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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 459: Human Skin Puppet (Part 22)
"You’re still a forensic student, and you’re scared of something so common in rural areas? How are you going to work in the future? Just know that during your future work hours, there will be things even more terrifying than this."
Ling Juan was reluctant, but after listening to me, she forced herself to calm down and asked, trembling, "What is this?"
"A slug, just like what you saw last night..." I realized my words were incorrect. The creature Ling Juan saw last night stood upright like a human, while this soft, fleshy thing had no bones and couldn’t possibly stand.
"A slug... I think I've heard of it." Ling Juan managed to compose herself a bit, fixing her bangs and standing up straight. She looked seriously at the slug. I intended to explain that slugs aren’t very scary creatures; they’re just pests that cause fatal damage to vegetables in rural areas. However, just as she was looking closely, the slug suddenly opened its mouth. A row of tiny teeth appeared between an almost invisible gap, and when it opened its mouth, it looked as if it was smiling—a flesh worm displaying a grin. This scene not only startled me but also sent Juanzi running for the door in a panic, crashing headlong into Qin Jian.
Does the slug have a mouth?
At that moment, I was also stunned by the slug's mouth opening and closing so quickly that I couldn’t find a single flaw.
Qin Jian steadied the terrified Ling Juan and asked if she was alright before stepping inside and handing me something from his hand: "Salt." I glanced at the two bags of table salt he handed me; he must have bought them from the supermarket.
If I sprinkled these two bags of salt on this bizarre giant slug, it wouldn’t take long for it to dissolve into a puddle of goo. However, I hesitated because Gao Sheng’s Primordial Spirit was trapped inside the slug. At this moment, I truly had no idea who could be so cruel as to turn an ordinary slug into this mutated form.
I thought there must be a story behind this giant slug. In the end, I didn’t take the salt from Qin Jian; instead, I drew symbols in the air and chanted incantations, hoping this method would release Gao Sheng’s Primordial Spirit.
Ling Juan ran outside and returned again, propping herself against the doorframe. She quietly said to Qin Jian, "Qin, everyone has arrived. What are you planning to do next?"
I hadn’t gone outside yet, so I didn’t know what Ling Juan’s people were up to. My mind was solely focused on the slug as I contemplated how to rescue Gao Sheng’s Primordial Spirit. As soon as the talisman was cast, an arc of light shot towards the fleshy worm. Its body seemed fragile and wrinkled but possessed a toughness akin to leather; it rebounded my force back at me. I was astonished and found myself helplessly pulling out another talisman, preparing to wait for the right moment to pry open the slug’s large mouth. If I could just shove the talisman inside its mouth, then Gao Sheng’s Primordial Spirit could be freed.
However, I needed someone to assist me in this endeavor. After hearing Ling Juan's words, Qin Jian glared at me angrily and said, "Ma Qi, your phone call last night disturbed everyone! What do you mean by Branching Stream being cut off? What are you looking for? You made me get up early to mobilize people! Now that they’re all here, what do you plan to do?"
Damn!
What good is it now that people have arrived? But since they were here, I had to see what was happening. The situation with the slug wasn’t over; I couldn’t abandon it. Otherwise, if it escaped again, where would I find it? Currently, there were two ways to deal with the slug: one was using Eighteen Cubes to capture Gao Sheng’s Primordial Spirit; the other was using the salt Qin Jian bought to eliminate both the slug and Gao Sheng altogether.
However, both methods have their drawbacks. First, I want to investigate Gao Sheng to find the Evil Sorcerer hidden among the crowd. If something happens to him and he cannot regain his human form, then my plan will be stalled.
After weighing my options, I wrapped Slug in a towel and carefully placed it in the Wooden Cabinet. Once I handle things outside, I can think of a way to find Gao Sheng's Primordial Spirit later.
Everything settled, Qin Jian still dared not come closer to see how I was handling Slug. He couldn't understand why I wanted to protect this seemingly frightening cold-blooded creature. It was hard to explain; some things are not meant for everyone to comprehend, especially since this matter was entirely beyond natural phenomena. So there was no need for unnecessary chatter.
When I went out with Qin Jian, we indeed saw that the once desolate Bridgehead Hot Pot Restaurant had become lively after the incident. The people there were not diners but workers. They brought Grappling Hooks, which were used for retrieving bodies, along with boats.
It seemed that Qin Jian believed my words and summoned so many workers. As soon as I appeared, the crowd fell silent, all eyes turning toward me.
I scratched my nose, and Qin Jian said from the side, "Stop picking your nose. If there's something to say, hurry up; they charge by the hour."
The Temporary Workers that Qin Jian found were also hourly workers? I was speechless. Then I recounted what happened last night and what I had seen. The more Qin Jian listened, the graver his expression became, until he looked like he wanted to curse and angrily said, "Nonsense! A Plastic Model committing suicide by diving? Even if it were your version of events, it would be a miracle if we could retrieve anything now."
I shrugged and replied, "How would you know unless you try?"
Qin Jian let out a heavy sigh and asked Ling Juan about the headcount before giving instructions. He called for me to go with him to the Bridgehead to take a look.
Indeed, standing on the Bridgehead, one could clearly see various significant happenings on both sides of the riverbank.
The men that Qin Jian had gathered were all experienced; not only did they have Grappling Hooks, but they also carried ropes. They boarded the boats and began meticulously retrieving items from the designated spots I pointed out. In no time, the calm surface of the water stirred up waves, and with the curious onlookers discussing what was happening, the retrieval event took on an air of unfounded sensationalism.
There were all sorts of rumors about bodies being retrieved again; this had happened two years ago.
Two years prior, someone had discarded their life in this turbulent Branching Stream. Many had come to search for bodies back then as well. The remains were eventually found beneath a Pillar, severely deformed; the body had been so waterlogged that it lost its shape, and its face was torn apart by something. A once fine person ended up unrecognizable—a tragic fate.
Due to the use of Grappling Hooks, the waters of the Branching Stream became murky as various items from the bottom were stirred up. There was quite a mix of debris; it was strange indeed. This Branching Stream held onto things; they wouldn’t just float away immediately but would sink down and take three to five days before drifting downstream. This situation is why Qin Jian, after hearing about what happened, promptly gathered so many people for a large-scale retrieval operation.
"Lao Qi, do you think there's a connection between the Plastic Model and several bizarre cases?" Qin Jian finally couldn't hold back and asked the crucial question.
I looked at the people who were diligently carrying out the salvage operation and whispered, "This is the direction."
Qin Jian responded with a soft "Oh," and asked, "Where did Juanzi go?"
"Is that so?" I glanced at the crowd and then at the empty space in front of the inn. Ling Juan was indeed missing. That girl might have gone shopping; it's normal for young girls to enjoy wandering around.
"What about your summoning of Xie Ke?"
I shook my head and replied to Qin Jian, "No luck. I got delayed because of this last night. I'll give it another try tonight. Do you want to stay?"
"Yeah, they're asking me if there's any progress. I've put all my hopes on you."
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