048. You Should Just Surrender!

The shadowy smile only lasted for a moment before Stone's expression turned weary, as if all his energy had been drained. He then fell into a deep sleep.

Lu Ban withdrew his gaze.

In that instant, he had indeed felt an unknown presence descend upon the frail young man.

Perhaps for many years to come, this boy would be tormented by a voice in his head, or he might gradually transform into something inhuman, much like the Rat People buried in the sunless ruins, who had gradually mutated.

Lu Ban focused on driving. As the Hound had said, all roads led to the Ruined Capital.

When the darkness of the sky turned into grayish-white, and the horizon began to glow with a jubilant golden hue, eventually dyeing the sky, Lu Ban finally saw something at the end of the land that was different from the ruins—regular human constructions began to emerge.

The first thing he saw was a tall tower, followed closely by rows of buildings. Unlike the wild, untamed wilderness, the houses representing human civilization were arranged in succession.

Then, Lu Ban saw people, vehicles, horses, and people wearing long gowns, simple clothes, and suits.

It was different from what he had imagined; there were more Chinese elements in the Ruined Capital than Lu Ban had anticipated.

After entering the city, stopping the bus, and being questioned by the police at the city gate, Lu Ban even saw women in cheongsams walking hand-in-hand on the streets.

Between the streets, colorful signs with names like "Fu Lin Men Restaurant," "Zhong Ji Desserts," "Zhaocai Pawnshop," and "Huang's Martial Arts Hall" were vaguely visible.

Ragged beggars chased after well-dressed gentlemen in suits. Soldiers carrying rifles marched in scattered formations. Men in silk top hats and sunglasses kept a vigilant watch. Next to the bustling market streets were dirty alleys, with bright high-rise buildings contrasting with narrow slums. If Lu Ban hadn't known he was in a foreign land, he might have thought he had returned to a film studio.

"Sir, would you like a place to stay?"

A charming, alluring voice called out from behind him. Lu Ban turned his head and saw a woman in a rose-red cheongsam with a graceful figure. She held one hand in front of her, while the other held an open folding fan, which concealed the lower half of her face. However, just looking at her eyes and brows was enough to declare her an exceptionally beautiful woman.

"No, thank you."

Lu Ban declined her invitation.

He glanced at Stone, then walked into the dirty, foul-smelling dark alley.

Murky muddy water formed slightly blurry system text.

[Task completed, returning now]

[321]

The moment Lu Ban returned, he saw that at the entrance of the dark alley, the woman holding the folding fan was watching him, her eyes neither smiling nor frowning. But he had no time to pay attention.

Countless bizarre colors enveloped Lu Ban, and at the same time, vibrant colors formed cold text.

[Congratulations on completing the task]

[Settlement commencing]

[Task Exploration: 40%]

[Task Completion: Mediocre]

[One Night Carnival, the revelry ends. You have successfully arrived at the Ruined Capital. The sights and sounds along the way are enough to make you feel a sense of familiarity with a warm bed and a burning fireplace. Unfortunately, there is no one to share these memories of the journey with you. But it's alright, a brand new journey awaits you!]

[Received Silence Points: 4800]

[Reward Received: Skill: Photosynthesis]

[Professional Reward Received: Item: One Night Carnival]

[Settlement Complete]

[Try various creation methods and test your creative theories. The doors to a new world are opening for you]

[Selected to complete professional development tasks, received professional rewards]

[Welcome back to The Silent Land]

As Lu Ban finished reading the text, he felt the soft mattress beneath him.

He looked around and found himself back in his warm and cozy home.

Lu Ban took out his phone and checked the time.

More than three hours had passed. He hadn't checked the time over there, but the perceived time flow felt like a three-to-one ratio.

It was past ten o'clock in the evening, and it was still light outside.

Lu Ban looked at himself. His clothes were tattered, and there were bite marks on his arm. It seemed the system didn't have the function to repair the body?

He could only be glad that he hadn't grown too much grass inside himself.

Lu Ban took off his clothes and rummaged out a simple medical kit containing alcohol, cotton swabs, iodine, and bandages.

After disinfecting, he examined the wounds.

The green growth that had previously spread from the wounds had withered, instead filling in the lost flesh.

Lu Ban probed with tweezers, clamped onto the still-resilient branches, and pulled them out.

One, two, three... a total of twenty branches were pulled from Lu Ban's body. These lifeless branches dangled, indistinguishable from ordinary plants in appearance.

He treated the wounds and walked into the bathroom with a change of clothes.

He turned on the faucet, washing away sweat and dirt.

Lu Ban rubbed shampoo into his hair and rinsed off the foam with the showerhead. He looked at himself in the mirror, his expression strange.

After drying his face with a towel, he smiled at his reflection.

Lu Ban in the mirror smiled back at him.

The light under the door grew dim again. This time, Lu Ban could clearly see a blurry figure standing just outside the door.

The figure wasn't very tall, with a slender build, like a middle schooler.

Lu Ban opened the door directly.

He saw something flash past the door, too quick to make out. The living room was empty, with only the sound of water from the bathroom echoing in the space.

"."

Lu Ban fell silent for a moment and closed the door.

He continued his shower. Afterward, he picked up a towel and dried himself.

While drying his hair, Lu Ban felt something cool and light brush across his abdomen.

He put down the towel. Nothing was beside him.

He tossed his change of clothes into the washing machine and glanced at the bathroom again. He noticed the drain seemed to be clogged.

Could it be congealed blood?

Lu Ban casually picked up his phone and posted a question on [Did You Get It?].

[What should I use to clear a clogged drain with congealed blood?]

A moment later, a few replies came in.

[Try dissolving it with drain cleaner. You can buy it at any store.]

[Pour some vinegar in and see?]

[No, don't you guys wonder why there's congealed blood in the drain?]

[I suggest the poster just turn themselves in!]

Lu Ban frowned slightly. People nowadays just wanted to be witty instead of answering questions properly. It was annoying.

He squatted down and looked into the drain opening.

There wasn't much blood there. Instead, it was a mass of hair blocking the drain.

"I've been under a lot of stress lately, my hair is falling out."

Lu Ban grabbed a handful of hair. He saw that it was all very long, much longer than his own, like a woman's hair.

He sniffed it and detected a faint, pleasant scent, exactly like his own shampoo.

"Stealing my shampoo, huh?"

Lu Ban knitted his brows.

*

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