“How about we just knock them all out?” Zhu Qunqing suggested awkwardly.
“It seems that’s our only option for now,” Ling Xun immediately replied, not giving Wei Siqi a chance to speak.
Wei Siqi’s face darkened. She looked like she wanted to say something, but under Ling Xun’s meaningful glance, she ultimately remained silent.
Knocking people out wasn't exactly a brilliant plan; it was a desperate choice. What seemed like a simple action was actually difficult to calibrate. Even trained professionals couldn't always control their strength with precision.
Everyone’s constitution and tolerance levels were different. Strike too lightly, and they wouldn't go down; strike too hard... and there was a high probability of leaving them with severe lasting damage—concussions, paralysis, or even death!
Moreover, those driven mad by contamination were in an abnormally hyperactive mental state. Trying to make them lose consciousness was barely different from killing them outright.
The ones doing the hitting were the ones being restricted, making the whole process tedious and time-consuming.
Wei Siqi sighed. If she could figure this out, then a slick veteran like Ling Xun surely knew it too. So why was he going along with Zhu Qunqing’s suggestion?
She glanced at the transcendents from Tulip Security Company. They had already gathered in a triangular formation, coordinating with each other perfectly while remaining completely silent. They didn't participate in any discussion or offer suggestions, making it clear they would simply follow whatever the Investigation Bureau did.
The crazed crowd surged forward like a tide. The ordinary members of the Investigation Bureau quickly retreated into their vehicles, which were sturdy enough to hold out for a while.
Wei Siqi calmly extended her hand. Between her fingertips, a single stalk of withered yellow straw appeared—slender and fragile, looking entirely out of place in the current environment.
Yet, in her hand, the straw seemed to transform into a magic wand. With a gentle wave, countless identical stalks of straw drifted down from the air, spinning and slamming into the crazed individuals with the weight of a thousand pounds, pinning them down until they couldn't move.
Her powerful crowd control gave everyone a moment to breathe. However, whether it was intentional or a mistake, she left a noticeable gap right where Zhu Qunqing was standing.
As a result, the injured Zhu Qunqing was the first to buckle. Pain and blood loss left him weak, and he discovered that the people who had been knocked out would stand back up after only a short while. A small portion of them even began to display bee-like characteristics, mutating into half-human, half-bee monsters.
He couldn't help but retreat toward the cars, but Ling Xun “inadvertently” shifted his position, blocking his path.
“The situation is getting worse. What should we do next?” Ling Xun asked, sounding very anxious.
Zhu Qunqing couldn't hide his panic anymore, his previous confidence and composure long gone. He instinctively looked toward Yue Shi.
Noticing the gaze, Yue Shi spoke expressionlessly, “Don’t worry. I wasn't paying attention before, but thanks to your reminder, I now know these lunatics are just innocent civilians. Their minds are temporarily clouded by the supernatural, and they can still be saved. I won't harm them~”
Zhu Qunqing choked on his words, his expression becoming even more unsightly. As the person in charge of this supernatural incident, he knew better than anyone why the situation here had suddenly deteriorated to this point.
He had expected someone to lose their cool, curse him for being a bleeding heart, and then charge out recklessly to kill. That way, he could fish in troubled waters, shift the focus of the conflict, and dump part of the responsibility onto someone else...
But... the transcendents present weren't necessarily geniuses, but they were all extremely cautious. Even the one who looked most like a brute hadn't acted as impulsively as he had anticipated.
Cold sweat pooled on Zhu Qunqing’s forehead. Beside him, Ling Xun’s eyes narrowed slightly, as if he had already seen through his thoughts.
After several near-fatal brushes with the monsters, Zhu Qunqing had gained several more wounds. Every breath he took was accompanied by pain. Finally, he couldn't hold out any longer. Gasping for air, he said intermittently, “We have to find a way to deal with the source, or we’ll be worn down to death eventually!”
“Where is the source? You’re in charge of this case; do you have any clues?” Ling Xun asked, his voice raspy.
Zhu Qunqing hesitated for a moment, lowering his head to avoid Ling Xun’s gaze. “I can find the first Bee Woman who mutated in this school, but she is also...”
“Cut the crap and lead the way!” Ling Xun interrupted whatever Zhu Qunqing was about to say with a complicated expression. Whatever it was, it would surely be infuriating.
Wei Siqi sneered and exchanged a look with Ling Xun, barely suppressing her rising anger. Without a word, she waved her straw to clear a path, following Zhu Qunqing toward the library.
Yue Shi didn't understand the silent exchange of looks between the three of them or the riddles they were speaking in. He simply followed silently. He still needed to hunt more supernatural beings; it would be best if he could activate his sixth ability in one go.
Zhong Mo and Fang Jianxin hesitated for a moment before following as well.
As they passed the school infirmary, Fang Jianxin wanted to take Bai Qingyu there to treat her wounds first, but she suddenly noticed that the swelling on Bai Qingyu’s head from the venomous bee stings had miraculously subsided.
Zhong Mo noticed this as well and remarked casually, “Could she have a special constitution?”
Fang Jianxin shook her head. “I’m not sure.”
“Could she have suddenly awakened a supernatural power? Or has she been a transcendent all along, just hiding her strength?” Zhong Mo asked again.
Fang Jianxin continued to shake her head blankly.
“Aren't you two close? How can you not know anything?” Zhong Mo asked curiously.
“We only met recently. The day I joined the company was the first time I saw her,” Fang Jianxin said.
They just met and she’s already this devoted? Zhong Mo grumbled internally.
Perhaps sensing his thoughts, Fang Jianxin said firmly, “You wouldn't understand the friendship between girls~”
Zhong Mo rubbed the bridge of his nose awkwardly.
Outside the library, the crazed crowd became increasingly dense and violent, as if they were intentionally trying to block the way. However, Wei Siqi cleared them all out single-handedly. She moved decisively and with a sharp, heroic air, unlike before when she had deliberately created gaps in her defense to force Zhu Qunqing to take more hits.
By now, Zhu Qunqing had also caught on. He wanted to back out, but Ling Xun smilingly hooked an arm around his and dragged him forward.
As they stepped into the library, the temperature seemed to drop several degrees, carrying a chilling gloom. The air was thick with the faint stench of rotting blood mixed with the cloying sweetness of honey, making one want to gag.
The space was filled with massive amounts of beeswax, making the originally bright and spacious area look cramped and dim. Human corpses were encased in the wax like nightmares in murky amber—devoid of any beauty, showing only the frozen, contorted agony of the moment death arrived.
As they moved deeper into the third floor of the library, the light grew even dimmer. Wei Siqi turned on her phone’s flashlight. The shifting light and shadows projected an incredibly grotesque scene.
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