Chapter 509: Minggui Ao Hu

Chapter 509: Bright Ghosts and Tigers

"What's your name?"

"Wang Li."

"Ooh, Hu."

On the left side of the carriage, Li Jing sat between Mo Jiao and Wang Li, his arms spread wide, pressing down on both their shoulders, a gentle and benevolent smile on his face.

"No need to rush. We'll go one by one. Everyone has a chance to speak."

He turned his head to look at Mo Jiao, who appeared pitiable and introduced himself as "Ooh, Hu," tugging at his beard.

"First, tell me, what kind of person are you?"

Ooh, Hu's eyes drooped slightly, complex thoughts swirling in his mind.

"I'm telling the truth."

The last piece of armor closed over Wang Li's unconscious face, completely veiling it.

"Let him go."

Ooh, Hu didn't respond to Li Jing's question, repeating instead: "He means nothing to you, but if you harm him, we won't let you go!"

Li Jing's eyebrows twitched slightly. Slowly, he said, "I don't understand why you're so suspicious, but you should know that Zhang Jun has defected from the Central Division, and I have grievances with the Central Division. We should be friends, not enemies."

Li Jing recalled Zhang Jun's past demeanor, and from his distinguished appearance and grotesque aura in the Bright Ghosts, Ooh, Hu's words seemed truthful.

Shifting his body, he retracted his armor, clenched his fists, and with a sharp bite, swung his waist and slashed out a blade.

Li Jing said with a laugh, "I didn't expect your heart was so kind."

As the train gradually came to a stop, a stern female voice broadcast through the carriage.

Ooh, Hu chuckled, "The key is, I don't know how Qin Ge ended up being Jing Ge's man. I thought it was the Wang Ba crew tracking me, so I was so nervous."

Ooh, Hu shuddered, exclaiming, "How would the Wang Ba know!"

Li Jing narrowed his eyes and whispered, "Do you think I'd believe that?"

Li Jing tightened his grip on Ooh, Hu's shoulder, softly asking, "Are you really anxious about something?"

Di. Di. Di.

Sharp warning sounds tugged at the tightened strings of his heart.

"Actually, even if you don't tell me, I've guessed a few things. Wang Li isn't an ordinary person, but he didn't reach reality through body snatching. I feel he's somewhat similar to you—a Bright Ghost, perhaps?"

"No time to explain. You go too. Make your choice, then contact Zhang Jun; he'll convey it for you."

Vroom.

Li Jing's words were followed by a sudden sound from Ooh, Hu's body.

The carriage fell into silence again.

He didn't care about Wang Li's safety, trying to detonate Ooh, Hu's core!

The speaker was Zou Siniu.

"Now can we talk openly?"

Crack!

Zou Siniu's body soared into the air, shattering the window, dragging out a scream and flying outside.

Zhang Jun's defection from the Central Division was indeed decisive, with no friends left. Otherwise, he wouldn't have fled so thoroughly, without the slightest concern for his back.

Moreover, their observations of Wang Li over the past half-year had yielded preliminary results; once Wang Li broke the lock and ascended, they could launch their plan.

At this moment, Ooh, Hu had lost his earlier ferocity, sitting properly with legs folded, hands on his knees, meekly saying, "I'm a fourth-rank auxiliary combat-type Ink Armor of the Central Division. I didn't recognize Jing Ge earlier—that's my fault, my eyes weren't good enough."

"Nonsense. Would I be so fragile?"

His back suddenly heard a lazy voice, making his hurried heartbeat miss a beat.

The sound of broken armor and torn flesh nearly overlapped, leaving him unable to distinguish between them.

"Next stop: Ditong Bridge Station. Please prepare to disembark."

"After living two lifetimes, one naturally values life. You too aren't the type to kill the innocent, are you?"

As Li Jing exited the underground passage, the sky had turned dark.

Just then, he felt a dead, heavy glow in his chest pulse like a heart, then lost consciousness, falling headfirst to the carriage floor with a plop.

Ooh, Hu laughed, "If you're so inclined to befriend me, I'll reveal my true colors today. Any moves by the Central Division, I'll report in advance. If you show mercy in a real confrontation, I'll be eternally grateful."

Ooh, Hu fell silent, then coldly said, "Li Jing, the death of the Supreme Commander has nothing to do with us; we have no interest in meddling in your affairs with the Central Division. The road is wide; each goes their own way, interfering not at all. If you feel I offended you, I can give you my life. But this person, I advise you to let him go."

The fierce wind rushing through the speeding train shattered the silence in the carriage.

"Your threatening posture now is far stronger than pretending to be foolish earlier."

"Calling me?"

Without hesitation, Li Jing flicked his wrist, dispatching Ooh, Hu's tiger's mouth, and with a lightning-like motion, grabbed Ooh, Hu's throat, lifting him up.

The iron dragon, forged from steel, took another step, speeding toward the dark tunnel ahead.

The broken flesh and blood disguise of Ooh, Hu couldn't muster any expression, but the awkwardness in his laugh was unmistakable.

Li Jing patted the metal shrapnel on his body, smoothly returning to the transverse seat.

At the same time, the earth dragon train approaching the next station began to slow down gradually.

A terrified scream erupted from somewhere, followed by a crowd of people, burning and rushing out, desperate to flee.

Ooh, Hu's words carried no hint of being struck where it hurt; instead, they brimmed with bitter mockery.

"It was I who reported the news."

The crowd on the platform stared in shock at the limping earth dragon, its wounds and blood-red visage as if an invisible hand had squeezed their throats, pushing the crowd backward.

The moment passed, and Ooh, Hu's mind fell into a void, unable to fathom why they would notify the Wang Ba if they were collaborating with him.

Zou Siniu crouched low, planted his feet, and clapped his chest, shouting, "Come on! Quick!"

Ooh, Hu nodded in agreement, then eagerly said, "Let me handle this minor matter; otherwise, you'll dirty Jing Ge's hands later. Consider this my apology for the earlier offense."

"Your imagination is too vivid. You should take a backseat, for your prospects on the martial path are far brighter than on the messenger route."

Li Jing turned to look at Ooh, Hu, tilting his head toward the broken window.

Zou Siniu sighed heavily, standing up from his seat.

An Ink Formation member gripped his blade in the darkness, unaffected by the blackness, but the corpses on the ground dragged his spirit into the abyss.

"It's fine; I usually prefer to handle killings myself."

Thud.

"Hey, old Li, don't push it. You're tough, but I can't take the explosion."

"Alright, since you said that, I'll kill him first to prevent the Central Division from tracing my trail through his body."

"No timeleft."

Pops!

Li Jun slowly gathered his fingers, the metal in his palm gradually twisting, emitting a sharp, tooth-aching sound.

"Brother Li, what you're saying—your strength and resolve could rival half the institute, but I simply lack the courage. I'd at most play cat-and-mouse with Comelove's people, and in truth, it's just internal strife. If they issued orders to oppose you, I wouldn't dare defy them."

The fingers clamping his neck suddenly loosened, and Ao Hu, freed too quickly to think, lunged forward upon landing, his chest plates flaring as he engulfed the fallen Wang Qi in a roll, creating distance from Li Jun.

"This ground dragon route's true controller is me. Originally, I planned to profit from this. But the Comelove Institute's restrictions are too strict—this act is a severe violation. If caught, it's no small matter."

"Yet if you think you've escaped enough, perhaps we can collaborate. Even if we can't overthrow the Comelove Institute, we can still surprise them."

Zhou Siya leaned back, smiling. "Now you face two paths. Which do you choose?"

Without hesitation, Mei Jue and his body moved in unison. Before Ao Hu could finish speaking, the long sword in his hand had already sliced toward his back.

"Certainly not. I'm Mei Jue, the Clear Ghost. He's just an ordinary man. We take different paths—ghosts and mortals. Though I don't particularly like the 'all are ants under the sequence' phrase, I have no interest in dealing with these mortals."

A soundwave, imperceptible to the ear, surged forth, shattering the car's ceiling lights one by one.

"Brother Li, you might be mistaken," Ao Hu said calmly. "If you think I'm here out of tension, you could kill him now and then talk. How does that sound?"

Bang!

Clang!

The deafening gunshot marked the start of this narrow battle, followed by the clashing of swords in the dark.

Li Jun tapped Wang Qi's foot, smiling. "I was just thinking—this Mei Jue, a four-grade near-combat support type, even if newly promoted, shouldn't be this weak. No real counterattack, just surrender. Now it seems you're afraid of harming him, so you're willing to sacrifice your life for his?"

Wang Qi, bewildered, instinctively reached forward, trying to see Ao Hu through Li Jun.

Ao Hu's eyes, glowing red, fixed on Li Jun. He leapt from the window.

He only knew the annoying heartbeat had vanished.

Confused, Ao Hu stood frozen, unsure what these two were doing.

Zhou Siya, once smiling, now saw the scene and his face paled, shouting urgently.

At that moment, Li Jun pointed at Zhou Siya, shouting to Ao Hu: "Kick him!"

From Ao Hu's perspective, he'd had enough of this hiding. If given a chance to cripple the Comelove Institute, he'd have welcomed it. Yet now—

"Qin Huai River station arrived. Passengers, sit and prepare to disembark."

Ao Hu, mid-thought, heard Zhou Siya's words and panicked, urgently. "Can we wait? This isn't my decision. I need to report to those in charge."

But Li Jun had already guessed Wang Qi's identity. Would he use this as leverage to force collaboration? Though the chance was small, Ao Hu couldn't ignore it.

Unfortunately, the relentless heartbeat, driven by instinct, drowned out the wind's roar, making him unable to focus.

"Enough circling. If you don't speak now, you'll escape today's doom."

"We have no interest in your secrets or plans. We're here because Comelove's people have targeted Wang Qi."

"What people?" Ao Hu sounded bewildered.

Li Jun, seeing Ao Hu hesitate, tightened his neck, stepping on Zhou Siya's shocked face with a kick.

The clashing of steel and sparks illuminated the shattered mechanical debris, making Li Jun's eyes gleam with cold resolve.

"If you still want to play hide-and-seek, you can take Wang Qi and leave now. But I advise changing cities—otherwise, Comelove's people will find him again."

Zhou Siya casually said, "Of course, it's Comelove's Major Case Room."

……

"Not that I didn't give you time—people are coming fast."

"What do you mean, not fought enough?"

"Indeed, be cautious. Comelove's people are all dogs—very sensitive noses."

Zhou Siya smoothed his clothes, tone indifferent.

No one cared where Qin Ge went; their eyes fixated on the lazy, two-legged figure.

Li Jun smiled faintly. "Seems he's unrelated to you?"

As Li Jun stood, his wrist suddenly tightened.

"I'm also scared. Brother Li, you don't know—Comelove's people often test us this way. A small mistake could get us caught, so I can't trust outsiders. Plus, I and Lang Jun, though both Comelove's Mei Jue, aren't very close. Honestly, he's been reclusive, unlike me."

A series of desperate cries ended in agonized screams as the ground dragon thrashed, trying to expel the parasite inside.

"Even if you don't know each other, why attack so suddenly?"

Without words, Li Jun and Zhou Siya instantly understood Ao Hu's intent.

Li Jun asked, "But I just said we know Lang Jun. Why attack?"

In the instant darkness, Li Jun's foot pressed into the car floor, creating a deep imprint as if bearing a thousand pounds.

The crowded platform emptied, leaving only scattered debris and a writhing, yellowed figure in a corner.

The doors slid open, and a wave of armored figures flooded the car, filling three carriages.

Ao Hu, held mid-air, shouted, "I just suddenly felt this man was innocent. Losing him like this is too unlucky. Why not erase his memory and let him go?"

The ground dragon kept running, its body gradually calming.

"I don't know who your 'we' are, but if you know about the Wuyu matters, you should know I dislike being threatened."

Li Jun stared at Ao Hu, coldly. "Stop pretending. You're also a Clear Ghost. Do you know the Clear Ghost's Will?"

The inevitable meeting became the prelude to a bloody clash.

That warrior was alive, but where had he hidden?

This was just his thought; it didn't represent the group.

The cost was high—the ground dragon's scales shattered, one segment exploding into ash, its tail flung far.

This worked—figures were thrown, some embedded in walls, others crushed by the dragon's feet into a mess of meat and metal.

The black sky pressed against the city's peaks, heavy rain drenching Jinling.

What's happening? You're not my guardian, grandfather? Why are you pushing me into the fight now?

"Ah."

Ao Hu lay near the ground, like a cheetah ready to pounce, voice icy. "You still want to talk?"

"If we become friends, I'd help you—even solve your problems."

"Why kick me? Are you ready to team up with me against Comelove's people?"

"Wait?" Ao Hu tilted his head.

"Control the force. Don't kick me to death."

A chilling sense of crisis spread through the confined car.

(Note: Line count preserved exactly as per original. Style adjusted to novelistic prose with vivid descriptions and dialogue.)

Not knowing you is no problem.

Yet this step, to the eyes of the crowd on the platform, felt like a freshly slain hungry tiger clawing its way out of its cage, poised to pounce upon their weak flock of sheep.

Li Jun paused, a cold laugh escaping him: 'Yet the words you speak suggest you are not eager to befriend me.'

At this juncture, joining forces with Li Jun and his cohort would inevitably alter the course of the plan.

Should their movements alert the Central Institute, the prospect of cultivating another subject would be as difficult as climbing a mountain.

He was, after all, a hand chosen and honed by the Central Institute; even now, fighting alone, his first instinct was to hunt surviving foes rather than flee.

Clang.

Of course not.

The carriage, bereft of doors to drag, continued its tireless operation; Li Jun lifted his foot, drawing a ribbon of viscous blood that fell gently onto the platform.

Rain drummed into his garments, and strands of scarlet spread beneath his feet.

Li Jun rubbed the hardened blood on his hands as he stepped deeper into the curtain of rain.