Free Web NovelJiang Li? Why is there a missing person notice for her here?
Didn't she go on vacation? How could there be a missing person notice here that looks like it has her photo on it?
Wait, could her vacation route be the Dream Come True Journey?
After a brief moment of thought, Lu Yibei stood up abruptly, pressed against the train window, and reached out, trying to grab the fluttering missing person notice to get a closer look.
However...
That thin piece of paper was flipping up and down in the strong wind stirred up by the giant train, like a free butterfly. Even though it was right in front of her, she couldn't catch it no matter what.
In the end, she could only watch helplessly as it flew away.
Two seconds after the missing person notice disappeared from view, Lu Yibei made a bold decision: she was going to jump off the train.
Although this sounded very dangerous, as a citizen of Z Country who had watched the precious video collection of early humans taming trains—'Railway Guerrillas'—she was very confident that she could land safely.
"Clatter!" She slid the window open, and the fierce wind rushed in, blowing Lu Yibei's fiery red long hair, making it sway.
She stood at the gaping window, tightened the strap of her guitar bag, lowered her body, and was about to jump out.
Then.
She nimbly shrank back inside.
It was too high; she didn't dare jump.
The giant train was moving quite fast and had already left the Lanruo Inn Brothel station. Beneath the tracks was an endless abyss, and from deep within, a few weird and terrifying roars could be faintly heard.
Lu Yibei, "..."
That was impulsive, impulsive. Even if that really was Jiang Li, I couldn't risk my life for her!
Since a missing person notice was posted, there must be more than one. Maybe I'll see one at the next station.
Even if there isn't one at the next station, I can wait until the train returns to look at the Lanruo Inn Brothel station, right?
Lu Yibei thought, and soon convinced herself with logical reasoning.
————
Not long after Lu Yibei left the Lanruo Inn Brothel station.
As the giant train departed, the guests who got off at this station were gradually led away by the girls who came to greet them, disappearing into different exits, and the platform gradually became deserted.
However.
Bie Suzhen was still standing on the edge of the platform with stiff limbs, not daring to move an inch.
Seeing that the people and urban legends on the platform were becoming fewer and fewer, she knew this wasn't a solution. If she couldn't find someone to help her, she would have to wait until the next time the giant train passed by.
That would be at least thirty-some hours later!
Just as Bie Suzhen was calculating how to save herself, a surprised voice came from behind her.
"Su... Suzhen? Is that Suzhen?"
She turned back and saw the empty platform. A familiar face appeared behind her with a surprised look, "What are you doing standing there in a daze?"
"Since you're back, go report to Grandma! You were gone for so long without a word; we thought something had happened to you!"
The person who arrived was a woman who looked to be between thirty and forty years old. Her still-delicate face had a few fine wrinkles, and a wine-red hip-hugging skirt outlined her fiery curves. She had a distinct air of "a mature woman who, though aging, still retains her charm." free𝑤ebnovel.com
When Bie Suzhen saw the woman, she felt as if she had seen a relative. Her nose stung slightly, and she almost cried on the spot.
"Model Worker Sister, it's so good to see you. Please, help me."
The woman's stage name was Yunjin, and people called her Mother Yun. She was a legendary figure at the Lanruo Inn Brothel.
As a human, she joined the brothel at eighteen and had worked there for twenty years. She could easily switch personas from the little sister type to the older sister type, and then to the motherly type with ease, fully embodying the spirit of dedication to one's job.
"Help you? How can I help you?" Mother Yun said, then suddenly noticed the delicate little object in Bie Suzhen's arms. Her eyes lit up slightly, "Eh? What is this? It's quite pretty. Did a patron give it to you?"
As she spoke, she reached out to grab the glass bottle in Bie Suzhen's arms.
Many women are naturally defenseless against beautiful things. Inside that small, exquisite glass bottle, a brilliant rose-colored light shimmered, and faint fluctuations of spiritual energy could be felt, making one think of certain gemstones containing spiritual energy.
Seeing Mother Yun's hand reaching out, Bie Suzhen's pupils constricted, and she hurriedly stopped her, "Don't touch it! This is a bomb!"
Mother Yun, "???"
In the next three minutes, Bie Suzhen, with a crying tone, briefly explained to Mother Yun how she was hired at a high price, how she was captured by the King of Weird Tales of Hua City, and how that bastard had forcibly shoved a bunch of bombs into her arms when she got off the train.
"Model Worker Sister, don't be afraid. This thing doesn't seem dangerous for now..."
"I, I'm not afraid."
"If you aren't afraid, don't hide so far away!" Bie Suzhen rolled her eyes as she watched Mother Yun, who had already retreated twenty meters away and was cowering behind a stone pillar. "Anyway, hurry back and notify Grandma. I think this is probably..."
"A terrorist attack!"
Upon hearing this, Mother Yun nodded repeatedly. Not daring to delay, she turned and ran toward the Lanruo Inn Brothel.
The Lanruo Inn Brothel had a daily foot traffic of over ten thousand people, including thousands of employees, making it a very densely populated area. Leaving five "weapons" capable of killing a B-level urban legend in such a place was indeed a very serious situation.
————
Twenty minutes later, inside the Lanruo Inn Brothel.
Led by someone, Bie Suzhen arrived in front of a door located deep inside the brothel. Pushing the door open, an antique-style room came into view.
This was a very spacious room. Under a dome painted with golden peonies, several white marble pillars stood. The four walls were all carved from white stone bricks, and orchids carved from gold bloomed enchantingly amidst the white stone, with red gauze curtains visible everywhere, swaying in the breeze.
On a rosewood chaise lounge, a woman wearing light, thin clothing was reclining. Her silky black hair was styled in a spirit snake bun. Beneath willow-leaf eyebrows that carried a hint of heroic spirit amidst their softness, a pair of almond eyes filled with the vicissitudes of life looked somewhat lazy. Her black dress outlined her slender waist, and two fair, long legs were faintly visible beneath the hem of her skirt.
She was like an enchanting flower in full bloom, a Black Peony blooming above the Lanruo Inn, never to wither.
This woman was the owner of the Lanruo Inn Brothel, known by the stage name Black Peony.
As Bie Suzhen pushed the door and entered, the sunflower parrot with different-colored eyes in the woman's arms suddenly flapped its wings, landed on the ground, and with a flash of light, transformed into a young girl wearing a white long dress.
The girl was both Black Peony's pet and subordinate, as well as her assistant, known as Embroidery Ball.
However, the girls in the brothel usually added "Sir" after her title.
"Suzhen, we have already checked those little items you brought back. They aren't bombs at all; you were deceived."
Embroidery Ball said, turning her head to look at the three Alchemy Dirty Bombs that had been completely dismantled on the Eight Immortals table not far away, "According to my analysis, the main components are only Alchemy residue and a small amount of calamity water."
"Such a mixture is usually very stable and not dangerous."
Hearing this, Black Peony stood up, walked forward, gently patted Embroidery Ball's shoulder, and said softly, "Embroidery Ball, sometimes you cannot simply consider the usual circumstances. After all, the other party is the King of Weird Tales of a city; his actions cannot be judged by common sense."
As she spoke, she curled her finger at an undismantled Alchemy Dirty Bomb on the Eight Immortals table, and the Alchemy Dirty Bomb floated up and flew in front of her.
As she suddenly clenched her pink fist in the air, intense spiritual energy fluctuations suddenly burst forth from her delicate body.
Stimulated by the spiritual energy fluctuations, the pale faint light in the bottle gradually intensified until it was blinding, and a small palm print slowly appeared on the small bottle.
Immediately, frantic light poured out from the cracked bottle, spreading in all directions, and a loud noise suddenly erupted.
"Boom—!"
However, amidst this violent explosion, no one looked terrified; at most, they just raised their hands to shield themselves from the intense light.
Every industry has its rules, but the prerequisite for wanting others to follow the rules is to have sufficient strength. For a place like the Lanruo Inn Brothel, this is even more true.
And Black Peony is the rule of the Lanruo Inn Brothel. It is precisely her existence that allows those lawless urban legends and vicious human criminals to gather together without ever causing any trouble.
It can be said that the Lanruo Inn Brothel is absolutely safe for those who follow the rules; conversely, if necessary, she will also transform into the most terrifying urban legend.
It is said that once, an A-level urban legend relied on its powerful strength and wanted to cause trouble. Black Peony only spent less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn to make it silently disappear from the Lanruo Inn Brothel.
The roaring gradually ceased, and the explosion was confined within a certain range by Black Peony's powerful spiritual energy fluctuations until the pale firelight completely dissipated.
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"See, Embroidery Ball, the power of this thing is not small!" She said softly, "I don't know what the King of Weird Tales has in mind by leaving this kind of thing behind."
As she spoke, she turned to look at Bie Suzhen, her casual expression carrying a hint of indifference.
"She..." Bie Suzhen parted her lips slightly, paused for a few seconds, and explained, "Reporting to Grandmother, the Disaster said this was left for me to defend myself."
"Oh?" Black Peony raised an eyebrow slightly, seemingly surprised by Bie Suzhen's answer. "Then why did you tell Yunniang that this was a terrorist attack?"
"Be, because..." Bie Suzhen said weakly, "When she left, she didn't tell me how to use it, so I thought..."
"That's enough." Black Peony interrupted. "I have a rough understanding now. It seems she doesn't have any obvious malice. There's nothing left for you here, so you go down and rest first!"
"Yes!" Bie Suzhen replied, then followed Yunniang, who had brought her here, and left the room. freewebnovel.cσ๓
After Bie Suzhen and Yunniang had walked far away, Embroidery Ball approached and asked her master in a low voice, "Master, are we not going to pursue this matter any further? After all, she also came from Hua City. Might there be a problem?"
Although the Lanruo Inn Brothel, Dan Sha Gu Shi Pharmacy, and Dream Come True Entertainment City are all on the same travel route, they are operated independently.
However, just like how chips are interchangeable, intelligence and news between them are usually shared.
A few days ago, the legendary story of a mysterious young girl from Hua City who challenged the Big Boss of Dream Come True Entertainment City fourteen times, repeatedly failing but never giving up, and eventually going missing, had already spread.
Embroidery Ball could probably guess where that young girl had gone, so when she learned of the appearance of the King of Weird Tales from Hua City, she couldn't help but be a bit sensitive.
"Of course not." Black Peony narrowed her eyes slightly. "So, you go and follow her to see what on earth she is up to."
"Yes." Embroidery Ball bowed slightly, acknowledged the order, and then with a flash of light, transformed into a parrot and flew out the window.
————
If the Lanruo Inn Brothel, with its glamorous facade, was like heaven for certain people or urban legends, then Dan Sha Gu Shi Pharmacy was pure hell.
Before the giant train even entered the station of Dan Sha Gu Shi Pharmacy, Lu Yibei could smell the strong medicinal scent drifting in from outside the window from afar.
That scent wasn't like the faint aroma in a traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy; it was more like the strange, pungent odor of chemical reagents mixed with Chinese medicine.
Lu Yibei was very familiar with this scent; she had smelled it when making Alchemy potions, and Alchemy residue had a similar smell.
As the train's speed gradually slowed, a devastated city appeared in her field of vision, giving one a sense of time-traveling confusion, as if transported to an era of war.
The train traveled through the city. Outside the window, the city was desolate, with dry bones and decaying steel visible everywhere. Gaunt figures with sunken eye sockets, appearing extremely malnourished, stared at the train from the shadows on both sides of the tracks, their eyes unfriendly, as if calculating something shady.
Dark clouds gathered in the sky, and the air was filled with a large amount of dust, making it look gray. It was as if heavy machinery was operating within the city, with loud roars echoing. Chimneys towering into the clouds spewed pungent black smoke, and magma-like firelight faintly shone through the gaps of low buildings.
Looking at this dilapidated and crumbling city, Lu Yibei frowned involuntarily.
This place had many similarities to the city in her dream. The difference was that the city in her dream seemed to have experienced a Disaster, and everything was silent, as if it were already dead.
But here, it was as if it were sick—gravely ill, incurable, just struggling to survive while gradually heading toward decay.
Before Lu Yibei could get a closer look at the ruined city, the giant train had already passed through it, entered a dilapidated station marked by the passage of time, and stopped at the platform.
At this moment, the train's intercom system sounded.
"This is the location of Dan Sha Gu Shi Pharmacy. There's not much to introduce specifically; it just sells medicine, any medicine you can imagine."
The introduction from the man in the bowler hat sounded very perfunctory, and his tone even seemed to carry a hint of disgust.
Any medicine you can imagine? Lu Yibei repeated the man's words in her heart, lost in thought.
The train's intercom system sounded again.
"In any case, passengers who have a need can get off here. After getting off, try to avoid contact with strangers. Other passengers, if not necessary, please do not leave the carriage at will, otherwise you will be responsible for the consequences!"
While listening to the broadcast, Lu Yibei saw several men wearing loose clothing and hats pulled low sneaking off the train. As soon as they got off, those figures that looked like mummies darted out from the shadows, surrounding them like beasts hunting.
Then, after one of the men struck with thunderous force, mercilessly crushing the head of one of the figures with a single palm, they scattered.
"So that's how it is?" Lu Yibei murmured, preparing to withdraw her gaze and sit back down.
At this moment, a familiar figure hurried past...
"A... A Hua?" Lu Yibei called out tentatively.
The young girl's body stiffened, and she slowly turned around. Seeing Lu Yibei, she looked full of confusion, her eyes seemingly saying, "Miss, who are you?"
The young girl was indeed A Hua.
This was the third day she had stayed at Dan Sha Gu Shi Pharmacy, and the fifth day after Jiang Li had gone missing.
In these three days, she had walked through almost the entire desolate city, where beast-like addicts could be seen everywhere, and plastered missing person notices all over the streets and alleys, yet she still hadn't found any trace of Jiang Li.
A moment ago.
She had arrived at the station of Dan Sha Gu Shi Pharmacy, seemingly looking for something. She glanced around anxiously for a while, then sighed silently, took out a missing person notice she had been carrying, and posted it on a stone pillar not far away.
This was her last time coming here; if she still couldn't find the whereabouts of her young miss, there would only be the Lanruo Inn Brothel left to search.
However, with Jiang Li not by her side, she wasn't confident that she could resist the temptation and leave smoothly after entering such a place.
After all...
She knew very well that she was a bit of a lovesick fool; if she wasn't careful, she would fall into the tender trap of the handsome young men in the Lanruo Inn Brothel.
Just as A Hua had finished posting the last missing person notice and was preparing to leave, a soft call came from behind her. Looking toward the sound, she saw the stranger with fire-red hair from the giant train.
"..."
Strange, do I know her?
I feel like she looks very familiar, but I can't remember where I've seen her before.
But if I don't know her, why would she know my name? A Hua thought to herself.
Just as she was puzzled, she saw the young girl trot off the train, cross the platform, and come to her side.
The young girl glanced at the missing person notice on the stone pillar, frowned slightly, and said in surprise, "So Jiang Li really is missing? When I didn't see you, I wasn't sure!"
A Hua looked the young girl in front of her up and down, stepped back, and said guardedly, "Who exactly are you, and why do you know my name and hers?"
While speaking, she deliberately concealed her relationship with Jiang Li.
"Ah, me?" Lu Yibei was stunned. A Hua didn't recognize her current appearance, and it was even less likely she knew about the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons in Hua City, so she explained, "I am Jiang Li's... uh, urban legend informant in Hua City. You might not have seen me, but I have seen you."
"Informant? What's your name?" A Hua said fiercely.
She knew exactly which urban legend informants were under Jiang Li, and there was no such young girl among them.
Lu Yibei pondered for a moment and said, "Wang Bu Liu Xing!"
"Wang Bu Liu Xing?" A Hua repeated the name in a low voice and narrowed her eyes slightly.
Jiang Li had always treated her like a sister. When they were guessing whether Lu Yibei was Wang Bu Liu Xing, they had even seriously discussed the probability.
In the end, the conclusion they both reached was that the probability was over ninety percent.
If she really was Wang Bu Liu Xing, then wasn't that Lu Yibei?
To think she had the nerve to call herself an informant; shouldn't it be a bitch?
Why did she come here for no reason? A Hua thought.
However, although she had doubts, a trace of warmth still rose in her heart.
After Jiang Li went missing, she had experienced too much deception and was once lonely, helpless, and on the verge of collapse.
Now, she had suddenly met an acquaintance, and even if it was someone she disliked, it allowed her tense nerves to relax slightly.
If she was willing to help, perhaps the probability of finding ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ her young miss would be much higher.
However, before that...
There were still some things that needed to be confirmed, A Hua thought.
