I Bloomed Too

In an instant, Trist recovered from his shock. As a detective, although such a scene could impact his rationality, he was also very quick to recover. He immediately went into the house to check if there were any other entrances or exits, and then sent the gang's thugs to call the rest of the Catania Family.

"This room has no windows, and the banquet hall is on the other side of the wall. Apart from the ventilation opening, there is nowhere else to go out."

Trist glanced at the narrow ventilation opening.

"Leave it to me."

Lu Ban said something, then immediately pried open the ventilation shaft and climbed up.

The moment Lu Ban climbed up, he smelled a foul stench.

The stench was like the smell of sewage mixed with food that had been moldy for days; the moment it entered Lu Ban's nose, grass sprouted from his nostrils.

This means that the smell alone is enough to damage Lu Ban's nasal mucosa.

There was also some viscous substance in the ventilation duct.

Lu Ban touched it with his finger and found that these things were not irritating to the skin, but they would leave residue on his hands.

Following these trails, he climbed out through the vent.

After crawling for a while, he felt a chill.

Lu Ban saw that the ventilation outlet was ahead, but it had been destroyed.

He climbed out, landed on the ground, and discovered that this was the hotel's back door.

When the light shone on Lu Ban, he realized that he was covered in a variety of colors.

Like those Glass Flower.

"That slime is this kind of paint, not coating, but part of the killer's body?"

Lu Ban thought of the slime on the surface of some non-human objects.

He tasted it.

Then I threw up.

It also spat out a lot of grass.

"It tastes terrible and upsets your stomach."

He looked around and found that the traces of "paint" quickly disappeared on the road, just like a person who was bleeding suddenly stopped bleeding.

He searched around, even flipping open a manhole cover and jumping into the drain that was clearing rainwater.

Just then, Lu Ban felt a sense of dread.

My body instinctively felt my hair stand on end, like a small animal being targeted by a wild beast.

He sensed someone watching him and was about to use his Speech Bullet to blast the other person away when Lu Ban felt a sharp pain in his stomach.

Not just the stomach.

The heart, liver, kidneys, intestines, bones—all the internal organs were groaning, converging, and twisting.

The next moment, Lu Ban saw countless organs bursting out of his body, blooming like flowers.

Quickly, all the organs and broken bones froze, forming a Glass Flower.

Lu Ban to the ground. He seemed to hear a series of rapid splashing sounds. He tried to turn his head, but darkness enveloped his consciousness.

He glanced at Lu Ban, who had fallen, and at the colorful black marks that had splattered all over his body.

He didn't approach to check; instead, he simply disappeared into the sewer.

After a while, about twenty minutes later.

Lu Ban, whose face was already soaked in sewage and whose expression was contorted and grotesque, suddenly had several small footprints appear on his blooming Glass Flower.

Immediately afterwards, his finger twitched.

Within that Glass Flower, countless green grasses grew wildly.

These plants thrived under the nourishment of the sewage, reaching out into the sewer entrance.

Despite being man-made light, they still greedily absorbed it, taking root and sprouting within Lu Ban's body.

The flower that bloomed inside Lu Ban's body was surrounded by a circle of green grass.

The unchanging flower gradually withers, its internal organs rot, its bones break, and it is replaced by the leaves and roots of grasses and trees.

An hour later.

Lu Ban's eyes lit up.

His body had been completely repaired, only his clothes were tattered.

After getting up, Lu Ban first used [True Sight] to observe the situation.

Even if it were washed away by sewage, the monster should still leave traces.

But there was no information in the sewer, as if there had never been anything unusual.

He was confused and could only climb out of the sewer.

Lu Ban returned to the hotel.

His flamboyant attire and foul odor caused many guests to consciously keep their distance. Lu Ban simply took off his suit jacket and handed it to a waiter before heading to the lounge surrounded by gang members.

The second brother of the Catania Family and the tomboy remained unmoved, only watching the others warily, seemingly looking for someone to suspect.

The gourmet brother broke down in tears, yet dared not approach his sister.

The gangsters' faces were grim, their eyes filled with terror. The sight was enough to drive an ordinary person mad. Several of those who witnessed it had become somewhat agitated, their eyes bloodshot. Only Trist and Xiya dared to look directly at the corpse.

Xiya was even holding a roasted lamb leg in her hand.

Watching her gnaw on a roasted lamb leg while staring at Madam Martina's grotesque corpse, many gang members felt nauseous, and some even vomited.

"Died on the spot, still warm."

Trist, wearing gloves, performed a simple autopsy.

"According to the guard's description, after the speech, Madam Martina went inside to rest. She did not leave until the Door Opening just now, and no one came in either. The Catania Family has forbidden all guests from leaving."

Upon hearing Lu Ban's voice, Trist told him about his examination results.

"No need for that. The murderer should have already escaped. He's no ordinary person."

Lu Ban pointed upwards.

"How did you get like this?"

Trist turned his head, saw Lu Ban dressed in a flashy outfit, and covered his nose.

Don't you think these colors look familiar?

Lu Ban even turned around once more, letting the stench spread.

"You encountered the murderer?"

Trist glanced at Lu Ban's abs, which were showing through the front of his clothes.

The way his clothes were torn made it look as if a Glass Flower had just bloomed inside his stomach.

"Yes, the feeling of flowers is very uncomfortable. Could you find me a change of clothes?"

Lu Ban said casually.

"???"

Trist glanced at Lu Ban.

Although I already knew this guy's physical abilities were extraordinary back in the Night Country, now it seems a bit too abnormal.

Is this even human?

If Glass Flower bloomed like this corpse, then it must be dead beyond dead, right?

How did he survive?!

"The killer must be a mutated being. These colors are not paint, but part of his body. Perhaps he used this slime to kill people. He is very good at hiding his whereabouts."

Lu Ban didn't explain his physical condition.

It's quite embarrassing to admit you're growing grass in front of so many people.

"Wait, you mean that bastard came in through the ventilation shaft, killed my poor sister, and then left through here?"

The gourmet brother had recovered somewhat and asked Lu Ban incredulously.

That's what I mean.

Lu Ban nodded.

"This is an attack against our family, it's murder!"

The gourmet brother was somewhat agitated, perhaps because of the appearance of the corpse, perhaps because his relatives had been killed, or perhaps because the Catania Family had encountered a true enemy that could threaten the core members of the family.

"I'm offering a one million reward for information leading to this murderer's arrest. Whoever captures him alive and brings him to me will get an additional one million!"

The food critic immediately exclaimed, and these rewards were already half of the amount raised earlier.

"Calm down, Peter."

A voice came from behind the crowd. Lu Ban turned around and saw Stone, who was wearing a black suit and a fedora.

He glanced at Lu Ban and the other two, and when his gaze fell on Lu Ban, he was somewhat surprised and somewhat afraid.

"Father requests your presence here."