Chapter Seventy-Two: Is Her Way of Chatting Strange? 【4K】
Huaxie Yu set off from Huacheng University, taking a winding route, getting lost several times, and encountering a few odd individuals. After spending over two hours, she finally arrived at the address on the advertisement.
With the completion of a new city gymnasium, the old sports center, which had been around for decades, had long entered a semi-abandoned state.
In the afternoon, the main entrance of the gym was wrapped in iron chains, with a brand-new lock hanging from it. An old security guard, looking over seventy years old, leaned in a wicker chair, dozing off.
“Sir! Sir!”
Huaxie Yu called out softly twice, but seeing the guard was deep in sleep, she kindly decided not to disturb him and instead made her way to the nearby wall, glancing around before skillfully climbing over.
She moved as gracefully as a cat.
The glass shards and barbed wire atop the wall posed no obstacles to her actions.
Such a level of theft prevention, in Dawn City, would probably see the gym’s turf stolen clean! Huaxie Yu thought.
Upon entering the gym, following the directions she had gathered along the way, she walked down the main path. After passing through most of the venue, a sharp turn appeared before her.
The somewhat narrow old cement path was already showing signs of extensive cracking, with wild grass growing on either side of the road. Through the dense trees, she could vaguely see a dark gray building in the distance, along with the remnants of demolished shantytown walls behind it.
“That must be it, right?“
Following the winding cement path, Huaxie Yu ventured into the overgrown woods, unmanned in the summer. After advancing for a hundred meters, a warning sign reading “Danger Ahead, Proceed at Your Own Risk” blocked her path.
It doesn’t say what the danger is; looks like this cursed place is indeed hiding urban legends. Huaxie Yu thought.
She remembered a time when the Siye Society in Dawn City was particularly active, setting up similar warning signs at many locations within the city, with no clear description of the dangers involved.
However, it was useless whether or not they provided an explanation.
Metal signs placed in Dawn City went unnoticed and would disappear without a trace before dawn came.
Even wooden or plastic ones would be taken away, either used as bed boards or burned for heat, or simply destroyed out of disdain for those official-looking signs.
After bypassing the warning sign and continuing forward for several dozen meters, she finally spotted the swimming pool mentioned in the advertisement.
One side of the swimming pool, near the changing rooms, was surrounded by high, dark gray walls, while the side near the pool sported a number of twisted and deformed iron railings, with only a rusty iron door ajar.
After circling the swimming pool to get a rough idea of the surroundings, she quietly took out her phone, found the contact information of the facilitator disguised as her best friend, and edited a message.
[Facilitator, earlier today, I received a strange advertisement threatening me to give up on completing my task, and at the moment, I’ve encountered the person who sent me the ad. The situation seems a bit dire, requesting support!]
After composing the message, she didn’t send it out immediately. Instead, she switched to another contact with a series of numbers and prepared a second message.
[Dear Mr. Qi, reliable information indicates that there is an illegal spirit energy organization at the old sports center swimming pool, conducting a secret deal. I’m concerned this deal may pose a threat to Huacheng, hence I’m informing you.]
Qi Dong’s contact information was given to her by him when she left the Special Action Team.
As a low-level spirit ability user, like those with potential spirit abilities, she was a prime target for urban legends, and even in Huacheng, encounters with urban legend incidents were possible.
With this contact, Qi Dong might receive timely information and save her life. Finally, she found the contact left for her by Luxianbei at the milk tea shop.
[Help me! I’m at the old gym swimming pool.]
After finalizing the messages, Huaxie Yu stared at the screen for a few seconds, pursed her lips in frustration.
I’ve already put in so much effort to entice him; with my looks and figure, even if he doesn’t like me yet, he should at least feel a little moved, right?
If he’s not moved by now, he might just be gay? Huaxie Yu thought.
After preparing the three messages in the order of Luxianbei, Qi Dong, and the facilitator, ensuring they could be sent at any moment, she finally satisfiedly put her phone away.
Although it seemed the unknown entity that sent her the advertisement could be her last lifeline, people like her never fully trusted anyone.
From a very young age, Huaxie Yu clearly understood that in this world, the only one she could fully rely on was herself!
After mingling in Fragrant Lady Cave for years, she had navigated through various local gangs and cult organizations, witnessing and even experiencing too many instances of treachery during transactions.
Huaxie Yu knew that the owner of that advertisement wouldn’t help her without reason, but as long as the price wasn’t excessive, she would still compromise. However, if the other party was greedy and the price exceeded her acceptance, then she would have to flip the table.
The order of Luxianbei, Qi Dong, and the facilitator was arranged based on her assessment of who to contact first to avoid subsequent troubles, from easy to difficult.
Hmph! Don’t think my sister is that easy to bully.
If you want to play tricks with me, then even if I d*e, I’ll take a couple of your bones to chew on! Huaxie Yu thought fiercely, slowly closing her eyes and unnoticeably channeling her spirit energy to manifest spirit patterns.
Immediately, a wisp of green smoke rose from behind her, gradually condensing into a palm-sized human silhouette, which passed through the rusted railings and entered the swimming pool.
Soon, the dilapidated state of the pool unfolded before Huaxie Yu’s eyes through the perspective of the spirit pattern-created ghost.
The open-air swimming pool, paved with pale tiles, resembled the effects of a skin disease, with large sections of tiles fallen away, revealing rough concrete. Dead leaves and small animal corpses accumulated in the pool, turning into dark, foul sludge under the rain-soaked conditions.
The doors of the changing rooms were tightly shut, with damaged shutters resembling slightly opened eyes scattered over its frame—
Huaxie Yu thought she had been cautious enough, having made sufficient preparations before beginning her inquiry into the swimming pool; however, she still felt somewhat inexperienced.
Some gaps cannot be filled merely by caution or thorough preparation, leaving a sense of naivety, giving off a feeling of both being inexperienced yet eager to engage.
She had methodically completed everything but was entirely oblivious to the fact that Miss Rabbit and Shuo E had been watching her from the shadows for quite some time. “This lady is quite cautious?” Shuo E commented. “She has a bit of that calamity vibe.”
Miss Rabbit, still seething, snapped back upon hearing this, “What the hell! How many times have we clashed with calamities, and you still don’t understand her?”
“Shuo E frowned slightly and asked earnestly, “What would a calamity do?”
“If it were calamity-related, even if she felt curious about this transaction and thought she could gain benefits from it, she wouldn’t appear within a five-kilometer radius of the swimming pool.”
“That b*stard would likely just con some dimwit or blackmail a hapless soul she has leverage on to come take a look.”
A calamity is quite cunning!
“The person she gets to look might even think it’s a great opportunity and thank her instead!” Miss Rabbit remarked.
However, just as Huaxie Yu underestimated Miss Rabbit, Miss Rabbit’s understanding of Luxianbei was also quickly outdated.
If it were truly Luxianbei, she wouldn’t let anyone or any urban legend near here. She would likely ask the Urban Legends Chat Group to block surrounding signals and then have the Special Action Team comrades and the various urban legends in Huacheng keep watch over the swimming pool day and night, occasionally staging some “drills,” while she went about her business.
Why would she need to enter the swimming pool, anyway?
This cursed place is cut off from water, food, and internet; being inside would be terribly boring, and even if the unknown existence within couldn’t hold out, it would still eventually emerge.
After hearing Miss Rabbit’s words, Shuo E pondered seriously and felt she made a valid point, nodding in agreement, “You indeed understand calamity better than I do. If possible—”
“Stop!” Miss Rabbit interjected, looking at Shuo E, “Don’t bring up the Elders’ Council’s grand plan. I won’t help them catch calamity. I don’t want to interact with her for even a second before gaining overwhelming power. If they want to catch her, let the Elders’ Council find someone else.”
Long ago, Beres discovered that as the night grew longer, certain special individuals emerged among spirit ability users and urban legends, compiling a list.
Though he was a member of the Chairman’s faction and typically meticulous, no wall is completely impermeable to whispers.
The Chairman’s faction and the Elders’ faction had been intertwined for years, and Beres could conceal this for only so long; ultimately, that list reappeared on the Elders’ Council’s conference table.
Up to now, over a dozen special individuals have been secretly controlled by the Elders’ Council. If calamity wasn’t so troublesome, they would have loved to control her too.
In fact, the Elders’ Council’s interference with that man’s actions was not merely to disrupt his plan; they were also poised to capture calamity.
“Yeah, I understand. Calamity is indeed formidable.” Shuo E nodded, directing his gaze at Huaxie Yu in the swimming pool, “So, we should hurry up with this task and leave Huacheng.”
“I’ve told you countless times, I’m not afraid of her!” Miss Rabbit impatiently corrected, rolling her eyes, “But, the task is urgent; tell me what to do next?”
At this point, she paused, glancing at the modified parasite-type urban legend core in Shuo E’s hand, frowning, “Are you planning to stuff this thing directly into that girl’s body?”
“If so, leave it to me; I’m familiar with this type of work.”
Before becoming a true urban legend, she had witnessed that twisted preacher as a doll, cruelly and sadistically slaughter nearly a hundred girls by various means and knew very well where a fist-sized golden object could be inserted.
“No!” Shuo E shook his head, “Right now, even if Huazhuang were to become the host of this parasite-type urban legend core, it wouldn’t actually impact the Chairman; he could discard that piece at any moment.”
“We just need to hand this thing over to Huazhuang, tell her when to use it, and then stay in Huacheng, waiting to activate it at the critical moment.”
“Is it that simple?” Miss Rabbit tilted her head. “It is that simple,” Shuo E affirmed.
“Fine! I’ll go talk to her; you get ready to hand it over.”
After Miss Rabbit said this, her figure flickered and vanished from the spot, only to appear right behind Huaxie Yu, raising the giant axe she held.
Shuo E, “???”
Her way of chatting with Huazhuang seems a bit off?———
Controlling the ghost created by the spirit pattern, after meticulously exploring inside and outside the swimming pool, Huaxie Yu stared at the empty open-air pool, furrowing her brows.
Inside the swimming pool, she found no spirit ability users or urban legends.
“Where is everyone?”
Could it be that I arrived too early? After all, the agreed time is midnight.
Might as well go in to take a look; if that mysterious person isn’t here yet, I can still prepare a bit.
After pondering for a moment, Huaxie Yu took two steps back, slightly sprinted, leaped up, grabbed the top of the wall, pulled herself up, and then flipped over, landing steadily inside the swimming pool.
The entire process was fluid, indicating this wasn’t her first time sneaking into private property. However, just as she landed, an ominous premonition surged within her.
It felt like the time she had quietly broken into someone’s yard, suddenly catching the attention of a fierce dog, even before she could see it.
A chilling sensation abrupt appeared, bringing an indescribable tremor.
The surroundings fell into an eerie silence; goosebumps rose on Huaxie Yu’s arms as she even heard the sound of her own heartbeat. “Thump thump thump thump…”
Slow and heavy.
A feeling of panic, anxiety, and discomfort surged within her, making it hard for her to breathe.
Then, she took a deep breath, mustered her courage, and abruptly turned around, only to see a rusted giant axe swinging toward her. “DUANG——!”
With a dull thud, Miss Rabbit’s giant axe struck perfectly against Huaxie Yu’s forehead, sending her flying several meters, landing in a pile of dead leaves.
At that moment, Shuo E followed closely behind, looking grimly at Miss Rabbit, said, “Why did you k*ll her? Don’t you realize you should escape quickly! I’ll help you deal with the Elders’ Council.”
Could it be another illusion? It seemed he was actually worried about me? Miss Rabbit thought, smiling, “Who said I killed her? I just knocked her out; controlling this level of strength is still simple.”
As she spoke, she walked towards the fainted Huaxie Yu. Raising her hand, a pristine white fur appeared on her left arm, and with her right hand sweeping over her left arm, a yellow and black advertisement appeared in her palm, taking with it a large patch of fur.
Arriving beside Huaxie Yu, she turned to look at Shuo E, holding up the blank advertisement in her hand, “So, what do you plan to say to her?”
Shuo E thought for a moment then shook his head, “No need for your advertisement this time; the Elders’ Council has already prepared.”
As he spoke, he stepped forward, took the advertisement from Miss Rabbit’s hand, and placed a mobile phone and the parasite-type urban legend core into Huaxie Yu’s arms.
