Chapter Sixty-Five: Devour and Purify (A Ten-Thousand-Word Chapter Unleashed!)

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Chapter Sixty-Five: [Devour and Purify]

"What?!"

Old Xu slammed the table, his previously urbane face now ablaze with fury, glaring at his panic-stricken subordinate as he roared, "What are you good for?! Dozens of people watching, and you still let Yifan get taken! The bodyguards you hired are all useless!"

The subordinate before him was drenched in sweat, stammering, unable to speak.

This was a nondescript room in a three-star hotel in the city of K. The ashtray before Old Xu was overflowing with cigarette butts, and his slap sent them tumbling to the floor.

In the room, three men in black uniforms stood, their expressions grave. They stationed themselves at the door and by the window, their posture ramrod straight, exuding competence. The one nearest Old Xu frowned at his words and spoke, "Mr. Xu, now is not the time to panic. Your son has been kidnapped. The perpetrators will contact us, and we will..."

Old Xu, burning with rage, glanced at him and, after a deep breath, finally sat down. After all, these three in black uniforms were specially assigned officers to protect him, their status different, and he could hardly rebuke them. He simply said in a somber tone, "You've protected me, but now my son has been taken. Whatever demands they make, I don't care—what matters to me is my son's life!"

The leader among the three in black uniforms pondered for a moment, then said slowly, "We'll investigate the matter. A team is already at your residence. Please remain calm."

"Can I go home to check?" Old Xu frowned.

The man shook his head immediately. "No! The situation is unclear. The perpetrators are bold. We can't risk exposing you." This officer's face also flashed with anger. "Such brazen methods!"

"Then I want to make a phone call." Old Xu's expression soured.

"We have to monitor it..."

"Monitor?!" Old Xu exploded. "Are you here to protect me or imprison me!"

The officer was also somewhat displeased, but given Old Xu's special status, he suppressed his irritation and said, "Please trust our abilities, Mr. Xu. A team is already working. Your safety has broad social implications; we can't take risks..."

Old Xu snorted, slowly sitting down, his face bitter. "I thought I was the target, but they went straight for Yifan."

He then glared at the subordinate before him. "Still standing there? Go! Use every resource and method! I want K City turned upside down—find those bastards' whereabouts!"

...

Leaving the room, the leader of the special team wore a dark expression. A colleague followed. "Boss, that Xu is too much. We're here to protect him, not serve as his servants! Ordering us around..."

"Shut up." The leader glared. "Remember your place! Mr. Xu is a public figure; his safety is crucial to the region's financial order. And anyone would be furious if their child was kidnapped."

He lit a cigarette, inhaling deeply, his eyes sharp. "Keep the patrols alert; stairs, elevator, rooftop—everyone stay sharp. These criminals are no ordinary lot, and their methods are vicious. Didn't you hear the call? They stormed the Xu mansion, possibly using heavy weaponry—the whole house was flattened!"

The subordinate gave a wry smile, glanced around, and lowered his voice. "Boss, maybe not heavy weapons. I just called the guys on scene. Xu's bodyguards said it was a three-meter-tall giant... impervious to blades and bullets. Damn... could it be some kind of humanoid mech?"

The leader glared at him. "You watch too many sci-fi movies! Humanoid mech? Where would such things exist? If technology was that advanced, what criminal group could develop it? And even if they did, why use it against a mere billionaire developer? Ridiculous!"

"But at the scene..." the colleague began, but the leader's eyes flashed coldly. "Mind your tongue! Don't speculate, don't ask unnecessary questions! If you can't stay disciplined, you'll need retraining!"

The subordinate shrank back, frightened.

The special team leader sighed, his gaze complex as he looked at his junior. "You're young. There are things you shouldn't know... Just keep watch. I'll check with other teams for anomalies."

He walked into the stairwell, viciously stubbed out his cigarette. Just then, several uniformed police officers came up, led by Officer Xu. Officer Xu and the special team leader exchanged glances, both surprised, then bitterly smiled.

"You're here," the special leader said, somewhat awkward.

"Mm... I'm here to assist," Officer Xu replied, glancing at the black uniform. "New uniform? Looks good—much better than the old one."

He told the officers behind, "You go ahead; I'll catch up."

Once the corridor was empty, the special leader sighed, asking gloomily, "How is it in the police force?"

"What else?" Officer Xu's tone was light. "Sit in the office most days, respond to cases, bust gangs, illegal gambling, burglaries, robberies... For big cases, like bank robberies, we step aside for the armed police. Biggest case I handled these years was a gang shootout two years ago. Otherwise... life's steady. Easier than when I was in the team."

Though he said "easier," his eyes betrayed some discontent.

"Old Xu..." the special leader called, his throat hoarse, instinctively reaching for his cigarettes.

"Smoke mine," Officer Xu smiled, producing a pack of premium cigarettes. The special leader frowned. "You smoke the expensive ones now?"

Officer Xu caught the implied meaning, smiled faintly. "Don't worry, I've never forgotten the team's regulations. But as a police officer, not a special agent, I deal with all sorts. Don't worry, I won't take bribes. But entertaining, eating and drinking, can't be avoided. It's how society works now. Look at me—I've got a beer belly, not like when I was in the team."

"Actually..." The special leader didn't take the cigarette, but suddenly said, "You were wronged back then. I know the responsibility wasn't yours."

"So what?" Officer Xu smiled wryly, lit his own cigarette, and after a deep drag, said gravely, "Someone has to take the fall. I understand, you don't need to explain."

"Actually... I've been promoted, now in this position, and I vaguely understand now. The higher-ups knew the perpetrator was unusual. That field is kept secret, so the situation wasn't made public. You submitted a report, so you got sidelined. But you weren't mistreated; your current position is a cushy one. That was nine years ago, secrecy was stricter then; now it's much more relaxed. If your case happened now, it wouldn't be so serious."

Officer Xu listened, noncommittal, silent for a while, then asked, "Old Xiao, no outsiders here, tell me honestly. What are you planning to do about this case? I just came from the Xu mansion—this can't be swept under the rug, can it? The perpetrators aren't ordinary; I know you'll keep it quiet. But the Xu bodyguards said it was a single person—one person, barehanded, leveled a house, impervious to bullets... do you believe it?"

"Belief is personal. When reporting, the authorities will have a story ready." The special leader looked at Officer Xu. "We just do our job."

"When the case is over, let's have a meal together," Officer Xu adjusted his hat, discarded his cigarette. "Been a while. Old friends, no work talk."

He turned to leave, but the special leader called, "Old Xu."

"What?"

"If..." the special leader hesitated, "If I managed to transfer you back..."

Officer Xu laughed, shaking his head, patting his belly. "See? My waist was twenty-two inches, now it's twenty-eight. Back then, I was the best fighter, could scale four or five floors without tools. Now... heh, I'm a wreck. If it's drinking, I could outdrink the whole team; other skills... nearly forgotten."

The special leader sighed in regret. "The authorities... may assign a newly founded department to assist. When they take over, I'll be free. Then we can drink."

"A new department..." Officer Xu's eyes flashed oddly, but he sneered, "New department? I bet it's not new—it's been around, just hidden till now. These years, tricky cases keep increasing, and the authorities can't cover it up anymore, so they're revealing it. If they'd done this earlier, I wouldn't have left the team..."

He shook his head and left.

The special leader returned to the corridor, greeted by his subordinate.

"Boss, checked everything—it's normal." The subordinate glanced at Officer Xu's departing figure. "Huh? Who were you chatting with? Local police?" He scoffed. "For this kind of case, what use are the police? We've got enough manpower."

"Shut up! You never know when to keep quiet!" The leader snapped, looking at Officer Xu's receding figure and sneering, "You underestimate him? Let me tell you, he used to take on three like me at once! The record in our team—forty-six wins in unarmed combat and fastest shooting—guess who set it! You've probably never even heard his name! Back then... mention 'Iron-Hand Xu,' and..."

...

Officer Xu took the elevator down to the hotel lobby, pulled out his phone, searched for a number...

"Chen Xiao... that kid, always involved wherever trouble happens."

Officer Xu smiled wryly. He'd already been to the Xu residence, learned the situation—three people kidnapped: the second son of the Xu family, plus a boy and girl, both students at Kidd Academy.

The police had already notified Bai Cai's family. As for Chen Xiao...

"His home should be empty now." Officer Xu smiled, but decided to check.

He drove a police car to Chen Xiao's neighborhood, went upstairs, and rang the bell.

Ding dong...

The bell rang several times. Officer Xu frowned—seems no one is home. Just as he was about to leave, footsteps sounded within, and the door opened a crack, a girl's face peeking out.

Large blue eyes, slightly curled pale golden hair, delicate fair skin, exquisite features, and a fresh, sweet aura—an unripe beauty, destined to become stunning in three or four years.

Officer Xu was momentarily stunned. Despite his middle-aged status and being struck by her beauty, what intrigued him more were her eye and hair color... a foreigner?

Did he have the wrong address? He checked the door plate—no mistake. Why would a foreigner be at Chen Xiao's home?

Yaya looked at the man standing before her—the uniform, she'd seen on TV; it belonged to a "policeman," and Chen Xiao had said policemen were for catching bad guys.

"Excuse me, you..." she hesitated. Chen Xiao had warned her not to open the door for strangers, fearing bad people, but she'd seen through the peephole the man was a "policeman"—and policemen shouldn't be bad.

"Is this Chen Xiao's home?" With his experience, Officer Xu recovered quickly.

"Chen Xiao... yes, this is his home." Yaya's blue eyes sparkled. "But he's not home."

"May I come in?" Officer Xu smiled. "I'm his friend."

Though hesitant, Yaya obediently opened the door... such a pure little girl.

Entering, he looked at the home's furnishings.

Everything was simple, nothing extravagant, but tidy and clean. The living room furniture seemed new.

Yaya thought for a moment, ran to the kitchen, and soon brought out a cup of tea, smiling sweetly. "Sorry, I think guests should be served tea."—She'd learned this from TV and books; it must be correct.

Officer Xu sat, looking at the shy Yaya before him.

"May I ask, what is your relationship with Chen Xiao? Who are you to him?"

Yaya was taken aback, unsure how to answer. After thinking, she said, "Uh... me? I... I suppose I'm his person."

Pfft!

Whether the tea was too hot or he was shocked by her answer, Officer Xu sprayed tea from his mouth!

Young people these days... so bold!

Yaya curiously looked at the "policeman" before her.

Officer Xu coughed. "So, you're his... uh, his girlfriend?"

Yaya thought—girlfriend, she'd seen this word in books, though unsure exactly what it meant, but in books and TV, girlfriends were always close, familiar girls to boys. The two main traits she remembered: cooking for him and sleeping together...

She seemed to fit both...

So Yaya nodded happily. "Yes, I'm Chen Xiao's girlfriend."

Officer Xu sighed, unable to resist looking again at the beautiful, adorable blonde girl—uh, she seemed quite young. Chen Xiao—couldn't be courting an underage girl?

But the purpose of his visit wasn't these trivial matters.

He took a deep breath, solemn. "Young lady, please sit down. I bring bad news. Listen calmly, don't panic. The police are doing their best. So... please, don't worry, understand?"

Yaya obediently replied, "Oh," blinking her big eyes, curious—so interesting! Aside from TV, this policeman was real.

"Uh... here's the thing. Chen Xiao, unfortunately, has been... kidnapped!"

With grave tone, Officer Xu watched Yaya closely for her reaction.

His colleague had notified Bai Cai's parents; they wailed, and Bai Cai's mother even fainted.

Officer Xu nervously watched Yaya, waiting for her to cry or faint.

He even had tissues ready in his pocket.

But...

Five seconds passed... ten... twenty...

Yaya didn't react, still innocently watching, her expression unchanged.

Uh... maybe the blow was too much, she's lost all response?

Finally, Yaya spoke, but her question nearly made Officer Xu faint!

"Um... Officer, excuse me... what is 'kidnapping'?"

...

...

"Hey, it's nearly dawn, how about some food?" Second Young Xu seemed utterly relaxed, knocking on the wooden crate, holding a cigarette and lighter—both given by Autumn's End. Autumn's End seemed to treat the three hostages generously; when Xu requested a smoke, she tossed him a pack and a lighter—lighters seemed plentiful on her.

"I'm starving... even if we're hostages, if you starve us, how can you extort my dad?" Xu exhaled leisurely.

Bai Cai glared at him speechlessly.

Chen Xiao kept his head down, hands stretched before him, eyes fixed on them as if something fascinating resided there. He sat on a crate, back against the wall, remaining so all night, head down, his face unreadable.

Throughout, Bai Cai and Xu tried talking to him, but Chen Xiao remained unresponsive. They began to worry—maybe he'd suffered brain damage fighting that monstrous Tyrannosaurus.

"Oh, little brother, are you hungry?" Alice sashayed over, carrying two instant noodle cups. "This is all there is; do you want it?"

Chen Xiao suddenly looked up. "Who would dare eat something from a viper's hand?"

Alice's eyes flashed with anger, but she kept her seductive smile. "Afraid I'll poison you, little one? Relax, I couldn't bear to harm such cute children. Besides, if I wanted to poison you, not eating wouldn't save you."

Chen Xiao smiled, his expression pained and weary—after last night's fierce battle, he'd taken many wounds, and even smiling made his facial muscles ache.

"May I ask, what are your methods for poisoning?" Chen Xiao queried. "Miss Alice, I've read your file and am curious. I know your body is naturally poisonous, and your methods are exquisite. For instance, at the banquet, you poisoned Xu and the others, but I still can't figure out how."

Alice smiled proudly. "Can't figure it out? Hmph, you think I'll tell you?"

Chen Xiao smiled mildly. "I have a guess, but want to confirm." He tilted his head, thinking aloud, "Your ability is poison, plus mimicry. At the banquet, only three were poisoned. If you poisoned the drinks, many guests would've suffered. After thinking, here's my theory: you disguised yourself as a guest, took your own glass, and drank—thus your saliva, laden with venom, coated the rim. Then, mingling with Xu and Lu, you clinked glasses, as is customary. With a light touch, your venomous saliva transferred to their glasses. As the three VIPs toasted each other, their glass rims picked up your saliva, however minute, but sufficient—right?"

Alice's eyes shone. "Smart kid."

Chen Xiao smiled serenely. "I'm curious—does your blood carry venom like your saliva? Sometimes it merely causes unconsciousness or rigidity, other times death. How do you control the potency?"

Alice sneered. "Trying to dig into my secrets, kid? Hmph, rookies. It's common knowledge among the gifted. No harm telling you: it's anger! The angrier I am, the stronger the poison! So everyone knows not to provoke me."

She gave Chen Xiao a threatening look.

"Then... I'm curious. You speak daily, so presumably, even breathing could dry your saliva and carry it out in the airflow. Wouldn't anyone conversing face-to-face with you get poisoned? That must be tough—probably no friends, since nobody dares talk to you for long."

Chen Xiao seemed indifferent to her anger, leisurely pressing the issue.

Alice's face darkened with rage. She hurled the noodle cups to the floor.

"Tyrannosaurus!"

She shouted. At the entrance, the three-meter-tall Tyrannosaurus entered, each step making the ground tremble.

"What is it?" Tyrannosaurus, towering above, looked at Alice, displeased.

"You watch these three; I'll patrol outside," Alice gritted her teeth. "Or I'll kill this little rookie!"

With that, she strode out.

"Hmph, kid, don't anger her. I don't like her either," Tyrannosaurus grinned, turning to sit—he sat so high his head was above the three youths.

"Where's Autumn's End?" Chen Xiao asked.

"Boss went out," Tyrannosaurus replied. "He's negotiating. If talks go well, you'll soon go home... otherwise..." His eyes flashed viciously. "Heh!"

Tyrannosaurus turned his back, idly squeezing his giant fists.

Chen Xiao nodded, leaning against the wall.

After a while, Bai Cai was nudged by Chen Xiao. Turning, she saw him make a hush gesture and signal her to look down. She did, and her eyes widened in shock—luckily, Chen Xiao's warning kept her silent!

Hidden behind the crate, Chen Xiao had slit his wrist! Blood was trickling down, pooling on the crate!

His expression was calm, betraying no pain. He coughed, smiling at Xu, "Xu, I want a smoke—give me the lighter."

Xu, stunned by Chen Xiao's self-harm, was nudged and managed to stifle his reaction. "Uh... here."

Chen Xiao took the lighter, lit it, and quietly held it under his wrist, roasting the blood pooling on the crate...

While doing so, he gestured rapidly, and Xu, quick on the uptake, tore a strip of cloth from his clothes, dampened it with saliva, and stuffed it in his nostrils. He did the same for Bai Cai.

Bai Cai's nose, filled with Xu's saliva-soaked cloth, made her grimace, but under Chen Xiao's stern gaze, she said nothing.

As the fire roasted the blood, a strange scent began to permeate the air, faint at first, but growing stronger as more blood flowed. Chen Xiao even set the crate alight...

Tyrannosaurus, seated with his back to them, eventually noticed the scent, sniffed, turned. "Huh? What's burning?"

He stood, saw Chen Xiao's actions, and was stunned. "Kid, self-harming? Burning yourself?"

He reached out to grab Chen Xiao, but as he took a step, dizziness struck. His legs buckled, and his massive body crashed onto a crate, smashing it.

Tyrannosaurus struggled, but found his body stiffening, strength fading, head swirling. "Damn! What's going on..."

He shouted, "Alice! Are you poisoning again?!"

But he watched as Chen Xiao hopped off the crate.

"Hey! Kid, trying to escape? Damn, don't move or I'll smash... smash your... your..."

He couldn't finish—his eyes closed, and he passed out.

Chen Xiao exhaled in relief, turning to Bai Cai and Xu—both were dumbfounded.

Xu jumped from the crate, kicked Tyrannosaurus, saw no reaction, and gasped, "How did you do that?!"

Seeing Xu about to remove the cloth from his nose, Chen Xiao stopped him. "Don't! I don't want you to pass out too."

Bai Cai, more perceptive, recalled Chen Xiao roasting his blood. "You—your blood? How did you do it?"

"I don't know. Last night while resting, I felt something odd in my body. I asked Alice about her venom dispersing in the air... Confirmed it..." Chen Xiao's face twisted, eyes bitter, but he gritted his teeth. "Enough talk! Let's get out, before Autumn's End returns. I'm not worried about Alice, but Autumn's End... I'm no match!"

He grabbed Bai Cai and Xu and bolted for the exit.

Though wounded, he'd recovered some strength overnight. Pain flared as he ran, but he ignored it.

"Don't touch my wounds, don't get my blood on you," Chen Xiao warned as they ran. "I don't know what's happening, but... it seems I've become a 'poison man.'"

Poison man?!

Both companions paled; Chen Xiao grew more bitter inside.

Suddenly, he recalled his first encounter with Black Seven, and the subsequent changes in his body...

Could it be... as Thunder Fox said, after being 'Purified,' I've gained strange abilities?

Could it be... replication? Or devouring?

Did I devour Black Seven's abilities? Now it's Alice's poison? But Alice hasn't lost her powers.

Maybe... it was the kiss! Saliva?

Chen Xiao's mind raced...

Blood, saliva...

Could it be... DNA! Genes!

The three burst from the factory, seeing only derelict warehouses and workshops, rusted, collapsed roofs—a deserted zone, sparse trees, wild grass rampant.

"Where are we?" Bai Cai asked.

"Probably the old industrial district east of the city," Xu, the developer's son, quickly deduced. "This is an abandoned factory... Damn, we're far from downtown. Without a car, how do we leave?"

The nearby road was broken, no proper buildings for hundreds of meters.

At that moment, footsteps sounded in the distance, and Alice's voice rang out, "Damn! Tyrannosaurus! Why won't he answer the radio? Brainless idiot!"

Then Autumn's End spoke, coldly, "Hmph, who told you to run outside?"

The three were terrified upon hearing them—especially Chen Xiao, who was badly wounded, with little fighting ability. Though he'd just discovered his new poison power—Alice herself was immune, and Autumn's End was still a threat!

The voices were not far. Chen Xiao gritted his teeth, yanked Xu over, and stripped him of his white bathrobe that he'd worn since last night. Xu gasped, but before he could protest, Chen Xiao clamped his mouth shut.

Xu, now nearly naked, tried to cover himself; Bai Cai blushed furiously, quickly shutting her eyes.

Chen Xiao threw his own jacket over Xu, then shoved Xu's hand into Bai Cai's.

"Bai Cai! Go invisible! Take Xu and run—quick!"

Bai Cai wanted to protest, but Chen Xiao barked, "Their target is Xu! Your power can't hide two people for long, but with just one, you can stay hidden long enough to escape! Don't argue, run!"

Xu tried to speak, but Chen Xiao snapped, "Xu! No more nonsense! If you escape, your father can mobilize help! Better than all three getting trapped! Unlike you, I'm... a monster!"

His face flickered with a complicated smile. He threw Xu's bathrobe over himself and charged out, shouting toward Alice's direction, "The poison woman is here, scatter! Run!"

He dashed straight toward Alice and Autumn's End...

Xu's eyes reddened, about to chase him, but Bai Cai held him back, tears in her eyes. "It's useless! Find help to save Chen Xiao! Only out there can you get your family to help!"

The two vanished into thin air.

Chen Xiao, wearing Xu's bathrobe, ran a few steps, then paused...

If saliva gave me the poison ability, what about Alice's other power... mimicry?

He touched his face, thought of Xu's features, and rubbed his face vigorously...

If he had a mirror, Chen Xiao would have been "pleasantly surprised"—his features now matched Xu's!

In the distance, Autumn's End and Alice saw someone in a white bathrobe running toward them, then turning to flee.

That figure, that build, that face—it was the most important hostage, "Xu!"

"The three brats escaped!" Alice exclaimed.

Autumn's End's face darkened, fury in his eyes. "How do you do your job!"

Alice dared not retort, but looked around. "Where are the other two?"

"Forget them! Catch Xu first! The rest can wait!" Autumn's End growled, and sprang after "Xu"...

(A massive ten-thousand-word update! Please shower me with votes!!! Tonight, there will be more unlocked updates!!!)