Chapter 970: Chapter 686: Explosion_2
"I...I’m fine, how are the others at the scene?"
"They’re all right. They were wearing protective suits and were not at the center of the explosion. Their injuries are not serious."
"The explosion..." Yang Xiao suddenly frowned.
"Yes, there was an unexplained explosion at the scene. The windows were blown out, and the bedroom is a mess. However, it’s strange that the technical team didn’t find any remnants of the explosive at the scene." Nalan Shuo explained, then as if realizing something suddenly, he gently patted Yang Xiao’s hand, "Don’t worry, we will figure it out. What’s most important for you now is to rest and not think about anything."
"Jingping Town... What happened with Jingping Town?" Yang Xiao asked with difficulty; he did not receive much detailed information from Da Xiong.
"It has been mostly resolved. The main force has withdrawn, leaving a small team to wrap things up, mainly to clear the bodies. Beibei stayed at the scene to command."
"Captain Wu died, and it’s all because of me." Wu Zhengwu’s face in his last moments surfaced in Yang Xiao’s mind, and tears involuntarily fell from his eyes.
Nalan Shuo reached out and grabbed Yang Xiao’s hand, tightening his grip as if to lend him strength, "Little Yang, don’t ever think that way. This is not your fault, and I believe Captain Wu and the others think the same. We will definitely claim this debt of blood."
"How severe were the casualties? Rongcheng... is Rongcheng okay?"
At this, Nalan Shuo’s eyes dimmed and he slightly released his grip on Yang Xiao’s hand, pausing for a while before responding, "The losses were significant. The Luming Bureau investigation team was completely annihilated. Luming Bureau was the first to be attacked by the ghost call. Director Liu found the problem before your report and decisively chose to activate the highest alert, locking down the Luming Bureau building and cutting off all external communications, preventing greater losses."
"But the Luming Bureau suffered heavy casualties. Director Liu and three department heads who stayed behind all died, and nearly half of their personnel perished. Luming Bureau is virtually wiped out." Nalan Shuo sighed.
"The greatest casualties were among civilians this time. As the source of the supernatural event, Jingping Town is now essentially a ghost town. So far, only a dozen survivors have been rescued, and over 300 corpses have been found and processed, with more expected."
"This supernatural event has strong contagious properties. We’ve also identified and eliminated some undead in Rongcheng and nearby cities, but not in large numbers. Thankfully, you sent out the message in time; otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable."
"What about that woman?" Yang Xiao, holding a grudge against the instigator, wished he could behead her—this was also Wu Zhengwu’s last wish.
Hearing this, Nalan Shuo unusually went silent, "She escaped. We found the bodies of Captain Fang and two others in a mountain hollow."
On hearing this, Yang Xiao felt a pain in his chest, followed by severe coughing—he had feared this scenario the most.
"Little Yang, things have gotten a bit complicated now. According to the clues Elder Yang brought back after inspecting the scene, all of us underestimated this woman. Elder Yang assessed that this woman is the strongest among this group of Evil Cultivators, even stronger than the Vice Sect Leader of Wounded Door."
"Captain Fang was the second strongest in the Rong City Dark Army, with strength comparable to you and Qu Muzhi. His two team members were no ordinary people either, yet that woman killed all three of them very easily, not even bothering to take the Resentful Eye from their bodies."
"It seems she was hiding her skills originally, wanting to lure us all away and finish us in the mountains," Yang Xiao realized belatedly.
"Yes, Elder Yang made the same deduction. If you, Qu Muzhi, and Beibei had followed her, it likely would have ended the same way. Fortunately, you didn’t," Nalan Shuo added, squeezing out a breath of relief for Yang Xiao.
"We believe she didn’t act in the factory to avoid the mishap attracting the ghost. According to her plan, all of you who entered the supernatural range of Jingping Town had only one inevitable fate—to be killed by that ghost."
"Have you found out that woman’s identity?" This was very important to Yang Xiao. Regardless of her strength, although he couldn’t kill her now, he believed he would be able to one day. Yang Xiao’s progress was visibly fast.
"Not yet, but we will definitely find this out. Elder Yang has already reported the situation to the Provincial Office, and they are treating it very seriously. This incident has had a tremendously negative impact and might even be reported up to the General Bureau."
"Our Patrol Defense Office is full of masters; we will surely track this woman down. She’s not just anybody, and it would be hard for her to remain inconspicuous in the world of martial arts."
"By the way, the Dark Army has also issued a high bounty for this woman, personally overseen by Master Lin. They have many informants; I believe we’ll hear news soon."
Master Lin is the head of the Rong City Dark Army and also Xi Menxiu’s aunt, which is why Xi Menxiu, being a connection hire, could find a job in the investigative team.
Yang Xiao nodded, unable to move at all now; he could only pin his hopes on Elder Yang and Master Lin, who both have a major grudge against this murderous woman.
Nalan Shuo turned his head to glance at the door behind him, then lowered his voice, "Little Yang, do you remember what happened before and after the explosion?"
The events were straightforward. Yang Xiao picked the main points and briefly recounted them to Nalan Shuo, but Nalan Shuo’s brows furrowed even more, "Is that all?"
"What’s wrong?" Yang Xiao had just woken up, his mind still a bit chaotic, recalling the scene in his head still caused pulsating pain.
"The technical department didn’t find the Resentful Eye at the scene. After the explosion, that suspicious signal disappeared," Nalan Shuo spoke softly.
Yang Xiao immediately understood the Director’s implication, "You suspect that I took that item? Look at the state I’m in, do I look capable?"
Yang Xiao was not lying; he couldn’t even lift his arms now, and he had lost consciousness immediately after the explosion.
It was good enough that he survived, who would think about keeping the Resentful Eye for themselves? Moreover, that Resentful Eye was too dangerous and too terrifying. Yang Xiao did not want it, nor did he dare to take it; he liked powerful magic artifacts, but only if they didn’t backfire.
And another very important point; this magic artifact had killed his friend, a knot in his heart that was hard to untangle.
Yang Xiao said this with confidence because, before Nalan Shuo arrived, he had seen his backpack placed on a chair nearby; he asked Yu Shu to open it for him to see, and inside it was his Drama Robe, but there were no new embroideries on it.
After instructing Yang Xiao to rest, Nalan Shuo left; as a prominent figure of the Rongcheng Patrol Division, this supernatural incident had an extremely adverse impact, and he had many messes to clean up.
After Director Nalan left, Yu Shu came in, holding up a cardboard sign that said Da Xiong had been taken away by the Director.
"With such a big incident, the Director really has it tough," Yang Xiao sighed.
Shu shu shu—
Yu Shu wrote another line, her face serious as she held it up for Yang Xiao to see: I’ll stay here with you, let me know if you feel uncomfortable, the doctor and the nurse are next door.
"Thank you." Yang Xiao expressed his gratitude. Yu Shu was as reliable as before, doing things by the book.
Yang Xiao not talking, and Yu Shu being unable to talk, he felt somewhat strange being watched by her. It seemed like if he didn’t ask her to do something, it would appear as if he was treating her as an outsider.
"Could you... help me pull up the sleeve on my right side? It’s a bit hot," Yang Xiao finally made a simple request.
Shu—
Yu Shu immediately got up, her movements very professional as she lifted the blanket, gently raised Yang Xiao’s right arm onto the blanket, and slowly pulled up the sleeve. He was currently wearing loose hospital garments.
Yang Xiao was about to say thanks when the next second, his expression froze on his face as he saw a blood-red patch appear on his right forearm.
The red color was like the texture of silk, with a roughly embroidered black telephone in the center.
