After everyone had finished looking at the photos, Lin Zhe Yuan said loudly:
"We identified the person afterwards. His name was Liang Ji, an office worker who just wanted to live an ordinary life. He went missing four nights ago while taking a night bus, and reappeared in this state."
"According to our investigation, at least ten people have gone missing on that bus route recently. There is likely someone or a monster behind this, transforming humans into these bizarre plant-people."
"The mastermind should be somewhere near that bus route. Your mission is to find him. Once you pinpoint the location, report it to me, and we'll act together. Do not go alone."
After the meeting, You Han, Li Da Zhuang, Yan Xiu, and Lin Lu immediately set off to investigate the bus route. The route covered a large area, so the four of them split up, each accompanied by some assistants, to search different zones.
Yan Xiu walked through the city's alleys, using the ability of the mask on his face to search for the power of filth in the air, in an effort to find the mysterious culprit.
He had previously conducted a comprehensive ghost-clearing operation in Furong River City, so he was more familiar with its terrain than most people, knowing where it was suitable for hiding and where problems were unlikely.
As he searched, Yan Xiu's gaze sharpened, as he spotted a flash of green shadow beneath a corner wall!
The shadow disappeared in an instant, but Yan Xiu was certain of what he saw: the end of a vine. A moving vine must be the target.
Without a second thought, he abandoned his assistants and chased in that direction.
Although Lin Zhe Yuan had said it was enough to find clues, that thing might have just passed by, and it would be difficult to find it again if missed. Moreover, Yan Xiu was quite confident in his own strength, believing he could handle any problems.
In the current Furong River City Association, only Lin Zhe Yuan was stronger than Yan Xiu. He had also secretly battled the residual spirit within him and won. That residual spirit had dissipated and transferred its ownership of power to Yan Xiu, meaning Yan Xiu could enter the Assimilation realm at any time if he wished.
He was suppressing his cultivation and hadn't completed his advancement because if he were to advance to the Assimilation realm and there was no reaction from the angels, it would surely arouse suspicion from the Glorious Church, and someone might investigate him. He couldn't withstand such scrutiny.
If he were to forcibly sever his connection with the angels and be discovered by the Glorious Church, he would undoubtedly be branded a heretic and hunted by them. The Hunter Association and the Glorious Church were allies, and the former could not offer him the necessary protection.
Therefore, his advancement had to be extremely cautious; otherwise, he would have to live in the shadows.
The fleeting green shadow also noticed Yan Xiu's pursuit and immediately sped up its escape, seeming reluctant to be caught.
During the chase, Yan Xiu finally got a clear look at the person's appearance. Like the person in the photo, this individual was also covered in vines and leaves.
The difference was that the plants on this person appeared to be ivy, allowing him to easily cling to the surfaces of buildings and crawl at high speeds. His movement trajectory was extremely erratic, making it difficult for Yan Xiu to pursue.
After a prolonged chase, the person finally stopped and entered a building. Yan Xiu stood at the entrance and looked up. It was the teaching building of Green Source Middle School. It was currently the end of the winter break, and there were no people in the school, making it a suitable hiding place for such a creature.
"I need to be careful now. That guy seems to be luring me here intentionally. What exactly is in here?"
During the chase, the ivy-person had had opportunities to escape but seemed to deliberately slow down to allow Yan Xiu to catch up. Therefore, Yan Xiu's discovery of him was not a coincidence; someone wanted to lead Yan Xiu here.
As Yan Xiu hesitated whether to enter, he saw a ball of white fluff drifting down from the sky, fluttering as it flew, and then entering the teaching building through a window. Inside the white fluff was a person with a vacant expression.
Every inch of this person's skin was covered in brown thorns, denser than a beehive. The tips of the thorns were fluffy and soft white hairs. It was clear that the plant growing on this person was a dandelion. Sudan Novel Network.
Following the dandelion-person was Li Da Zhuang, panting. He couldn't fly, so to track this flying enemy, he had run until he was almost exhausted. This made him regret not snagging that blue bow.
When Li Da Zhuang saw Yan Xiu, his expression became solemn. He understood what it meant to see Yan Xiu here.
Two more plant-people subsequently entered the teaching building. Lin Lu and You Han, like Yan Xiu and Li Da Zhuang, were also drawn to this vicinity by these plant-people.
The four of them converged in the small plaza in front of the teaching building. Yan Xiu's expression, indicated by the mask, was grim: "Since you've all ended up here, it seems this isn't a coincidence. This school is a trap. If we step inside, we could be ambushed. We should report this to Lin Zhe Yuan first, then we can make further plans."
At least four monsters of no small strength were used to lure the four of them. Who knew how many similar monsters were hidden within this vast teaching building, and whether there was a stronger boss behind these monsters.
If it were just one or two monsters, Yan Xiu would definitely try to deal with them, but this was clearly a trap, and he wasn't going to step into it.
Li Da Zhuang held up his phone and said, "I think... we're already in the trap." The phone had no signal, which meant they couldn't call Lin Zhe Yuan for help.
You Han looked at the pitch-black teaching building and said in a deep voice, "We left at the same time. Our assistants should have discovered the anomaly and sent word back. The question is when Captain can find this place."
"So it seems that until my brother arrives, we can only rely on ourselves. It appears the mastermind doesn't intend to give us much time," Lin Lu said, pointing to the edge of the sports field.
Thick, thorny vines were growing along the edges of the small plaza in front of the teaching building. These were Bloodthirsty Vines from the Inner World.
The coverage of the Bloodthirsty Vines was vast, and none of the four of them could fly. While the vines alone might not be able to stop them, leaving would also take some time, and the mastermind wouldn't give them that time.
These Bloodthirsty Vines were still growing, and judging by their growth rate, they would soon cover the entire plaza. Therefore, their only option was to enter this building.
Yan Xiu sighed and said, "It seems we have no choice but to go in now. I hope the occupants here aren't too hospitable."