Chapter 4: The Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell

Ling Yu opened the backpack of the water mirror and was instantly dumbfounded. ... What searchlights, electronic lock decryption keys, palm computers, V8... ... Aside from a bottle of mineral water, everything was high-tech gadgets! These items would certainly be very useful for a typical investigation, but now they were facing a plant monster that had appeared out of nowhere; how could these things possibly be of any use!

With a swish, Lingyu's coat was torn in half by the monster's vines, her shoes had long been ripped off, and the fabric of her pants was relatively thick, so for the time being, she had not lost her modesty

It turned out that Ling Yu had long considered how to cope in case he was caught at the moment of bursting out the door. He had reversed the "cloth-wrapped iron spikes" originally intended for dealing with car tires, wrapping the side without spikes around his abdomen, and applied a potent anesthetic on top.

You wait here! Ling Yu said, supporting himself against the wall as he walked towards the end of the corridor, his movements very light, fearing that if he fell, he would not be able to get up.

You should have brought a mask, right

He first removed the outer casing of the camera's flash, then pressed the timer function on the camera for thirty seconds. After that, he turned on the gas pipe switch and also turned on the gas stove switch, but extinguished the flame.

What are you looking at! Shui Jing noticed Ling Yu's gaze and instinctively pulled her clothes up, her face turning red in an instant

He only has a fleeting moment of opportunity, for soon the other tendrils of the monster will come flying towards him

At that moment, the sound of an engine came from the street corner, and a black Mercedes-Benz appeared in the sight of the two individuals

Hmm! The Water Mirror nodded vigorously, "I have seen the flowers of that plant monster upstairs; they are mandrake flowers. The pollen of mandrake flowers has certain effects; if a person inhales too much, they may feel dizzy and experience weakness in their limbs."

What is going on? How could it possibly be missing! ... He even took down all the scrolls from that shelf, laid them out one by one on the floor, and scanned each one with a flashlight ...! ... Indeed, that "Qin Dynasty Astronomical Map" is not there!

However, we cannot go upstairs anymore; that man-eating flower on the third floor is about to come down

The item provided by Zhang Wangcai has been named: Qin Dynasty Astronomical Chart

Therefore, Ling Yu did not dare to act rashly

What should we do then

The driver felt troubled and turned to ask the heart-shaped figure: "Guest, how do you think we should proceed?"

Ling Yu then briefly explained the situation from that moment to Shui Jing. It turned out that when the monster bloomed, he noticed something unusual; among its five flowers, only four had opened, while the fifth was hidden in the center, seemingly heavily protected. Therefore, he deduced that that flower bud must be the monster's vital point

"Where is Huo Wu? Why didn't she come with you?" Ling Yu found it strange that Murong Huo Wu was absent. Even if there was some tension between them, Shui Jing was still her sister. Shouldn't she, as the elder sister, be worried about her sister?

The two individuals ran downstairs

"Do you feel dizzy?" Shui Jing asked with a furrowed brow

Ayu

Oh, she also has a task tonight, and she had already completed it before I arrived

At the moment of death, a person is inherently vulnerable. Shui Jing could not hold back the tears upon hearing Ling Yu's words, and they streamed down her face.

Moreover, it seems to possess a certain self-awareness, recognizing its own sluggish movements, and thus refrains from actively pursuing Shuijing and Lingyu, instead quietly remaining in place, waiting for the prey to come to it.

The scent? Ling Yu felt a hint of disappointment, took a deep breath, and nodded: "There is indeed a certain aroma; it must be the pollen from that monster."

"Shuijing, hurry up!" Lingyu shouted loudly.

Wu Jian saw Ling Yu covered in blood and immediately said: "You need to get to the hospital quickly"

It does not have long vines and roots, only three large leaves, with a massive flower in the center. The flower has four petals, and when it blooms, it reveals four rows of sharp, long teeth. Upon sensing prey entering its hunting territory, it immediately shifts its roots and stem, moving forward like a caterpillar.

Ling Yu exerted a sudden force, breaking free from the restraints

The carnivorous plant opened its gaping maw, with yellow saliva dripping from its mouth

Wu Jian assisted Ling Yu and Shui Jing into the back seat of the Benz one after the other, fastening their seatbelts before returning to the driver's seat and driving away

Then you all get in the car first, the fire truck and police car were already on the road when I arrived

Then let's leave here quickly! Ling Yu wanted to rush downstairs, but after taking just a couple of steps, his legs went weak, and he fell to the ground

Now it was Ling Yu's turn to have a headache. Although there were not many residents in the vicinity, the fire was so large that there would surely be people who saw it and called the police. If the fire department arrived and saw him at the scene, it would be difficult to explain. The best course of action was to leave the scene as soon as possible. However, he now felt that even taking a few more steps would make him dizzy and unable to hail a taxi at the street corner

Upon thinking of this, he could not help but reveal an anxious expression, for it indicated that he, who had been concealed in darkness, had now been exposed. As a killer, there is nothing more disheartening and unsettling than the exposure of one's whereabouts

"Shuijing, do you have something in your bag that can distract it?" Lingyu's backpack just fell, and now his hands are empty, so he can only seek help from Shuijing.

Bang! The door to the balcony was suddenly torn off, and a creature that resembled the one from earlier burrowed in from outside

"It was just a joke, haha..." Ling Yu said, stealing a glance at Shui Jing's chest. After being caught by that plant monster, the left shoulder of Shui Jing's top had been torn, exposing a large area of skin from her left shoulder to her left breast, revealing the white, strap-style, half-cup cotton bra she was wearing underneath... Moreover, the size seemed quite substantial...

The identification documents, passport, and luggage are all gone; fortunately, I still have my bank card with me, so I do not need to worry about money for the time being

"You... you are here again, quickly think of a solution!" Shui Jing said in a tone that resembled a spoiled child

No need for that, this is not my blood. I just feel a bit dizzy, and Shui Jing is also fine. Ling Yu explained with a bitter smile, while Shui Jing nodded in agreement, indicating that Ling Yu was stating the truth

The carnivorous plant, frightened, abandoned its prey at the edge of its mouth and fled back to the fourth floor

"Go to the nearest inn," said Red Heart A in a low voice, his eyes burning like flames.

Even if Ling Yu could rush over in one breath to help lift the water mirror, afterwards, due to breathing too quickly, he would inhale more pollen, and at that time, it is feared that neither of them would be able to leave.

Ling Yu's upper body and both feet were also tightly bound

However, within a few seconds, the monster's vines and roots all fell away. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the water mirror broke free and collapsed onto the floor, gasping for breath.

Then forget it, I accept my fate. I am very happy to die with you, how about you

Having safely exited the old building, the two felt utterly exhausted. Ling Yu turned around to watch the raging flames climbing upward, feeling a sense of satisfaction in his heart. ... Those monsters should be well done by now ...

The water mirror... Ling Yu slowly opened his eyes and reached out with his trembling left hand to grasp the hand of the water mirror. "Can you call me A Yu?"

The pollen of the mandala flower has certain effects; prolonged exposure can cause dizziness and weakness in the limbs.

After the monster was struck by the anesthetic on the iron thorn, it temporarily lost its restraints. At that moment, it swiftly drew out a dagger and lunged towards the fifth flower bud. With one swift strike, it was drenched in the copious blood that splattered out, turning the scene into a "bloody battle"

Ling Yu was deep in thought, feeling that his mind was becoming increasingly unclear. He truly hoped for a moment of inspiration to strike, allowing him to think quickly and turn danger into safety

Ling Yu secretly smiled and quickly changed the subject: "We cannot go to the rooftop now, because the building next door is three stories taller than this one, with a height difference of over ten meters, and the distance between them is quite far. It is impossible for us to jump over; the only way is to go downstairs."

Shuijing suddenly understood at this point. She felt quite embarrassed, but also thought that asking to kiss a boy who had died for her was not an excessive request. Blushing, she nodded her head, as a form of agreement.

At the corner of the stairs between the second and first floors, they encountered another plant monster of the same type as the one on the third floor. It also lacked vines and roots, but had three purple flowers, each resembling a large, gaping mouth, and the flower stems were relatively long and very flexible

You narrowly escaped death... and yet you still have the mood to make jokes at my expense! Shui Jing felt a warmth in her eyes, overwhelmed by the impulse to leap into the arms of the person in front of her and hit him hard.

After everything was ready, he still walked out just as he had come in, neither fast nor slow

We can only search around now to see if something happened that can be used. Ling Yu slowly stood up while leaning against the wall, and Shui Jing also stood up.

Then how did you just ... ... '' Shui Jing realized that her gaze had become fixated on Ling Yu's keen eyes. Just how many unexpected changes were hidden within those eyes?

In my brief life ... I have yet to kiss a girl ... could you possibly ...

Those who hinder me ...! ... If I find out who you are, I swear, I will make you face the devil's punishment, and your souls will never receive the Lord's forgiveness

"Cannot run and - picture - book!" Shui Jing exclaimed, as she fell down due to Ling Yu's pull. "Inhaling pollen into the body and accelerating blood circulation will enhance its effects."

The taxi was stopped by a police car at the intersection just before reaching the old building

What happened? Ling Yu's gaze became ambiguous, as if he thought Shui Jing suddenly wanted to confess to him

Shuijing shook his head and said with a pale face, "I placed it on the outside of my backpack, but it was just torn off."

In such a situation, one should normally report to the organization; however, Hongxin A feels that this is the greatest humiliation he has faced since becoming an assassin. Now, just as the mission is nearing success, it has encountered a setback, and he has no face left to seek help from the organization

Ling Yu lay curled up on the ground, with blood on his face, hands, and body; the originally white bodysuit had turned red.

"There has been a fire ahead, and we are currently making every effort to extinguish it. If you need to go through, please take an alternate route," the officer said to the driver through the window.

The two individuals retreated to the second floor and then discussed their strategy

Do you smell something?

What is going on ... it seems a bit unusual! Ling Yu hurriedly asked: "Is it related to those pollen?"

Ling Yu wiped the blood from his face, smiled apologetically, and said, "I just tripped; it's not that easy to get hurt. I used to fall from trees when I was a child, so I'm quite used to it. It's nothing at all."

Before the monster met its end, it delivered a final blow with great force. Fortunately, it struck the abdomen, which was protected by iron spikes, thus sustaining minimal injury

What task is it

Due to its sluggish movements, Ling Yu and Shui Jing were not particularly afraid. When descending from the fourth floor to the third floor, Ling Yu even suggested that Shui Jing take out the digital camera to capture a "full-body shot" of the plant monster.

"You ... ... why do you ... ..." Shui Jing was so agitated that she found it difficult to express herself

The natural gas explosion produced intense flames and high-temperature pressure, which blew the pollen of the mandala flowers in the corridor outside.

Good! Shui Jing nodded without a second thought

"When you arrive at the president's house, you will understand." Wu Jian said淡淡地.

"I am sorry, but I am afraid that is not possible; the potency of the mandala flower pollen has not yet diminished." At this moment, the voice of the water mirror was soft, like cotton candy.

The place where I live has already been burned down, which indicates that someone has indeed discovered my whereabouts. However, after they investigated my residence, why did they still set it on fire? As a result, I cannot return and have become wary. Do they still have a way to find me?

Ling Yu! Ling Yu! Shui Jing rushed towards Ling Yu, who was lying a few meters away. She did not see what Ling Yu had done just now; she only heard a few sounds of contact and collision, and then Ling Yu was sent flying. "Are you okay! Wake up! Hurry and wake up!"

The entire corridor on the second floor seems to be filled with mandala flower pollen... We cannot stay for too long," Shui Jing anxiously reminded.

"Are we going back to the club?" Ling Yu asked

A dagger shot forth a dazzling cold light in the trembling air, and then, like a shooting star, everything seemed to have been decided

He took the water mirror and the book out of the backpack and tossed the camera to Ling Yu, without asking too many questions, as speaking too much at this moment would inhale more mandala flower pollen

At that time, they were still unaware that Murong Huowu's mission would later open a door to a legendary world for them

If he remembers correctly, there should be residents in this building who have installed natural gas pipes

The fire rapidly spread through the wooden walls of the old building, and Ling Yu hurriedly helped Shui Jing up before rushing downstairs

"You just say it! As long as it is something I can do." Shui Jing tightly held onto Ling Yu's hand, fearing that if she let go, he would lose all sense of awareness.

Shuijing! Ling Yu suddenly saw that the man-eating flower on the third floor had already come down the stairs and was approaching Shuijing, while Shuijing seemed to have no strength left to stand or walk, only able to crawl on the ground

Red Heart A infiltrated the warehouse that had been visited at noon, and then, using a flashlight, began searching for the target item among the numerous baskets, boxes, and shelves

I have seen the flowers of that plant monster upstairs; they are mandrake flowers

They held hands, and in this moment that required mutual trust and assistance, this gesture appeared entirely natural

Ling—Ayu. Shuijing is still not quite accustomed to calling Lingyu by name, but she just called it earlier, and now calling it back feels even more awkward

"No," Wu Jian replied, "the president said that if you have nothing to do, he will take you to his home."

You ... ... '' The water mirror watched as it leaped up, then pulled itself to run into the corridor, moving as nimbly as a rabbit, with its eyes wide open.

On the third floor, they saw a plant monster at the end of the corridor that had a different form from the one they had seen before

At this moment, the mandrake monster was no longer in its original position; perhaps it was afraid of getting burned and had gone to seek refuge in a damp place

Ling Yu slowly closed her eyes, a hint of an expectant smile at the corners of her lips ... Shui Jing pressed her lips together, her gaze gentle yet sorrowful, as she gradually leaned down ...

Ling Yu went to see the Water Mirror. No wonder she had been silent since getting into the car; it turned out she had already fallen asleep, her head resting on his shoulder. Thus, he unceremoniously wrapped his arm around her shoulder, tilted his head, and slowly closed his weary eyelids.

He believes that although the monster appears to be plant-like, it behaves like an animal, and therefore it should have a nervous system. With a nerve anesthetic, it would be effective. As expected, after the monster's tendrils were pierced by the iron thorn, they drooped down limply

Just as the carnivorous plant was about to touch the water mirror with its two feet, a tremendous roar erupted from the entire third floor, and then the two individuals felt the entire building begin to shake

This plant monster has just blocked the entrance to the stairs of the building

In a hurry, he left Shari Middle School, called a taxi, and promised the driver ten times the fare to take him to his residence as quickly as possible

Ling Yu's abdomen was unexpectedly cushioned by a layer of iron thorns. The monster's vine, lacking eyes, was unaware of the danger. It forcefully tugged at it, resulting in severe injuries, and reflexively recoiled.

Indeed, in the kitchen of a room, Ling Yu saw the natural gas pipe

I have lost too much blood and fear I may not last much longer—my only wish is to have one last request fulfilled. Can you help me with that? Ling Yu's gaze was pitiful, resembling that of a vulnerable little creature.

After searching for nearly half an hour, he finally found shelf number 12, which mainly held exhibits of the "scroll" category. One corner of a scroll was affixed with a label that bore a name, such as the Dunhuang Dragon Painting, the Tang Dynasty Imperial Edict, and the Pirate Treasure Map

The monster should have logically torn apart Ling Yu's bodysuit, then extended its tendrils to penetrate the skin and absorb flesh and blood. However, at that moment, an unexpected event occurred

"Can the Water Mirror still walk?" Ling Yu felt that the Water Mirror was struggling even to stand.

The monster fell down and lay motionless, appearing to be dead

Water Mirror ... ... Don't cry, it's not like that ... ... " Ling Yu saw the flowing tears of Water Mirror and immediately felt a sense of panic.

She Ri Zhong School

Despite having the inventory list, he still found it very difficult to search, as the arrangement of the shelves in the warehouse was quite irregular. Next to shelf number 2 was shelf number 14; this arrangement was likely only understood by the administrator who checked the warehouse daily. When he started searching, he regretted not having brought that administrator along.

No monsters were found at either end of the corridor. Upon reaching the corner of the stairs, Ling Yu released the water mirror and took out a loudspeaker to check if any monsters were chasing up from below the stairs

There is an office inside the warehouse, where he found the registration form for the items displayed in the historical and cultural exhibition. It detailed the names of the items, the providers, the categories they belong to, and the specific shelf and compartment where they are located.

After a brief sound of braking, the driver's door of the Mercedes-Benz was swung open, and a tall, slender youth dressed in a black long-sleeve tracksuit emerged from inside

When the school was displaying the exhibits, it is unlikely that only the item he was looking for went missing. It is more probable that someone had already taken that item away before he arrived

It turned out that after thirty seconds, the electric spark generated by the flash ignited the natural gas that had been released from the gas pipe and had accumulated in the air, which caused the massive explosion

You are deceiving me! The tone of Shui Jing does not convey anger; rather, it seems to contain a hint of surprise. You are not injured at all!

They are all here; take a look at what can be used. Shui Jing took off her backpack and handed it entirely to Ling Yu, her demeanor extremely vigilant, with her nostrils occasionally flaring.

Wait... the phrase "a flash of inspiration"... that's it! He thought of it!

Ling Yujing took a moment to calm her mind and was surprised to find that her body felt heavier than usual, and standing upright seemed particularly strenuous

"How could this happen..." Shui Jing's voice was tinged with tears as she turned Ling Yu over, her own hands stained with blood

In the astonished gaze of the water mirror, the creature seemed to be in immense pain, with all its vines and roots thrashing desperately, causing the water mirror to feel as if its waist was being constricted to the point of suffocation

Water Mirror, give me the camera with the flash!

I cannot leave you all alone! Ling Yu, with a deeply affectionate expression, said, "I am willing to die alongside you"