"If I had known you two were Neo-Humans, not from that previous car, would we have dared to make a move? Looking for death?!"
Accompanied by the continuous screams and thrashing of the man beside her, the woman let out a bitter laugh, her voice tinged with sarcasm, "Cars rarely pass here, and suddenly two come at once?! Damn it!"
Lu Xi’an did not explain that their car was actually the one the woman assumed was the previous one; he wasn’t interested in clarifying nor did he see the need to.
"Where are you from? What are you here for?"
He asked two more questions.
"Mengxin City, I mean the city area of Mengxin."
The woman’s answer did not surprise Lu Xi’an.
Lu Xi’an and Yao Wei continued to listen as the woman promptly answered the second question: "We’re actually heading to Tongzhou County, looking for something called Fungus Stone..."
Lu Xi’an instantly thought of the item wrapped in wolf skin in the car, but he remained outwardly expressionless and asked, "What is that thing?"
Meanwhile, Yao Wei remained silent beside him.
Upon hearing the words "Fungus Stone," she too immediately recalled the image of the stone covered with purple fungal threads.
What could be more fitting than this name?
She wasn’t good at coaxing information from others, but that was alright; Lu Xi’an would handle it. She knew she just had to stay calm and avoid revealing too much.
The woman said, "It’s just a weird stone, we only recently learned its name."
Lu Xi’an asked again, "How is it weird?"
The woman was about to continue responding, but the man’s screams grew more intense beside her, his rolling body starting to convulse, shrieking miserably. Follow current novels on novel•fire.net
The woman looked on with pity and pleaded, "Could you... give him a quick death? I’ve been cooperative, I’ll surely tell you everything honestly."
Yao Wei looked at Lu Xi’an, seeking his opinion.
Having traveled together for so long, she had become accustomed to positioning herself as the executor, letting Lu Xi’an handle the thinking while she took action.
So when Lu Xi’an nodded, she swiftly slit the man’s throat with a blade.
The ear-piercing noise reduced significantly, and the woman’s expression relaxed slightly, as she continued to explain to Lu Xi’an and Yao Wei:
"We found that stone on a tower in the city. It’s quite peculiar, anyone who touches it suffers severe ulceration and unbearable pain until they die.
"We turned the stone into a tool for punishment; anyone who acted against us, or enemies we captured, we’d tie the stone to them, causing them to suffer and die.
"But one day, a little brat came to the city, opposed us, and even stole from us. We caught her, tied her up, and threw the stone into her clothes.
"We thought the little girl wouldn’t survive much longer and expected her to die miserably, but unexpectedly she somehow managed to escape, taking the stone with her."
Undoubtedly, the little brat she mentioned was Chai Xin.
And the Fungus Stone that Chai Xin gave to Lu Xi’an and Yao Wei was originally lifted from Mengxin City’s urban area when Chai Xin fled.
Was it after this that Chai Xin clashed with Mengxin City? Mengxin City didn’t benefit from the stone, only used it as a torture device?
Lu Xi’an observed the woman covering her wounds while sitting on the ground and felt his judgment was likely correct.
This woman and the man who had his throat slit were obviously ordinary people, having shown no peculiarities when facing Yao Wei’s attack.
In that case, the Fungus Stone probably doesn’t affect everyone; it might have worked on Chai Xin by mere chance.
Yet both Lu Xi’an and Yao Wei reacted to the Fungus Stone, so does that mean it’s primarily meant for Neo-Humans?
So, how did this thing come into being?
Lu Xi’an suddenly felt curious about the tower in Mengxin City’s urban area that the woman mentioned.
However, it was merely curiosity.
He couldn’t be certain of the truth in the woman’s words.
If the woman spoke without a hint of falsehood, then Mengxin City might be like Tongzhou County, devoid of threats, allowing him and Yao Wei to explore.
But if the woman’s words contained any untruths, and the Fungus Stone in the car prompted changes among people in Mengxin City’s urban area, entering there could entail certain risks for him and Yao Wei.
If so, entering Mengxin City’s urban area would be akin to jumping into a wolf’s den.
This endeavor must not be pursued.
Lu Xi’an could only suppress his curiosity and refrain from uncovering the mysteries within.
"Is that little brat in Tongzhou County?"
Lu Xi’an followed up on the woman’s words.
The woman shook her head and said, "She’s already fallen into the hands of Neo-Humans."
Lu Xi’an’s eyelids twitched.
The woman’s face, already pale from blood loss, turned a shade whiter as she recalled something terrifying, "A Neo-Human came to Mengxin City, not as skilled as you both, but still formidable.
"He can control us unknowingly, even manipulate our emotions, making us happy or enraged at will.
"After entering the city, he occupied the tower and said the stone taken by the little brat was called Fungus Stone. He found something in the tower, called a resonator or some sort.
"Recently, he powered up that thing and then announced that the Fungus Stone was here, prompting us to seek it out.
"We came but couldn’t find it; only spotted the cold bodies of wolves crushed under a car. As the weather turned cold, we had no choice but to return.
"Once the weather improved, who would have imagined that the little brat would actually come to Mengxin City herself.
"We secretly captured her and hid her away, interrogating her about the Fungus Stone’s whereabouts. She claimed it was in Tongzhou County.
"Turns out, that Neo-Human used that resonator thing and agreed, saying the Fungus Stone was in Tongzhou County. It matched.
"We planned to sneak to Tongzhou County and locate the Fungus Stone..."
Upon hearing this, Lu Xi’an asked, "So, you didn’t tell the Neo-Human about capturing that little brat, and after he identified the Fungus Stone in Tongzhou County, he didn’t instruct you to go there like before?"
The woman sneered and said, "Why would we tell him? We’ve seen the little brat’s transformation, far stronger than before.
"It took quite an effort from several of us to finally pin that little brat down.
"Why she’s become so powerful, and why the Neo-Human is so keen on the Fungus Stone, isn’t it clear?
"You two must have become Neo-Humans because of the Fungus Stone, right? If we get hold of it, why would we fear him?
"With so many people, surely one of us can handle that damn stone like the little brat. Once someone among us becomes a Neo-Human, we can rule Mengxin City, no longer under that Neo-Human’s thumb."
Saying this, the woman’s expression suddenly turned dejected, "But... it’s all meaningless now..."