Chapter 426: Chapter 209: Mother Tree (Part 1)
Of course, if he followed Su Jiameng’s monthly updated novel "Tragic Life of Su Shaojiang," he would know that the Insect General is actually a classification standard made by other interstellar alliances to conveniently determine the strength level of the Insect Race; above the Insect General, there are also the Insect King and Insect Imperial.
That person seemed to be getting a bit impatient, "I’ll ask again, who exactly told you?"
"A friend, but I can’t say more, because the content involves a contract I signed with her, and if I reveal it, I’ll lose my life." Information about the Insect Race can be disclosed, but further details are confidential under the contract. For the sake of his life, Gu Ningzhi could only shrug helplessly, "I can’t say more."
The person looked directly into Gu Ningzhi’s eyes, and after a long while, finally sheathed his knife, saying blandly, "Forget it, whoever told you this, it seems to have nothing to do with me. Stay here, and leave with the people on that warship after dawn, the farther the better. This is no place to linger..."
"What about you? Why aren’t you leaving?" Gu Ningzhi shook his head, refusing boldly, "I am a warrior of the Alliance, and when encountering such dangerous creatures, the primary task is not to flee, but to destroy them. Otherwise, when this thing becomes influential, the consequences will be severe, right? The warship has ample ammunition; it shouldn’t be hard to wipe this thing out."
Upon hearing Gu Ningzhi’s words, the person’s gaze changed subtly, with a sort of nostalgic realization, before she said, "Your demeanor when you said this is quite similar to an old friend of mine. However, she was different from you; the ’Mother Tree’ must be destroyed, but under the premise of destruction, she believed in living if she could, even if it meant surviving in the most disgraceful manner."
Inexplicably treated as a shadow of someone else, Gu Ningzhi found this feeling extremely unpleasant.
The woman hadn’t finished speaking, "To annihilate the ’Mother Tree,’ the main stem needs to be thoroughly destroyed. But this ’Mother Tree’ is cunning, hiding its main stem deeply. It took me two years to find a clue. All arrangements are ready, but the tremor it will cause will affect half the planet. It is truly unwise for you and your warship to remain here..."
Listening to this, Gu Ningzhi increasingly felt something amiss! The person before him... had she never considered how to escape? If it’s indeed as she said, that eliminating the "Mother Tree" would trigger such a tremor, without a warship, she couldn’t escape off this planet, and would have to... be buried with it!
The person seemed to discern his thoughts, suddenly sneering, "No matter, some live for hundreds of years yet achieve nothing but fritter away their time, while one’s life, even if only for a moment, can be extraordinarily brilliant. I have lived many years and tried all things I should experience, missing no facet of life. If death comes accompanied by the Insect Race, it would be an extreme blessing."
Listening to these words, Gu Ningzhi inexplicably felt a chill down his spine; her attitude towards life and death was too indifferent. Thinking this over while lost in thought, he actually spoke it aloud. He received a cold stare from her, "There are things you haven’t experienced, so naturally, you don’t know. Perhaps, one day you will understand, my death is not a regret, but an honor."
"Weirdo!" Gu Ningzhi gave her an assessment, and from then on the two had no further conversation.
Since his night vision was excellent, Gu Ningzhi could see clearly the densely packed, endless branches occasionally writhing forward on the ground or extending upwards, growing into the sky. The strange bloody smell in the air grew more intense, and besides the rustling, faint beast-like roars echoed in the night wind, appearing particularly eerie.
"This ’Mother Tree’ is attempting to evolve into an Insect General, but judging from the situation over the past few days, there’s still a ways to go." The person said distantly, "In two days, it will be the time when the ’Mother Tree’s’ main stem is most vulnerable, a perfect opportunity to make a move."
While things were quite harmonious here, Li You from the Expeditionary Fleet could hardly remain calm. His eyes were fixed on the space photography footage being sent back, the entire command room’s atmosphere was extremely oppressive, as if brewing a terrifying storm.
And at the storm’s center was Li You, with a face dark as thunder! The bloodshed and slaughter, despite the vast distance, were vivid enough to churn one’s stomach. Whatever kind of creature it was, regardless of its combat or destructive power, he had no intention or capacity to manage. Holding back repeatedly, he contacted Gu Ningzhi, "You damn fool, are you still alive? If you are, say something!"
The heartbeat irregularity made every second feel nauseatingly long; after what seemed an eternity, the other replied with a message, "Squeak~~"
At that moment, Li You didn’t know whether to vomit blood out of anger or sigh with relief. A few more instances like this and he’d definitely end up with a heart condition, "Speak up, fess up honestly, what’s the situation on your side?"
"Not bad, currently enjoying the scenery on a hillside, the temperature of the night breeze is quite pleasant." Gu Ningzhi responded with a playful grin, expecting an enraged roar from Li You, but to his surprise, received just a simple phrase—glad you’re alive.
Not angry after all? Gu Ningzhi found the situation quite bewildering...
Looking at the ceaselessly wriggling creatures below, Gu Ningzhi silently raised his hand to touch the object hanging around his neck. It was a well-crafted jade pendant, originally a pair; one piece was with him, the other with Su Jiameng.
He remembered the woman once said, upon reaching the mission target, follow her instructions, and she would feel it then. What was the mission target? The so-called "research specimen," equivalent to "Insect Race." At least, that’s how Su Jiameng understood it, and right before him was a formidable Insect Race. Should he activate the jade pendant? (To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welcome to visit qidian.com to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
