The appearance of San Zai'er had changed. Overall, it still had a serpent's body, but the details were quite different.
Its body had grown two small, fleshy claws on its front half. From the corners of its three eyes, lines extended, ending in short horns. Its body seemed covered in a layer of semi-transparent fine gauze.
When miniaturized, this form looked adorable.
But if it were to enlarge into its combat state, its appearance would become rather fierce. Those small fleshy claws would transform into talons capable of tearing through steel, the horns would become sharp and pointed, and the fine gauze would convert into menacing armor.
San Zai'er was no longer a weak venomous snake relying solely on its potent poison; it was transforming towards a variant flood dragon.
Its current physical strength was comparable to a melee-oriented disaster-class monster. Combined with its formidable illusionary abilities and venomous attributes, it could already be considered a mid-tier disaster-class monster.
However, for Wen Wen, none of this was important.
What mattered was that San Zai'er now had claws, which would undoubtedly improve its driving skills.
San Zai'er nimbly climbed into the cockpit of the aircraft and gripped the control stick with its two pink, padded claws, giving it a sense of holding the reins of power.
While its skills already surpassed those of many seasoned drivers, its serpentine body had always presented inconveniences. Now that it had claws, who could possibly have better driving skills than it?
After Wen Wen and Tao Qingqing settled in, San Zai'er excitedly took off, flying at high speed towards Sihuhu City, even performing aerial loops as it flew.
The aerial combat maneuvers that top pilots could execute were no longer enough to satisfy San Zai'er. It flew like a crazed aerial gyroscope.
As it flew, San Zai'er also made rhythmic noises. After its evolution, its throat had been further enhanced, allowing it to emit sounds with a certain rhythm.
Wen Wen endured it for thirty seconds before he couldn't take it anymore. He used his abilities to stabilize the aircraft in mid-air, then pulled San Zai'er out and gave it a good thrashing. Only then did the aircraft return to normal.
The two cities were not far apart, so the plane quickly reached its destination, landing smoothly on the rooftop of a Foundation building in Sihuhu City.
Tao Qingqing, pale-faced, emerged from the aircraft. San Zai'er, with a head full of bumps and a slightly aggrieved expression, climbed onto Wen Wen's shoulder.
"After this matter is resolved, I'll give you time to go wild. But while I'm in the plane, you're not allowed to pull any of these stunts."
Upon hearing this, San Zai'er became happy again.
Standing on the rooftop, Wen Wen saw that a large building nearby had a billboard for Kewei Group.
"What is Kewei Group doing here? Competing with Ruixing Group here should be a losing proposition for them..."
"However, it's best to let Feng Ruixing handle business matters himself."
When it came to making money, Wen Wen couldn't compete with Feng Ruixing unless he resorted to robbing banks. Therefore, trusting professionals, Wen Wen never interfered in business matters.
However, below the Kewei Group building, something caught Wen Wen's attention.
He saw a middle-aged man, dressed in somewhat old-fashioned clothes, leaning on a cane by the entrance. His posture and demeanor exuded the authority of a superior.
"This middle-aged man looks a bit like that old man Zhang Kewei. Perhaps he's his grandson?"
Next to the middle-aged man, a man old enough to be his father was bowing and scraping.
These two appeared to be father and son, but their status was completely reversed. Furthermore, there was a hint of fear in the eyes of the older-looking man. Wen Wen also found the long-haired female secretary standing behind them somewhat familiar but couldn't recall where he had seen her.
Although there was no concrete evidence, Wen Wen instinctively felt that there might be something amiss, so he prepared to investigate.
But as soon as this thought arose, he felt a prying gaze.
"You stay here and help me investigate Kewei Group's information, and why they are developing in Sihuhu City..."
After speaking to Tao Qingqing, Wen Wen flashed with a blue light and vanished from his spot, pursuing the direction of the gaze.
Wen Wen wanted to see who was so well-informed that he was being targeted the moment he arrived in Sihuhu City.
At Wen Wen's level, even without fully activating his senses, he could still feel a direct prying gaze.
Teleporting to the rooftop of another building, Wen Wen saw a small creature carrying a bamboo basket.
At first glance, this little thing didn't appear strong, with a combat power perhaps only slightly above that of three geese.
But upon seeing Wen Wen, it showed no panic and disappeared from its spot in a peculiar manner.
Wen Wen tried to catch it several times but was easily evaded. While it was true that Wen Wen wasn't taking it seriously, achieving this level of evasion was already astonishing.
As it moved, its body would briefly become incorporeal and disappear, then reappear from another direction. This method of movement was similar to teleportation but also somewhat different, making the monster slippery and difficult to grasp.
After several unsuccessful attempts to capture it, Wen Wen concluded that this little monster was likely trying to lead him somewhere.
Wen Wen hesitated for a moment before following in the direction the little monster had left.
Firstly, Wen Wen didn't sense any hostility. Secondly, even if this little creature intended to lure him into a dangerous place, Wen Wen, with his strength, could handle it with ease. At worst, he could use the containment facility to transfer to Tao Qingqing's location.
Looking at the little creature's retreating back, Wen Wen speculated that it might be the same elusive individual mentioned in Lin Huan's report, who had stolen their wallets and then attributed it to demonic influence.
Perhaps the breakthrough for the Sihuhu City incident lay with this little creature.
...
In Sihuhu City, there was a Willow Creek, lined with rows of willow trees.
In the middle section of Willow Creek stood a restaurant called "River Willow Pavilion."
This was a restaurant built by the riverside, serving fresh catches from the river. Coupled with its beautiful environment, it was usually very popular.
However, for the past period, River Willow Pavilion had been closed.
This was rather unusual. For a restaurant, remaining closed for such a long time would incur significant rent costs.
Yet, no one was investigating the matter.
Outside River Willow Pavilion, a team of demon hunters in black combat suits was cautiously observing.
"Have you investigated thoroughly?" the leader, a bearded demon hunter, asked, twirling a silver ring on his finger.
Standing beside the bearded man, a demon hunter with a scar on his face replied:
"Everything has been investigated. This is the stronghold of that group of demons. The owner has already been killed, and the place is now filled with demons."
The bearded man nodded. "Then, let's make our move!"