Chapter 98 Guide 26
A secretly followed them and became a complete captive of the little humans.
The little human's name was Lu Xuejin, and each character was a hundred times more complex than A. He seemed to be the leader of humanity, very powerful, stronger than all the pollutants A had encountered combined, and he reigned over this land like a monarch.
Yet his demeanor was so gentle. Often, A would secretly watch him, captivated by the delicate, upturned curve of his lips, like new leaves, and the tiny dimple beside them. Sometimes the little human would lower his eyes sadly, his gently pursed lips concealing weariness, but when another of his kind approached, he would immediately break into a smile. He always greeted his fellow human beings with a smile.
A always moves around Lu Xuejin, controlling everything it can to watch human every move with longing and attachment. It doesn't need to get close, just watching from afar, imagining Lu Xuejin holding it in her arms and coaxing it, and A is overjoyed.
Until one day, the little mother left and returned to the heavily guarded human heartland.
Its kind had tried countless times to break through that barrier and devour the massive amounts of energy and flesh, but had yet to succeed. But A was different.
Thus, the new "He Cang" was born, returning to Lu Xuejin's side like a weary bird returning to its nest.
"Runrun, your lips are all chapped." The guide handed A a glass of warm water, pointed to her lips, and smiled kindly.
The warm water flowed into his throat, but it brought no warmth whatsoever; after all, he was already a corpse.
The sofa was as soft as a cloud, and the air was filled with Lu Xuejin's scent—light, soft, fragrant, and cool. A smiled awkwardly at the guide.
Lu Xuejin sat down opposite him, with transparent floor-to-ceiling windows and a garden behind him. Autumn flowers surrounded him, making his every smile and frown seem to carry a faint floral fragrance.
“...Why don’t you squeeze in with Wan Hong for now? Your home is too far from the city center. It must take at least an hour to get to the Black Tower every day.” Lu Xuejin asked a few questions about A’s living situation and then offered her a considerate suggestion.
The sentry blankly replied, "Okay."
He didn't even notice the water in his hands getting cold, and he was still holding it foolishly, looking like a completely different person from the cold-eyed gray-eyed sentry on the southeastern border.
A gentle and considerate superior, a cunning and seemingly naive subordinate—what a harmonious scene.
Wan Hong leaned against the stairs, looking down at the scene with a cold eye. After Lu Xuejin told A to make himself at home and got up to go upstairs to get her things, the usually taciturn sentry blocked Lu Xuejin at the top of the stairs for the first time, his broad figure completely covering the guide.
Wan Hong gave Lu Xuejin a sullen kiss on the hair.
Wan Hong couldn't explain why, even though there was a greater threat, Ji Yangxia, lurking nearby, he felt an instinctive aversion and an uncontrollable urge to destroy a toy that was merely a temporary source of amusement.
Is it because he is a pollutant? Because his background is closely related to pollutants, countless people have rejected his marriage with Lu Xuejin?
But ginger is also a pollutant.
Lu Xuejin gently placed her hand on the sentry's hard shoulder and lazily asked, "Hmm?"
Wan Hong whispered his complaint: "He's even worse than Jiang Gu. His skin is completely contaminated. The real He is long dead. The one standing in front of you is a shameless freak."
"I know." Lu Xuejin blinked, cupped his face, and said casually, "This way, it'll be more convenient."
What was the young mother saying to that damn... sentinel who smelled like her?
Why are they standing so close?
A has learned that humans have fathers in addition to mothers. The father is the mother's spouse, and sometimes the relationship between the father and child is even closer—A will never allow an outsider to interfere between it and Lu Xuejin.
It only now realized that the joy of being close to Lu Xuejin and being sheltered and protected by him far exceeded its imagination. It shouldn't have remained a bystander; it should have come to his side sooner.
Lu Xuejin's care was subtle and gentle, and small details could bring tears to the eyes of this emotionally rich human corpse.
I'm so happy.
The longer she spent with Lu Xuejin, the stronger her love and affection for him became.
It wants to stay by Lu Xuejin's side forever.
First, make a deep impression on the stepmother and take Wan Hong's place. Then, drive Wan Hong away and kill him.
A tilted her head slightly, her eyes fixed on Lu Xuejin's retreating figure.
It will become the most useful child for young mothers.
A successfully stayed on.
For several days, it tried to take over Wan Hong's job, but unfortunately, this body had no experience in doing housework and was not as skilled as Wan Hong. It could only watch helplessly as the sentinel wagged its tail and left its scent all over its mother's house.
That day, A was practicing mopping the floor downstairs when a noise came from upstairs, like an argument. A immediately went upstairs. Whenever Mom showed a sad expression because of that damned sentinel, it would step in to help Mom.
As soon as they reached the stairwell, they saw Lu Xuejin with her head down, preparing to go downstairs. A stammered, "Sir..."
Lu Xuejin's expression was normal. A looked her over carefully but found no sadness or anger. She only caught a trace of distress at the corner of her beautiful eyebrows.
The opportunity has arrived.
A instantly forgot about Wan Hong. When Lu Xuejin came downstairs and sat on the sofa in a daze, it strolled over, slowly squatted down at the guide's feet, and asked in a weak posture and urgent tone, "Sir, what problem have you encountered?"
"I'm sorry to have worried you," Lu Xuejin said with a faint smile, not wanting to trouble her subordinates, and planned to gloss over it with a single sentence, "It's nothing, just work-related matters."
It seemed as if the problem had been piling up in his heart for a long time, the burden too heavy to bear. The chief, who had always silently endured, finally couldn't help but reveal a hint to those close to him.
"...I don't understand why they did that."
Lu Xuejin lowered his eyes sadly, a hint of tears glistening in them. But quickly, he smiled again, concealing his earlier lapse in composure, and asked about A's recent life.
A didn't want to let go of this hard-won opportunity, so she clung to Lu Xuejin's knees and looked up at her with sincere adoration.
He earnestly requested, "Leave any problem to me."
“I can’t do anything right now, I’m like a useless person. Whether it’s management or killing, I can do it all,” the sentry pleaded.
For people who are used to being used as tools, the sudden leisure and freedom without any plans is a poison that gnaws at their gut.
Lu Xuejin has dealt with so many sentries that she is very familiar with this kind of group problem.
He lowered his eyes, his gaze both coldly scrutinizing and pitying.
A gently shook his knees and pleaded, "Sir, let me do things for you."
After a long silence, Lu Xuejin let out a breath.
"The federal government has a list of people who need to be executed quietly."
“I’ve already killed so many people, but there are still so many more… Why do we have to let those children die when they’re perfectly fine?”
This is a question that cannot be answered.
A thought that the federal high command must have disguised the dirty work of eliminating dissidents as a necessary means for the federal government to clean up the corrupt elements, in order to deceive Lu Xuejin.
Despicable humans!
A took Lu Xuejin's hand; her mother's palm was so cold. It brought its face to Lu Xuejin's hand, gently rubbing it against it, suppressing the urge to call her "Mom," and mimicked He Cang's tone, saying, "This is the job I've been hoping for."
Ultimately, A obtained half of the list.
While Lu Xuejin was resting at home, it walked on the cold streets of District 1, weaving between light and shadow, its cold gray eyes searching for prey.
In alleyways, at street corners, in stairwells, in cramped apartments broken into, fingers pierce flesh, blades tear at the heart; it ends its prey's life in the most cruel and swift way. Occasionally, it encounters powerful prey and fights with them, the blood from the blade splattering on its face, hot and foul-smelling. Bathing in this, A feels its heart drawn closer to Lu Xuejin.
Because of the swift and covert methods used, coupled with the fact that the order in the Federation had not been what it used to be, the military could only find scattered traces, but had not been able to find any clues about the murderer.
Wan Hong occasionally helped him clean up, but A loathed this fellow creature with its mixed aura. He didn't know where this appearance came from, yet it was so favored by his mother. His mother was kind to him, but only instinctively and politely, entirely out of kindness. He didn't recognize "He Cang's" identity and still treated him as a close subordinate.
This cannot be compared to the intimate atmosphere between him and Wan Hong, which was difficult to penetrate.
Dislike is mutual.
Wan Hong made no attempt to hide his rejection of those who came after him.
However, they put on a very successful act in front of Lu Xuejin—Lu Xuejin still believes that the two are a perfect team.
"Hurry up," Wan Hong urged impatiently from the doorway.
His head was getting increasingly painful.
The sentry inside was already dead, his head hanging limply on his neck like a deflated balloon.
The sentry standing beside the corpse moved in an appallingly slow manner.
Wan Hong stared at him menacingly. Suddenly, his vision went dark, and when the light returned, a face with blood gushing from its mouth and nose and a ferocious expression came into view.
His thoughts froze for a moment, but his body was still executing the command issued a second ago—Wan Hong drew his long sword and caught a glimpse of a pair of gray eyes on the smooth blade.
"..."
The fresh smell of blood hit him, and Wan Hong found A standing in front of him, holding a long knife and looking at him mockingly.
Wan Hong slowly straightened up, feeling a crisp crack from his bones. He twisted his neck and mocked without any politeness, "So slow. I almost fell asleep waiting."
A ignored him.
They cleaned up the body and all traces.
The sunset painted the sky with vibrant colors.
Lu Xuejin pressed her hands on the balcony railing and looked into the distance. When she saw the two figures returning home, she smiled.
Dongyao: [Baby, I checked, the male lead's dedication value is already 96! You're amazing! You don't have to do anything, and the male lead is already infatuated with you.]
Lu Xuejin propped her cheek on her hand and said, "After all, he's my husband."
【Hmm, I think if we have another event, like the damsel in distress rescuing the hero, or you and he getting together, the dedication value will be full.】
As the two entered, Lu Xuejin bent her finger at them and said with a half-smile, "What's the rush? I haven't had enough fun yet."
...
In the dark, cramped space, the enormous, twisted body thrashed and turned, the monarch emitting painful howls as scales shed from its body.
It was originally brought back to life from a corpse, but the monarch's actions not only failed to rid it of its heavy sense of decay, but also made its body stiff, gradually showing a tendency to return to the state of a corpse.
Once it dies again, it will never have a chance to come back to life. And its kin, who are eyeing it covetously, will certainly devour the corpse without mercy.
No, absolutely not!
The monarch's three eyes were wide open.
In this illusory world, the only thing that can save it is the blood of the true "monarch".
The snake's tail trembled, emitting a high-frequency sound that was imperceptible to the human body.
In an instant, the pollutants, immersed in the carnage, stopped tearing each other apart, and the dormant pollutants were awakened. They followed their natural instincts and bowed down to the monarch who was constantly proclaiming his status and power.
They all looked toward the human heartland, which was surrounded by a long border and which had been inaccessible even after years of fighting.
"The sky is so strange." Lu Xuejin looked up. The sky in the distance remained dark and gloomy, with high-density pollution gathering overhead. However, at certain times in the past few days, it suddenly became transparent, with a long crack appearing in the dense, dark clouds, from which unknown substances surged.
In fact, it wasn't just the sky that changed; solid objects in areas like the White Tower, the council hall, and the streets of the city center seemed to have their transparency reduced. Although they still felt real to the touch, they gave the impression that you could pass right through them.
People. The people coming and going had no expressions, no joy, anger, sorrow or happiness, and moved like puppets.
Lu Xuejin has not received any requests for guidance for a long time.
News of pollutants entering the Federation and causing trouble in District 1 was frequently reported, and the dry autumn air was filled with the smell of impending storm.
Lu Xuejin lowered his eyes, rubbed his thumb on his middle finger as if plucking a flower, and asked, "What's going on? This isn't in the original world's storyline, is it?"
silence.
After a while, Dongyao's cheerful voice rang out, explaining apologetically: "Baby, it's a system update. I didn't expect it to affect the operation of the small world."
Oh, just pretend you didn't see it, it'll be fine in a while. Please don't report me QAQ
Lu Xuejin withdrew her hand and smiled, "Luckily, I'm the only tourist here, so I won't complain about your mistake."
Lu Xuejin is always considerate and never makes things difficult for others or squeezes out embarrassing facts and emotions, unless he sees the other person as prey.
...
The monarch roared.
Its subordinates and offspring, whom it continuously sent out, were all blocked and killed. It could not even get close to the place where the royal blood was. The monarch became so irrational and frantic in his increasing corruption that he almost lost his mind.
Damn your kin!
During its lifetime, that weak bastard didn't even have the right to know of its existence.
The massive, rolling body sent a powerful tremor through the spirit world, which then spread to the humans—and many guides found themselves inexplicably lost in a trance.
The monarch quickly calmed down.
A cunning glint flashed in the wide-open eyes of the alien.
What's the use of obstructing it? With a weak pawn that can be easily placed, wouldn't it have already gone to the King's side?
Where the scales had fallen, black mist churned, and within the mist, fleshy buds throbbed violently, mirroring the monarch's current excitement. The monarch's eyes darted around, instantly locating the chess piece.
Almost everyone on the list was killed, and A lost his job again, spending his days listlessly at Wan Hong's house. Wan Hong was conscripted by the Black Tower, leaving only A and his mother in the two adjacent villas.
A, hiding in a corner, gazed into the distance and caught a glimpse of a relaxed figure on the balcony.
It longed to run to its mother immediately and stay close to her. But A still remembered the few words the contaminant had uttered.
Parents and children should be mindful of boundaries; after being affectionate, remember to maintain a certain distance—distance makes things better, closeness makes things worse…
For the sake of long-term happiness, A learns to endure like a human.
It was searching for a gift to give to Lu Xuejin. It had collected quite a few before, hiding those gifts in the vast, damp, and dark forest—the corpses of pollutants, brightly colored poisonous flowers, and juicy fruits. But before it could deliver them to the door, Lu Xuejin left the border.
There was nothing similar for him to search within the Federation. As A's socialization increased, he realized that those previous "gifts" were rarely appreciated by humans. To the fragile little humans, they were even a source of fright.
Therefore, A quickly abandoned the plan to collect the remains of the people on the list and make them into flowers.
It eagerly learns from human experience, but it doesn't think that the gifts recorded in books will be liked by its mother.
For example, there's a long bookshelf in Mom's house with classic books, but A has never seen him open it. Every time his gaze sweeps over the bookshelf, there's a hint of disdain in Mom's eyes.
My mother doesn't like reading.
I also don't like strange or unusual paintings.
Pollutants, driven by instinct and intuition, are far more capable of seeing through the truth than humans with their complex minds.
Although choosing a gift is difficult and A hasn't found a good idea yet, she is becoming more and more obsessed with it, and the process of searching is also a process of loving someone.
A sweet smile appeared on the gray-eyed sentinel's cold face, but his pale complexion made him look extremely strange and eerie.
Just then, from a higher dimension, an existence that A could not resist descended.
The sun shone as usual, the autumn wind blew as usual, and no one noticed the strange changes in the villa in the quiet afternoon.
The human mental landscape—the area absolutely controlled by A—froze instantly, and the monarch descended with coldness and indifference.
"No—" A's struggle to refuse was tiny and weak, like a sandcastle carefully built by a child, silently crushed by the weight of the entire ocean. The abilities that allowed it to exist, think, and disguise itself were as weak as ants in front of the monarch, not even needing to be looked at, completely and irreversibly erased.
The whole process is faster and quieter than erasing a pencil mark with an eraser.
"A" swayed slightly and closed "Three Thousand Questions about Gifts".
It slowly raised its head, its gaze fixed on the young man on the balcony, its Adam's apple bobbing, an undisguised longing spreading in its eyes and at the corners of its lips.
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