Chapter 58 The Fungal Remains Frenzy 19 On Nanmenjue and the Stray Cats.
Nanmen Jue pulled himself back to his senses from his chaotic thoughts, "Has she killed anyone before?"
“She has killed before,” Hao Hong said. “The first time I saw her kill someone, I found it unbelievable, but seeing you, it seems perfectly normal. In her eyes, there is the same coldness and ferocity as you.”
Nanmen Jue gave a weak laugh. "It's quite novel to apply those two words to her."
This is how Nanmen Yu described Nanmen Jue.
Hao Hong scrutinized her closely. "So, Nanmen Yu is yours?"
“Sister,” Nanmen Jue said, “she is my own sister.”
Hao Hong revealed an expression that said, "I knew it."
“Tell me everything about her in detail,” Nanmen Jue said softly. “I’ve been looking for her for a long time.”
"Has she disappeared?" Hao Hong's voice was somewhat worried. "She left after the plague ended back then, and I haven't heard from her for the past two years. I thought she was still safe and sound in the quarantine facility."
"Tell me what happened before."
Through Hao Hong's narration, Nanmen Jue heard Nanmen Yu's story in this world.
Two years ago, a mysterious plague suddenly broke out at the Forge Base. Despite properly cremating the corpses and cleaning up, the plague could not be controlled. They had to ask the outside world for medicine and support, but it was the end of the world, and everyone was struggling to survive. The dangers of mycelium and parasites, the inconvenience of transportation, the shortage of medical resources, and a series of other factors made it extremely difficult to ask for help.
Not only was there no rescue, but to prevent the plague from spreading, the outside world even sealed off the furnace base, preventing healthy people inside from escaping and leaving them to wait helplessly for death.
Hao Hong was already in despair. The once bustling furnace base had become a city of death. He himself had also been infected with the plague. One day, standing on the cooling tower, he thought about jumping off and ending it all.
It was at this moment that Nanmen Yu, wearing a white coat, arrived at the Furnace Base like an angel descending from heaven.
"Didn't you ask me if Dr. Nanmen had ever killed anyone?" Hao Hong's eyes were filled with tears of reminiscence. "The first group she killed were those people who were blocking the entrance to the base and preventing her from opening the door."
Nanmen Jue was startled.
“She was carrying a large bag, and because she was wearing a white coat, everyone assumed that the bag contained medicine and medical equipment. However, she pulled out a gun,” Hao Hong said. “I was on the cooling tower at the time and saw it very clearly. She didn’t say a word, just asked them if they really wanted to stop her from coming in, and then she raised the gun and swept it around, killing them all.”
Nanmen Jue blinked slowly, finding it hard to reconcile this ruthless killer with the Nanmen doctor he remembered.
Her personality and appearance were the complete opposite of her sister's. She was strikingly beautiful and had a violent personality, while her sister, although she had cold and aloof features, was very kind-hearted; otherwise, she wouldn't have disliked Nanmen Jue's personality.
And that kind of sister, in the end, still chose to kill in such a world.
“Even after she came in, she killed people.” Hao Hong continued, “Those with ill intentions, those who colluded with outsiders, and those who interfered with treatment, she killed them all with swift and decisive methods. In the first few days after she arrived, the base was filled with blood, but she also protected the remaining people very well. No one knows what methods she used, or why she actually controlled the plague that everyone else was helpless against.”
Nanmen Jue's eyes were vacant as she imagined those scenes as she recounted them, and she smiled.
“She is the benefactor of the entire Furnace Base, and also my benefactor.” Hao Hong lowered his head, and the thin old man sobbed. “If it weren’t for her, I would have died that day. But Dr. Nanmen came and saved us all. I am grateful to her. You tell me, you are her own brother. How could I have any ill will towards you? This base owes her a debt that can never be repaid in this lifetime.”
Nanmen Jue's voice softened as well, "Have you told her how you feel?"
"Of course, of course I have to say."
"Then she would definitely back away with a cold face, saying 'no need' on the surface, but her ears would actually be bright red," Nanmen Jue said with a smile. "She always reacts like this when faced with a patient's gratitude."
“You’re right, that’s exactly what she did, she kept a cold face and backed away.” The old man laughed too. “Then I knelt down in front of her, and she quickly rushed over to help me up.”
"You even knelt down before her?" Nanmen Jue burst out laughing. "That's it, she's going to panic to death."
Hao Hong recalled for a moment and smiled, "Yes, that was the first time I saw such a panicked expression on Dr. Nanmen's face. Even when someone died during treatment, she never showed such a big fluctuation."
Nanmen Jue stretched out his long arm, hooked it around Hao Hong's shoulder, and asked intimately, "And then, after you brought the plague under control, did she leave?"
"She stayed for about two months. After ten consecutive days without any new patients or worsening of anyone's condition, she left." Hao Hong nodded slightly. "I asked her if she wanted to go back to the isolation center and if I could contact her again, but she didn't agree."
Nanmen Jue's smile faded slightly. Based on her experience in the two worlds she had been through, she estimated that the main god only allocated a few months to each world. Her sister had spent two months resolving the plague at the Forge Base, and she wondered if her own mission would even have time left.
"How did she reject you?" she asked.
“At that time…” Hao Hong recalled, his words a little hoarse and slow, “She was packing her backpack when she heard me talking. She shook her head and said that coming here was just an accident and that she would never come again and that I shouldn’t waste my time looking for her.”
really.
Nanmen Jue immediately empathized with Nanmen Yu at that moment.
"So, you can't find her either?" Hao Hong said. "Where...did she go?"
Nanmen Jue was silent for a moment, then said, "I don't know where she went either. This is the apocalypse."
The end times signify tragedy, panic, chaos, and separation.
No one can guarantee that they will live forever; neither Nanmen Yu nor Nanmen Jue can.
...
When Nanmen Jue arrived at the accommodations prepared for them by Hao Hong, it was already getting dark. Hao Hong had specially allocated a courtyard for them, and since he could tell that they were not on good terms with Cheng Xiuye's group, he had deliberately arranged for them to stay in a place far away from them.
Nanmen Jue pushed open the courtyard gate and was startled by the lively scene inside.
They were having an open-air barbecue.
A barbecue grill was set up in the yard. Lu Yunxiao was seriously tending to the skewers in front of the grill, while Ji Chengying was pretending to help, but actually she picked up a skewer of grilled mushrooms and put it in her mouth, burning herself.
Guan Junren and Mo Gui were playing some kind of board game. It's unclear who cheated, but the two were arguing, their faces red and necks bulging.
Wei Chongru was rinsing fruit with a hose, with an apple in his mouth.
Nanmen Jue looked around but didn't see Deng Erhuai, Hong Chenxi, or Zhang Zhi. Her ears twitched, and she looked up towards the bathroom on the second floor, where she could hear the sound of water.
The scene was so peaceful that it didn't seem like the end of the world. Nanmen Jue's somewhat cold face softened a little, and his eyes became gentle.
Wei Chongru was the first to spot her. Holding up the water pipe and apples, he made a few "whoosh whoosh" noises, but for a moment he forgot that the water pipe was still running. In a flash, he splashed water all over Guan Junren and Mo Gui.
The two jumped up.
"Old Wei, I never expected you to resort to such underhanded tactics! We settle scores and get revenge, but what's the meaning of you scalping me with water?"
"The map! The map's wet!" Guan Junren frantically salvaged the board game paper, then turned around and saw Nanmen Jue smiling quietly. He whirled around, "Nan, Nanmen!"
This sound drew everyone's attention, and when they saw Nanmen Jue standing there, the previously warm and relaxed atmosphere changed slightly.
Mo Gui was completely unaffected and excitedly rushed to Nanmen Jue, "Brother Jue, have you found the person you're looking for?"
“No,” Nanmen Jue said, tilting her head to think for a moment, then smiling, “I found it.”
A huge question mark appeared above Mo Gui's head.
Nanmen Jue wasn't in a good mood. He walked past the barbecue stall and into the house. Just as he was about to enter, Lu Yunxiao called out, "Aren't you hungry? Come and eat something."
Nanmen Jue didn't turn around. "No, I'm afraid you won't be able to eat if I'm here."
She completely understands that no one wants to sit at the same table with a wanted criminal.
However, as soon as she opened the door, two pairs of bright eyes appeared on her left and right sides.
Mo Gui squatted on the left: "Brother Jue, let's eat together. I don't believe you're not hungry. Sister Hong and the others went to take a shower and will be out in a bit."
Ji Chengying, who was squatting on the right, was much more direct. She held up a skewer of grilled meat and offered it to Nanmen Jue's mouth, saying, "Brother Nanmen, this is grilled by me. It smells delicious!"
The two exchanged a glance, seemingly realizing that the other's sycophantic power might pose a threat to them; their stare was filled with a chilling tension.
Not to be outdone, Mo Gui ran off and grabbed an apple, saying, "Brother Jue, have some fruit!"
Ji Chengying: "What's so great about fruit? Brother Nanmen eats meat!"
"These apples are so sweet!"
"You need to eat meat to have energy!"
Nanmen Jue was caught in the middle: "..."
She stretched out her arm to push the two away, trying to ignore them and walk inside, but at the same time, two hands grabbed the hem of her clothes.
When she wasn't looking, the two stared at each other, afraid of being outdone. She turned around, her big eyes glistening with tears.
Nanmen Jue laughed at the joke. "Now that you're all done cleaning up, at least let me take a shower too."
"Oh, right, right, right!"
The two suddenly realized what was happening, but neither of them let go.
Upon meeting his gaze, Mo Gui said, "Let go! Didn't you hear that Brother Jue is going to take a shower?"
Ji Chengying: "Why don't you let go?"
"You put it down first."
"You put it down first!"
Unable to bear it any longer, Nanmen Jue's fingers flashed with a cold light, revealing the tip of the white bone knife.
The two of them shuddered simultaneously. Seeing Nanmen Jue's expressionless face, they chuckled awkwardly and backed away.
Not far away, Wei Chongru covered his face, ashamed to admit that he knew those two people.
“Isn’t this a good thing?” Lu Yunxiao stroked his chin. “Nanmen has always been very distant from people. Xiao Gui and Xiao Ying’s personalities are more suitable for making her lower her guard.”
Wei Chongru had to admit that he was right.
In any case, he couldn't possibly do something so naturally idiotic to win Nanmen Jue's favor.
Indeed, everyone could see that although Nanmen Jue was expressionless and had used a knife, her aura was gentle, and she showed no hostility towards the two people who were pestering her.
but……
Wei Chongru hesitated, as if he wanted to speak.
Lu Yunxiao: "What's wrong?"
Looking at Nanmen Jue, who had already entered the villa, Wei Chongru's eyes were filled with complex emotions. "For him, maintaining suspicion and distance from everyone is the best way to survive. As it is now, I don't know if it's good or bad, and it's good for us too."
Lu Yunxiao was stunned for a moment.
Wei Chongru said, "Like stray animals, they grow up in a cruel wild environment and have the ferocity and vigilance that domestic animals have lost. They are not friendly to humans and are even feared and hated by humans, but this can ensure their survival. If they trust humans, it may become the beginning of their death."
Lu Yunxiao laughed, "Isn't it a bit strange to refer to Nanmen Jue as a stray animal?"
"Oh, I'm glad you understand." Wei Chongru wanted to say something more, but then hesitated, feeling it was a bit too forward to say such things to someone he had just met.
Lu Yunxiao said, "We don't have any bad intentions, and Nanmenjue isn't a weak stray animal. Your worries are unfounded, it's fine."
Are you alright...?
Wei Chongru did not think so.
He was, after all, a member of a major guild, and he would consider more things. He could get along well with Nanmen Jue in this world, and they could be like brothers, but what about the next world? He couldn't possibly go against the entire Reincarnation Space for the sake of his personal feelings for Nanmen Jue; he didn't have that kind of courage and spirit.
What if, what if one day they have to turn against each other? How should he conduct himself then, and what would Nanmen Jue's feelings be?
Not just him, but everyone else in this world would side with Nanmen Jue just for the sake of a little friendship in this world.
He thought it was unlikely.
All the warmth we feel now is like a fragile soap bubble; it won't even need to be popped, it'll burst eventually.
Even putting all that aside, if Nanmen Jue gets used to having someone by her side, will she really not be sad when she has to go back to being alone?
Now, he doesn't think Nanmen Jue is an inhuman killer at all; her heart is clearly softer than that of most reincarnators.
...Thinking about it this way, how are they any different from those who adopt stray cats and then abandon them?
Wait a moment.
Realizing that he had inadvertently equated Nanmen Jue with stray cats, Wei Chongru shuddered and turned on the water hose, pouring it over his face.
Lu Yunxiao: ...?
Half an hour later, everyone gathered in the courtyard, including Hong Chenxi and Zhang Zhi.
It was a very peaceful night, with only barbecue, fruit, the night breeze, and the moon.
Nanmen Jue was only wearing a shirt, and her hair was still wet. Unlike before, she was not as dashing. The hair was close to her face, making her look younger and even giving her a bit of a well-behaved temperament, which made the sense of distance between them even less.
Mo Gui leaned over and asked, "Brother Jue, where's your cool crow?"
“He will appear when I need him,” Nanmenjue said.
“That’s even cooler,” Mo Gui said. “So, is it an animal, or what? Why did you grab me?”
His last sentence was addressed to Wei Chongru, who was tugging at his clothes.
Wei Chongru was embarrassed when he was directly pointed out. He glared at the dumbfounded Mo Gui and said awkwardly to Nanmen Jue, "Look at his stupid look, he probably doesn't know that asking this is taboo. Don't take it to heart."
Hong Chenxi asked in confusion, "Besides being an animal, what else could a crow be?"
Wei Chongru: "...Uh, some kind of high-tech drone?"
"puff."
The people chatting stopped and all looked at Nanmen Jue, who had burst out laughing, with surprised expressions.
Nanmen Jue was used to smiling. From the moment he met her, he rarely saw her without a smile on her face. But no one could fail to see that those smiles were not genuine.
A cold laugh, a faint laugh, a gentle laugh, a mocking laugh, a nonchalant laugh—Nanmen Jue's laughs were precisely a major factor in deepening her sense of distance.
But now she smiles so relaxed and naturally, still so beautiful, yet not so far away that it makes one's heart tremble.
With a loud slap, everyone turned to look. Ji Chengying covered her face, which she had just slapped, and mumbled, "I'm sorry, I was just afraid that it would be too pathetic for me to drool over handsome guys, so I reminded myself in advance."
Everyone: "..."
Does slapping yourself make you successful?
Nanmen Jue chuckled, then casually leaned on the table in a way he had never done before, his palm supporting his chin. "I didn't know this was a taboo. Why?"
Now everyone could see that something was wrong with her.
Hong Chenxi glanced at the table in front of her and exclaimed, "Oh dear, who brought him the wine?"
All eyes turned to him, and Lu Yunxiao blankly raised his hand. "What I poured was just a mild fruit wine with an alcohol content of two or three degrees, not much different from fruit juice... right?"
He became uncertain.
Deng Erhuai exclaimed incredulously, "He's drunk?!"
No, just one cup! Three degrees! And it's not even finished yet! It looks like he only took a few sips!
Everyone's attention shifted from the cup to Nanmen Jue's hand supporting her chin, and then to her rosy cheeks.
"..."
Is he really drunk?!
Hong Chenxi coughed, "He's been drunk once before, but at least it was a cocktail. I didn't expect even fruit wine to be like this..."
She couldn't help but chuckle as she spoke.
Nanmen Jue, unaware of their inner thoughts and having received no answers, blushed slightly and moved closer to Wei Chongru. Her phoenix eyes, no longer as deep as before, now shimmered with light.
"Why?"
Wei Chongru: ...
Is this what it means to abuse one's beauty for one's own good?
For some reason, the similarity between Nanmen Jue and the stray cat suddenly popped into his mind, which he had been secretly pondering before. His face turned bright red, and he stammered.
"Well, it's because it's everyone's secret!" he said. "Brother Jue, think about it, everyone wants a secret weapon, right? It's a lifesaver in a critical moment, so how can you just tell others about it?"
Under normal circumstances, Nanmen Jue could figure out this kind of question without even thinking, but she was in a daze right now and just said "oh," without knowing whether she understood or not.
She went back, and Wei Chongru actually felt quite regretful.
"Brother, go back to sleep," Zhang Zhi suddenly said.
"I'm not sleepy." Nanmen Jue waved her hand, lowered her eyes slightly, concealing her shimmering and sharp gaze, making her appear gentler.
She didn't want to go back, and no one could do anything about it, so they could only let the drunkard sit there. Hong Chenxi took off her suit jacket from the back of the chair and put it on her shoulders.
"Hmm?" Nanmen Jue raised his head slightly. "Thank you."
...critical hit.
How can she be so well-behaved and cute when she's drunk? She was so arrogant last time.
Hong Chenxi clutched her heart and sat back down.
The others were still chatting, but their eyes were all glancing in their direction, seemingly out of the blue.
"I went to find out what was going on this afternoon. Cheng Xiuye and the others were here from the beginning and didn't go to the quarantine facility," Lu Yunxiao said.
Guan Junren said, "How come it's such a coincidence? Are all of them their own people? Or were they all recruited temporarily?"
“There’s something that can keep them together,” Deng Erhuai said.
Ji Chengying said, "With such a convenient and useful thing, wouldn't it be possible to stick with a reliable person and follow them forever?"
As she spoke, she glanced again toward Nanmenjue.
"There's no such thing as a free lunch. These things are very hard to come by. You'll see when we get back," Lu Yunxiao said.
Although their conversation had been deliberately obscured, it still sounded a bit strange, but neither Hong Chenxi nor Zhang Zhi paid any attention to it.
“I also learned something else,” Lu Yunxiao said in a low voice, “The ‘White-Robed Saint’ has also been here.”
"The white-robed saint?"
Several people spoke at the same time; those who knew were surprised, while those who didn't were puzzled.
Nanmen Jue paused almost imperceptibly, and his lowered eyelashes trembled slightly.
Ji Chengying was completely bewildered: "Who is the white-robed saint?"
“He was…a very legendary person,” Deng Erhuai said, not daring to go into too much detail with indigenous people present.
"Hong Chenxi, please take Zhang Zhi back to rest for me," Nanmen Jue suddenly said.
Hong Chenxi glanced back at the others but didn't ask any questions. Zhang Zhi also obediently got up, and the two returned to the villa. Only then did Mo Gui speak.
"Brother Jue, you're awake?"
Nanmen Jue lifted her eyelashes, her eyes still shimmering and magnificent, making it impossible to tell whether she was drunk or not. She simply asked, "What's the deal with this white-robed saint?"
The group looked at each other, and Lu Yunxiao said, "I've only heard of her. She's quite a legendary figure. It's said that she only wears a white coat, and that she saved many people in the reincarnation worlds she entered."
“I heard that she saves not only reincarnators, but also natives. It seems she can’t stand seeing anyone die in front of her.” Guan Junren quickly glanced at Nanmen Jue. “You two are quite similar in that respect, but she doesn’t kill people.”
"She doesn't kill people?" Nanmen Jue thought of Hao Hong's words that afternoon and gave a strange smile.
“That’s the legend.” Lu Yunxiao scratched his head. “She came to this world about two years ago and even helped this furnace base resolve a plague.”
“Wow,” Ji Chengying said, “This sounds like a really nice person.”
Nanmen Jue gripped the cup in front of him, concealing the slight trembling of his fingers. "What's her name?"
“I don’t know,” Deng Erhuai said. “Ever since someone noticed her, she has been hiding her name. Iron Drill has been trying to recruit her, but has never been able to find her.”
"It seems so," Lu Yunxiao said. "It's been a long time since I've heard any news about her."
Nanmen Jue's fingers tightened, and then he heard Mo Gui's loud, carefree voice.
“I’ve heard of this person too. It was when I had just finished my first world and was lounging around in the hall,” Mo Gui said. “Someone passed by me and said that the White-Robed Saint was attacked in their world and apparently couldn’t get out.”
"What?"
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