Chapter 111: “hero”

Sun Hang spread his palm, and in the center of it lay a smooth, round jade stone that resembled a lotus seed. If one stared at it closely, they could see brilliant, colorful light flowing within the stone.

This was the true content of the transaction; having Longyanlei leave Shuzhou was merely an added condition.

The scientific name for this object should be “sarira.” These typically only appear with a chance after the cremation of the physical body of an enlightened monk. For Buddhism, it is considered a sacred object of the highest order.

However, Sun Hang sensed an extremely potent aura of a strange object from within this “sarira.”

If strange objects were classified into grades based on “food level,” this “sarira” would definitely rank as “top-tier,” several levels higher than that Tai Sui thing.

“Why is Longyanlei leaving?” Wang Xiyi’s voice suddenly sounded. Sun Hang raised his head and realized she was hovering at the entrance of the medical bay, moving in sync with the helicopter.

“I made a transaction with it,” Sun Hang replied. “Longyanlei is actually an undead, or more accurately, a vengeful spirit.”

“The last abbot of Longyan Temple back then?” Yang Qi nodded thoughtfully. “He didn’t die of natural causes, did he?”

“Correct, he contracted a rare disease known as ‘Treant Syndrome,’ but his disciples mistakenly believed he was infected by a strange object… that Li Yuan personally killed him, destroyed the evidence, and then sold off and embezzled the temple’s remaining property… this property was his seed money back then.”

“Li Yuan? The old man they rushed to bring you was him?” Wang Xiyi asked. “What did you do with him?”

“Handed him over to that undead,” Sun Hang shrugged. “That’s the transaction between it and me. I help it find the villain from back then, and it spares Tianfu City and leaves Shuzhou. It’s that simple.”

“The main hall of Longyan Temple was burned down along with Li Yuan’s body,” Yang Qi stated.

“Then isn’t that letting Li Yuan off easy?” Wang Xiyi mumbled. “That man was already on his last legs; this just gave him a quick end.”

“No… the methods of the undead are not limited to that,” Yang Qi shook her head, a flicker of fear in her eyes. “From what I understand, they have the ability to extract human consciousness from their physical bodies and preserve it in a special form… Although Li Yuan’s body was destroyed along with Longyan Temple, the torment his consciousness will endure has likely only just begun.”

“Hiss… just thinking about it sends shivers down my spine,” a hunter sitting nearby gasped, inhaling sharply. “I used to have a colleague whose consciousness was said to have been taken by an undead. I don’t know if she’s found peace yet.”

“Was your colleague’s codename ‘Vermilion Bird’?” Yang Qi suddenly asked.

“You know her?” Wang Xiyi looked at Yang Qi and asked.

“Yes… her physical body is still preserved in the medical bay of Tianshu Tower. Her vital signs are all normal, but she just won’t wake up,” Yang Qi said.

Sun Hang: “Like a coma patient?”

“No, it’s different,” Yang Qi shook her head. “A coma patient falls into a deep sleep due to brain damage, but her brain is intact, and the brainwaves detected by the instruments are completely normal…”

“In any case, I absolutely wouldn’t want to face that kind of strange object,” the hunter said with evident fear. “Rather than endure that kind of torment, I’d prefer to end it quickly myself.”

“Let’s not talk about this anymore,” Yang Qi voluntarily ended the topic and turned to look at Sun Hang. “Just now, a message came from above. To commend your contributions in this operation, you will receive a generous reward and a three-month leave. This means you don’t have to participate in the search for the breeding source at all… Of course, from my understanding, they probably plan to transfer you to establish that ‘Academy for the Study of Strange Objects’.”

“Can I be a figurehead?” Sun Hang pouted. “I don’t know the first thing about that kind of work.”

“Various tasks should have dedicated personnel in charge. You’ll only need to make an appearance at some ceremonies… An honorary principal is, put simply, a ‘mascot’,” Yang Qi said. “Based on my understanding of the higher-ups, you might be featured heavily in the Federation’s internal propaganda for a while… After all, at this critical juncture of Eternal Night’s arrival, they desperately need to create a few ‘heroes’ to boost people’s confidence.”

“Can I refuse this kind of propaganda?” Sun Hang frowned. “Fame brings trouble; a tall tree catches the wind…”

“Probably not,” Yang Qi sighed. “However, this matter is definitely more beneficial than detrimental. The Federation will grant you the treatment a hero deserves, and many of your requests will be met unconditionally. Compared to that, the side effects of fame are almost negligible.”

“They will meet those requests?” Sun Hang mumbled. “Can I have a harem?”

“You… what are you thinking about?” Yang Qi’s cheeks suddenly flushed. “Can’t you think about proper things?”

“Hahaha, isn’t this quite proper?” the hunter next to them burst out laughing. “Men… desire and sex are natural!”

After speaking, he gave Sun Hang a thumbs-up: “Buddy, I understand you!”

“If you really want to start… the higher-ups probably won’t…” Yang Qi mumbled. “However, you must guarantee the principle of voluntariness. Kidnapping women is still a crime punishable by law!”

“Don’t worry, buddy. Once the Federation shapes you into a ‘hero,’ the beauties willing to throw themselves at you will stretch from Chenghua Avenue all the way to Erxianqiao… Tsk tsk, just thinking about it is enough to make one envious.”

“If you’re envious, you can try it next time,” Wang Xiyi said cheerfully. “For example, going alone to…”

“Stop, stop!” the hunter quickly said. “I know my own capabilities very well. Such matters are best left to capable people. It’s enough for me to provide support for the heroes.”

Sun Hang suddenly felt that this guy was quite interesting and asked, “Brother, what’s your name?”

“Codename ‘Santong,’ from Jingchu,” the hunter smiled. “That’s right, like the ‘Santong’ in Mahjong.”

“How about you tell them to let you take this spotlight instead of me?” Sun Hang asked. “The benefits are mine, the fame is yours, how about it?”

“Absolutely not, absolutely not,” Santong repeatedly waved his hands. “If this kind of thing is exposed, public opinion will explode. Let’s just forget about it.”

…

The group chatted casually, and soon, the helicopter flew over Tianfu City. Looking down from above, more than half of the West District had been reduced to ruins. Many firefighters in orange-yellow uniforms were busily moving through the rubble, searching for survivors trapped beneath the debris.

On an open space cleared next to the ruins, two rows of people lay. One row was receiving emergency treatment from medical personnel, while the other was already covered with white cloth.

“Have the death toll figures been compiled yet?” Wang Xiyi had resumed her human form. She placed her hands on the upper edge of the cabin door, extending half of her body out of the aircraft, and asked, looking at the scene below.

“Not yet… but conservatively, it might be in the five digits,” Yang Qi sighed. “The incident happened too suddenly; the residents had no time to evacuate.”

“Eternal Night has only just begun…” Wang Xiyi lamented. “Sun Hang, do you think we can hold Shuzhou?”

“I don’t know,” Sun Hang said indifferently, gazing at the pitch-black sky in the distance. “Perhaps, the sky will brighten tomorrow.”

【P.S. After yesterday’s events, I’m still not feeling well today; my head hurts terribly. It’s likely only this one chapter. I’ll see how things go tomorrow. If I feel better, I should resume two chapters. 】