Chapter 325: Neither Dead Nor Alive

Chapter 325: Chapter 325: Neither Dead Nor Alive

Xing Guang let out a soft breath, raising a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. The exhaustion on his face was obvious.

But when he opened his eyes, the excitement in them was just as impossible to ignore.

Fang Ye felt a chill run down his spine as he looked at Xing Guang.

Xing Guang smiled and said, "Fang Ye, go get the car. We’re going to Yongshan Tunnel."

His tone was almost intimate.

Fang Ye nodded meekly and turned to walk out.

Just then, Xing Guang called out from behind him, "Aren’t you going to ask why we’re going to Yongshan Tunnel?"

Fang Ye: "..."

He had just been warned by the White Cat about asking too many questions.

Xing Guang watched him with a half-smile. "If we can get the puppet master Card back, I’ll consider giving it to you. It suddenly occurred to me that combining your Fishman Card with the puppet master might let us create aquatic puppets. It’s an interesting idea, worth a try."

Fang Ye couldn’t understand Xing Guang’s train of thought. His ideas were never like a normal person’s; they were completely baffling.

"I already have the Hexagonal Prism Demon," Fang Ye replied in a low voice.

"Compared to the puppet master, the Hexagonal Prism Demon is just too lackluster..." Xing Guang said, slowly rising to his feet.

He leisurely straightened his cuffs and the hem of his shirt, then turned to the Alien Species beside him. "Let’s go. After all this time sowing, it’s finally time for the harvest."

The Alien Species, called Corpse Man, also stood up and said with a frown, "Once we’re at Yongshan Tunnel, you have to pay me the other half of the points."

"Of course." The smile never left Xing Guang’s face. "The Star Association never goes back on its word. Even if I die, you can collect your due payment from any other Xing Guang."

’I always thought Xing Guang was a nickname, but it’s not? There are other Xing Guangs?!’

Corpse Man stood there in silence for a moment, then walked toward the main door without a word.

Xing Guang seemed to sense his unease and said with a laugh, "Relax. I just need you to ensure we maintain control of the Cursed Puppet. I won’t make you face the hidden Boss yourself. Besides, you can log off anytime, can’t you?"

Corpse Man’s expression soured. He scowled and said, "Let’s just hurry up and go. The sooner we deal with the puppet master, the sooner we can get to Paradise. I don’t want to stay in this damn place a single day longer."

Xing Guang turned his head to Fang Ye. "What are you standing around for? Go bring the car over."

Fang Ye nodded dazedly, his mind still reeling from the shock of learning there was more than one Xing Guang.

He drove the car to the factory’s main entrance. Xing Guang and Corpse Man got in one after the other, with Xing Guang taking the passenger seat.

Fang Ye fumbled a bit with the car’s navigation system.

Xing Guang said, "Don’t use the GPS. I’ll tell you how to get there."

So Fang Ye stopped messing with the GPS, started the car, and pulled onto the road.

"You can drive a little faster. Maybe you’ll be in time to watch your idol get cursed to death," Xing Guang added with another smile.

Fang Ye’s movements faltered.

Xing Guang gazed at the streetscape outside the window, the corners of his mouth curling up. "The puppet master uses the dead to make dead puppets and the living to make living puppets. And the most powerful Cursed Puppet, of course... curses."

...

...

The car sped down the road. He Xingluo’s eyes were fixed on the path ahead, wishing she could reach her destination instantly.

But the steering wheel seemed difficult to control, refusing to obey her will.

Frantic, she slammed her hand on the steering wheel in frustration! Her left hand was now clearly missing two fingers.

Huangfu Miaomiao, who was beside her, saw it too and cried out in alarm, "Oh my God! Your hand!"

He Xingluo’s mind went blank with a buzz.

She held the steering wheel with one hand and raised her injured left hand in front of her eyes—

Her ring finger and pinky were both gone, and her palm was severely scraped. It must have happened when the giant flipped their car and caused the explosion.

’But... why don’t I feel any pain?’

’Why am I not bleeding?’

"Brake! Brake! We’re going to crash!!!" Huangfu Miaomiao screamed from inside the car.

As He Xingluo was lost in a daze, the car began to swerve, about to crash into a roadside shop—

At the last second, He Xingluo slammed her foot on the brake!

The car screeched to a halt, and Huangfu Miaomiao’s head hit the windshield!

"How could this happen..." He Xingluo stared at her hand and muttered, "Why..."

Huangfu Miaomiao clutched her forehead and urged, "Forget why! We have to get to the tunnel! As long as you’re not dead, it means the injury isn’t serious. Hurry up and drive!"

But He Xingluo suddenly drew the pistol from her hip and aimed it at her own palm!

Huangfu Miaomiao jumped in fright and lunged for it!

BANG!

The bullet went slightly off target, missing her palm and piercing the windshield!

"Are you crazy?!" Huangfu Miaomiao shrieked, on the verge of a breakdown. "It was just a small wound, but you’re going to get someone killed with these antics! Are you going to the tunnel or not?!"

He Xingluo grabbed Huangfu Miaomiao’s hand, her eyes wide. "Something’s wrong. This isn’t right! Hit me! Quick, try hitting me! Why can’t I feel any pain? What’s wrong with my body?!"

"Let go of me!" Huangfu Miaomiao yelled hoarsely. "I don’t know what’s wrong with you! As long as you’re not dead, what does it matter?!"

She shouted and struggled, but He Xingluo forcefully dragged her hand to touch the wound. A fingernail scraped a small piece of skin, and suddenly, like tearing cloth, a large patch of skin ripped off!

Huangfu Miaomiao froze, staring in disbelief at the skin in her hand, her face turning deathly pale.

"Do you see it now...?" He Xingluo looked like she wanted to cry, but her expression was a tragic smile. "Is it possible... that I’ve been dead all along?"

"I... I don’t know..." Huangfu Miaomiao’s head was spinning. "How can this be..."

"It was that monster," He Xingluo took a slow breath, releasing Huangfu Miaomiao. Her voice was laced with hatred. "It was Bai Lu! She’s the one who turned me into this!"

He Xingluo recalled following the Special Attack Team to see Bai Lu. In that hidden room, she had seen nothing but a deformed monster. Immediately after, all the team members, as if they had lost their souls, began to merge with the monster. She herself had almost been absorbed, only narrowly escaping by jumping out of a window.

She thought she had been lucky to escape, but now she knew the truth: she had been dead all along.

"This is all Bai Lu’s doing. Even if she wasn’t logged, she must have been corrupted by a Card..." He Xingluo gritted her teeth and slammed her foot on the gas, her eyes fixed on the road ahead. "I have to kill her! I absolutely cannot... I can’t let her turn anyone else into one of these... living-dead monsters!"

Huangfu Miaomiao stared blankly at He Xingluo, her mouth hanging open, unsure of what to say.

The car raced on, getting closer and closer to the tunnel. It would only be a few more minutes before they arrived.

Meanwhile, Feng Ling had stopped to rest.

Her kiting all this way had taken a huge toll on the Headless Giant. Not only was it moving slower and slower, but the frequency of its Ice Cone attacks was also decreasing.

Under the scorching sun, Feng Ling squinted at the Headless Giant as it trudged after her, step by step. She wasn’t sure if it was a trick of the light, but in the shimmering heat waves, she thought the giant looked like it was melting.