Chapter 126

Chapter 126

"You only brought back two limbs of meat?"

Xiāo Xīngxī was puzzled and didn't hesitate to voice her doubts.

Unexpectedly, Zheng Shu, who usually maintained a carefree demeanor, responded seriously, "Did the Kusuo Pocha you encountered have bullet marks on it?"

"No," Xiāo Xīngxī answered honestly. After a pause, seeing Zheng Shu's suddenly grave expression, she hesitantly asked, "Did the Kusuo Pocha you met... have bullet marks?"

"Yes," Zheng Shu frowned, "Its left side was riddled with bullet marks, only its right leg and arm remained intact, just like—"

He paused briefly, then looked intently at Zhuo Changdong and Feng Jinshan, "The same Kusuo Pocha they let go on their first hunting day."

"If it's still alive, we'll run into it again," Xiāo Xīngxī reasoned, not finding this strange. "We still have time; we can hunt another one tomorrow."

She also wanted to convey that to Xie Aqi.

"Time? We might have time, but there won't be any more Kusuo Pocha," Feng Jinshan chuckled after hearing her, "Don't you get it? Their numbers are limited. We've hunted them all in this instance. No matter how many of us go out with bait, we won't find another."

His words hung heavily over everyone, like a persistent cloud of gloom.

Xiāo Xīngxī, trembling slightly, cautiously glanced at Xie Aqi beside her, who remained expressionless, seemingly calm before a storm. The only reason they were still hopeful was that they were unaware of the limited number of Kusuo Pocha. After all, as long as there were Kusuo Pocha, they held hope to obtain another limb for the antibody vaccine from Zheng Shu and Chen Ningmo.

But now, that was impossible.

Of the two limbs Zheng Shu's group brought back, one was for their use, leaving just one for sale. But there was more than one person in need of the vaccine.

"We don't need to be so pessimistic," Meng Ni interjected, brushing her hair behind her ear and trying to comfort everyone. "I think Miss Xiāo is right. We still have time. We can decide after looking again tomorrow."

"Alright, since you say so, then sell us today's vaccine," Zhuo Changdong, recognizing Meng Ni's tactic, coldly said, "You can wait for tomorrow's new batch."

Meng Ni's charming smile faltered for a moment, but she maintained it, "Sorry, but we made the offer first. First come, first served."

"I don’t care about any first come, first served!" Feng Jinshan snapped impatiently, "I remember Zheng Shu saying that Xie Yin Xue has been very generous to the women. We men should help each other out too. If we ever need a vaccine, you promised to offer one free of charge. Now, Zhuo Changdong and I are willing to pay. You won't go back on your word, will you?"

Feng Jinshan's gaze was locked onto Zheng Shu's eyes as he delivered the last few sentences, with a hint of menace, as if warning him not to renege on his promise.

Zheng Shu's eyes widened slightly, recalling the promise he'd made.

He took a deep breath to calm his racing heart, trying to sound nonchalant, "Ah, but Miss Meng Ni said..."

Before he could finish, Chen Ningmo opened the glass vial and threw the flesh limb to Feng Jinshan, not leaving room for any bargaining, "Alright, it's sold to you."

Zheng Shu suddenly turned, his eyes slightly open, fixed on Chen Ningmo.

"Why are you looking at me with that expression?" Chen Ningmo retorted, his gaze flitting over Meng Ni and Mu Yujii, "Do you prefer selling to them over the men? Is one of them your lover? Or did you take a fancy to one?"

Zheng Shu's demeanor quickly returned to its casual state, replying nonchalantly, "Why would that be the case?"

"Xie Yinxue mentioned that we don't need many vaccines to pass, and doesn’t Yuan Sineng have a method that allows passing without any vaccine?" Chen Ningmo directed his attention away from Zheng Shu, pointing to Yuan Sineng, and addressed Meng Ni and Mu Yujii, "Why don’t you ask her?"

"As for Yuan Sineng, she..."

Having encountered Xie Yinxue outside, Xiao Xingxi knew that Yuan Sineng had no secret and was merely deceiving others. She wanted to expose Yuan Sineng but was abruptly restrained by Xie Ahqiu.

As Xiao Xingxi turned to Xie Ahqiu, she was met with a silent gesture to keep quiet.

At that moment, Xiao Xingxi feared upsetting Xie Ahqiu and naturally complied with her, choosing to remain silent.

Listening to these men, Meng Ni felt an overwhelming annoyance, wanting to lash out — what kind of secret did she possess that could be exchanged with Yuan Sineng? While Xie Yinxue's method wasn't off-limits, the claims of Yuan Sineng possessing a vaccine-free method, hinted that the message Xie Yinxue left on the wall might be either truth or fiction.

If it's a lie, they shouldn't attempt it.

If it's true, it still isn't wise to try.

Because after the attempt, she would transform into a hungry ghost named Gama.

At that point, she would no longer be considered "human" in this replica. By the rules, other participants could decapitate her and present her head to Kulte. Therefore, staying onboard the battleship would be perilous, and even if she could follow Xie Yinxue's footsteps to the outside, who knows what dangers lay beyond?

Most importantly...

Would others offer her ample vaccines and a chance to safely exit the battleship?

This is not only her reluctance to try but also why others are wary of this method!

If Xie Yinxue had kept the method to herself, it would have been one thing, but now that everyone knew, no one would give another participant, turned into a Gama, the chance to mimic Xie Yinxue’s escape from the battleship and pass successfully!

"Yes, exactly." Just as Meng Ni was at her wits' end, Mu Yujii, who had been quiet until now, spoke up confidently, "I do happen to have a secret that I'd like to exchange with Miss Yuan for her vaccine-free passage method."

"Miss Yuan, may I have a word with you privately?"

Yuan Sineng, suddenly called out, paused for a moment. Regaining her composure, she responded, "Sure, let’s discuss it in your quarters."

Thus, following Mu Yujin's lead, the two headed to her dormitory to exchange the so-called "secret". They weren’t gone for long, returning to the meditation room after about ten minutes.

Anxiously, Mengni asked, "How did it go?"

Mu Yujin nodded and generously handed over the human arm bait she'd been guarding, "Use our bait. I'm good with it."

Holding the arm bait, Mengni could scarcely believe it. Looking into Mu Yujin's eyes, a thousand words lingered on the tip of her tongue. But fearing Mu Yujin might change her mind, she merely expressed, "Thank you."

Mu Yujin replied with a smile, "It's only fair."

Since Mengni was initially willing to pay for the human arm bait for her use, Mu Yujin decided to give the bait to Mengni now that she had acquired the method to pass without the vaccine from Yuan Sining.

Meanwhile, Xie Ah Qiu continued to silence Xiao Xingxi until they watched Mengni place the arm bait into the vaccine machine. Only after an antibody vaccine was produced and administered did Xie Ah Qiu speak up, smiling slyly at Yuan Sining, "Miss Yuan, we have a secret to exchange with you as well."

Perhaps deceiving Mu Yujin earlier had boosted Yuan Sining's confidence. With growing ease, she replied with a chuckle, "What secret?"

Xie Ah Qiu stepped closer, whispering so only the two of them could hear, "A secret concerning Xie Yinxue."

At the mention of "Xie Yinxue", Yuan Sining's pupils contracted, and the color drained from her face.

This reaction pleased Xie Ah Qiu immensely.

It was the very reaction she was aiming for.

Earlier, at the tower, she had refrained from decapitating Xie Yinxue, understanding that if her first attempt failed, another wouldn't succeed, so she held back.

As she knelt on the ground begging Xie Yinxue to save her, she had little hope that he would. Yet to her surprise, he was more compassionate than she expected, revealing much to her.

"When Xiao Xingxi and I went hunting today, we encountered Xie Yinxue. He said that what he gave you wasn't a secret. So, what exactly did he give you?"

Yuan Sining's lips trembled, unable to respond.

But Xie Ah Qiu pressed on, "I wish to exchange this secret related to Xie Yinxue for a piece of flesh. After all, since you can pass without the vaccine, giving us a piece shouldn't be a problem, right?"

No problem?

No, it was a massive issue!

But could Yuan Sining refuse?

No, she couldn't refuse. If she did, Xie Ah-Qi would surely expose her lie. By now, the human arm bait from Mu Yuji and Meng Ni's group had been used by Meng Ni, awaiting the passage using her false method. Mu Yuji had even shared a secret with her.

If Mu Yuji discovered her deception, she would never let her go unscathed.

On reflection, giving just one piece of flesh to Xie Ah-Qi wouldn't be too harmful. Because the method Xie Yin Xue mentioned was genuine; she'd taken the vaccine for the past six days, and on the seventh, even without the vaccine, she would only transform into a hungry ghost but still retain her human form, meeting the criteria for passage.

She could just stay secluded in her dormitory and still pass.

"Fine, I'll trade with you!" Yuan Si Ning closed her eyes briefly, weighing her options, and finally relented, "Use a prosthetic limb as a decoy, and come to my dormitory with me."

Xie Ah-Qi agreed readily, then headed to the medical rack, fetching a mechanical prosthetic limb, "Let's go."

"Why do you need the prosthetic limbs for a mere exchange of secrets?" Pan Ruoxi, who had been watching Yuan Si Ning closely, noticed Xie Ah-Qi's actions, "And why two?"

Xie Ah-Qi, accommodating as always, replied, "My right arm is damaged, needs replacing. I have to amputate the left one for later. Is there an issue?"

Pan Ruoxi sensed that neither of them was being fully honest but couldn't find a fault immediately, begrudgingly relenting, "…No issues."

Yuan Si Ning and Xie Ah-Qi's absence was even briefer this time. Upon their return, Xie Ah-Qi sported a new mechanical right arm, and also held a slender, fair-skinned arm, presumably her amputated left one.

She then tossed the left arm into the vaccine maker, making a vaccine for herself. After administering it, she coldly said to Xiao Xingxi, "Use the meat we brought back today."

Xiao Xingxi thought he'd misheard, "Can I really use it?!"

Xie Ah-Qi scoffed, "Only if you keep your mouth shut about matters you shouldn't discuss."

Xiao Xingxi was almost overwhelmed with gratitude, "Of course, I'll remain silent."

Although unsure of the exact conversation between Xie Ah-Qi and Yuan Si Ning, he could guess it had to do with Xie Yin Xue. Grateful that Xie Ah-Qi had forgiven him for shooting her and allowing him to use the hunted meat for an unhindered passage, he decided to comply without a word.

Despite slight deviations from the morning's expectations, the outcome remained largely unchanged, if not better. Those who'd probably need to use Xie Yin Xue's method due to insufficient vaccine now only included Pan Ruoxi.

At least that's how it appeared on the surface.

With Pan Ruoxi always watching in the meditation room and one piece of flesh being blackmailed by Xie Ah-Qi, Yuan Si Ning found herself in a bind. Her desire to destroy the vaccine maker after making enough vaccine, preventing others from passing, had to be put on hold.

Thus, on the fourth night, no major incidents occurred within the battleship.

However, outside the battleship, the night was far from peaceful for Xie Yin Xue, Liu Bu Hua, and Bu Jiu Zhao, among others.

They are busy with their "move."

After all, their location at the tower had been exposed. Regardless of whether anyone comes looking for them in broad daylight tomorrow, for safety's sake, it would be best for them to spend the night somewhere else.

And when Liu Buhua left, he took the inkwell with him.

Even though the path was too dark for him to clearly see what was happening inside the battleship, he could still hear the sounds.

"It's karma, truly karma."

Having listened to the entire event as if tuning into a radio broadcast, Liu Buhua was not only in high spirits but even felt like clapping twice, "Yuan Sinning took two pieces of flesh from your godfather as hush money, and now she's being extorted for another piece by Xie Ahqi. It's indeed karma."

"It's a pity Miss Mu was deceived. I wonder what secret Yuan Sinning shared with her," he sighed. "However, even if she doesn't get vaccinated until the very last day, she should be able to pass through without issues."

"You don't need to worry about her; she's very smart," Xie Yinxue responded with a hint of a smile, casting a sidelong glance at Bu Jiuzhao. "Perhaps she willingly let herself be deceived by Yuan Sinning?"

Liu Buhua was once again confused: "Huh?"

Seeing that the young man had no intention of explaining, Liu Buhua decided not to dwell on the topic and shifted the conversation, "Speaking of which, Xie Ahqi surprisingly didn't expose Yuan Sinning's lies."

Not only did she not expose them, but she also stopped Xiao Xingxi from speaking out, waiting until Mu Yujie exchanged secrets and then using a human arm to lure Mengni before threatening Yuan Sinning, forcing her to agree to give up a piece of flesh.

Initially, Xie Ahqi's actions seemed like revenge on their behalf against Yuan Sinning. But whenever Liu Buhua thought of how this woman once tried to kill Xie Yinxue, he couldn't help but feel angry.

"Why are you angry?" To his surprise, Bu Jiuzhao, noticing the anger on his face, began to mock Xie Yinxue, "Your godfather, who repeatedly gets his kindness thrown back in his face, isn't upset, yet you are on his behalf?"

But you seem angrier than I do, don't you?

Of course, Liu Buhua didn't voice this thought, figuring that asking would only make Bu Jiuzhao even more furious.

However, Xie Yinxue did ask, "Why are you so infuriated? It's as if you, not I, were the one who was betrayed after showing kindness."

Liu Buhua was taken aback by this: Such words are akin to lighting a fuse; he knew that Bu Jiuzhao was upset out of concern for Xie Yinxue. Given such a thoughtless comment by his godfather, wouldn't Bu Jiuzhao explode?

But upon hearing this, Bu Jiuzhao seemed to choke on his words, and after a moment, he muttered, "They're not worth it."

"If I choose to save someone, I do so without any ulterior motive or expectation. There's no talk of worthiness," Xie Yinxue said nonchalantly. After speaking, he looked directly at Bu Jiuzhao, implying something, "As long as I'm willing, that's what I'll do."

Under Xie Yinxue's gaze, Bu Jiuzhao felt as if his every secret was being laid bare. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but in the end, he closed it, choosing to remain silent.

Reflecting on the recent events, Liu Buhua remarked, "None of these people are straightforward."

Apart from Ye Zhou, who had the misfortune of being decapitated by the relentless Kusuo on the first day, which of the remaining fourteen had simple thoughts? Without Xie Yinxue by his side, Liu Buhua felt he wouldn't last a day among this group.

"Get vaccinated and then go to sleep."

Xie Yinxue advised Liu Buhua not to overthink, but Liu felt that was impossible.

They spent the night in an abandoned hotel.

The hotel was in a secluded area, far from the wind zones. Several rooms with tightly shut windows and doors were well preserved. Liu Buhua, always so meticulous, prepared three rooms with beds for them. However, Xie Yinxue took the initiative to enter the room meant for Bu Jiuzhao.

How could Liu Buhua not overthink that?

Even Bu Jiuzhao had his suspicions.

Upon entering the room, the young man cornered him by the window and asked, "Bu Jiuzhao, do you find me attractive?"

Given that he was taller than Xie Yinxue, when the question was posed, the young man had to look up to meet his eyes.

The room was dark, with only a sliver of moonlight illuminating the interior. But for Bu Jiuzhao, this was no hindrance; he could clearly see the young man in front of him.

He could see his usually pallid face, now translucent in the moonlight, appearing even more delicate. His lips were pale, leaving an impression of fragility that evoked sympathy from all who looked upon him.

But Bu Jiuzhao disliked seeing Xie Yinxue in this wan state, he couldn't compliment it as 'beautiful', only commenting, "You look too ill."

After a brief pause, he added, "But the outfit suits you."

"Really?" Xie Yinxue took a few steps back, allowing a fuller view. "But the color isn't to your liking."

The nanotech protective suit was silver-grey, a muted shade that Bu Jiuzhao, who favored bright and gleaming golds, wouldn't typically find appealing.

"True, but it accentuates your slender waist."

As Bu Jiuzhao spoke, he moved closer to Xie Yinxue, reaching out to do what he had wanted to since he entered the room – he pulled the young man into a tight embrace.