The crack on the screen was large, making the entire image distorted and difficult to discern.
"Yeah, let me try the lens." Cong Xia pressed the shutter button, and the lens moved. A red dot flashed on the camera, accompanied by two beeps. "The lens is still working, and the camera is currently in video mode."
Cheng Tianbi spoke in a deep voice, "This camera was placed on a shelf not far from the gate, with the lens facing the gate. Is someone using it to record?"
Cong Xia gasped, "Could it be... there are people inside the Big Wild Goose Pagoda?"
Cheng Tianbi shook his head, "It's hard to believe that there would be people inside. Could it be the people from Beijing using it for researching the bugs?"
"If it's them, they should have more advanced video recording equipment. Moreover, the batteries of these DSLR cameras need to be recharged repeatedly, and recording for a few hours would drain the battery. Besides, you mentioned earlier that you didn't see any light when you first entered. So the camera might have been turned on later. Could there really be someone inside...?"
The idea was too horrifying. Who could survive among those piles of bugs unless... unless they were part of the bugs themselves. But that didn't make sense either. If he had been assimilated by those bugs, why wouldn't he leave the Big Wild Goose Pagoda? The world was so vast, and he had the Puppet Jade. What reason would he have to confine himself to such a small tower? Most importantly, if there really were people inside, what was the purpose of placing this camera? And how did they recharge the camera?
Cheng Tianbi also thought of the possibility of bug assimilation, but he couldn't explain the many unanswered questions. He said, "I have a feeling that the camera might be related to the Puppet Jade. Perhaps it can help us understand the Puppet Jade. We still know so little about it, and it feels like we're being led by it. When I think about Zhuang Yao's mention of 'fate' yesterday, what if it's not us making the decisions, but the Puppet Jade? This jade is too sinister, we need to know more."
Cong Xia understood why Cheng Tianbi took the risk to find this camera. The existence of the Puppet Jade seemed like a great blessing for mutant beings, but they also knew that it was precisely because of the Puppet Jade that the world had become so devastated. Everyone feared it because within this small piece of jade was the power to destroy everything. They lived with such a thing every day, and even for survival and strength, they actively sought to obtain it. Whether this was right or wrong, no one could say for sure. That's why understanding the Puppet Jade better would help them protect themselves.
The secret of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda might lie within this camera. If they were lucky, they might glimpse some secrets of the Puppet Jade.
Cheng Tianbi said, "Although the screen is distorted, it can still display an image. Let's see if it works."
Cong Xia nodded, his fingers trembling slightly as he pressed a button to play a recorded video.
At the beginning, the screen was pitch black, complete darkness with nothing visible. Occasionally, there were faint rustling sounds. They waited for a full half a minute, thinking that the camera might be broken when suddenly the screen flickered, and a hint of light passed by. The light was divided into dozens of pieces by the fragmented screen, making it extremely difficult to discern.
Then, the screen began to shake violently, and there were clanging sounds coming from the camera, as if the lens was rolling on the ground. With the faint light, the image kept changing. Most of it was black, but occasionally, they could catch a glimpse of something different. However, the lens kept turning, making it dizzying for anyone watching.
Suddenly, in the center of the cracked screen, an eye appeared without any warning!
Cong Xia was startled, his hand trembling so much that he almost couldn't hold the camera. Cheng Tianbi swiftly supported the camera, taking it from Cong Xia's hand.
Both of them stared fixedly at the screen. The eye remained there, as if staring back at them through the screen. The feeling sent shivers down their spines.
Despite the severe damage to the screen and the unclear image, the eye stayed in the center of the screen. They carefully observed it and felt that it should be a human eye, yet it didn't look entirely human. The pupil of the eye was yellow, even though the lightest shade of human eyes wouldn't be this kind of yellow. It closely resembled... the color of the bugs' **! The emotions emanating from that eye were extremely unsettling, a mix of fear and ferocity, giving them goosebumps all over.
The eye moved for a while, and a low, suppressed gasping sound came from the camera.
They were currently on a street not far from the hotel. The street was pitch black, surrounded by dilapidated buildings and overgrown plants. It was a scene of desolation. At this moment, the two of them stood alone on the street, facing a yellow-pupiled eye through the camera screen. They had to listen to this non-human sound. Cong Xia couldn't help but feel terrified, and even Cheng Tianbi felt uncomfortable.
Cong Xia shivered, "Is... is this a person?"
Cheng Tianbi shook his head, "It's impossible to determine."
"Save... me..."
Suddenly, a hoarse voice sounded from the camera!
Cong Xia turned pale in shock and looked at Cheng Tianbi in disbelief. Cheng Tianbi's face also changed slightly as he made a gesture to keep quiet.
The same voice, the same words echoed once again.
They carefully distinguished that it was indeed the sound coming from the camera. That sound was absolutely not something a human could produce. It was hoarse, strange, and even had a "kakaka" sound with tremors. Cong Xia had never heard such a terrifying sound. Coupled with the gently rotating eye, if he hadn't experienced nearly a year in the apocalypse, he would definitely have been scared to the point of wetting his pants.
The screen suddenly split open from the eye, and a pale face flashed on the screen. The last visual image captured by both of them was that under the skin of the pale face, many things were wriggling, as if numerous moving lumps were growing beneath the skin.
Approaching the end, the camera emitted buzzing sounds, and a white light flashed on the screen before it went completely black.
Cong Xia snapped out of his terror and said, "The screen is completely burnt."
Cheng Tianbi dispiritedly fiddled with the camera. It was true that they couldn't see anything anymore.
What Cong Xia had just witnessed had made him feel somewhat nervous. Now that he couldn't see anything, he felt relieved instead. "It's really scary. There really are people inside the Big Wild Goose Pagoda... but they seem to be on the verge of death."
Cheng Tianbi said, "Let's go back to the hotel first and discuss this further."
The first light of dawn was about to break, and the two hurried back to the hotel. As they approached, Abu woke up again and continued to look at them calmly. Cong Xia patted it gently, and the two of them quietly entered the room.
Cheng Tianbi carefully wrapped the camera in layers and put it into his bag. He separately packed the SD card and batteries, keeping them on himself. He remembered that they had another camera in the car, but Zhuang Yao had taken many photos along the way. He didn't know if there was any battery left, and the camera brand was also different. If there wasn't, they would have to find a camera of the same brand and model to reproduce all the images on the card.
Once they returned to the room, both of them were wide awake. The eastern sky was turning pale, and daylight was approaching.
Cheng Tianbi took off his dirty clothes and used a towel to wipe his body with water.
Cong Xia felt sorry for him, seeing his lips turning pale from the cold, but Cheng Tianbi stopped him when he tried to transfer energy to him. "Don't waste energy at any time."
"It's not a waste if I give it to you."
"No need, I'm not afraid of the cold." He quickly cleaned his body and changed into a fresh set of clothes.
Cong Xia said, "You changed into clean clothes today right after wearing them yesterday. Zhuang Yao might get suspicious."
"Let him be suspicious. After leaving Xi'an, I plan to tell him about the camera anyway and let him analyze it. But not now. The situation in the Big Wild Goose Pagoda is more complicated than we imagined. We can't take the risk of going for that Puppet Jade, nor can we give Zhuang Yao a chance to persuade us. So let's leave this place first and then decide."
"Okay." Cong Xia's mind kept replaying the image of that eerie eye and the inhuman sound coming from the camera. However, that sound was undeniably speaking Chinese and pleading for help. He sat back against the headboard and whispered, "'Save me'... Do you think that person could be one of the mutants who entered earlier from Beijing, and in their final moments, they discovered the camera and wanted to leave something behind?"
"It's possible, but how could their pupils turn that color? No human has pupils of that color."
"Perhaps it happens when they are heavily attacked by the bugs? That day, we only suffered minor injuries and had some blood sucked, but that person was clearly on the verge of death. And if we didn't mistake it, his skin was crawling with bugs." Cong Xia shuddered at the thought of the wriggling things beneath the pale skin. "The bugs may have completely infiltrated his body, causing some kind of transformation."
"If that's the case, then that person must have entered the Big Wild Goose Pagoda shortly after Deng Xiao. The camera still had power back then. But that still doesn't explain why the camera still has power now. Deng Xiao went to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda at least ten days ago."
Cong Xia thought for a moment, "Do you remember the time stamp on the recording?"
Cheng Tianbi pondered, "The time on the screen seemed distorted."
"Yes, it seemed distorted." Cong Xia felt a headache coming on. "Now, the only way to find out what happened is to watch the complete recording. Regardless of the truth, it makes me feel very uncomfortable."
The fearful eyes and pale face that appeared in the darkness, along with the chilling cries for help, had left a significant impact on him.
Cheng Tianbi said, "Let's not think about it for now. It's daylight. Today, that person surnamed Sun should be able to deliver the oil. I'll go ask him about the exact time the three waves of people from Beijing entered the pagoda."
"Okay, I'll start cooking then."
Author's note: Work harder during the Labor Day holiday, hehe!
