I'm being held captive by a monster

Chapter 297 To Live

Tiexi District.

7:10 a.m.

"My dear wife, you must be extremely careful today."

"I reckon those gluttons will be arriving in our district within the next couple of days."

"As long as we can withstand this wave, those devils will surely fall into chaos from within!"

Xie Jiujiang said this as he slowly tidied up the breakfast on the table.

"Understood, Zhuge Liang."

Lü Zhumei stood in front of the mirror, wearing a dark red silk scarf, and gave her husband a disapproving look.

Xie Jiujiang started muttering last night.

"Don't disbelieve me, if those ghosts don't come in the next couple of days, then it's the ghosts' fault."

"Why don't you take two days off?"

He looked at Lü Zhumei.

"Why ask for leave? Especially in times like these, you should act normally and naturally."

"Alright, the house is now in your hands!"

The preparatory bell rang at the elementary school across from our residential complex.

After getting dressed, Lü Zhumei checked the keys in her bag and waved to Xie Jiujiang.

"Be very careful! Be extremely careful!"

Xie Jiujiang still couldn't help but remind him.

He watched Lü Zhumei enter the primary school and merge into the group of children carrying schoolbags before turning his gaze away.

"It'll be in the next couple of days..."

Xie Jiujiang continued to leisurely tidy up the table, wash the dishes and pots.

But he kept analyzing in his mind.

From the day he and Lü Zhumei stayed outside and didn't return to the base, they began to conduct reconnaissance more carefully.

Although the gluttons outside don't seem to have changed much.

All the patrols and surveillance are still the same.

However, Xie Jiujiang's years of reconnaissance experience allowed him to discover some clues.

These gluttons have become more organized and purposeful in their actions.

Their behavior is also more disciplined and standardized.

It's like being constantly monitored.

Therefore, Xie Jiujiang analyzed that the Taotie side should have established an inspection team or a special operations team or something similar.

The goal, of course, is to find Sixteen Moons using swift and decisive means.

Although he has not yet met the group he has imagined.

But Xie Jiujiang had already reported the situation to the organization yesterday.

However, I have not yet received a reply from Zhang Hang.

"Good morning, Uncle."

Xie Jiujiang had just finished clearing the dishes when Wen Wen came out of the small house.

Her face looked weak, as if she hadn't slept well.

Her complexion has recovered quite well.

With a little dressing up, you would never guess that she had given birth just five days ago, or even that she had a difficult labor.

After all, she has the strength of a level D, and her physical condition is naturally incomparable to that of an ordinary person.

"I feel pretty good today, the child is still sleeping."

Xie Jiujiang looked into the room.

On a small bed made from half a sofa, there was a baby wrapped up like a caterpillar.

"This child is wonderful, with a good mother, he's destined for a bright future."

Xie Jiujiang quietly walked in and glanced at the child sleeping soundly in the sunlight.

"...She was up and about all night last night, but she didn't disturb you and Auntie, did she?"

Wen Wen took a sip of water, and a look of apology appeared on her face.

"No, we both sleep incredibly well."

"Take advantage of the child being asleep to eat and rest. It will be hard to soothe the child when he wakes up later."

Xie Jiujiang handed two steamed buns to Wen Wen.

"Thank you, Uncle..."

"It's nothing. Right now, it's like the end of a dynasty in a time of chaos caused by demons. We humans should definitely help each other out."

The bell rang for the first class at the elementary school across the street.

Xie Jiujiang also joked.

Wenwen nodded and smiled somewhat awkwardly.

"Have you got a good appetite today?"

"I'll go to the market and buy you a chicken. I'll stew it for you at noon."

"Let's buy some better quality formula, just in case."

He slowly sat down on the stool and put on his shoes.

Wen Wenze's eyes flickered, and he opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.

"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Is there anything else you want me to bring?"

Xie Jiujiang put on a baseball cap and asked.

"...It's nothing...it's just...I'm very grateful to you and Auntie...I don't know why..."

Before Wen Wen could finish speaking, Xie Jiujiang raised his hand to interrupt him.

Why bring this up?

He waved his hand.

"Your Aunt Lü and I don't have children either. When we were young, we didn't think children were good either, and we even found them a bit annoying."

"But now when I look at this baby, I feel a warm feeling in my heart."

“In the past, we would doubt ourselves, wondering what the point of doing so much and fighting against the gluttonous ghost was, since we were already halfway to the grave.”

"Seeing you, seeing this child, I suddenly felt... Ah, isn't this the meaning of life?"

"Life can be passed down from generation to generation, and continue from generation to generation."

Xie Jiujiang smiled as he spoke.

He then pulled down his hat brim, picked up his keys, and left the house.

"..."

After he left, Wen Wen held her forehead, her face showing a mixture of emotions.

It's the fifth day now.

She knew that the angel would descend in two days.

During this time, the gluttonous ghost may come knocking at any moment...

"……never mind."

After hesitating for a moment, Wen Wen sighed silently.

Since the gluttonous ghost is bound to come, there's no point in reminding Xie Jiujiang and Lü Zhumei.

There's nowhere to hide now that you're out.

"Anyway, the gluttonous ghost wasn't brought here because of me..."

"I didn't tell the gluttonous ghost..."

"If the gluttonous ghost doesn't come by the day after tomorrow, I'll take the child and leave..."

Back inside, looking at her child, she spoke softly to herself.

Xie Jiujiang was right.

Both he and Lü Zhumei were already halfway to their graves.

Since they're about to die...

That's fine too, leaving the hope to me and the child...

She carried the child to the big bed.

It felt like I could sense my mother's presence.

The child was clearly asleep.

But she still turned to the side, reached out her little hand, and gently hugged Wenwen's arm.

"Mommy will keep you alive..."

"Mom will make sure you live a free and happy life..."

She gently patted the child's back.

Completely unaware of the elderly people taking a walk in the residential area outside, including the elementary school students on the playground across the street...

It was as if it had been erased, disappearing from her sight.

The ghost realm had quietly enveloped the surrounding area without anyone noticing.

……

"Is this a free-range chicken from the countryside? It doesn't look like one."

In the bustling market, Xie Jiujiang was picking and choosing.

"Oh, you little silly chicken! A free-range chicken!"

"They run around in that rural area every day!"

"What do you want to do?"

The stall owner slammed the knife onto the cutting board and said, holding the chick.

"I'm making chicken soup."

"Chicken soup? Mine smells amazing when I make it! I..."

The stall owner's voice disappeared from Xie Jiujiang's ears as if it had been suddenly muted.

No, it's not just the stall owners.

It's the entire vegetable market.

The once bustling and noisy market is now completely silent.

Xie Jiujiang, who was about to take another look, was stunned for a moment.

The stall owner's figure vanished from sight.

Out of the corner of my eye, everyone seemed to vanish like phantoms, completely gone. They've arrived…

Xie Jiujiang's heart sank.

Although I had mentally prepared myself this morning, arriving at this time, in this environment...

He lowered his eyes.

In just a breath, he adjusted his expression.

"Alright, alright, then you can help me with this!"

"I'm going to buy some groceries over there, I'll come back to pick them up later."

"Don't just pluck the feathers, help me cut the meat!"

Xie Jiujiang glanced at the spot where the stall owner had been standing and waved his hand, saying calmly.

Then it was as if nothing had happened.

I strolled leisurely through the deserted market.

Passing by the vegetable stalls, I also picked and chose.

Pick it up and look at it under the light, then bend down and smell it.

Just like going to a regular farmers' market.

In the Ghost Realm, confused ghosts will only disappear in the eyes of the awakened.

But it will not disappear in the eyes of the gluttonous ghost.

That is to say...

The now empty market still appears bustling with people to the gluttonous.

As long as his movements aren't exaggerated and his expression remains normal...

Among so many people, the gluttonous ghost wouldn't notice him...

Xie Jiujiang walked from one end of the market to the other without going back to get the chicks. Instead, he left the market directly through the back door.

We continued walking along the bridge.

After walking for a while, he stopped, lifted his leg and placed it on the not-too-high railing of the bridge, then bent over and pressed down.

He looked like an ordinary old man doing his morning exercise.

His gaze swept over his surroundings.

Not only in the vegetable market, but as far as Xie Jiujiang could see, there were no pedestrians at all.

For a moment, I even had the feeling that the end of the world had come and the city had become a ghost town...

This actually relieved Xie Jiujiang.

This widespread release of ghostly energy indicates that the gluttonous ghosts do not know the exact location of the humans.

They're just using this method to search...

"call……"

After stretching his legs and moving his arms, Xie Jiujiang did not head home.

Instead, they crossed the bridge and headed to the nearest park.

He couldn't help but feel a little worried about Lü Zhumei.

Today, Lü Zhumei's first Chinese class is...

If the ghost realm covers the school, then she won't be able to see a single student...

She cannot leave the classroom yet.

This is definitely a test for Lü Zhumei...

And Wenwen...

Xie Jiujiang felt a little nervous again.

Wenwen and her child were at home.

But by this time, there were no more new gluttonous ghosts.

Once the gluttonous ghost discovers the child, it will definitely examine it carefully…

Upon arriving at the park, to avoid having any confused people on the benches, Xie Jiujiang observed the area for a moment and then sat down directly on the grass.

but……

A ball, by sheer coincidence, rolled right next to him.

"...It's alright, it's alright!"

Although there was no one in sight.

But Xie Jiujiang still smiled and waved in the direction the ball came from.

He then picked up the ball and threw it over.

But the ball rolled on the grass until it stopped, and no one caught it.

goodong...

Xie Jiujiang thought to himself that something was wrong.

My heart instantly went on high alert!
"Sa!"

next second!
The water jets from the automatic watering machine in the center of the lawn suddenly transformed into water blades, striking Xie Jiujiang's face!

"Snapped!"

Xie Jiujiang, who is usually very slow in both speaking and doing things, raised his hand at this moment.

The water blade, like a train that has reached its destination, slowly came to a stop in front of him.

It was as if there was a barrier in front of him.

"Captain, this old man is really a beast."

"I hope I won't have to wear that old geezer's mask then... It's disgusting..."

Mai Lingbo's figure slowly appeared in the air.

Although that's what she said, her face was full of excitement!
After all... this was the first human-animal hybrid their special operations team had ever discovered!
Judging by its appearance, it's definitely a big fish!
Beside her stood Lin Xing'an, his brows slightly furrowed.

At this moment, Lin Xing'an felt a resistance as if he had only experienced it in a gravity chamber, which was firmly blocking the water blade.

The more effort he exerted, the more exaggerated the resistance became, and the less he could break through!

It was as if the water blade and Xie Jiujiang were of the same polarity as magnets, and they could not stick together no matter what!
In contrast, Xie Jiujiang remained calm.

"You gluttonous ghosts, how many of you have died tonight? How did it take you so long to find me?"

Xie Jiujiang said with a smile.

He swung his arm and rotated his wrist.

The water blades, as if guided, slowly rotated around his body along with his arm!

"Snapped!"

Xie Jiujiang flicked his sleeve.

The water blade then shot into the grass.

"call……"

Xie Jiujiang also let out a soft breath and looked at Lin Xing'an.

After he stopped hiding, his entire demeanor underwent a dramatic change.

"...Tai Chi? It's not very aggressive."

Lin Xing'an raised an eyebrow as he looked at Xie Jiujiang's posture and actions just now.

True abilities do indeed offer some defense.

Unfortunately, in the face of a gluttonous ghost, lack of aggression means no chance of survival...

Lin Xing'an sighed silently in his heart.

He had already noticed Xie Jiujiang when they were at the vegetable market.

It wasn't because Xie Jiujiang showed any flaws.

It was because Xie Jiujiang was pretending to be normal, acting as if he had discovered everything, that Lin Xing'an was all too familiar with.

He pretended to be an adult for a full six years, from when he was a month old until he was six...

"That child wasn't on the side just now."

"The child is behind you."

Knowing Xie Jiujiang's abilities, Lin Xing'an did not attack.

Instead, he picked up the ball from the ground and threw it to a kindergarten child behind him.

In his eyes, this was a fairly peaceful park.

There were only two children playing on the grass.

The adult sat on the cushion looking at their phone.

In the presence of confused individuals, it's best to reduce attacks.

“This old man has been waiting here every day, and you haven’t noticed at all.”

"What a bunch of good-for-nothings."

"It's so interesting to see you guys not being able to find the sixteenth month every day."

Xie Jiujiang snorted coldly.

Mai Lingbu's face instantly darkened. "Old man, I wouldn't even eat you, you're disgusting. I'll feed you to the dogs today."

"To live."

Lin Xing'an interrupted Mai Lingbu.

He looked behind Xie Jiujiang and said.

Xie Jiujiang's expression changed as if he had just realized something!
Mai Yuran's figure appeared behind him.

A surge of power, like accumulating waves, converged on Xie Jiujiang's arm.

He didn't hesitate at all!
He slammed his fist into Mai Yuran's heart!

"Ok?"

But this palm strike passed right through Mai Yuran's body.

just like……

Mai Yuran is not a physical entity.

"Old man, tonight we'll do as my sister says, so you can feed the dog."

Mai Yuran snorted coldly.

The illusory hand passed directly through Xie Jiujiang's arm.

Then, it instantly became a physical entity!
"Oh!"

Xie Jiujiang's arm, like a fragile tree branch, exploded in the middle!

(End of this chapter)