Split Zone No.13
Chapter 46

Split Zone 13

46 A Different Poisonous Insect

After Huan Qing left, I asked Gao Qin Jiu Ye to join us to the laboratory to find Jie Pa and Song Lu . When we entered the lab, Jiao S was also present .

“I placed the chemical agent that you gave me on Laurel . So, can you locate her now?” Nie Zun asked as he walked in .

Jiao Pa’s expression was stiff . He said, “We’ll get to that later . I’ve discovered something else . ”

“What is it?”

Jia Pa exhaled and replied, “I’ve examined all the corpses, and as I suspected, the perpetrator today was likely a failed experiment . But I also discovered that Song Lu’s blood carries another kind of poison . ”

“What does it do?” I asked curiously .

With a grave expression, Jia Pa said, “The flow of her blood seems to be able to stimulate her split symbol, which is how she heals so quickly . Although her abilities aren’t as strong as someone who’s physically inserted their splitting key into their symbol, like Nie Zun or myself, they’re certainly not weak . As you’re all aware, using your split symbol may stabilize your mental force, but it comes at a cost . So with this type of blood inside her, there must be some kind of side effect . I just have no way of discerning what that side effect may be . ”

He paused and then continued, “I also suspect that Ms Song Lu isn’t a finished product . If she’s also a failed experiment, then there must be a corresponding price to pay . I’m not certain of it, but I’m very worried . ”

I felt my chest immediately tighten . Jie Pa was very rational and cautious . If he said he was very worried, then I could only imagine the worst .

Song Lu stepped forward . She looked exhausted . Her eyes were sunken, and her expression looked distant . She grabbed my hand and said, “It’s fine . There aren’t any major problems right now, so don’t worry . ”

Her gaze dimmed . “I don’t know whether Yu Liang is dead or alive . If he’s still alive, I don’t know what kind of pain he must be suffering . Aside from him, there’s nothing that could worry me . ”

For as long as I knew her, although Song Lu simply appeared like a sexy, warm woman, I knew that she was very strong . A lot of the women in the Western District were very strong . Whether it was Li Qing, You Ji, or Song Lu, they were all stronger than me .

I felt disgusted with myself . But looking at how haggard Song Lu was now, I knew that being upset or sad was pointless .

Living in a place like this, it was best not to get too emotional . Because what were emotions and good feelings worth in the end? What we had to consider, first and foremost, constantly, was how to continue living on .

So I grabbed her hands in mine . “Don’t worry . Jie Pa’s already found some clues . We’ll be able to find Laurel soon, and we’ll definitely find Yu Liang and bring him back to you . ”

I knew that I wasn’t exactly a competant commander, but I will work hard . I will work hard to protect the people of the Western District who have always been by my side .

I looked at Song Lu firmly, and I saw a glimmer of hope start to appear in her eyes . I wanted to embrace her, to try to get closer and comfort her . She reached out, to reciprocate, but just as she was about to hug me, she suddenly frowned .

“What is it?” I asked anxiously . I watched her face twist with confusion, as if she were feeling uncomfortable .

She shook her head, to show that she was okay, but then she suddenly covered her mouth with her hand, as if she had to vomit . She bent over, her long curly hair falling, both hands now covering her mouth to suppress her nausea . I reached out to pat her back, but seeing her hair covering her face, I decided to move it out of the way .

Jie Pa asked with concern from the side, “Are you having any adverse reactions?”

Song Lu was still bent over, two hands covering her mouth . Her body trembled, but she didn’t speak . I gently moved her hair to her back, holding it with one hand, about to help her up with my other hand .

I looked at her face .

She bent over more, falling to the ground, her hands tightly held to her face . I sensed something was amiss . While I held her hair with one hand, I motioned for Jie Pa with the other, asking him to come help . He hurried over, wanting to help Song Lu up . But she didn’t want to stand up, bending over even more .

Finally, I saw her back trembling greatly as she pressed her hands to her mouth . I grabbed a hair band from my right wrist and tied her hair, and then I crouched down to look at her . I looked up at her face, and Jie Pa stood at her side, patting her back .

But when I saw her face, I froze . Song Lu’s face had turned completely red and her eyes were opened wide . Her hands were pressed tightly to her mouth, almost like she were trying to stop a demon from pushing its way out . Her hands had turned white and her eyes were bloodshot .

“Y-you… Song Lu jie, what’s wrong?” I asked .

Song Lu didn’t look at me . With wide eyes, she stared down at the floor . The knuckles on her fingers creaked from the pressure she exerted .

Hearing my words, Jie Pa immediately crouched down on the other side of Song Lu . He looked carefully at Song Lu’s face . Suddenly, he stared at her fingers, as if he’d seen something between them .

“What’s wrong with her?” I looked at Jie Pa anxiously .

Jie Pa’s eyes were still on Song Lu, but I saw his lips tremble slightly . He opened his mouth, and then he finally said, “M-Ms Ah Shen, everyone needs to step back!” As he said that, he’d already leapt back a distance .

I was still mulling over his words when Nie Zun grabbed my dress from the neck . He pulled us back and away from Song Lu .

On the other side, Jiao S and Gao Qin Jiu Ye didn’t quite understand why, but seeing all of us move away, they followed suit and distanced themselves from Song Lu .

As Nie Zun pulled me back, my eyes remained on Song Lu . I started to shake my head, unable to believe what I was seeing .

Song Lu’s hands loosened around her mouth, like she’d already used up her strength . She was still bent over, but I couldn’t see her face clearly at this distance . All I could see was her hanging hair .

Song Lu’s hands loosened around her mouth, like she’d already used up her strength . She was still bent over, but I couldn’t see her face clearly at this distance . All I could see was her hanging hair .

And then, something started spilling from her mouth to the floor .

Pitter-patter . Pitter-patter .

One after another, creatures as hard as beetles gushed forth from her mouth, falling to the floor, wave after wave . These weren’t the same as the black, poisonous bugs with pincers that had previously fused with her body . They were something else entirely, something else I’ve never seen before .

They were about the size of a fist, red-violet in color, and shimmering with light . They were shaped like a semi-circle with feet underneath, slowly rising from the ground .

Song Lu grabbed her stomach with both hands, looking in pain, as these large creatures climbed out from her . Her once gentle, beautiful, and sexy eyes now looked sinister . She whimpered .

At first, I was stunned by what I was seeing, but I quickly recovered and tried to get away from Nie Zun’s hold, to help Song Lu .

“No! Let go of me!” When I tried to pull away, Nie Zun suddenly wrapped both his arms around me, holding me still . He slipped his two arms under my own and held me at the waist, his gloved hands clasped together, unwilling to let me move forward .

Anxiously and angrily, I turned back, yelling, “Let go of me! Song Lu…! She…! Just let go of me!”

Nie Zun was silent .

Jie Pa stared at the red-violet beetles on the ground, crawling slowly, and he raised a hand to signal us to stop . “Calm down . I don’t know what kind of pain you’ll feel if these bugs get onto your bodies . Please keep a distance from Ms Song Lu!”

“You must be kidding me! Jie Pa! How can I just watch idly by as Song Lu’s in such pain?!” I shouted out, and I felt Nie Zun’s hold on me tighten .

Jie Pa’s initial fright from the bugs seemed to have resided, replaced by his ever-calm demeanor . He spoke solemnly, “Ms Ah Shen, don’t act rashly . I’ll do my best to help Ms Song Lu . Don’t worry . ”

Jie Pa’s initial fright from the bugs seemed to have resided, replaced by his ever-calm demeanor . He spoke solemnly, “Ms Ah Shen, don’t act rashly . I’ll do my best to help Ms Song Lu . Don’t worry . ”

Then he turned to Jiao S and Gao Qin Jiu Ye . “Can you two freeze things with your control of air?”

Gao Qin Jiu Ye also seemed a bit taken aback by the turn of events, but he nodded . “Yes, but when I freeze things, they will shatter . ”

Jiao S looked at Gao Qin Jiu Ye with a complicated expression . Then she said, “Mine as well . ”

Jie Pa considered things for a moment, and then he said, “Then, destroy those bugs now . Just leave one behind . ”

Although Jie Pa was currently commanding two people who weren’t exactly known for their benevolence, Jiao S and Gao Qin Jiu Ye weren’t the type to fuss over such a small matter . So, the two of them activated their mental force .

Crackle, crackle…

The red-violet beetles were whipped up into their vortexes, frozen, and shattered . Soon, they disappeared from sight .

Jie Pa quickly captured the last beetle escaping Song Lu’s mouth into a glass jar he’d taken from the laboratory . Then he tied a strange knot and said, “Trap!” The jar closed and tightened, until finally the struggling beetle inside slowly stopped moving .

Song Lu had stopped vomitting . I undid Nie Zun’s arms around me and ran over to her .

Song Lu looked like she’d aged several years . Her expression was haggard and depressed, and then she passed out . There were dark, greenish marks around her eyes . I clenched my teeth, trying to hold back my tears .

I held her, and with a touch of mental force, I picked her up . “I’ll send her back to rest . ”