Taboo Museum
Cruelty and tranquility, tragedy and beauty, stand in stark contrast on this blood-red battlefield.
The intense stench of blood assaulted their nostrils, and the sheer amount of writhing, Pain Substance around them was enough to make them extremely horrified and uncomfortable. But whether it was the stranger who rushed into the arena or Yang Jia, Ruan Ruan, and Little Four who arrived nearby, no one dared to speak in this delicate atmosphere. Instead, countless strange and horrified gazes were focused on Xiao Xiao in the arena.
He didn't do anything at that moment; he just held the girl in his arms.
He wasn't even seriously injured, but the mountains of bright red bones around him formed a stark backdrop.
It's so striking that just one glance at it is enough to send chills down your spine.
Adding to the impact were the three loyal and fierce Pain Hound that crouched beside him, staring at the crowd. This created a tremendous visual impact, and several of the less experienced people almost felt their legs go weak when faced with the Erha's cold gaze.
"Were they all... all murdered by him?"
"What exactly happened just now, during that period of time?"
"..."
They simply couldn't understand it.
When they realized that Yang Jia had encountered Jin Biao, they immediately focused their attention on him. However, Yang Jia dealt with Jin Biao so quickly that it did not take much time. When they also realized, along with Yang Jia, that the core of the Rotten Kingdom was not Jin Biao, they immediately switched their perspective to observe Ruan Ruan and Little Four. In this process, there was also not much time.
Until, looking at Xiao Xiao, it was clear that a brutal massacre had already begun.
However, since we cannot see it, we can only imagine the bloodshed and cruelty of this confrontation by listening to the sounds...
... And then, it became what it is now.
The impact of the scene before them was truly perplexing.
Could it be that, in such a short time, he used some kind of terrifying ability?
... Look around, there's bound to be a chainsaw!
... I heard it all just now, he must have hidden it somewhere.
Of course, it wasn't just the newcomers who had this question in mind. Even Red Eyes Ling Ping, Old Zhou Under the Bridge, and the Serpent Sisters all glanced at Yang Jia with slightly shifting eyes. Although they didn't speak, the questioning in their eyes was quite obvious.
"Where did you come from?"
"How did you manage to raise him to be so powerful right under our noses?"
"..."
If at first they only thought of Xiao Xiao as an accomplice secretly cultivated by Yang Jia, their opinion has now changed.
The carpet of shattered corpses surrounding them was so impactful that it was impossible not to feel tense.
Despite the stares of these people, Yang Jia remained calm and pretended to know everything.
With a calm expression, he said softly, "Our mission is not over yet..."
"Boom!"
A subtle commotion suddenly arose around them, and many frightened eyes hurriedly looked around.
Because when they arrived, the scene was too quiet.
There was even a damn bit of something wonderful about it...
So everyone subconsciously felt that the crisis was over, or at least that it was no longer dangerous. It wasn't until Yang Jia reminded them that they noticed the Pain Substance around them still existed and had vigorous vitality. However, because all the mutated living beings here had been cleared away and no new Aberrant Creature had appeared, this quiet scene was created.
It was as if the ground was covered with a thick layer of explosives, but the sparks had been extinguished.
Upon realizing this, everyone immediately looked around warily, then fixed their gaze on Xiao Xiao.
To be precise, it was the little girl in Xiao Xiao's arms.
"Is that the last Aberrant Creature of the Rotten Kingdom?"
Why hasn't he killed her yet?
"... Could it be that a deranged killer embraces his last prey, giving her the love of a lamb?"
"... Pah, you've been watching too many movies."
"..."
Amidst this endless speculation, everyone couldn't help but feel uneasy, glancing around nervously.
Although they had previously opposed the cleanup of the Rotten Kingdom, now that the situation was settled, their opposition had long since crumbled. Instead, a strange instinct, akin to that of strangers seeking a thorough cleanup of the aberration crisis, arose within them, causing them to become slightly anxious. They subconsciously wanted to urge Xiao Xiao, who was holding the little girl, that the lamb's love was almost enough, and to hurry up...
Of course, they didn't dare to directly urge Xiao Xiao.
Looking at Yang Jia, he recalled the scene of her eliminating the corrupt leader Jin Biao with a single bullet, and dared not urge her either.
Looking at Ruan Ruan, and remembering the image of her forcing the mutated monster to call her "Dad" while holding its head down, he dared not provoke her even more...
There was nothing he could do but look at Little Four, who was not far away, with a look of urging in his eyes.
The pale-faced Little Four was immediately terrified and quietly moved further away from the battlefield, regretting his actions.
Why are you looking at me?
"How could I dare to talk to him at that moment?"
"..."
This reaction immediately fueled the speculation in everyone's hearts.
This newcomer was indeed secretly cultivated by Yang Jia. Look at Little Four, he's at least a third-stage powerhouse.
How scared were you?
Could it be that even Ruan Ruan's violence and Little Four's perverse sense of humor were brought about by him?
But actually, not much time had passed. Xiao Xiao held the girl in his arms and felt the surroundings gradually become quiet. After sending the Butcher back, his heart was filled with a strange emotion. He gently held the girl, not because he didn't want to let go, but because, at such close range, he could feel the longing coming from this Xiao Xiao body.
Even her eyes were gently closed, as if she had fallen asleep.
So Xiao Xiao had no choice but to hold her, not daring to make any movements for fear of waking her up.
However, this tranquil atmosphere did not last long. The ground beneath his feet suddenly became soft again. He looked up slightly and saw that outside this decaying street, the bustling lights and the city were revealing their twisted and writhing side. Large swaths of flesh and blood slowly shed the city's outer skin, writhing towards him with their crimson essence.
"Huh?"
"The city is responding? The problem of the Rotten Kingdom is solved?"
"..."
More people noticed this change and were greatly surprised.
Generally, the city itself will reappear after the distortion event is resolved.
Eliminate the strange traces of battle, devour the twisted corpses of monsters, and the Pain Substance they contain.
The Rat-Man, Suffocation Puppet, and Despair Swamp that Xiao Xiao dealt with before were all like this. However, Xiao Xiao only witnessed the scene of the Rat-Man being devoured in the subway station. When dealing with the Suffocation Puppet, he burned down the nest and allowed the Pain Substance to seep into the ground. When dealing with the Despair Swamp, Xiao Xiao left in advance and left the rest to Little Four.
However, the pattern is basically the same: they only appear after the Aberrant Creature have been cleared out.
But this time, the true core and starting point of the Rotten Kingdom has not yet been destroyed.
The city's will has appeared ahead of schedule?
In his astonishment, Xiao Xiao saw that the enormous and bizarre flesh and blood had covered the surrounding buildings, the crumbling ground, and the corpses scattered all over the ground like a tidal wave, with huge chewing sounds and the sound of material being constructed seemingly coming from within.
As flesh and blood appear and then fade away, the bustling and ambiguous streets reappear.
Everything was as before, except that it was empty.
Even some of the more severely damaged areas were not fully repaired, leaving only ordinary traces.
Not long ago, the eerie and bizarre traces of the Rotten Kingdom were completely erased.
And the last thing to disappear was the little girl in the white dress in Xiao Xiao's arms.
She was sleeping peacefully when she seemed to be suddenly awakened. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she lowered her head and slowly took a few steps back.
Behind her, a row of suspended stairs appeared beneath her feet, leading to somewhere in the city.
Even Xiao Xiao and the others could only see that deep, dark space.
"Could it be..."
Suddenly someone realized what was happening. It was Old Zhou Under the Bridge. He stared at the row of steps in disbelief, his expression one of astonishment and doubt.
Immediately afterward, Yang Jia seemed to realize something, her pupils dilated slightly, and she nodded silently.
The nodding gesture was directed at Xiao Xiao, seemingly a Xiao Xiao: "Don't make any unusual movements at this time."
Xiao Xiao also had no idea what had happened.
He simply looked up in surprise, sensing no strong malice towards the little girl in the city these days.
On the contrary, there was a sense of tenderness and appreciation.
The girl seemed to be drawn by some subtle force, and slowly stepped onto the stairs.
As her figure was about to disappear from everyone's sight, she suddenly hesitated slightly and turned around again.
She looked at Xiao Xiao with a curious expression.
To be precise, she and Xiao Xiao were still strangers; she didn't know Xiao Xiao's name or who he was.
But that embrace just now was so warm.
She looked at Xiao Xiao carefully, as if trying to remember him deeply, before slowly turning around and leaving.
"Whoosh..."
As the girl finally stepped onto the last step, suddenly, the steps and the mysterious space vanished simultaneously.
But at that very moment, a string of messages suddenly appeared in this world.
Some appear directly on any screen that can display text or images, such as large building screens.
Some of them appeared directly on people's phones.
Some even appeared directly in people's minds and on their retinas, carrying a sense of shock and horror:
[The Taboo Museum's Latest Announcement: New Class A Collection Successfully Added]
[Collection Name: Sequence 17 - Alice in the Fantasy Kingdom]
[Note: Due to the inclusion of new items, items in the original collection sequence 17 and beyond will be moved up one position.]
[Note 2: The new collectibles will not be publicly available for exchange at this time.]