Meng Huai was quite tall, while Lu Xiaohe, standing near her, appeared petite.
Lu Xiaohe’s mental and physical energy couldn’t hold on for long against the overwhelming memories. They melted and shattered like wafers, revealing the scenes behind her.
The “Lonely” cats took the opportunity to huddle together openly, hiding behind the group of people. Huang Jin and Ge Tingting stood still, with Huang Jin tightly holding Ge Tingting, whose face turned red. They both looked at Qi Xin. Fu Tianyi held Dr. Cat tightly in his arms, nervously holding his breath.
The expressions of Yin Ren and Zhong Chengshuo were different, as if their souls had been exchanged—Yin Ren’s lips were tightly pursed and his mouth turned downward, while Zhong Chengshuo fixedly gazed at Lu Xiaohe’s back with eyes filled with a questioning look.
Meng Huai crossed her arms and still stood at the forefront of the trio. She narrowed her eyes and carefully observed Lu Xiaohe for a while.
“Alright.” She ruffled her hair. “I believe you’re not a person from Sunken Society.”
Upon hearing this, the man behind her immediately showed a hesitant expression. Meng Huai seemed to have eyes on the back of her head as she responded without turning around, “What’s the matter, Xiao Zheng? Do you have any objections to my judgment?”
“I just thought it would be better to be more cautious…”
Meng Huai: “People from Sunken Society wouldn’t be able to show these emotions. If we’re talking about cognitive pollution, I don’t have that much imagination. These arguments seem a bit subjective. Well, let’s say they’re sixty percent accurate.”
The man’s eyebrows twitched, but he remained silent. Yin Ren was familiar with this helpless expression. It was the same expression that Professor Li wore every time he faced the various “intuitions” of Fu Xingchuan.
Being recognized so quickly, even Lu Xiaohe herself showed a trace of disagreement on her face.
Meng Huai didn’t waste any more words. “Miss Lu, let me answer the question you care about the most. I haven’t seen your mother but given that you came here to search for missing people, I probably know where she is.”
After finishing her sentence, she added succinctly, “No one has died or gone insane in the past month, so your mother is definitely fine.”
Her tone was sharp and domineering, making these words sound genuine and convincing.
Lu Xiaohe felt her whole body sway as if a force had been sucked out of her. However, she still stood her ground, trying hard to suppress the relaxation on her face. “But you…”
But she was still unsure if the people in front of her were genuine.
“They are human,” Qi Xin said disappointedly when she realized there would be no fight. “If you don’t intend to fight, don’t waste any more of my time.”
She glanced somewhat regretfully at Yin Ren. Yin Ren pretended not to understand that look—anything that couldn’t force Yin Ren to take action was considered a waste of time in Qi Xin’s eyes.
In a sense, “Sorrow” wasn’t any better than “Love”. Ms. Qi only wanted to train her cub; she genuinely didn’t care about the life or death of humans.
Meng Huai glanced at everyone and beckoned with her finger. “It’s not convenient to talk here. Miss Lu, Mr. Zhong… You, you, you, and that cat, come with me.”
Her finger smoothly pointed at Ge Tingting, Huang Jin, and Fu Tianyi holding the cat, deliberately skipping Yin Ren and Qi Xin.
Yin Ren couldn’t sit still anymore. “Ms. Meng, what’s the meaning of this?”
Meng Huai smiled slightly. “I’ll only take humans to the stronghold of humans. Sorry, but something feels off about you two.”
Qi Xin was quite satisfied with this outcome, and her tone became relieved. “Take them all, they’re yours.”
Mr. Zhong, pretending to be clueless, pondered for a moment and decided to play dumb. He comfortingly squeezed Yin Ren’s hand, took two steps, and walked to Ge Tingting and Huang Jin’s sides.
“I’ll be back soon. It’s a good opportunity to gather information,” Before leaving, Zhong Chengshuo said with a serious expression. “Take good care of yourself.”
Yin Ren: “…” Meng Huai’s intuition was quite remarkable, but unfortunately, she missed the biggest one.
Yin Ren: “Alright, I’ll wait nearby.”
Yin Ren wasn’t too worried about the safety of these people. Although Qi Xin didn’t care about humans, at least she wasn’t foolish—if anyone from Unit 9 died due to Qi Xin’s judgment, he would definitely turn against her. Since Qi Xin voluntarily vouched for them, there shouldn’t be any problem with the identities of these people on the Other Side.
Meng Huai didn’t want to reveal the true identities of the humans to a Primordial Elemental, which was understandable. At least the members of Unit 9 who went along would learn some self-defense skills. Meng Huai had managed to survive on the Other Side for nearly thirty years, so her methods must be quite formidable.
…Zhong Chengshuo might even be safer over there.
This thought was like a thorn that pricked Yin Ren as soon as it emerged. He couldn’t help but hold his breath and look at the retreating figures of his companions.
The two groups of humans met at the gate of the small courtyard.
Yin Ren watched as Zhong Chengshuo rushed to Zhong Chengfeng’s side, urgently saying something, and towards the end, the female officer cried and laughed. Meng Huai kept chatting non-stop with Lu Xiaohe, most likely confirming the situation at Shian.
The remaining rear commander seemed enthusiastic as they chatted with Dr. Cat—this person had only disappeared two years ago, so they must have heard about their famous feline colleague.
On the Other Side, even if the visual distance wasn’t far, Yin Ren still couldn’t hear what they were saying or read their lips. In the end, he could only withdraw his gaze dejectedly.
Gao Mengyu’s cat approached cautiously and rubbed against his hand with its soft limbs.
Yin Ren: “What’s the matter?”
“You smell delicious,” the cat said. “The person who used to feed me would occasionally emit this scent. At those times, she would always come to hug me. Do you want to hug me?”
Yin Ren gently touched the sticky and brain-like limbs of the cat. “Thank you, but no need.”
He watched as Zhong Chengshuo waved at him, and then the group disappeared into the vortex. Silence returned to the vicinity of the small courtyard, and the cats once again pulled out their tablecloth and started lounging on it.
In the vast courtyard, besides the “Lonelies” lying everywhere, only Yin Ren and Qi Xin remained.
Qi Xin: “Cub, what are you thinking?”
“I feel lonely, sad, and afraid, and I’m hungry, like a little match seller.” Yin Ren’s face drooped. “I hate this kind of quiet environment the most.”
“Those humans won’t die.” Qi Xin clumsily comforted. “The woman in charge knows what she’s doing. It was only just now that I realized the existence of those three humans.”
Yin Ren’s face drooped even more severely. “I understand the reasoning.”
Qi Xin fell silent for a moment, then gave up on the “comforting” route and instead asked straightforwardly, “So what’s your plan?”
Only then did Yin Ren turn his head. “I plan to do as you wish and gain power as soon as possible—to become strong enough to easily find those people and go to their side.”
“Oh, I like that.”
Qi Xin revealed that awkward smile again, seeming human yet not quite.
“I’ll say it upfront. The process will be painful and extremely dangerous—without Old Fear around, are you sure you want to try?”
Yin Ren didn’t hesitate for a second. “It’s precisely because he’s not around that I want to give it a try as much as possible.”
“Quite the ambitious bunch you all are,” Qi Xin rolled her eyes and muttered to herself.
“What did you say?”
“Nothing.”
……
Meng Huai’s way of traveling was completely different from the cat legion.
She led everyone out of the tunnel, then took out some fresh black and white minced meat from her personal belongings. She mixed them together, put on a ring on her right hand, and pressed it firmly onto the mixture, drawing a simple symbol.
Compared to the exquisite and elegant magical rituals in the human world, this method was rough, like an ancient ceremony.
But it was effective.
In an instant, the surrounding space cracked like fish scales. Zhong Chengshuo’s vision was filled with wild colors swirling, and his footing shifted between solid and empty. When he stabilized himself, the scene before him had completely changed.
He had never seen this room before, but the door plaque was clear—Emergency Management Department’s dedicated office area.
The details of the room were vivid, and the view outside the window was beautiful. At first glance, Zhong Chengshuo even thought they had returned to the human world.
Under the afternoon sun, the tables and chairs were arranged haphazardly, and several whiteboards were filled with densely packed battle plans. Three camp beds were placed in the corner of the room, with a few pieces of clothing scattered on them. The door to the bathroom was ajar, emitting a damp smell.
On one side of the room, the screen wall in the office area continuously played various scenes.
If this was the real Emergency Management Department, it would probably display images of severe accidents or the latest data analysis from the science division. But at this moment, the scenes on the screen were heartwarming.
A young Zhong Chengfeng showed her parents her first police uniform with a face still carrying a hint of innocence. Young Meng Huai and Li Nian sat on the couch, snacking and watching horror movies. One laughed heartily, while the other remained expressionless. The man who had been missing for two years held a newborn baby, leaning forward to kiss his wife’s cheek, his eyes filled with unwavering love.
One event after another, one moment after another, all the best people and the best times.
They looped on the display screen, occasionally switching to another segment. Each segment was vivid and resembled a recorded video.
“After staying in this hellhole for a long time, we need something to reminisce about,” Meng Huai explained generously when she saw Zhong Chengshuo constantly looking at the screen. “Have a seat. As long as it doesn’t involve electricity and signals, we can imagine and use things—oh, right, don’t imagine food, and definitely don’t touch anything outside that resembles food.”
Huang Jin silently put down the mini shelf he was holding.
Meng Huai smiled at him, grabbed a whiteboard, and quickly wiped it clean. “I’m sure you all have a lot of questions, so ask away. Ah, it’s been a while since I had this kind of mission briefing!”
Ge Tingting was about to speak but was stopped by Zhong Chengshuo.
He may not be familiar with social etiquette, but he knew how to negotiate with “mission targets”.
Although everyone was friendly now, Zhong Chengfeng had basically believed in his identity as a member of the Zhong family. However, her gun was still not put away, Meng Huai maintained a low center of gravity, and the rear commander stayed in a safe corner. These people had been on the Other Side for a long time, so it was impossible to give them complete trust easily.
In this situation, the first question was crucial. It wouldn’t be appropriate if Ge Tingting opened her mouth to ask “How to gain power for battle” or “Do you have any other companions”.
“You said you know the situation of the other missing individuals—where are they? How are they doing now?” Zhong Chengshuo was the first to ask.
Meng Huai raised an eyebrow with a hint of approval on her face. “Honestly, I thought something was off about you, boy. But with that statement, you have a bit of the scent of Shian.”
She casually picked up the pen next to the whiteboard and lightly tapped it on the clean surface.
This moment was like throwing a stone into a lake, causing countless ripples to spread through the space. The images on the display wall paused momentarily, then a blinding white light emerged from the front wall and pressed towards everyone.
Zhong Chengshuo managed to raise his hand, but the white light dissipated before reaching him.
When he opened his eyes again, the other three members of Unit 9, Fu Tianyi and Meiqiu, were all still by his side. However, they were no longer in the Shian Office in the afternoon; instead, they were in a vast white space.
In the white space without any visible boundaries, it was filled with densely intertwined translucent white threads, creating a narrow and crowded environment resembling a white rainforest covered in vines. These threads were everywhere, winding around and forming nest-like structures with graceful arcs.
Zhong Chengshuo glanced at the nearest nest. Within each nest, several translucent white arms gently embraced a white cocoon, which, despite being thickly wrapped, still showed a human shape. Soft and gentle murmurs flowed out from the openings of the nests.
At first glance, it resembled the white world full of giant feet created by “Joy”.
An enemy attack?
No, it didn’t seem like it. There was no hostility around, nor the presence of a colossal being. Compared to the special space constructed by the Primordial Elementals, this place seemed more like…
More like a flashback.
And what happened next quickly confirmed Zhong Chengshuo’s speculation—
“There!” Meiqiu’s tail exploded.
Zhong Chengshuo immediately shifted his gaze, and behind him was a vortex hanging in the air.
Meng Huai, holding the unconscious Zhong Chengfeng, shouted desperately with a hoarse voice, struggling madly within the vortex. “What kind of damn place is this? Comrades, put in more effort! We’re about to drag innocent people into this! We’ll face punishment!!!”
Countless ghostly hands surrounded her, and those fierce ghosts were working together, apparently intending to pull her back to the human world. Unfortunately, the vortex continued to slowly and irresistibly engulf her.
Judging by her appearance, she was wearing the same red shirt, but her hair wasn’t yet disheveled. Meng Huai was covered in sweat and mud stains, and the clothes on her body were twisting and changing, gradually transforming into a police uniform.
“Ah, fuck me. Ahhhhhhhh—”
In the midst of Meng Huai’s sorrowful and angry screams, the vortex seemed like a mouth spitting out two watermelon seeds. It spat out both of them into the space with a “pff” sound. In the next instant, it simply vanished.
The white threads gave her no time to react as they swiftly entangled her from all directions. It was as if countless invisible spiders were spinning around the two of them, determined to wrap them up into two white cocoons.
Yes, two cocoons.
This meant that they needed to separate the two individuals first. The white threads patiently wrapped around their feet, pulling them in opposite directions.
As a candidate for the Minister of the Emergency Management Department, Meng Huai’s reaction speed was extremely fast. She held the unconscious Zhong Chengfeng tightly and quickly cast her spells. The moment she realized that her magic had failed, she reached for her bag of spirit weapons.
Huang Jin sighed on the side. Inanimate objects couldn’t enter the other realm, so it seemed that Ms. Meng Huai’s equipment was more of a liability than a blessing.
Sure enough, she came up empty-handed.
With two failed attempts, Meng Huai’s face twisted in frustration. At the same time, her legs were tightly wrapped by the white threads, and the shape of the entanglement was somewhat similar to the “nest cocoon” that surrounded them from all directions.
However, Meng Huai didn’t give up. She sneered and reached into her bosom.
This time, she pulled out a small ball sealed with a talisman. After tearing it open in three swift motions, a small, aged silver bell appeared, with its silver oxidized to a near-black color.
Meanwhile, the Evil Force surged violently, and the speed at which the white threads entangled them suddenly slowed down, as if they were wary of something.
Zhong Chengshuo: “…”
He recognized this item. It was the silver bell Yin Ren used to wear around his ankle.
During his time as the Great Celestial Master, Yin Ren used the silver bell to warn others, allowing the public to retreat. However, due to its fragile material, the silver bell was lost several times during Yin Ren’s fights against the Evil Spirits. Later on, he replaced it with a bone bell made from his own bones.
In theory, these items should be in the location where the Evil Spirits were sealed, inaccessible to ordinary people. But considering they were excavated by Shian, it seemed quite reasonable.
A typical corruption source of Evil Force, and the Evil Force on it belonged to “Fear”.
Meng Huai successfully brought it into the Other Side.
“Eat shit!”
Meng Huai held Zhong Chengfeng tightly with one hand and tightly clenched the bell with the other, pressing it against the white threads on their feet. Her movements were swift, and the white threads couldn’t avoid it in time, coming into close contact with the black bell.
Crack!
Like a flame igniting a fuse, the white threads immediately caught fire, desperately trying to escape. The black bell also quickly melted, emitting a burning red light, forcing Meng Huai to let go.
The black remnants fell to the snowy white ground. Like a drop of strong acid, it instantly corroded a huge hole, revealing the chaotic gray-black exterior.
On the other side, as the bell shrank smaller and smaller, the surrounding threads began to stir again.
Taking advantage of the bell not being completely corroded, Meng Huai embraced Zhong Chengfeng and, without hesitation, jumped into that chaos.
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