Chapter 182 : Chapter 182
Chapter 182
Ling Feng reached out to snatch his phone back but was a step too slow.
Yuan Lan got the phone and found that Ling Feng was reporting an emergency.
The manga showed a panel of the phone screen, which displayed the interface of the SAIDB's internal software, along with a half-edited message.
Yuan Lan lowered his head and tapped his fingers on the screen. At the same time, he used a puppet thread to cut the vines Xia Xiaoxi had sent to help retrieve the phone. Then, with a smile, he tossed the phone back to Ling Feng.
Ling Feng caught the phone. The manga once again showed a panel of the phone screen. The message he had been editing was now complete and had been sent.
【Holy moly, this is the first time I've seen someone leak their own intelligence. (Shocked)】
【What? Level 9?? Did I see that wrong??! (I was so scared my melon seeds dropped.jpg)】
【Oh my god, so Yuan Lan is a level 9 special ability user. I'm sorry, little dog Ji, I was wrong about you. You're not bad at all. To be alive is a victory! (Covering face, laughing and crying)】
【Then wifey is the one with real potential. Although Yuan Lan might have gone a little easy on him, wifey still managed to chop off his forefoot. So awesome! (Proud) (Thumbs up)】
【The only previously known level 9 special ability user was the old director of the SAIDB. Now, with Yuan Lan, these two are the current ceiling for levels.】
【With Yuan Lan's special ability, he might also be the ceiling for combat power... (Staring blankly)】
【So the current situation is that the protagonist group just left the newbie village and immediately ran into the final boss? (Shrugs: This is ridiculous.jpg)】
【The SAIDB's UI is so ugly. I suggest they get a new designer. (Wrong focus)】
【My focus is on "estimated height 185." Hehehe, tall with long legs, as expected of my new husband~ (Scattering flowers)】
Ling Feng asked Yuan Lan with some shock why he did that.
Yuan Lan's answer was ambiguous. He said he did it because he felt like it, and that his information wouldn't be a secret for much longer, which made the readers overthink.
At the same time, Xia Xiaoxi, who had also taken out her phone, looked shocked. "Level 9?!"
Zhou Chenhao asked with a dry laugh, "Can we get a discount if we buy urns in a group now?"
Ling Feng, on the other hand, was repeating Yuan Lan's earlier words, lost in thought.
【What does he mean by "it won't be a secret for much longer"? Has he already been investigated by the SAIDB? Or is he planning to do something that will attract everyone's attention? (Scratching head)】
【Xiao Xi: We're doomed. We've run into a level 9. We're going to die.】
【Brother Hao's group urn purchase, hahaha. I'd suggest a buy-two-get-one-free deal is more cost-effective, dear. (Doge emoji)】
【It seems Maomao is also pondering Yuan Lan's words. Is it possible that this sentence is foreshadowing, and the next arc will be related to Yuan Lan? (Thinking)】
【What foreshadowing? It's already so obvious. I feel like the current plot development is a bit like that trope of "the protagonist encounters a villain when they're weak, manages to survive and forms a grudge with the villain, and from then on, they become enemies." (Covering face)】
The next part of the manga was a long-shot panel. Puppet threads appeared from the surrounding void and attacked the protagonist group and Ji Chuanze.
After that was a medium shot of Bai Xuechao, framed down to his knees. Next to his hand was an enlarged close-up of his hand, with thin wavy lines drawn on the fingertips and the annotation "Slightly trembling."
【Ahhh, doctor, what's wrong with my wifey! (Grabbing the doctor)】
【It seems Xuexue's low blood sugar from before hasn't gotten better? He's being controlled by Yuan Lan, but that doesn't mean his low blood sugar is cured without medicine. (Pondering)】
【(Sudden realization) That's right! Wuwu, I feel so bad for Axue. I'm so worried about him. His hands are already shaking. Does that mean his body is shaking too? (Crying)】
【Low blood sugar can cause palpitations, tremors, sweating, and even coma...】
Bai Xuechao wasn't the only one the readers were worried about. The manga's focus shifted back to the protagonist group and Ji Chuanze.
Ji Chuanze's brows were tightly furrowed as he held his Tang Hengdao and cut the puppet threads. There was a thin, crimson gash on his neck, which was bleeding.
The trio of protagonists couldn't deal with the puppet threads and were forced into various strange postures to dodge them, getting injured in the process.
Yuan Lan smiled and asked Bai Xuechao, "Don't they look like a group of dancing gorillas?"
Following that was a close-up of Bai Xuechao's choked expression.
【Hahaha, Axue was left speechless by that question!】
【Damn it, I re-read those few panels, and they really do look like it, ahhhh! I'm doomed. Once I accept a certain setting... I can't forget it, ahhh! (Frustrated)】
【Especially Brother Hao, with his long arms and legs. The way he jumped through the gap between three puppet threads with his hands raised really looks like a gibbon. Help, hahaha! Is there any way for me to forget this!! (Pained mask)】
【Why would you want to forget? (Doge emoji) I'll wait for a big shot to make a ghostly expression pack out of it. I'll definitely tip.】
【Damn it, my daughter is such a pretty little girl, and she's being forced to jump around on the ground with her hands and feet. I hate Yuan Lan! (Noting it down in a little notebook)】
【I might be a fake fan. I feel like Maomao is rarely this lively (?), so what's wrong with his movements being a little monkey-like! (Doge emoji)】
The manga showed a full-body shot of Ling Feng, who was in a half-horse stance to dodge the puppet threads.
In the very next panel, a puppet thread was about to pass in front of his lower abdomen, while another one was behind him. He could only keep his upper body still and, while in the half-horse stance, stick his butt back to dodge the puppet thread in front of his abdomen. But this posture made him look like a standing gorilla.
Below this was a close-up of Ling Feng's serious expression. He thought to himself: This person named Yuan Lan is doing this on purpose... to guide us into making these movements.
Ji Chuanze also noticed this.
The panel after Ling Feng's showed a gritting Ji Chuanze. He thought to himself: This damn guy is deliberately toying with me like this!
【Facts have proven that even when a handsome guy imitates a gorilla, he's still a handsome guy. (Propping up chin)】
【I'm sorry, but I find the previous bullet comment inexplicably funny, hahaha!】
【Do Ling Feng and Ji Chuanze mean that the reason they're making gorilla-like movements is because Yuan Lan is forcing them to with his puppet threads?】
【Woc, then his control over his special ability is amazing.】
【It's not just about the special ability. He also has to predict their movements to make precise adjustments. He's indeed a PvP prediction master. (Expressionless) (Clapping)】
【Heehee hahaha, I'm not crazy, I'm not crazy! (Chaotic) (Roaring) I just want to know how the protagonist group is going to get out of this!】
【Is it possible that because of the emergency report they submitted, the SAIDB has sent reinforcements?】
【It's possible, but against a level 9 special ability user, wouldn't any number of low-level users just be cannon fodder? The higher-ups will definitely have to dispatch some high-level users, like level 7s and 8s, from nearby. But who knows how long it will take for them to get here. (Lying flat)】
【Ah... then by the time the reinforcements arrive, won't our trio be goners? (Covering face, laughing and crying)】
【I'm already in a zen state now. I just want to see how things will develop. (Smiling)】
In the manga, Ji Chuanze slashed through the puppet thread in front of him with his blade and charged out of the encirclement, roaring, "Stop looking down on people!"
The next panel was a horizontal panoramic shot. He rushed towards Yuan Lan, his Tang Hengdao swinging so fast it left afterimages, with the character "Swoosh" next to it to indicate the sound of it cutting through the air.
Yuan Lan said gently that he would get a little more serious.
The next few pages were filled with scenes of Ji Chuanze fighting the puppet threads with his Tang Hengdao, occasionally interspersed with his blurry perspective, which made the readers break out in a cold sweat for him. Occasionally, the scene would shift to the protagonist group, and the readers were shocked to find that Yuan Lan, while "seriously" fighting Ji Chuanze, could still spare the attention to tease the protagonist group with his puppet threads.
In the end, as Ji Chuanze jumped to dodge a puppet thread, two puppet threads pierced through his wrists and came out of his shoulders, and another puppet thread went straight through his knee!
Ji Chuanze's expression was pained. "Ugh!"
【Oh my god, that looks so painful. I can't take it! (Terrified) (Grabbing hair)】
【Little Ji, if you really can't, just lie flat and stop struggling. You're really not bad. You just met a much stronger opponent. (Sweating profusely) (Can't bear to look)】
【If little dog Ji lies flat, what will happen to our Xue wifey! (Covering mouth and crying) But little dog Ji really can't beat Yuan Lan right now. Forget it, I won't make it hard for him, wuwu...】
【In a corner no one cares about, our trio of protagonists is quietly breaking down, being played like monkeys, unable to escape even if they want to. (Covering face, laughing and crying)】
【Enough, I feel so bad for them! Someone come and end this farce. (Covering face, laughing and crying)】
【Playing with monkeys? My DNA is activated. Shaking my hands every day, full of spirit~ (Doge emoji)】
【Don't just carve everything into your DNA, hahaha!】
Yuan Lan's hand rose gracefully.
The next panel was a full-body side view. Ji Chuanze was hoisted up by the puppet threads that had pierced through his shoulders, hanging about a meter in front of Yuan Lan. Even though he was half-blind and couldn't see clearly, Ji Chuanze glared fiercely ahead.
In the next panel, the puppet thread that had gone through his knee was lifted at both ends, forming a U-shape, and pulling his leg up high.
Following that was a close-up of Ji Chuanze's expression. He was no longer glaring at Yuan Lan, but his brows were tightly furrowed as if he was enduring great pain, his teeth clenched.
【Battle-damaged Little Ji glaring fiercely at Yuan Lan, he looks so cool. (Obediently)】
【In his eyes, he might not be glaring at Yuan Lan, but at a color block, hahaha. (Doge emoji)】
【Oh my god, a puppet thread is stuck in his kneecap and hoisting his leg up. I can't imagine how much pain little dog Ji is in right now. (Covering mouth and crying)】
【I respect Ji Chuanze as a real man. He's been holding it in without making a sound. (Thumbs up)】
At this moment, Yuan Lan waved his hand lightly, just a small movement.
The effect, however, was terrifying.
This was a large, full-body shot of Ji Chuanze. He was hoisted up by both shoulders. The puppet thread that was hoisting his leg at the knee had already detached from his body, seemingly having been pulled straight out of his kneecap. Ji Chuanze's expression was pained, and he let out a sound of "Ugh-ah." His legs, suddenly without the pulling force, were in a downward-falling trend.
In the very next panel, his legs dropped, but because his shoulders were still being hoisted, the puppet threads that had gone through his arms held him up.
Ji Chuanze gritted his teeth and tilted his head back, this time having the guts not to make a sound.
The manga showed a panel of Ji Chuanze's legs and the ground. Perhaps due to that pull, the wounds on Ji Chuanze's body had split open, and a few drops of fresh blood had fallen to the ground. But what was even more terrifying was his knee. His pants were torn with two holes at the knee, revealing the severed kneecap inside, with the white bone almost visible.
【Holy shit! Yuan Lan is not human! This is animal abuse!! (Condemning) (Terrified) (Grabbing hair)】
【Help, it looks so painful! The faintly visible bone is about to clear my sanity meter! (Breaking down)】
【I suddenly feel that it's a good thing the protagonist group is being played like monkeys. At least they're not being tortured.】
【Just asking, is this the patella removal punishment? (Looking at the sky)】
【Little dog Ji should change his name. Don't call him Ji Chuanze anymore, call him Ji Bin (.)】
【Hahaha, damn it, I didn't want to laugh, but that previous bullet comment, Ji Bin, hahaha! (Covering face, laughing and crying)】
The manga gave three close-ups here.
In the first panel, a pair of long, pale fingers moved. Based on the skin color, it was not hard to guess that it was Bai Xuechao.
The second and third panels were vertically stacked. The upper panel showed a pair of listless red eyes. The snow-white eyelashes were slightly drooped, and the eyes were half-closed, giving off a sleepy feeling. In the panel below, the snow-white eyelashes were already lifted, and the beautiful, glass-bead-like red eyes had turned to the side, in the direction of Ji Chuanze.
The next panel was a close-up of the hoisted Ji Chuanze. Because he couldn't see clearly, his cold gray eyes seemed to be covered by a layer of gauze, misty and unfocused.
But his eyes were looking to the side, in the direction of Bai Xuechao.
The last was a panoramic shot, with the camera's perspective from the side.
Ji Chuanze was hoisted in the upper-left part of the frame. His right hand, facing the camera, was gripping the hilt of his Tang Hengdao. Based on the state of his knuckles and the back of his hand, it was clear that he was using a lot of force. His cold gray eyes were shifted towards the camera, his gaze lowered, looking at Bai Xuechao, who was standing in the lower-right of the frame.
Bai Xuechao's eyes had also turned in Ji Chuanze's direction. Since Ji Chuanze was hoisted up, he even tilted his head up slightly.
The two of them just looked at each other like that.
Further inside the frame, Yuan Lan was standing there. Ji Chuanze was actually hoisted up opposite him.
He had also noticed that Bai Xuechao was looking at Ji Chuanze, but he still had a faint smile on his face, so it was unclear what he was thinking.
【Holy shit, this last panel, it's divine! (Wiping drool)】
【In this picture, Axue and Little Ji have a kind of "one glance for a thousand years" feeling. One is being controlled, the other can't even see clearly, yet they're both looking at each other. Who understands my feelings, wuwu, my aunt, my uncle, my grandma, this is so shippable! (Language system has become chaotic)】
【I understand you from the previous comment! And there's a kind of tragic love story feeling (.). Yuan Lan seems like a stumbling block on their path to a happy ending.】
【Ahem, I have a feeling of a warlord forcing his concubine to watch the miserable state of her old lover. (Afraid to make a sound)】
【Hahaha, you guys are so good at imagining things! Your reputation as fanfiction writers is well-deserved. (Clapping)】
【Serious discussion, wifey's hand moved a little earlier. Is it because he saw Ji Chuanze being tortured and is about to break free from the special ability's control? (Touching chin)】
【If that's really the case, then their brotherhood is so moving (I mean real brotherhood), where's the "fire and water" in that!】
【"Fire and water" was what Little Ji said, but you guys know that Little Ji is a tsundere. (Shrugs)】
【Even if Xuexue really breaks free from control, in his current physical state, can he still fight Yuan Lan? (Covering face)】
【Bai Xuechao (pointing at himself): Me, fight Yuan Lan?】
The manga finally gave the protagonist group some screen time again.
The three of them had many new injuries, but none were fatal. They were bleeding, which showed that Yuan Lan was not being serious at all and had no intention of killing them for the time being.
Yuan Lan asked Bai Xuechao if he liked to watch duet dances.
Following that was a close-up of Xia Xiaoxi's expression.
Her brows were tightly knitted, and the ends of her eyebrows were turned down in an inverted V-shape. She let out a pained cry, "Ah!"
Next were two partial close-ups. One was a shot of puppet threads inserted into her elbow and wrist, and the other was a shot of puppet threads tightening around her legs.
After that was a medium shot of Xia Xiaoxi. She was wearing the SAIDB's black uniform. The legs under her black pleated skirt were wrapped in circles by two puppet threads, which were squeezing them tightly. Beads of blood oozed from the thin threads, and both of her legs were covered in these red, bloody marks.
【Ah! Damn it, Yuan Lan! I'm going to call the police on you! (Frustrated)】
【My daughter, ahhh, you bastard! You have the heart to lay a hand on my cute and beautiful daughter!! (Throws a combination of punches)】
【I'm so angry, I'm so angry. Yuan Lan, you better sleep with one eye open tonight. I'll come and kill you! (Darkly) (Sharpening knife)】
【Brother Hao is thick-skinned. Go after him! (Just kidding) (Just kidding)】
【Let me tell you a ghost story. A duet dance needs two people. Who's the other person? (Afraid to make a sound)】
【Brother Hao, Ling Feng, Little Ji, you choose (.)】
【It has to be Little Ji, right? He's already been hoisted up by puppet threads, although it would only take Yuan Lan a few seconds to grab another unlucky person.】
【Hiss, my daughter and little dog Ji doing a duet dance? I tried to imagine it... (Staring blankly)】
【The current state of modern crack-shipping (.)】