"A zombie matriarch... Furong River City is going to have zombies?" Wen Wen's eyes widened, and he began to plan how to escape Furong River City. Influenced by various zombie movies, Wen Wen knew how terrifying zombies were.
"Calm down. How can you be so timid, a grown man? And you're a superpowered individual," Gu Panxi said dismissively.
Wen Wen, on the contrary, found Gu Panxi abnormal. "Normal people wouldn't be unafraid of zombies, would they..."
"To correct you, it's 'shī' (失 - lose), not 'shī' (尸 - corpse). There's a big difference between the two."
"The so-called 'Shi Luo' (丧失 - loss/despair) matriarch refers to the sole carrier monster of the 'Shi Luo' virus. This special toxin, called the 'Shi Luo' virus, can infect ordinary people simply by coming into contact with the matriarch's bodily fluids. Even superpowered individuals will be infected if continuously injected with large amounts of the toxin."
"Once infected with the 'Shi Luo' virus, it's irreversible. The initial symptom is the loss of self-control that defines being human."
"Morality, compassion, a sense of justice, even the most basic self-restraint will all disappear. What remains is merely a shell driven by desire, taking whatever it wants, killing whoever it desires."
"The second stage is the complete loss of self-will, becoming a puppet of the 'Shi Luo' matriarch."
After hearing Gu Panxi's description, Wen Wen calmed down again. Although it still sounded very dangerous, as long as it wasn't like the zombies in movies, everything could be managed.
Those two people earlier were likely infected as well, but they were just weaklings he had easily killed, posing no threat.
"You said the matriarch is the sole carrier of the virus. So, this virus can only be spread by the matriarch?"
"Yes, once the 'Shi Luo' virus leaves the matriarch, it loses its effect," Gu Panxi nodded.
Wen Wen considered it for a moment and then said, "In that case, the threat isn't very significant. Do you really need your Hunter team to handle it personally?"
"Indeed, the fact that it can only spread from the matriarch dictates that this virus cannot spread too widely. But don't underestimate the severity of this virus. The last time a matriarch appeared was in Haibei Province, resulting in over a thousand casualties!"
"Even setting aside those numbers, the matriarch's strength alone is enough for me to mobilize. If you sent people from your Furong River branch to capture it, there might be significant losses. A small superpowered individual like you would become its puppet within minutes."
"In the Hunter Association's database, monsters are not rated based on their strength, but rather on the extent of the harm they can cause. The 'Shi Luo' matriarch is precisely one of those monsters with a higher threat level."
After Gu Panxi finished speaking, Wen Wen pondered for a while longer and then said to Gu Panxi:
"I can help, but I need sufficient compensation. I don't know how much remuneration is required for a mission of this caliber, but you can't cheat me."
Wen Wen's money-grubbing demeanor made Gu Panxi clench her fist in anger. As a demon hunter who protected ordinary people, was money truly the sole motivation for taking missions?
"Even if you hit me, I still need my due compensation," Wen Wen said, shrinking his neck.
Gu Panxi said helplessly, "Don't worry, you'll get what you're owed."
"Then I'm satisfied. I'll keep an eye out for you..."
After leaving the bar, Wen Wen scratched his head in annoyance. He chatted with Gu Panxi for a while longer, finally understanding that she was the woman in the retro cloak during the previous pursuit.
She came to Furong River City specifically for the 'Shi Luo' matriarch. Her involvement in the recent pursuit of the members of the secret organization was merely being roped in by Lin Zheyuan as a temporary helper.
"Last time she wore a cloak, this time she's wearing a maid outfit... this woman isn't just a masochist, she's also a cross-dresser!"
Wen Wen mused, stroking his chin.
...
After feeding the female vampire as usual, Wen Wen continued searching for clues in the old city.
Fortunately, whether it was the 'Shi Luo' matriarch or the carrion demon he himself was looking for, all clues were located in the old city.
This allowed him to focus all his energy on the old city.
The more he searched, the more frustrated Wen Wen became. Apart from its name, there was no information about the 'Shi Luo' matriarch, making it impossible to find. As for the carrion demon, it remained the same, with no breakthroughs.
...
Untying his tie and casually tossing it into the trash can, Li Shuyue walked down the street in a daze.
He didn't know why he was walking on the street as if he had been dumped, nor why he had thrown away the tie he had spent a lot of money on. Sudano Novel Network.
His last memory was going to work in the morning, missing his bus, and taking a shortcut.
Then, he found himself on the street, and now it was evening!
He didn't know anything!
But it was fine not to know anything. He didn't need to dwell on anything; he just needed to go home. Home was very comfortable.
Taking out his keys and opening the door, his wife, Zhao Xiyue, opened it enthusiastically. The house was filled with the aroma of food, and his beloved son, Li Zhixue, ran over to hug his leg. Everything was so wonderful.
Yes... he was a bit hungry.
The food in the pot should be cooked. It was time to eat.
Li Shuyue took out a pair of chopsticks, lifted the pot lid, and directly picked a piece of beef from the pot, put it in his mouth, and savored it carefully.
"Why are you in such a hurry? Were you starving today? Don't burn yourself," Zhao Xiyue said tenderly.
"The food you make is always delicious."
Li Shuyue was never stingy with his praise for his wife's delicious cooking. After taking a bite, he continued to wield his chopsticks, and in a moment, he had eaten all the beef in the pot.
Zhao Xiyue's expression gradually soured. Her husband seemed a bit off today. Their family wasn't wealthy, and that beef was specifically bought for their son who had achieved good results at school today. How could a father eat it all himself first?
"Li Shuyue, are you sick today!" Zhao Xiyue complained.
"What's wrong with me?" Li Shuyue asked, letting out a burp, his brow furrowed in confusion.
"That was for our son. Why did you eat it all?" Zhao Xiyue questioned.
"If you made it deliciously, I ate it. Is there a problem with that?" Li Shuyue said matter-of-factly.
"You... you... you!" Zhao Xiyue was so angry she couldn't speak. Li Shuyue had always been the pillar of the family, a gentle and good-natured man. What had happened today to turn him into this?
Li Shuyue became impatient with her words and said irritably, "What do you mean 'you'? If you say another word, believe it or not, I'll..."
"Believe it or not what? Li Shuyue, you've grown temperamental today. Let's see what you can do?"
Zhao Xiyue was enraged, pointing at Li Shuyue and scolding him. Eating some beef was one thing, but if he continued with this attitude, how would they live their lives in the future?
Li Shuyue grabbed the iron pot and smashed it down on Zhao Xiyue's head. The scalding soup flowed all over her face, and the immense force directly knocked her unconscious.
"Believe it or not, I'll smash the pot on your head?" Li Shuyue said calmly, showing no sign of realizing his actions were problematic.
Li Zhixue, who had been standing by, too scared to speak while his parents argued, finally couldn't help but cry when he saw his mother fall to the ground.
"Cry, cry, cry. You just know how to cry all day. I just hit your mom, why are you crying?"
Li Shuyue was annoyed by the crying and looked at Li Zhixue with a dangerous glint in his eyes.
"If I sew your mouth shut, will you stop crying then..."