No wonder Fu Zhi was surprised. Standing in front of them now was Ruan Xing in human form.

The moment that familiar face appeared, a wave of pressure erupted from the little black fluffball in his pocket.

Fu Gui turned pale with shock. [Calm down! Calm down! You are giving off "walking pollution source" vibes right now!]

Ruan Xing took a long breath and forced down the fury rising in his chest.

But that breath didn't stay down for long.

The "Ruan Xing" in front of them looked injured, wearing tattered clothes that barely clung to his body. As he got closer to Fu Zhi, he "accidentally" tripped and fell straight into his arms. The worn-out clothing slipped off, revealing pale skin covered in bruises and wounds.

Purple-blue marks stood out sharply against the porcelain-white skin. His eyes were glossy with tears, his lips red and soft, and his whole demeanor was fragile enough to trigger any man's protective instincts.

Fu Gui: Oh, for f**k's sake, what's this? Some seductive damsel acts?

The little black puffball contracted violently, like a balloon inflating and deflating.

The detector's pollution level began spiking, surging past the 80 mark.

Fu Zhi did not look at the instrument. He just stared at the person in his arms, eyes filled with mixed emotions. "Why are you here?"

"Ruan Xing" grabbed Fu Zhi's sleeve and clung to him. "I was dragged here. Some mercenaries were looting supplies over there. They took me. A few days ago, we passed through this area and ran into a bunch of puppets. The mercenaries freaked out like they were cursed and ran off, leaving me behind."

He clung tightly to Fu Zhi, his breath hot as it hit the man's arm. It felt like it could seep right through the fabric and invade his body.

Pop!

The black puffball slammed downward, crushing an entire bag of chips. The flying crumbs made Fu Gui's heart ache.

Ruan Xing's form started shifting, like something trapped in a balloon struggling to get out. His body expanded slowly.

Fu Gui swore. [Hey! Calm down! Bro, chill out!]

The instrument let out a sharp series of beeps, but the two in the eye of the storm did not seem to notice.

Fu Zhi said, "I see."

"Ruan Xing" sighed in relief. "Captain, take me with you. I do not want to stay here anymore. You have no idea what I went through to escape. They—"

Fu Zhi cut him off. "Alright. I will take you."

"Ruan Xing" 's gaze softened, his whole body melting into Fu Zhi's arms. "Captain—"

Bang!

A dark hole suddenly opened in the youth's forehead.

"Ruan Xing" looked at Fu Zhi in disbelief. "Why?"

Fu Zhi's face was cold. But if you looked closely, there was a storm of killing intent swirling in his eyes.

The creature collapsed instantly. The fake face melted away like wax, its features and skin dripping down in multicolored goo, seeping into the soil, and revealing the carved features beneath.

It was a puppet. Its face was covered in moss. The Investigation Corps uniform it wore turned out to be nothing more than torn rags, as if it had been lying out in the wild for ages, slowly consumed by plants.

Fu Zhi looked down from above, then struck the puppet's head a few more times, reducing it to splinters.

Fu Gui shuddered. [Dang, I did not expect Fu Zhi to be so ruthless.]

Ruan Xing, honestly, was grateful that Fu Zhi got rid of that "Ruan Xing." It was beyond disgusting.

The puffball, now back to its original size, didn't notice that the man glanced at him.

With that unpleasant episode, Fu Zhi didn't bother resting. He packed everything up and continued into the city with them.

Along the way, his mood was clearly off.

Maybe he had hoped to see Ruan Xing's face again, which was why he didn't attack immediately. But now he was clear-headed again.

Killing someone you love, even if it was just a skin, would never bring joy.

Fu Gui, who thought he had figured out Fu Zhi's mental state, sighed deeply. [He's done for. Hopelessly doomed.]

Ruan Xing: [What did you say?]

Fu Gui looked at the sky: [Ah, just an old man muttering to himself.]

The moment they stepped into the city, a thick mist rose, wrapping around the aircraft left on the clearing and the puppet corpse on the ground.

The city was in ruins, yet oddly full of life. The ground was covered in moss. If you looked closely, you could spot red bricks and building rubble underneath. A rainbow-colored oily sheen floated on top of the green sewage, its source unclear.

Damp and quiet—that was the mood of the entire city.

The buildings on both sides of the street were bursting with overgrown green plants that sprouted from windows and cracks, consuming everything in sight. Bushes grew wildly along the sidewalks, dense and teeming with vitality.

Vines snaked down from high-rises and overpasses like tangled webs.

It should have been a lush paradise. But a closer look revealed something off: no wind, no sounds, no birds or bugs. The total lack of life made it eerily dead.

It reminded Ruan Xing of a terrarium on a table.

Ruan Xing: [Are these plants mutated by pollution?]

Fu Gui: [There is pollution, but it doesn't feel dangerous.]

Ruan Xing remembered the mercenary saying there were lots of people. But right now, nothing moved. No sign of life.

"I remember you can see pollution, right?" Fu Zhi asked Fu Gui directly. "Can you locate the source in this city?"

Fu Gui: "It is a huge area. I need to search a bit."

Fu Zhi nodded. "You can't? Then I will use my method."

Ruan Xing: …

He still had no idea how they even communicated like that.

They crossed over a pool of dirty water. Fu Zhi looked toward the city, and his pupils slowly turned light blue. A strange rhythm pulsed from his body.

Ruan Xing let out a curious hum and glanced at Fu Zhi's eyes.

Those eyes...

Fu Zhi must have done something, because very quickly he locked onto a direction and walked straight toward it.

Ahead, vines were tangled tightly together, blocking the path. Fu Zhi gave a light slash, and they parted, dropping into the green water below. Something in the water twitched.

As they walked, lush shrubs and moss covered everything. The fog thickened. Distant buildings became shadowy and unclear, like monsters hiding in the mist, waiting to strike.

Ruan Xing climbed out of the pocket and jumped onto Fu Zhi's shoulder. Fu Zhi frowned. "It is dangerous here."

Ruan Xing said nothing, just looked into the distance with ears perked up.

Fu Zhi didn't put him back in the pocket and simply slowed down a bit.

Ruan Xing's ears twitched, then he suddenly turned, but saw nothing. Still, a vine hanging from a roof swung slightly, despite the absence of wind.

Fu Gui: [What's going on?]

Ruan Xing: [Is Fu Zhi walking toward the pollution source?]

Fu Gui: [I can't see it clearly, but probably. The pollution concentration is definitely rising.]

They were now on a road that was surrounded by dense forest. Only the road itself was open, flanked by countless murky puddles.

Just then, a thick vine shot out of one puddle, twisting toward Fu Zhi.

It was covered in moss, clumped so thickly it looked like fish eggs growing on veins.

Fu Zhi jumped lightly. "Clang!" The blade in his hand swung in a clean arc, slashing straight at the vine.

The blade was straight with a slightly curved tip, and it sliced through the air with a sharp whistle.

The cut ran deep. Smaller tendrils scattered to the ground, and even the thick vine was nearly severed. The moss on it writhed, trying to seal the wound.

The vine recoiled from pain, twisting violently. At the same time, more vines burst out from the surrounding trees, coming in waves like a sea of green snakes.

Fu Zhi moved with incredible agility, leaping and weaving through them. Every time a new vine attacked, his blade struck fast and clean.

Ruan Xing felt like he was riding a roller coaster. Rising and falling, making him dizzy from the shifting weight. The plants were coordinating their attacks. As Fu Zhi jumped higher to dodge, the vines wove together above, trying to form a massive net.

The sky darkened, shrouded in green. But then, a flash of silver burst through. Fu Zhi leapt again, slicing through the most aggressive vines and breaking free.

He dodged attacks mid-air and stepped on another vine, leaving a deep footprint, causing the bark to peel away.

Not wanting to waste too much effort, he picked up speed and escaped the strange overpass.

As he jumped off the bridge, the vines did not follow. They flailed wildly on the bridge, as if trying to grab something.

Where he landed, the moss shrank away, as if afraid of him.

After the deadly chase, Fu Zhi did not even pant as he smoothly sheathed his blade.

Ruan Xing, on the other hand, had retreated into the pocket, breathing hard, barely holding down the nausea.

Fu Zhi patted his head gently and used a finger to help him regulate his breath. "Feeling bad?"

The puffball shook his head and flopped back into the pocket to rest.

Fu Gui: [Hardworking ox collapses, not the land it plows. Fu Zhi is overthinking.]

Ruan Xing: ???

Seeing that he had gone back into his pocket, Fu Zhi did not try to pull him out. He just patted his pocket and said, "Tell me if you feel sick. I'll slow down."

Fu Gui: [Where do you find such a great man? He'll even slow down for you if you're struggling.]

Ruan Xing: …

With that, Fu Zhi resumed walking toward his target.

Steam from the ground rose into the air under the sunlight, forming orange-tinted clouds that cast a bronze glow over the vines.

Fu Zhi avoided main roads, choosing paths with fewer puddles and plants while occasionally checking on Fu Gui and Ruan Xing.

This naturally slowed his pace significantly.

After dodging a moss-covered abandoned bus and dealing with more attacking vines, they pressed on.

How long does it take to walk across a city?

Three hours? Five?

That would be if the roads were clear. But here, everything was submerged in rubble, swampy water, building debris, and broken vehicles. Even with a map and not even crossing the entire city, it took Fu Zhi a full seven hours.

During those seven hours, they repelled countless plant attacks. It was like the plants knew where Fu Zhi was headed and were determined to stop him.

They had to be close to the pollution source now. The attacks had grown more frequent.

Fu Zhi never stopped to rest. He only pulled out a small pack of rations to feed Ruan Xing and Fu Gui, then continued.

And even in this high-pollution environment, he didn't take a single pill. Ruan Xing glanced at his wristband—it still showed a very low pollution level.

Which meant Fu Zhi, like him and Fu Gui, had some kind of natural resistance to pollution.

But why?

Ruan Xing could absorb pollution. Fu Gui had a master-servant contract. But what about Fu Zhi?

Who exactly was he?

The sun began to set, casting gold outlines on the plant-filled city. The dark buildings looked even more sinister in that light.

Once the sun entirely disappeared, vision and strength both declined in these conditions.

Fu Zhi stopped. His icy blue eyes scanned the area.

They had reached a massive square covered in moss. It had a radial layout, with small paths branching out, all lined with dense vegetation.

Ruan Xing lay at the edge of the pocket when suddenly a large hand gently wrapped around him, placing him into a smaller compartment.

Fu Gui shouted, [Something is coming!]

Ka-ka! A strange creaking sound echoed around them, continuing non-stop.

It sounded like something moving rusty joints, slowly getting ready to act.

Ruan Xing peeked out.

The surrounding vegetation began to change.

These plants were different. It was much thicker, standing tall beside the road. The vines wrapped around them began squirming slowly.

Sounds came from the trees.

Crash! Something fell from above, causing Ruan Xing's eyes to widen.

It was like water breaking. From the tree canopies, dark green liquid dripped down. The monsters dropped from the trees, curled up, still wet with slime.

The trees had "given birth" to these creatures. They were all "Ruan Xing."

"Why did you shoot me, Captain—?" asked one in a uniform, head tilted, with a bloody hole on its forehead exactly where Fu Zhi had shot before.

"I am in pain. Could you be gentler?" whined another, with a childish face and red cheeks.

"Captain—"

"Captain—"

"Fu Zhi!"

A dozen or so "Ruan Xing" surrounded them. Some wore tattered Investigation Corps uniforms, others yellow jumpsuits. One even wore a little black dress, with two slender white legs sticking out underneath.

Fu Gui shouted, [Strongly condemn this blatant infringement of image rights! You owe us extra fees for this!]