Chapter 62: Wait and See

Seeing Xia Tong offer no resistance and even show a sense of affectionate reliance, the smile on Lin Wan's face deepened a fraction.

"This little creature is quite perceptive of human nature. It's rather pitiful, being drenched like this."

She turned her head to look at Lu Ming, whose expression remained stern, and suggested softly, "Lu Ming, our mission might require us to stay here for a few days. Why don't we..."

Lu Ming furrowed his brow, evidently impatient at the prospect of taking in a stray cat of unknown origin.

However, when he caught the look of mingled expectation and pity in Lin Wan's eyes, he ultimately let out a very faint, cold hum from his nose, taking it as silent consent.

Still, his sharp gaze swept over Xia Tong as if it were a physical entity, laden with warning.

"Meow..." Meeting his gaze, Xia Tong shrank back slightly and let out a gentle, docile cry, portraying an attitude of utmost mildness.

"Haha." Lin Wan chuckled softly and made to reach out and stroke the cat, but paused slightly when she noticed the crown of thorns resting on Xia Tong's head...

What is this?

Such a strange mutant cat! It actually grew a wooden floral wreath on its head, though unfortunately it was bare and covered in sharp spikes, not pretty at all.

What Lin Wan was thinking remained unknown to Xia Tong... and even if she knew, she wouldn't care much.

...

Hearing this, Xia Tong let out a mental sigh of relief. Her plan had succeeded halfway. Following behind them might yield unexpected benefits.

Seeing that Lu Ming did not explicitly object, Lin Wan's smile grew even gentler. She cautiously reached out her hands and tenderly scooped up the thoroughly soaked Xia Tong.

"Little darling," Lin Wan lowered her head, gently scratching Xia Tong's chin with the pad of her finger, her voice brushing past like a feather, "We have business in this abandoned coastal city. Be a good cat, and we won't hurt you." Her words inadvertently revealed that the purpose of their trip was far from ordinary.

Xia Tong obediently allowed Lin Wan to hold her, burying her little head into the warm embrace and purring with apparent satisfaction, while remaining utterly vigilant in her heart and not daring to let her guard down for a single second.

The rain continued to fall in a fine drizzle, masking the intricate schemes churning within Xia Tong's mind.

For now, she just needed to wait and see how things developed.

...

Inside the small cabin, a flash of light from Lu Ming's flint sparked a few stacked, dry logs into a small, crackling campfire, driving away the damp chill and musty odor of the room.

He and Lin Wan sat a little closer to the fire, lowering their voices to converse.

"This 'Crimson Moon Period' is earlier than anticipated," Lu Ming said in a deep voice, carrying a hint of gravity. "Various factions are eyeing the clues regarding the 'Key of the Crimson Moon'. Monitoring shows that the energy density here has surged abruptly. This abandoned coastal city is one of the suspicious locations, so we must pick up the pace."

"This damned weather happens to provide cover. We'll establish our foothold here first, and then investigate the most likely zones in the city center."

Lin Wan nodded, tucking back a strand of rain-dampened hair from her forehead, and said softly,

"Mm, intelligence indicates that the 'Key of the Crimson Moon' is closely tied to a certain hidden realm and mutation that appears during the crimson moon. If we can acquire it..."

"It's just a pity that its appearance is far too random... otherwise..."

Xia Tong curled up by Lin Wan's warm lap, her fur gleaming with a soft luster in the firelight, breathing steadily as if she had long fallen asleep. Yet, beneath her eyelids, her glass-colored cat pupils rolled slightly, absorbing every single word of their conversation.

She knew of the "Crimson Moon Period," but the "Key of the Crimson Moon" was news she had never heard before.

This lifetime was getting more and more interesting... this world...

Simultaneously, the cold, mechanical voice of the "Source Core" rang out synchronously in her mind:

[Recording keywords: Crimson Moon Period, Key of the Crimson Moon, Hidden Realm Mutation.]

[Preliminary analysis: The "Key of the Crimson Moon" may be the key to a special hidden realm, or it may assist the host's ascension, aptitude, and strength.]

Xia Tong's heart skipped a beat before she forcefully suppressed it. The temptation was immense, but given the current circumstances, she had to maintain absolute composure.

For now, she could only take it one step at a time.

...

For a moment, silence descended upon the space, broken only by the crackle of the burning campfire.

Lin Wan's gaze unconsciously drifted to the bare crown of thorns atop Xia Tong's head. Her slender fingertip lightly brushed against the hard wooden spikes, a trace of curiosity flashing in her eyes:

"Lu Ming, look at the wreath on this little thing's head. Is it some kind of rare mutation? I've never seen such a form."

A faint glow flashed across her fingertips as a wisp of gentle, milky-white healing energy quietly probed toward the crown of thorns, attempting to sense its internal structure. Xia Tong immediately felt a subtle yet highly penetrating mental energy sweep across the top of her head.

Reacting swiftly after so much practice and sensing, her control over the extra crown of thorns had grown increasingly smooth. The wood-elemental energy within her rippled subtly, cleverly simulating the dull feedback of a normal wooden mutation without arousing Lin Wan's suspicion.

"Nothing special. It seems to be a common external attribute alienation." After probing, Lin Wan found nothing out of the ordinary and let go of her fleeting curiosity.

"Mutated creatures come in all shapes and sizes. What's there to make a fuss about?" Lu Ming glanced coldly at Xia Tong, a hint of impatience in his tone. "Lin Wan, our mission is to find the 'region with the purest energy'. The clue to the 'Key of the Crimson Moon' is likely right there. Don't invest too much emotion in a mutant stray of unknown origin; we don't have the psychic talents for taming or contracting such beasts."

He paused before adding, "If it gets in the way, I wouldn't mind clearing it out directly."

"Hah," Xia Tong sneered inwardly, though outwardly she emitted an even more dependent purr, burrowing deeper into Lin Wan's arms while a wave of malicious roaring surged in her mind:

*You poker-faced poseur, just you wait.*

...

The rain gradually tapered off at some point, but the fog outside grew even denser, wrapping the entire abandoned city in a thick gray curtain.

Inside the cabin, the flickering firelight cast shadows on Lu Ming's suddenly sharp gaze.

"There's something outside." His voice dropped, and his previously somewhat relaxed aura instantly turned as sharp as a blade.

Lin Wan instantly grew alert as well, her dense mental energy materializing faintly and radiating outward.

After a moment of perception, she said, "It's those corrupted ones. I wonder how they managed to wander over here?"

"Could they have been attracted by the sound of our off-road vehicle earlier?" Lin Wan wondered aloud, standing up and preparing to follow him out to take a look.

At that moment, Lu Ming's icy gaze swept across Xia Tong, a flash of suspicion so brief it almost made her think she had been exposed.

Speechless, Xia Tong mentally rolled her eyes: "..."

*Please, what does this have to do with me?!*

In the blink of an eye, Lu Ming stood up, his figure shifting to vanish into the thick fog at the doorway. "I'll go take a look. You stay here..." The tail end of his voice faded away into the mist.

Moments later, Lu Ming returned, carrying a faint scent of blood. "Just a few low-tier corrupted creatures that lacked eyes, drawn over by something. Already dealt with."

Despite his words, the doubt lingering between his brows had not entirely dissipated.

The sensation of being watched just now did not feel like it came from mindless corrupted creatures.