SES Chapter 184 Part 1

Chapter 184

Why had Cao Jiefang ended up here? Hadn’t Zheng Mingshan been told to send it to Uncle Zheng?

But Luo Ren had no time to worry about that now. Let it run wherever it wanted.

Cao Jiefang, on the other hand, lit up the moment he saw him. It scurried over enthusiastically, stretching its neck and craning its head at Luo Ren.

Already on edge, Luo Ren shoved it aside impatiently. “Move.”

But Cao Jiefang was nothing if not persistent. Flapping its wings, it followed him again, circling him, stretching its neck and lifting its head insistently—almost like it was begging for a kiss.

Then Luo Ren understood. Transparent tape was wrapped around the chicken’s beak, and it couldn’t get it off itself. It had probably been hungry for hours, so when it saw Luo Ren, it treated him like family, craning its head nonstop for help.

Such a big chicken constantly milling around was incredibly annoying. He wanted to kick it away, but worried its little body couldn’t take it. After fending it off again and again, Luo Ren finally snapped. He grabbed it, seized the end of the tape, ripped it off hard, then shoved the chicken away.

Cao Jiefang rolled on the ground and scrambled back to his feet. The hateful tape was finally gone, and it felt immeasurably relieved.

It had no idea what Luo Ren was searching for—only that he was “one of us.” Wherever Luo Ren went, it followed. Sometimes it wandered around looking for food, and a few times it even rushed ahead of him.

Sweat broke out in Luo Ren’s palms. He knew searching like this wasn’t working, but he couldn’t figure out a better approach.

Then his eyes caught something strange.

It was Cao Jiefang. Moments ago, it had been pecking at food by a tree, but suddenly its feathers stood on end, even the feathers on its neck bristling. It looked exactly like a fighting cock about to attack.

What was going on? There was nothing alive visible around that tree.

Luo Ren cursed himself for getting distracted and was about to move on when Cao Jiefang let out a sharp, piercing cry—“He…duo…luo”—the pitch strangely different from usual.

Animals were always more sensitive than people. Had it noticed something?

Hesitating, Luo Ren took two steps toward the tree. Suddenly, he caught sight of something, his heart jolting, and he quickly crouched down.

Normally, old trees like this have vertical cracks running along the trunk. But near the roots, something eerie was happening—the vertical lines were turning horizontal. At a glance, it looked like something wriggling beneath the bark.

No wonder Cao Jiefang had been so startled.

This was unnatural. It didn’t make sense. Luo Ren quickly moved to another tree. Near its roots, the vertical cracks were also turning sideways, as if…

In a flash, an image surfaced in his mind.

It was back in Cao Family Village. One night, while staying at Qing Shan’s house, rain poured down and water pooled in the courtyard. Suddenly, he saw Yi Wan San struggling up through the water’s surface, reaching out to him for help.

Later, he and Mu Dai had reasoned that among “metal, wood, water, fire, and earth,” Yi Wan San belonged to water. So when his life was threatened, he could use a connected expanse of water to signal for help.

So what about now?

Luo Ren’s mind raced.

Mu Dai belonged to wood. This was a forest. The trees stood close together, and underground, their roots could stretch far and wide. You could even say the roots reached out to one another beneath the soil, forming an intricate, interconnected web.

Mu Dai was buried underground. She could use the trees—consciously or not.

So the strange changes in the bark had a ninety-percent chance of being a signal, pointing him the way.

Luo Ren hesitated no longer. He sprinted in that direction, stopping occasionally to check the changes near the roots of nearby trees, until he finally threw himself onto an open patch of ground and desperately clawed away the surface layer of branches and leaves.

That was it. At a glance, it was obvious—the soil here had been dug up.

He scraped at the dirt with his hands. It hadn’t been packed down firmly. Soon his fingers hit something: a silvery whistle, with a flat white pearl hanging beside it. It was Mu Dai’s necklace.

Luo Ren’s eyes burned. He reached behind her and hauled her out of the ground, then immediately checked her breathing. Warm air. Her cheeks were still warm. There was a heartbeat. But she wouldn’t wake up—she must have been injected with something.

At last, Luo Ren’s heart settled back into place. Only then did he feel the weakness flood his limbs. His legs gave out and he sank to his knees, clutching Mu Dai and pressing her head into his chest, using his own body and arms to shield all her vital points.

Leopard was surely nearby, lying in wait. She wouldn’t let him take Mu Dai and leave. Given her nature, she might even fire a cold shot at the moment he relaxed most, killing Mu Dai in his arms. He had to be prepared for every possibility.

The injection fit Leopard’s usual calculations perfectly. Mu Dai was a combat asset—if Luo Ren found her and freed her, she’d immediately rejoin the fight. But once she was unconscious and powerless, she became a burden to him instead.

Luo Ren murmured, “Mu Dai… can you hear me?”

He thought her breathing seemed rapid—or maybe it didn’t. The forest was frighteningly quiet. Not far away, Cao Jiefang stood with its tail held high, pecking at the ground.

Then Leopard finally appeared.

Dressed all in black, facing the fading sunlight, she looked like a ghost before dusk.

Old grudges and fresh hatred welled up. Luo Ren asked her, “Where are my brothers’ remains?”

Leopard laughed softly. “You mean them?”

“Ground into powder and used to plant flowers. Luo, do you remember my place? There’s a garden there. When you come back with me, you’ll see how beautifully the flowers are blooming this year.”

“Let Mu Dai go. What’s between us shouldn’t involve innocent people.”

Leopard sneered. “Luo, you sound like a naïve child. A feud between two people is like radiation—it always affects everyone around them. Just like your little daughter, your brothers. Why should she be the exception?”

Luo Ren lowered his head, kissed Mu Dai’s forehead, gently laid her back down, and then stood up.

Leopard watched him, questioning.

Luo Ren said, “Look. I’m standing between you and her.”

“So?”