Chapter 703: Taking the Lead

If there was one thing Xi City had in abundance, it was definitely guesthouses.

And right behind that came the rental shops for electric scooters and bicycles lining the streets.

Those colorful little scooters and compact buggy-cars sat neatly along the roadside, red, green, pink, every color imaginable.

If the apocalypse hadn't happened, these scooters and buggies would be zipping all over Xi City right now.

During peak season, a scooter could rent for eighty yuan a day, and the pricier ones even exceeded a hundred.

The little buggy-cars went for a hundred sixty a day or even more.

Sometimes you couldn't even rent one if you tried.

But now...

These red, green, and pink vehicles, meticulously customized by the rental shops, just sat there casually along the street. Though they were parked in neat rows, their paint had long since chipped and faded.

Every single one looked battered and broken, as if no one had touched them in a very, very long time.

Some of them even had weeds growing out of them.

This place... had been devoid of human presence for a long, long time.

If anyone wanted to shoot a horror movie, they could save a fortune on set design costs.

Chen Ye could feel the Hundred-Ghost Eater at his waist vibrating.

Inside this very rental shop before them.

There was a sacrifice it deemed worthy.

You see, the Hundred-Ghost Eater was extremely picky. Even among the powerful Anomalies, it wouldn't accept just any of them.

Chen Ye silently resolved in his heart that he absolutely had to get his hands on this Anomaly.

According to the Silent Council, there was a major Anomaly in the heart of Xi City.

No single convoy could handle that big one on their own.

With the impending final battle looming.

Boosting his strength had become Chen Ye's only goal right now.

This Anomaly absolutely had to be secured...

The weather today was actually pretty decent.

Sunset Avenue was completely flooded with sunlight.

Quite a few coffee shops and boutique stores along the road had sunlight streaming through their windows, revealing the dazzling array of merchandise inside.

Standing on the street, you could almost feel a hint of the bustling atmosphere Sunset Avenue once had.

But this rental shop before them was shrouded in pitch darkness.

The team that came to Sunset Avenue this time to clear out Anomalies included Chen Ye, Sun Xixi, Iron Lion, Dantai Bie, Xu Lina...

Ding Dong had lost both her arms, and in this kind of situation, she could easily fail to make it back. So she didn't participate in this cleanup operation.

That guy Gong Yong had actively joined last time to test his Sunlight Grenades, but after getting his data, he no longer wanted to come.

As for Chu Che, a pathfinder wouldn't participate in this kind of combat anyway.

"Who's taking the lead this time?"

Dantai Bie panted slightly, looking up at Chen Ye.

He was the one who'd gone in first last time. Surely it couldn't be him again this time.

If this were any other convoy, Dantai Bie wouldn't worry about something so shameless happening.

But now... the captain was Chen Ye, so something this shameless was entirely possible.

Chen Ye glanced sideways at Dantai Bie, a smirk curling at the corner of his mouth.

Dantai Bie's heart sank. This bastard really was that shameless, just going after one poor outsider member?

Chen Ye, you son of a bitch!

Before Dantai Bie could even curse out loud, Chen Ye called out a name.

"Iron Lion, you go!"

Compared to Dantai Bie's whining and complaining, Iron Lion was far more straightforward.

He would never disobey Chen Ye's orders.

Hearing Chen Ye call his name, he grinned arrogantly, swayed his two big heads, and stomped his way into the rental shop.

As if Chen Ye hadn't called him to battle, but to go eat something delicious.

The little rental shop wasn't big. If all of them crowded in, it would be way too cramped.

So sending one person in was the most appropriate call.

Iron Lion's massive frame squeezed into the darkness, like a boulder dropped into a black pit, yet it didn't stir a single ripple.

"Something's wrong!"

The pink-haired girl narrowed her eyes, staring intently at that tiny little building.

As if trying to see straight through it, her beautiful eyes hiding swords within.

Under normal circumstances, Iron Lion was the most explosive one. With a room this small, if a fight broke out, the place wouldn't last even a second.

But now...

This ordinary little room was proving to be extremely strange.

"Don't rush. That big guy can handle it... we..."

Chen Ye started to speak, then stopped.

Xu Lina's body was slightly hunched, like a wary, agile black cat, ready to turn and bolt at any moment.

Sun Xixi held the Fire Dragon Sword, her gaze calm and steady.

Chen Ye shielded Dantai Bie behind him.

Dantai Bie cursed inwardly but had no better option. He just watched the dark little shop warily, his iron fan already unfolded and held up in front of him.

"Rustle, rustle, rustle..."

It sounded like countless tiny feet scuttling across a hard surface.

From within the darkness came a series of pleasant sounds.

As if a stunningly beautiful woman was hiding in there.

Something seemed to be moving within the shadows.

A few seconds later, at the boundary where sunlight met shadow, a face of exquisite beauty appeared.

This face was gorgeous.

The kind of face that would get saved to collections by thirsty viewers even among a sea of borderline content online.

Delicate features like a painting, eyes that seemed to hold spring water, full and luscious red lips, pink and glossy as if freshly coated with lip balm.

And a long, slender neck.

Everything below was impossible to make out, hidden entirely in the darkness.

Even if it weren't in the shadows, it would all be censored anyway.

"What a beautiful woman..."

Dantai Bie muttered unconsciously.

That comment was purely instinctive, absolutely not a deliberate compliment.

The pink-haired girl beside him glanced at Dantai Bie and Chen Ye, her gaze cutting sharply across Chen Ye's single eye.

"Hehe... are you all... looking for this big dummy?"

The woman's lips curved into a smile so beautiful it seemed like every flower in the world was blooming at once.

Right after she spoke.

They saw a flower bud rapidly growing out of the small shop.

The bud was enormous...

But its petals were a strange shade of pink.

Taking a closer look, they realized the petals were alive. The texture and lines on the surface closely resembled the patterns of human skin.

Everyone's heart clenched in unison, a chill of dread rising in their chests.

This feeling of dread was only slightly weaker than what they'd felt looking at that thing behind Door 23 of the Haosheng Hotel.

Before Chen Ye and the others could react.

They watched the bud slowly bloom, petal after petal of human skin peeling open.

A burly man built like an iron tower stood in the center of the flower bud, eyes closed.

It was Iron Lion...

The big guy was just standing there with his eyes shut, looking like he was sleeping soundly and peacefully.

Damn it...

In other people's flowers, there were all kinds of beauties, all kinds of loveliness, all kinds of pink and adorable things.

But when it came to Iron Lion, it turned into a rough, burly man.

The scene was genuinely unsettling and painful to look at.

"He's your friend, right!"

"What a fool. He came in, saw me, and asked me if there were any Anomalies here!"

"Hehe... this fool. Am I not an Anomaly myself? And he still asked me if there were any Anomalies!"

"Hehe... this fool is so much fun!"

The woman covered her mouth, giggling sweetly.

One glance at her was enough to feel like you were drunk.

Dantai Bie was stunned speechless by the woman's gaze, and two flushed patches even crept up his cheeks.

"Ah... well... thank you. He's just like that, a bit simple-minded!"

Dantai Bie explained for Iron Lion with a red face.

He looked like he was at a blind date, meeting a stunning beauty and desperately showing off.

Chen Ye and Sun Xixi both shot Dantai Bie looks of utter contempt.

This guy was usually so proper, never even glancing at the beauties back at base, and to this day, no improper rumors had ever been linked to him.

Yet today, he was actually blushing at an Anomaly.

They say a woman's blush speaks louder than a thousand words.

But a man's blush...

Well, Chen Ye, Sun Xixi, and Xu Lina all subtly distanced themselves from Dantai Bie.

Let this guy act like a fool in heat if he wanted.

He'd be the one taking the lead then.

Looks like today, he wasn't escaping the front-line duty.

"Hehe... what's your name?"

The woman curiously examined Dantai Bie, looking thoroughly amused, her brows arched and eyes brimming with spring water.

Though her lower half couldn't be clearly seen, every smile and every glance was that of a real human, with not a trace of Anomaly aura about her.

Chen Ye and the pink-haired girl exchanged a glance.

Chen Ye subtly glanced toward Iron Lion's direction, and the pink-haired girl understood instantly.

While Dantai Bie was busy making a fool of himself, she would rescue Iron Lion.

And the stunning woman didn't seem to care about the pink-haired girl's actions at all.

She let Sun Xixi pull Iron Lion free.

Both of Iron Lion's heads, all four eyes, were tightly shut, and he was even snoring.

"Dantai Bie. The name's a bit of a mouthful, hehe. The old man who named me wasn't very educated!"

"By the way, pretty lady, what's your name?"

Dantai Bie was actually genuinely chatting her up.

The woman standing at the boundary of light and shadow giggled, her voice even more enchanting.

"I don't remember my own name, but I do remember the name of the skin I'm wearing!"

"It's a very pretty name. I think it's Xu Lina. Yes, that's it, Xu Lina! That's the name!"

Hearing that name.

Chen Ye and the others felt a jolt run through their bodies.

Xu Lina?

Isn't Xu Lina right here beside us?

"I searched for a long, long time before I found such a satisfactory skin to wear!"

"Do you think it looks good too?"