Gou Fugui and Xie Tianlang returned from the restaurant downstairs, bringing back the information they had heard from the proprietress and the proprietress. They also brought back a thermos of rice porridge for Song Sanchuan and Si Wuyai.
Because of the sea otter's personal evolution pocket, Song Sanchuan and Si Wuyai had no shortage of food. The bucket of rice porridge, along with the spicy hot pot and blanched vegetables they took out of the pocket, were eaten clean by the two of them.
"So there's nothing particularly noteworthy about the legend, but there's definitely something wrong with the lake in Water Mist City, right?"
Song Sanchuan drew his conclusion while washing the thermos and dishes.
Gou Fugui thought for a moment, nodded, then shook his head: "I can't say whether there's a problem with the lake water or something in the lake, but I'll definitely have to go check it out later. As for the legend... I'm a little concerned about the part about the celestial being descending from the sky."
"What's there to care about? I've heard hundreds, if not thousands, of legends about immortals descending to earth. Aren't they all about immortals coming down to earth to punish evil and vanquish demons?"
Gou Fugui looked at him and said, "That's right, but think about the words you used just now, like 'a celestial being descended to earth' and 'a god descending to earth,' but you didn't use the phrase 'a celestial being descended from heaven,' did you?"
Song Sanchuan exclaimed, "Seriously? You're nitpicking over such words?! What they meant was that the immortals descended from heaven and didn't belong to the mortal realm, okay? Should we say they were born from heaven instead of descending from heaven?"
Gou Fugui clicked his tongue, realizing he was being a bit too sensitive: "Okay, maybe I was nitpicking. But why would a celestial being suddenly descend from the sky into the lake? Could it be that the celestial being is associated with water?"
Song Sanchuan nodded: "Maybe that immortal is actually the Dragon King and Dragon Girl from heaven, or a turtle, crab, or carp spirit? That's how myths and legends are made up."
Gou Fugui could only roll his eyes at Song Sanchuan, not wanting to talk to this guy anymore.
He turned to look at Si Wuyai: "What did you find over there? You don't look too good."
"To put it mildly" is an understatement. Si Wuyai's expression was like that of a slacker facing a problem that only a top student could solve. The problem was as incomprehensible as a book written in heaven to the slacker.
"It's really not good. I think there's something very wrong with those plants."
"What's wrong with it? Tell us so we can all hear it. Maybe it will help?" Song Sanchuan started nagging again.
Si Wuyai lifted his eyes from behind his glasses and looked at the three people in front of him: one who was only proficient in computer information engineering and mechanics, one who was only proficient in wilderness survival and all combat, and the last one was simply a pretty oddball who was good at disguising and deceiving cute animals who loved outdoor photography.
Is it possible to gain useful insights and suggestions by sharing your research findings with these three people?
Absolutely not.
But now he wasn't at his research institute, and there were no assistants or colleagues around for him to brainstorm and discuss. Under the watchful eyes of three people, Dr. Si finally gave in.
Okay then. Let's talk about it. If we don't, these three people won't know how poor their knowledge is, or how weak and ignorant they are in the field of biology.
"In our world, there are more than 370,000 known plant species in nature, which are divided into eleven major categories, including angiosperms, dicotyledons, monocotyledons, gymnosperms, ferns, algae, and mosses."
"You're not going to give us a lecture on the plant world, are you? Keep it simple, keep your way of speaking simple, don't make it so complicated!"
Si Wuyai glanced at Song Sanchuan and continued, "What I'm telling you is that there are many kinds of plants, and each plant has its own unique and different growth and survival habits, which is what makes our home so prosperous and diverse."
"Different kinds of plants have completely different characteristics. If they have the same characteristics, then they must be closely related in terms of family. If you trace them back to their origins, you can even find that they belong to the same species and order."
"We collected a large number of five kinds of deadly plants that blocked our way or attacked us along the way. These include four different types of plants: angiosperms, dicots, monocots, and ferns. Originally, these four types of plants had obvious differences."
However, after they became killer plants, their habits and reactions became almost identical. Even their responses to various experimental liquids and external stimuli were basically the same.
Si Wuyai, expressionless, pushed up his glasses and looked at Gou Fugui and the other two:
Do you know what this means?
Song Sanchuan tilted his head: "That means they are all very ferocious."
Si Wuyai turned to look at Xie Tianlang: "...They've all evolved?"
Si Wuyai's expression softened a little, and he finally looked at Gou Fugui.
Fu Guiyuan suddenly felt a sense of nervousness, like when she was in elementary school and the teacher called on her to answer a question.
He hasn't been to school in a long time! He learned everything he learned through self-study and self-examination!
However, he did have his own thoughts on the issue raised by Si Wuyai.
"You previously said that these plants have different growth and survival habits because they are different species. Now that they are reacting the same way, it means they have become the same plant... right?"
As Gou Fugui finished speaking, a look of disbelief and shock appeared on his face. He grinned and chuckled dryly.
"Haha, that's impossible. Never mind what I said."
But Si Wuyai stared at Fugui Yuanyuan with his four-eyed eyes until she felt a little uneasy before pushing up her glasses: "Yes, that's it."
Song Sanchuan jumped up from the side, saying, "That's how it is, that's how it is!"
"You're not suggesting that those completely different plants turned into the same kind of plant after they started attacking people, are you? That's impossible!"
"Don't even mention that these plants look completely different and grow under different conditions. If you want to determine whether they are the same plant, why not just observe their sections and cell structures under a microscope?"
"If these plants had really undergone some changes, shouldn't it be detectable at the cellular level?"
Si Wuyai remained silent.
This is also why he doubts his own intelligence and his scientific knowledge and values.
He certainly couldn't have missed any of the testing methods Song Sanchuan mentioned, but precisely because he had used all the available testing methods, he still couldn't detect any abnormalities in the plants.
The test results show that the killer plants that started attacking humans are still the same plants, but they have developed a common hobby of "killing" after the fog cleared.
This isn't a fantasy novel. Does it mean that all the plants started to become sentient after a thick fog?
Si Wuyai's expression allowed Gou Fugui and Song Sanchuan to easily draw their conclusions.
Song Sanchuan scratched his chin: "Maybe the toxin in the mist can stimulate plants to become sentient? Actually, it might not be sentient, it's just that the plants have an additional attribute of preying on humans, it's not a big deal."
Si Wuyai's piercing gaze shot towards Song Sanchuan. He sneered, pushed up his glasses, and continued examining his pile of plants: "Impossible. Shut up."
"Do you think this mist is some kind of elixir from Laozi or some divine dew from Guanyin that can instantly transform plants and animals into spirits? There's no such thing as fantasy in this world. Even things that can't be explained are just science that we haven't discovered yet!!"
"This shared attribute is absolutely abnormal."
Si Wuyai lowered his head: "There must be something I haven't noticed, or I haven't completely cracked their disguise yet."
"You all go out and explore on your own, don't take me with you. If I don't find an answer, my time in this world will have been wasted!"
Although Si Wuyai spoke in a calm tone, everyone could hear his determination to fight the plants and the mist to the death.
From Gou Fugui's perspective, Si Wuyai was radiating a powerful researcher's aura called "the light of science," causing the academically challenged Fugui to silently take a half-step back.
Alright, since Si Wuyai is just an assistant anyway, let him work hard here. If these plants really are the necessary conditions for finding or repairing the core of the world, then the more successful his research is, the greater the help it will be.
Most importantly, Gou Fugui's intuition told him that these plants that set traps and killed people in the fog were indeed the key to this apocalyptic world.
They just haven't discovered the most important point yet.
"Shall we split up next? Or should we go to the river together?" Song Sanchuan asked.
Gou Fugui thought for a moment: "Besides the mechanical tit, did you bring any other mechanical monitoring pets? Like mechanical fish, mechanical octopuses, mechanical mantis shrimps, etc."
Song Sanchuan twitched his lips: "I have the most basic aesthetic sense and I would never make such a weird thing as a mechanical shrimp crawler!"
So you don't have it?
Song Sanchuan raised his eyebrows high: "But my mechanical little tit is amphibious! Hehehehehehe! Didn't expect that, did you!!"
"The core mechanical materials I use are the hardest and waterproof! Even the white feathers on the little tit are the best simulated feather fibers provided by the country."
"It can be used for underwater monitoring, and it even has an underwater high-beam search function."
Song Sanchuan held his mechanical little titmouse in his hands and stroked it from top to bottom, his face showing undisguised pride.
However, he certainly deserves such pride, after all, it is quite impressive that the fluffy, chubby silver-throated long-tailed tit can be used in both the sea and the air.
"You're really great, then. Just control the little titmouse to swim around the bottom of the lake."
Originally, Fugui Yuanyuan had planned to let the mantis shrimp's original form show itself and take a stroll on the seabed, but now that he has the mechanical little tit, he doesn't need to go into the water in this cold weather.
So at six o'clock in the evening, when the misty city of Water Mist was completely shrouded in darkness, Gou Fugui, Xie Tianlang, and Song Sanchuan arrived at the lakeside with their notebooks, Little Sparrow, and miner's hats.
Because of the fog, they couldn't see the whole lake in the city when they came during the day. Now that night has fallen, all they can see is deep black blue and gloomy gray-white. The misty water vapor is blowing in their faces, making it even more impossible to see what's in front of them.
All I could hear were the sounds of the lake churning and the streams flowing around the houses in the city.
"Hmm, shall we choose this place?"
"Let's go here. Anyway, the other places are blocked off and we can't see clearly. What we need to explore is what's in the lake, not the whole lake or its area. It doesn't matter where we go in."
Song Sanchuan nodded, then opened his laptop, touched the head of the super-duration mechanical pet little tit he had created, and controlled it to dive beautifully into the lake.
Thump!
After a distinct splash in the darkness, Song Sanchuan's computer displayed the image the little titmouse had observed underwater.
At first, it was absolutely dark, and you couldn't see anything around you at all.
However, after the mechanical light on the mechanical titmouse's chest lit up, the surrounding scenery began to become clear.
"Hiss, the water temperature is freezing. It's only minus five degrees Celsius."
Song Sanchuan hissed, "Fortunately, my little tit can withstand temperatures as low as minus twenty degrees Celsius."
"Where to fly now?"
"There doesn't look like anything underwater."
Gou Fugui was a little unsure how to give instructions, but Xie Tianlang spoke up: "Swim downwards in a spiral, observe the nearby fish and plants, and then go all the way to the bottom of the lake."
If there really are any "immortals" or "water ghosts" in this lake, they will most likely appear in the deepest part of the lake.
"Alright! Boss, just watch me do my job!"
Then the little tit's field of vision on the computer screen began to move. The movement was not particularly fast, but upon closer observation, it did indeed show a spiral exploration and then a gradual descent trajectory.
Gou Fugui originally thought that the lake shouldn't be too deep, after all, it was just a small lake in the city.
Even in the most famous city in Washington state, the lake is no more than 3 meters deep. Although the lake in this misty county is naturally formed, it should not be more than 10 meters deep.
But Gou Fugui soon realized he was wrong.
Song Sanchuan controlled the mechanical little tit to quickly dive into the water. In three minutes, it had already spiraled down nine meters, and in the little tit's field of vision, the lake water was clearly still far from the bottom.
Even a rough observation of the lake's depth suggests it could exceed twenty meters, which is already quite deep.
However, the mechanical tit didn't even manage to dive to a depth of fifteen meters.
When the little tit spiraled down to a depth of fourteen meters, the previously tranquil lakebed suddenly rippled, and a large group of fish appeared as if they had suddenly emerged from the lake.
"Huh, are the fish in the lake still swimming in groups so late at night?" Song Sanchuan muttered. "These fish all look different. Why would different species swim together like this?! Oh! Fugui, why did you kick me?!"
"I'm kicking you! Didn't you see those fish swimming faster and faster toward your little tit?! They're trying to attack you!"
Song Sanchuan instantly broke out in a sweat, maneuvering the little titmouse quickly to the side to avoid the school of fish, while retorting, "How is that possible? The fish in these inland lakes are all timid and afraid of people. They're just ordinary grass carp, silver carp, and bighead carp. How could they possibly be aggressive or 'fuck'?!"
Before Song Sanchuan could finish his rebuttal, the little titmouse, which he had clearly manipulated to avoid the direction the fish were swimming, was suddenly surrounded by the fish in the lake from all sides!
It was true that all the paths were blocked by these fish. As Song Sanchuan tried to find a gap to swim upstream, these fish of different appearances and species began to frantically open their mouths and attack and bite the mechanical titmouse.
The attacking school of fish was fierce and extremely fast. Song Sanchuan and his companions could only see the churning water and the foremost fish opening its mouth to bite through the mechanical eyes of the mechanical tit.
But if you look at the scene from the perspective of the entire lake, setting aside that one-sided view, you see a dense mass of fish of all sizes gathering into a ball and charging wildly.
Just thinking about it gives me a creepy and eerie feeling.
"Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit!"
"Aaaaaaah, my little tit! Have these fish gone mad?! The force of their attack is almost tearing my little tit's protective skin!"
"Feathers! My feathers!! Ahhh! My eyes! My camera!!"
"Damn it, these fish are so strong! I can't even control my little tit to break through!"
"What on earth is going on?!"
Song Sanchuan's expression changed drastically as he frantically pressed the keyboard on his laptop. He tried several times but couldn't get his mechanical little titmouse to escape from the sharp teeth of the attacking fish.
Suddenly he was kicked again. Judging from the force and size of the kick, even in his excitement, Song Sanchuan knew that the person who kicked him was not his wealthy brother, but his inhuman werewolf captain.
"Use force to get them up here." Xie Tianlang's voice rang out from behind: "And other things have come too."
Song Sanchuan was about to burst into a tirade.
A swarm of ferocious fish isn't enough, what else is coming?!
However, he didn't have time to complain or hesitate, and directly pressed a red button on the computer that had been specially highlighted.
The instant the button was pressed, a blinding blue-purple burst of lightning suddenly erupted from the dark and mysterious depths of the lake. As the current spread with the water ripples, the little titmouse, which was being attacked by the fish, quickly flapped its bald wings, which had been bitten by the fish, and swam upwards.
The fish that had been frantically attacking the mechanical tits were now being electrocuted one after another, their bodies convulsing, their fins and tails flailing wildly, and some even flipping over belly-up like dominoes.
Because the mechanical titmouse was flapping its wings and swimming upstream, its mechanical electronic eyes naturally failed to see the aquatic plants that were swaying with the waves, spreading from the depths of the lake in all directions, closely following behind it.
These aquatic plants, which used to grow only on the bottom of the lake or around the rocks in the lake, have "floated" here one by one in this calm water without any external force.
They failed to catch the creature that jumped into the lake.
But these fish that have flipped over belly up can also be considered delicious?
So the algae began to entangle the helpless fish little by little, dragging and trapping them in their branches and leaves, and then silently digesting them.
However, the fish were not completely swallowed by the dense algae. The electric current emitted by the mechanical tits only caused them to suddenly lose consciousness. Once they recovered, they turned back into ferocious piranhas and began to swim quickly out of the area surrounded by algae.
Splash!
With a pained expression, Song Sanchuan fished his mechanical little tit out of the lake.
He could hardly believe that the bald chick he was holding was the same beautiful and adorable little tit he had known before.
Song Sanchuan almost burst into tears: "My little sparrow!! Those damned fish, I'm going to electrocute and blow them all up!!!"
Song Sanchuan wailed, while Gou Fugui and Xie Tianlang frowned as they stared at the dark lake in front of them.
"What was that thing you saw earlier? A water snake or some seaweed?"
Xie Tianlang frowned and thought for a moment: "Judging from their swimming speed and agility, they are more like water snakes. But their large, swarming appearance is more like aquatic plants."
Xie Tianlang paused, then added, "I prefer the waterweed, which is also the kind that can mutate and kill."
"So the plants in the lake have also mutated, even without fog?" Gou Fugui squinted. "Even the fish of all sizes that are gathered together are abnormal. There's definitely something wrong with this lake! It's a pity the little tit couldn't find the bottom..."
"The fish and those aquatic plants are a big problem."
Gou Fugui stroked his chin and said, "I reckon Mantis Shrimp Fugui..."
Xie Tianlang frowned: "Even if a mantis shrimp the size of a palm is very powerful, it's destined to be eaten by a school of fish! Don't even think about going down there!"
The wealthy beauty ignored him: "A palm-sized mantis shrimp would be food if it went down, but if I, a person of this size, went down with the added benefit of the rich bloodline of the rainbow mantis shrimp, then it wouldn't be me going down, but the fish adding food to my plate, right?"
Xie Tianlang still frowned: "Even without the mist, the lake water can mutate all the fish and turn the aquatic plants into something resembling killer sea serpents. Are you sure you won't be transformed into a giant man-eating monster if you jump in?"
"I know you're going to talk about protective suits, but are you sure a complete protective suit can protect against all dangers? Even if the suit isn't torn by the fish at first, what if it comes into contact with corrosive liquids or is constantly attacked and torn? Won't it break?"
Xie Tianlang said with a tense face: "First, go back and take a closer look at the photos taken underwater by the mechanical little tit. Then, bring a bottle of lake water back for Si Wuyai to study and see if there are any strange substances or mutated viruses in the lake water."
"I'll go down with you after the check-up is completed and there are no other problems."
When Gou Fugui heard that Xie Tianlang wanted to go down with him, he frowned and wanted to object, but he swallowed his words back down.
That wretched werewolf said those words just to make him worry, didn't he?
However, they are probably the same in that they don't want to take risks for those they care about.
"...Alright then."
He acted a bit impulsively before; it's better to make more preparations when the situation is still unclear.
Since they've only just arrived, they should have plenty of time to investigate, right?
"Shall we go back now?"
Song Sanchuan hugged the little titmouse and nodded tearfully, "When I get back, I'll fix up my little titmouse's parts and feathers. I'll also add an extra layer of electric shock protection and armor! If those damned fish try to swarm it again, they'll pay with their lives!!"
Fu Guiyuan had no hope for Song Sanchuan's aesthetic transformation.
As the three of them finished packing their things and were about to head back, several hazy figures suddenly appeared in the mist ahead.
Fu Guiyuan immediately stopped and moved closer to Xie Tianlang. Song Sanchuan was a little better off, but his eyes also showed a hint of horror, as if he had seen a ghost.
Who's there?
Xie Tianlang spoke in a deep voice.
A small metal knife that could be used as a dart had appeared in his hand.
The figures opposite did not answer, but as they staggered closer from the mist, Gou Fugui and his two companions could clearly see what they looked like—
There were exactly three people who arrived.
Two women and one man.
The woman and the young man looked like mother and daughter, while the man was strong and muscular, around thirty years old.
The three of them had somewhat dazed expressions, and their eyes were unfocused, as if they were sleepwalking.
But it's only a little past six o'clock now, surely I can't be going to bed at six o'clock in the afternoon?
As they approached step by step, Gou Fugui and Song Sanchuan subconsciously took a slight step back, while Xie Tianlang remained firmly in place: "Stop and state your purpose, or I will take action."
The three people opposite still didn't answer, but suddenly the younger woman started wailing in a ferocious and shrill voice: "My child, my child!!"
"My Tiezhu, come back quickly! You brat, where have you run off to! Your parents and grandma are waiting for you at home!!"
Then the older woman started wailing, and then the man.
However, the man's cries sounded more like a roar, as he charged towards Xie Tianlang and the others, waving his arms and yelling as if he were insane!
Then, Gou Fugui and Song Sanchuan simultaneously leaned back tactically, slipped on the wet ground by the lake, and fell into the lake!
"Holy crap?! Boss, 9999!"
"!!"
As Song Sanchuan fell, he tried to wave his hands forward. Xie Tianlang reached out to grab Song Sanchuan, while his other hand tried to grab his heart.
As a result, Song Sanchuan was indeed caught and pulled up, but his heart suddenly straightened up from the backward-falling position and forcefully thrashed forward with both hands twice, straightening his body and standing up again.
"Ha! No one can let an owl fall backward and never get up!"
Xie Tianlang, who still wanted to play the hero and save the day: "..."
Then he saw his heart suddenly show a shocked expression and reach out his hand to him!
Before Xie Tianlang could react, he was suddenly shoved away by someone and fell into the lake with a splash.
So in the end, it turned out that he, the one who was saving people, fell into the water?!
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