Chapter 373: Chapter 358: A Dark and Windy Night

Gu Xi led Qi Xiang, Qin Yi, and Yang Chi, avoiding everyone else as they slipped into the mountains under the cover of night.

On the way, the curious trio huddled together, whispering secretly amongst themselves, their faces alight with excitement.

Anyone who didn’t know better might have thought they were out for a spring hike.

Gu Xi, walking alone in front: "..." ’Seriously, I have no idea what they’re so excited about.’ 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Yang Chi snuck a peek ahead, then exchanged a look with Qi Xiang. Finally, with an encouraging glance from Qin Yi, the young man hesitantly sidled up to Gu Xi.

"Gu Xi," he said, his face full of excitement, "are we going into the mountains this time to take care of all those mutated beasts in the forest?"

Ever since learning Gu Xi’s identity, Yang Chi felt a rush of adrenaline every time he saw her in action.

Yang Chi looked up at the sky and sighed profoundly. "A dark and stormy night, perfect for murder and arson." ’Tonight is just perfect.’

Qi Xiang and Qin Yi, a step behind them, exchanged a glance and rolled their eyes in unison.

’That kid Yang Chi is getting sneakier by the day.’

’See? Men, no matter their age, just can’t be relied on.’

’When it comes to crunch time, the girls have to step up themselves.’

Sighing at the same time, the two of them walked forward and, with a deliberately imperious air, shoved Yang Chi away from Gu Xi’s side.

Yang Chi: "..."

’So aggrieved, yet he didn’t dare say a single word.’

After giving a vivid performance of what it means to be angry but not dare to speak, Yang Chi silently retreated to the side.

Qi Xiang shot him a glare, moved to Gu Xi’s left, and muttered, "I wonder what those people are trying to do, putting so many mutated beasts in the mountains."

’According to Huo Changzhou, it’s supposed to be a diversion—luring the tiger from the mountain. They’re using these mutated beasts as a threat to get Ye Junhan to bring his Special Service Team here for support?’

’But in reality, anyone who knows Gu Xi’s true identity should be well aware that the handful of mutated beasts in these mountains aren’t even enough for Gu Xi to kill by herself!’

’But from the way Huo Changzhou said it, he seemed pretty confident.’

’Of course,’ Qi Xiang rolled her eyes, ’that Mr. Huo of mine is just a clueless idiot who doesn’t know anything. He probably really thinks the higher-ups released these mutated beasts just for Ye Junhan.’

"It is a bit strange." Qin Yi, walking on Gu Xi’s right, also frowned. "The person behind this definitely knows who Gu Xi is, yet they still sent these mutated beasts over. Isn’t this just feeding us free kills?"

’I can’t figure it out.’

"Is it possible..." Yang Chi trailed behind the three girls, muttering softly, "...that they want to test Gu Xi’s strength?"

His words, however, made Qi Xiang and Qin Yi turn around and glare at him simultaneously. "With Gu Xi’s strength, does she even need to be tested?"

"Then what do you think it’s for?" Yang Chi shrugged, spreading his hands in the perfect image of a comedy straight man.

Qi Xiang and Qin Yi looked at each other, then turned in unison to look at Gu Xi, who was standing between them.

Gu Xi: "...So, what is it you actually want to ask?" ’You really don’t have to beat around the bush like this.’

Seeing that she’d been found out, Qi Xiang decided to just go for it. "We just want to know, what’s the deal with you and... that person?"

They all knew in their hearts that in a place like City A, the only one who could command so many mutated beasts so discreetly was *that* person.

No one else had that kind of beast-taming ability.

But since that person knew full well those mutated beasts were no match for Gu Xi, why send them to their deaths? ’Why does this feel like some kind of special... kink?’

Given the special identities of Gu Xi and that person, the trio was extremely curious.

Gu Xi: "..." ’So you went through all this just to gossip?’

But her and Yun Ye... Gu Xi thought for a moment. "The best ending for him and me would probably be to meet as strangers."

The curious trio hadn’t expected this answer, and they all fell silent.

After a while, Qi Xiang was the first to speak, hitting the nail on the head. "But that’s just what you think. That person..." She looked at Gu Xi. "He might not feel the same way."

"I know." Gu Xi looked up toward the depths of the dense forest. Suddenly, her expression faltered for a microsecond.

Seeing this, Qi Xiang and Qin Yi quickly asked, "What’s wrong?"

Gu Xi pulled her gaze back. Under the trio’s bright, curious stares, she thought for a moment and said, "Bai took a dump."

The three looked at each other. Bai was a mutated rat that did little more than eat and sleep. ’Isn’t it normal for it to leave some droppings?’

But why did Gu Xi’s expression look so... indescribable?

Gu Xi said with a look that spoke volumes, "You’ll see in a bit."

The curious trio exchanged a look and quickened their pace without a word.

「Ten minutes later.」

"Th-th-this..." Qin Yi stared at the group of mutated beasts in the distance, gathered around a few rat droppings with looks of utter intoxication, as if they were high on something. Her jaw dropped.

"Holy shit." Yang Chi was so shocked the words just tumbled out. "Are they getting high on poop?"

’A whole pack of mutated beasts is actually... partial to another mutated beast’s poop?’

’This is so fucking absurd!’

Qi Xiang: "..."

’Look at these two good-for-nothings. So unworldly.’

’I’m different.’

Qi Xiang puffed out her chest, took two steps forward, and observed the scene in the distance for a moment before turning to ask Gu Xi, "So, why did Bai have to poop outside?"

Gu Xi: "..." ’Qi Xiang’s focus is always so strange.’

’But when it comes from her, it almost doesn’t seem that strange?’

’No, it’s still very strange.’

Gu Xi thought of Bai back in her space, staring at the Superpower Seed with a look of obsession, occasionally swaying its tail in absolute bliss... All she could say was that the way these mutated beasts were acting toward the rat droppings and the way Bai acted... well, you couldn’t say they were unrelated. You could only say they were exactly the same.

’So, after Bai mutated, its poop gained the same effect?’

It seemed the influence and transmission strength of that Superpower Seed far exceeded her and Li Ming’s previous guesses.

’Thankfully, I noticed something was wrong with 027 right from the start and put the item in my space in time.’

Otherwise... Gu Xi looked at the mutated beasts gathered around the rat droppings with looks of rapture, then thought of the tens of thousands of people currently flooding into the Death Swamp, and a cold shiver ran down her spine.

Shaking the messy, disgusting images from her mind, Gu Xi decided to go forward for a closer look.

The trio exchanged a look and hurried to follow, but after just a few steps, they clapped their hands over their noses, turned, and ran back like crazy.

BLEGH!

"It’s so stinky!" Yang Chi felt that he, a perfectly innocent young man, was no longer pure.

"Don’t you guys find it strange?" Qin Yi, having spent years toughing it out on the front lines, quickly noticed something was off. "The smell of that... poop..."

She pointed to a spot a few steps in front of them. "It seems to only travel that far?"

The moment they stepped out of that range, they couldn’t smell the soul-crushing stench at all.

"I think you’re right." Qi Xiang realized it too. A hint of surprise in her eyes, she thought for a moment, then turned to look at Yang Chi.

At the same time, Qin Yi also turned to look at Yang Chi.

Yang Chi: "?" ’Hey, why are you all looking at me?’

Qi Xiang and Qin Yi: ’What do you think?’