176 – Enchanted Forest
During dinner, Deng Xiao boasted about secreting five grams of neurotoxin today, claiming that it could poison the entire Third District.
Zhuang Yao raised an eyebrow and said, “Oh, so impressive! Later, come with me to the laboratory. I need to take a sample.”
Deng Xiao looked at him in horror, “H-How much?”
“Isn’t it five grams?”
Deng Xiao almost cried, “Please, no! That would exhaust me, and everyone would die from excessive secretion!”
“Why are you saying such things? Toxin is secreted from the poison glands, and essence are from the…” Cong Xia quickly stuffed a fresh cherry into Zhuang Yao’s mouth, “Children shouldn’t talk about this.”
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Hbwydt Zys poyzzsole vbl nblaau yde vbld qsanlqwzzu prlole vbl nblaau rkv sdvs Pldt Dkys, “Fvsr vyzjkdt dsdpldpl!”
Pldt Dkys osal y xswadqwz lmralppksd yde eked’v alpkpv, sdzu altalvvkdt vbyv bl prsjl vss iwknjzu.
Hbwydt Zys ypjle Usdt Dky, “R blyae usw oldv vs pll Zys Ckydfkydt vseyu?”
“Zlp, bl pyke bl oypd’v qllzkdt olzz yde ypjle xl vs nblnj sd bkx.”
“Xb, obyv eke usw vyzj ycswv?”
Gp Ubldt Mkydck vwadle bkp qynl, bl zssjle yv Usdt Dky.
Wllzkdt y ckv wdlypu wdela bkp tygl, Usdt Dky pyke, “Lsvbkdt kxrsavydv, bl kdiwkale ycswv vbl eltall sq uswa lzlxldvyzkgyvksd.”
“Pked’v usw vyjl vbl srrsavwdkvu vs cakdt wr vbl vsrkn sq vbl Vwrrlv Kyel?”
“Well, I didn’t know how to ask.” In truth, he had forgotten. He was frightened by Yao Qianjiang, and asking about the Puppet Jade didn’t come to mind.
Zhuang Yao sneered, “You’re really useless. I’ll go see him tonight.”
Cheng Tianbi casually remarked, “You should stay away from him. There’s no need to see him.”
Although his expression seemed indifferent, his tone carried a commanding tone.
Before Cong Xia could respond, Liu Fengyu teased from the side, “Oh, Tianbi, are you feeling jealous?”
Cheng Tianbi shot him a glance.
“What’s wrong? Did I hit the mark?”
In a cold tone, Cheng Tianbi said, “Eat your food.”
Zhuang Yao leisurely said, “Did I tell you guys? Yao Qianjiang is gay?”
Cheng Tianbi’s chopsticks snapped in response.
“Really? You didn’t know?” Zhuang Yao said.
Cong Xia quickly put on a surprised expression.
Liu Fengyu couldn’t help but gloat, “Oh, this is surprising. Look at that expression on Tianbi’s face.” After saying that, he secretly glanced at Cheng Tianbi’s reaction.
Cheng Tianbi tossed the broken chopsticks onto the table and looked at Cong Xia, “Did you hear that?”
“Huh? Hear what? What did you say?”
“Forget it, stay away from him.”
Cong Xia hurriedly responded with an “Oh.”
Liu Fengyu sneered, “Xia, your husband is quite strict. Tianbi said something, and you didn’t even say a single ‘no’.”
Cong Xia sighed, “There’s nothing to say ‘no’ to. Yao Qianjiang is not our ally, and I also believe we shouldn’t have too much contact with him.”
Cheng Tianbi showed a satisfied expression and served Cong Xia a piece of braised pork.
“Tsk tsk, you’re so obedient,” Liu Fengyu said enviously, couldn’t help but glance at Tang Yanqiu, and then snorted.
Just as Tang Yanqiu was about to take a spoonful of soup to his mouth, he put it down and turned to look at Liu Fengyu, “What’s the matter?”
Liu Fengyu said, “Nothing, just eat your food.” His tone was not pleasant.
Tang Yanqiu asked, “What are you dissatisfied with? Zhuang Yao asked me to help you build your arm strength. It’s a physical activity, and you shouldn’t complain about being tired. Your gun weighs 4.5 kilograms. Don’t underestimate this weight. You can lift it for ten minutes without a problem. If you can’t hold it for an hour, how can you use it on the battlefield?”
Liu Fengyu threw his chopsticks on the table, “It’s easy for you to say. You’re different from me, who used to shoot arrows with a bow since childhood. My hands are for playing the piano and musical instruments. Do you understand the concept of gradual progression? You suddenly added 50 kilograms of weight for me. Now my hands are shaking, and my palms are sore and blistered. I bet you did it on purpose, didn’t you?”
Tang Yanqiu was slightly annoyed, “On purpose? Not everyone is as childish as you. If your palms are sore, it’s your own fault. I asked you to wear gloves.”
Liu Fengyu complained, “Those gloves stink, I’m not wearing them!”
“Then deal with the pain.”
Liu Fengyu nearly slapped Tang Yanqiu in the face with his hand, “What now? Are you going to let me eat or not?”
Tang Yanqiu glanced at his red palms but didn’t sympathize with him at all.
Liu Fengyu pinched his chin with his fingertips and straightened his face, “What now? Are you going to feed me?”
Tang Yanqiu stared at him for two seconds, then reached for the chair’s armrest, swiveled it, and took Liu Fengyu’s rice bowl. He scooped a spoonful of rice and said in a deep voice, “Eat.”
Liu Fengyu didn’t hesitate and ate without restraint.
Deng Xiao leaned forward, playfully pinching his throat, “Tang Ge, why don’t you feed me too? Ahh…” He opened his mouth, extending a purplish-red tongue over ten centimeters long, and snatched one of the braised quail eggs from Liu Fengyu’s bowl.
Liu Fengyu pushed his face away with a palm.
Cong Xia looked dumbfounded as he watched Tang Yanqiu feeding Liu Fengyu with a dark expression, feeling even more sympathetic towards Tang Yanqiu.
For a while, they hadn’t enjoyed such a relaxing meal together. They chatted and laughed, and the atmosphere was delightful.
After the meal, the three who had already reached the second stage went back to the underground training ground to continue training, while the other three went back to their rooms to practice. They maintained this routine for several days, utilizing every moment to improve themselves.
Four days later, Yao Qianjiang’s condition had recovered, and the roach infestation outside was almost gone. Steward Liu came to take him back home. Yao Qianjiang insisted on meeting Cong Xia before leaving, claiming to thank him in person.
Cong Xia couldn’t refuse and decided to see him off.
Yao Qianjiang was in high spirits, his face rosy, and he smiled at everyone. But when he saw Cong Xia, a hint of tenderness appeared in his eyes. He smiled, saying, “Cong Xia, I haven’t officially thanked you yet. Thank you for helping me break through to the second stage. Without you, I might not have been able to stand here. You saved me twice, and I really don’t know how to repay you.”
Cong Xia smiled faintly, “Prefecture Lord, no need to be so polite. We’re on the same battlefront, and helping each other is only natural.”
Yao Qianjiang extended his hand towards him, “If you need anything in the future, just ask. I won’t decline any request. I owe you a great debt of gratitude, and I’m willing to do anything for you.” As he said the last sentence, a touch of ambiguity lingered in the air from his thin lips.
Cong Xia felt extremely awkward, but with so many people present, he had to remain composed and shook hands with Yao Qianjiang.
Yao Qianjiang squeezed his palm firmly, smiling with a hint of mischief in his eyes, before finally letting go. “Then I’ll take my leave. Feel free to visit Jiujian County if you have the time.”
Cong Xia nodded, “Safe journey, Prefecture Lord.”
Yao Qianjiang, accompanied by his entourage, headed towards the elevator.
Before he reached the elevator, the doors suddenly opened with a ‘ding,’ and Cheng Tianbi hurriedly stepped out. When he saw Yao Qianjiang, he froze for a moment.
The two stood face to face, each staring intently at the other, and the air seemed to crackle with a sense of hostility.
Yao Qianjiang stepped past him and entered the elevator, while Cheng Tianbi turned his head and saw Yao Qianjiang just as the doors were about to close. He gave a slight smile and winked at Cong Xia, then turned his face towards Cheng Tianbi, his eyes full of provocation.
Cheng Tianbi felt a surge of anger that seemed to burn from his head to his feet, as if he wanted to blast a big hole in the elevator door.
“Tianbi, why are you here? Weren’t you in District Six?” Tang Yanqiu asked.
Cheng Tianbi replied stiffly, “I heard he was leaving, so I came to see.” He couldn’t see any good intentions from Yao Qianjiang towards Cong Xia unless he was blind! That bastard Yao Qianjiang really had some nerve…
Zhuang Yao rolled his eyes, “You just came to see? Do you have that much free time?”
Cheng Tianbi glanced at Cong Xia and said, “Not really. I’ll head back now. You come to the training ground with me. You’ve been in your room for several days, so it’s time to move around.”
“Sure.”
The two entered the elevator, and Cheng Tianbi immediately asked, “He didn’t tell you anything strange, did he?”
Cong Xia could only continue to play dumb, “No, he just thanked me.”
Cheng Tianbi’s expression was somewhat cloudy, and after holding it in for a while, he couldn’t resist saying, “I think he might have taken a liking to you.” There was a hint of grievance in his tone.
Cong Xia really wasn’t used to lying to Cheng Tianbi, but he also felt that there was no need to tell him about this matter. It seemed to affect their unity, especially since they were going to Qinghai together. So he forced himself to say, “How is that possible?”
Cheng Tianbi looked at him with suspicion, still appearing dissatisfied.
Cong Xia squeezed his palm and chuckled, “Oh, Tianbi, you look so handsome when you’re jealous.”
Cheng Tianbi glared at him, “You better be honest.”
“I’ve always been very honest.”
Cheng Tianbi touched his neck, “I dislike Yao Qianjiang. The farther you stay away from him, the better.”
Cong Xia smiled and said, “Yeah, I have no reason to get close to him, right?”
Cheng Tianbi’s expression finally eased, “Come on, I’ll take you for a workout.”
It had been a while since Cong Xia visited the underground training ground. After entering, he realized that they and the members of the Dragonblood Clan were basically using two shared areas together, without any distinction between them. He had indeed stayed indoors for several days, so it was a good opportunity to stretch his muscles and bones.
Thinking of Cheng Tianbi’s expression just now, Cong Xia couldn’t help but chuckle secretly. He felt somewhat pleased with the feeling of being cared for by someone; it always felt good.
A week quickly passed. Cong Xia had been practicing tirelessly, almost going overboard, but the results were remarkable. He felt that with just another week, he could reach a breakthrough. From what he knew, Deng Xiao and Zhuang Yao’s progress was also evident. It seemed that everyone was working very hard.
One day, after his usual routine of washing up and eating, Cong Xia’s phone in his room rang. He picked it up and said, “Hello?”
“Cong Xia, someone you know has come to visit.” There was a hint of excitement in Zhuang Yao’s voice on the other end of the phone.
“Oh? Who is it?”
“Chen Shao.”
Cong Xia’s eyes widened, “Chen Shao? From Chongqing?”
“Yes, that’s him. He’s an old man from the Qingyan Gang in Chongqing, that Caucasian Evolver.”
“Did Wu Yu also come?”
“No, Wu Yu didn’t come, but I guess Chen Shao is here as a replacement for Wu Yu.”
“Aren’t they hostile to each other?”
“Now that Wu Yu is the ‘Emperor’ in Chongqing, he can’t do anything without first dealing with Chen Shao.”
“I see. Where is he now?”
“He’s in the reception room of the Science Institute. Come over immediately. I’ve also called the others.”
After hanging up the phone, Cong Xia quickly changed his clothes and rushed to the reception room with excitement. If what Zhuang Yao said was true, Chen Shao’s arrival must have brought news about Wu Yu. If he could see Wu Yu, he could resolve the two major questions they were facing now: whether the natural force evolvers had Puppet Jades in their minds and what would happen when two Evolvers of the same attribute were together.
When Cong Xia arrived at the reception room, he found only Zhuang Yao and a tall, handsome man sitting on the sofa, holding a cigarette in his mouth. It was Chen Shao, whom he had met in Chongqing last year. He hadn’t changed much in appearance, but he looked even more gloomy than before.
“Chen Shao.” Cong Xia looked at him, “It’s been a long time.”
Chen Shao looked up at him and smirked mockingly, “Indeed, it’s been a year, right? You’ve changed a lot.”
“You haven’t changed much,” Cong Xia said. He had a deep impression of this man because he had been manipulated by him before, so he still had some guard against him. He chose a sofa farthest away from Chen Shao and sat down.
Chen Shao extinguished his cigarette in the ashtray and rubbed his chin, where there was short stubble. “Me? Haven’t changed?”
Zhuang Yao was blunt, “You’ve changed. You’re not as arrogant as before.”
Chen Shao burst into laughter, “Exactly! Now Wu Yu rules Chongqing, and I can only be forced to run errands for him. How can I still be arrogant?”
“You really came as a replacement for Wu Yu?”
“Yeah, he said he won’t come to Beijing, at least not for now.”
Cong Xia frowned and couldn’t help but be sarcastic, “So, do I have to go to Chongqing to beg him for help in breaking through to the Second Stage?”
“He’s not that foolish. He hopes to meet at a neutral location.”
Zhuang Yao sneered, “Why should we agree?”
As they were talking, the others arrived too.
Upon seeing Chen Shao, Tang Yanqiu asked straightforwardly, “How are the people in the Industrial Park doing?”
“Very well. Everyone in the city knows they once received your help, so no one dares to mess with them. Besides, there’s no need,” Chen Shao leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and fixed his gaze on Tang Yanqiu, his mouth curling into a smile. “But I want to ask, would they be effective as a threat to you?”
Tang Yanqiu narrowed his eyes.
Zhuang Yao said, “Not effective at all. We have done all we could for them. Whether they live or die, it’s no longer our concern.”
Chen Shao chuckled, “Just kidding.”
Cheng Tianbi spoke in a calm tone, “You still have the leisure to crack jokes. It seems Wu Yu treats you quite well.”
Chen Shao leaned back on the sofa, crossing his legs, “Oh, quite well. He never forgets to treat me to good food and drinks. Although he would love to freeze me into a popsicle, he can’t do it. He’s an outsider, and most people in the city still don’t fully accept him. He needs me.”
Zhuang Yao asked, “Are you willing to be suppressed by him like this?”
Chen Shao smiled faintly, “I can’t beat him, what else can I do? Don’t you know that not long after you left Chongqing, he got the Puppet Jade and started to rebel? We couldn’t stop him. I hope he comes to Beijing soon, but he clings to his position there. I asked, can’t you make him come to Beijing?”
Cong Xia was puzzled, “Aren’t you here as a mediator this time, trying to convince us to agree to a neutral location to help him break through to the Second Stage? If you want him to come to Beijing, why did you come here?”
“He sent a few birds to bring me here. I had no choice. This time, I’m just conveying the suggestion he made. Whether you agree or not doesn’t make a difference to me.”
“Go on, what does Wu Yu mean? Why does he think we would go all the way to another place just for him?”
“He said if you agree to help him, he’s willing to accompany you to Qinghai.”
The surprise flickered in everyone’s eyes.
“He’s willing to accompany us to Qinghai?” Zhuang Yao seemed doubtful, “He’s not even willing to come to Beijing, a relatively safe place. Why would he go to Qinghai, which might not be safe?”
“He said that.” Chen Shao revealed a sinister smile, “It seems Qinghai is really dangerous. I hope he goes there and never comes back. However, Wu Yu is not very trustworthy. Even if he says he’ll go, he might not actually go.”
“I think so too.” Cong Xia said, “He loves to play it safe. He won’t even participate in things in Beijing, so why would he go to Qinghai with us? I doubt it.”
Zhuang Yao pondered for a moment, “We never expected him to go in the first place. That’s not the point. Where does he want to meet us?”
“Taiyuan. It’s only about 500 kilometers away from you. He sent several birds, so you can reach there in one day.”
Zhuang Yao said, “Okay, but we want to bring someone along.”
“Who?”
“Prefecture Lord of Jiujian Prefecture, Yao Qianjiang.”
Chen Shao squinted his eyes, “The water-type natural force evolutionist? Why?”
“We received some intelligence that said when two natural force evolutionists of the same attribute come into contact, unexpected things happen. We have no idea what this ‘unexpected’ thing is, so we want them to meet and find out.”
Chen Shao shrugged, “I don’t think he has any reason to refuse. I’ll help him agree.”
“When will the meeting be arranged?”
“If you’ve decided, send a telegram to Wu Yu through the scientific institute. He needs two days to reach Taiyuan, and you can set the date.”
“Alright. You can stay at the scientific institute for the next two days. Any requests?”
“None.” Chen Shao took a deep breath and said mockingly, “Being able to breathe without his air is already a great luxury.”
After settling Chen Shao, they held a meeting with Cong Zhenzhong.
Cong Zhenzhong also agreed to let them take Yao Qianjiang to Taiyuan. It was actually a good thing that Wu Yu refused to come to Beijing. Beijing was crowded with too many things happening, and if Wu Yu came, he would inevitably come into contact with Xu Ying and Zhuang Yu, and who knows what might happen. They had too much to deal with right now and didn’t have time to pay attention to Wu Yu.
“Now that it’s decided, I’ll send a telegram to Wu Yu. How about three days from now?” Cong Zhenzhong asked.
“Sounds good. I’ll send someone to inform Yao Qianjiang,” Zhuang Yao replied.
“Our decoding work on the Russian artifacts brought back from the Northeast is already one-third complete. Most of them are related to new energy and have given us some inspiration. We have already sent an invitation to the Moscow Institute for collaboration. However, there is no mention of the relationship between natural force evolutionists of the same attribute in those documents. Perhaps only Jacqueline knows the true situation.”
Cong Xia mumbled, “Why would she know something that I don’t? With the ancient jade in my possession, I should be the one who understands energy usage the best.”
Zhuang Yao pondered, “I think it might be related to her abilities. After all, she is the only natural force evolutionist who, like you, can input energy into others’ bodies. If we speculate from this angle, it’s possible that she realized the idea of cooperation between evolutionists of the same attribute because of this ability. When Yao Qianjiang and Wu Yu meet, they should also focus on understanding the fusion of energy.”
“I believe they will cooperate. In any case, this trip won’t be in vain. At least, I can find out what’s inside Wu Yu’s head…” whether he also possesses the Puppet Jade!
“Yes, that’s equally important,” Cong Zhenzhong said, “This time, all of you should go. Stay safe. I think you’re used to working as a team now.”
Deng Xiao muttered, “Working as a team includes Abu. It’s not a team effort without Abu.”
Zhuang Yao said indifferently, “Then carry it with you.”
“Then you can depart the day after tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
Every time they had to go on a trip, Abu knew about it. Because this time they couldn’t take it along, Abu was quite unhappy. However, being a well-behaved ragdoll cat, it didn’t cause any trouble. It didn’t make a fuss either, but it simply refused to eat all day, lying in its nest without getting up.
On the night before departure, since they had temporarily stopped their training, they came downstairs to accompany Abu.
Over there, A Qing had come up with a new type of cat food, egg-sized pellets that tasted delicious. He specially sent it over for Abu to try. Zhuang Yao sat beside Abu, talking to it while feeding the cat food into its mouth.
Abu ate without much enthusiasm, its eyes glistening like amethysts, looking at Zhuang Yao with a somewhat moist gaze. It appeared really pitiful, making it hard for anyone to refuse its request.
Zhuang Yao couldn’t bear it, “We’ll be back in a few days, at most within a week. Don’t be like this.”
Deng Xiao caressed its ear, “When I come back, I’ll take you to play with Zhuang Zhuang. How about I send you to his house?”
Abu meowed, indicating that it didn’t want to go.
“When we come back, we’ll take you to the forest to play. Do you like the forest?”
Abu’s big tail gently tapped the ground, and it extended its tongue to lick Zhuang Yao’s arm.
“Alright, we’ll go to the forest. It’s a deal. We promise to be back in a week. You must be good and wait here.”
Abu let out a mournful cry and closed its eyes.
The night was cool, and they leaned on Abu for a little rest. Its warm body and soft fur had accompanied them through many cold nights, becoming the safest haven in their memories.
They enjoyed the evening breeze and almost fell asleep like that.
*******************************
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