novellhall Chapter 88, The Holy Embryo
Chapter 88, The Holy Embryo
The apartment was eerily quiet, with the remains of a corpse bearing an unbelievable face.
Cheng Chen crouched down and found a work badge in the corpse's chest pocket. It read:
[Wang Zhichao, Level 1 Staff Member, Yincheng Magic Affairs Bureau]
He looked at the name tag several times and confirmed that he had no recollection of the name.
Looking around the room, all that could be seen were cheap furniture and empty takeout bags piled up by the door. The air was eerily quiet, with only the hum of the computer fan whirring in the background.
He turned and went into the bedroom, where he saw another body.
Her skin was as white as snow, without a trace of flesh color; she wore a gorgeous pink Lolita tutu; and her serene, closed face was adorned with heavy makeup.
He seemed to have seen a similar scene twice before.
Cheng Chen couldn't help but frown.
When the first "Glorious Lord" was killed, it was also in a simple apartment, with an arrogant madman and the corpse of a beautiful girl; after going around in circles, when the second "Glorious Lord" was killed, a very similar scene appeared.
If he weren't mentally impaired, he should have noticed something was wrong by now.
Suddenly, he plunged the holy sword into the floor.
The entire space flickered a few times as if malfunctioning, and then shattered.
Scattered fragments danced in the air, and in the blink of an eye, Cheng Chen reappeared in an unfamiliar environment.
The same apartment, a man who died with his eyes wide open, and the girl's corpse.
"This is…"
With a furrowed brow, Cheng Chen chose to slash at the girl's corpse with his sword for the second time.
The blade easily sliced the flesh in two, without any blood or gore splattering. Instead, it looked like cutting through a piece of rubber. From the cross-section of the corpse, it was just a well-made doll model.
"wrong!"
He swung his sword again, this time infusing it with the power of [Miracle], intending to pull the apartment, the man's body, and the girl's body into his mental image, 'Savage Hill of Decay'.
But it failed.
He was still standing in the bedroom of the apartment, but suddenly the upper half of the severed girl's body opened her eyes.
"Enough, gatekeeper."
Cheng Chen looked at her but didn't say anything.
"We shouldn't have met so soon, and you're not ready to meet me." The girl's voice lacked any human vitality, sounding more like a programmed message, yet every word carried an arrogant air of superiority.
"Who are you?"
Cheng Chen pointed the holy sword at her.
"Me?" The girl smiled sweetly, which was rather unsettling. "The first man I met called me 'Holy Embryo.' A name is just a label, so you can call me that too. When we meet, prepare a sacrifice that satisfies me, and perhaps you'll be fortunate enough to hear my real name."
Holy Embryo.
Cheng Chen remained expressionless. Chu Kai had mentioned it, and the man had also mentioned it when he begged for mercy earlier.
"It seems you are the culprit behind everything. Only by killing you can everything be over." He raised his sword high.
The hero's glory shines on the sword's edge, and the surging magic converges into a sun.
"If you think you can kill me, then go ahead and try."
The girl's tone was nonchalant; she was quite satisfied with Cheng Chen's performance, her eyes full of admiration. "However, I can give you a chance."
"What opportunity?"
"Let me see the chance to glimpse the true landscape of the world..." She raised her hand, touched her forehead, and then laughed. "In your system, magic is divided into five regular levels, and a sixth level after breaking the limits. How is it described again? Sublimation? Hehehe, how cute."
"Let me put it simply: I'll give you power and knowledge that will allow you to surpass the sixth, even the seventh or eighth tier, in exchange for your obedience, nurturing, and submission. How about this deal?"
"Nurture?"
Cheng Chen raised his eyebrows.
"I already told you, I am the 'Holy Embryo'!" the girl said with a charming smile. "And your answer?"
"What makes you think I'd accept this?" Cheng Chen's tone remained unchanged. "Just because you boast? Or is your background dubious?"
"Because you are ambitious."
The girl suddenly lowered her voice, describing in an extremely seductive manner, "With your knowledge, it's hard to tell what I really am, isn't it? How I control the minds of those useless people, how I grant them power and knowledge far exceeding their own, how I trap you in this unbreakable apartment..."
"Even the 'mentor' in your memory would find it difficult to do this, right? And these are just the tip of the iceberg of my great existence."
Cheng Chen asked calmly, "Then why don't you just control me directly?"
"Because of respect."
Without hesitation, the girl replied, "You're different from those good-for-nothings. Although you're still a gatekeeper, you deserve my favor, which is why I'm here talking to you."
This is a lie.
Cheng Chen certainly didn't believe such nonsense about "favor". The only reason he could think of was that the other party was still lost in the mental wasteland of "the girls who inherited the hero's weapon"!
A miracle can destroy him, and it can also protect him.
"tutor……"
A white-clad loli figure flashed through his mind. The mentor hadn't just randomly chosen this [Miracle] instance for him!
"Have you finished speaking?"
When they came to their senses, the light on the holy sword grew brighter and brighter, to the point that it was impossible to open their eyes.
The girl noticed his emotions, and her smile vanished.
"This is your only chance. If you refuse me, I will make you forever sink into a state of regret."
"Thank you, but before that, let me test whether you're truly unkillable."
Cheng Chen swung his holy sword, a strike that combined all his sublimated magic power with the power of the [Miracle] spell.
The light quickly erased everything.
The girl's expression turned completely cold. "I gave you a chance."
boom!
The girl's body vanished, and a huge mushroom cloud rose into the sky above Yincheng, turning the night as bright as day.
Cheng Chen knelt in the molten pit, completely naked, panting heavily.
The previously boastful "holy fetus," the apartment building, and the girl's corpse had all vanished.
"So... hehe... what's the use of just talking without doing anything?"
Cheng Chen raised his middle finger to the sky.
"Go tell my 'miracle' what you have to say, pshaw!"
……
[Good morning, listeners. Welcome to the morning news.]
The major magical disaster that struck Longyin District of our city yesterday has now been quelled. It is reported that the disaster injured 1162 people and caused significant damage to public property. Detailed information about the disaster has been released to the public by Vice Mayor Liang Ziyi. Cleanup and reconstruction work is currently underway. Residents are advised to stay home and avoid unnecessary outings. For assistance, please call…
"That was too reckless!"
Jiang Fei grumbled and swore as she bustled around the room.
She poured the purple, taro-like potion down Cheng Chen's throat, watching him swallow it in large gulps to avoid choking.
"Were you out of your mind? You didn't need to fight that damned Master Huihuang to the death, and you even made threats in front of that 'Holy Embryo'. Even in the end, there were clearly safer options, but you had to go for the cool one, blowing up half of the Dragon's Blood District and getting yourself all injured at the same time." She kept complaining, while Cheng Chen started to twitch and roll his eyes.
"Oh, I'm sorry."
Before choking him to death, Jiang Fei put down the potion bottle.
"I have my reasons," Cheng Chen replied, panting heavily.
"What reason do you have?!"
Jiang Fei was furious. "Do you know how much economic loss your light cannon caused? Although we don't have to pay compensation, most of Yincheng's resources will have to be invested in reconstruction and cleanup. Our entertainment businesses will be the first to have to suspend operations to make way for reconstruction. Do you know how long our business will be suspended?"
"It's a good opportunity to give the company's idols and trainees a short break, no problem."
Cheng Chen remained indifferent.
"Whatever, it's fine. No pay for holidays! That's all my money!"
The woman, Scrooge, looked heartbroken.
"Speaking of which, did you go and find out what the 'Holy Embryo' actually is?" Cheng Chen asked.
"Unclear, some kind of mind-altering, malevolent entity?"
Jiang Fei sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed.
She propped herself up with one hand, leaned closer to Cheng Chen, and looked into his eyes: "Besides you, no one has ever seen the 'Holy Embryo'. Chu Kai has never seen it, Chu Junzhuo has never seen it, Wang Zhichao may have seen it but he is dead, we don't even know if it is a 'embryo'."
She rested her head on her arm and turned to look at me: "I can't find this word in any ancient book or record. If things hadn't turned out this way, I would have even thought you made it up."
Why is the Holy Embryo controlling "Glorious Lord" and targeting Jiang Fei and Yinfu Entertainment?
"have no idea."
"Can we find any clues from the demon's corpse that the kitten killed at the beginning, and that severed hand?"
"have no idea."
Jiang Fei closed her eyes. She hadn't slept since yesterday, and her face showed obvious signs of fatigue.
"But at least we can confirm that 'The Glorious Lord' is really dead. His original plan was probably to use Chu Kai's identity to further deepen our cooperation with the Xianmeng Group, thereby extending his reach."
She blinked her beautiful eyes. "You thwarted his plan in advance, otherwise I don't know how much longer we would have been playing hide-and-seek with that damn 'holy fetus'. Anyway, the matter is now over."
She didn't mention anything about "finding the Holy Embryo".
In the magical world, when you encounter situations that you cannot understand or find strange, the best course of action is to ignore them.
Curiosity can kill anyone who tries to pursue the truth. It's better to immerse yourself in the binary narrative of magical girls and demons, and become either a champion of justice or a supervillain.
It's shameful to bury your head in the sand, but it's useful.
Cheng Chen was quiet for a moment, then suddenly remembered something: "The puppet she controlled is dead, so she will definitely look for a new successor."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Fei, who had just been sleeping peacefully with her eyes closed, sat up abruptly as if she had come back from the dead.
She rubbed her temples in annoyance and pouted in dissatisfaction:
"Do you really have to delve into this kind of thing?"
"I'm just stating a possibility."
Cheng Chen remained unmoved, slowly sorting out his thoughts: "Her condition must be flawed, otherwise she wouldn't need to use a puppet to act. She mentioned 'nurturing,' which means that at least part of her purpose is to collect resources to support herself."
Jiang Fei covered her mouth and yawned.
Seeing Cheng Chen's still grave expression out of the corner of his eye, he sighed helplessly, "How do you plan to investigate?"
"There are still a few questions I don't understand, and I'm thinking about them."
Cheng Chen pondered.
For example, how did the "Holy Embryo" control the puppet to deceive Chu Kai and make him cooperate? Is the "Holy Embryo" related to the destruction of the Holy Temple Disaster Relief Institute back then?
"I object. Based on the information we have so far, the 'Holy Embryo' is too strange. She might be hoping you'll go to great lengths to investigate it."
"No, perhaps what she said to me at the end was just a bluff, and her condition was worse than I thought."
The two stared at each other, wide-eyed.
After a moment, Jiang Fei was the first to back down, "Going up like this indefinitely won't get us anywhere. Let's take a break. Aren't you tired?"
She leaned back again, her hands and feet fidgeting as she wrapped Cheng Chen's blanket completely around herself.
"No matter what this 'Holy Embryo' is, at least for the time being, no one will target us or try to cause trouble. Moreover, the credit for handling this disaster almost entirely goes to Yinfu Entertainment, which is a huge boost to the company's reputation. The subsequent press conferences, interviews, business recovery... we're working overtime every day and we're almost exhausted." She buried her face in the blanket and complained in a muffled voice.
Cheng Chen gently clenched his fist, feeling the somewhat disordered magical power within his body, which only made him more resolute.
There are indeed many unimaginable beings in this world who have broken through the fifth level, but have only gone from taking their first steps to just learning to walk upright.
He began to have the right to see the reality of the world.
But it would be a big mistake to think of oneself as a strong person.
"Oh, right."
Just as Jiang Fei closed her eyes to prepare for a nap, she suddenly remembered something. "You have three meeting appointments, and the official letters have already been sent to the company."
Which three?
Cheng Chen composed himself and asked the question.
"The first one is the Asura Lord," Jiang Fei said. "He wants to invite you to a private antique appreciation event, probably to introduce you to some people in his circle."
"Lord Asura..."
Cheng Chen pondered. The other party might know something about the Holy Temple Disaster Relief Institute, so it was worthwhile to make more contact with them.
But now is not the time.
He shook his head. "Let's cancel that one first. What about the second one?"
"The second... collaboration on the ten-school joint performance was originally handled by Chu Kai, but now Xianmeng Group has a new person in charge. Before that..."
Jiang Fei's lazy voice paused, then became serious.
"The fairy and the demon princess want to see you."
Cheng Chen also became solemn: "Fairy Demoness?"
"It's just an invitation; the time and venue aren't even set yet. Given the other person's status, notifying you in advance means they want you to be on standby," Jiang Fei explained, spreading her arms wide. "We can't refuse."
"I see."
Cheng Chen made a note of this and decided to ask her mentor for his opinion later, "What about the last one?"
Ding dong.
The doorbell rang outside.
Jiang Fei looked at Cheng Chen and pouted, "Your most favored trainee asked me for your address... looks like he's already here."
……
……
"Father, the fairy and the demon princess refuse to see you."
"Hmm...did I submit the report I asked you to?"
"Secretary Dong accepted it and said he would take a look when he had time."
"Very good. Secretary Dong will contact the other directors who support me. As long as they reach a consensus, everything will be fine. Now, to prepare for the M surgery, this body must be catalyzed immediately. This is a critical moment. I still need to see some old friends, and I don't have time to waste on this body."
"clear."
Chu Junzhuo approached quietly and reached for the glass jar next to the table.
grunt.
Bubbles are rising from the jar.
Chu Kai, who had taken over the infant's body, suddenly looked over with a horrified expression.
Chu Junzhuo withdrew his hand: "I just wanted to help tidy up the table and put away the supplies needed for the M surgery."
"Don't touch my sacred embryo!"
Chu Kai warned in a sinister tone.
Chu Junzhuo stepped back and bowed his head: "Yes, Father, I was wrong."
Chu Kai lay on a slanted chair, his hand still gripping the edge of a glass jar as he stabilized his position.
"The Holy Embryo is the key to everything! That fool, the Glorious Lord, can't unleash the true power of this divine object! But I'm different. Once I hatch it, I won't have to put up with that old woman, the Fairy Demoness, anymore. I will become a god, instead of a dog being ordered around every day."
He glanced sideways at Chu Junzhuo and said calmly, "Prepare for the surgery, and you can give me the injection."
The latter nodded, squatted down, took out the medicine from a suitcase, and drew it out with a syringe.
The transparent liquid, whose composition was not visible, filled more than half of the syringe.
When Chu Junzhuo approached Chu Kai with the syringe, Chu Kai looked at him coldly.
Without hesitation, Chu Junzhuo plunged the syringe into his neck and injected most of the medicine.
The blood vessels under the skin turned a deep purple, and Chu Junzhuo's breathing became slightly rapid, but there was no danger.
He looked up at the plain white ceiling, then pulled out the syringe: "Father."
Only then did the hostility in Chu Kai's eyes subside somewhat.
He waved his hand, took the new syringe and medicine from Chu Junzhuo, and inserted it into his arm.
"If only my mother were here."
Chu Junzhuo suddenly said.
Chu Kai closed his eyes, feeling the medicine taking effect in his body, and scoffed disdainfully: "Your mother is just a weak, hysterical woman. She still thinks she's 'Fei Peng,' a magical girl hero. She's short-sighted, weak, and timid. There are many things that are not suitable for her to know."
"Is that so? But..."
"My son, I have many children. Do you know why I chose you as my successor? Because... cough... cough... cough..." Chu Kai suddenly coughed violently.
He looked as if he had choked on water, covering his throat with both hands and staring intently at Chu Junzhuo with wide eyes.
"But the mother I'm talking about is a different one."
"You...you...unfilial son...! The potion..."
"Do you still remember her? Or is she like the wine you treasure, forgotten after you've finished it?"
Chu Junzhuo wore a polite smile. "Is the wine good?"
"You...you bastard!!!! Cough cough! Cough cough cough!"
Chu Kai's eyes were bloodshot, and his voice became muffled.
"pity."
Chu Junzhuo reached out and picked up the jar on the table that Chu Kai treasured, poured the liquid inside into his mouth, and said, "When drinking alcohol, you have to taste it with your tongue. You can't taste the deliciousness of alcohol with your veins."
"My...sacred embryo..."
Chu Kai reached out his hand with trembling hands, still reluctant to leave even in his dying moments.
But there was no "holy embryo" in this jar; it was just a bottle of cheap liquor from a street convenience store, costing twenty yuan a bottle.
"This kind of wine probably wouldn't meet Father's standards on ordinary days; it's too astringent and bitter." Chu Junzhuo took another sip. "I think life is too bitter, so even wine tastes sweet in the mouth."
"Help me..."
Chu Kai was no longer angry; instead, he pleaded.
"Do you remember my mother's name?" Chu Junzhuo asked softly. "Tell me her name, and I'll spare your life."
"I remember! I remember!"
Chu Kai nodded vigorously, tears and snot streaming down his face. "Her name is...her name is..."
Chu Junzhu shook his head and raised his glass to bid farewell to his father.
Goodbye, Father.
The light in Chu Kai's eyes gradually faded. In the final moments of his life, he still wanted to grab that wine bottle and the ethereal "holy embryo" inside.
Suddenly, all around became silent.
Chu Junzhuo quietly looked at his father, or rather his younger brother, who had already passed away, and drank the last of his wine in one gulp.
Two hands reached over his shoulders and hugged his head from behind.
Chu Junzhuo closed his eyes and nuzzled against her: "Mother, I'm fine. He deserves it."
It wasn't Shen Lianjing, but a corpse dressed in a flamboyant manner and wearing a crimson dress.
The corpse's wrist had a stitched mark like a rag doll, and the stitched hand gently caressed Chu Junzhuo's chest.
It wasn't a severed hand, but a soft and beautiful hand, like that of a newborn baby, still wearing the wedding ring that originally belonged to Shen Lianjing.
Chu Junzhuo covered that hand, threw the wine bottle in his hand, and the glass shattered on the floor.
"Let's go. With Father gone, I will protect everything in the Chu family."
He stepped over the debris, letting the soles of his shoes crunch.
"There is still a lot to do."
……