Chapter 31

Chapter 31

At this moment, no one in the wooden cabin, no matter how human-like they appeared, would ever mistake them for real people. Whose skin melts like candle wax?

The male host went to fetch chairs, and this time, the Superpower Holders did not refuse, taking their seats.

Setting aside the fact that the entire family were supernatural beings, they were indeed a warm and hospitable bunch.

The problem was—how could anyone set that aside?

Who would dare eat food prepared by supernatural beings?

No matter how delicious it smelled, it was impossible!

Sheng Tianzong and the others sat at the table, their bowls filled with dishes the male host had served.

“This, this is my wife’s specialty—you’ve gotta try it,” the male host said as he placed a piece of chicken into Sheng Tianzong’s bowl.

After serving, he looked at the motionless, seemingly uneasy guests and asked with a smile, “Dig in! Why aren’t you using your chopsticks?”

He was smiling, yet it gave off an unnervingly eerie feeling.

The young Superpower Holder, under his gaze, felt his scalp crawl. He struggled to maintain a neutral expression, stiffly picking up a piece of meat with his chopsticks.

The meat looked tender and fragrant, its aroma wafting over and making his stomach growl.

He salivated, his body screaming: *Eat it, eat it now.*

The young Superpower Holder’s gaze glazed over, his stiff movements turning fluid as he slowly brought the piece of meat to his lips.

“Gu Kai!”

The young Superpower Holder snapped back to his senses, feeling the slimy texture of the meat against his lips. He hardly managed to keep his composure.

His mind raced, trying to figure out how to avoid eating the food without raising suspicion.

The middle-aged man who had been watching him intently turned icy. He stared fixedly, as if ready to attack the moment the food was rejected.

Gu Kai was stuck in a bind.

Maybe he should just eat it? It's only one piece of meat—it shouldn’t be a big problem. After completing the mission, he could ask Dr. Zhuang to cleanse him.

The tempting smell grew stronger, his mouth watering uncontrollably.

Yes, it was just ordinary meat. Eating a little bit wouldn’t hurt.

Gu Kai convinced himself, his mouth opening wider as the piece of meat moved closer.

The entire family’s attention was fixed on Gu Kai. As they watched his movements, their eyes lit up, like sharks that caught the scent of blood, waiting for their prey to fall into the trap.

“Aren’t you allergic?” Lin Juan nudged Gu Kai, accidentally bumping his hand and knocking the food off his chopsticks.

“Swish—”

All four family members turned their heads sharply toward Lin Juan.

They no longer seemed human—more like rats hiding in the dark, their eyes filled with the fury of stolen food, ready to pounce at any moment.

“Wasting food is shameful,” the middle-aged woman glared at Lin Juan, dark bluish-black mucus oozing from her eyes. “Those who waste food deserve to die!”

Though she scolded, her eyes held only excitement—like a rat hiding in the sewers, finally getting its chance to strike.

You Chuyao, sitting beside Lin Juan, felt her heart leap into her throat. Her hands, clenched at her sides, gripped her clothes tightly. She didn’t dare move.

Sheng Tianzong and the others prepared to act at any moment.

“He can’t eat it—he’s allergic,” Lin Juan said calmly, as if unaware of the family’s abnormality, his tone sincere. “Allergies are terrifying. You wouldn’t want a nice dinner to turn into a murder scene, would you?”

How bold!

The Superpower Holders watched in awe.

They kept a close watch on the family, ready to intervene if they attacked.

Strangely, the female host seemed convinced. She wiped her hands on her apron and said, “Is that so? I thought you knocked it off because you found my cooking unpalatable.”

“Why would I?” Lin Juan pretended to be hurt. “It’s really hurtful that you would think that.”

Sheng Tianzong and the others already knew Lin Juan was unpredictable, but they never expected him to be so bold in front of supernatural beings, twisting facts so effortlessly.

They also noticed that the family seemed constrained by some rule that prevented them from harming others freely, which made them relax a bit.

“Well…” The female host suppressed her anger, unable to vent it. She wanted to attack but was restricted, her expression contorted. “Then what do you want?”

“You hurt my feelings. Aren’t you going to apologize?” Lin Juan made as if to stand up. “Guess you're not as hospitable as you seemed after all. I should leave.”

Sheng Tianzong and the others watched in astonishment as he stood and headed for the door.

Their minds were reeling.

“Wait!” The male host stood up and pulled the female host's arm. “We were wrong. We apologize—we’re sorry.”

Lin Juan stopped but didn’t turn around.

The male host tugged at the female host again.

Reluctantly, she muttered, “Sorry.”

It sounded strained, as if spoken through gritted teeth.

Only then did Lin Juan turn back. “Alright, I forgive you.”

The Superpower Holders were speechless. It was the first time they had seen someone make supernatural beings apologize.

And he had succeeded.

Lin Juan casually slid his chair back and sat down. Noticing the female host sitting opposite him, he curled his lip. “Could you move to another seat? Having you across from me is ruining my appetite.”

The female host struggled to contain herself but finally lost her temper. She stood up abruptly and stormed off.

The daughter also rose. “I’d better check on Mom.”

Within moments, only the father and son remained in the living room.

Lin Juan swirled the soup in his bowl and complained unreasonably, “The food's gone cold. I don’t like cold food. Maybe you could heat them up?”

"You!" the young man snapped.

The middle-aged man shot him a sharp look and stood up. "The guest has a point. We'll go heat up the dishes."

He directed the young man to carry a few dishes while he himself took a large pot, heading toward the inner door.

The two children also each picked up a bowl, staggering as they followed the adults.

You Chuyao nearly stopped them, but fortunately, she kept her cool. She knew it wasn't the right time yet and forced herself to hold back.

Once sure everyone had left, the superpower holders breathed a collective sigh of relief.

"Mr. Lin, you're the man." Gu Kai gave a thumbs-up.

"So satisfying," another superpower holder sighed. "Watching the anomalies get owned feels so good."

No one knew how tense they had felt watching Lin Juan confront the anomalies, nor how exhilarating it was to see the anomalies left speechless and forced to concede.

With the living room now only their group remained, the Vanguard Squad members had many questions but weren't sure how to voice them.

Lin Juan, unbothered, spoke up first: "What are you all doing here?"

"We found out the landlord's family had been consumed by the Class B Anomaly 'Forest Cabin' and came to investigate," Sheng Tianzong explained.

"So the family of four just now was the landlord's family, victims of the vine-human hybrids?" Lin Juan understood and volunteered his own story. "I took on Ms. You's request to help her find her children."

"Those two kids?" Gu Kai asked.

"Yes. They must be being controlled. You mentioned there's a Class B Anomaly here—is it this wooden cabin?"

If the entire cabin was the Class B Anomaly, it made sense why he hadn't sensed the source of contamination despite being here for so long—the whole house was the source.

You Chuyao, inexperienced with anomalies, listened in terror. "Can my children be saved? They don't recognize me anymore. I... I don't know what to do."

"We need to determine first if they've mutated. As long as they haven't fully mutated, they can be saved," Sheng Tianzong reassured.

"What do we do next?" Gu Kai scratched his head. "The landlord's family insists we eat. Can we really consume the food here?"

No matter how daring they were, they couldn't bring themselves to eat food prepared by anomalies.

"What were you thinking when you ate earlier?" Lin Juan turned to Gu Kai. Sitting beside him, Lin Juan had clearly sensed that Gu Kai was under some mind control while eating.

Gu Kai tried hard to recall. "At the time, I just thought it smelled really good and that having a little wouldn't hurt, and then..."

He trailed off, horrified. The Vanguard Squad had undergone professional training and knew better than anyone that anomaly items shouldn't be touched casually. How could he have thought it was okay to eat a little?

"I must have been controlled," Gu Kai quickly reasoned. "We're inside the 'Forest Cabin'—it's easy to succumb to its control."

"After all, it's a Class B Anomaly. We must not let our guard down."

"Right!"

Lin Juan shared his observation: "There must be some rules in this house. As the absorbed homeowners, they have to follow these rules. Otherwise, after all the times I provoked them, they should have attacked long ago."

He paused before continuing, "But they didn't. Not only that, they apologized even when unwilling after I demanded it. They even complied with my unreasonable requests. They must be constrained by rules."

"I suspect they can only attack after we eat the food they prepared."

"Very likely," Sheng Tianzong pondered. "It seems they're determined to make us eat. We can't stall indefinitely."

"Can't we just keep delaying?" Gu Kai wondered. "Like what Mr. Lin did earlier—keep stirring the pot for them."

They decided to give it a try.

The warmed-up food was brought out again.

The Vanguard Squad members followed Lin Juan's lead, picking fights in various ways. At first, the family of four put up with it, but after a few times, their gazes held more than just restraint—there was something else.

An unsettling eagerness.

Lin Juan and Sheng Tianzong shared a glance and stopped the superpower holders from continuing to provoke.

Lin Juan clearly saw a flicker of disappointment in the male homeowner's eyes.

They wanted them to keep causing trouble.

Why the change in attitude?

Was there a new rule targeting them?

Could the homeowners retaliate after a certain level of provocation?

"This steak looks good." Lin Juan cut into the perfectly plated steak on his plate. Lu Yanzhou had once said he should try his cooking; he'd have Lu Yanzhou make it for him after they returned.

As he cut, Lin Juan drifted off in thought. Soon, the steak was sliced into uneven pieces piled on the plate.

"Sorry, I haven't had much Western food. Not too skilled with a knife and fork." Though he apologized, his tone held not a shred of sincerity.

He stabbed a piece and held it under the light for a careful inspection.

It looked ordinary, just regular meat.

"Then the guest should enjoy it properly. My steak is no worse than any Michelin restaurant's," the male homeowner said, his words through clenched teeth.

It was no surprise. Anyone subjected to four or five people finding fault, having to reprepare a meal seven or eight times—from Chinese to Western—would be irritable.

He glared fixedly at Lin Juan, both hoping he would eat the steak and that he would cause more trouble. Just one more provocation, and they could finally eat.

After all, even the most gracious host would eventually get angry after repeated complaints—that much fit the rules.

Unfortunately, Lin Juan didn't continue provoking.

After examining the steak, he placed it back on the plate.

The male homeowner followed his movements, now without concern and unafraid of further trouble. He asked maliciously, "Why isn't the guest eating?"

"Where did you buy this steak?"

Lin Juan's sudden question left the male homeowner thrown off.

"Where did we buy it?" A moment of confusion flashed across his face. "Naturally, from the market. Yes, all the ingredients are from the market."

"Which one?" The male homeowner looked even more bewildered. "The one in the east of the city, I think. Huaiji Farmers' Market."

Sheng Tianzong's heart skipped a beat. The landlord's family had lived in the east of the city and often went to Huaiji Farmers' Market. Even after being transformed, did they still retain their original memories?

Did they remember everything, or only parts?

Questions raced through Sheng Tianzong's mind, but he showed nothing on his face and followed up with a few questions of his own.

They discovered that the alienated landlord's family had only scattered memories of the past, mostly related to routine activities like grocery shopping and cooking.

"Eat up now," the landlord urged impatiently after being questioned repeatedly. "If you don’t eat soon, the food will get cold."

What should they do?

The Vanguard Squad members stared at the dishes on the table, faced with a dilemma.

Should they try to eat a little?

No, they couldn’t.

But if they didn’t eat, judging by the expressions of the landlord’s family, something might happen.

Having asked and probed all they could, Lin Juan picked up his fork and put a piece of meat into his mouth.

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, he chewed it slowly and swallowed.

After finishing, he wiped his mouth with a napkin and gave his approval: "It tastes good."

"We’re glad you like it," the landlord said, dropping all pretense. His mouth split into a wide grin that reached his ears. "Since you enjoyed it, have some more."

The Vanguard Squad members watched helplessly as Lin Juan chewed and swallowed the steak, too late to stop him. Before they could react, the male landlord turned his head toward them.

His body remained still, but his neck rotated unnaturally as he urged, "Hurry up and eat, all of you."

The greed in his eyes was unmistakable, as if they were the delicacies laid out on the table, waiting to be devoured by the landlord’s family. The thought made Sheng Tianzong's spine go cold.

Should they eat?

Why did Lin Juan eat it?

Was it really safe to consume food made by these supernatural beings?

Where did these ingredients actually come from?

Were they even normal food?

Questions raced through their minds. Though they pondered deeply, only moments had passed. The remaining members of the landlord’s family also turned their heads toward them, bodies motionless, heads twisting.

It gave them the feeling that no matter what choice they made, the landlord’s family would attack.

At this crucial moment, a sudden "snort" broke the tense atmosphere.

Several heads turned in unison toward Lin Juan.

Lin Juan covered his mouth, amusement in his eyes. "Sorry, I just thought of a famous dish when I saw you all—stargazing pie. Have you heard of it?"

His remark made it harder for the power-wielders to hold back their laughter.

It really looked similar.

They had to hold it in—they couldn’t laugh.

Struggling to suppress their smiles, the atmosphere eased immediately.

After laughing, Lin Juan put down his fork. The metal clinked against the porcelain plate with a crisp sound.

"I’m done eating. I’d like to see your kitchen. Is that alright?"

His request was abrupt, which puzzled not only the landlord’s family but also Sheng Tianzong and the others. Why did he suddenly want to go to the kitchen?

"Sure."

The male landlord’s grin widened. His appearance grew less and less human, but his excited expression made it clear he was quite pleased to let the guest see the kitchen.

What was in the kitchen?

Lin Juan and the male landlord went to the kitchen. Soon after, they heard the sound of something heavy falling, followed by the landlord’s family—sitting across from them—their faces changed and rushing toward the kitchen.

Two of them stumbled midway, couldn't stand, and ended up crawling toward the kitchen.

Gu Kai exclaimed in shock. "What’s going on?"

Sheng Tianzong, however, seemed to have figured something out. "According to the information we gathered, the landlord’s family has completely transformed. But after we entered the house, we didn’t see any plants in the living room. Only outside did we see the green vines covering the forest cabin. That means there are vines inside the Forest Cabin. So, where are they?"

"In the kitchen!"

"Whether they’re there or not, we'll see for ourselves."

Several supernaturals rose. You Chuyao quickly rose as well. "I’m coming too. My children are in there."

Her two children had followed the landlord’s family into the kitchen.

"No, we’ll get you out first," Sheng Tianzong said, assigning one power-wielder to take You Chuyao away.

You Chuyao looked back every few steps, reluctant to leave but aware that she would only be a burden rather than a help.

"My children…"

"We will definitely bring your children out."

Sheng Tianzong’s decision was sound, but he overlooked one thing: no predator easily lets its prey escape, and these supernatural entities were no exception.

The power-wielder escorting You Chuyao was trapped.

Though the door was clearly visible not far ahead, no matter how they tried, they couldn’t reach it. The power-wielder had no choice but to retreat with You Chuyao.

They hadn’t been gone long. Seeing them return, Sheng Tianzong frowned. "No exit?"

"No," the power-wielder reported what happened.

"Then we’ll have to stay together," Sheng Tianzong said, raising his hand. The power-wielders followed closely behind.

The kitchen door was ajar. Looking through the gap, they saw only darkness.

Sheng Tianzong halted and used his power. "Starfire" ignited a small flame, to light the way.

Pushing the door open, an intense light forced them to close their eyes. When they opened them again, the power-wielders stood stunned.

Before them was not the kitchen they had imagined, but a raw, overgrown conservatory.

Verdant vines covered every inch of the space. Thick tendrils writhed, turning up blood-red earth beneath and revealing numerous remains.

Including, but not limited to, human, horse, cow, and sheep remains…

Gu Kai’s keen eyes spotted a half-exposed skull dislodged by the writhing vines.

Where's Mr. Lin?

Lin Juan stood atop a thick vine, standing on stacked human skins. His hair flew wildly, and his appearance was so supernaturally grotesque that he looked straight out of a horror movie.

“Mr. Lin?” Gu Kai called out cautiously.

Calling out to their colleague, all the superpower holders gripped their weapons tightly, ready to attack at the first sign of trouble.

Hearing the voice, Lin Juan turned around: “Why are you all here?”

As soon as he spoke, the eerie aura around him vanished, and he returned to the Lin Juan the superpower holders knew.

“We were worried. Are these the actual forms of the landlord’s family?”

“Most likely.” Lin Juan jumped down from the thick vine, turned around, and retrieved two unconscious children from the gaps between the vines.

“Dabao! Xiaobao!” You Chuyao rushed forward anxiously.

The vines thrashed violently, making it difficult to cross. You Chuyao had only taken a few steps before she stumbled and fell.

“Ms. You, I’ll bring the children over. Get back now! These vines are alive!”

As soon as Lin Juan spoke, You Chuyao felt countless mouths sprouting from the vines she had touched, devouring her flesh.

Sheng Tianzong reacted swiftly, yanked her to safety.

Where her legs and hands had made contact with the vines, numerous small holes had been bitten into her flesh, blood flowing out and dripping onto the vines, which writhed even more violently.

Lin Juan covered the distance in three leaps, carrying the children.

Vines continuously lunged at him, but he snapped them off cleanly.

It was a nerve-wracking crossing over a short distance.

The superpower holders held their breath until Lin Juan arrived safely, then finally relaxed.

Lin Juan handed the children to You Chuyao: “They’re still alive. Once we’re out, get Dr. Zhuang to check them.”

You Chuyao nodded repeatedly, holding the children she thought she’d lost tightly.

“Oh no! The door is closed!”

A superpower holder standing by the door jiggled the knob forcefully, but it wouldn’t open.

As they prepared to force it open, a thick vine slithered over, blocking the door, followed by a second, a third… until the exit was completely sealed.

Suddenly, the entire space began to shake. The ground trembled, forcing everyone to grab onto something, but any contact with the vines resulted in bites.

The superpower holders launched attacks, forcing the vines to retreat and carving out a small safe area.

You Chuyao was shielded in the center by the Vanguard Squad.

“Give me back my child! You child-stealing thief!”

A furious shout echoed as a vine shot straight toward Lin Juan, its tip morphing into a familiar face—the young woman who had welcomed them into the house.

“Give us back our children!”

“Return the children!”

Mixed voices surged like waves from all directions, as if the accused had committed an unforgivable crime.

Lin Juan barked a laugh: “The children’s real mother is right here. Which children of yours are you talking about?”

He grabbed the vine and snapped it in two with a crisp crack.

The vine with the woman’s face fell to the ground and was quickly devoured by other vines. It was as if a switch had been flipped—countless vine tips began sprouting human-like faces.

“I’ll go find the root of the vines. Sheng Tianzong, can you handle things here?”

Sheng Tianzong activated his superpower “Starfire,” igniting numerous vines. The other superpower holders also unleashed their abilities, attacking the vines.

“Yes, go ahead and find it.”

With that response, Lin Juan plunged toward the center of the vines.

He knew where the root was—he had extracted the two children from there earlier.

The vine root was thick, formed by four similarly sized vines twisted together, indistinguishable from one another.

*If only I had a hoe,* Lin Juan thought.

As the idea crossed his mind, a hoe abruptly appeared beside him.

Lin Juan: ?

Since when did I have the ability to manifest things at will?

He picked up the hoe. It was made of wood. Lin Juan tested its weight lightly, then, regardless of where it came from, steadied his stance and brought it down hard.

A loud crash echoed as the massive vine root was severed cleanly at its base.

Thick green fluid flowed out like blood.

Lin Juan inspected it and landed two more blows at the break.

The vine was completely severed.

The chaotically thrashing vines suddenly stilled, then slowly vanished.

The landlord’s family reappeared before Lin Juan.

They merged into a single entity, countless faces emerging across its form.

Their gaze toward Lin Juan was filled with undisguised malice.

“You are a monster.”

The same words spilled from countless mouths, different voices echoing through the empty space, penetrating Lin Juan’s mind from all directions.

As the vines disappeared, Sheng Tianzong arrived with the others, just in time to hear those words.

His heart skipped a beat as he looked at Lin Juan with concern.

A hot-tempered superpower holder retorted angrily: “You’re the monster here! How dare you call someone else a monster? Shameless!”

Lin Juan wasn't much affected: "Oh, flattery—I am indeed strong, no need for you to emphasize that."

The monster covered in faces was so enraged that every face on its body twisted: "You thief who steals children!"

"They are clearly my own children! You’re the one stealing kids!" Having retrieved the children for her, You Chuyao couldn’t stand anyone slandering him and shot back.

Lin Juan looked around. As the vines vanished, the surroundings revealed their true appearance: crimson soil mixed with debris on the ground, grimy walls—the entire room was ruined beyond recognition.

"Speaking of which," Lin Juan recalled the inexplicably appearing hoe and suggested seriously, "You folks snatch kids just 'cause they're cute. Well, I think your cabin is quite nice too—how about giving it to me?"

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Author's note: The supernatural being: The natural order is reversed!