190: The Lost Territory, Qinghai
“I just want to know why it’s me.” Deng Xiao took a fierce bite of his apple.
Zhuang Yao said matter-of-factly, “Because you have thick skin.”
Deng Xiao rubbed his hair and finally said with a mournful face, “Those mantises are so fierce. Will they cut off my… you know?”
Cong Xia consoled, “It’s alright, even if they do, I’ll heal you.”
“Is this something that can be solved just by healing?”
Liu Fengyu chuckled gleefully, “Aren’t you always brave? Why are you suddenly scared of mantises?”
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“R’x dsv pnyale. R fwpv qkde vblka pnuvbl-zkjl zltp iwkvl qsaxkeyczl. Rq R olal vs cl pvawnj cu vblx, R’x dsv pwal R nswze okvbpvyde kv. Gde usw’al rzyddkdt vs vbaso xl kdvs vbl xydvkp dlpv. Elzz… kv’p dsaxyz vs cl dlahswp, aktbv?”
“Zsw pvkzz byhl ldlatu yaxsa. R’zz jllr alrzldkpbkdt uswa ldlatu qasx ycshl. Jlpkelp, usw osd’v cl vbl sdzu sdl ldvlakdt vbl xydvkp dlpv. Zsw’al fwpv vbl qkapv sdl.”
Pldt Dkys pktble, “R dlle vs lyv xsal clqsal R ts.” Fyukdt vbkp, bl pvyavle vs lyv blyavkzu.
Hbwydt Zys’p rzyd oyp pvayktbvqsaoyae yde cawvyz. Tl oswze qzu shla vbl vallp, zsnyvl vbl Yydvkp Cwlld’p dlpv, yde qkapv vbaso y qlo rlsrzl esod vs eayo vblka qkal. Mbld, vbl svblap oswze ldvla vbl dlpv vs jkedyr vbl iwlld. Ms pnyvvla vbl xydvkplp’ qsanlp, qswa rlsrzl oswze cl rspkvksdle yv vbl nsadlap vs eayo vbl qkal. Ms vlpv vbl lqqlnvkhldlpp sq vbkp xlvbse kd pnyvvlakdt vblka qsanlp, Pldt Dkys oswze cl vbasod esod qkapv qsa lmrlakxldvyvksd pkdnl bl oyp vbl xspv alpkzkldv. Rq vbl alpwzvp olal tsse, Fbld Ubydtgl, Ew Zw, yde Zys Ckydfkydt oswze qszzso, obkzl Ubldt Mkydck yde Gz oswze ldvla vbl dlpv vs nyrvwal vbl iwlld, zlyhkdt vbl alpv sq vbl vlyx vs yppkpv.
Pwl vs vbl zyatl dwxcla sq xydvkplp, vblu dllele y pokqv yde elnkpkhl cyvvzl. Fs, vbl “ekalnv yppywzv” yrrasynb oyp vbl xspv lqqlnvkhl, cwv fwxrkdt ekalnvzu kdvs vbl xydvkp dlpv nyaakle nsdpkelayczl akpj. Wynle okvb vbl kxxldpl kdplnvp qkzzkdt vbl xswdvykdp yde hyzzlup, lhld vbl wpwyzzu vbknj-pjkddle Pldt Dkys qlzv psxlobyv blpkvydv.
Mblu oykvle wdvkz dktbvqyzz vs elryav, okvb y pzktbvzu kdnalyple dwxcla sq rlapsddlz. Ubld Fbys eke dsv ryavknkryvl kd vbkp srlayvksd, yde hyakswp satydkgyvksdp ekpryvnble yaswde vld kdekhkewyzp pwkvyczl qsa ylakyz nsxcyv vs ynnsxrydu vblx.
Ew Zw poyrrle swv y taswr sq ascwpv hwzvwalp yde yzps caswtbv yzsdt vbl hwzvwalp’ zlyelaāyd yhkyd hyakydv sq vbl Nkd Pkys. Mbkp vkxl, vblu dllele yhkyd nalyvwalp okvb lhld clvvla qzukdt yckzkvklp.
Gp vblu zlqv vbl vldv, Gcw, obs bye clld zukdt sd vbl taswde, pweeldzu pvsse wr yde nyzzle swv vs Pldt Dkys.
Deng Xiao waved his hand, “I can’t take you this time.”
Abu let out another “meow” and extended a paw to pat Deng Xiao.
Deng Xiao said, “Because this time isn’t suitable for you to go. I’ll play with you when I come back.”
Abu let out a lonely hum and lay back down, gazing with his round, large purple eyes as they mounted the Lin Diao.
Cong Xia smiled and waved at Abu, “Abu, come on, wave to us.”
Abu extended his paw and gave a wave.
“Wave with both paws together,” Cong Xia opened both hands and waved twice.
Abu blinked in confusion, stood up, and extended both his paws, imitating Cong Xia’s gesture to wave. Due to his short limbs relative to his body, his waving appeared quite endearing.
Deng Xiao laughed heartily, “Abu, you’re really smart.” Finishing his words, he playfully blew a kiss towards Abu.
This time, Abu remained bewildered for even longer, finally touching his paw to his mouth.
With a smile, everyone took off into the sky.
Zhuang Yao patted Abu’s fur, squinted, and said with a smile, “Your cognitive evolution is quite impressive.”
Two hours later, they once again flew over the mantis valley. They circled around the outskirts for a while and quietly approached the towering trees. Nighttime operations were indeed safer, as most of the mantises were down on the ground sleeping. While there were still guards in the sky, their numbers were significantly reduced, and by keeping a distance, they managed to avoid detection.
Cong Xia took out night vision goggles and enhanced his vision. He looked into the thick tree clusters, faintly spotting numerous white figures amidst the pitch-black shadows. Those must be the mantis nests.
“Do you see them?”
“I see them. Many nests, but it’s hard to distinguish their sizes.”
Cheng Tianbi said, “Enhance the vision further.”
“I can’t do more. I’ve reached my limit.” Cong Xia handed the night vision goggles to Tang Yanqiu. “Little Tang, you try. I’ll enhance your vision, and you’ll surely see clearer than me.”
Tang Yanqiu took the goggles, and Cong Xia focused wooden energy around his optic nerves. Tang Yanqiu concentrated, peering deep into the foliage for a while before saying, “I seem to have spotted an exceptionally large one, about the size of those villas.”
“Are you sure?”
Tang Yanqiu continued to look for a while, then said, “Yes, I’m sure, it’s right there.”
“Good, lead the way.” Cheng Tianbi’s voice was solemn. “Let’s move.”
Tang Yanqiu cautiously spread his wings, holding his bow and arrow. Taking the lead, he flew toward the dense foliage. They approached the mantis nest step by step, recalling their daytime experiences. Tension hung heavy in the air.
To lighten the mood, Yao Qianjiang commented, “The archer’s attire is quite handsome.”
Deng Xiao agreed, “Indeed.”
Cong Xia chuckled, “What are you so proud of?” He glanced at Liu Fengyu with a smile, thinking that if anyone should be proud, it should be Liu Ge.
“Tang Ge is one of us. I’ve been learning archery from him for some time now. Who knows, maybe I’ll become a master archer someday too.”
Xiao zhou smirked, “Sharpshooter, hahaha.”
Deng Xiao responded angrily, “Why is your mind always so dirty?”
“Innocent misunderstanding. What did I say? Your Highness, you see, what did I say?”
Yao Qianjiang chuckled and patted his head, “The mantises have spotted us.”
Sure enough, several male mantises patrolling the sky had noticed them. In the dark night, they emitted piercing calls, and suddenly, dozens of shadows shot up from the ground, all flying towards them. The mantises on the ground also stirred, turning the previously silent valley into a hive of activity.
Cheng Tianbi shouted, “Yanqiu, now!”
Tang Yanqiu grabbed a light arrow, rubbed it against the flint on his shoulder, evading an attack from a mantis. He raised his bow and aimed at a distant tree, shouting, “The Queen’s nest is on that tree!”
Deng Xiao took a deep breath and yelled, “Charge!” With that, he leaped off Xiao zhou’s back, landing to the west of the Queen’s nest. Immediately, the mantises swarmed towards him like a tide. The roar of machine guns echoed through the valley, and the mantises close to him were torn into fragments by the furious bullets.
However, he could only defend from one direction at a time. Relentless mantises attacked him from various angles, depleting his energy at an alarming rate. Most of it was absorbed by his energy armor. Cong Xia controlled the Lin Diao, circling above him, continuously replenishing his energy.
Tang Yanqiu and a few others protected Cong Xia, shooting down mantises one by one from the sky.
Seeing that Deng Xiao had drawn much of the firepower, the three naturally evolved individuals also descended to lower altitudes. The dense swarm of mantises converged around them like a black hole, instantly surrounding them.
Without Deng Xiao’s powerful weaponry and nearly invulnerable skin, they didn’t dare to land easily. After all, while they had higher attack power than Deng Xiao, if they were injured, their situation would be even more precarious than his. Being in the air was at least somewhat better than on the ground.
The four of them positioned themselves at the four corners, centered around the Mantis Queen’s nest, significantly dispersing the mantises’ firepower. The entire valley was in turmoil, with the machine guns roaring ceaselessly. The orange flames illuminated a large area as if it were daytime. Soaring water columns and solid ice layers prevented the mantises from approaching.
At this moment, Cheng Tianbi and Al, guided by Tang Yanqiu’s arrows, had approached the Queen’s nest. The mantises guarding the nest emitted mournful cries. Instantly, all the mantises that had been attacking others, both in the sky and on the ground, hesitated briefly before abandoning their attacks and rushing towards the Queen’s nest in a race.
Since these mantises evolved, they had never encountered opponents in the entire city of Kunming. This was their first time, the first time their territory had been invaded by outsiders, and now, their Queen’s life was under threat!
Gritting his teeth, Cong Xia said, “Trouble. They’re all going to protect the Queen.”
Zhuang Yao’s voice was grave, “Swift and decisive.”
Cheng Tianbi and Al circled around the enormous Queen’s nest, unable to locate an entrance. They decided to cut a large hole into the nest and entered directly.
Inside, they were taken aback. The nest, villa-sized, was lit by candles, and contained many human female items ā soft mattresses, thick furs, even a dressing table and bookshelf. Several peach-pink mantises, extremely beautiful in appearance and likely all female based on their size, were in the nest. Seeing Cheng Tianbi and Al, they fled in terror.
However, they didn’t spot the legendary Mantis Queen.
As they walked further inside, a large group of male mantises burst in. Their numbers were so numerous that they quickly filled the entire nest. Cheng Tianbi and Al were trapped in the midst of them, beginning to slaughter the mantises.
No matter how many they killed, more mantises poured into the nest. The nest’s space was already small, and now they had no room to maneuver. Surrounded by the mantises, escaping became a challenge. Just then, they noticed a corner of the Queen’s nest catching fire. Were these mantises trying to burn them alive inside?
Al said, “I’ll carry you up, and you deal with these mantises.”
Cheng Tianbi nodded, “Alright!”
Al embraced Cheng Tianbi tightly, suddenly spread his wings, and, eyes shut, flew upward recklessly. Meanwhile, Cheng Tianbi generated a miniature tornado within the Queen’s nest. All the mantises and objects in the nest were sucked into it. The tornado’s speed increased rapidly. In the instant they burst out of the mantis nest, the wind velocity reached its peak. Suddenly, the entire mantis nest was torn to shreds!
The two soared into the sky and landed on top of a tree. When they looked above, a vast shadow loomed over them, like a dark cloud covering the sky, a harbinger of an impending storm. It was the silhouette of over a thousand mantises floating in mid-air. They had surrounded a mantis of nearly three meters in length, dressed in a black robe and possessing two pairs of large wings. Around the large mantis, there were six peach-pink mantises, carried by the male mantises, flying beside the Queen. Due to the dim light, they couldn’t make out the appearance of the large mantis clearly, but just from its size and human-like clothing, it was clear that this was the Mantis Queen they were looking for.
Everyone gazed in awe at the sea of mantises blotting out the sky. The male mantises guarded their Queen in the sky, while the female mantises on the ground and in the trees looked up in reverence, emitting low hums toward the Queen.
Liu Fengyu sighed, “Such grandeur. No wonder she doesn’t mingle with humans.”
Xiao Zhou chimed in, “Exactly, she’s so impressive.”
The Mantis Queen suddenly spoke, her voice melodious yet arrogant and furious, “Who are you people, and why have you come here seeking death?”
Cong Xia said, “Your Majesty, we come from Beijing, representing both the military and the academy. We do not wish to be your adversaries. We simply want to move one villa away from here, specifically the one at the southernmost end. This villa holds great significance for us. Yesterday, we intended to negotiate with you, but you were not available. Therefore, we had to return today.”
The Mantis Queen snorted coldly, “Negotiate? Is this how you negotiate after killing so many of my clan members?”
Cong Xia sincerely replied, “We deeply apologize. We originally hoped to resolve this matter through communication. Your Majesty, you are also a human being, and I believe you would also desire a peaceful resolution. We are willing to compensate you for your losses, as long as you make the request. Our actions are not driven by personal gain, but rather for the future of humanity. We hope for your understanding.”
The Mantis Queen fell into silence for a moment, then suddenly exclaimed, “Nonsense! You dare to act recklessly on my territory. You bunch of rabbits have truly grown audacious. Who cares about your military and academy? In my eyes, you’re nothing but rubbish. Don’t just talk about the house, I might as well keep your heads!”
Deng Xiao suddenly shouted, “Xiao Zhou, carry me up!”
“Huh?” Xiao Zhou nervously looked at the Mantis Queen and then at Deng Xiao on the ground.
Deng Xiao roared, “Come down quickly and carry me up!”
The group stared at Deng Xiao in surprise, as they had never seen him so agitated before.
Xiao Zhou reluctantly descended, and Deng Xiao leaped onto his back, saying, “Fly me up.”
The Mantis Queen also froze, her gaze shifting between Xiao Zhou, Deng Xiao, and the ground.
With Deng Xiao on his back, Xiao Zhou took flight into the air. Deng Xiao stared at the Mantis Queen, speechless and cautious.
The Mantis Queen suddenly became excited, flying towards them in a rush. Tang Yanqiu drew his bow, aiming at the Queen. Deng Xiao yelled, “No!”
Trembling, the Mantis Queen called out, “Xiao Xiao?”
Deng Xiao’s breath hitched, disbelief evident in his voice, “Mom?”
The crowd stared at Deng Xiao in astonishment.
Deng Xiao choked up, “Mom, is it really you?”
Emerging from the encircling group of mantises, the Mantis Queen flew out with six peach-pink mantises closely following her, emitting an anxious cry.
As they drew closer, they finally saw the full appearance of the Mantis Queen. She was indeed a majestic mantis with an elegant physique, iridescent green carapace, legs like scythe-like blades over a meter long, and massive wings. A dark robe draped her, fluttering in the wind, lending her an air of mysterious coldness. She appeared like an assassin melded into the darkness, exuding strength. All the mantises bowed to her in submission.
This queen, who led tens of thousands of mantises, was slowly flying towards Deng Xiao at this moment. With a gentle swing of her scythe-like legs, she could easily sever someone’s head. While Deng Xiao was protected by energy armor and might be safe, Xiao Zhou didn’t have such protection. The group was both nervous and astonished, especially since they distinctly heard Deng Xiao addressing the Mantis Queen as “Mom.”
As she drew closer, the Mantis Queen suddenly transformed into a human appearance. She appeared to be in her early thirties, remarkably beautiful, with wheat-colored skin, a slender and well-toned body, and thick black curly hair. If it weren’t for the two large green wings still fluttering behind her, no one would have associated her with the fearsome mantis face.
“Mom!” Deng Xiao shouted, embracing her tightly, tears streaming down his face.
The Mantis Queen also shed tears, saying, “Xiao Xiao, it’s really you!”
This dramatic scene left everyone in a daze, frozen in place.
Deng Xiao sobbed uncontrollably. Cong Xia and the others had never seen him cry before. This young man always had the most infectious laughter, no matter how challenging or hopeless the situation was. He faced every hardship with an optimistic attitude, as if he never had a care in the world. This time, he finally released all the fear, anxiety, and longing that had built up over two years of separation and uncertainty through his tears.
The Queen sniffled, “Alright, alright, stop crying.”
“Sob, sob, Mom, I missed you so much. I thought you were dead. I thought we would never see each other again.”
“Damn it, I’m not that easy to kill!” The Queen gripped Deng Xiao’s chin, wiping away his tears and snot with her hand, then rubbed herself all over him. “Okay, stop crying.”
Deng Xiao continued to cry, his sobs shaking.
The Queen rolled her eyes, pinched his cheeks hard, and stared into his eyes. “I… said… stop… crying…”
Deng Xiao sniffled and halted his tears, then broke into a smile. “Mom, you really are my mom.”
“Nonsense.”
“When I heard your voice earlier, I didn’t dare to believe it.”
“I didn’t dare to believe your voice either. It’s different from two years ago. Your voice used to be so girly.”
Deng Xiao protested, “My voice isn’t girly.”
The Queen squinted her eyes, “I said it is. You dare argue with me?”
Deng Xiao sniffled, “Alright, whatever you say.”
The Queen looked at the others, “Someone better give me a damn good explanation of what’s going on here. Coming onto my territory, fighting and killing, are you looking for trouble?”
Cong Xia awkwardly explained, “Uh, Your… Your Majesty, it wasn’t intentional, and we didn’t know that you were…”
“Shut up, I didn’t ask you to talk!”
Cong Xia shivered in fear and dared not speak again. While he hadn’t interacted with many women in his life, he knew that few women could be as terrifying as this.
Deng Xiao whispered, “Mom, we really came for that villa, but mantises can’t communicate with us. Whenever we got close to them, they attacked…”
“Nonsense, when mantises fly into a crowd of humans, you also attack. You, this rabbit kid, have no brain.”
“But Mom, we truly need that villa. We need it to exchange for something very important.”
“What thing?”
Deng Xiao glanced at Cheng Tianbi, and after Cheng Tianbi nodded, he said, “Puppet Jade.”
The Queen let out a deep breath and coldly said, “Consider yourselves lucky. If it weren’t for my foolish son here, I would have chopped you up and fed you to the dogs. Follow me.” She turned and flew into the forest.
The six orchid mantises followed closely behind her, and the massive army of mantises parted to create a path for them. As they walked through the ranks of these scythe-wielding assassins, countless pairs of round, bright compound eyes fixated on them, leaving them too afraid to even breathe.
The Queen led them to a sizable mantis nest, only slightly smaller than her own. She said, “This is where I used to live. My current form is too big for it.” With that, she entered the nest.
When she said “too big,” she was referring to her mantis form. For human dimensions, the nest was sufficiently spacious. One by one, they entered the nest, and the orchid mantises attempted to follow, but the Queen stopped them.
She lit a candle, and the nest was lined with soft furs. Everyone settled on the ground.
Deng Xiao sat by the Queen’s side, wrapping his arm around her waist and acting coquettishly, “Mom.”
The Queen pushed his head away, sternly stating, “Explain the situation to me clearly.”
Deng Xiao cleared his throat and proceeded to explain the reasons they needed the villa, as well as sharing his experiences from the past two years with his mother.
After hearing him out, the Queen raised an eyebrow and looked at Cong Xia and the others, “So you’re saying I should thank you for taking care of my son.”
Cong Xia unintentionally wore a pleasing smile, “You’re too kind. In truth, we’ve been assisting each other.”
The Queen snorted coldly, “I’ll spare your lives today.”
Cong Xia stuttered, “Thank you… Your Majesty.”
Deng Xiao interjected, “Mom, they’re quite powerful. Have you heard of the Natural force evolver, people who’ve evolved with natural powers?”
“Of course, I’ve heard of them. I go to the city area of Kunming for drinks often. Did you think I’m with mantises all day? That would drive me crazy.”
Deng Xiao pointed at them, “There are four of them here.”
The Queen glanced at them, “Four Natural force evolvers coming here just for a house? Isn’t that making a mountain out of a molehill?”
“Our main goal this trip isn’t Kunming; we’re just passing through.”
“Then where are you headed?”
“Qinghai.”
The Queen raised an eyebrow, “You’re going to Qinghai?”
Deng Xiao shrugged, “Yes.”
“For what reason? For the Puppet Jade? Do you know how dangerous that place is? No one has ever returned from Qinghai.”
“We’re aware, but the Puppet Jade in Qinghai is highly concentrated. We have to go there sooner or later, or we won’t be able to prevent this catastrophe. Every action we take now is for the sake of the Puppet Jade.”
The Queen pinched Deng Xiao’s face and shouted, “They represent the military and the academy. What do you represent? Do you think you’re the savior? That you can save all of humanity?”
Deng Xiao responded seriously, “I’m not, but they are my comrades.”
The Queen hesitated, let go of his face, and fell into silence for a while before saying, “You’ve grown up. I can’t stop a man’s choices, but I’m going with you.”
“Mom?” Deng Xiao protested, “You don’t need to come with me. We will definitely come back.”
“What’s the rush? It’s not right now. I still have unfinished business. You go ahead. If you can come out before I’m done, that’s great. If not, I’ll come in to find you.”
“W-what business?”
“I need to give birth to a new Queen for my clan.”
Deng Xiao’s eyes widened, “Mom, you’re a human.”
“Am I?” The Queen looked at him. “Don’t forget, I’m also a mantis. When I was parasitized by the alien Queen, its consciousness was incredibly strong. I struggled with it for more than ten days before finally gaining control over this body. But my mentality changed too. I know I’ve changed. I’m aware that my thoughts seem strange when viewed from a human perspective, but I can’t stop it. I have feelings and responsibilities toward this group of mantises. Until I give birth to a new Queen for them, I can’t leave, even if you’re my son.”
Deng Xiao lowered his gaze, his expression complicated.
She gently patted his cheek and said softly, “Go on. If you believe this is the right thing to do, then do it. If you can’t come out, I’ll go in and die with you.”
Tears welled up in Deng Xiao’s eyes as he looked at her, “Mom…”
The Queen’s expression changed, and she slapped him hard across the face, “I told you to stop crying!”
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