Chapter 655: Boring (17/20, Autumn Subscription)

Jing Yan and Qingchen's faces changed, and they hurriedly said, "Captain Lin, control your emotions!"

"Captain Lin, deep breaths, deep breaths, don't forget last time's painful lesson!"

Lin Ling's face changed; only now did he sense the changes in his body, and he hurriedly took deep breaths to steady his emotions.

The pitch-black color surging up in his left eye also slowly receded like the tide, and that single eye regained its clarity.

He still remembered that last time he lost control, he had slaughtered half a merchant caravan.

That was how they ended up in the awkward situation of being a party of only three, hurrying along this empty Official Road.

"I'm fine, I've already—already managed to barely control this kind of change."

Only when Jing Yan and Qingchen saw this change did they finally breathe a sigh of relief.

They didn't have the strength to restrain an out-of-control Lin Ling, so traveling together with Lin Ling was actually still very dangerous.

However, Qingchen had brought along an injection he had invented; as long as Lin Ling still had a shred of consciousness and could keep his body from attacking them, they could inject it into Lin Ling's body to help him regain his composure.

It's just that this injector was handmade by him, somewhat crude, and how effective it was still remained to be seen.

Looking ahead, Heiqing Xiagu was already faintly visible.

After leaving Qingsi County several days ago, they had finally made it here.

Unlike how Fang Yue had ridden a horse and galloped the whole way, reaching Heiqing Xiagu quickly back then.

For people like them, they had initially traveled with a merchant caravan, until Lin Ling had an accident and they paid compensation; only then did they take a carriage and horses on their own and head for Heiqing Xiagu.

Because they weren't rushing madly, and didn't dare to run like that on the Official Road, fearing it would attract too many anomalies they couldn't handle, they traveled relatively slowly and steadily.

But once they reached Heiqing Xiagu and crossed over, that would be the Zhaoyang Official Road, where the road would be wider; they could find a merchant caravan to join up with, and the safety factor would be much higher.

"I wonder if Captain Wu has reached 【Chunuan City】 yet. He set out many days earlier than us; judging by pace, he should be there by now. I really hope we reach 【Chunuan City】 soon so we can give Ye Ge a fright. Lord Han's matter, and Captain Lin's matter—we've both been secretly holding them back without telling him, hehe!"

As for Tian Dan Zhi Yuan Wu, ever since that so-called Silver-Clad Green Guard came, she had been formally incorporated into the Green Department system, becoming a White-Robed of Green, the same rank as Ye Ge, continuing to oversee all of Qingsi County.

According to Wu Wu, she planned to wait until a superior Green Department official was sent down to take over her position before setting out to leave, going to Chunuan City to find them and rendezvous.

But... truly twisted.

Jing Yan recalled how, ever since Tian Dan Zhi Yuan Wu had resolved to grow stronger, the calm way she ate had left even him ashamed.

She would purchase all sorts of anomalous corpses, cook and eat them—never minding the disgusting nature, nor worrying about toxins or anything like that.

Many things that would be deadly poison if anyone else ate them had absolutely no effect in Tian Dan Zhi Yuan Wu's mouth.

Amidst all this ravenous eating, Tian Dan Zhi Yuan Wu's strength rose rapidly.

It wasn't so much her realm, but her base attribute values, soaring sky-high.

Although when they parted, Tian Dan Zhi Yuan Wu had only barely reached the post-heaven Second-rate Realm, her attribute points were maxed out before raising her realm, which was extremely terrifying.

The solidity of her foundation left him far behind.

He was just a rice-king himself; having something to eat was already satisfying enough.

While Jing Yan was thinking about these things, he suddenly noticed the moon in the sky looked a bit different—at the lower-right corner, there seemed to be an extra patch of crimson.

"Qingchen, what is that?"

"I don't know."

Qingchen shook his head, sat on the horse's back, continued flipping through his notes, then froze for a moment before suddenly looking up: "Wait! This phenomenon, I think I've seen it recorded in some book from the Phoenix Organization—seems to be called something like Heaven Devouring, an omen of great ill!"

"What does that mean?"

"Not sure, the book's record on it is also very vague, but the only thing it did state is that during 【Heaven Devouring】, many immortals vanished on the spot and never appeared again... not just in our 【Qingchuan Jie】, but throughout the entire cultivation world, this phenomenon occurred."

"That scary?! Even immortals can't withstand it?"

Qingchen's expression was grave: "We have to hurry to 【Chunuan City】. 【Heaven Devouring】 definitely won't be that simple; getting to 【Chunuan City】 earlier means there'll be taller folks to shoulder the burden and share the pressure."

"Right, right, right, let's go, let's go."

Saying so, the two horses, along with a carriage carrying supplies and a place to rest, set off once more.

Lin Ling curiously gazed at the strange round moon in the sky, seemingly having no concept of 【Heaven Devouring】—this was the drawback of being an illiterate who didn't love reading.

He was originally from a small place, and didn't love reading books either, so naturally he lacked sufficient knowledge of various things; but if Lord Han were here, he would surely be able to say something about 【Heaven Devouring】.

……

【Chunuan City】—a few days ago, a certain brute had arrived, asking people everywhere, and the questions he asked were very simple.

"Do you know where the Green Department's Yese Liming is?"

"Do you know An Dong'er's whereabouts?"

"Do you know where the Phoenix Organization is?"

Asking around on the streets, it was hard for people not to notice him.

Standing on a tree branch, Tai Yuema watched Captain Wu's back in the crowd, lost in thought.

Vaguely, the white-robed Green Department figure who had caused trouble in Qingsi County and the white-robed figure now causing trouble in Chunuan City seemed to overlap into one.

"No wonder his strength is so ferociously powerful. If it really is the same person, we should have found a way to eliminate him long ago. The Phoenix Organization's branch over in Heiqing Shanmai suffered such heavy losses—at least ninety percent of the blame falls on this person."

"But... before that... first catch an interesting experimental subject and bring him back."

As he leapt down from the tree, Tai Yuema's face already bore an extra mask.

A rabbit mask.

……

Phoenix Organization, Chunuan City branch.

A pure-white three-dimensional room.

Ox Seat's face was dark as he looked at An Dong'er, wrapped in white sealing cloth, layer upon layer inside and out, with only a head exposed.

"Lord Ox Seat, our research was just at a critical juncture, just making a breakthrough, and the higher-ups are in a rush to take the person away, this—this—"

A researcher in a large white coat, wiping sweat from his forehead, his face full of anxious distress.

Ox Seat's fist clenched tight, the veins on the back of his hand and arm bulging.

If he could, how could he possibly be willing to hand over an experimental subject that had just begun to show results, just like that—but...

"What's with the dawdling... Ox Seat, are you trying to defy my 【Heiyu】 orders?"

A clear, pleasant voice suddenly rang out from behind, followed by the sound of approaching footsteps.

It was a woman wearing a thin black gauze dress, dressed somewhat provocatively, with an excellent figure.

She came to Ox Seat's side, slipped her arms around his body, hugged him at the waist, pressed her body close against him, her perfect curves gently pressing against his body, breathing like orchids, lowering her voice.

"If you want to resist me, I'll get excited."

"Lord Er Heiyu, please conduct yourself with dignity."

"No, I…" As she spoke, Er Heiyu reached her hand downward, but was seized by Ox Seat.

(End of this chapter)