After reviewing Dr. Feng's files, Wen Wen recalled the green leaf he had picked up near his car door some time ago.
At this time of year, green leaves shouldn’t exist. If Dr. Feng had been actively searching for traces of the containment facility, it was possible that he was the one who left the leaf behind.
*"For now, I’ll just accept the mission to hunt him down. If he keeps digging for clues about the facility, we’ll cross paths eventually. Hopefully, I can extract some information about the escapees from him."*
After leaving the containment facility, Wen Wen tested all the prepared runes on the little imps, gathering a wealth of valuable data.
He had assumed the imp wouldn’t survive the experiments, but to his surprise, its vitality proved unexpectedly tenacious—it actually endured all the torture.
To reward its resilience, Wen Wen mercifully handed the imp over to the **Radiant Angel** for execution. At least this way, it would die quickly.
Originally, Wen Wen had wanted to chop it up and feed it to cats and dogs—after all, he had caught it in the act of torturing them. But considering that might create a horde of mutated pets, he dismissed the idea.
Once everything was wrapped up, Wen Wen received an unexpected call from someone he hadn’t heard from in a long time.
The voice on the other end was deep and resonant:
*"Hey, is this my friend Wen Wen? It’s Zhu Qipei. I need your help."*
Wen Wen rubbed his chin. *This pig-headed fellow hasn’t contacted me in ages. Is he here to buy dolls again?*
But the current Wen Wen wasn’t the weak superhuman he used to be. He couldn’t stoop to such shameless business anymore.
*"Uh… Old Zhu, did you break all the dolls I sold you? Thing is, the craftsman who made them has switched to legit work—he’s a figurine artist now. So if you want new pig-headed dolls… well, the price has gone up."*
Zhu Qipei paused for two seconds. *"Price hikes are normal. I’ll order two for now. This time, I want double the—* *Pfft!* *No, no, that’s not why I’m calling. You’re an upper-sequence Wanderer now, right? I want to hire you to kill someone."*
Wen Wen frowned. *"Killing people? No can do. I’m a demon hunter, not an assassin. That’s against my principles."*
Zhu Qipei’s voice turned serious. *"Not an ordinary person. A fugitive wanted by the Association. Taking him out wouldn’t violate your code. I’ve got an upper-sequence containment artifact as payment."*
An upper-sequence containment artifact?
Wen Wen’s interest was piqued. *"We’re friends—no need to be so formal. What kind of artifact is it?"*
Zhu Qipei fell silent for a moment. *This guy’s still as shameless as ever.* But he explained:
*"It’s called the **‘Pregnancy Bow.’** It comes with one indestructible arrow that returns to the bow every dawn. Anyone shot with it immediately gets pregnant. What they conceive depends on the shooter’s thoughts at the time. It’s even worked on an upper-sequence monster before."*
Wen Wen’s eyes practically sparkled. *"Instant pregnancy? Now that’s… intriguing. Who’s the target?"*
Zhu Qipei exhaled heavily. *"A former upper-sequence superhuman, a scumbag known as **Dr. Verdant—Feng Rao.**"*
**Feng Rao!**
A strange glint flashed in Wen Wen’s eyes. *What a coincidence—or fate?* He had just accepted the mission to hunt Feng Rao.
But why did Zhu Qipei want him dead?
Perhaps the armored giant who helped Yan Xiu escape was Zhu Qipei himself. *So he’s actually upper-sequence level!*
With Feng Rao as the target and such an amusing reward, Wen Wen had no reason to refuse.
*"Since you’re asking, I’ll help you take him down. But do you know where he is?"*
Zhu Qipei nodded. *"I just fought him. Planted a tracker on him. As long as we don’t wait too long, we can find him again. And you’re not the only one I’ve hired—there’s another upper-sequence hunter joining us. The three of us will move together."*
After settling the meeting details, they hung up.
Wen Wen then rudely roused Tao Qingqing and San Zai. *"Wake up. We’ve got work to do."*
---
**Two days later, Tongling City, Haibei Province.**
Wen Wen and Tao Qingqing stepped out of a noodle shop, each holding a bowl of knife-shaved noodles. The broth went entirely to San Zai, who drank it with teary-eyed gratitude.
According to TV commercials, *"The essence of noodles lies in the soup."* So in its mind, Wen Wen had selflessly taken the dregs and left the best part for it—a first-time honor.
After weeks of subsisting on Wen Wen’s blood, Tao Qingqing’s vampiric traits had faded. She no longer needed blood to stay active and could enjoy human food again.
Tongling City, home to the largest copper mine in Huafu District, was Haibei’s most crucial industrial hub. The streets exuded a unique cultural vibe.
This was where Wen Wen and Zhu Qipei had agreed to meet.
It seemed that after stirring up trouble in Furonghe City, Dr. Feng had fled here—a fact that disappointed Wen Wen.
*If he’d stayed in Furonghe, I could’ve mooched meals off Zhu Qipei for a few days. That guy’s cooking is to die for…*
Following the address, Wen Wen and Tao Qingqing arrived at a downtown hotel. Zhu Qipei had booked the best rooms—as the star chef of **"Little Furong Kitchen,"** he wasn’t filthy rich, but money wasn’t an issue.
Inside, Wen Wen found Zhu Qipei sitting on a sofa, polishing a monstrous greataxe with alcohol.
The axe stood taller than Wen Wen, its broad blade resembling a fan-shaped shield stained with unscrubbable crimson.
Its power likely rivaled the **Blood River Sword**, but as Wen Wen’s bonded weapon, the sword would eventually surpass it.
At the other end of the room sat a silver-haired, bespectacled elder with a robust build. He was playing with a bizarre little monkey, its cheeks swollen like grotesque red tumors.
Though aged, the elder exuded formidable energy—at least upper-sequence tier.
He showed no reaction to Wen Wen’s entrance, but when Tao Qingqing stepped in, his eyebrows twitched slightly.