Chapter 049: The Potion of Deep Slumber

Everyone had still been lost in the bizarre tale just recounted, but at Wu Miaoran’s words, a chill swept through their hearts. Still, their first instinct was to think she was deliberately trying to scare them. Yet when they followed the direction of her outstretched finger, they realized she hadn’t lied.

In the northwest, a great swath of earth was being upturned. From the churned soil, a humanoid creature was wriggling free. Its body was coated in damp, loose earth, and clumps of mushrooms clung to it, making it look exactly like the being Hou Tiecheng had just described.

“My—my goodness… damn it, it’s real!” Hou Tiecheng gaped in disbelief at the spot Wu Miaoran indicated, nearly letting slip a curse.

Li Tianque stared at the strange figure, thinking it resembled the legendary yeti of Western myths—except that, instead of snow, this creature was shrouded in thick earth and mushrooms.

“I’m going to check it out. It might be a survivor in need of help,” Li Yongqian said, already darting toward the dirt-caked figure.

“That thing doesn’t look like a victim to me—it looks more like the cause of the disaster,” Wu Miaoran muttered with a curl of her lip.

The four of them rushed after Li Yongqian, charging toward the bizarre creature that had crawled from the earthen mound. As they drew closer, they saw that the living being buried in the soil was indeed human-shaped. Yet, unlike the mushroom man described by Hou Tiecheng, this creature merely had mushrooms stuck to its body; it hadn’t sprouted any from its own flesh. Its form was simply cloaked in thick soil.

The monster was enormous—like one of those hulking bear-men from the Daxing’an Mountains, easily over three meters tall. Its body was immensely strong, and as they neared, a powerful, fetid stench assaulted them.

Li Yongqian did not approach immediately; instead, he drew his police baton and cautioned the others, “Stay back for now!”

He then turned to address the towering creature. “We’re with the rescue team. Don’t move—we’re here to help you!”

The monster made no reply, only uttering low, guttural moans. Suddenly, it lunged at Li Yongqian, flailing its limbs wildly and sending soil flying with each movement.

Li Yongqian reacted in a flash. As the giant arm swung toward his face, he ducked low and dove forward, his baton whipping out to strike the creature with a resounding blow.

Sensing the danger, Hou Tiecheng rushed in as well, smashing his baton down on the monster’s spine to support his comrade.

In such a moment of crisis, the two men displayed the decisiveness and valor of true soldiers. Their attacks were swift and ruthless, coordinated with flawless teamwork. The creature roared with deep, menacing bellows; though its strength was fearsome, it was clearly less agile than the two, unable to withstand their combined assault.

After a fierce exchange, neither side had the upper hand. Yet the two warriors soon realized that the monster’s body was far tougher than they’d imagined—like unyielding slabs of granite. Li Yongqian’s initial strike dislodged a great clump of soil, and when Hou Tiecheng hit it, even more earth fell away. But these injuries seemed no more troublesome to the earth-born creature than a scraped knee, and it remained steadfast, swaying but unbowed.

As the dirt sloughed off, the monster’s true appearance was revealed. Its skin was not the hue of ordinary flesh, but a vast expanse of mottled white, reminiscent of someone afflicted with vitiligo—or perhaps more closely, a slab of white jade. Its head was roughly human-shaped but squarer; its nose had collapsed inward while its eyes bulged outward, with no sign of ears, and its mouth was alarmingly large.

“What on earth is this thing?” Li Tianque exclaimed.

Wu Miaoran gazed at it with amusement rather than fear. Smiling, she said, “I don’t know its name either, but I’m sure it’s nowhere near as tasty as that so-called mushroom man.”

“Should we help them?” Li Tianque asked.

“You? How?” Wu Miaoran looked at him with undisguised scorn.

Li Tianque had to admit she was right. Lü Mou had recruited him onto the investigation team but hadn’t given him any weapons or professional training. Though the assignment was supposed to be an investigation, it was immediately clear that the dangers far exceeded a simple inquiry into the nuclear worm incident. To send someone into such peril without even a proper weapon was simply absurd.

As he pondered this, the creature erupted into even greater frenzy, its stone-hard fists pummeling the two fighters. There was no technique to its blows, but the sickening sound of bones cracking testified to the sheer force behind its attacks.

What astonished Li Tianque even more was the prowess of the two warriors. As members of the special operations unit, their teamwork was flawless and their methods ruthless and efficient. Every move was lethal, devoid of showy flourishes. Even so, the monster’s defense was so formidable that their batons were soon shattered in the struggle.

After a desperate tussle, the two men expended all their strength to subdue the beast using close-combat techniques.

The massive creature was finally forced down, flipped over, and pinned to the ground. One man held its right arm, the other its left, locking down the hulking brute. Though its defense was formidable, it was still far less agile than its opponents. Hou Tiecheng, for all his lively banter, was relentless in battle—his veins stood out as he strained to keep the giant pinned, yet he did not slacken for a moment.

“What kind of monster is this? This is unbelievable! Hey, you two—use the radio in my jacket to call the captain for backup! We can’t hold this thing much longer!” Hou Tiecheng shouted to Wu Miaoran.

“Alright, Monkey Bro, even you have to ask for my help now! I’m on my way to save you!” Wu Miaoran replied with a laugh, skipping over to his side.

Hou Tiecheng was surprised by her reaction. He’d thought Wu Miaoran, being such a young girl, would have been terrified—he would have forgiven her for running away, let alone staying calm. Yet to his astonishment, she approached without fear, holding a peculiar bottle that looked like a magic potion from a Western video game, adorned with a sticker of a sleeping ghostly face.

“Don’t worry, we’ve got it under control… just reach into my jacket and grab the radio, then…” Hou Tiecheng’s words faltered as the giant continued to struggle, forcing him to grit his teeth and strain until his joints creaked audibly; his voice trembled with the effort.

Wu Miaoran smiled as she reached their side, but instead of grabbing the radio, she pointed the strange bottle at him and pressed the nozzle.

There was a soft “pfft” as a puff of pink mist sprayed out. Hou Tiecheng, ever the seasoned fighter, instinctively held his breath and squeezed his eyes shut, even if he didn’t know Wu Miaoran’s intentions.

Wu Miaoran was a bit surprised, but immediately sprayed both Li Yongqian and the monster as well.

Both soldiers, hardened by countless battles, reacted just as Hou Tiecheng had. But even holding their breath was no defense against the effects of Wu Miaoran’s mysterious spray: both men slumped into unconsciousness under its influence.

Replacing the cap on her bottle, Wu Miaoran smiled and said, “Heehee, just forget all this. Let it be nothing but a dream.”

End of chapter. Happy reading!