After Lin Weiran slipped out of the laboratory, she waited at the agreed-upon location for a long time.
It wasn’t until nightfall that the tall and slender figure reappeared.
Qi Huiling removed her headscarf, revealing her beautiful long hair, and casually asked, “Settled?”
“Mm.”
“You were quite fast.” Qi Huiling chuckled. “Let’s go. Time to head back.”
Lin Weiran followed behind her, walking for a while before she couldn’t help but ask, “Why?”
“What do you mean, why?”
“Why are you so confident that just the two of us could take care of them? Aren’t you afraid of anything unexpected happening?”
Ever since she heard about this plan, Lin Weiran had been doubting it every moment—could she, a Tier 6 ability user, and a completely combat-inept intelligence-type ability user really manage to take down both Jiang Hong and Su Su in one stroke?
If anything went wrong at any stage, the ones who would die would be the two of them.
“There won’t be any accidents.”
As she spoke, Qi Huiling’s tone was more arrogant than ever. She had absolute confidence in her plan and her preparations. And the facts proved that everything had gone exactly as she had predicted, without a single hitch.
“I spent months preparing this grand gift just to get rid of Jiang Hong.” Qi Huiling curled her lips slightly. “He will have no burial place, and I will undoubtedly eliminate this greatest obstacle hindering the Guild’s progress on behalf of the Sages.”
“If he has to blame someone, he can only blame himself for being too aggressive, too sharp, and too arrogant.”
The Sages had long noticed Jiang Hong’s resistance against the Research Guild. They were also fully aware that he had been secretly investigating all of the Guild’s research.
And those things they had done—was there anything that could truly withstand scrutiny?
No.
If they allowed such a formidable enemy to continue existing, it would inevitably spell disaster sooner or later and cause the Guild to suffer a major setback.
Thus, Qi Huiling had taken the initiative to propose and orchestrate this grand westward hunt.
“Jiang Hong was just too easy to bait. A completely fabricated research breakthrough was enough to lure him in willingly.”
“As for Su Su and her battle pet, they were an unexpected bonus. The information you provided was too detailed. With such a formidable and dangerous potential enemy, of course, we had to eliminate her as soon as possible.”
Perhaps due to her exceptionally good mood, Qi Huiling hooked her finger under Lin Weiran’s chin, toying with her as if teasing a capable little pet.
“Do you know why the Sages sent you here?”
Lin Weiran was silent for a moment. “Isn’t it because I’m obedient?”
To restore Si Zhe as soon as possible, she had accepted every mission with unwavering dedication, completing them flawlessly. She was undoubtedly the most useful ability user.
Qi Huiling shook her finger. “There are plenty of obedient people in the Guild. You wouldn’t even make the list.”
Lin Weiran pressed her lips together. “Then why me?”
“Because I was the one who recommended you to the Sages!”
“This westward operation wasn’t just going to lure in Jiang Hong; it would also attract Su Su and her people. And you—you have deep ties with her. Though you’re biological cousins, you’ve become mortal enemies. Such a delicate relationship is just too convenient to exploit.”
“You really didn’t disappoint me. To be honest, you’ve been waiting for this opportunity for a long time, haven’t you?”
Lin Weiran gave no response.
Qi Huiling didn’t mind her silence. She clapped her hands together and said to herself, “Let’s wait until we return to the base. There’s still another great show waiting.”
Now that the plan had succeeded, Qi Huiling had no reservations about revealing all her schemes.
What Lin Weiran had only half-understood before was now crystal clear—her role in this entire operation.
Escorting Researcher Qi had only been a façade; the real purpose had been to drag Su Su into this conspiracy as well.
Lin Weiran lifted her head and looked at Qi Huiling. This woman, having achieved her goal, now bore a manic, almost delirious smile.
She had never been so acutely aware that the people of the Research Guild, especially the leading intelligence-type evolvers, were nothing more than a group of self-obsessed lunatics.
Who would have thought that the grand, official westward expedition was nothing but an illusion from start to finish—a burial ground designed to wipe out the high-tier ability users of the Northern Base?
Now, the Ability Guild had only one Tier 6 ability user left to guard it. The Battle Pet Guild had only a single Tier 6 battle pet remaining.
Two of the strongest factions had crumbled overnight.
If, at this moment, just a few more Tier 6 powerhouses appeared to challenge these two weakened guilds, they would soon be reduced to nothing but a name…
But that was unlikely.
Because those Tier 5 ability users with the most potential had already died in the desert.
One way or another, the Research Guild would reign supreme.
Lin Weiran took a deep breath.
What did any of this have to do with her?
Si Zhe was still inside the Research Guild’s healing pod. The stronger the guild became, the greater his chances of recovery.
Her heart had long since turned ice-cold. The lives of others meant nothing to her.
Before getting into the vehicle and leaving this desolate cluster of buildings, she turned back for a final glance.
In the very center of that yellow-earth structure lay buried the last blood-related family member she had in this world.
At the same time, it was also the person she hated most.
—It’s not my fault.
—If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for choosing the wrong side the moment you arrived at the base.
—Blame yourself for being too ruthless, too incapable of dealing with people. So much so that even I, your only cousin, didn’t want to stand by your side.
“What are you spacing out for? Hurry up and go!”
Lin Weiran abandoned the last trace of guilt and hesitation, turned around, and got into the off-road vehicle.
Under the night sky, the headlights grew more and more distant.
From within the massive, abandoned complex shrouded in darkness, a blood-soaked cheetah, its flesh mangled and torn, suddenly emerged.
Limping forward for a few meters, its blood-filled eyes locked onto the already distant off-road vehicle.
Then, it let out a piercing wail toward the sky.
And leaped forward in pursuit.
—
The fourth time Su Su woke up, she found herself nearly unable to breathe due to the tight grip around her waist.
She looked down…
A pair of powerful arms were wrapped around her waist, their long and well-defined hands gripping her tightly at her side.
…What the hell was going on???
Su Su was horrified, her body instantly struggling. As she flailed, her fingers accidentally brushed against a patch of bare, cool skin, and she immediately recoiled as if electrocuted.
“Who are you? Let go of me!”
Before she could kick out, a messy head of hair buried itself in the crook of her neck, and the small gap between their bodies closed again, leaving no space between them.
Her slender waist was tightly locked in the embrace behind her, and a pair of long, powerful arms completely restrained her in front.
The difference in physique was glaringly obvious.
Su Su had already forgotten the “hallucination” she saw when she woke up for the third time. She only knew that the one holding her down was a man! A strong and powerful man!
How could a man appear in the laboratory? Could this be another trick of Lin Weiran’s?
Just as she was panicking in uncertainty, a wet sensation suddenly pressed against her neck.
“Get off!!!”
Su Su’s abilities hadn’t fully recovered yet. At this moment, she could only clumsily lift her foot, trying to kick away the man behind her… but the moment her sole struck something, she felt the smooth, icy texture of scales.
Her brain instantly shut down.
She froze for three seconds before tremblingly reaching backward with her hand.
Her palm brushed against firm, well-defined abs, a taut waist, and two prominent V-lines that gradually merged into a snake’s tail, concealed beneath layers of muted, obsidian-black scales…
The breath against her neck suddenly grew heavier, and the arms around her waist tightened further.
A damp sensation slid across her earlobe.
Downward.
Leaving behind faint, lingering traces of moisture.
Su Su’s shawl had long since slipped off, and now, two sharp fangs pressed against her shoulder, as though they would pierce her skin in the next moment and inject venom into her veins.
An overwhelming sense of danger, the kind that came from being locked onto by a massive carnivorous predator, sent her brain into overdrive.
She scrambled with all her limbs, clawing her way out of his embrace, and without looking back, she fled to the corner of the laboratory.
The moment she left the warmth of the bedding, every inch of her exposed skin was forced into contact with the cold floor. Her hands and feet were icy.
Facing the dead-end corner of the wall, she hugged her shoulders and forced herself to stay calm for several seconds. Only after preparing herself mentally did she cautiously turn her head—
The abandoned serpent-man was still in the same place, his massive snake body coiled in layers within the bedding, with only his bare upper torso sitting upright.
Su Su barely glanced at him before quickly shifting her gaze upward, and finally, she saw his face clearly!
Messy black hair half-covered his narrow, upturned eyes, but his familiar dark green vertical pupils were still unmistakable. Deep, cold, and piercing—as if staring too long would pull her into their depths.
This inhuman trait, combined with his wickedly handsome yet deathly pale face, made him appear even more savage and terrifying—like a feral beast that had accidentally taken human form, always on the verge of tearing apart the closest prey.
Su Su’s heart skipped several beats.
From fear.
She thought she had prepared herself, but in truth, she hadn’t at all.
Caught off guard, facing such a snake-man head-on… there was no way to conceal her fear.
The worst part was, there was no gentleness in those vertical pupils—only a chilling, predatory gaze, as if he were looking at prey already destined for his stomach.
“Ah Xuan…”
Her voice trembled. She had only intended to confirm whether the serpent-man before her was still the Xiao Hei she knew after taking human form.
Yet, she never expected that this single, soft call would cause the previously motionless serpent-man to move!
He slithered toward her!
One was standing upright, the other had collapsed on the ground—the distance of a few meters was instantly closed.
When his vertical pupils faced away from the light, they appeared a deep black… making him seem even more ruthless and cold.
And that face—if one looked at the individual features, there was no doubt they were extraordinarily attractive. But when combined, an overwhelming sense of danger and cold menace surged forth.
Su Su’s back was already pressed tightly against the wall.
She uneasily lifted her head, meeting those vertical pupils that gazed down at her from above. Her hands nervously clenched the hem of her clothes, and without thinking, she blurted out—
“…Are you going to eat me?”
“Hiss.”
The serpent-man, coldly staring, flicked out a scarlet snake tongue. The countless inhuman traits stacked together made Su Su momentarily dazed—
Was this really her Xiao Hei?
Was this what he looked like after taking human form?
Why did he feel so unfamiliar…?
The fear and unease she had felt upon first waking surged back with full force.
She instinctively wanted to retreat further, but the slight rejection in her movements only made those deep black vertical pupils turn even colder!
In an instant, he lunged forward, forcefully scooping up her curled-up body from the corner.
Su Su was suddenly lifted into the air. Her hips and upper thighs were supported by a single strong arm, while her thin arms had nowhere to find purchase. Fearing she might fall from the height, she instinctively wrapped them tightly around the serpent-man’s neck.
Her pale, delicate face was now fully exposed beneath the direct light.
She was being scrutinized, observed… Every emotion on her face was laid bare before those inhuman eyes, leaving her no room to hide.
“Hiss.”
The scarlet snake tongue flicked out again.
This time, it traced along the corner of her lips, outlining their graceful curve, even deliberately teasing the slight pout of her lower lip. Every now and then, it brushed against the tightly pressed seam of her lips, as if testing the waters.
“…Ah Xuan, Xiao Hei…”
Su Su dared not loosen her grip, nor did she dare to turn away.
She was afraid.
And the main reason was his half-human, half-serpent form.
Xuan Mang knew this all too well.
He had never been fond of this form to begin with, yet the lingering energy shock from the Grade 7 crystal had forced him into transformation, and he couldn’t revert back for the time being.
But since things had already come to this… he wanted his female to accept it.
She had to accept it.
Under the glow of the light, his dark green vertical pupils became even more striking. If one stared long enough, they could clearly see the pitch-black core at their center. No matter how one looked at them, they exuded an eerie, bone-chilling coldness—completely devoid of human warmth, filled only with the ruthless instincts of a cold-blooded predator.
It was entirely opposite from the obedient and gentle image Su Su had imagined.
She shivered several times before finally forcing herself to turn her face away, avoiding direct eye contact with those vertical pupils.
But this very action happened to evade the snake’s tongue as well.
The serpent-man’s expression instantly turned ice-cold.
Paired with that already fierce and wickedly handsome face, along with his various inhuman traits, the sight alone was enough to make one’s heart tremble.
“Hiss!”
A strong hand suddenly gripped her face, forcing her to turn her head, leaving her no choice but to offer up the corner of her lips.
The serpent’s tongue flicked out again, tracing over her skin. Su Su’s eyes were already tinged with redness at the corners.
She felt neither tenderness nor affection.
This transformed serpent-man carried none of Xiao Hei’s obedient closeness.
Slowly, she withdrew her hands from around his neck.
For the first time… she was afraid of being close to him.