Chapter 74: Is This Plant Really Suspicious?
Since childhood, Chen Huai'an had always prided himself on being sharp-minded.
Some people might remain oblivious to subtle bodily changes.
But not him.
The moment he felt something unusual, he knewâthe truth was clear.
Cancer cellsâthe most mysterious of all cellsâhad activated his genetic potential, turning him into a castrated version of Superman.
Sure, he couldnât take down a wolf with a single hit.
But thanks to his regeneration, he could last at least thirty seconds longer than a normal person in a fight against one.
That, in itself, was extraordinary power.
And now, his sharp mind recalled certain details from the previous night.
First, where had that girl found the talisman?
From what he gathered, it had been near the mutant wolfâs corpse.
Second, the power and effects of this talisman were identical to the Thunderfire Talismans in the game!
Third, there was something off about the wolf's corpse.
If it had been struck by lightning, the head or back should have been the most damaged.
But in reality?
It was missing its left legâblown off as if it had stepped on a landmine.
Putting these three clues together made things⊠intriguing.
It was highly likely that, in his panic while escaping, he had accidentally dropped two talismans, and the mutant wolf had stepped on one.
That thunderclap he heard? It wasnât just a coincidence.
The wolf had been blown apart by his own talisman.
Mystery solved.
Even Conan himself would have no choice but to kneel before this deduction!
Which meantâŠ
Right now, there were seven ticking C4 bombs just sitting on his coffee table.
Chen Huai'an instinctively backed away.
ââŠWait. If these things exploded randomly, theyâd have gone off already. Maybe Iâm just overthinking?â
He had already told the cleaning lady not to tidy his roomâespecially since he had a cat hiding in there.
But the cleaning lady still came by occasionally to clean the other rooms.
If these talismans required specific conditions to activate, it meant they had a trigger mechanism.
And how were talismans used?
You threw them!
Chen Huai'anâs eyes lit up.
Excited, he grabbed the talismans, threw on some clothes, and rushed out the door.
âŠ
Not long after he left, the door to Room 419 creaked open.
âPerfect! That pretty boy finally left!â
Lin Lingling peeked out, scanning the empty hallway, a gleam of excitement in her eyes.
She had been waiting for Chen Huai'an to leave.
Now was her chance to investigate his roomâmaybe she could uncover some clues.
The door? No way in.
Which left only one optionâthe window.
With a nimble flip, Lin Lingling climbed out of the hallway window.
It was just past 6 AM, and the streets were already bustling with early commuters.
But she moved fastâbarely touching the air-conditioning units as she hopped gracefully toward Chen Huai'anâs window.
Not a single pedestrian noticed her.
Outside Room 418, a yellow talisman was stuck to the window.
It radiated a majestic, righteous auraâa silent warning.
"Intruders will be executed without mercy!"
Lin Lingling froze.
So cautious?
He actually knows how to use talismans?!
Peering through the window, she saw nothing unusual inside.
Well⊠except for one thing.
Who the hell plants ordinary grass on a windowsill?
And why use such gaudy, multi-colored soil?
Something wasnât right.
She stared hard at the seemingly ordinary grass.
As a martial artist, her eyesight far surpassed that of normal people, allowing her to see details that others would miss.
And what she saw made her gasp in shock.
The veins of the grass leaves were etched with intricate patterns.
"Winding corridors, high-reaching eaves; each structure embracing the terrain, interlocking with one anotherâŠ"
Lin Linglingâs eyes widened.
She even forgot to breathe.
On those delicate grass leaves, there was an elaborate, hidden depiction of a celestial palace among the clouds.
If not for her perfect angle under the sunlight, she wouldnât have noticed at all.
"Did he carve this?"
No. Impossible.
She immediately rejected the idea.
There were no carving marksâevery single brushstroke was naturally formed.
It was as if this plant was born this wayâas if it was meant to grow with such magnificent, intricate leaves.
This was definitely no ordinary plant!
But what exactly was it?
Even with her current level of strength, she couldnât tell.
To truly uncover its secrets, sheâd have to hand it over to the Demon Slayers Bureau.
But⊠even if there was no talisman blocking her, she wouldnât dare.
First, stealing was immoral.
She was already considering breaking into his roomâshe couldnât steal from him too.
Second, what if this pretty boy was actually a big shot?
If she only took a look, the worst sheâd face would be crippling humiliation.
But if she stole something, she might end up scattered into ashes.
She still had a long life ahead of her.
She hadnât yet seen the full extent of the world.
She had a dreamâone day, she would soar through the skies on a flying sword.
So breaking a leg was fineâbut losing her life was not.
âFine. If I canât get in, Iâll find another chance later.â
Just as Lin Lingling prepared to leaveâŠ
Hissssâ!
A chilling snarl erupted.
Her back went cold.
It felt as if she had just fallen into an icy abyss.
Her neck stiffly turned, as if controlled by an unseen force.
And then she saw itâ
A black cat had silently appeared on the window ledge, its golden eyes locked onto hers.
It was staring at herâŠ
The way a predator watches a helpless mouse.
That⊠that growl just now⊠came from the cat?!
The sound was like steel scraping against shattered glassâsharp, violent, and filled with an urge to destroy everything.
With slow, deliberate steps, the black cat advanced.
Its movements were elegant, but domineeringâlike a king surveying its domain.
The shifting sunlight elongated its shadow on the wall behind it, distorting into a massive, monstrous shape.
A demon.
Lin Linglingâs pupils shrank.
She had no idea what level of demon it was, but its aura alone was so overwhelming that she couldnât move.
So this guy⊠lived with this thing?
How?
How did they coexist?!
She had no time to think.
The black cat suddenly raised a paw.
Boom!
It slammed down violently.
Buzzâ!
A shockwave of black ripples exploded outward, lashing at Lin Lingling like a whip.
Regaining control of her body, she tried to retreatâbut it was too late.
An overwhelming force slammed into her, twisting her insides into a chaotic mess.
Her foot slippedâ
And she fell from the windowsill.
âŠ
Baji peered out the window, keeping a safe fistâs distance from the yellow talisman.
It snorted at the girl lying motionless on the awning below.
"Tired of living, are we? You dare covet the bossâs spiritual plant?"
"Too bad I canât touch you. Otherwise, youâd be dead."
It was displeased, but there was nothing it could do.
Glancing at the flowerpot, where the talismanâs lightning flashed ominously, Baji quickly hopped off the windowsill and curled up on the sofa.
To the great Dao-comprehending master, it was nothing more than a cat.
And so, it would play the role of a cat.
If its true nature was ever exposedâŠ
It would die a horrible death.
âŠ
Meanwhile, Chen Huai'an arrived at an isolated corner of the square.
He wasnât heading to the old manâs usual training spot.
Not yet.
First, he had to test whether these talismans actually worked.