Chapter 52 Fungal Remains Frenzy 13 "Would you want me?"...
Having once again been shielded from a deadly crisis by Nanmen Jue's embrace, Hong Chenxi's emotions had stabilized considerably. She looked up at the boy's dust-covered, sharply defined jawline, then at the spot where the man and puppet had disappeared. Even knowing the danger was not over, she couldn't help but feel a comforting sense of security.
Nanmen Jue put Hong Chenxi down. In her haste, she had picked her up and jumped away from where they were, avoiding a vine.
Her muscles tensed, like a cheetah poised to pounce, waiting for a moment, but the next attack did not come.
Just like in the first attack, the vines would grab a prey and disappear quickly, ignoring the others.
Looking back at Hong Chenxi, seeing that her face was pale but her expression was still relatively calm, Nanmen Jue turned around and approached the crack where the vines had disappeared.
Hong Chenxi's high heels broke one heel after a series of impacts, and she stumbled as she caught up with her.
Just like when Nanmen Jue was captured, only a large hole remained in the crack where the vines had disappeared, and neither Yu Wanyan nor the puppet was to be seen.
Hong Chenxi looked down, then at Nanmen Jue. She didn't quite understand what had just happened, but she could tell that Nanmen Jue was in a very bad mood.
As a clever mistress, reading people's expressions and pleasing them are essential skills. Hong Chenxi thought that with Nanmen Jue's temperament, he would refuse to be spied on when he was in a bad mood, so she obediently lowered her eyes and pretended to be a quiet stone.
But Nanmen Jue spoke up first, her voice very soft, "I always thought I was ruthless enough, but the people I meet always change my mind."
"Are you vicious and cruel?" Hong Chenxi looked up in surprise, feeling that these two words had nothing to do with a young man, so why would he say such self-deprecating words?
Nanmen Jue didn't explain, but Hong Chenxi could tell that Nanmen Jue's emotions had opened up, and she was no longer a complete balloon. That sentence seemed to be a signal that she was seeking comfort from the outside world.
Hong Chenxi thought for a moment and asked softly, "Do you know the girl from earlier?"
“We’ll know each other from now on.” Nanmen Jue glanced mockingly at the devastation around her, the red stinging her eyes. “Just for this ‘meeting gift,’ I’ll never forget her for the rest of my life.”
Hong Chenxi's pupils dilated slightly as she looked around. She had heard the entire conversation between Nanmen Jue and the other party, including this sentence, but her brain was struggling to process the information. The other party said that Nanmen Jue's intention was to destroy the world, which she couldn't see at all. And killing so many people and claiming it was for Nanmen Jue was more than just insane.
Even though she was doing this kind of thing, seeing so many dead people all at once was terrifying and she couldn't accept it. How should Nanmen Jue deal with this?
After a long silence, Hong Chenxi said softly, "They didn't die because of you. That person killed them. The grievances have their perpetrators, and even if someone wants to take their lives, they shouldn't be looking for you."
The concept of "retribution" has been deeply ingrained in Hong Chenxi's heart. What she fears most is the vengeful spirits seeking revenge, yet what she also longs for most is the vengeful spirits seeking revenge.
Nanmen Jue lowered his eyes, flicked his wrist, and the blue liquid on the white bone knife slid off completely, leaving it clean and new again.
Hong Chenxi's gaze fell on the peculiar double-headed sword. She had a good eye, but she couldn't tell what material the sword was made of. However, she was sensible and didn't ask. She silently adjusted the sleeves of her cheongsam.
The sky darkened and the temperature began to drop.
Nanmen Jue looked up. "This is none of your business. Let's go."
Red Dawn: "Where to?"
"You are a free person, you can go wherever you want."
Hong Chenxi pursed her red lips. Nanmen Jue had already turned around. She suddenly said, "What if I still want to be Li Yushu's lover and do these things? You're not planning to kill me either?"
"You can't be his mistress anymore." Nanmen Jue's voice was calm, and the calmness made the certainty of his words all the more striking.
She said, "Li Yushu will die soon."
Red Dawn's pupils trembled violently.
She quickened her pace to catch up with Nanmen Jue, "You're going to the Furnace Base to kill Li Yushu!"
"I'm going to find someone; killing him is just a side thing," Nanmen Jue said as if he were "going to buy groceries and some fruit on the way."
"That's impossible!" Hong Chenxi anxiously grabbed her wrist. "Even if you're very powerful, you're just one person! Li Yushu is the second-in-command of the Furnace Base. Do you know what that means? When necessary, the entire base's military equipment can be used by him! No matter how powerful you are, can you withstand so many bullets and guns?"
She was truly anxious, forgetting all sense of propriety, and even her pleasant voice became distorted. So Nanmen Jue didn't dodge and let her grab his wrist.
She stopped and looked down at Hong Chenxi, whose alluring face was filled with anxiety. "I don't know your identity, but you seem to have some kind of background. Even if you wanted to kill him, you shouldn't have gone alone! Or do you have some backup plan?"
Nanmen Jue smiled. "If I have no backup plan, I can show up at that old bastard's bedside tonight and say hello to him."
"This...sigh!" Hong Chenxi didn't know what to say. She didn't let go of Nanmen Jue, and a stubborn look appeared in her eyes, as if she had nothing to lose and would just kill me if necessary.
She gritted her teeth and said, "Take me there. I'll pretend to be terrified and go to him for refuge. He'll definitely let me in, and then I'll find an opportunity to drug him in bed."
"Suddenly so brave?" Nanmen Jue raised an eyebrow. "If you dared to kill him, you wouldn't have held back until now."
Hong Chenxi licked her chapped lips, her eyes hardening. "You saved me. Even if I'm a lowly person, I should know how to repay your kindness. Given his trust in me, I shouldn't fail."
"And then?" Nanmen Jue pressed. "You killed their second-in-command at the Forge Base, and it was done by a mere mistress. What did you do after that? Were you able to escape on your own?"
“I’ll give you my life,” Hong Chenxi said.
Nanmen Jue's somewhat frivolous expression vanished. She gazed at Hong Chenxi's resolute face and suddenly chuckled softly.
There was a touch of tenderness in that smile.
"I don't play the 'I'll marry you' game," she said.
Hong Chenxi was taken aback.
“I don’t want your person, and I don’t want your life. I went to great lengths to save someone, not to watch her die,” Nanmen Jue said. “You’re free now. Find something else to do and keep living. I see you have some skills, though they’re a bit weak for your appearance, but they’re enough. Since you want to live so much, then live well. Why wait for ghosts to come and take revenge every night?”
Hong Chenxi stared at her blankly. As dusk settled on the horizon and the light became so dim, the boy's face seemed to glow.
Her judgment this time was spot on.
A snap of his fingers brought her back to her senses, and Nanmen Jue withdrew his hand.
"Stop daydreaming, go, go to your freedom. If you ever want to depend on someone again, don't bind your soul anymore."
Suddenly, tears streamed down Hong Chenxi's face.
Nanmen Jue was momentarily at a loss. This emotion only appeared for a moment, but Hong Chenxi still saw it. She wanted to wipe her face, but then she realized that she was still holding Nanmen Jue's wrist.
Nanmen Jue was unable to break free.
Hong Chenxi's tears flowed even more fiercely.
“…Why are you crying?” Nanmen Jue said helplessly. He hesitated for a moment, then raised his other hand and patted Hong Chenxi’s head.
Just like comforting Zhang Chuxi in the first world.
Just then, human footsteps sounded around the corner. Nanmen Jue glanced over with a sharp look, but calmed down after seeing who it was.
"Nanmen...Big Brother?"
Wei Chongru stared dumbfounded at the scene before him. The legendary bewitching and ruthless beauty, Hong Chenxi, was holding Nanmen Jue's hand and silently shedding tears. From a distance, it looked as if she was being held in Nanmen Jue's arms, and Nanmen Jue was even stroking her head!
Everyone knows that Hong Chenxi hates being touched; anyone who touches her could have a finger chopped off!
This? Ah...this?
"Why aren't you moving? Are you trying to become a roadblock?"
Seeing him stuck on the side of the road, the people behind him impatiently circled around, and after seeing Nanmen Jue and Hong Chenxi's situation, they also let out an "uh" and then walked excitedly towards them.
“Brother Jue, so you were…”
His words caught in his throat.
It was already dark, and the two of them couldn't see the specific situation clearly. Now, the stark and tragic scene was right in front of them, which was extremely shocking.
"...This was all done by that person?" Mo Gui asked in a low voice.
"It's obvious, it's all that madwoman Yu Wanyan's fault." Wei Chongru also walked over, his face not looking too good. "Fortunately, they didn't touch us because they heard Brother Nanmen's name; they only killed a few..."
He glanced at the red dawn and swallowed the word "NPC".
Mo Gui shook his head in disagreement, "Even so, they are no different from us. The feeling of killing will not change. Anyone who wants to use playing games as an excuse to kill is a pervert. Anyone who tries to defend them is an idiot."
Because of those words, Nanmen Jue glanced at him again.
She still remembered the boy. His name was unusual. What parents would name their child "Mo Gui"?
His name was unusual, and his personality was also somewhat unusual, but he never expected that he would say such a thing. Nanmen Jue's bad mood suddenly improved a little.
It turns out that even among the reincarnators, there are those who can distinguish this principle. Even if he doesn't consider these natives as human beings, he at least believes that killing them is no different from killing someone.
Nanmen Jue's eyes were naturally beautiful. When he looked at someone with sarcasm, they looked like he was looking at a dog. When he looked at a dog without sarcasm, they looked like he was looking at him with affection. Mo Gui suddenly felt a little embarrassed.
"Brother Jue, what's wrong? Did you suddenly realize that I'm actually quite handsome?"
Nanmen Jue: "..."
She laughed. "Let's find a place to spend the night." She turned to look at Red Dawn. "Are there any safe shelters around here?"
Hong Chenxi was surprised that Nanmen Jue would ask her, and her eyes lit up. Her voice was filled with a little girl's excitement, "Let's go to my place. It's not far from here. It's not a big place... but it should be safe."
Upon hearing this, Wei Chongru's expression became even more strange.
Before leaving, Nanmen Jue turned back one last time and took a deep look at the corpses on the ground.
Yu Wanyan, you'd better pray that you die at the hands of that mother tree.
The group walked along the dark streets. At first, Wei Chongru and Mo Gui were quite wary, but after walking for a while, they realized that they couldn't see even the lowest level of parasites, and they couldn't help but scratch their heads in confusion.
“That’s strange…” Wei Chongru murmured.
"It's not as peaceful as the apocalypse," Mo Gui said. "According to the usual game tropes, we should be facing a boss battle by now."
Wei Chongru kicked him, saying, "Can't you think of something better?"
Mo Gui nimbly dodged, but the level difference was too great, and he couldn't dodge it. He was kicked solidly in the butt, and he grimaced.
They were speaking without thinking, but when Hong Chenxi saw the vine, her face turned pale. She subconsciously looked at Nanmen Jue and saw that he was calm and seemed to be thinking about something, which made her feel at ease.
“It’s just ahead,” Hong Chenxi said.
Because her heel had broken, she had some difficulty walking. Nanmen Jue reached out to stop her, and the group stopped. They watched as she half-squatted down, took off the unbroken shoe from Hong Chenxi, and tapped it on the curb.
The heel broke off with a snap, and Nanmen Jue placed it in front of Hong Chenxi.
Hong Chenxi was alright, just a little flattered, but this scene was like a bolt from the blue for the two people behind her.
Who is this? Nanmen Jue? That Nanmen Jue? Nanmen Jue, the most wanted criminal in the Reincarnation Space?
Is he really such a chivalrous person?
Of the three, Mo Gui reacted the least. He was saved by Nanmen Jue, and in his mind, the image of Nanmen Jue himself easily replaced the imagined vicious wanted criminal. So he winked at Nanmen Jue and gave him a thumbs up.
What a gentleman, Brother Jue!
However, Wei Chongru, who had been choked by Nanmen Jue and left with deep psychological trauma, simply didn't know how to deal with his shock.
Nanmen Jue glanced over indifferently, and Wei Chongru shuddered, giving an awkward laugh.
He looked at Hong Chenxi, who was walking ahead and whose steps had become steady, and wondered if Nanmen Jue liked this mature type?
In Nanmenjue's imagination, Hong Chenxi's place should be an exquisite Western-style house with spaciousness and a high degree of freedom. Perhaps she would even renovate it to make it difficult for parasites and strangers to get close.
But she never expected that Hong Chenxi actually lived on the rooftop of a building.
Instead of taking the stairs, Hong Chenxi led them to the back of the building, took out a brick, pressed something, and a rope ladder was suspended, leading directly to the roof.
The three of them looked up at each other, their expressions filled with amazement.
"Sister Hong is amazing! This building is old and dilapidated, who would have thought that such a beautiful woman lives upstairs?" Mo Gui said with irresistible sweetness. "The ladder is also well hidden; if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would never have guessed!"
Hong Chenxi smiled, lowered her head and lifted her cheongsam. The three of them immediately looked away, but then they heard her say, "No need to hide, I'm wearing pants."
Looking back, I saw that she was indeed wearing leggings under her cheongsam, which were positioned right at the slit of the cheongsam and were not visible from the outside.
She lifted her cheongsam to her waist and tied it up, then climbed up the rope ladder. "I need to go up and put away the mechanism first, then I'll come back up later."
“There are also traps.” Wei Chongru muttered.
"Of course there has to be a mechanism, otherwise if this ladder accidentally falls down, wouldn't Sister Hong be in danger?" Mo Gui retorted.
"...Hey kid, what exactly is it about me that you're unhappy with?" Wei Chongru finally understood. "Don't forget, I'm the one who rescued you!"
"What do you mean you saved me? You dare to steal the credit? It was Brother Jue who saved me," Mo Gui said. "Old Wei, I'm not saying this to be mean, but it's fine for a person to get older, but if their skin gets thicker too, that's not very decent."
"You bastard!"
Mo Gui was truly a talent. Even a seasoned veteran like Wei Chongru was so angry that he was practically fuming. Wei Chongru raised his hand to hit him, but Mo Gui quickly ran behind Nanmen Jue and poked his head out to make faces at him.
He was a whole size taller than Nanmen Jue, and Nanmen Jue couldn't stop him at all. But this was truly the behavior of a petty person who had achieved his goal. Wei Chongru swallowed a mouthful of blood.
He was still afraid of Nanmen Jue, and bowed his head with a bitter expression, "Brother Nanmen, I really don't dare to take credit for you. I just managed to get them out, right? Although some were killed by Yu Wanyan, some escaped. I may not have done anything special, but I have put in a lot of effort..."
Before Nanmen Jue could speak, Mo Gui said in surprise, "What are you doing? You're making Jue-ge sound like some kind of villain. Jue-ge wouldn't be as petty and calculating as you, right, Jue-ge?"
Wei Chongru's heart skipped a beat, and he wished he could strangle this arrogant brat on the spot.
Nanmen Jue didn't pay attention to what they were saying and was lost in thought when he suddenly dropped a bombshell: "There should be a mother tree in this city."
The two immediately fell silent.
Wei Chongru raised his head with a sullen expression: "What is it?"
“I’ve encountered it twice. Its branches alone could easily kill us all,” Nanmenjue said.
"Is he... that strong?" Mo Gui said, "Even Brother Jue can't handle him?"
Wei Chongru said, "The Furnace Base is not far from here. If the Mother Tree appears here, it will soon become an occupied area, and the Furnace Base will not be safe either. We can't go there."
His expression shifted between light and shadow. Nanmen Jue glanced at him and asked, "Your mission is to bring Zhang Zhi to the Furnace Base?"
Wei Chongru pursed his lips awkwardly and nodded in acknowledgment.
With Nanmen Jue and Yu Wanyan around anyway, Zhang Zhi would never fall into his hands, so it didn't matter what his mission was.
"Zhang Zhi?" Mo Gui's eyes darted around. "You've already found that priest's daughter? Where is she?"
"They've been taken to the furnace base," Nanmenjue said calmly.
For some reason, the two of them suddenly shivered.
At that moment, Hong Chenxi's voice rang out from upstairs, "You three can come up now, be careful."
Once up there, I found that the rooftop of this old building had been decorated in a unique way.
It's called a rooftop, but it's more like an attic; apart from the part that's visible, the rest is still covered up.
In this desolate apocalypse, many plants have been planted on the edge of the rooftop. Now, in the spring and summer, the plants have sprouted lush, tender leaves, which are both beautiful and form a defensive line.
A ring of small colored lights hung on the plant leaves, now lit up, adding a touch of warmth to the night.
Under the colored lights, there was a rocking recliner, and on the coffee table were confiscated wine glasses, making one imagine Hong Chenxi lying on it and drinking after returning.
Hong Chenxi had changed into casual clothes, washed off her heavy makeup, and let her black hair fall gently over her shoulders. She smiled slightly at the three of them and asked, "Would you like some wine?"
Nanmen Jue, of course, would not choose to drink alcohol.
She metabolizes alcohol quickly, and that glass of alcohol has already been metabolized; she now avoids alcohol altogether.
Hong Chenxi clearly remembered that Nanmen Jue got drunk after just one drink. When she took the wine glass from her, she glanced at her with a smile, both gentle and teasing.
"I want to drink!" Mo Gui excitedly reached for the wine glass, but was slapped by Nanmen Jue.
"Are you an adult?"
"Damn, how did you know I'm underage, Brother Jue?" Mo Gui's eyes widened. "With my appearance, people usually ask me how old my kids are."
Wei Chongru had just taken a sip of wine when he heard this and spat it out.
"You idiot, you're talking nonsense!" He poured himself another glass angrily. "Even if you look a little older than your age, you don't have to be mistaken for someone with children!"
"How dare you talk like that? I call this mature development." Mo Gui rolled up his sleeves, showing off his beautiful, slender muscles.
Hong Chenxi laughed as she watched them, but Nanmen Jue didn't laugh; instead, he frowned.
She had thought that this reincarnation space would only bring in adults, but she didn't expect that minors would also be brought in, including Yu Wanyan and Mo Gui.
Seeing that she was in a bad mood again, Hong Chenxi gently asked, "Where's your crow? Did it follow us?"
"A crow?" Mo Gui turned around. "Does Brother Jue keep a crow?"
Nanmen Jue didn't explain. She whistled, and Xiao Nuo flew out from some corner and landed on her shoulder.
“…So cool!” Mo Gui’s eyes lit up. “Brother Jue is really extraordinary. Most people keep cats, dogs, or at most parrots as pets, but you actually keep a crow! You’re more like the legendary villain.”
"Cough cough cough!" Wei Chongru choked on his own words again. He glared at Mo Gui, who had no self-control when it came to his mouth, thinking, "If you want to die, don't let it affect me!"
He was terrified that Nanmen Jue might suddenly remember that he was actually a bad person.
Nanmen Jue didn't care about his little schemes at all. She grabbed Xiao Nuo and stroked the crow's head with her fingertips. Despite his murderous gaze, she smiled slightly, finally showing a hint of relaxation.
"Pack your things and get out of here as soon as possible," she said to Hong Chenxi. "You know there's something underground. It's not in a normal state right now. Once it absorbs enough nutrients, it won't be able to get out."
Upon hearing this, the expressions of the three froze on their faces, with Wei Chongru looking as if he wished he could stand up and fly away.
Anyone who knew there was a mother tree hidden underground would not take it lightly!
Hong Chenxi's smile gradually faded. She looked at the lit colored lights and said blankly, "Where can I go? This is my home. My parents died right in front of me, on the third floor of this building. It's been three years since the apocalypse, and I still feel like I have parents... I don't want to leave them."
"You have to think about it whether you want to or not. If they were alive, they probably wouldn't want to see you actively courting death," Nanmen Jue said bluntly. "Go east, there are fewer parasites there."
Mo Gui asked, "Brother Jue, how did you know?"
Nanmen Jue looked down at the crow; he hadn't left to freeload on the day he left.
However, she didn't need to explain Xiao Nuo's existence to these people, so she remained silent.
The atmosphere fell silent. Hong Chenxi remained silent for a long while, then suddenly drank all the wine in her glass and stared intently at Nanmen Jue.
“I want to go with you,” she said. “If you don’t want me, I can be your subordinate, your henchman. If you think I’m too weak, I can train. In a crisis, you can throw me out as a shield. In short, I want to go with you.”
“I am well aware of my own strength. It’s not easy to survive in this world on my own. If I have to rely on someone, then I choose you. Would you… want me?”
In the end, a hint of unease crept into her words.
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