After drawing cards, the evil god became my source of吐槽 (tu cao, a form of humorous commentary/criti

Chapter 128 Spirit

At this moment, Xu Yanyi pushed open the door and said, "I'll go with An Jing."

An Jing suddenly looked up, her eyes showing displeasure. She frowned, her tone slightly cold: "Why were you eavesdropping?"

Xu Yanyi shrugged and smiled nonchalantly: "I didn't mean to. I just happened to be passing by and heard you talking, so I waited for a bit. What can I do? I have good hearing, so I just heard you."

His tone was light and casual, seemingly unconcerned, but An Jing felt uneasy. She disliked being eavesdropped on, even by acquaintances.

“In short,” Xu Yanyi added, his expression suddenly becoming serious, “I want to be with you.”

An Jing was about to refuse when You Xin raised her hand and nodded, "Granted, you can go."

She paused, glanced between the two of them, and said in a low voice, "Be careful."

The decision had been made, and An Jing couldn't say anything more.

As she walked out of the office, she couldn't help but ask, "Why are you coming with me? The research department needs you more at this crucial moment, doesn't it?"

Xu Yanyi smiled gently, a smile that didn't seem like a joke, but rather carried an undeniable air: "He Lin is gone, and You Xin has a ton of things to handle all by herself, and Xiao Wu is also incredibly busy. Only I can take on the task of protecting you. Even if I hadn't brought it up just now, she would have arranged for me to protect you anyway."

He paused slightly, turned his head to look at her, and said with a serious expression, "Don't think that just because you're now the deputy leader, your protection duties have been lifted."

An Jing didn't say anything more.

The words were on the tip of her tongue, but sank back into her heart. She knew very well that their so-called protection was actually more of a precaution. The research department was only refraining from doing anything to An Jing because of He Lin. But they weren't without suspicion about the Origin within An Jing; it's just that she hadn't made a mistake yet.

three days later.

The two, fully prepared, boarded the helicopter again. The roar of the propellers was deafening, and the wind made their hearts clench.

An Jing sat in the cabin, looking out through the narrow porthole. Clouds churned below, and the mountains stretched endlessly. The deep forest below was quietly waiting for them.

Her fingers curled slightly, and her fingertips were icy cold.

It hasn't been long since the last mission, but it feels like an entire lifetime has passed. Last time, everyone came together; the image of that fervent, divine figure is still vivid in my mind, and now…

Only she and Xu Yanyi came again.

The helicopter descended slowly and landed on the open ground. The cabin door was pulled open from the outside, and a cold wind and damp smell rushed out.

The two got off the helicopter.

The surrounding woods were eerily quiet, save for the rustling of leaves in the wind. An Jing took a deep breath and gazed at the dense forest ahead, so thick it seemed to drip water. She remembered that the giant tree was deep within it.

Its branches are thick and large, almost supporting the entire sky.

The moment I stepped into the woods, the smell of the air changed immediately. It became damp, heavy, and carried a faint, lingering scent of decaying wood.

The road seems much more difficult to travel than last time.

An Jing quickly realized this. The soil was soft, the stones were scattered, and the tangled vines nearly tripped her.

Furthermore, the surrounding green leaves have become larger and wider, completely blocking the path and the view.

The terrain also seemed to have been deliberately distorted; if you weren't careful, you could fall into a deep pit.

Her spiritual power had been carefully expanding ever since she entered the forest. It was an almost subconscious action, like groping for a light in complete darkness.

Xu Yanyi walked beside her, occasionally reaching out to clear away branches that were blocking her path.

Occasionally, when the ground was slippery, he would reach out to steady her. Although he didn't say anything, An Jing could sense that he was indeed carefully protecting her.

No need.

An Jing couldn't help but complain.

She also possesses psychic abilities, giving her a much broader perspective than this big idiot.

The forest was more lush than I remembered.

The vines seemed to have grown wildly, densely clinging to the tree trunks, making the air feel oppressive. An Jing wondered if it was just her imagination. She remembered that when she first came here, although it was dark, it wasn't this bad.

They walked for a long time, but the road ahead still seemed endless. Just then...

An Jing's mental energy suddenly touched upon an existence.

"……spirit."

She stopped in her tracks, her brow furrowing.

Xu Yanyi immediately became alert: "What's wrong?"

An Jing whispered, "There is a spirit here."

As soon as he finished speaking, the air seemed to suddenly turn icy cold.

She sensed it carefully. Yes, it was indeed a spirit. A translucent being, wandering through the forest like a drifting shadow.

The problem lies in the quantity.

This time it wasn't just one.

There are many, countless.

These spirits gathered together; a single spirit is weak, but a group of spirits together gives one a sense of formidable power.

Her spiritual power seemed to have been drawn into a vortex, surrounded by blurry figures. They gathered together, as if wailing softly, or perhaps calling out silently.

An Jing recalled that the last time she came here, she only saw one spirit in the forest. At the time, the system said it wasn't a ghost, so she let it go.

Why are there so many this time?
Her heart tightened, and she unconsciously looked up into the depths of the woods. The shadows of the trees were so thick that it seemed as if countless eyes were watching from within.

"How many?" Xu Yanyi's voice was low and alert, tinged with a sense of impending doom.

An Jing slowly uttered two words: "Countless."

The air was so oppressive it was suffocating.

Xu Yanyi immediately pulled out his holster and coldly surveyed his surroundings. But soon, he realized that the spirits didn't attack them immediately. They simply lingered at a distance, as if observing, or perhaps hesitating.

The silence in the woods made my heart tighten.

An Jing suppressed his unease and asked the system in a low voice, "What's going on with these spirits...?"

The system hesitated for a moment before its voice slowly rang out: [Anomaly in quantity. It is speculated that some force has drawn the previously scattered spirits to one place.]

"Power?" An Jing's heart sank. "Mysterious?"

[Uncertain at this time.]

The system's tone was not as calm as usual; instead, it was somewhat solemn.

The sound of the wind blowing was like lifting an invisible curtain deep in the forest.

An Jing suddenly realized that these spirits were not wandering around randomly. They seemed to be heading in the same direction, slowly converging on a certain spot.

She held her breath and looked in the direction their flowed.

Ahead, we are in the direction of that giant tree.

My heart tightened instantly.

Xu Yanyi had clearly noticed it too, and a barely perceptible sense of unease flickered in his eyes: "They're heading towards the big tree."

An Jing didn't speak, but slowly tightened her grip on the weapon in her hand.

The wind grew lower and lower, and an invisible ripple seemed to rise in the air.

She knew very well that this trip back into the forest would be far more dangerous than the last.

Are these spirits dangerous beings?

(End of this chapter)