166 Enchanted Forest
At this moment, they were standing in the urban area of Manzhouli. It was three in the morning, and the temperature had dropped to eleven degrees. The streets were quiet, with no one in sight. Utilizing the faint moonlight, they observed their surroundings. The architecture here gave a sense of mismatch, with a mix of heavy European-style buildings and modern structures. Mongolians, Chinese, and Russians coexisted in this city, engaged in bustling border trade. It used to be a relatively prosperous metropolis, but now, like many cities in the apocalypse, it was eerily quiet, as if life had vanished from it.
“We should split up and act independently. You go north, and we’ll go south, gathering as much information as possible. Let’s meet back here in two days at this same time,” said Cheng Tianbi.
“Alright.” Zhao Zixiang folded his wings and transformed back into a human, taking out clothes from his backpack to change into.
After parting ways, Cheng Tianbi and Cong Xia continued to walk deeper into the city, following the traces of the streets.
“Tianbi, let’s have something to eat,” Cong Xia took out compressed biscuits and a bottle of water from his backpack. “I’m feeling better now. I almost threw up earlier.”
Taking the items, Cheng Tianbi replied, “I’m feeling a bit uncomfortable too. The wind at high altitudes is too strong.”
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Usdt Dky zywtble, “Zsw yal vbl okde uswaplzq, ulv usw nsxrzykd ycswv kv clkdt vss pvasdt. Ebld usw nyd qwzzu kdvltayvl okvb vbl lzlxldvp, usw’zz cl sdl okvb vbl okde, yde kv rascyczu osd’v cl yp nsze yduxsal.”
Ubldt Mkydck dseele, “Mbyv oswze cl talyv. Ju vbld, R nswze oayr usw wr kd vbl okde, yde kv pbswzed’v qllz yp nsze.”
Usdt Dky nbwnjzle voknl.
Gp vblu nsdvkdwle oyzjkdt, vblu qkdyzzu pyo y caktbvzu zkv rzynl yblye. Pwl vs vbl pwaaswdekdt pkzldnl, vblu nswze blya vbl cskpvlaswp dskpl nsxkdt qasx y cwkzekdt vbyv alplxczle y bsvlz, xsal vbyd 200 xlvlap yoyu. Flhlayz rlsrzl olal yzps pvydekdt sd vbl yefynldv pvallv.
Rp vblal pwnb y zkhlzu rzynl blal?
Mblu blyele vsoyaep vbl bsvlz.
Gp vblu tsv nzspla, y pvasdt pxlzz sq yznsbsz rlaxlyvle vbl yka. G vyzz Swppkyd xyd oyp zswezu pbswvkdt psxlvbkdt, lzknkvkdt cwapvp sq zywtbvla qasx vbl rlsrzl yaswde bkx.
Jlqsal vblu nswze yrrasynb vbl cwkzekdt, vos cwazu xld pwaaswdele vblx, prlyjkdt kd y pvakdt sq Swppkyd vblu nswzed’v wdelapvyde.
They stood still as one burly man looked at them, asking in broken English who they were.
Cong Xia replied in Chinese that they couldn’t understand.
The burly man turned and walked away. After a while, he returned with a slim Asian man, likely a translator.
The man scrutinized them and asked, “Where are you from?”
“We came from Mongolia. We couldn’t survive there and wanted to try our luck here,” Cong Xia answered.
“Try your luck?” The man sneered, “You can’t make it elsewhere, but you think you’ll get lucky here? You both look so young, why not find a mutant organization and do some odd jobs? As long as you can work, you won’t starve.”
“Thanks for the advice. Could you tell us what this place is?” Cong Xia asked.
“This is a casino, but it’s not for the likes of you. Go on, move along.”
Cheng Tianbi interjected, “What are the stakes?”
The man glanced at Cheng Tianbi, noting his imposing figure and strength, likely identifying him as a mutant. After hesitating for a moment, he said, “We gamble with everything here: food, weapons, energy, women, and fists. Do you want to go in? Do you have anything worth betting?”
The two exchanged a glance, and Cong Xia took out a hand grenade from his bag. “We found this. Is it enough to get us in?”
The man raised an eyebrow, turned to the burly man, and said something in Russian. The burly man grinned and replied in a simple word that Cong Xia understood as “yes.”
The man said nonchalantly, “Let’s go. Since we’re from the same homeland, I’ll take you in.” He then led them inside.
As they walked, the man introduced himself, “I’m Rong Qiang, just a handyman here. You don’t look like you’re struggling or fleeing for survival. You’re armed and don’t seem like you’re starving. Whatever your purpose here is, just don’t cause trouble. Otherwise, they’ll deal with you as easily as squashing ants.”
“Understood,” Cong Xia absentmindedly replied. He was already fascinated by the scene inside the hotel and couldn’t be bothered to listen to Rong Qiang any longer. The place was supposed to be a prosperous hotel. The ground floor alone covered an area of at least a thousand square meters. The front hall was grand, and now it was filled with all kinds of “gambling tables.” There were traditional gambling tables one would expect in a casino, as well as fighting and beauty contest stages. It was a mix of everything, leaving people dazed and unsure of the true nature of this place.
There were at least three hundred people in the hotel, with the majority being mutants. Various attributes and energies were flying around chaotically, making it incredibly vibrant compared to the outside world.
Cheng Tianbi had metal plates attached to his body, hiding his energy fluctuations. As there were many Asians here, their presence didn’t attract any attention.
Rong Qiang led them to the chip exchange area, “You can exchange your chips here. They will determine the value of your hand grenade, and that’s final; no bargaining allowed. Otherwise, don’t bother playing.”
“Alright,” Cong Xia replied straightforwardly.
Rong Qiang pointed in the distance, “Over there is the fighting arena, where mutants play. As long as you don’t destroy the arena, you can use your abilities freely. Over there is where they sell women, but your hand grenade can only touch a girl’s thigh, so it’s better not to go there. That area is for gambling. You can try your ‘luck’ there.”
Cong Xia smiled faintly, “We’ll try our luck then.”
After Rong Qiang finished speaking, he left.
Cong Xia placed two hand grenades on the counter. A handsome Russian boy behind the counter glanced at them and expressionlessly took the two grenades, handing them ten wooden chips coated in blue paint.
Cong Xia collected the chips and said, “I think we can look for an avian mutant from here. They tend to frequent many places and have good information.”
Cheng Tianbi replied, “It’s unlikely that there are so many mutants in Manzhouli. At least half of them should be outsiders. Many avian mutants are involved in intelligence and transportation work. We not only need to find an avian mutant but also one specialized in trading information.”
“Alright, where should we go first?”
“Let’s go to the fighting arena.”
The two made their way through the crowd and arrived near the fighting arena. Two men were resting in one corner of the platform, looking fierce and seemingly preparing for a battle. Several Russian beauties in short skirts were collecting bets in small baskets, and some young and strong men were selling drinks.
When a young Mongolian guy passed by them, Cheng Tianbi called him over and asked for a glass of rum. The guy happily handed over the glass. Cong Xia quickly took out the ten chips from his pocket and placed them in his hand, indicating for him to take them.
The guy’s expression immediately turned strange as he shook his head.
Cong Xia spoke in English, “I don’t speak Russian. Please take the money yourself.”
The guy smiled strangely and waved his hand, taking back the drink and leaving.
Cong Xia was puzzled, “What does that mean? Is it not enough?”
Cheng Tianbi said, “Looks like it’s not enough.”
Cong Xia frowned, “Two hand grenades can’t even buy a glass of alcohol?”
“You’ve been fooled,” a hoarse and aged voice sounded from behind them.
They turned around to see an old man with white-mixed hair sitting beside them. The old man reeked of alcohol, and his clothes were dirty.
Cheng Tianbi looked at him cautiously, “What do you mean?”
The old man grinned, “You were brought in by Rong Qiang, right? When someone brings people in, the value of the exchanged items is reduced to less than one-third when it reaches your hands. The other two-thirds are split between Rong Qiang and the people behind the counter. Those who know better can just walk in; there’s no need for someone to bring you in. So, I’m telling you that you’ve been fooled. With so few chips, you still want to buy drinks.”
Cong Xia frustratedly kicked the chips back into his pocket.
The old man squinted at them, “Where are you guys from? You look well-fed, speak fluently, and even dared to ask for alcohol as soon as you came in. You don’t look like starving people. Are you mutants?”
Cheng Tianbi replied coldly, “And who are you?”
The old man chuckled, “I came here from China to do some small business. Now, I can’t go back. I’m all alone, but I just can’t die. So, I come here for a drink when I have nothing else to do.”
Cong Xia said, “Old man, we can’t afford drinks either.”
The old man said, “It doesn’t matter if you can’t afford it now. You guys have chips, right? Place bets, win, and you’ll have money.”
Cong Xia looked at the platform, “Bet on them?”
The old man said, “Here’s the deal. You put up half of your money for a bet. I’m very familiar with this place, and I’ve seen almost every match of those fighters on the platform. I’ll help you place the bet. If you win, you’ll have enough to buy drinks for me to have a few sips.”
Cheng Tianbi raised an eyebrow, “What if we lose?”
The old man smiled, “Winning and losing are common in the world of martial arts. If you lose, then tough luck for you. I can’t afford it even if you kill me.”
The two didn’t believe he could predict the outcome; otherwise, he wouldn’t be in such a state. This old man was clearly just trying his luck, hoping to get a free drink if he won and didn’t care if he lost.
However, Cong Xia still decided to place a bet, considering it a way to get a free guide and translator.
With the old man’s help, they placed a bet using five chips, and the Russian beauties gave them a plastic card.
After a while, the fight in the arena began. Two power-type mutants were on the stage, one Russian and one Chinese. Their mutations and energy fluctuations were not too different, and their strengths were likely to be quite similar. Such a closely matched fight was the most anticipated.
They had placed their bet on the Chinese mutant.
Although they didn’t plan on making money from this, feeling unable to even afford a glass of alcohol was somewhat depressing. They were not the type to be greedy for drinks, but scarcity makes things precious. When they thought about Yao Qianjiang’s luxurious lifestyle and compared it to Cheng Tianbi’s contentment with little desire, both being natural evolvers, the contrast was too stark. Feeling dissatisfied with their current situation, Cong Xia decided to at least make some money to satisfy Cheng Tianbi’s rare desire.
As the fight unfolded, they could see that the Chinese mutant was slightly weaker. Cong Xia stood not far from the arena and secretly infused energy into the Chinese mutant’s body. He enhanced the muscles at crucial moments, such as just before delivering a punch, making it faster and more forceful. After a few rounds, the Chinese mutant seemed to be under the influence of an enhancer. He didn’t understand where this sudden surge of power came from, and even thought he had evolved further during the fight. The Russian opponent gradually couldn’t keep up and was ultimately defeated.
This unexpected outcome caused a small upset, as most people had bet on the Russian. As a result, they earned 40 chips from the 5 they had bet.
The old man was ecstatic, thinking it was all thanks to his guidance.
Finally, Cong Xia used 20 chips to buy Cheng Tianbi a drink. After taking a sip, Cheng Tianbi looked at Cong Xia with a knowing smile.
Cong Xia leaned over and whispered, “Money is easy to make. If you want anything, just tell me, and I’ll buy it for you.”
Cheng Tianbi replied, “Let’s make a little more money. We need to find a place to sleep tonight.”
“No problem.”
The old man kept eyeing the drink in Cheng Tianbi’s hand, almost drooling.
Cong Xia said, “Old man, help us predict a few more matches. If we win again, I’ll buy you more drinks.”
“N-no problem.”
Cong Xia did this three more times, winning every time. The initial five chips multiplied and doubled several times, turning into over two thousand. They gradually attracted the attention of people around them. There were others who could predict the outcomes of the matches correctly, but Cong Xia and Cheng Tianbi were clearly newcomers, and winning so much in a row made people suspicious.
The old man, fully satisfied with his drink, paid no attention to the crowd’s interest.
Cheng Tianbi patted the old man’s back and said, “Stop drinking for now. I have a question for you.”
“Uh, tell me.”
“Is there a place to stay here at night?”
“Yes, there are hotel rooms upstairs. It’s 50 chips for one night, clean, and with hot water.”
“Come with us.” They had attracted some attention, and it was not safe to stay here any longer. Cheng Tianbi pulled the old man up and walked towards the hotel front desk.
The old man looked dazed as he watched them leave. When they approached the entrance, the cold wind cleared his head a bit. “Hey, where are you taking me?”
“We’ll get you a room. We’re staying here tonight, and we might come back tomorrow night.”
The old man’s eyes lit up. “Sure, sure.”
The three of them bought a room and went upstairs with the keys.
The old man opened his room and was about to bid them goodnight when Cheng Tianbi pushed him inside, followed by himself.
The old man looked at Cong Xia as he locked the door and finally sensed that something was amiss. “What are you doing?”
“We have some questions for you.”
Cheng Tianbi sat on a chair. “Tell us everything you know.”
The old man nervously rubbed his pants. “Sure, go ahead.”
“Why are there so many mutants here? Are they from other places?”
“Yes, some are even from Moscow, and others come from China and Mongolia.”
“Do they come here specifically to gamble?”
The old man rubbed his face, trying to clear his mind a bit, and said, “Manzhouli is at the border of three countries, attracting all sorts of people. It used to be an important logistics hub, and after the apocalypse, it became a place where mutants trade goods and information. They don’t primarily come here just to gamble; gambling is just one of the enjoyments.”
“What is their main purpose for coming here? It’s not just about exchanging information, right?”
The old man replied, “I’m not really sure about the specifics. I’m just an ordinary person, not involved in anything important. But there is a widespread rumor, though I can’t verify its authenticity.”
“Tell us about it.”
“They said that there is a divine stone in Manzhouli. As long as a mutant gets close to the divine stone, their strength will increase, and their evolution level will improve. Even ordinary people, if they frequently come into contact with the divine stone, may become mutants.”
The two exchanged glances, feeling quite surprised. What the old man mentioned as the “divine stone” sounded a lot like the “Puppet Jade.” Could it be that there is Puppet Jade here in Manzhouli?
Since their search for the Puppet Jades had not yet extended to foreign countries, despite Professor Cong’s prediction of most of the Puppet Jades’ locations by the Academy, they had only focused on domestic ones. If there really was Puppet Jade here, it would be a fruitful trip. Even if they couldn’t take it away with them, they could gather information for their future actions.
“Regarding that ‘divine stone,’ do you know anything else?”
The old man replied, “How could I possibly know anything about it? It’s not something I can get in touch with. All I know is that the ‘divine stone’ is said to be located in a military camp in Manzhouli. Mutants often go there, carrying lots of good things like wine and meat.”
Convinced with the information, Cong Xia nodded satisfactorily. They originally came to inquire about the Natural Power Evolver, but unexpectedly, they received an additional piece of useful information. He asked further, “Let me ask you another question. Do you know what a Natural Power Evolver is?”
The old man shook his head, “What… Natural Power?”
Cheng Tianbi said, “This casino should have a large number of visitors. Do you happen to know anyone who specializes in trafficking information, particularly well-informed about the situation in Russia, regularly traveling between the capital and the border?”
“There are a few of them, yes.”
“Is there a Chinese person among them?”
“Yes, there’s one. He’s a cuckoo bird mutant.”
“Is he in the casino now?”
“I don’t know, but I saw him two days ago.”
“Help us find him, figure out how to get him to a secluded place, or locate where he stays. We’ll give you all the money we won tonight.”
The old man looked at them suspiciously, and said cautiously: “Excuse me, what are you guys going to do?”
“What do you care so much about? Are you in or out?”
The old man looked at them skeptically, hesitating for a long time. He felt that these two young people might be dangerous, but he couldn’t resist the temptation when he thought about the two thousand-plus chips, enough for him to drink countless bottles of alcohol. Despite feeling uneasy, he couldn’t resist the allure and finally agreed to help them.
At almost five o’clock, most of the gamblers had dispersed. They decided to rest here for the night and find the information dealer the next evening.
After returning to their room, both of them were feeling a bit exhausted.
As expected, there was hot water in the bathroom. Cong Xia hurriedly took a shower but felt too tired to move afterward. Remembering the experience of flying on Zhao Zixiang’s back today, his legs began to tremble again.
After finishing his shower, Cheng Tianbi lay down on the bed, hugging Cong Xia and pulling him into the blanket. He held his arm and whispered, “Why are you so skinny even though you eat a lot?”
Cong Xia chuckled, “Probably genetics. My dad was also thin as a stick when he was young. My mom says he got chubby and shapeless within two years after getting married.”
Cheng Tianbi raised an eyebrow slightly, “Do I need to marry you to make you gain some weight?”
Cong Xia retorted, “Do you want to marry me then?”
Cheng Tianbi asked back, “Or do you want to marry someone else?”
Cong Xia burst into laughter, feeling immensely happy.
Cheng Tianbi rubbed his cheek and said, “Go to sleep.”
Cong Xia hugged him back and the two embraced each other as they drifted off to sleep.
Just as they had fallen into a drowsy slumber, Cong Xia felt the person beside him sit up, and Cheng Tianbi’s movement also roused him awake. Cong Xia was about to speak, but Cheng Tianbi suddenly covered his mouth, “Shh, someone’s outside.”
Cong Xia heightened his hearing and indeed heard faint sounds outside the door. People were speaking in low voices using Mongolian, a language they couldn’t understand, and some relatively weak energy fluctuations emanated from behind the door.
The two of them quietly got out of bed, and sure enough, the door was slowly unlocked with a key. The door made a slight creaking sound as it was twisted open, and a long knife was the first thing to slide in through the crack, followed by an arm.
Are they trying to rob us? Cong Xia sneered inwardly; these people really knew how to pick their targets.
Cheng Tianbi took out his military knife and pistol. He gave the door a hard kick, and the arm’s owner let out a miserable cry before instantly emptying a magazine into the door.
The gunshots echoed through the empty hallway, sounding particularly piercing in the darkness, like a haunting melody from hell.
Miserable cries continued to sound, occasionally interspersed with angry curses.
Cheng Tianbi rushed out of the room, and a power-evolved individual swung a fist, larger than a volleyball, towards him. Cheng Tianbi’s feet moved like the wind, gliding gracefully as if on wheels, and he deftly thrust his military knife upward, leaving a gash in the power-evolved person’s chin.
Enraged, the man’s muscles bulged again, tearing his clothes apart, and he even expelled two bullets from his resilient muscles.
It seemed that this power-evolved person had some strength.
However, with these mutants alone, they were no match for Cheng Tianbi. He hadn’t even used his abilities yet, only relying on the assistance of the wind to enhance his speed. With just his military knife, he easily knocked down the three mutants. The other ordinary people, no matter what weapons they held, couldn’t harm him at all.
Soon, this group of people was defeated.
The corridor suddenly brightened as a Caucasian man in a black suit rushed over with more than ten people, all of them heavily armed.
The man yelled in English to stop, and one of his men, a burly guy, aimed a heavy machine gun at them.
Although Cheng Tianbi was not afraid of the machine gun, at such close range, if it were to open fire, there was a possibility of injuring Cong Xia. Moreover, his abilities would undoubtedly be exposed. So, he stopped his actions and coldly stared at the group.
The Caucasian man, speaking in Chinese with an accent, surveyed the scene and said, “You both speak Chinese, right?”
Cheng Tianbi nodded slightly, “Are you from the hotel? These people were attempting to rob us. They used a key to unlock our room. Is this how your hotel conducts business? If someone wins money, you resort to robbery to silence them?”
“Misunderstanding, we never conduct business in that way. We will thoroughly investigate why they had the key. For now, please put down your weapons, and we will find another room for you two.”
Cong Xia interjected, “We won’t stay here anymore.”
The Caucasian man smiled and stated, “There is no better place that matches the stature of both of you. Mr. Cheng and Mr. Cong.”
*******************************
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