"Afraid of you? Afraid of what? Afraid your scalpel will cut my skin? Or afraid of your cruelty?" Ye Lanshan brushed aside his scalpel, her tone carrying an indescribable calm, as if nothing could stir even a trace of emotion in her.
"You really are a transmigrator." Lu Renjing let out a low, muffled laugh, a hint of madness in his eyes, the whites tinged with red, yet still retaining a sliver of clarity, as if he hadn't completely lost his reason.
"So what if I am? So what if I'm not? That seems to have nothing to do with you." A bit of Xia Ri's blood stained Ye Lanshan's fingers—the person she had so carefully nurtured was now dead just like that.
"Nothing to do with me? How could it have nothing to do with me?" Lu Renjing shook her wildly with both hands, not caring whether the scalpel might cut her.
Ye Lanshan moved swiftly, subduing him and forcing him to his knees on the ground, his entire body completely immobilized.
"Not bad skills. So, in the modern world, what kind of role did you play? Let me guess."
"Police? Hmm~" He shook his head abruptly. "Usually, police are full of justice, but you saw such a brutal scene without sorrow or joy—doesn't fit."
"An assassin? That's possible." He nodded to himself, utterly unconcerned that he was being humiliatingly pressed to his knees by her.
"Since you enjoy guessing so much, let me guess about you too. Judging by your appearance, you don't seem like a doctor at all, more like a mad scientist." Ye Lanshan narrowed her eyes, her voice icy cold. There was no doubt that if she could kill this man, she would slash down without hesitation.
But the truth was, though it seemed she had Lu Renjing under control, he was actually controlling her. He couldn't move, and neither could she—his scalpel was pressed precisely against her vital point, leaving her unable to advance or retreat.
"Then you're wrong. I am indeed a doctor, and a very skilled one at that." Lu Renjing said with ease, loosening his grip on the scalpel slightly.
Ye Lanshan took the chance to release him. He stood up with utmost elegance, tidying himself meticulously from head to toe. Looking at him like that, he did seem like a doctor—provided, of course, you ignored all the cruel things he had done.
"A doctor? Then you really don't look like one." Ye Lanshan stood quietly across from him, the ethereal aura she couldn't quite conceal somewhat diminished by her lazy tone.
"Don't look like one? It seems everyone thinks that." Lu Renjing showed no surprise, though inwardly he felt a bit disappointed. He had thought that as fellow transmigrators, she would understand him.
"But I have to admit, you have unparalleled talent in medicine, being able to create so many mutated species." Ye Lanshan lowered her head, her expression unreadable, though her voice was crisp. Its only flaw was that it carried no emotion at all.
"What's that worth? Such surgeries were already done in the modern era." Lu Renjing dismissed it carelessly, but he was intensely curious about how Ye Lanshan could remain expressionless, devoid of any feeling, after watching someone under her die so miserably.
"You're not just a surgeon. You must also be a very famous psychologist, constantly studying the minds of all kinds of people." Ye Lanshan lifted her head, her eyes utterly calm, but her words were a statement of fact.
The smile on Lu Renjing's face froze. He hadn't expected Ye Lanshan to be so sharp. "Correct, I am indeed a psychologist."
Ye Lanshan turned around and said leisurely, "In that case, shouldn't you let me go now?"
"Do you think that's possible? After finally finding a unique soul like yours, how could I bear to let you go?" Lu Renjing's voice grew manic, as if the last shred of clarity was about to be consumed.
"You can't stop me." Ye Lanshan's voice finally carried some emotion—a confident, bold one.
"Is that so?" His hand suddenly stretched out long, like a rope.
But how could Ye Lanshan not be on guard?
Lu Renjing had his own strangeness and strength, and she naturally had her own life-saving tricks.
No matter what moves Lu Renjing used, he couldn't catch her. She slipped away like an eel, sliding aside every time he touched her.
"Go quickly!" An urgent voice reached the cave entrance, and those who had been guarding it scattered in all directions.
By the time Lu Renjing rushed to the cave entrance, there was no trace of anyone—only desolation as far as the eye could see.
"Interesting. Truly worthy of someone from the same place as me." He curled his lips, a wild smile spreading across his face, showing no sign of displeasure.
"Chief, are we just going to let this go?" Song Yanyu stared at the empty wasteland, a fierce hatred burning in her eyes.
"If she died just like that, wouldn't it be too boring? Remember, this game has only just begun." Lu Renjing licked his lips, the madness in his eyes intensifying.
"Young master, you're back." Qingdai had been sitting at the door, gazing into the distance. Where there had been nothing, a few black dots appeared. She rubbed her eyes and looked closer—wasn't that Ye Lanshan and the others? Great, they had finally returned.
Qingdai smiled happily, but as she did, her expression began to shift. No, Ye Lanshan, Muxin Lian, Feng Qing, Huo Feiyan—no matter how she counted, there were only four figures. What about Xia Ri? Why wasn't Xia Ri back?
Well, she subconsciously overlooked Ye Yutian, but that wasn't neglect—Ye Yutian was too strong to worry about. Right now, her greatest concern was Xia Ri, and Xia Ri hadn't returned.
A bad feeling slowly surfaced in her heart. No, how could it be? That was absolutely impossible. She shook her head violently, trying to cast the thought away.
"Where's Xia Ri?"
"Xia Ri, she..."
Ye Lanshan's expression was heavy, her eyes sorrowful. Without her needing to say more, Qingdai already understood. Her earlier thought had been right—Xia Ri was dead.
Qingdai's vision went dark, and she nearly collapsed. This was a sister who had shared life and death with them, the one who trained the hardest in their daily practice.
Her most frequent saying was: "I must be strong. I will protect you all. I will repay the young master's kindness for recognizing my talent. I will do my utmost to teach all of you."
Though there were always some frictions among the sisters, their bond only grew stronger through them. She had been overjoyed, thinking the young master could rescue Xia Ri, but instead, she received such devastating news.
Originally, Xia Ri hadn't been the one chosen for the experiment, but she had stepped forward without hesitation, knowing full well it was a cruel, perilous ordeal. Yet she had still smiled and comforted them: "It's fine. Maybe before they can do anything to me, the young master will have already arrived."
Perhaps even in her final moments, she had been filled with hope that the young master would save her.
"What did you say? Xia Ri, she..."
The others couldn't continue. The sisters who had been with Xia Ri choked up, tears streaming down their faces.
"Young master, please, you must avenge Xia Ri." Qingdai enunciated each word clearly, her voice brimming with overwhelming hatred.
"Don't worry. I won't let her die in vain." Ye Lanshan was silent for a long moment before finally deciding to build a cenotaph for her.