Zhou Zhiheng made several calls, quickly notifying the company leadership and the other two transcendents of the situation. Afterward, he pulled the nearby surveillance footage, only to discover that the cameras had suddenly gone black about ten minutes before the incident. It seemed like a brief malfunction; by the time they returned to normal, Zhong Mo had already been attacked.
“It looks like the other party came prepared...” Zhong Mo said with a grim expression. “I’m fine now. Old Zhou, you can head out. You guys can't really help much if we run into something supernatural.”
Zhou Zhiheng nodded and personally took out a special container to store the heart covered in bluish-black tentacles. After a quick cleanup of the scene, he led the others away, but before leaving, he made a point to suggest:
“Zhong Mo, why don't we have Yue Shi and Zhao Lin stay here tonight? You're injured, and I’m afraid you won’t be able to handle it alone if that supernatural creature doubles back for another attack.”
Zhong Mo was silent for a moment but didn't refuse. Yue Shi and Zhao Lin both agreed as well.
Once the others had left, Zhong Mo led Yue Shi and Zhao Lin to the guest rooms. “There’s food in the fridge and snacks in the cabinets. Help yourselves, don't be shy. I’m injured, so I’m going to head to my room to rest now.”
“Do you need to go to the hospital?” Zhao Lin asked with concern.
“It’s just a minor injury; I can handle it myself,” Zhong Mo said dismissively.
Looking at the large patches of blood on Zhong Mo's clothes, Zhao Lin hesitated but ultimately didn't say anything more.
Late at night, Zhao Lin fell asleep early, his steady breathing echoing through the silent room.
Yue Shi, however, found it difficult to sleep. A faint, intermittent buzzing sound lingered in his ears. Fortunately, as a transcendent, his senses and constitution were superior to ordinary people, so he didn't miss this slight abnormality.
The sound was familiar, like the vibrating wings of the Bee Woman’s venomous bees.
Yue Shi quietly got up, pushed open the door, and followed the sound through the living room to the balcony.
On a shelf in a hidden corner, a row of strange little glass jars caught his eye.
The jars were cylindrical with double-layered glass, and the lids were screwed on tightly, making them airtight. Each jar contained a listless venomous bee, their bodies far larger than normal bees, with skull-shaped patterns on their backs.
“So it really is these damn things.”
Before Yue Shi could do anything, Zhong Mo, wearing pajamas, appeared silently behind him. “What are you doing?” he asked coldly.
As a guest wandering around without the host's permission, Yue Shi didn't feel the slightest bit of embarrassment at being caught. Instead, he took the initiative and asked, “Why are you keeping these things?”
Zhong Mo remained expressionless. “That is my private business!”
“Is it?” Yue Shi’s tone carried a hint of hidden meaning.
The first thought that had flashed through his mind upon seeing these venomous bees was—framing someone.
Judging others by his own standards, he subconsciously felt that Zhong Mo probably wasn't keeping these venomous bees for anything good!
“Are they for sale? Sell me two,” Yue Shi suddenly proposed a trade.
“Huh?” Zhong Mo seemed somewhat surprised. “What do you want them for?”
“I’ve already dealt with two Bee Women in a row, and I might encounter more in the future. I want to carefully observe the habits of these venomous bees so I can take the best countermeasures next time I face a Bee Woman.”
This sounded all well and good, but it wasn't very convincing. However, Zhong Mo didn't press him and simply said, “I’ll just give them to you. No need to pay.”
Yue Shi raised an eyebrow.
As if sensing his confusion, Zhong Mo explained, “They’re just bugs, not some precious items. I was stung before and brought a few back to use for detoxification. They’re useless to me now.”
“I see.” Yue Shi put on an enlightened expression and unceremoniously reached out to pick two relatively active venomous bees from the shelf, taking no more than that.
Zhong Mo’s expression softened slightly. “I only caught five in total, so I don't have any to spare.”
In the dim light of the night, a handsome curve formed at the corner of Yue Shi’s lips as he gave a cryptic reply: “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.”
No matter what your purpose is for raising these venomous bees, I won’t leak the news on a whim... unless there’s a profit to be made.
...
The next morning, Zhao Lin woke up early and instinctively went to the kitchen to get busy.
When Yue Shi woke up, he smelled the aroma of food.
He hadn't slept well last night; the unfamiliar environment and the buzzing venomous bees had both disturbed his sleep.
As abnormal creatures contaminated by the supernatural, the venomous bees had incredibly resilient life force. Even after being trapped in small, airtight containers for a long time, they hadn't suffocated.
After procrastinating for a while, Yue Shi yawned and walked out of his room, glancing at the figure busy by the dining table. “I couldn't tell, Zhao Lin—you actually have such great cooking skills?”
Everyone loves a compliment. Although it wasn't particularly useful, it at least provided plenty of emotional value. Zhao Lin scratched the back of his head sheepishly, feeling that his morning work hadn't been in vain. “I’ve lived alone for a long time, so I slowly picked up a bit of everything.”
While they were talking, Zhong Mo pushed open his door and walked over. He was wearing a very old-fashioned blue-black jacket; his face was rosy and he looked full of energy, showing no signs of having been injured the previous night.
“Brother Zhong, you’ve recovered well?” A flash of surprise crossed Zhao Lin’s eyes.
Zhong Mo nodded. “The injury wasn't serious to begin with. After a night’s rest, I’m naturally mostly recovered.”
Zhao Lin lowered his gaze. He clearly remembered that Zhong Mo had bled a great deal from his chest last night. How could he have healed overnight? Could it be that Zhong Mo also possessed some kind of healing ability?
Though he thought this, he didn't pursue the topic, always maintaining a sense of propriety.
After breakfast, Zhong Mo indicated that he was in good condition and didn't need anyone to stay and watch over him, which served as a polite request for them to leave.
Yue Shi had reason to suspect that Zhong Mo likely didn't want outsiders staying in his home for too long. Who knew what other secrets might be hidden here besides the venomous bees?
Because of the attack on Zhong Mo, the investigation into the Heart Thief was temporarily shelved. As it happened to be the weekend, Yue Shi and Zhao Lin quickly took their leave and headed to their respective homes.
Rate on N.U.
