Chapter 807: Bound to the Birth System and Becoming a Winner in Life Chapter 808: Xuanhuan World Passerby A (28)

·

·

·

Protagonist:

Shen Yao

"Their brains also contain parasites."

This was who-knew-how-many-th strange beast corpse they had encountered on the road, and the two of them seemed to notice that something was amiss.

They had originally thought only cultivators were affected, that parasites infecting ordinary people was impossible, yet they could even infect certain strange beasts—this probably meant there had been trouble in the west for a long time.

But it was still very strange!

'Host, what's strange about it?' the system said, puzzled, thinking to itself that such parasites were easy enough to spot—they had noticed the strange beasts with slender limbs and stiff movements as soon as they arrived.

Shen Yao:...

'These strange beasts weren't just infected recently. On the contrary, they've been infected for a long time,' Shen Yao said, pointing at one of the bear-type strange beasts.

This bear had been reduced to little more than a bearskin, its head empty as can be, and its whole body reeked of a foul stench, but this stench hadn't been on it from the start; it only swept through the entire space the moment this bear-type strange beast died and its skull was cracked open.

System:...

Exactly, it had been infected for a long time—a conservative estimate of several months at least. 'It's precisely because they've been infected for so long that they died,' there were people in their group who had been infected for a shorter time and were rescued back.

Shen Yao felt the system hadn't understood her words, so she might as well put it more plainly: 'These parasite-infected strange beasts are actively exposing themselves. They could originally do what Fan the Steward did—hide themselves silently and wait for an opportunity to infect others.'

System:... Oh!!!

Is that so?

Recalling the strange beasts they had encountered along the way, they had indeed been dazedly bumping into them, forcing them to take action and eliminate them, and incidentally discovering the fact that the strange beasts' brains had been hollowed out by parasites.

But what benefit did this bring these strange beasts? They had no way out anymore; they were just puppets.

'Puppets long ago lost their own thoughts. This has nothing to do with controlled strange beasts; it should be the idea of those parasites.'

Shen Yao rested her chin and said these words languidly, then looked toward the front of the carriage, where Lu Yan was discussing matters with the others in the group.

Lu Yan's expression was serious and solemn, and several ropes thicker and longer than the parasites they had previously caught lay at his feet. These were obviously newly evolved parasites, roasted by the Flame Lion's flames until they couldn't be any deader.

"Young Master Lu, we plan to stay here and wait for new notification from the Fan Family."

The manpower arranged by Fan Gui Qi had first experienced internal desertion, then the person in charge, the steward, was infected, and finally only they remained, gritting their teeth and holding on.

It wasn't that they didn't want to reach Jin Jue City as soon as possible to offer their strength to the old Family Head, but they had to reasonably assess their own abilities—whether they could smoothly make it to Jin Jue City and help without dragging the old Family Head down.

Judging by the current situation, these people obviously had no confidence.

"Staying here is one option, but no one guarantees that staying will definitely be safe."

These problematic strange beasts were an example. Although these parasites died easily in the light, it didn't mean every strange beast was so easy to deal with.

Lu Yan wasn't trying to borrow the Fan Family's manpower to protect his own side. Anyway, he still had trump cards on his side. Even if they were truly surrounded by parasites, Shen Yao was confident she could take him away.

These people of the Fan Family were all cultivation experts and also the target population of the parasites. Lu Yan worried that if these people stayed, they would just be delivering warmth to the parasites. Rather than that, it was better to leave with them; at least once they reached Jin Jue City, they could be temporarily safe.

Lu Yan still wanted to do his best to prevent everyone from falling behind and getting into trouble. After all, cultivators and these strange beasts and strange plants weren't that different—because their bodies contained energy (Spiritual Power), which was very good food for certain creatures. Even before this world went astray, there were evil cultivators who refined people into pills. Humans were once a race favored by the Heavenly Dao, possessing extraordinary talent.

"How about it?"

"Some will stay behind."

Lu Yan urged them again and again, but couldn't get everyone to leave. The dangers they encountered on the road were increasing, and many had been frightened out of their wits.

Even if what Lu Yan said made sense, compared to the unknown dangers ahead, staying put and holding their ground gave them more assurance.

This had nothing to do with whether they trusted Lu Yan or not. They hadn't worked with Lu Yan for long. If it were Fan Sheng, someone more able to convince them, the result would definitely be different.

"Staying behind? Then we need to make preparations. If the entire force is wiped out, it won't be easy to explain to the Fan Family."

Lu Yan raised his eyebrows. "I've already sent a letter to the Fan Family. The situation here is complex. I worry Jin Jue City is also involved, and even the clues Fan Gui found following the token might not be real clues."

The problem in the west was too great, like a thick layer of mist covering it. Wanting to peel back the mist to see the truth inside, who would have thought there would be more coverings after peeling it back?

Lu Yan carefully pondered the few things he remembered about Jin Jue City from his memories.

Besides the spiritual resources needed by the Flame Lion, Jin Jue City was famous in the Central State for its jade mines. Every year, a large amount of Jin Jue jade flowed into the market. Just that huge profit made many forces envious.

The Gold Jade Rats could sit firmly in the City Lord position of Jin Jue City because they were naturally good at finding jade, but more importantly, they were useless and posed no threat, making them good puppets for behind-the-scenes forces.

"The forces behind Jin Jue City are complex and intertwined. Not only are there local forces from the Central State, centered on the Floating City, but also forces from Qing Zhou and Huang Zhou, and even infiltration from Chen Zhou."

Qing Zhou and Huang Zhou bordered the Central State closely. Jin Jue City was originally right on their edge. Chen Zhou was on the other side of the Central State. To send people to Jin Jue City required crossing more than half of the Central State's territory.

Before Lu Yan left the Lu Family, he had heard elders in the family mention the distribution of Jin Jue City's jade mines. The Lu Family was dissatisfied that resources were decreasing year by year, but because the great clans of the Floating City couldn't present a united front, the few families the Lu Family united with could only give up in frustration.

"This kind of parasite is not a product of the Central State," Shen Yao said with certainty. Even after personally dissecting a parasite, she exposed the weaknesses of this type of parasite, perfectly conforming to biological laws.

"Their infectivity is extremely strong. When infection occurs, it's probably silent and unnoticed. But their self-preservation ability is obviously insufficient. Just chop off the head and it's solved."

Of course, chopping off the head also meant the parasitized creature had no need for rescue. This was the most direct solution when encountering them in the wild.

"Don't worry too much. The purpose of creating this kind of parasite is control."

So its control ability was very strong, but other aspects were much weaker. Even if it eventually caused a disturbance, it could be suppressed and resolved.

The cultivators of these cities in the west wouldn't be controlled on a large scale. At most, it would be middle and upper management. They were the most dangerous group.

The parasites might not infect them first, but definitely the people around them. Then slowly infect these people, finally achieving the effect of controlling the entire city.

Of course, if everything went smoothly, even if they arrived at the city now, it would be useless. Because these parasites had already exposed themselves with purpose before them, it showed the city had long been deeply involved. Going there would be walking right into a trap.

Walking into a trap?

Even if it was walking into a trap, they had to see it with their own eyes. It would be best to find out the true culprit behind the creation of the parasites. Those forces acted without any scruples. Sooner or later, they would destroy the whole world.

Some of the people who stayed chose to set up camp. They were quite uneasy in their hearts. When refusing Lu Yan, they sounded righteous, but once Lu Yan's carriage disappeared from sight, they subconsciously became nervous and afraid, their eyes scanning around from time to time. Such a fearful performance was not as good as staying in the car fleet.

"Hmph! Then go chase them now. Anyway, they haven't been gone long."

The man temporarily in charge was sulking. He grunted as he picked up withered branches around to start a fire, completely failing to notice the black lines on the branches.

Fine as hair, they quickly wrapped around the man's wrist and drilled into his sleeve, disappearing. The man, oblivious, threw the branches into the bonfire.

"Fan Ge, we're waiting for word from the Master's House; the Family Head really won't be angry?" They were practically slacking off, and they just couldn't feel at ease.

"Angry about what? Fan Xiaojiazhu is the most easygoing, and besides, Fan Guanjia was the first to have an accident; we're just a bunch of coarse people, what can we do?"

The man called Fan Ge spoke in a loud voice; it was less like convincing others and more like convincing himself.

After all, he was afraid too, it's just that as the temporary Leader, he couldn't panic, nor could he let others see his problems.

Suddenly feeling thirsty, Fan Ge grabbed his waterskin and gulped down several mouthfuls with glugging sounds, but even after the water in the waterskin was gone, he still wasn't quenched.

"You all stay here and don't move; I'll go to the Riverside to fetch some water."

After Fan Ge finished speaking, he not only took his own waterskin but also carried everyone else's waterskins on his back.

The Sky Color was a bit dark right now, but fortunately, the contours of the Environment could still be seen around them.

Fan Ge bypassed several sparse Trees and finally arrived at a spot by the Riverside; he half-squatted, cupped Clear Water in both hands, and splashed it hard onto his face, and only when the feeling of dry mouth and parched tongue weakened did he have the Mood to fill the waterskin.

It was also because of his lack of Caution that Fan Ge didn't notice at all that the black Threads as fine as Silk, which had been crawling on his body all the way, had fallen into the waterskin.

"Tsk tsk tsk, is this an idiot? Another ending of Annihilation."

Really didn't know what to say; knowing something would happen, but not expecting it to happen so early.

The System was also impressed; with this little skill, he was still shouting about leaving the Team, alright then, he directly sent a big meal to the parasite; he might as well just obediently go with Lu Yan, at least he could survive until tonight.

"These people didn't think too much; besides, Cultivators cultivate the body, not the Brain," one couldn't expect everyone to be smart and draw inferences; most people didn't even know what happened in the second before Danger arrived.

Leaning in the Che Xiang and closing her eyes, Shen Yao leisurely let out a Yawn, "Guard the Camp well, notify me in time if there's a problem."

After speaking, Shen Yao fell asleep in a daze, and when she opened her eyes again, it was already bright Outside.

Lu Yan was handling matters at the Camp; unlike the group left behind yesterday who had an accident, their Camp was calm and peaceful, with not a single ripple.

"So these parasites also Bully Weak Fear Strong," knowing there were many tough ones here so they didn't come over, knowing there were no Big Shots among those left behind, they dared to directly stick their faces in to infect.

Tsk tsk tsk

The Mo Hou Hei Shou who could create parasites was also strong; weren't they afraid of losing control and suffering Backlash directly?

"Host, this kind of parasite definitely has a Mother Body," the Mother Body stays by the Mo Hou Hei Shou's side controlling all sub-bodies; as long as the Mother Body isn't in trouble, it doesn't matter how many sub-bodies die.

Shen Yao leaned against the Soft Pillow behind her; the breeze blew up the falling bed curtains and brought the Breath from Outside along the way.

"Yeah, don't know how the Mother Body is doing; no matter how strong the sub-bodies are, they can't withstand obvious weaknesses," perhaps knowing that this kind of parasite had a hard time surviving, the Mo Hou Hei Shou kept the Mother Body by their side.

Her eyes shifted, and Shen Yao simply had the idle System help her investigate where the Mother Body currently was.

System: ……?

"Host, sub-bodies are everywhere here," how could it possibly find the whereabouts of the Mother Body.

"There is a Connection between sub-bodies and the Mother Body; as long as we watch the infected Management in the City, we can notice their contact methods," then by following the contact methods all the way, we could find the whereabouts of the Mother Body.

"Rest assured, the Mother Body is probably also on Xi Mian; they won't be too far apart," because the relationship between sub-bodies and the Mother Body doesn't support it.

Mm

Probably in Jin Jue City???

That's how it's always said in novels; the most Dangerous place is the safest.

Where is safest on this Xi Mian? Of course, it's Jin Jue City, which produces Jade Mines in abundance.

That place produced Jade Mines that could supply Spirit Jade for the entire Central State; it was a place many Forces fought over, and there were Aberrant Beasts serving as City Lords, with all sorts of buffs stacked; it was completely understandable if the parasite Mother Body was really in Jin Jue City.

"Then isn't Jin Jue City very Dangerous? The people inside are all Puppets; can we still leave alive?"

The System exclaimed that the Host's imagination was really too big; not to mention whether it would come true, even if it really did, it would be even more terrifying, okay.

"It won't be; Jin Jue City probably doesn't have that many Puppets controlled by sub-bodies, because there are many Forces in Jin Jue City, they wouldn't dare do that."

If their Hard Power were strong enough, how could they create such parasites? It was clearly because their Hard Power was insufficient that they thought of taking Shortcuts and using crooked ways.

Jin Jue City had always been a private reserve for many Forces; the benefits inside definitely included a share for the Mo Hou Hei Shou, so they could both use Jin Jue City as a cover and secretly develop parasites to devour and control surrounding Cities, bringing benefits back to themselves.

"Host, I admit what you said makes sense, but we have no evidence for this matter."

"Even if you were to investigate, you probably wouldn't find anything."

Being able to do this, the Mo Hou Hei Shou would definitely be very Cautious; the monitoring the System could do was superficial; if the Mother Body was placed in another space, the System wouldn't sense anything.

Earlier when they were in Shang Lu Cheng, the System couldn't sense the situation inside the Secret Realm; it was only because they were sucked into the Secret Realm that they got news.

"It's fine; by then you just keep watching, and leave the rest to me."

Shen Yao clenched her Palm and revealed a confident smile.