Chapter 00197: The Shadow of Quan City
# The Shadow of Quan City
Chapter 197
Novel: Above Destiny
Chapter 197 – The Shadow of Quan City
It was as if overnight the princess had fallen from grace, like a tiger brought low in the open plains.
Lou Feng, locked away in his self-imposed isolation, sighed about the helplessness of the outside world, while Ji Jue felt that everything was full of excitement.
After a round of polite greetings, they managed to become familiar faces within the group.
With the introduction and recommendations from Ji Xue, Ji Jue even landed several orders, securing his first set of customers.
With Tong Shan’s example ahead and having experienced Master Ji’s enlightening rituals firsthand, everyone was naturally eager to sign up after personally testing out Ji Jue’s modified and maintained equipment.
In these times, the chosen are either so poor they’re doomed or so rich it’s unbelievable.
Those who work for the Safety Bureau and manage to secure a position in a Division—in Tong Shan’s own team—none of them were penniless.
It wasn’t easy to get into one of those divisions and even harder to get out.
Under strict audits and high standards, naturally come high benefits.
Even if you have money, however, not everyone is like Tong Shan, who could turn an entire cliff city into his personal piggy bank.
Even spending money must take returns into account.
It wasn’t that the craftsmen from the Third Division couldn’t be booked; rather, Master Ji offered much better cost performance!
His work was truly of high quality, affordable, plentiful, and efficient.
Ordinary alchemical works could be processed with provided materials, and if you came to seek production with blessings already bestowed, the manual labor fee would drop to 80 percent of the normal price.
If you purchased the weapon’s fine maintenance package, you’d even get a car wash and a full set of upkeep services as a gift!
Compared to those craftsmen who carried around every expense down to the last cent with a countenance like Sima, Master Ji was all smiles throughout—calling you “brother” when he spoke, “sister” when he remained silent—his value of emotion reached a whole new level.
After being used to adoring noble goddesses, who had you ever seen Ji Jue be so delicately empathetic and gentle?
“Bro, you work so hard earning money, there’s no need to be so extravagant. For consumables, choose something cheaper, alright? And sis, you work so hard, do not be impulsive—save your money, so you can buy a beautiful little skirt, then I’ll give you an extra 20 percent off…”
Even if the association set prices and standards, that didn’t mean Ji Jue couldn’t include a free maintenance package, freebies, and sample kits!
“... Let’s put it this way, do you see that machine gun over on my vehicle? It carries the inscription of Shangshan’s Great Mercy, with reinforced structure to support all-weather combat. Even in a corrupted environment, it won’t lose any performance. With full mercury bullet heads and the dual enhancements of both large groups and wastelands, as long as you pay the bullet fee, you can try it out for free.”
“Brother Jiang Xuan, think about it—instead of struggling with those puny misfits from the Cult of Hua Xie, you could stroll in armed to the teeth, right?”
“Is it really that top-notch?”
Jiang Xuan pinched his chin, his eyes sparkling as his simple, hearty face shone with expectation.
Until Tong Shan, who was driving, sighed helplessly: “Enough with the sales pitch, Ji Jue. All of you need to cool it down a bit. If you keep this up, the kid’s going to start handing out membership cards.”
“Do you need membership cards?”
Ji Jue’s eyes lit up as he rubbed his hands together eagerly. “That’s totally doable. If you top up now, add 100,000 and get 10,000 free! Add 200,000 and get 30,000 free! For the first batch of customers, there’s even a limited edition modified fuel grenade as a bonus…”
Amid the loud laughter of the others, Tong Shan couldn’t help but shake his head in resignation, utterly helpless.
But jokes aside, Ji Jue wasn’t in such a hurry to force his little stall into the team.
In business, steady progress is best.
After his jokes, he handed everyone two alchemical bullet magazines and a mercury grenade each.
He said they were for trial use, but in reality they were just goodie bags—the items weren’t that expensive anyway.
With the market supervision and restrictions coming from the association, no matter how hard one tried to earn money during the apprenticeship phase, it was all just small-scale scheming.
If you really wanted to get rich quickly, you’d have to obtain a craftsman’s license first.
In the midst of the white mist, within the endless journey, conversation in the vehicle gradually died down.
Everyone was busy resting, gathering strength, or on high alert, carefully searching for any signs of abnormality.
The mission of the advance investigation team was to clear the scheduled area and prepare for the later arrival of the main force.
This time, Tong Shan and his team were not only to finish scouting the pre-planned area but also transport another batch of supplies to a permanent investigation team delving deeper into Quan City.
Time was short and the task was heavy; efficiency was paramount.
Long before this, the small team had cooperated for quite a while and executed many exploration missions with excellent coordination.
Team leader Tong Shan and Ji Xue were both from the Tianyuan faction, while Ji Xue’s elder brother Ji Liu specialized in frontline combat as part of the “Large Group” category.
Xu Guan from the Taiyi faction was in charge of reconnaissance and support, and the biggest among them, Jiang Xuan, represented the Wasteland specialty.
They had no shortage of control, output, tanking, or support.
If one had to say, they were only missing a healer since during a previous exploration the team’s Guo-style healer had unfortunately been contaminated and couldn’t enter the highly corrupt environment for a while.
Now that they had Ji Jue and Lou Feng—remnants of the old era—joining the team, their logistical pressure was greatly relieved.
After hearing about Ji Jue’s situation from Tong Hua, Tong Shan didn’t think he’d become a burden.
As for Lou Feng, needless to say, with the strength of the Lou Family’s spirit essence molding combat power and versatility, could he really be a misfit?
Yet at that moment, as Ji Jue sat inside the vehicle, surveying his surroundings, he was shocked to find—
Tong Shan was of the Eighth Stage in the Rebirth Period, while Ji Liu and Jiang Xuan had been stuck at the Sixth Stage of the Sixth Level in their Transformation Period for some time, and both Ji Xue and Xu Guan were only at the Fifth Level in their Transformation Period…
And Ji Jue himself, who had just barely stepped into Stage Three of the Call Period as a remnant, looked like a lone chicken among cranes—a glaring outlier.
“This is bad. Am I really the weakest link in the whole team?”
Ji Jue was stunned.
Instinctively, he glanced toward his side, hoping to draw some emotional reassurance from Young Master Lou Feng.
But Lou Feng noticed his gaze and, after a moment of stunned silence, retorted angrily: “What are you staring at?!”
As he spoke, the gathered spirit essence coalesced for an instant, revealing a fleeting but intricate array of blessings—a matrix with four-fold blessing intertwining in a strict pattern.
Fourth Stage, Transformation!
After his last beating, Young Master Lou Feng had worked his ass off when he went back.
Not long ago, he had finally broken through the Calling Period and entered Transformation, no longer the same as before.
In terms of cultivation, he completely crushed Ji Jue, leaving him far behind!
“Hmph!” Lou Feng snorted coldly, displaying the contempt of a true martial master.
Damn it!
Ji Jue was dumbfounded.
He felt as if Young Master Lou Feng had just flaunted a huge win right before his eyes: it turned out the weakest member of the team really was him!
Oh well, at least he could still hold his own against Old Lou!
Ji Jue quickly steadied himself, casually patted Lou Feng on the shoulder with a gentle, indulgent smile.
That smile made the veins on Lou Feng’s forehead throb violently.
Unable to take it any longer, he was about to explode, when, in the midst of that furious glare, for some reason, everything in front of him blurred in an instant.
It was like a hallucination.
Though Ji Jue was also wearing his protective suit, a vague phantom of a person in a thin, eerie white robe seemed to appear on him.
But it quickly vanished.
He blinked hard and looked again, seeing only his own perplexed gaze.
His eyes twitched for a moment, and eventually he said nothing.
And in the blind spot where no one could see, Ji Jue’s hand had already moved to his lower back.
In his sheath, his Benevolent Bone Blade trembled in silent clinks, as if it had returned to a familiar environment and was impatient to act.
The white mist outside the window vanished without a trace.
In its place was an urban wasteland under a dark sky devoid of any color or light.
Even at noon, the sun’s rays could hardly penetrate the heavy clouds.
Only a meager shaft of light, begrudgingly, illuminated just a bit of the contours, making the dark, gloomy corners of the ruins appear even more bleak and sinister.
Amid the iron-curtained dark clouds, a dazzling flash of electric light suddenly streaked by from mid-air, though no thunderous roar or explosive sound accompanied it.
In the flickering electric light, the outlines of the city seemed to shift subtly, different from just moments ago.
And when Ji Jue leaned forward by the window, trying to turn his head, all he saw was the little ox-cart hitched behind by two towing ropes, and the thick layers of white mist on the road behind had vanished.
When he had been traveling amid the white mist before, he had felt a sense of oppression.
But now that they had left the mist, he suddenly began to miss that layer of protection.
“Now that we have officially entered Quan City, everyone, perk up and get ready.”
Tong Shan lifted his head.
His originally gentle expression was now replaced by seriousness. “Ji Liu, get on board; Ji Xue, prepare yourself; Jiang Xuan, rest first and keep an eye on the craftsmen. Xu Guan, from now on, maintain overlapping observational ranges with me. Any abnormalities, report immediately. Under any circumstances, no one is to leave the team—even for the bathroom break, you must stay in the vehicle, understood?”
Their responses rang out in unison.
At his command, the atmosphere in the vehicle suddenly turned somber.
Even Ji Xue no longer dared to smile playfully.
Ji Jue only felt an unseen ripple spreading from the driver’s seat, and then the surrounding light dimmed slightly.
Two vehicles, linked together, sped along the abandoned streets of the wasteland.
Amid the ripple, their silhouettes blurred, as if merging indistinctly into the dark city.
Even the engine sounds disappeared.
Curiously, Ji Jue looked up at Tong Shan.
The others, however, seemed accustomed to this and did not find it surprising, as if it were a minor matter.
Lou Feng initially didn’t pay much attention either, until he realized that the disguise effect wasn’t produced by any mirror-type blessed creation.
His expression changed subtly.
At this moment, they were all completely enveloped by Tong Shan’s telekinetic field.
Not only the vehicles in front and behind, but any sound or movement within a one-kilometer radius was entirely covered by that invisible ripple.
If it were simply a matter of refraction, it would be a nuisance, but for someone like Tong Shan from Tianyuan, who was adept at manipulating intangible things, with some practice he could produce a similar effect.
However, carrying out such a disguise on the move—like a chameleon, constantly changing colors—while simultaneously canceling all engine noise with negative wave interference and even fixing any stirring dust in place, that was an operation of colossal complexity.
Even for the so-called most versatile and omnipotent telekinetic ability, to manipulate things so minutely in such a natural and nonchalant manner was truly astonishing.
Though they were all from the Tianyuan school, and all mastered the Matrix: Wan Yu technique, when that woman in the Time Ruins encountered a ghostly fetus that knocked her out, even at the same rank, Ji Jue probably wouldn’t even get a chance to make a move in front of Tong Shan.
No—just the mere thought of comparing the two put him in a position that could only be seen as looking down on Tong Shan.
“Impressive.”
Ji Jue didn’t hesitate to give a thumbs-up.
Tong Shan simply nodded. “If any of you need anything or have any suggestions, feel free to let me know. But while we’re in Quan City, for the sake of the mission and everyone’s safety, I hope you will follow orders and abide by the regulations. Otherwise, for the sake of the mission, I’ll have no choice but to send you out.”
“Don’t worry. Even when joking, we know the proper time and place.” Ji Jue nodded without a second thought. “You’re our mainstay. Just instruct us if you need anything.”
Beside him, Lou Feng also nodded.
Seeing the two of them so in sync, Tong Shan gave a slight nod.
It wasn’t about showing off or intimidating—it was known that in a team there should only be one voice; too many voices cause confusion.
As the team leader, he was responsible for everyone.
Lou Feng was at ease, mainly because of Ji Jue… In Tong Hua’s description, Ji Jue’s outrageous moves were simply too many.
To be honest, he was a bit afraid he wouldn’t be able to cover everything.
After stressing many precautions and noting how familiar the two seemed with the routine, Tong Shan suddenly realized, “The two of you should have previous experience with exploring rift boundaries, right?”
Lou Feng: “…”
Ji Jue: “…”
Silence fell suddenly.
In the midst of the awkwardness, Ji Jue discreetly glanced sideways at Young Master Lou Feng, while Lou Feng’s face twitched.
After glaring at that guy, he finally managed to squeeze out an answer through clenched teeth, “Yes, we do.”
“... Both of you?”
Tong Shan was puzzled.
Why had the mood suddenly shifted?
“Mm, ahem, both of us.” Ji Jue turned his head away, trying hard to suppress his expression and force down the corners of his mouth, giving a solemn nod. “We, um, are very coordinated, quite in sync, right?”
Is it really you?!
Lou Feng was so angry he almost bit his teeth to pieces.
“Shh—”
Xu Guan, who had been sitting silently with his head lowered, suddenly looked up and signaled everyone to silence.
He seemed to have seen something.
In an instant, the two vehicles shut off their engines, pulled over, and under layers of telekinetic concealment, merged with the desolate street.
At Tong Shan’s signal with a wave of his hand, everyone froze as if turned to stone, sitting in the vehicle motionless.
Outside the window, nothing changed in the decaying surroundings—broken bricks and collapsed tiles remained as they were.
Ji Jue and Lou Feng exchanged glances, bewildered.
It wasn’t until Tong Shan suddenly raised his right hand and clenched it tightly that the tense atmosphere in the vehicle became palpable.
Then, Ji Jue began to hear a faint, sparse sound—like the gentle patter of rain falling on the ground, dense yet soft, gradually spreading from afar.
What they saw were shadows flooding in the darkness like tides.
No bodies could be seen, and there was no sense of any spirit essence undulating.
Those shadows, seeming almost alive, crept slowly from the ruins.
Like spilled mercury, the darkness flowed over everything in its path as the sound of cracking echoed relentlessly.
Through his binoculars, Ji Jue saw a writhing insect-like creature appear as if it were crawling out of a sewer.
Before anyone could react, it was swallowed up by the shadows.
After a series of faint cracking sounds, it disintegrated into dust.
Lou Feng wasn’t sure what he had seen.
Sweat beaded on his face and his complexion turned pale.
Noticing the curious look on Ji Jue’s face beside him, his expression immediately shifted—as if to say, “If I’m not feeling good, don’t even think about pretending to feel better.” He reached over to press Ji Jue’s shoulder.
On his index finger, an item resembling a diamond-like blessed relic flashed with a faint glow, silently bestowing an added blessing.
Then, cold sweat broke out on Ji Jue’s face.
Above those writhing, shifting shadows, a vague outline began to emerge—a half-formed figure that might be leg or foot.
As the shadows writhed, twisted limbs began to hobble forward.
Sometimes, in a staggering moment, a complete figure would slowly materialize—as if it were the half-rotted carcass of a giant beast, its bones exposed, with a ruptured abdomen dragging along vague, decaying organs, swollen and putrid…
Like a massive building, the colossal body moved lightly through the ruins without hindrance, as if it were a phantom.
Only a viscous, dark shadow spread out from its feet, hungrily devouring every living thing it touched.
On its indistinct body, tendrils resembling parasites extended, writhing in the air as they sniffed out the scent of every living being.
A half-exposed skull, its bones laid bare, issued silent, shrill cries.
At this moment, as if it had sensed something, the figure suddenly turned its head and fixed its gaze directly on where the advance team was huddled beneath the phantom’s veil.
Its eyes gleamed ferocious.
Then, as if stunned, it paused.
The shadow, like a tidal wave, swept across, but it did not touch anything.
It was like a hand probing uncertainly inside a dim snack jar, groping at every nook and cranny only to find nothing but emptiness.
After a long while, that mass of shadow finally began to contract, and from its hungry movements, that giant beast-like shape slowly retreated into the distance, disappearing without a trace.
It wasn’t until ten minutes later that Xu Guan nodded, and everyone in the vehicle heaved a collective sigh of relief.
The two vehicles, hovering in mid-air, gently landed on the ground without stirring any dust.
“Keep moving quickly. Since that thing has already swept through, there shouldn’t be any trouble on the road for a little while.”
Tong Shan fired up the vehicles and increased the speed, racing through the ruins.
“What was that?” Ji Jue finally couldn’t hold it any longer. “A disaster beast? A mutant? Some local spawn of corruption?”
“Not sure, we haven’t encountered it before.”
Ji Xue answered, “That thing, though a bit larger, was rather easy to fool. As long as the area covered by its shadow doesn’t capture you, it can’t do much harm. Just steer clear of it and you’ll be fine.”
“Are there many of these kinds of things in Quan City?”
“After several explorations, there seem to be different types, large and small—probably at least eight or nine, right?”
Ji Xue wasn’t entirely sure herself. “Sometimes one appears out of nowhere and then vanishes just as mysteriously. There isn’t even enough time to classify or observe them. The team over in Chuan City encountered something even more troublesome—a whole city block’s worth of something that wasn’t even clearly visible, just a mass of fog. People who entered just dissolved without even knowing how they died. They say it might have been some ghostly creature that crawled out from beneath a vortex, costing many lives, and it took the district chief’s intervention to drive it off. Compared to that, the areas we explore are nothing too troublesome—thank the heavens, I guess.”
“Stop making a show of it.”
Her brother reached through the sunroof and playfully knocked her head. “There are far more tricky things out there. Master Ji, you all be careful. If possible, don’t get out of the vehicle. Up ahead is an area with super dense anomalies—everyone be cautious.”
In the midst of the silent speeding, for a brief moment Ji Jue’s eyes lit up as if suddenly illuminated by the bright midday sun.
The intense sunlight bathed the shops and signs on both sides of the street.
The streets were bustling, with throngs of people and lively traffic, full of clamor and prosperity.
It was a scene of peace and quiet.
Bathed under the scorching sun, pedestrians wore dazzling smiles.
They turned their heads, waving and calling out to the group of outsiders, looking toward Ji Jue.
But just as quickly, everything vanished again, as if it never existed—a mere bubble that had popped.
Only among the ruined walls and broken structures did the oppressive darkness continue its silent movement, with no sign of any living being.
A stale wind blew from afar, lifting the tattered curtains hanging over broken doorways.
In the darkness behind the curtains, vague faces emerged, full of exaggerated smiles as they looked at them, waving their arms as if they were boneless, dancing lightly.
They called out enthusiastically.
Faint voices whispered into everyone’s ears, “Quan City snacks, exquisite simple meals, truck… add, add, add water… Quan Quan City snacks… simple meals… meals… meals… I’m hungry, I’m hungry, come on, come on, come on—sit down, sit down, sit down…”
The vehicles sped on without stopping, even revving up the engine.
Yet each time they took a turn, they passed right in front of the same crumbling doorway.
The vague voices persisted right behind them, growing ever closer.
Every time Ji Jue glanced in the rearview mirror, he could see that one face—its smile exuberant—but its eyes were only filled with darkness, empty and hollow, watching him.
In the end, the speeding vehicles slammed their brakes sharply.
Ahead was a dilapidated doorway, its tattered curtain revealing a face that was now drawing nearer, the exaggerated smile pressed right against the vehicle’s window: “So hungry, so hungry—come on in, sit down. Just eat something, it’ll be fine, just eat, eat, eat… just a little something, alright, alright, alright…”
At that moment, the hollow eyes fixed on Ji Jue, the smile growing more distorted:
“Wanna eat together?”
(End of Chapter)