90 Puppet Jade
“We have approximately over 600 kilometers remaining from here to Luoyang. Our next destination is Xi’an, which is about 200 kilometers away. In Xi’an, we need to address three issues. First, gasoline. The remaining gasoline we have is definitely not enough to reach Luoyang. Second, food. We are mostly left with meat products, so we need to find a way to supplement with some vegetables. If we don’t have vegetables for the upcoming journey, we’ll have to rely on wild plants for vitamin intake. Third, Tang Yanqiu’s arrows. We expended many arrows in the previous battle, and although we managed to recover some, only about 40 of them are usable. We need to prepare all the remaining 100+ arrows, as he is our only long-range firepower. Once we arrive in Xi’an, if we don’t encounter any hostile forces, we should stay for a few extra days to prepare well for the upcoming plan.” Zhang Yao closed the map and provided a brief summary.
Cong Xia felt somewhat worried. “Will it be possible for someone in Xi’an to detect the Puppet Jade?”
Zhang Yao replied, “It’s hard to say. We need to be prepared for all possibilities.” He continued, “I just tried putting the Puppet Jade back into that soft metal. I attempted burning it and using chemical dissolution, but it had no effect on the soft metal. Currently, I don’t have the means to conceal it.”
Cong Xia forced a smile. “I can constantly feel its presence. It’s not a pleasant feeling at all. It’s too… too immense. It’s like standing next to a colossal object, and it creates pressure.”
“We can’t help you with that. You’ll have to adjust to it yourself. Once we reach Beijing, they will surely have a way to shield the Puppet Jade with the soft metal. Honestly, I believe there’s a lot to explore with this soft metal. If it can shield such immense energy fluctuations, it should also be capable of shielding our own energy. Perhaps they have already made progress in Beijing.” Zhang Yao expressed some frustration, “If I were given the best scientific research resources, I could develop many useful things. Then, we wouldn’t need to rely on evolution alone, and humans could surpass other species through technology.”
Liu Fengyu added, “It would be great if humans could conceal their energy fluctuations. Otherwise, it’s very inconvenient when energy entities can sense each other. When we go hunting, many creatures run away as soon as they sense Abu. If we could hide our energy fluctuations, it would be like becoming invisible in the forest.”
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“Rdelle, cu vbl oyu, eke usw yzz raynvknl nwzvkhyvksd vseyu? Tso eslp kv qllz okvb vbl Vwrrlv Kyel dlyacu?”
“Mbl prlle byp elqkdkvlzu kdnalyple,” Mydt Zydikw pyke. “Rv’p yv zlypv vos vs vball vkxlp qypvla vbyd wpwyz.”
Nkw Wldtuw oyp yzps lmnkvle. “Oprlnkyzzu obld nsxckdle okvb vbl xlakekyd aswvl. Mbl rastalpp kd nwzvkhyvksd kp yehydnkdt cu zlyrp yde cswdep. Myjl y zssj.” Nkw Wldtuw oyhle bkp byde, yde y ryzl ulzzso scflnv iwknjzu qzlo swv qasx bkp ryzx, pvknjkdt vs y vbknj vall dsv qya yoyu okvb y zswe ‘vbwe.’ Mbl ryzl ulzzso ektlpvkhl qzwke ayrkezu pralye sd vbl vawdj, nsaasekdt vbl cyaj yde nsal. Rd zlpp vbyd y xkdwvl, kv nalyvle y zyatl bszl kd vbl vall alplxczkdt y bwxyd qynl. Mbld, wdyczl vs pwrrsav kvp olktbv, vbl vall vkzvle yde qlzz vs vbl pkel.
Mbl qyzzkdt vall nszzkele okvb vbl sdl dlmv vs kv, nywpkdt vbl taswde vs valxczl hkszldvzu. Fdso sd vbl pwaaswdekdt caydnblp qlzz esod blyhkzu, rlzvkdt vblx. Mbl rlsrzl pkvvkdt sd Gcw’p cynj olal kdpvydvzu nshlale kd vbknj pdso.
Hbydt Zys cawpble sqq vbl pdso qasx bkp blye yde tyhl Nkw Wldtuw y ekpyrrashkdt zssj, vs obknb Nkw Wldtuw takddle raswezu.
Usdt Dky nzyrrle bkp bydep. “Gxygkdt, Wldtuw! Zsw’hl clnsxl ps kxralppkhl.” Tl vbld vwadle vs Mydt Zydikw. “Gde usw, Dkys Mydt? Tyhl usw xyel ydu dsvyczl rastalpp?”
“Yu hkpksd yde qzukdt yckzkvu byhl kxrashle, lprlnkyzzu xu dktbv hkpksd yde eudyxkn hkpksd. Nssj…” Mydt Zydikw pzktbvzu okeldle bkp lulp, yde lhlausdl pvyale yv bkp lulp, dsvknkdt vbyv vblu lxkvvle y czynj zktbv, lmvalxlzu caktbv. Mbl zldplp sq bkp lulp olal vaydpryaldv yde clywvkqwz, tkhkdt sqq yd kdnalekczu nzlya qllzkdt.
“Odbydnle hkpksd?”
“Yes, bird species naturally have excellent vision. Previously, my vision evolution progressed rather slowly, but with the Puppet Jade nearby, the speed of cultivation has increased, and my progress is more noticeable.”
“That’s wonderful! Everyone is making progress,” Cong Xia felt excited about everyone’s advancements. Then he looked at Zhang Yao and asked, “After talking about everyone else, what about you?”
“I’ve spent most of my time contemplating, so I haven’t had much time for cultivation. However, that bat-like person and his companion said that they automatically evolve by staying around the Puppet Jade for a long time, right? So, I have also experienced some changes, such as…”
Liu Fengyu suddenly paused, sitting up straight.
“What’s wrong, Fengyu?”
Liu Fengyu shook his head vigorously. “For a moment just now, I couldn’t see anything.”
Zhang Yao nodded. “I have started to manipulate other people’s nerves. Just now, I briefly took control of your visual nerves, maybe for about one-third of a second. It almost consumed half of my energy. To be honest, manipulating others is more energy-consuming than fighting on our own because everyone, especially energy beings, has innate self-defense mechanisms. It’s very challenging to invade someone else’s brain and nerves.”
“But in critical moments, even being able to manipulate someone for just a second is crucial.”
Zhang Yao continued, “Yes, but after using it once, I’ll be completely drained. So, we must wait for the right moment. However, with our current strength, we probably won’t need me for now.”
Liu Fengyu happily lay back on Abu’s body, rolled around, and said, “I don’t think we have any rivals now.”
Tang Yanqiu laughed, “Don’t let Tianbi hear you say that. He’ll scold you.”
“What would he say? Arrogant? I say this because we have him, the incredible existence. If all the naturally evolved humans were as powerful as him, I would be genuinely concerned about what Beijing would be like. We really shouldn’t have too many people like Tianbi and Wu You.”
Cong Xia thought of the strength displayed by Tianbi and felt both amazed and proud. Tianbi was truly reliable, always formidable and powerful. Even in the face of adversity, thinking of him gave them a glimmer of hope.
Zhuang Yao glanced at his watch. “It’s time for a shift change. Li Fengyu, you go and drive.”
Reluctantly, Li Fengyu went to replace Cheng Tianbi.
They had been traveling in this vast white world for nearly five days before finally reaching Xi’an. Some road sections were covered with thick snow, making it difficult to see the path. They had to rely on people to find their way, which delayed them significantly, but fortunately, they didn’t get lost.
As they set foot in this historically significant city, they were filled with excitement.
Looking at the snow-covered, dilapidated city, Cong Xia sighed. “When I was in college, the first money I earned from a part-time job was used to travel to Xi’an. It’s been six years, and now it has become like this…”
Cong Xia patted the snow off his fur hat. “The weather has become so strange. Shaanxi shouldn’t have such heavy snow. It’s more like the Northeast.”
Li Fengyu shivered from the cold and wished he could burrow into Abu’s body. “There’s nothing strange about the world these days. I feel like smelling gasoline is better than freezing to death. I’ll go down.”
After saying that, he slid down from Abu and jumped into the car.
Cong Xia said, “Zhuang Yao, you should also go inside the car. You can’t tolerate the cold.”
Zhuang Yao kept his head down, seemingly engrossed in his own thoughts, as if he didn’t hear.
Cong Xia had no choice but to pat his back and channel some energy to him. “You should go inside the car.”
Zhuang Yao responded with an “Oh.” “No, it’s too stuffy inside. I’ll get dizzy.”
Cong Xia then looked at Cheng Tianbi. “Do you want to go inside?”
Cheng Tianbi shook his head and sat calmly on Abu’s back. His expression remained serene. Cong Xia knew that he was practicing cultivation again. Cheng Tianbi was the most disciplined person, never wasting time on useless things. Cong Xia sometimes felt a bit lonely. He would often count on his fingers before going to bed at night and realize that he had spoken less than five sentences to Cheng Tianbi throughout the day, and three of those sentences went unanswered.
Cong Xia couldn’t be sure how normal people were in relationships, but he knew that it couldn’t be like the two of them. He didn’t expect to have a romantic relationship with Cheng Tianbi, but only saying a few sentences to each other every day… that was too little.
Cong Xia didn’t dare disturb Cheng Tianbi’s cultivation and could only sit silently beside him, practicing as well. Due to the extremely cold weather, he couldn’t concentrate lately. If he didn’t use energy to warm his body, he would be too cold to do anything else. But if he used energy, he would have to divert it, making it impossible for him to cultivate effectively. Therefore, his progress was not particularly fast.
The five of them were busy with their own tasks. Abu leisurely walked in the snow. Suddenly, a bulging mound appeared in front of him, about the size of a calf, but for it, it was almost the same as level ground. Without noticing, Abu stepped on it with his paw.
“Ah–“
A sharp cry sounded from beneath them, and at the same time, a powerful energy surge appeared out of nowhere!
Abu let out a sharp “meow” and quickly jumped back several steps, staring intently at the snow mound, growling.
Everyone’s alertness heightened. Such a strong energy surge meant that there must be someone formidable.
The snow mound slowly arched up, and a thick, long arm covered in dark green wrinkled skin emerged from it, resembling the arm of a giant crocodile.
Cheng Tianbi and Tang Yanqiu exchanged glances. One stood up, and the other took flight, their bows and arrows at the ready.
The others had never seen anything like it before and looked on in astonishment.
Finally, the monster revealed its entire form. It was a two-and-a-half-meter-tall lizard-like creature with dark green wrinkled skin covering its entire body. It had strong and powerful limbs, a thick tail, sharp claws, and a mutated human-like appearance. The sight of this creature exuded a sense of power and strength. Just by standing there, it made people feel its might.
The lizard creature moved its massive head, looked at them, and then grabbed its waist, cursing loudly, “What the hell are you doing? I was sleeping, and you step on me like that! Who stepped on me? Was it this cat? You nearly stomped my internal organs out.” It spoke in the voice of a young man.
Cong Xia’s forehead broke out in a cold sweat. “Sir, were you sleeping on the road?”
“Don’t you see that I’m a thermoregulator? It’s too cold, and I would die. So, I was forced into a hibernation state. It’s not like I wanted to sleep on the street.” The lizard creature grumbled while still holding its waist, then walked to the side. Suddenly, it turned its head, squinting its eyes. “Birdman in the sky, why are you pointing an arrow at me? I’m getting angry.”
Tang Yanqiu took a look and lowered his bow.
The lizard creature hugged its arms, shivering from the cold. “Hey, do you have warm clothes in your car? You stepped on me, so you should apologize.”
Cong Xia said, “Even if we have clothes, they won’t fit you.”
The lizard creature sighed in disappointment. “Yeah, you’re right.”
“Then why don’t you transform back into a human? The human body can wear clothes and regulate body temperature.”
The lizard creature paused for a moment. “Right, I can transform back into a human. Hurry up, give me some clothes.”
Zhuang Yao looked at him with a dumbfounded expression, then turned his head away.
Cong Xia glanced at Cheng Tianbi for confirmation, and Cheng Tianbi nodded. He took a set of clothes from the car and threw them down.
“Thank you.” The lizard person walked over to receive the clothes. “Hey, don’t you have any women here?”
“No, we don’t.”
The lizard person’s tough, wrinkled skin gradually disappeared like receding tide, revealing human skin. His figure also shrank, and Cong Xia looked at the person’s face in astonishment. Despite his scruffy beard, his eyes were bright and lively. He appeared to be a young man, around eighteen or nineteen years old, tall, and handsome with a sunny disposition. However, his mannerisms were carefree and relaxed. Shivering from the cold, he quickly put on the clothes and rubbed his hands, saying, “Thanks.”
Zhuang Yao couldn’t stand his foolish appearance any longer and sneered, “When it’s cold, why don’t you transform back into a human and stay indoors?”
The young man shrugged, confidently saying, “I was in the middle of a fight at the time. After the fight, I realized I couldn’t bear the cold, so I was forced into hibernation.”
“You are… a lizard?”
“Oh, no, I’m an amphibious reversioner.”
Except for Cheng Tianbi and Tang Yanqiu, the faces of the other three people changed.
They finally understood why Cheng Tianbi and Tang Yanqiu had such strong reactions. Although they hadn’t met Zhao Jin in Chongqing, the extremely formidable Zhao Jin was said to be an amphibious reversioner. Today, they finally had the privilege of seeing what an amphibious reversioner looked like. The imposing and powerful appearance was indeed extraordinary. Back then, the people in Chongqing said that ordinary bullets couldn’t penetrate Zhao Jin’s skin, and now they had no doubt.
Rubbing his hands and hopping on one foot, the young man said, “I’m so hungry. Do you have anything to eat?”
Cheng Tianbi said coldly, “Why should we give you food?”
The young man paused for a moment. “Yeah… forget it, I’ll find something myself.” He held his waist and walked away, muttering as he passed by Abu, “Stupid cat, nearly crushed me.”
After the young man had gone far, Tang Yanqiu released his vigilance and flew back to Abu. He said, “It’s dangerous. This young man’s physique is bigger than Zhao Jin’s.”
Cheng Tianbi added, “His energy fluctuation is stronger than Zhao Jin’s. He must be an amphibious reversioner who has evolved even further.”
Cong Xia laughed. “Luckily, he doesn’t seem like a bad person. We sent him away with just a set of clothes.”
Zhuang Yao said, “You all seem to have forgotten something important.”
Cong Xia paused and suddenly remembered. “Energy fluctuation. Initially, he appeared on the road ahead of us without any energy fluctuation. We only sensed him after Abu accidentally stepped on him.”
Zhuang Yao nodded. “Right, when animals hibernate, their heartbeats and blood circulation slow down significantly, and it’s possible that their energy also enters a very slow state. Could hibernation be the reason why we can’t sense their energy fluctuations?”
Cong Xia pondered for a moment. “I can’t think of any other reason besides this, and this explanation makes sense.”
Zhuang Yao nodded. “I’ll continue to research. Tonight, you should also try to find some answers from the ancient jade. I’ve always hoped to find a method to conceal our energy fluctuations. I believe that if we can control the flow of energy according to our will, we should also be able to conceal it according to our will.”
“I understand.”
Zhuang Yao checked his watch. “Let’s go. The sun is setting, and we need to find a place to rest and eat.”
They drove further in and passed a street when they suddenly saw a distant fire. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be in front of a hotel, where a crowd had gathered.
They decided to go over and take a look while also inquiring about the situation in the city.
As they approached, Abu’s massive size quickly raised the alertness of the people. A woman shouted at them from a distance, “Don’t come any closer!”
Cong Xia called out, “We mean no harm, we just want to ask for directions.”
“Where are you from?”
“Chongqing.” When Cong Xia encountered Luo Xun in Chengdu, he realized that many people were interested in the situation in Chongqing. Mentioning that they were from Chongqing might pique their curiosity and make it easier to approach.
As expected, the group of people whispered among themselves. “Come over, but that cat must stay behind.”
“Don’t worry, it won’t bite people indiscriminately. We’ll let it stay here.”
The group got out of the car and walked over, while Abu obediently stayed by the side of the road, wagging its tail against the side of the vehicle. The sound was crisp and it seemed to have developed a liking for it, patting the side of the vehicle with a “crack” sound. Zhuang Yao and the others were used to it, but combined with Abu’s enormous size, it frightened the people, leaving them trembling in fear.
Now, Cong Xia was responsible for the team’s “diplomacy” tasks. He wasn’t particularly good with words, but compared to the others in the team, he was the best option and had been forced into the role.
He put on a friendly smile. “Hello, fellow locals. What are you all doing here? Having a meal?”
A burly man without manners responded bluntly, “Yeah, having a meal. But don’t even think about touching our stuff, or you’ll lose your life.”
“Don’t worry, we won’t steal anything. We just want to chat with you.”
“You want to know about Xi’an, right? Sure, we’re also curious about Chongqing.”
Cong Xia was eager to eat and didn’t want to waste time, so he briefly described the situation in Chongqing like what he told Luo Xun.
The woman who shouted earlier had a thick braid and a striking appearance, but her temperament seemed fierce. She said, “Chongqing is nice, why don’t we go to Chongqing?”
“You also want to go to Chongqing? But you’re so close to Beijing, why go to Chongqing?”
As soon as they mentioned Beijing, the expressions of those people changed. Fear filled the face of the man, and he said, “Beijing is definitely not a place where ordinary people with ordinary mutant abilities like us can stay. I’ll tell you the truth, all of us here are from Hebei, and we fled from there.”
Cong Xia was surprised. “Why?”
The man said in a cold voice, “Because in Beijing, only two types of people can keep themselves safe. One is extremely powerful mutants and their families, and the other is military and government officials and their families. Oh, there’s a third type too, ordinary people. But ordinary people live like ants, they are too lazy to bother with them. As for those with average mutant abilities, they become ‘food’ for the higher-level mutants.”
Zhuang Yao repeated in a low voice, “Food… could it be…”
Cong Xia asked anxiously, “Why?”
The woman grabbed her hair and whispered, “Those devilish cerebral domain evolved individuals in Beijing have developed something that can absorb mutant energy. The absorbed energy has many uses. Although it hasn’t been widely used, some people have already started using it. Lower-level mutants in Beijing and its surroundings are less safe than completely non-mutated ordinary people. The government takes care of ordinary people, but they don’t care about the lives of mutants. Just think about it, once the mutants in Beijing are drained, it will certainly be the turn of the surrounding cities. We are close by and well-informed, so we made plans in advance and ran away together.”
Everyone was shocked.
Zhuang Yao’s prophecy in Chongqing had truly come true. Zhuang Yao clenched his fist with a sinister look in his eyes.
Cong Xia shook his head in disbelief. “It’s impossible, how could it be…”
When it came to the cerebral domain evolved individuals in Beijing, the first person he thought of was naturally his uncle. Although his uncle was serious and strict, he was a kind-hearted person with a strong sense of morality. It was impossible for his uncle to research and develop something to harm others. He couldn’t believe it.
A warm hand rested on his back.
Cong Xia turned around and saw the unwavering gaze of Cheng Tianbi. He whispered, “It can’t be Professor Cong.”
Cong Xia’s heart immediately calmed down, and he nodded. “Yes, I believe it can’t be him. But the situation is really serious.”
Liu Fengyu closed his eyes and sighed. “I used to hope that my parents were mutants, but now I hope they aren’t…” Liu Fengyu forced a bitter smile, a smile that was more painful than crying.
Among the five of them, only Tang Yanqiu and Liu Fengyu had concerns about their parents. Tang Yanqiu could empathize with Liu Fengyu’s feelings and couldn’t help but pat his shoulder. “When we get to Beijing, we’ll help you find your parents.”
Liu Fengyu looked at him in surprise, for the first time putting away his playful demeanor. He whispered, “Thank you.”
Zhuang Yao said, “Tell us what you know about Beijing and Xi’an.”
The woman said, “Actually, we just arrived in Xi’an and plan to leave tomorrow and go to Chongqing. Like you, we know nothing about this place. But it seems like people here are doing fine, occasionally seeing people during the day.”
“What about Beijing? What else do you know?”
“We know a lot about Beijing. What do you want to know?”
Cong Xia asked, “Do you know which cerebral domain evolved individual invented the thing that absorbs human energy?”
“I don’t know, but it was developed by the National Academy of Sciences. There are supposedly seven cerebral domain evolved individuals in the National Academy of Sciences. It’s a gathering place of the world’s top intellectuals, so anything is possible. There have been inventions like mutant food and mutant livestock for a long time, which have largely solved the food problem. There are also some new energy-powered transportation vehicles and such. But there are also frightening things, like the new energy weapons that are said to give ordinary people the attack power of mutants. In short, they have invented many things that have benefited some people, but something like the energy-absorbing device for mutants is just inhumane.”
Another elderly person said, “I heard that even among these cerebral domain evolved individuals in the National Academy of Sciences, there are factions, and they fight fiercely.”
“Dad, isn’t that obvious? Even a bunch of idiots in the world fight, let alone a group of smart people who are like monsters. It’s natural for them to fight. Fighting is human nature.”
The old man sighed, “Sigh, it’s already this point in time, and humanity is on the brink of destruction. Yet, they still can’t unite and instead resort to killing each other. Humanity is truly on the path to extinction.”
Zhuang Yao asked again, “What about other aspects? How is the martial strength? How many natural power evolved individuals are there?”
“There are reportedly four natural power evolved individuals now. When it comes to people and their lives, it’s truly different. Those four natural power evolved individuals live like emperors, commanding the winds and rains.”
Softly, Cheng Tianbi asked, “Do you know about the Puppet Jade?”
The faces of those people changed drastically, and they took a step back unconsciously, lowering their voices. “Why are you asking about that… It’s a deadly thing. Don’t talk about it carelessly.” They immediately became more guarded towards them and fell silent.
Cong Xia reassured them, “We just heard about it from someone on the road and were curious, that’s all.”
Because Cong Xia didn’t emit the energy fluctuations they could sense and appeared friendly and honest, he could help ease their vigilance. The woman said, “Don’t ask us about that thing. We don’t know anything. I can guess that you’re probably headed to Beijing since you’ve asked so much about it. It’s fate that we meet halfway. I’ll give you a word of advice, when you get to Beijing, don’t mention those two words, or your lives will be in danger.”
Zhuang Yao wanted to ask more questions, but he could see that these people didn’t want to say anything anymore. It was clear that they were terrified of the three words “Puppet Jade.” He looked at Cheng Tianbi with dissatisfaction.
However, Cheng Tianbi’s expression grew heavy, lost in thought.
The group of people no longer paid them any attention and gathered around the fire, roasting rats while casting doubtful glances at them.
Since they couldn’t extract any more information, they had no choice but to leave and continue walking towards the city, intending to find a place to eat and rest.
Just as they had walked a short distance away, a loud explosion resounded from the southeast, and they turned to look. The sky was filled with flames, indicating an explosion had occurred.
The group exchanged glances.
Zhuang Yao thought for a moment and said, “Tang Yanqiu, go and check the situation. Be careful and don’t get too close.”
“Okay.” Tang Yanqiu flew off towards the explosion site.
Author’s note: I left home early this morning and only returned in the evening. Ate about four or five meals worth in the meantime… It’s a sin. _(:3」∠)_
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