Chapter 131

“How do you plan to lure Shen Yao out?”

“Don’t worry about that. Just focus on following the route I instructed.”

Shan Ming had been driving on a mountain road for three hours. Looking at the GPS, they were technically still in Beijing, but their geographical location had become extremely remote. They were now within the range of Lingshan Mountain, and the mountain roads were treacherous and challenging to navigate, especially at night. The few winding mountain roads they had just crossed weren’t excessively steep, but the occasional encounters with oncoming vehicles were still risky, especially since they were driving alongside large cargo trucks transporting goods in the middle of the night.

However, for Shan Ming, this thrilling driving experience was merely a way to pass the time. He glanced at the dashboard and saw that they had already exceeded 90km/h. Finally, Zhao Qingling frowned and said, “I trust your driving skills, but I still hope you can slow down. If you dare to drive at this speed in Jiuzhai Valley, you would have died a long time ago.”

After being reminded by Zhao Qingling, Shan Ming, though not considering it a big deal, still slowed down. There was a persistent feeling of restlessness and frustration in his chest, a mix of anger and unwillingness that had lingered since the day he separated from Shen Changze. It weighed on him, making it difficult for him to breathe freely. He had been trying hard to suppress it, using combat and physical training to alleviate the darkness within him. But he knew deep down that no matter how exhausted he made himself or how recklessly he drove on the winding mountain roads, it wouldn’t help him. The only thing that could bring him some relief was seeing Shen Changze.

Shan Ming asked, “How much longer until we arrive?”

“There’s an exit two kilometers ahead, take the turn.” Zhao Qingling pointed at the GPS.

Shan Ming took the turn at the exit, and the road ahead became particularly narrow. It wasn’t as well-maintained as the winding mountain roads they had encountered before. Eventually, the road narrowed to the point where only one car could pass through at a time, occasionally requiring them to drive over the grass. Fortunately, no other vehicles were coming in the opposite direction.

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“Mbyv’p aktbv, lhla pkdnl Ubydtgl oyp csad, ol’hl clld pvyukdt blal. Jwv wdlmrlnvlezu, vblu pvkzz xydytle vs qkde wp.”

“Ebyv lzpl nswze cl zlqv blal? R yppwxl yduvbkdt sq hyzwl bye yzalyeu clld vyjld.”

“There may not be anything valuable left inside the house, but there is one thing they will never find.”

“Can that thing lure out Shen Yao?”

Zhao Qingling replied with certainty, “He would definitely want it.”

Shan Ming furrowed his brow, finding her statement illogical. “If he wants it so badly, why doesn’t he come and take it himself? Could he not know it’s hidden in his own house?”

Zhao Qingling replied succinctly, “I stole it.”

Shan Ming was astonished, “You stole something from your own house and kept it in your own house?”

“Isn’t it safer to keep it in the most dangerous place?”

“Fine, now I’m even more curious, what exactly is it? But if you don’t want to tell me, it’s fine too.”

Zhao Qingling pulled out a machete from her waist and gestured for Shan Ming to follow her inside. “I can show it to you. It may not hold much significance for you, but it’s very important to Dragon Blood Kins.”

Shan Ming also drew out his Dogleg Knife, observing the vines and weeds that had overtaken the house and blocked the entrance.

After clearing away the obstacles at the door, Shan Ming kicked it open. They both covered their mouths and noses, waiting for the swirling dust to settle.

The condition inside the house perfectly matched its exterior appearance—disheveled and chaotic. Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust, creating a desolate scene. Zhao Qingling stood at the doorway, holding the flashlight and scanning every corner of the house meticulously, leaving no area unchecked.

Shan Ming waited patiently as she searched for that particular item.

However, she simply glanced around and then slowly walked toward the table. She picked up an item, and Shan Ming approached to take a look. It was a photo frame.

Zhao Qingling wiped off the dust from the photo frame, revealing a family portrait. Shan Ming saw a younger Shen Yao and Zhao Qingling, along with a little Shen Changze.

Even in the photo, the couple had serious expressions, but it was the kind of seriousness inherent to military personnel; it was their natural dignity. The Shen Yao in the photo didn’t possess the same fierce and cold demeanor as he did now. Likewise, the Zhao Qingling in the photo didn’t bear the unrelenting sadness that was evident in her eyes at the moment.

And this child, he showed a joyful and innocent smile directed at the camera. His round and wide eyes were brimming with curiosity about the world. He was once frightened to the point of trembling at the mere sight of a bloodied wolf leg. He used to cry and seek warmth by curling up in his embrace when feeling cold. He had begged to be taken away while clutching onto his thigh. He used to shed tears and complained about the arduous training. The child in the photo was once so familiar to Shan Ming. That was a time he couldn’t help but smile whenever he recalled it.

Zhao Qingling separated the frame, removed the photo carefully, and tucked it into her embrace. Then, she led Shan Ming outside.

Shan Ming asked, “Is it not inside the house?”

“It’s not,” Zhao Qingling replied. She retrieved two spare batteries for the flashlight and a military-grade shovel from the car. She also handed a shovel to Shan Ming. Together, they made their way towards the wooded area behind the house.

They walked on foot for over half an hour, and Zhao Qingling continuously referred to the coordinates. Finally, they came to a halt in front of an inconspicuous stone.

She drove the shovel into the side of the stone, digging out the soil next to it. Shan Ming followed suit, helping to dig around the stone. After about ten minutes of digging, the massive stone finally loosened. Both of them bent down, exerting their strength to move the several-hundred-pound stone aside. They continued digging some more until they finally encountered something solid.

Zhao Qingling discarded the shovel and started digging with her hands. After a few digs, she pulled out a rectangular object from the soil. It was tightly wrapped in multiple layers of oilcloth. The object wasn’t large, approximately ten centimeters wide and thirty to forty centimeters long.

Shan Ming asked, “What exactly is this?”

Zhao Qingling carefully unwrapped the layers of oilcloth that had lost its original color. The oilcloth emitted an unpleasant odor, indicating that it had been treated to repel insects. Beneath the oilcloth, a metal box was finally revealed, its original appearance was also difficult to discern.

Zhao Qingling gently ran her fingers along the edges of the box, and then pressed lightly at a certain spot. With a soft click, the box opened. Shan Ming looked curiously inside the box and was surprised to find an object resembling a deer antler, about twenty centimeters long. However, Shan Ming was certain that it wasn’t just any ordinary deer antler, as this object emitted a faint golden glow, resembling something divine.

Zhao Qingling touched it cautiously and said, “You should be able to guess what this is, right?”

“This is… the horn of a Dragon Blood Kin?”

“Not quite right. This is a horn, but it’s the horn of the Sea Dragon.”

Sea Dragon? The origin of all Dragon Blood Kins, that fish that was accidentally caught during offshore oil drilling operations in the South China Sea? That peculiar fish, which has never appeared in human history before, is what led to the existence of so many Dragon Blood Kins today.

“How did you come to possess this thing?”

“It was stolen by Shen Yao from the laboratory, and I hid it away.”

“Why did you do that? What can this thing be used for?” Although Shan Ming didn’t know what this item could do, he was certain that it had significant potential. The blood of that fish alone could mass-produce monsters, let alone the fact that it had only two horns on its entire body.

“Because I didn’t like Shen Yao having it. It would only lead him further astray. But I also didn’t have the opportunity to return it to the laboratory.”

“What can it do?”

“The things it does are beyond anything I could ever imagine, because it’s definitely stronger than Dragon Blood. However, I do know one of its functions, a function that is compelling enough for Shen Yao to spare no expense to obtain it.”

“What is it?”

“In simple terms, it is an enhancer for the Dragon Blood Kins.”

“Are you saying that using it in some way would significantly enhance the abilities of the Dragon Blood Kins within a short period of time?”

“That’s right. This is the horn of the Sea Dragon, the mother of all Dragon Blood Kins. The method of using it is quite simple: just apply it to the damaged skin of the Dragon Blood Kins. Shen Yao has experimented with it before, and it’s best to grind a small portion into powder and apply it to the injured forehead of the Dragon Blood Kins. It can drive them into a frenzy. For Dragon Blood Kin with low purity, it can significantly increase their purity by up to 40% in a short period and even accelerate the growth of their dragon wings. However, it comes with an immense burden on the body. It’s a terrifying thing.”

During Shan Ming’s time as a guerrilla fighter in Africa, he witnessed firsthand how the African mercenaries utilized the captured child soldiers. Before going into battle, they would make an incision on their foreheads or brow ridges and apply a powder called “Heroin”. The child soldiers would then go into a frenzy, fearlessly charging ahead, even in the face of bare gunfire. The battlefield would be filled with children, running madly, rushing towards enemy positions. In the face of quad-mounted anti-aircraft machine guns, thousands of them would be turned into minced meat, and the largest pieces left behind would be no bigger than a fist. The most famous among the child soldiers in Africa was called the “Ant Soldiers”, because their lives were cheaper than ants. Their doctrine was simple: If you fear death, then you shouldn’t have been born.

While one involves the application of a drug and the other involves the powder of the Sea Dragon’s Horn, the principle remains the same. The areas of the forehead and brow ridges have strong neural reactions. By focusing on stimulating these areas, it can bring out the most primal and frenzied aspects of a person’s nature.

The abilities of the Dragon Blood Kins are already very terrifying, and Shan Ming can’t even begin to imagine the peak state they would reach after using such a thing. Fortunately, Shen Yao doesn’t have access to it. Otherwise, the encounters they had with Shen Yao in the past would have left them with no chance of survival.

Zhao Qingling touched the Sea Dragon’s Horn and said, “I won’t hand it over to Shen Yao. After everything is over, I will destroy it. The mere existence of this thing is a sin.”

Shan Ming looked at the horn that was emitting a faint golden glow and thought, such a terrifying object, the sooner it is destroyed, the better.

“Then, what’s your plan now? Are you not afraid of him snatching it away if you use it as bait?”

“If I don’t use this, how would he even come out?”

“Then what do you plan to do next?”

Zhao Qingling placed the Sea Dragon’s Horn on her chest, seemingly finding great comfort in doing so. She said softly, “Set the bait, then wait for him to take it.”