Meritorious Hero

52 Shangyuan Garden.

Ayiguli snapped her eyes open!

It should have been dawn, and she ought to have been in her vast, comfortable villa, waking up to a meticulously designed European-style ceiling.

But in reality, she was already submerged in darkness. Chilling gusts of wind blew, tousling the hair by her ears and bringing with them a biting cold.

Where was she?

"Brother Jiang, you've really learned some tricks, haven't you?"

Mere darkness was not enough to intimidate this murderous Saintess of the Sacred Mountain.

Even if she racked her brains, she could not believe that a novice First State: Cognitive Form could harm her in the slightest.

"You still haven't realized the chasm of strength between us, have you? Hmm? Even if you absorbed my Spider Cocoon, I still have ways to find you..."

Ayiguli curled her lips and stepped forward with her bare feet—squelch.

Sharp shards of glass pierced the "young woman's" soles.

Ayiguli groaned and lifted her foot, intending to pull the glass out...

At that moment, the ground moved.

Standing on one foot, she had no time to adjust her center of gravity; her body instantly lost balance and she tumbled forward!

Her back slammed into a massive, full-length mirror.

Under the immense impact, the mirror shattered!

Shards sprayed in every direction...

Some sliced through Ayiguli's skin, while others pierced straight into her body. Pain surged instantly from every limb and bone, scorching her central nervous system.

"Brother Jiang... that's too much."

This series of prank-like developments left Ayiguli both shocked and furious!

A sense of humiliation at being toyed with by her prey surged into her heart.

She transformed abruptly.

The "young woman's" body was hoisted high as her snow-white limbs were replaced by eight thick, powerful articulated legs. Her skin and hair sloughed off, and eight symmetrical purple compound eyes circled the surroundings, ready to strike at the slightest movement.

A fully-formed Peacock Spider could traverse any terrain as if it were flat ground.

She was fully prepared to tear all prey to shreds—she was the hunter, not the prey!

Until a pale figure blocked her path from afar.

The Peacock Spider's firm stride faltered at that moment.

She was no stranger to that figure.

...The familiar posture, the deep, three-dimensional facial features, so starkly different from the vibrant beauty she had known in life.

A heavy, suffocating sensation rushed toward her.

The pupils of her eight eyes contracted simultaneously. The nightmare that had dragged her into the abyss countless times was gradually reviving in the depths of her heart.

A high mountain basin, a vast forest of red maples.

A passionate, innocent girl, a stranger from beyond the mountains, a night where sin fermented...

"Don't come over..."

The vibrant Peacock Spider retreated instinctively, and the pale figure followed her every step.

She launched herself into the air, climbing and fleeing in every possible direction!

But no matter which way she turned, that figure still appeared before her, watching her from afar.

Ayiguli grew increasingly manic, spraying spider silk to cover and push the figure away, but the next moment, it drifted back into her line of sight, ethereal and haunting.

This only provoked more desperate, life-or-death struggles!

Just like the trapped beasts caught in her own webs, Ayiguli was now like a toy with a wound-up spring, fleeing frantically and destroying everything in her path. To avoid one kind of pain, she created even more at any cost.

A quarter of an hour later.

Ayiguli shed her spider form, curled up on the ground drenched in blood, and broke down in tears, clutching her face.

"Brother Jiang, I was wrong, I beg you... don't let her be here!"

Tears gushed from her eyes, dripping through her fingers, flowing into her mouth, and landing on her thighs to mingle with the bloodstains.

She had retreated into a narrow, cramped corner, with nowhere left to go.

Yet, a hollow-eyed phantom still clung to her back, pressing firmly against her, its cold breath spraying onto her neck.

She dared not look up.

In front of her, a graceful, pale figure stood eternally. Every time she lifted her head or turned in any direction, that figure would precisely enter her line of sight.

It overlapped with every nightmare she had ever had since childhood, bringing a profound, bone-chilling fear.

Only through constant slaughter could she calm the scorching anxiety brought by that fear.

She did not know how long she cried, but Ayiguli was nearly exhausted.

After struggling countless times in her heart, she finally, trembling, lifted her head once more.

The pale figure that haunted her like a nightmare had vanished.

As far as her eyes could see, there was only a white candle on the table, emitting a gentle, harmonious light.

At that moment, Ayiguli felt like a prisoner released after serving a full sentence, her highly strained nerves instantly relaxing.

Her emotions surged, and her eyes shimmered with an incredible hue.

Fear had brought coldness and tension to her body, but the candlelight brought warmth and comfort. Ayiguli struggled to move toward the flame. Even as her strength rapidly faded, she was inexplicably compelled to reach out her hands, using it to drive away the lingering echoes of her terror.

Thus, her hands drew closer, and the candlelight reached out to meet her.

It wrapped around her fingers, pulled at her arms, and swept her entire body into a massive golden vortex...

Shangyuan Garden Villa District.

As a flame ignited in the kitchen on the second floor of a certain villa, a deafening explosion rocked the area!

Ye Xiaojing, leading her team to the scene, could feel the aftershocks of the blast even from a distance.

Inside the operating room.

Dr. Cai finished the chest closure for Jiang Qian, and everything had finally settled.

Relying on his tenacious recovery ability as a member of the Super-Species, the damage from the surgery would soon heal.

His life had been saved once again.

His condition was also relatively stable.

Lan Junxian and the medical team led by Dr. Cai, along with the colleagues from the Jinping Special Operations Department guarding the perimeter of the safe house, were more elated by the success of the mission than Jiang Qian himself.

Aside from a slight sense of fatigue, Jiang Qian did not feel much surprise.

After all, in the three days since he had come into contact with the Super-Species World, every single day had been a life-or-death crisis.

He had had enough of it.

But the impact of this incident went far beyond that.

That Jiang Qian could survive by shedding the Spider Cocoon was beyond most people's expectations.

But the fact that he had managed to utilize the Spider Cocoon to its maximum potential while on the brink of death, enabling the authorities to pinpoint the wanted criminal Peacock Spider, had thoroughly refreshed everyone's perception!

From this point on, the nature of the matter was very different.

Jiang Qian, a novice First State: Cognitive Form who had just become a License Holder, had transformed from a dangerous factor in need of official decision-making and assistance into a meritorious hero of the Peacock Spider case within just three days.

The official headquarters' special task force, the evaluation unit, the Peacock Spider case team, and the Jingjin Special Operations Department would all have to re-evaluate and reconsider their attitudes, resources, and chips invested in this matter.

At this moment in the operating room, the rest of the medical team and the equipment had been withdrawn.

Dr. Cai, using the excuse of observing his post-operative state, had volunteered to stay by Jiang Qian's side.

In reality, she was still stunned by everything she had witnessed during the surgery.

Especially the "Poison Resistance" ability Jiang Qian displayed under her double pupils—she couldn't think of a better description than "a bug."

"You're still a college student, right?"

Taking advantage of Lan Junxian making a phone call at the door, Dr. Cai launched her offensive to recruit talent: "Any interest in joining my biological toxin laboratory after graduation? It's located in the Beijing CBD, with abundant experimental resources, a generous salary, and the lab will cover all your living expenses."

Dr. Cai's gaze was burning; it had been a long time since she had wanted a young person this much!

Unexpectedly, before Jiang Qian could answer, Lan Junxian returned, holding his phone.

The two looked over.

Lan Junxian's expression was slightly grave as he asked in a deep voice: "Jiang Qian, what exactly did you do?"

This question made Dr. Cai, who was present, feel nervous as well.

Lan Junxian had asked the same question earlier, and although Jiang Qian's answer had been flippant, Lan Junxian's expression hadn't been as serious as it was now.

Could something have gone wrong? Dr. Cai speculated uneasily.

Only Jiang Qian remained calm, as if he had only done something trivial: "I saw aromatherapy candles in the house, so I unscrewed the liquefied gas."

He was referring to his actions while controlling the Peacock Spider's body after the "mental connection."

It took time for the liquefied gas to release from the tank; the Fear Demon clone had effectively delayed the process and distracted the Peacock Spider. When the gas reached a certain concentration, a single spark was enough to blow up the entire house.

Lan Junxian remained silent.

Dr. Cai, however, seemed to still not understand what he meant.

Judging by Lan Junxian's expression, she even thought he was going to hold him accountable!

"The Peacock Spider has been brought to justice."

After a long while, Lan Junxian mused, stating concisely: "An explosion occurred at 52 Shangyuan Garden. By the time Xiaojing arrived, the Peacock Spider was already dead. Parts of her remains have been recovered. We will use genetic technology to restore her appearance and verify her identity, and this case can be closed."

"The hostess and child of that villa have also been rescued and are currently safe and sound."

Lan Junxian's expression gradually softened as he said solemnly to Jiang Qian: "On behalf of the Peacock Spider case team, I thank you. You allowed this hunting operation to conclude smoothly without the loss of a single soldier!"

So that was it... Hearing this, Dr. Cai finally breathed a sigh of relief.

When she looked at Jiang Qian again, her heart was filled with even more admiration and respect.

A smile appeared on Jiang Qian's face as well.

"However, Xiaojing feels a bit regretful about this, which is why she entrusted me to ask you how you managed it."

Lan Junxian said in a teasing tone:

"No matter what method you used, before the headquarters' personnel appointments are issued, you don't need to show your cards or reveal your bottom line to anyone. Whether it's abilities or items, you have the right to control and use them freely within legal limits."

"Thank you for the reminder."

After finishing with Jiang Qian, Lan Junxian looked at Dr. Cai politely:

"Alright, Dr. Cai, I suggest you stop thinking about poaching. In less than half a day, the departments lining up to recruit this student will stretch from the safe house to the Jinping airport. Your small operation doesn't have much of an advantage, so you'd better give up."

Hearing this, the cold, beautiful face under Dr. Cai's mask stiffened imperceptibly.

Afterward, she stood up gracefully and shook hands with Jiang Qian and Lan Junxian to say goodbye, as if she didn't mind at all.

"Teacher Lan, do you play mahjong?"

Before leaving, Dr. Cai took the rare initiative to chat about daily life.

"Mahjong?" As a high-end business professional, Lan Junxian didn't seem well-versed in such common entertainment.

Dr. Cai smiled slightly and said with a sincere tone: "I wish you and your predecessor a winning hand together."

"Oh, thank you..." Lan Junxian responded politely.

After Dr. Cai left, he turned to Jiang Qian with a look of slight confusion: "What does that mean?"

"Never played, don't really know," Jiang Qian said without hesitation.

At this moment, Team Bear knocked and entered.

"Teacher Lan, may I have a word?"

The two stepped outside.

Team Bear lowered his voice: "A lady wants to see Jiang Qian. She seems to be a public figure and has a letter of introduction from the high-level officials of the Public Security Department. Do you think..."

Lan Junxian frowned slightly.

How was the Jinping Public Security Department handling things?

Was someone in isolation at a safe house someone anyone could just see?

"No, Jiang Qian just finished surgery and it's not convenient for him to have contact with the outside world right now," Lan Junxian refused flatly, disregarding the face of some high-level officials.

Thanks to: Yi Yun Yi Yi, Bei Ming You Kun Xi, and Kai Shan for the monthly tickets!

Thank you to all the readers for your support with recommendation tickets and comments. Hugs~