340: Chapter 138: Now It’s Personal 340: Chapter 138: Now It’s Personal Something felt off.
Hitting a person and hitting a sandbag produced different sensations.
After just a few moves, Wang Yunxiao realized the guy in front of him, who looked exactly like himself, wasn’t real—just some sort of illusion.
Or, more precisely, it was a version of himself conjured up by his own mind.
When people imagine themselves, they subconsciously add a beautifying filter.
The truth is, the reflection you see in the mirror and the way others see you are not the same.
Similarly, the sound of your voice as you hear it and as others hear it coming from your mouth are different.
If it were a one-to-one copy, it wouldn’t be possible to predict one’s own actions with every move.
Since it was an illusion, how was he to break it?
This certainly wasn’t the effect of physical toxins or a curse, because his current gear itself had the ability to filter toxins and resist curses.
It wasn’t a common case of Echo Erosion either, as Wang Yunxiao’s resistance to Echo Erosion was quite high; normally, he wouldn’t know how many layers of erosion he was dealing with, much like a rainbow light bulb, yet he felt nothing.
Recalling the sudden severe pain in his head, whatever method the other party used, it ultimately must have acted directly on his brain.
Then he might as well be rid of this brain!
No sooner had Wang Yunxiao thought it than he did it, turning around and slamming his head hard against a lamppost behind him.
The lampposts of that era were all gas lamps, with an iron casing enclosing the internal gas pipes; even in Tianmen City, they were rarely seen.
Wang Yunxiao’s head collided with the lamppost, snapping it in two; gas leaked out, instantly igniting a great fire.
The lamppost fell, its enormous impact scattering the small stones on the ground and the carefully placed array crumbled away.
Wang Yunxiao’s head buzzed.
But the effect was immediate; the invisible pressure suddenly dissipated, and the imitation in front of him vanished without a trace.
The mud splattered on him felt lifeless as it slowly fell off.
Watching those horror movies and novels in the past, the protagonists would encounter ghosts and get utterly panicked, summoning demons and evil gods at the drop of a hat, then running for their lives.
Westerners were particularly fond of this.
Mainly because from a young age they were brainwashed by the Church, their worldview locked, unable to accept new things beyond their cognition.
Anything that defied their understanding invoked inexplicable fear.
Some people just loved to encourage this nonsense.
“Oh, that evil god cannot be looked at directly, just one glance could drive you insane, how terrifying, how terrifying…”
But for Wang Yunxiao, whatever specter or monster it was, just dealing with it straightforwardly was all that was needed.
What bizarre, what horror, I’ve freaking traveled through time, do I care about these messes?
Extinguishing the flames on his body, he waved away the burnt smell.
Wang Yunxiao carefully observed his surroundings to ensure there were no issues before finally walking toward the bench.
These Faceless Ones had no good tricks to speak of, but their ability to slip away unseen was truly professional; slippery as eels, they were impossible to catch.
Next time, he would need to devise some targeted equipment.
On the bench lay a not-so-fancy cloth doll, a notebook, and a travel case placed beside it.
Wang Yunxiao opened the travel case and rummaged through it, confirming it contained Li Mumu’s personal belongings.
It held not only her clothes but also her medication.
So…
in her absence, how did her personal belongings end up here?
Why had he ended up in the hands of these Faceless Ones?
What did they intend to do?
Wang Yunxiao was completely baffled.
It seemed necessary to make a trip to the Special Service Bureau as soon as possible.
He randomly stuffed the notebook and the doll into his suitcase, initially planning to head straight back to school, but then he thought better of it, feeling that these items weren’t particularly safe at school either.
Especially since they might attract the covetous gaze of the Faceless Ones, who knows what these freaks, holding onto Li Mumu’s personal belongings and impersonating her, were up to?
They surely weren’t planning to fish, were they?
Fish for whom?
Fish for me?
Recalling the words he had seen, Wang Yunxiao had some guesses in his mind, but he dared not be sure.
What do I have that’s worth fishing for?
If you were fishing for me, you should have written the address!
He didn’t know that the other party also mistakenly thought Li Mumu was waiting for someone, and to avoid blowing their cover, they didn’t reveal too much information, which led to this beautiful misunderstanding.
But if you really were trying to lure me out, then you all deserve to die.
Wang Yunxiao’s eyes were cold.
He and Li Mumu might not have had a very deep relationship, but if it was because of him that the young lady suffered persecution, he couldn’t accept that.
If initially chasing the Faceless Ones was merely a duty, now it had become a matter of personal grudge.
Was I too lenient on you before, which made you think that I was easy to bully and threaten?
Carrying his suitcase, he arrived at the police station and, unsurprisingly, found it brightly lit as always.
The Great Luo Sect’s Array in the Nantong District might have been destroyed, but the myriad issues it brought up weren’t going to be resolved anytime soon.
This thing was like a tumor, where surgery to remove it was only the first step; there were countless sessions of radiotherapy and chemotherapy to follow.
In any case, it was all trouble.
Qin Xiangdong was still working overtime late into the night; compared to when he first started, he had become noticeably thinner, his ashtray brimming with stacks of cigarette butts, nearly overflowing, and his desk piled mountain-high with case files.
Wang Yunxiao briefly explained the evening’s events to him, and Qin Xiangdong jokingly said, “You really know how to make work for me.”
“So we just leave the Sea Red Mansion alone for now?”
“Manage it!
Why not manage it?”
Qin Xiangdong coughed twice and said solemnly, “I’ve told you, as long as I’m here, there’s nothing we cannot manage, nothing we cannot investigate.
They either have to dismiss me or step over my dead body!”
His words left Wang Yunxiao feeling somewhat embarrassed.
This was a true warrior, and by comparison, he had been far too lax.
“As for the problem with the Faceless Ones, we already have a solution for that.
Veronica reported a couple of days ago that she has applied to the Church for a batch of special equipment, which should arrive soon.
Additionally, our department is expanding on the tenth of this month, and you need to come and oversee the hiring process.
It’s best if we can recruit a few suitable people to establish the framework for the Special Service Section.”
New equipment on the way?
That was good news, Wang Yunxiao felt relieved upon hearing it.
Even though garrison soldiers are expected to bring their own provisions, weapons are still issued by the government.
As for finding the right people, he didn’t hold out much hope.
“Also, that suitcase, it’s not safe here; tomorrow morning, I’ll have Gao Shan take it to the Special Service Bureau.”
Qin Xiangdong was well aware of how easily others could breach his own domicile.