Chapter 39: Xu Damao's Precious Treasure Is Severed

Yi Zhonghai returned to the courtyard and immediately heard the hoarse, prolonged screams of Sha Zhu coming from the backyard.

Upon seeing Yi Zhonghai, Sha Zhu clung to him like a lifeline, pleading desperately, "Uncle Yi, Uncle Yi, save me! Xu Damao has gone insane; he’s an enemy agent!"

Seeing Xu Damao transformed into a tentacle monster, Yi Zhonghai’s legs trembled. Too terrified to utter a word, he turned and fled. However, because of Sha Zhu’s cries, Xu Damao’s attention was drawn to Yi Zhonghai. Whether out of his ingrained fear of the man or a sudden panic that Yi would denounce him as an enemy agent, the tentacles binding Sha Zhu loosened significantly.

Sensing the slack, Sha Zhu seized the opportunity, broke free with all his might, and bolted into Wang Lin’s house. Don’t ask why he chose Wang Lin’s home; his meager sixth sense told him it was the only safe place left.

Once Sha Zhu escaped, Xu Damao snapped out of his trance. Whatever shred of reason remained was instantly replaced by blind fury. Now, whenever he saw a man, his only instinct was to bind him.

"Men, don't run! You are all mine!"

The crazed, irrational Xu Damao began attacking every male onlooker indiscriminately. The sight terrified Yan Bugui, who instinctively crouched down and covered his head with both hands, as if that would make him invisible to the monster. Whether by sheer luck or some bizarre occurrence, Yan Bugui’s move actually allowed him to dodge the tentacle strikes. From then on, Xu Damao seemed unable to perceive him at all. Liu Haizhong, seeing this, mimicked the action, crouching down with his hands over his head.

The two men huddled together, muttering incessantly, "He can't see me, he can't see me, he can't see me."

Ten minutes later, Xu Damao had snared a man with each of his twenty tentacles. Gazing at his captives, his eyes sparkled with adoration. "Hahaha! You are all mine, all mine!"

Just then, a gunshot rang out. Ten police officers, weapons drawn, quickly surrounded Xu Damao. Because the madness had driven everyone else away—save for those already captured and the two men praying on the ground—the perimeter was established easily.

"Don't move! Release the hostages, or we will open fire!"

Facing the police, the irrational Xu Damao only became more excited. "Hahaha! Men, all mine, all mine!"

Meanwhile, Wang Lin, having finished his meal, watched the scene calmly. Sha Zhu hid behind him, clutching his shirt and refusing to let go despite Wang Lin’s attempts to drive him off.

"Brother Lin, you can't kick me out! Xu Damao is crazy—totally insane!"

Wang Lin retorted, "Isn't this the result of the mess you made with him the other night? I should actually thank you. If it weren't for you, Xu Damao would be coveting my two beautiful wives every single day."

Sha Zhu latched onto the point and threatened, "Wang Lin, you actually have two wives? I'm telling you, you absolutely cannot kick me out today. You have to make Sister Qin take care of me, clean my room, and wash my clothes, or I’ll report you!"

Without a word, Wang Lin grabbed Sha Zhu by the collar and tossed him toward Xu Damao. "Go ahead and report me. I don't care."

"Ouch!" Sha Zhu landed heavily next to Xu Damao. He reacted quickly, clamping a hand over his mouth for fear of alerting the monster, though the expression on his face betrayed the agony in his backside.

Though Sha Zhu was quick, Xu Damao seemed hypersensitive to his voice. Upon hearing the sound, the monster, who had been ignoring the police, fixed his eyes solely on Sha Zhu. In that moment, reason seemed to flicker back into Xu Damao’s brain. He released the twenty other men, his focus narrowing entirely to the man before him.

"Wuwuwu, my dear Sha Zhu, you’ve finally returned. You still love me, don't you?"

Xu Damao was horrified to hear himself say this; he felt an internal resistance, yet once the words were out, he felt an inexplicable sense of relief and comfort. He immediately bound Sha Zhu and turned to head toward his own home. Sha Zhu desperately wanted to scream, "No, that’s not it, I don't love you!" But Xu Damao, perhaps fearing rejection, gagged him.

The onlookers were stunned, including the police, who were utterly bewildered. At that moment, Wang Lin secretly launched an attack. "Holy Sword: Sever!"

Wang Lin struck a precise blow at Xu Damao’s "great treasure." Xu Damao felt a sudden chill in his groin, and the look he cast at Sha Zhu finally returned to normal.

"What the hell is going on?"

With the tentacles gone, Sha Zhu fell to the ground. Ignoring his pain, he scrambled to his feet and ran. Wang Lin walked slowly toward Xu Damao and picked up the severed "treasure."

"It's alright. This Xu Damao is no enemy agent. He turned into a tentacle monster because he ate something he shouldn't have."

A veteran officer who had frequented the courtyard whispered to the lead officer. The lead officer studied Wang Lin for a moment, nodded, and waved his team away. He didn't try to get on Wang Lin’s good side; in his eyes, a man so young becoming a deputy factory director was merely a spoiled brat relying on family influence—the type of person he held in contempt.

Soon, Xu Damao regained full consciousness and burst into tears. "Wuwuwu, I'm a eunuch again! No, no, I don't want this!" He promptly fainted.

Yi Zhonghai urged, "Someone, quickly, take Xu Damao to the hospital."

Though Yi still held some authority, every man present took a step back. "We aren't going. If you want to take him, do it yourself." They all turned and scurried home, terrified that Xu Damao might wake up and bind them again. Even Yi Zhonghai was too afraid to step forward.

Helpless, Wang Lin had no choice but to take Xu Damao to the hospital himself. As he left the courtyard, the blood-red bat appeared once more. "Damn it, how does this Shadow look like he hasn't suffered any serious injuries? Has the organization abandoned me? No, I must continue to observe."

With that, the blood-red bat flew into the room of the Deaf Old Lady.