CHAPTER 54
Several riots broke out in Montreal overnight, and the arson at the training ground was just one of them.
When Sheng Qing arrived last night, the fire at the training ground had already been extinguished, and the arsonist was caught on the spot and taken away by the Thirteenth Team for interrogation overnight.
It wasn't until Ning Xianyu came to her door early in the morning that Sheng Qing learned that shortly after she left, dozens of people in the hospital had developed mental abnormalities due to unknown factors, resulting in injuries and even deaths of medical staff and other patients, and the situation was once out of control.
Ning Xianyu, who was in charge of the daily management of Mengcheng, asked in detail about the events before and after the hospital riot. Sheng Qing skipped over the situation of guiding spiritual energy to Qin Feiyu and explained everything.
Sheng Qing recalled the brief strange noise in Qin Feiyu's ward. Could he have been affected at that time?
"I heard the Queen summoned you?" Ning Xianyu suddenly asked after inquiring about the unusual events at the hospital.
“Yes, yesterday,” Sheng Qing replied.
"Is everything alright?" Ning Xianyu asked abruptly.
"It's nothing, what happened?" Sheng Qing asked, puzzled. What could have happened? He had just had a few nightmares when he got home.
"Things have been a bit turbulent lately, so don't wander off." Ning Xianyu frowned, opened the door, and Cheng Cheng was waiting there. The two turned and left.
"Is this riot very serious?" Sheng Qing pressed.
"Don't ask around." Ning Xianyu said without turning her head.
Things seemed more serious than expected, and it felt very similar to Xu Pei sneaking into the city yesterday. Sheng Qing wanted to ask around, but Qin Feiyu would usually be babbling in her ear by this time, so she felt a little uncomfortable.
Meng Yunxi had not yet returned from being summoned by the Queen, Qin Feiyan had also asked for leave, and finally Sheng Qing stopped Jian Fei who was passing by.
"What's wrong? Have you decided to go to Jin Guo City?" Jian Fei asked first, then hurriedly rummaged through his clothes. "Oh dear, I forgot to bring that thing. Wait for me!"
"Huh? No." Sheng Qing quickly grabbed Jian Fei, who was about to head towards the training gate. "We're going to find secret manuals. What are you going to Jin Guo City for?" Sheng Qing took a deep breath, almost getting carried away. "I'm asking you about the riots in Meng City last night. Jin Guo City isn't urgent. The captain hasn't returned yet."
"Never mind that, I have to go anyway. Oh, right, I have to wait for the captain to come back." Jian Fei looked slightly disappointed, then put on a mysterious expression. "You heard? All those people who were taken in for interrogation met with bad luck. Right under the investigators' noses, they either turned into a pool of blood or were left with only a thin layer of skin."
Human skin? Sheng Qing suddenly thought of Xu Pei again. But how did it turn into a pool of blood?
"Did a monster from outside the city sneak in?" Sheng Qing asked in surprise.
"I don't know the specifics," Jian Fei shook his head.
"Are you talking about the riots last night?" Le Tian leaned closer. "I heard about it too. I happened to be there when they started. They were just ordinary passersby, but suddenly they seemed to have been provoked and started attacking passersby indiscriminately."
"Does he look like a normal person?" Jian Fei asked.
“That’s right, at first it was, but after only a few minutes of me engaging with it, my body underwent a strange transformation, as if something was eagerly growing out of its body.” Le Tian nodded and continued to describe it vividly.
"It sounds like it's been parasitized." Sheng Qing touched his chin, feeling that it didn't quite resemble Xu Pei's situation.
“Parasitism? It does seem very similar.” Le Tian’s eyes showed certainty. “But under the protective measures of the Mengcheng ban, this shouldn’t happen.”
“The people in Team Thirteen aren’t pushovers either. How could they allow something like this to happen right under their noses?” Jian Fei chimed in.
“That’s hard to say,” another member of Team Zero joined the discussion.
"Should we go ask the people in Team Thirteen?" All eyes fell on Sheng Qing.
Sheng Qing waved her hand repeatedly. Ning Xianyu clearly had no clue what to do, otherwise he wouldn't have come to her door in person to say those things.
When Meng Yunxi appeared at the training ground, the clock was pointing to five o'clock in the afternoon.
When Sheng Qing came out of the simulation training room, he saw him talking to Jian Fei, so he decided to wait at the main entrance.
"Wait for me." It was Meng Yunxi's voice. He caught up with her, and Sheng Qing stopped and looked back.
"Time is tight. We'll be going to Jin Guo City and the library in that manor you mentioned in a bit." Meng Yunxi's expression was very serious.
"Okay, is there anything I need to prepare?" This is too hasty. It's not like we're going on a trip and can just pack up and go.
"No need, I'm almost ready."
"Jian Fei is going too?"
"Ignore him."
Sheng Qing turned around and, sure enough, saw Jian Fei with a worried expression.
"Perhaps he has something urgent to attend to?"
“I approve. We’ll split up and proceed.”
The staff of the research group also frequently travel to the secret realm for research purposes, and such cooperation and mutual benefit are common.
But when did the research into secret techniques become so urgent?
The two quickly teleported to Jin Guo City using a secret technique, and then opened a passage to the Red Manor by the pool in the Sheng Mansion.
Meng Yunxi's expression as she perused the books was somewhat serious, creating a rather somber atmosphere.
"Captain, why did you take so long?" Sheng Qing couldn't help but ask.
Meng Yunxi closed the book in her hand, looked up at Sheng Qing, seemingly preoccupied with something, and after a long while said, "I remember you have some connection with Xuecheng?"
Sheng Qing thought of Ning Xianle, the place where her nominal mother lived, and the place where the original owner of this body, Ning Ruyin, was born. It was quite closely related to her.
Oh, and there's also Blake, who suddenly appeared out of nowhere and left everyone scratching their heads; he should also be from Syracuse.
Speaking of which, Reed seems to have some connection to Syracuse.
"Why bring this up all of a sudden?" Sheng Qing did not give a direct answer.
"The recent riots in Montreal are related to Snow City, and it can be basically concluded that they were planned by the people of Snow City."
"The investigation results are out so quickly?" I was questioned by Ning Xianyu himself this morning.
"Ning Xianyu should have already spoken to you, right?" Meng Yunxi gave Sheng Qing a deep look, put the book back on the shelf, moved to the shelf marked with graffiti, and pulled out a classic book to read.
"You found out? She came to ask me about the unusual activity at the hospital," Sheng Qing explained. "Could it be that she suspects I'm involved in the riots?"
"You've been cleared of suspicion for now, but it's hard to say what will happen if Snow City makes any further moves. Your identity is out in the open."
Heaven knows, how could Sheng Qing possibly have that ability?
"Captain, you can testify for me. I was trapped here for the first three months. Besides, where would I have the time and energy?" Sheng Qing protested.
"I believe you're useless." Meng Yunxi's tone was somewhat cold.
Sheng Qing looked at him with an expression that said, "I never expected you to be this kind of person, abandoning your companions at the slightest sign of danger."
“That’s not what I meant. Anyone can doubt you, but I won’t.” Meng Yunxi sighed, her right hand lingering briefly by Sheng Qing’s ear before withdrawing. “Your identity is indeed sensitive, but it hasn’t reached that point yet.”
"Surely there's some way to prove my innocence, right?"
Sheng Qing couldn't help but wonder if she would be restricted in her personal freedom again and locked in a dark room.
Sheng Qing discovered a new use for spiritual energy and the sea of consciousness: books enveloped in spiritual energy could actually be stored in the sea of consciousness. After the spiritual energy was removed, the books would reappear in their original positions.
Like a storage bag?
The jinx proved prophetic; Sheng Qing, returning from the secret realm to his cabin in Mengcheng, was ambushed.
This was an ambush by our own people. Looking at the nameplate on their chests, they were from the Fifth Team of the Alien Group.
Seeing a group of about ten people surrounding him with wary expressions, wasn't it a bit like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut?
Meng Yunxi stood beside her, her expression icy: "Who approved it?"
"Captain Meng, the situation is urgent. We have also received the Queen's decree. Please forgive us if we have offended anyone." The leading man smiled politely.
After a moment's thought, Sheng Qing decided there was no need to escalate the situation; the innocent would clear themselves, and thus he obediently surrendered.
"Wait." Sheng Qing was stopped by Meng Yunxi.
"The Queen's decree? What proof do you have? Why didn't I receive the message?" Meng Yunxi sneered, remaining calm and composed. "You think you can take my people away with just a few words? Do you think I'm so easily dismissed?"
"Stop talking nonsense and just take him away!" an impatient voice snapped.
"Shut up!" the leader of the group shouted.
"I don't have time to listen to your long-winded reminiscing."
The voices of discontent grew even louder.
“This body is too restrictive. I think this new one is much better. Hehehe~” Another person popped up, his expression turning strange as he looked at Meng Yunxi, and finally let out a series of ambiguous sounds.
"What kind of taste do you have? That woman is clearly better, and she suits my taste perfectly."
"Shut up!"
"That's perfect, I don't have to fight you for it anymore."
...
Something's not right!
Sheng Qing and Meng Yunxi exchanged a glance.
No matter how eccentric the people in Team Five are, they would never act like this. There is only one possibility: they have been parasitized by a monster!
There was no time to dwell on the reasons. The other party launched the first attack. An object flew from between the two at an extremely fast speed. Just before it got close, it suddenly paused for a second and then exploded like a burst of fireworks, spraying out countless foul-smelling liquids.
Sheng Qing and Meng Yunxi simultaneously ducked and dodged to the left and right respectively to avoid the attack.
The splashed liquid, when it hit the wooden furniture, acted as if it had been doused with strong sulfuric acid. It corroded rapidly upon contact, producing white smoke and a sizzling sound. Even the hard stone floor was scalded with an ugly dent.
Upon closer inspection, the people of Team Five had long since lost their human form; monsters emerged from their bodies, which were dressed in Team Five uniforms, like cicadas breaking free from their cocoons.
The two, who were initially hesitant to retaliate because they were afraid of hurting their own people, now had no more scruples and summoned the power of the elements, with water, fire, metal, wood and earth all attacking at once.
Perhaps due to the effects of being parasitized, he fought against a dozen or so monsters for a full hour before the battle ended.
Blood and flesh were flying everywhere, and the ground was a mess. Sheng Qing simply didn't want to stay in this place anymore.
The two suffered minor abrasions and, hearing the commotion on the street outside, got up to check on it.
They fought their way to the training ground, never imagining that Mengcheng's defenses could be so weak, allowing all sorts of minor monsters to infiltrate. After easily taking down Sheng Qing, who clearly had little fighting ability, they couldn't help but feel puzzled.
A sudden gust of wind followed by a cloud of white mist. A surviving pedestrian touched it out of curiosity, and as if drawn by some mysterious force, he was pulled closer to the mist after a brief standoff, followed by a piercing scream.
"Help me, help me..."
At first, it could still make cries for help, but in the end, only silence remained.
The white fog spread further.
"There's something wrong with the white fog!"
"Stay away from the white fog!"
The two spoke up to warn others, summoned wood elemental energy, and wrapped it around the lower leg of a person whose leg was submerged in white mist. With a forceful pull, the body split open at the junction, half of it was swallowed up, and the other half of the bloody thigh hung limply on the body, but at least the person's life was saved.
The white mist seemed quite wary of elemental power, shrinking back slightly upon contact.
The people of Montreal, having discovered the pattern, rose up in resistance, but not everyone could skillfully summon elemental power. The training ground briefly opened its entrance, and everyone hid inside for temporary refuge.
However, Sheng Qing, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, suddenly realized that there seemed to be some unknown monsters mixed in with the crowd that had hidden in the training ground. They were not all human.
Sheng Qing spotted Xu Pei. When someone finds a cockroach, it often means there's already a nest of cockroaches.
This inference also applies to this very moment.
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