Split Zone No.13

Split Zone 13
44 Nie Zun’s Analysis

Nie Zun cut in suddenly, “But why would Li Wen appear here today?”

Jiao S gave me a suspicious look . “Are you sure you saw her?”

I nodded . “I’m positive . It was Li Wen . You know how Li Wen has this different aura . The way she carries herself—I couldn’t have been mistaken . ”

Jiao S clenched her teeth, a dark force filling her eyes . “I didn’t expect that she would show up . Looks like all of this isn’t just a coincidence . ”

I couldn’t help but wonder what awaited us . The events that had happened so far didn’t exactly look to be related, and yet there also seemed to be some kind of underlying link between them . Could all of this have been a warning for a catastrophe to come?

Nie Zun suddenly asked, “By the way, where did Guan Nie disappear to?”

Jiao S shook her head . “Don’t bother asking me . His movements are unpredictable . Don’t worry about him . Although I can’t guarantee he’ll be of any help to us, I am certain that he’s not a bad guy . When the time’s right, I suppose he’ll make his appearance all on his own . ”

I nodded .

The night wind suddenly attacked, the chilling cold seeping into my skin . For some reason, whenever a cold wind came like this in the dark, nighttime forest, I would subconsciously look around me .

My probing gaze must have caught Jiao S’ attention, for she also turned her neck slightly . The three of us were quiet . When I didn’t notice any movement in the grass or air, I relaxed a bit .

“Li Shen, since we’ve spoken to this point, do you remember that I said I’d share a secret with you if we ended up working together?” Jiao S asked seriously .

Startled, I thought back to the Jiao S’ words when I first headed to the Eastern District . I nodded .

“I think it’s time to tell you now . The secret—” Before Jiao S could finish speaking, behind her, a dark shadow fled .

When I looked closer, I realized that the shadow belonged to Laurel! Laurel had undergone great changes . She was on all four limbs . Her gaze was murderous, like a cheetah waiting to pounce on its prey .

“Be careful!” I blurted out . Jiao S’ gaze tightened, and then the air behind her crackled, turning to blades, flying backwards .

Laurel easily dodged the attack, her chopped up blond hair catching the light’s reflection . On all fours, she leapt at Jiao S, trying to grab her back, as if her hands had claws .

Jiao S felt an incoming pressure, so she turned to the right and avoided Laurel . After dodging her attack, she turned again, when suddenly, she stared ahead .

As she moved, the air to her right fiercely vibrated and turned into a large vortex . The wind blew her hair high up, exposing her dark eyes . She stuck her arm into the vortex and pulled out the same sword she once attacked me with .

Jiao S quickly turned back and raised her sword . With a thunderous airflow, she aimed at Laurel’s head, without any hesitation .

I quickly grabbed my bow and shot an arrow . Whoosh! The arrow struck Laurel’s shoulder, pushing her to the side slightly, avoiding Jiao S’ sword . Laurel fell to the ground in pain . I took a step forward, and before Jiao S could make another move, I pulled out Piercer and grabbed hold of her .

I tightened my grip slightly . “Don’t move . Surely, you still remember what kind of pain Piercer brings!”

Seeing how set I was on not taking her life, Jiao S simply looked me over, without a word .

Laurel wanted to fight, but she also knew how powerful Piercer was, so she stopped . Her large eyes looked around, as if trying to find an escape route .

“Laurel, don’t you recognize me? I’m Ah Shen jiejie . How did you become this way?” I still held my weapon tightly, but my heart softened .

Laurel stared at me . In a clear voice, she said, “Ah Shen jiejie, I haven’t forgotten you, but what I’m doing right now is right . You’ve been wrong all this time . This is the life I want now . ”

Suddenly, she laughed tenderly . “And anyway, why are you getting angry at me, Ah Shen jiejie? Nie Zun gege‘s the one who told me to do this . Didn’t he tell you?”

As she glanced over at Nie Zun, Laurel’s once innocent face suddenly looked so cunning .

I shook my head . “That can’t be . Nie Zun would never do something like that . ” Though I said that, I could already feel that Jiao S had turned her suspicious gaze to the indifferent Nie Zun at our side . Her grip tightened on her sword .

I frowned .

Laurel fluttered her pretty lashes . “Ah Shen jiejie, you should give You Ji jiejie a call . Then you’ll understand everything . ”

Nie Zun suddenly spoke up, “No . You cannot speak with You Ji right now . ”

Suspicion filled my face . Why would Nie Zun say that?

Laurel chuckled, and her laughter was crisp and melodious, as it had always been . “Nie Zun gege, you shouldn’t keep it a secret from Ah Shen jiejie . A big incident happened in the Western District, but you still want to pretend to be a good person?”

My eyes immediately widened, and I turned to Nie Zun . His expression was dark .

Taking advantage of my lowered guard, Laurel escaped from my whip and tried to get away . With swift eyes and arms, Jiao S raised her sword again .

But then, Nie Zun’s eyes tightened, and a ray of light shot forth from his eyes! Jiao S’ sword had yet to strike Laurel, when Nie Zun’s light ray grabbed hold of it . Laurel took this opportunity to slip away, and she disappeared into the dark night .

But then, Nie Zun’s eyes tightened, and a ray of light shot forth from his eyes! Jiao S’ sword had yet to strike Laurel, when Nie Zun’s light ray grabbed hold of it . Laurel took this opportunity to slip away, and she disappeared into the dark night .

Jiao S turned to Nie Zun, pointing her sword at him . “What are you trying to do?”

Nie Zun’s reply came evenly . “I don’t mean anything, but I can only prove my innocence with her gone . ”

“I left a chemical marker on her . Jie Pa made it, and he’ll be able to track her wherever she is . ”

“But how exactly are you going to explain her accusations towards you?” Jiao S asked aggressively .

I didn’t say anything, but I was silently worrying about what could have happened in the Western District .

Nie Zun smiled glibly . “We’ve had this talk (about our problems) many times before . If we’re going to suspect each other, neither of us are any better than the other . Jiao S, you’re aware that a man previously died in the Western District after jumping off a building . We found that strange insects had eaten away his back, and the scent of those insects were found on your A-rank official, Mu Li . Moreover, when we were staying in the Eastern dorms, you took away an assassin who targeted us, but have yet to give us any explanation . Don’t you think we have out to have suspicions about you?”

Jiao S suddenly recalled something . “Since you mentioned that, I’m remembering that, when I leave my district, my S Clan will have someone report to me . Though I don’t like cellphones, at the least, I can always be reached . But recently, no one has come to find me… But, there are definitely no problems with Mu Li . None of my A-rank officials are bad people . As for what happened, I’ll be sure to find out as fast as I can . ”

I frowned . “That’s probably because they can’t get into the Southern District, isn’t it?”

Jiao S shook her head . “No . The two B-rank officials were able to enter . Moreover…”

As if thinking up another problem, Jiao S quickly turned to Nie Zun . “Just now, that girl said that something’s happened in the Western District . Nie Zun, what’s happened?”

At that, I also cast a doubtful look at Nie Zun .

Nie Zun eyes turned, and finally, he let out a sigh . He said to me, “Earlier, when you were passed out, You Ji gave me a call . She said that there have been some attacks on the resident floor managers . Seven of the 27 have died . It’s just like what we encountered here . They didn’t die via their split symbol, but instead, because their physical constitutions were altered . ”

Nie Zun eyes turned, and finally, he let out a sigh . He said to me, “Earlier, when you were passed out, You Ji gave me a call . She said that there have been some attacks on the resident floor managers . Seven of the 27 have died . It’s just like what we encountered here . They didn’t die via their split symbol, but instead, because their physical constitutions were altered . ”

“Why are you only telling me about this now?!” I shouted at him .

“Your injury hasn’t fully healed yet . And telling you would have been futile anyway, since you can’t go back right now . It’s clear that the enemy is spread all over the districts . Jie Pa also said that, aside from Song Lu, there was another with a similar constitution . If that was truly Li Wen that you saw earlier, then I’m afraid she can’t be rid of suspicion . Since she’s in the Southern District right now, that means the Western District should currently be safe for the time being . And You Ji is there . Telling you would just cause you needless worry . ”

While I had to admit that Nie Zun’s words were true, I couldn’t help feeling worried and distressed .

But even if I had known ahead of time, what of it? With my current abilities, would I have been able to protect everyone? I can’t even protect myself .

For the first time, Nie Zun had a lot of things to say, and he didn’t have his signature carefree expression . Seriously, he turned to face Jiao S and said, “I admit that I never really trusted you before . But it looks like, now, there’s something I can trust . Although the perpetrator is unknown, the things that have happened the past few days are connected . Since today, there’s only you, me, and Li Shen, how about you let me share my observations . ”

Jiao S looked at Nie Zun, and then finally nodded . “Okay . I’ll trust you for now . Li Shen said that the two of you must remain 500 meters from each other . I trust Li Shen, so let’s try not to suspect each other . ”

Jiao S’ words made me feel very honored .

Nie Zun lifted a hand and adjusted his jacket collar . The evening wind blew at his short, black hair, exposing his shining eyes .

His lips slowly opened . “To sum things up, before we came here, there were four strange deaths in the Western District . Among them were Laurel’s substitute, the female owner of a weapon shop, Ah Wen, and the boy who killed her . Additionally, there was the man who fell from the school building . Ordinarily, because the man and the substitute had died via their split symbols, there should be an additional two dead . Of course, no one saw these two people, so we can’t confirm whether or not they were Western residents . ”

After a pause, he continued, “Among the four people, the boy was once a friendly kid in the Western District . But when he attacked Ah Wen, he’d acted like Laurel did today . His mannerisms and actions were unusual . I suspect that he must have gone through some kind of experiment to change his temperament . As for the man covered in bugs, I’d originally thought that someone had killed him for their own personal gains and fun . But after these recent events, I had a discussion with Jie Pa . We think the man may have been an experiment as well, but because the experiment failed, he was disposed of . ”

An apprehensive feeling overcame me . When had he investigated all these things so thoroughly with Jie Pa? Why hadn’t anyone asked me about it?