Chapter 131: Tracking the Shadow

“Enough. Stop flirting in here.”

After admiring himself to his heart’s content, Lin Qiu noticed that Wang Xiaomeng and Liu Changfeng were still clinging to each other.

Liu Changfeng hurriedly shoved Wang Xiaomeng away in disgust and vigorously wiped the arm Wang Xiaomeng had hugged.

Wang Xiaomeng stared at him with huge, aggrieved eyes, looking as though a single blink would send tears spilling from them.

Although he had clearly done nothing, Liu Changfeng suddenly felt as if he had committed some unforgivable crime.

“Things are a little unusual right now. We can talk after you get back.”

Liu Changfeng looked away, not daring to meet Wang Xiaomeng’s eyes.

Wang Xiaomeng and Heize had just finished investigating a location reported by a citizen. As it turned out, one household’s owner had failed to keep an eye on the family dog. The dog had stolen some expired meat, sneaked into someone else’s house, and traded it for a fresh steak.

The owner of the other household had assumed that some strange, filthy thing had latched onto them, causing their fresh meat to turn rotten in an instant.

After listening to the endless squabbling over domestic trifles, Wang Xiaomeng felt as though his ears were about to grow calluses.

They had been running around for most of the day, exhausted in both body and mind. Just when he had finally managed to return and hoped to get some rest, another task had appeared without so much as a pause.

Wang Xiaomeng had no desire whatsoever to take the mission details from Liu Changfeng. Accepting them would mean working late into the night all over again.

Liu Changfeng sensed Wang Xiaomeng’s reluctance. For the sake of his good brother’s life, what harm could it do to sacrifice a little of his own “charm”?

Gritting his teeth, Liu Changfeng took Wang Xiaomeng’s delicate hands in his own and gazed earnestly into his eyes.

“This matter is of the utmost importance. I’m counting on you.”

Hearing those words, Wang Xiaomeng nearly fainted on the spot.

“All right! Leave it to me!” Wang Xiaomeng instantly became as energetic as if he had been injected with stimulants.

Liu Changfeng secretly signaled to Lin Qiu. Lin Qiu understood perfectly: he was surely saying, Brother, I did everything I could.

Admiration for Liu Changfeng instantly filled Lin Qiu’s heart. He absolutely had to take back every bit of contempt he had previously held for him.

Liu Changfeng was truly the kind of man who would stab himself twice for the sake of a brother.

Overflowing with motivation, Wang Xiaomeng dragged Heize along and prepared to set off for Eastern City.

Lin Qiu followed behind them, but Wang Xiaomeng regarded him with open suspicion.

“Don’t worry. I’m going there to find someone. You can have all the credit,” Lin Qiu said helplessly.

Only after hearing that did Wang Xiaomeng agree to let Lin Qiu accompany them to Eastern City.

Lin Qiu began to wonder whether he had come to find reinforcements—or whether he had somehow become the burden Wang Xiaomeng and the others were forced to drag along.

How much nonsense had Wang Xiaomeng been fed while he was away in Deep Sea to make him so hopelessly infatuated with Liu Changfeng?

The moment they got into the car, Wang Xiaomeng pulled a mirror from his robes. His movements were exactly like Lin Qiu’s earlier self-admiration.

Even Lin Qiu’s hands began to itch. He wanted to pull out his own little mirror and admire his peerless beauty a while longer.

“Have you read the mission details?”

Lin Qiu hurriedly interrupted Wang Xiaomeng’s narcissism.

Wang Xiaomeng waved him off. “It’ll be the same whether I read them now or after we arrive.”

In all likelihood, it was just another false alarm—at worst, some livestock that had gained intelligence.

He had been tormented thoroughly by missions of that sort lately.

Underestimating the enemy was the greatest taboo in warfare.

They should at least find out what they were dealing with before deciding whether it was safe to underestimate it.

“This time is different. You’d better read it beforehand,” Lin Qiu said.

As soon as he finished speaking, he began devising a battle plan.

The enemy’s targets were young, beautiful girls. Aside from the driver, there were three grown men in their car…

Wait.

Lin Qiu suddenly understood why Liu Changfeng had handed this mission to Wang Xiaomeng.

Even though they knew Wang Xiaomeng was an indisputably real man, no one would ever be able to tell from his appearance that he was not a cute young woman.

“When the time comes, let him walk ahead. Once someone ambushes him, we’ll rush out,” Lin Qiu said, discussing the plan with Heize while Wang Xiaomeng remained absorbed in admiring his own beauty.

Heize immediately rejected the proposal.

“Impossible. It’s too dangerous.”

Even if Wang Xiaomeng no longer took these missions seriously, Heize had never let down his guard.

If the enemy happened to be faster or stronger than they were, Heize might not have enough time to possess Wang Xiaomeng and transform into battle armor.

“Stay armored for now. Wang Xiaomeng probably won’t turn you into anything too outrageous. If anything dangerous happens, I’ll intervene as well,” Lin Qiu said.

Heize acknowledged Lin Qiu’s strength. This man, whose bloodline was unknown, evolved with a speed that was practically monstrous.

In the blink of an eye, he had already reached the fifth rank.

“I still don’t think it’s appropriate. You should scout ahead first and eliminate any obvious dangers. Only if you can’t find anything should Xiaomeng be used as bait.”

Heize’s attitude was firm. He simply did not want Wang Xiaomeng to face any danger.

Since Heize was unwilling, Lin Qiu could hardly put a gun to his head and order him to act as bait.

Wang Xiaomeng, seated in the front passenger seat, had heard every word of their conversation.

“I think it’s a pretty good idea.”

Since Wang Xiaomeng himself approved of Lin Qiu’s plan, Heize had nothing more to say.

Wang Xiaomeng had previously learned a great deal from Liu Changfeng about mimicking other forms after transforming into armor. By now, his skill was virtually flawless.

By the time the car reached Eastern City, dusk had already settled over the sky.

As Wang Xiaomeng stepped out of the car, Heize possessed him.

Just as Lin Qiu had expected, Wang Xiaomeng was once again wearing that blood-stirring qipao. Heize transformed into a feathered silk fan in his hand.

Perhaps because so many incidents had occurred recently, the streets were nearly deserted as soon as night fell.

Even among the few people still outside, almost all were men. Every one of them who passed Wang Xiaomeng stared at him, utterly transfixed.

Lin Qiu suddenly wondered whether using Wang Xiaomeng as bait had been a little too conspicuous.

His presence was simply overwhelming.

Wang Xiaomeng remained extremely vigilant as well, terrified that some filthy man might suddenly launch a sneak attack. For Liu Changfeng’s sake, he was determined to preserve his chastity and would not allow anyone else to take advantage of him.

Wang Xiaomeng and Heize wandered aimlessly through Eastern City, swaggering down nearly every street. Before long, they had acquired quite a few followers.

Whether they were the masterminds behind the previous incidents or merely men captivated by Wang Xiaomeng’s beauty remained unknown.

It was not until they passed an alley that Wang Xiaomeng and Heize truly sensed something amiss. A dark figure leaked a trace of its aura, deliberately luring them to follow.

Wang Xiaomeng and Heize played along, tracking it all the way to a small forest on the outskirts of Eastern City.

“Stop hiding and come out!”

With both hands on his hips, Wang Xiaomeng scanned the surroundings and shouted at the empty air.

A moment later, the dark figure revealed its true form…