Chapter 27: Guilty Conscience

“Have you seen this Senior?” Jing Yang asked weakly.

He had already been put down by Qin Wu, but because the previous jolting had worsened his injuries, coupled with the relaxation of his taut nerves, he immediately collapsed, his breath feeble.

【Remember this site’s Domain name: for Taiwanese novels, recognize Chao Fang Bian】

Qin Wu did not answer. Seeing his near-death state, he took out the Minor Restoration Pill he had just bought that day and stuffed it into Jing Yang’s mouth.

He asked, “Can you still walk?”

Jing Yang felt a warm current constantly repairing his wounds and broken ribs within his body. “Is this a Minor Restoration Pill?”

Normally, when injured, he would grit his teeth and endure the pain to get treatment at the hospital; he could never bear to take a Medicinal Pill.

“Thank you, I will repay you in the future,” Jing Yang said earnestly.

It wasn’t just because of the Minor Restoration Pill, but also because he hadn’t abandoned him during such danger.

Qin Wu nodded nonchalantly.

In the pink and white Domain before them, petals fell to the ground, layering over layer, the terrifying sight of tentacles and bloodshot eyes completely gone.

“This place isn’t very safe. Let’s get further away,” Qin Wu glanced at the pink and white Domain. Despite the scene being so beautiful, he still felt uneasy.

“Okay.”

Jing Yang picked up Xiao Liu, and the two sprinted wildly again. After an unknown amount of time, when they could no longer see petals or tentacles and bloodshot eyes, they finally stopped.

Nearby happened to be a restaurant. Qin Wu looked at Jing Yang, “How about we eat something?”

He hadn’t eaten lunch yet.

“Sure.” Jing Yang was also carefree. He patted the money in his pocket, “Then I’ll treat today.”

The few of them walked into the restaurant and ordered a pile of signature dishes. Having distanced themselves from the danger, the two immediately relaxed.

Jing Yang leaned back in his chair, looking puzzled, “Hundreds of years ago, we hid in the Station precisely because the things outside the Station couldn’t detect this place. So how did the Black Mist Monsters invade?”

Qin Wu glanced at him. “That Black-clothed Cultivator had organs from the Black Mist Monsters on him. Who knows which scoundrel brought those things in from the outside? Wouldn’t that be like a homing beacon?”

Unexpectedly, Jing Yang was stunned for a moment, his expression suspicious. “Is that so?”

“But the body tissues of the Black Mist Monsters have been circulating in the black market since the exploration of the Taixu Ruins decades ago. Nothing happened for such a long time, so why suddenly…”

Qin Wu looked at him with a strange gaze. “That thing is so dangerous, didn’t they investigate it?”

“It used to be a restricted item, but those body tissues were all inert—things the Black Mist Monsters shed and didn’t need. Because using them could temporarily boost one’s cultivation, and later it was discovered they weren’t truly harmful, they gradually flowed into the black market,” Jing Yang explained. “Who would have thought it would turn out like this today.”

Qin Wu lowered his eyelids and took a sip of water from his cup.

Nothing had been heard for so many years, yet trouble erupted just half a year after his Transmigration. Could he really be that unlucky?

“Actually, my boss also has one of these things,” Jing Yang suddenly said. “He told me a few days ago that the thing looked a bit strange, as if… it had come alive.”

Qin Wu’s movement stopped. Over the years, countless monster body tissues had flowed into the black market. If they all became positioning devices…

Recalling the scene of the Taixu Sect’s destruction back then, Qin Wu shuddered.

But why did something inherently inert suddenly become alive?

Qin Wu’s hand trembled, causing ripples in the water in his cup.

Speaking of which, his Senior Brother was also a Black Mist Monster, whom he had awakened a few days ago.

Could this matter be related to him?

It shouldn’t be… right?

Qin Wu lowered his head guiltily and drank water fiercely.

…

…

Su Qinghe held the umbrella, controlling the petals to continuously charge toward the tentacles and bloodshot eyes.

Upon closer inspection, one could see that each petal was covered with cherry-sized mouths, and when the mouths opened, they revealed stark white, sharp teeth.

The tentacles and bloodshot eyes were constantly being gnawed away, and the petals were also assimilated.

But the number of pink petals was too great. The range of the scarlet aura finally began to shrink continuously, until only the Black-clothed Cultivator, the main body, remained.

All the eyes on his body opened, and a giant vertical eye condensed behind him. Countless sticky tentacles surged out of the vertical eye, clawing and lunging toward Su Qinghe.

Su Qinghe sneered, drew the sword from within her umbrella, and all the petals flew up, each radiating a chilling Sword Intent.

It was as if billions of Flying Swords struck down simultaneously. There was no sound at all; one could only see the black tentacles annihilating inch by inch, and the surrounding walls and houses silently turning to dust.

The Black-clothed Cultivator seemed frozen. The next second, his body suddenly cracked open, scattering like petals.

Su Qinghe retracted her long sword and closed her umbrella.

The pink and white petals vanished like an illusion.

She landed lightly, took out an embroidered handkerchief from her robe, and picked up a withered, decaying eyeball where the Black-clothed Cultivator had died.

Her figure flashed, and she disappeared from the spot.

“You’re back,” Yin Shuo said as he watched Su Qinghe return.

She unfolded the handkerchief wrapped around the eyeball and presented it before Yin Shuo’s eyes.

“Is this the source of this incident?” Yin Shuo looked down at the eyeball, his brow furrowing tighter and tighter.

“What is that thing?” The Executive Officer leaned over to look and immediately froze. “Isn’t this…”

Yin Shuo took the eyeball, emanating a terrifying low pressure. Of course, he knew what this thing was. If these things could lead to the invasion of Black Mist Monsters, he shuddered to think of the chaos that would ensue.

He looked into the Executive Officer’s eyes. “Issue an order immediately: recall all the body tissues of the Black Mist Monsters at the fastest speed possible. No need to keep any; destroy them all. From now on, this item is listed as a prohibited item!”

“Also, I want to see the other twelve Executive Officers!”

…

…

Qin Wu and the other two had finished eating. Jing Yang slammed the table. “It’s a pity that Black-clothed Cultivator died. Now Xiao Yu’s whereabouts are unknown!”

“Why don’t you suspect he killed Xiao Yu?” Qin Wu asked doubtfully. It wasn’t that he wished Xiao Yu dead, but that was the first reaction for many people.

Jing Yang gave a bitter smile, looking at the light reflected on the glass water cup. “You probably don’t know, but human lives are also quite valuable.”

“When I was little, I wandered everywhere and saw many children or adults go missing. They were actually sold. I don’t know what they wanted these people for, nor who wanted them, but the missing people never reappeared.”

“Sometimes when I walk down the street, I can feel someone watching me. This situation only got much better after I gained a Spiritual Root and joined the Night Sands Casino, which also gave me the capacity to protect others.”

Qin Wu felt the name ‘Night Sands Casino’ sounded familiar when Jing Yang mentioned it. It took him a moment to recall that this was the casino his Little Maternal Uncle often frequented.

Jing Yang didn’t know what he was thinking and continued, “The Black-clothed Cultivator today could have killed me, but he only severely injured me. So, I suspect he intended to sell Xiao Yu, meaning Xiao Yu might not be dead either.”

Saying this, he became dejected again. “But now that he’s dead, where can we find Xiao Yu?”

Qin Wu just patted his shoulder to comfort him. “Xiao Yu’s trouble was because of me, so I will find a way to look for him.”

“How will you look for him?” Jing Yang asked doubtfully.

Qin Wu revealed a smile. “Naturally, at the Golden Jade Tower.”

Since they didn’t know, he would go find those who did.

However, buying intelligence there wasn’t cheap.

After parting ways with Jing Yang and Xiao Liu, he stood outside, lost in thought.

The previous escape seemed long, but it actually took only a few minutes. The sky hadn’t darkened yet.

Just as Qin Wu was about to take a vehicle to the Golden Jade Tower again, he saw a familiar figure flash into the alley behind the restaurant.

He changed his direction and silently followed.