“Ugh!”
The man with the cigarette let out a muffled groan as the vines constricted around his neck.
He clawed at his throat with both hands, trying to tear the vines away.
But the vines suddenly yanked upward, lifting his feet off the ground until only his toes barely touched. The cigarette he had been holding fell to the floor.
Straining with all his might, he turned his head toward the apartment next door and met Yue Shi's eyes through the gap in the door. His gaze was filled with a desperate plea; he was in dire need of outside help.
Yue Shi, however, was weighing the pros and cons. The man was likely from the authorities—what benefits would there be in saving him? Would not saving him lead to trouble?
The strength of the vines continued to increase. The man's face turned a deep, suffocating red, and it looked as though his neck might be snapped at any moment.
Mrs. Bai was trembling with fear, grabbing Old Man Qin and trying to flee.
Old Man Qin, however, seemed frozen in shock. He stood rooted to the spot, his expression unreadable as if he were lost in thought.
At that moment, Yue Shi pushed his door open.
Shadows transformed into pitch-black ravens that circled silently before swarming toward the man ensnared by the vines.
The dense swarm of ravens attacked the vines with their claws and beaks.
The person controlling the vines seemingly hadn't expected this. They released their grip on the man and began to lash out at the ravens instead.
Yue Shi lunged forward, his right hand transforming into a sharp claw as he slashed out fiercely.
The vines were severed, and decay spread rapidly from the cut.
Yue Shi glanced into the neighboring room. It was a sea of green; various plants had overgrown the space, with unknown weeds even sprouting from the cracks in the walls and floor.
The tenant of the room had sickly green skin and a forehead drenched in cold sweat. A vine was actually growing out of his arm!
Right now, that strange vine was being eroded by decay, quickly losing its vitality and turning a withered brown.
The base of the vine, where it connected to his body, pulsed and writhed continuously. Each throb seemed to drain his life force to resist the decay.
He knew that if he didn't take immediate action, he would eventually be drained dry!
Gritting his teeth, he took a deep breath and used all his strength to rip the vine right out of his own arm!
A blood-curdling scream followed as he endured unspeakable agony. Bright red blood sprayed out, forming a stark contrast with the room full of green.
Once detached, the vine quickly lost its life and rotted away.
The pitch-black ravens returned to Yue Shi's shadow. The battle was over.
“Cough, cough...”
The man who had been smoking leaned against the wall with one hand while clutching his neck with the other. He gasped for air, looking at Yue Shi with clear gratitude and shock.
Another flurry of chaotic footsteps approached.
A team of uniformed personnel rushed onto the scene. Leading them was Officer Liu, whom Yue Shi had met once before.
Officer Liu was clearly taken aback when he saw the ligature marks on the man's neck, the withered and rotten vines, and the blood-soaked tenant in the room next door.
They had come to investigate the heart, but their equipment had suddenly detected a supernatural fluctuation on the sixth floor. As a transcendent from the Investigation Bureau, the man with the cigarette had reached the scene at incredible speed.
The ordinary police officers had arrived a step too late; it was already over.
With a wave of Officer Liu's hand, the officers moved in an orderly fashion to seal the scene, take photos for evidence, and take the responsible parties into custody.
One of the officers carried a specialized device and was scanning the area.
Mrs. Bai explained that the tenant's name was Cai Zetao. He was a loner, and the only unusual thing lately was the constant noise he made in his room. She didn't know anything else.
As an ordinary landlady, she saw no need to keep close tabs on a tenant's every move.
A landlady only cared about collecting rent; the police had much more to consider.
After a thorough search, no other abnormalities were found. The officer operating the specialized device also failed to detect any lingering supernatural aura.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Officer Liu's gaze was sharp as a knife, scrutinizing the scene and glancing at Yue Shi from time to time.
The man with the cigarette, having caught his breath, looked at Yue Shi and explained to Officer Liu with a smile:
“He's a transcendent too. Thanks to his help just now, I'm safe. He's not a suspect.”
Upon hearing this, Officer Liu gave a forced, mirthless smile. A prominent vein throbbed twice on his balding temple.
Inexplicably, Yue Shi sensed a faint, hidden malice emanating from him.
Could it be that because so many innocent civilians died during the 'Bee Woman' incident, Officer Liu now harbored a prejudice against him?
There were other tenants on the sixth floor, but they remained quiet, none of them opening their doors to see what was happening.
Whether it was Mrs. Bai's shouting or the sound of gunshots, it all spelled trouble.
The unconscious and pain-stricken Cai Zetao was carried away, and all the green plants in his room were uprooted and taken as well.
In theory, Yue Shi should have gone back with the officers to give a statement, but as soon as Officer Liu spoke up, the man with the cigarette intervened and waived the requirement.
Clearly, his authority was higher than Officer Liu's.
“I'm Ling Xun. Thanks for earlier,” he introduced himself with a smile.
“Don't mention it,” Yue Shi replied with a look of pure innocence, appearing for all the world like a good samaritan who had acted out of the kindness of his heart.
After some casual small talk, Ling Xun warmly handed over a business card before leaving, not forgetting to remind him:
“Regarding that heart, the investigation will continue. If you find any new information, feel free to contact me at any time.”
Yue Shi nodded and took the card. With his back to the sunlight, his eyes narrowed slightly as he watched Ling Xun leave.
“It’s rare for me to be this charitable; it better drop some serious rewards...”
Rate on N.U.
