Chapter Sixteen: Xiang Biao’s Surrender and the Ghost Leech Mosquito-Notes of a Biological Alchemist(What a bother.)

In a certain ward of the inpatient department at Qiantang Second Hospital, Xiang Biao had just put down the phone.

After pondering for a while, he limped toward the room where Wang Dong and Huazi were staying.

When he entered, Wang Dong and Huazi were watching a variety show. Xiang Biao picked up the remote and turned off the TV.

“Biao, what’s up?” Wang Dong spoke first.

Xiang Biao glanced at the two of them. “Liu Weiliang just called. He said that if Wu Jianguo’s son doesn’t go to Shengtian to sign the demolition contract within two days, we’re to find someone to mess with the ICU where Wu Jianguo is hospitalized—just to scare them a little.”

Before Wang Dong could respond, Huazi’s eyes widened in shock. How could you just “scare” someone in the ICU? Stopping the oxygen for even a few minutes could be fatal.

“Biao, you didn’t agree to this, did you? If we do this, we’ll be mortal enemies with Wu You. Next time, he definitely won’t show us any mercy.”

“Yeah, Biao, for the sake of our own necks, we can’t take this job.” Wang Dong was anxious too. He and Huazi were too closely tied to Xiang Biao. Even if Xiang Biao found someone else to do the dirty work, would Wu You ever believe they were uninvolved?

“Do you think I’m an idiot?” Xiang Biao retorted. “I’m going straight to Wu You now—use Liu Weiliang as proof of loyalty.”

“Right, I’ll come too.”

“I—I want to go as well,” Huazi said urgently, but his injuries were too severe—he could only lie in bed for now.

…

Wang Dong drove a black Volkswagen, with Xiang Biao—his right leg in a cast—in the passenger seat. Huazi, in the end, couldn’t make it.

As they drew nearer to Xugou Village, the tension inside the car mounted. Both feared Wu You might not bother with explanations and would simply set his monsters on them.

During the drive, they rehearsed what to say, deliberating on how to quickly show goodwill, how to appear innocent—but the more they thought, the more muddled their minds became.

…

Wu You had just captured two tiny creatures in his hands.

Prompt: Capture successful. Material acquired: Asian tiger mosquito.

Then he carefully pressed down on two leeches in a small porcelain bowl beside him.

Prompt: Capture successful. Material acquired: Broad-bodied gold-stripe leech.

Just looking at these things made his skin crawl. He wondered how terrifying the alchemical creature produced from these two would be.

Prompt: Select female Asian tiger mosquito and broad-bodied gold-stripe leech. Confirm?

Confirm.

Wu You focused his attention on the alchemical drawing board.

Leeches were revolting and frightening, and since their physical characteristics were only secondary in this combination, Wu You didn’t exaggerate the creature’s appearance in his design. Still, he couldn’t help but incorporate some features of leeches and mosquitoes—just as people often can’t forget what they fear most.

The drawing board’s supplementary depiction also reflected some of Wu You’s lingering impressions.

System assessment: Physical structure rationality 85%. Alchemy success rate increased by 8.5%.

Current success rate: 50% + 8.5%.

Proceed with alchemy?

Select: Begin alchemy immediately.

In the material vault, streams of light—the Asian tiger mosquito and the broad-bodied gold-stripe leech—were absorbed into the alchemical board. When the fusion ended, a monstrous creature on the board began to beat its wings.

Prompt: Alchemy successful. Please name your creation.

Another success—luck seemed to be on his side lately.

Wu You looked at the grotesque insect now stored in the beast pen space and chose the name: Ghost Leech Mosquito.

Alchemical Creature: Ghost Leech Mosquito; name: none yet

Talents: Deadly Venom Paralysis, Stealth

Abilities: Flight, Clinging, Siphoning Injection

Base Rating: High Iron (can be nurtured further)

System description: This is a terrifying aberration of an insect.

Select: Summon Ghost Leech Mosquito

A shroud of black gauze-like light swept by, and the horrifying Ghost Leech Mosquito appeared before its creator.

From a distance, it resembled a large, curled mosquito. A closer look, however, would make one’s skin crawl.

Its translucent, razor-sharp wings were covered in mysterious patterns. Its limbs bristled with whip-like filaments, and its feet ended in soft suction pads. The abdomen, originally that of a mosquito, was now curled and adorned with fine, ringed folds and spiral ridges—evoking the image of earthworms and leeches. Beneath crystalline compound eyes, three petal-like fangs opened and closed, and nestled between them was a menacing, metallic proboscis.

Chilling to the bone.

For the first time, Wu You thought it might have been better if this alchemy had failed.

Even Garuru, whose power had already reached high Bronze and was on the verge of transformation, glanced at the Ghost Leech Mosquito without being prompted by Wu You.

Wu You sighed inwardly, hoping Liu Weiliang and Shengtian wouldn’t go overboard.

…

Wang Dong parked the car inside Xugou Village. He and Xiang Biao got out and walked toward the rear of the village. As the number of tiled houses dwindled and wild vegetation and farmland grew more abundant, they knew they were close.

Xiang Biao hobbled along with two crutches, abandoning any rehearsed script. He figured that as long as he explained what he knew, his duty would be done—whether Wu You accepted them or not, at least they’d shown goodwill.

Before they even neared the Wus’ contracted land, both Garuru and Wu You had already spotted them.

Wu You sent the Ghost Leech Mosquito into the fields, then fetched a chair and sat at his doorway to wait. Garuru, now dressed in a sharp black suit and having adopted a more human guise, stood statue-like behind him.

With his hands casually behind his head, Wu You was curious to see what these two wanted.

…

Xiang Biao and Wang Dong, whose eyesight was nothing compared to Garuru’s, could only just make out a figure seated at the old tiled house’s door as they entered the Wus’ yard—a burly man standing behind him like a bodyguard.

Due to Xiang Biao’s bad leg, their pace was slow, and it took them several minutes to approach Wu You.

Even from a distance, they were struck by the bodyguard’s imposing stature. Up close, he seemed even more intimidating, so much so that they didn’t dare look at him for long and fixed all their attention on Wu You.

“What brings you two here? Are you representing Shengtian to threaten me?” Wu You asked coolly as they drew near.

Xiang Biao hurriedly replied, “No, no, you’ve got us wrong, Young Master Wu. We brothers have long been fed up with Liu Weiliang. We’re here for another reason.”

“What reason?” Wu You was puzzled. What possible business could he have with them?

Xiang Biao hesitated, not answering directly. “Young Master Wu, with respect, can I ask—what we saw that night… was that… was that connected to you?”

Wu You understood. Xiang Biao clearly had something to say, but he was still probing Wu You’s strength.

“Oh? What do you think of my bodyguard’s looks?”

“Huh?” Xiang Biao and Wang Dong were taken aback. What did the bodyguard’s appearance have to do with anything? No matter how capable, what use was a bodyguard against the likes of Shengtian Group?

Still, Xiang Biao instinctively looked up at Garuru’s face. Earlier, he’d been too intimidated by the man’s ferocity to dare look directly.

“Biao… Biao…” Wang Dong stammered, tugging at Xiang Biao’s sleeve. “Why… why do I feel he looks a little like…”

Xiang Biao’s body began to tremble as well. The two of them stared at each other, then at Wu You—so composed—and gulped in unison.

Anyone else, upon seeing Garuru’s appearance, would only feel terror—a sense of facing a wild beast incarnate.

But Xiang Biao and Wang Dong had seen the lion-faced giant up close before. Looking at Garuru now, they could immediately connect the dots about the bodyguard’s true nature.

A monster in human form!