Chapter 147: Dark Nest (The Unpredictable Madman)
This is a moody lunatic.
The high-ranking cultist who was enduring the severe pain had a distorted face. He bit the flesh in his mouth tightly with the little bit of self-esteem he had left, unwilling to utter another wail. The strong smell of rust spreads in the mouth and flows into the throat, making people feel sick.
His empty eyes reflected the young man's smile. He only felt that the thread had the effect of absorbing energy, sucking away all the black mist that his body depended on for survival, so that now he couldn't even fight back, otherwise the only remaining mist would disappear, and he might die here.
die.
My heart was beating so fast that I almost suffocated. Countless questions came to my mind, which were messed up by the threads pulled by the joints and turned into some breath sounds coming out of my nasal cavity.
In fact, he didn't take the young man seriously at first. He has been in this camp for two years. He has witnessed the reconstruction and prosperity of the Dark Nest. Even the leader has treated him favorably. Who here doesn't know his name? Apart from him, who else under the leader can compare with him in the intricacy of embroidery patterns?
Just relying on a young man who overestimates his own capabilities and tries to show off his power?
Ever since the cultist laid eyes on the young man, he had been constantly pondering his identity. As a well-known figure in the Dark Nest, he dared to swear that he had never seen this person before. The other person's temperament was indeed special, unique and you would never forget it once you saw it.
He is also very arrogant. This was the cultists' first comment on this man.
The black robe is the designated uniform of the Dark Nest. Every believer who is recognized by the Dark Nest will receive a specially tailored robe with Dark Nest-exclusive patterns embroidered on it to highlight the believer's status.
Interestingly, the level of detail and beauty of the gilded embroidery patterns can be determined by believers themselves. Therefore, in theory, even a newcomer to the sect can request to have the same pattern embroidered as the leader - as long as he has the strength to match it, so that he will not be killed after asking this question.
Therefore, this also demonstrates the ambitions of the believers. However, with the passage of time and various bloody events, the complexity of the gilded embroidery patterns was gradually used only to show each person's class, and it has been a long time since there has been a fearless newcomer who dared to make such an arrogant move.
So after seeing the young man wearing a black robe, everyone was now surprised, even more than unbelievable - why didn't they know that there was such a newcomer joining the Dark Nest?
But the authentication device cannot be faked.
How could the authentication device be faked?
The requirements for entering the Dark Nest base camp are extremely harsh. Just enduring the invasion of the special black fog has eliminated countless people. Those corpses have turned into bones that covered the entire mud ground and were buried underground and became nutrients. Every cultist is proud of the protective formation developed by their leader himself, and they firmly believe that no one can cross this formation and invade the interior. After several years of brainwashing and influence, this has almost become a blind belief.
So, newcomers, what is there to be afraid of? That brief oppression might have been due to some trick. Based on his status as a senior, he didn't mind giving a few moments of instruction after breaking the other's pride. Tell him: It’s not easy to climb up.
The cultists were clearly wrong.
His voice was hoarse, and the wounds on his body had turned from stinging pain to dull pain. The bright red stuck to the silk thread, making the silver thread that should have been invisible visible, and the red stained lips and tongue that had once sneered were sewn together, and the young man's fingertips viciously picked up the thread, tearing the bright red flesh.
This is not a newcomer.
He is a complete lunatic who is pretending to be a pig but is actually a tiger.
——
"Since you're asking a question, you should at least give the other person a chance to answer, right?"
"This...elder."
At the critical moment, a man came up with a frivolous tone.
The reinforcements that were brought in were arranged in an orderly manner. The man who spoke was standing in the front row, alone. The black robe he was wearing had intricate gold-plated patterns, and was as exaggerated and gorgeous as a colorful peacock.
Shi Xu tilted his head in surprise.
It was not for any other reason, but simply because this cultist was different from the other hostages - he did not wear a hood, but instead put it behind his neck, leaving his androgynous face exposed to everyone, and the people around him were all used to it.
So the hood doesn't have to be worn... or does this person have special permission?
As soon as the fingertips loosened, the silk thread was cut. Shi Xu withdrew his hand, and with a faint smile, he let those who had lost their restraints fall heavily to the ground. The dull sound of flesh hitting the ground was so painful to hear.
The high-ranking cultist slammed his knees against the ground, nearly shattering his joints. His face became distorted once again, but he could only struggle to squirm to the side, keeping his head down and not saying a word.
Shi Xu ignored him. The cultist who had just arrived didn't pay any attention to him. He just glanced at the other party with sarcasm when he was moving awkwardly, without any sympathy at all.
"Thank you for your kindness, Elder." The cultist whose gender could not be identified smiled brightly, and said in a strange tone, "The bloody smell is too strong here, and it's not convenient to chat at all. Why don't we go to another place? Then we can introduce ourselves to each other."
He looked like a teenager, not very tall, about fifteen or sixteen years old. Shi Xu tilted his head and looked at the other person calmly.
But in a place like this, who would really believe this human skin?
He nodded in agreement, without commenting, and naturally accepted the cultist's attitude of praising him: "Okay. Then please lead the way?"
"How dare I, Elder~" the other party replied in that disgusting tone, "You are superior to me, so you should walk in front."
The cultist threw back the hood that had fallen to his shoulders, leaned forward and made an awkward salute: "Please—"
This is a silent and blatant test.
The ball of light huddled in its robe shook itself in disgust.
"How can this androgynous person speak like this!" The great world consciousness was confused about this person's gender, "and I always feel a familiar sense of disgust."
"It's familiar." Shi Xu talked to it in his mind, "Listening to his tone... don't you think he is very similar to the cultist who contacted Lu Qingyuan a few days ago? Maybe it's the same person."
The light ball suddenly realized and recalled the tone and voice of the contacter that night. The same androgynous, the same frivolous and annoying look, and compared to the one in front of him, there is only a slight difference in attitude... the annoying feeling remains the same.
"He asked you to lead the way." Halfway through the recollection, the light ball urgently remembered the current predicament, "Oh no, we don't know the way. But does this mean that the cultists recognize your identity?"
Indeed recognized. Shi Xu raised an eyebrow.
In the end, the cultists' blind faith in their leader was the best catalyst for the evil. Should this be considered retribution in this life?
However, even if they believed in his identity as a fellow cultist, it did not mean that they also recognized his fabricated identity as an "elder" - in the dark nest, secrets always grow quietly, and if you are not careful, it is easy to lose your life unworthy. Therefore, no one will rashly doubt this, and their judgment will only gradually be paralyzed by the "evidence".
Just like during the Battle of Zhuolu, after Shi Xu revealed the internal information of the Dark Nest, the man in black robe easily believed the news that the other party was a cultist who was hiding his identity and was affiliated with the leader.
And now, Shi Xu is going to use the same method to achieve the same goal as last time.
"All of this is based on the leader's slumber. As long as the real leader doesn't overthrow my false identity, I will have enough confidence to establish it."
"I'm not in the mood to chat with you." He suddenly stopped smiling, and the pressure of a storm loomed. "Tell me, where is the leader? If you have something important to tell me, I don't mind stepping over you to get there."
It's extremely unpredictable. The people who were servile under the pressure of the powerful psychic in the air secretly complained in their hearts, and the tortured high-ranking cultists huddled in the corner, lowered their heads and pretended to be dead.
But the guy opposite was no ordinary person either. His every move was smooth and skillful like a seasoned veteran, and he kept smiling and his expression never changed.
"It's not that I don't want to take you, Elder!" He clapped his hands vigorously. "The leader is currently sleeping and cannot be disturbed. Even if it is your request, it is difficult for us."
"If it's really urgent, we can wake up the leader as quickly as possible, but before that, you still have to wait for a while... Isn't this just the right time for us to have a frank chat?"
"The leader hasn't woken up yet?" Shi Xu lowered his voice.
"Yes! It's all because of those damned ones who always come to disturb the leader's peace." The cultist clapped his hands again, and the crisp sound of the applause was used as punctuation. "So you will have to wait for a while, Elder."
"please--"
He made that awkward salute again, tilted his neck and looked at Shi Xu with a smile.
The young man in a long robe snorted coldly and walked straight past him. The cultist who was obediently lowering his head behind him followed him. The young man whose gender was difficult to distinguish also squinted his eyes, stood up, and followed behind Shi Xu on the right side, jumping and skipping.
The young man calmly observed this "elder" whom he had never seen before.
Shi Xu was walking casually in a certain direction, not paying any attention to the crowd following him, as if he was ignoring them.
His posture and movements were very relaxed, as natural as if he were at home. He was familiar with every corner, which was impossible for someone who came here for the first time...but when he looked at a certain area, his body paused slightly. Judging from the young man's undisguised emotions, he seemed to be unhappy.
Why don't you like it? The young man kept smiling and thought secretly. He glanced at several areas that the young man paid special attention to, and suddenly had an idea.
The passage of the secret nest is as rugged and winding as a rat hole, and the real nest inside is naturally as hidden and diverse as a cave. Rooms of different sizes are dug together, with so many corners that it can make people dizzy, and the functions of each room are always changing.
The torch was sealed on the wall, burning with a crackling sound and emitting sparks. The Dark Nest prefers luxury and ancient styles, which can be seen from the decoration of the nest and the uniforms of the believers.
The areas that have attracted the attention of young people have recently been given new uses.
It seems that the young man really knows a lot about the Dark Nest.
It’s just that I was away for too long, and lived in anonymity for too long, so when I came back after completing the mission, I found that the area I used to be in had changed?
The young man looked at the meeting room he was about to arrive at and confirmed his idea. His tentative move of asking someone to lead the way was also confirmed. He breathed a sigh of relief, glad that he did not say anything inappropriate.
But due to his suspicious nature, he was still worried.
"I need to try it again..." He thought with narrowed eyes.
——
[Go a little further.] Then go right through two doors and the first door on the left is the meeting room. 】
In the hidden headset, Wuma Tu became the navigation voice indifferently, reporting the route to someone with a relaxed look on his face.
While Shi Xu was chatting with the cultists to stall for time, he had already controlled the flying insect to fly around the crowd and began to observe each room by flapping its wings frantically. When it was almost over, he flapped his wings again to rush back and flew above the huge group of people to inform them of the route.
Because he was almost confused, Wuma Tu quickly took a pen and paper and drew an abstract map.
[You can take a closer look at the mural on the left. Two cultists just changed the painting not long ago. 】
Shi Xu was amused by the other party's desperate tone and glanced over with a smile. His inaudible laughter was caught by the people behind him, causing the cultists to shudder in fear.
The young man became even more certain after seeing this.
"This is it." Shi Xu stopped in front of a door and knocked on the luxurious door with his knuckles. "Or has even the conference room been repurposed?"
"No, elder, of course you are not mistaken." The young man kicked the cultist behind him hard. The cultist staggered and immediately stepped forward with a smile and pushed open the heavy stone door.
So why did we have to build the Anshi Gate? It’s incomprehensible. Shi Xu glanced at him speechlessly and stepped into the room.
"Well, let's talk."
He took his seat slowly, with the corners of his lips slightly raised when he raised his head. Even though he was looking up, he still gave people a sense of superiority.
The young man's tone was ambiguous.
"Let's have a frank chat before the leader wakes up."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
