He hadn’t heard Chu Tian and Ye Ling’s conversation, focused as he was on acting as a veterinarian to help the tanuki give birth.
Ye Ling didn’t speak. Jing Kaiyu walked over, grabbed him, and started leading him outside.
“Wait…” Ye Ling called out to them just as they were stepping off the altar.
The four of them turned back.
Ye Ling walked to the center of the altar and pulled out the item beneath it.
Rumble…
The entire mountainside shook.
She pulled out a drum-shaped object, attached to which was a sticky, stringy thing.
Upon closer inspection, everyone realized it resembled the umbilical cord that the tanuki cub had bitten off earlier.
This one, however, was thick, about a dozen centimeters, and nearly enveloped the lower half of the item Ye Ling held.
As everyone watched, Ye Ling gave the object a firm pat.
Chu Tian knew that she had first established a connection with the item using her divine sense before patting it.
Then, holding the drum-shaped object, about 20 centimeters in size, in one hand, Ye Ling forcefully tore at the back of her neck with the other.
The ghost worm, which Ye Ling had previously said couldn’t be directly dug out, now called Zhujiuyin, was actually ripped off her.
Simultaneously, the small tanuki in Zhao Lei’s hands began to exhibit distress. It started to gag.
A smaller Zhujiuyin wriggled out of its mouth and plopped onto the ground.
“Damn it…” Zhao Lei immediately stomped on it, crushing it flat.
The others were unaffected. Ye Ling said, “Alright, from now on, nothing will be able to control this Yin-Yang Twin Tanuki. I’ve also removed the Zhujiuyin from your bodies. As for the people in the group, don’t worry, I’ll find an opportunity to remove it for them later. From now on, if you see me again, we will be sworn enemies.”
Zhao Lei and the others wanted to speak but hesitated.
Chu Tian smiled and said to her, “We’ll wait for your return…”
“Alright, no need for such a dramatic farewell. I’ve obtained her memories. Her original plan was to possess my body. This time, by taking the Zhujiuyin back, I have enough leverage to infiltrate their organization, even to their higher echelons. When the net closes, we will meet again.”
The roaring sounds from underground grew more frequent. Ye Ling, patting the drum in her hand rhythmically, said to everyone.
Chu Tian guessed that this drum could nurture new Zhujiuyin and was also the means to control them. Otherwise, even if Xu Duoduo managed to create the Zhujiuyin, how would she control it?
Ye Ling had devoured Xu Duoduo’s divine soul and obtained her memories. This plan, to turn the tables, should not involve too much danger.
Waving goodbye, she turned and saw Gao Kai persistently nudging Zhao Lei, who looked bitter and conflicted.
Finally, even as everyone left, Zhao Lei departed with an unspoken thought.
“Coward, no wonder you’ve been a virgin for twenty-six years,” Jing Kaiyu muttered.
Zhao Lei lowered his head resentfully, not refuting him.
Even Gao Kai nodded repeatedly, saying, “Lei Zi, I’m not going to sugarcoat it, if you like her, go after her! Chasing a girl requires thick skin, attentiveness, and bravery. Look at your timid self. You’ll charge through a hail of bullets, but you’re afraid of this!”
Zhao Lei looked up at him, his face full of grievance, “Don’t just stand there and talk like you’ve chased girls before!”
“Uh…” Gao Kai was speechless. It seemed he hadn’t, but then he saw Chu Tian and quickly said, “Ask Chu Tian if you don’t believe me. Ask him how he chased Luo Luo, let him give you a lesson!”
Chu Tian, who had been watching the spectacle, suddenly found himself the focus. The smile on his face froze. He awkwardly scratched his head and said, “Uh… Brother Kai, I’m just like you!”
After he said that, Gao Kai’s expression also froze.
Zhao Lei looked as if life had no meaning, realizing that everyone else seemed to have girls flocking to them.
To find some psychological balance, he turned to look at Jing Kaiyu and finally breathed a sigh of relief. At least there was someone else to be the scapegoat.
Jing Kaiyu, without even looking at him, knew what he was thinking and calmly said, “You won’t find any scapegoats here, I’m married.”
Gao Kai was surprised to hear this, “When did that happen?”
“Just got married a few days ago. We dated for about three or four years. Once, when I was driving a taxi, she drove a Porsche 911 and provocatively revved her engine at me at an intersection. I beat her. We’ve been in contact ever since. She’s from Shengjing, and she’d come to Bincheng to see me when she had time. Many times she asked me to come to Shengjing. I thought she just wanted me to visit, and besides, I had agreed with Brother Kai to go abroad. So, we hadn’t officially confirmed our relationship. This time I came to Shengjing, I contacted her, and unexpectedly, she was serious. She asked me what was lacking after all these years that I wasn’t even considered her girlfriend. I don’t know why, but I was moved by her words and impulsively said, ‘What’s a girlfriend? If you have the guts, let’s get the license!’ And then, we really got the license! That day when I left the group while shopping with your wives, I went to find her.”
Jing Kaiyu explained as they walked. The more he spoke, the more displeased Zhao Lei looked. Finally, he blurted out, “Damn, you’ve been hiding this too well! No wonder there were women’s hairs in that dilapidated house on the rooftop. You said it was the wind! You actually brought girls to that dump, weren’t you afraid of losing face?”
Jing Kaiyu looked at him with a playful smile and said, “It seems you haven’t grasped the main point!”
Hearing him say that, everyone was curious. The main point? What main point?
Zhao Lei foolishly asked directly, “What?”
Jing Kaiyu said with a wicked grin, “The main point is that someone would go to that kind of dilapidated house with me, and it was a girl driving a 911. Remember, a girl, not a rich woman!”
He then wiggled his eyebrows, doing a eyebrow dance.
Chu Tian was stunned. Jing Kaiyu usually appeared very sophisticated. He wasn’t cold, but always wore a smile. However, it was a smile that kept people at a distance. He usually wore glasses and looked refined. To see such a person now doing an eyebrow dance to tease Zhao Lei, Chu Tian almost choked. The contrast was so stark!
Gao Kai, standing beside him, also said with a grin, “Once you get to know them better, you’ll understand. Even though they’re a bit older than you, I think they’re actually more like children!”
Chu Tian was taken aback. Was he that preoccupied? Gao Kai had actually noticed! He thought he had been hiding it well. But how could Gao Kai not be preoccupied? In this world, he was probably the only one who knew about the apocalypse five years from now. According to Tian Dao, his reincarnation was meant to bear this burden. Although he didn’t have a savior complex, he still had his beloved in this world, and these dear brothers beside him.
By now, they had walked quite a distance. The mist formation hadn’t appeared, suggesting a directional array had been set. The formation was likely only triggered upon entry, and ineffective upon exit. It wasn’t until they had walked over ten kilometers that they suddenly noticed a mist appearing behind them!
Author’s Note
Third update… Seeking votes! Seeking good reviews! Seeking shares!