Rebel in the Cage (6.8k)

Following the rainwater drainage network away from the Red River, Miao Xin did not linger but instead hopped into a car and drove away from Haiphong City.

The upgraded camouflage mode allows the Little Spiky Head to appear as an object, such as the spare tire hanging on the back of a car.

For example, the connecting rods between train carriages allow her to avoid being exposed in Human Form most of the time.

They might be monitored at some point, but with Su Ming's help, the Little Spiky Head can continuously develop new forms. What was originally a targeted pursuit has turned into a game of hide-and-seek with unpredictable twists.

As darkness fell, Miao Xin arrived in Hanoi City and switched to her Hunting Dog Mode. This form had also changed; her appearance and color were more realistic, and she was unrecognizable wearing a dog costume.

She wandered freely through the woods, mingling with the stray dogs roaming the streets. The Vietnam language posed some challenges, but she eventually found the right train and hung from the bottom of the carriage.

After returning to China on a regular train, Miao Xin transferred to a freight train, and her appearance changed to that of cargo inside the carriage.

"Su Ming, can I interrupt for a moment?" Zijin came to find Su Ming from the White Triangle.

Su Ming severed the connection with Earth and rubbed his cheek. He took a deep breath, composed himself, and then looked at the girl. "Okay, what's up?"

Instead, Zijin paused, carefully examining Su Ming. "Are you in a bad mood?"

Su Ming sighed. He had been worried about the vengeful spirit Miao Xin's emotions, but without realizing it, he was already overwhelmed by a sense of powerlessness.

"Something terrible has happened on Earth, a very big thing." Su Ming didn't hide anything. "My most powerful compatriots back home want to kill me."

The events that had just occurred dealt him a blow greater than he had imagined. Although Su Ming had been avoiding police pursuit all along, deep down he had always regarded these people as his support.

Zijin put down the book she was holding.

"My feud with the temple began twenty-seven years ago," the scholar suddenly began to recount his story. "At first, I didn't take it seriously, until a year ago, when those bastards seized an opportunity to issue a warrant for the arrest of all necromancers, using the power of the entire world to hunt me down."

"I spent a year on the run, caught in this desperate and resentful pursuit."

"Many people have helped me, but I have also implicated them."

Su Ming originally didn't want to chat idly, because he planned to use the break to review what had happened. Something seemed off; this was both intuition and an objective feeling.

But Su Ming was still quite touched. Even though he was slow to realize, he understood that Zijin was trying to comfort him. He raised his hand, "Just give me some time to calm down—I'm just sad, I haven't given up."

Zijin, who was gathering her emotions and planning to casually wipe the corner of her eye, became angry upon hearing this, "Hey, shouldn't I beat you up until you need comforting first!"

Su Ming laughed. He checked Miao Xin's condition and found nothing wrong; the journey would take another ten hours.

So there's still time, it's good for him to rest a bit.

Su Ming refocused his attention on Zijin. "Alright, I'm listening carefully. Please continue."

"What I mean is, being hunted down really makes me angry," Zijin replied. "Every day, all I think about is how to take down this crappy Church of Light and overthrow this behemoth!"

"I can't do that," Su Ming said. "I'll have to avoid it."

"Your logic is too mild," Zijin said. "Any organization will only address the problem when they find that the person who created it is more difficult to deal with than the problem itself!"

Although there are differences, Su Ming thought that if he had more leverage, he wouldn't need to be so cautious about many things.

"For example, do you want to strengthen yourself and force the Church of Light to admit defeat?" Su Ming asked.

"No, I'll fight them to the death!" Zijin replied. "Even if things ease up temporarily, it's just a tactical consideration; the objective remains unchanged!"

Su Ming seemed a little surprised, "Are you really going to do that?"

"That was my thought back then. Not anymore. I've been quite comfortable lately," Zijin said. "When you encounter something, just deal with it. It's better to be relaxed. There's no need to force a fight with these people."

"Sure, if possible, before we leave this other world, I'll give the Temple of Light a big boost," Su Ming said.

That's what he said, but now he actually feels a bit hopeful about Earth. He had always thought that going back would bring peace and tranquility, but that seemed like wishful thinking.

At the very least, it requires considerable technical difficulty.

The scholar rested his chin on his hand, tilting his head to look at him. "Well then, why don't you tell me what you want to do? I've told you, so you have to do something in return."

Truth or Dare?

After thinking for a moment, Su Ming decided to voice the thought that had been weighing on her mind.

"I want to establish sustainable interdimensional portals."

"A dimensional bridge!" The scholar's eyes widened. "You really dare to dream of that!"

The current dimensional transfer system uses short-term, explosive force to tear open temporary dimensional gaps. This technological approach is inherently unstable and unsustainable.

To use an analogy, their return to Earth is like two seasoned hikers trekking through a swamp. Difficult as it may be, it's feasible with thorough preparation and training.

Su Ming, however, wanted to build a railway on the floating swamp.

"Can't I even imagine it?" Su Ming said, quite displeased. "You're the one who told me to say it."

Having witnessed the magic and various unique materials of another world, Su Ming couldn't help but imagine the magnificent scene of the two worlds' technologies colliding. He even suspected that he was too used to his job, and sometimes he even thought how wonderful it would be if he had this magic array or that spell when he was in the factory.

"No, no, of course you can!" Zijin chuckled. "This is a great pioneering achievement! You can become a new Titled Scholar —no, you should redefine the concept of the highest scholar!"

A stable interdimensional portal is no simple matter; they haven't even started research on one-time interdimensional transfers yet. To say they have lofty ambitions is an understatement.

Moreover, if it were to actually happen, it would bring a series of problems. Of course, since it's still in its infancy, there's no need to worry about that.

Su Ming gave the girl a disgruntled look. "And what about you, Zijin? Why don't you solve the temple's problems and become the Pope yourself? Or..."

Why not unify the continent and claim the title of Belladonna Queen?

Zijin stretched. "I'm not that reckless. Being able to travel like this and see things I've never seen before is already the most wonderful thing!"

Remembering how Zijin had interrupted him at the beginning, Su Ming asked, "Why did you come to find me?"

"Regarding vengeful spirits, I've found something that can help," Zijin replied. "It will be delivered soon."

Ten hours later, Miao Xin, controlling the Little Spiky Head, got off the car on the outer edge of the city.

The sky was overcast and fine snowflakes drifted down; before we knew it, winter had arrived.

She wore a down jacket, a thick scarf, a woolen hat, gloves, a mask, and glasses, and walked slowly in the crowd.

This place is more than 20 kilometers away from Miao Xin's home, but Miao Xin did not use any means of transportation to get closer.

[Su Ming, my house is probably being monitored.] Miao Xin suddenly said.

"I know," Su Ming replied.

"I'm actually fine," Miao Xin said. "I know you're worried about me, but I feel I can control this power."

Su Ming did not answer. Even within the realm of vengeful spirits, Miao Xin was a figure shrouded in mystery. When Vietnam was on the verge of spiraling out of control, the demonic pressure that the vengeful spirit transmitted to Su Ming far exceeded that of the scholar's "Six-Pointed Star Divine Decree."

It's hard to imagine what the consequences would be if things really got out of control.

The situation also revealed another piece of bad news: Miao Xin and Little Spiky Head were not two separate Undead Summoning. When the Vengeful Spirit Mark malfunctioned, Little Spiky Head's Skull Mark was also collapsing simultaneously.

Su Ming reconsidered whether to resolve Miao Xin's matter first or continue seeking contact.

Indeed, Su Ming had sorted out many issues during this period, and perhaps due to a certain degree of contact—his thoughts suddenly broke down because he saw Ling Wen.

The woman, who identified herself as a customer service manager, drove a dusty car and stopped beside the Little Spiky Head, rolling down the window. She hadn't even changed her clothes; there was a dark pool of blood on her collar.

Su Ming reflexively scanned his surroundings, using his Psionic Power Vision; everything was calm and normal.

Ling Wen was the only person in the car.

"No, can't you just give me a break?" Su Ming was truly exasperated.

"Trouble, get in the car!" Ling Wen looked terrible, clutching her abdomen with one hand. Clearly, the shock of yesterday's explosion was not so easy to bear.

Su Ming also lost his temper and said to Miao Xin, "[Go up!]"

If we were to recklessly use the power of vengeful spirits, even with yesterday's battle, we might not be able to defeat them!

Su Ming has already held back enough!

Miao Xin opened the car door and got in. Ling Wen started the car, joined the traffic, and drove away from the city.

She was breathing rapidly, and her face was extremely pale.

"Hey, internal bleeding can be fatal." Su Ming was very confused. "Is your action team out of people?"

"I came here alone, sneaking away," Ling Wen explained. "Something went wrong, a lot of things aren't right!" She shook her head. "That attack—"

This statement contains a lot of information. How was Ling Wen able to win over the Little Spiky Head all by herself?

Furthermore, Su Ming has discarded all electronic devices, crawled through waterways and pipelines, and disguised himself all the way here—yet he still can't shake off the tracking?

"The CIA attacked me," Su Ming interrupted Ling Wen. "I guessed it."

This problem isn't difficult; you just need to calm down and think about it.

Based on the explosive yield at the scene, the alloy rod that fell must have weighed at least a ton. In contrast, similar weapons here are only much lighter and are experimental in nature.

Su Ming wasn't worried about the so-called secrecy and lack of public disclosure. The reason was very simple: the cost of transporting such a heavy alloy rod into space, plus the supporting system, was equivalent to the price of ten crooked-headed express delivery packages.

Is it that hypersonic speeds can't penetrate defenses, or that waveriders are ineffective? There are clearly more powerful and much cheaper alternatives; why would they deploy such outdated technology?

Of course, this doesn't apply to countries where printing money is one of the largest industries.

"It's not actually the CIA, but it's good that you understand these things," Ling Wen said with a wry smile, "Saving me a lot of explanations."

"So?"

"We have informants in the CIA. Those people completely misunderstand the situation; they're constantly imagining some high-tech robot sabotage team, and they've never been on the right track from the start."

"Continue." Su Ming didn't waste any more words. He could tell that Ling Wen was in a bad state, and speaking was becoming increasingly difficult. "How about I drive?"

Ling Wen didn't refuse. She pulled the car over to the side of the road, and the two switched places. Miao Xin couldn't drive, so Su Ming took over control of the Little Spiky Head.

"We're still investigating who suddenly ordered the attack on you," Ling Wen said, taking a sip from her water bottle. "But when it involves high-ranking military officials on the other side, don't expect informants to make easy contact. The puzzling part is how their high command suddenly knew your location. Especially, why did they deliberately miss?"

"Deliberately missed?" Su Ming asked in surprise. "It wasn't you who intercepted it?"

"How can we intercept a laser traveling at fourteen times the speed of sound?" Ling Wen asked. "The laser's speed is indeed 300,000 kilometers per second, but the tracking system that executes the aiming doesn't have that level of precision."

Current laser systems cannot continuously burn the same point when dealing with objects traveling at speeds exceeding a certain limit.

"Then the trajectory I saw changed—" Su Ming asked.

"It's the thruster at the tail of the metal rod, used for end-of-strike correction," Ling Wen replied. "That thing was aimed at the building next door from the start."

Su Ming didn't feel wronged by being shot by the US, after all, he had dismantled such a large warship, but was it intentional to miss?

"Don't ask me why." Ling Wen clearly knew what Su Ming was wondering. "I don't know either."

With no major doubt about the source of the attack, Su Ming decided to get straight to the point. "Alright, let's clear up our misunderstanding," Su Ming said. "What's next?"

Ling Wen suddenly vomited a mouthful of blood. She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and said, "Please stay away from us for a few days."

"What are your organization's requirements?" Su Ming asked, puzzled.

"No, it has nothing to do with the International Services Department; it's my personal request," Ling Wen replied. "Hide well, don't let anyone find you, just a few days will do."

"Why?" Su Ming was full of questions. "You chased me all this way, looking like this, just for one thing? And you still haven't answered how you found me?"

"It involves disciplinary matters, so I cannot disclose that," Ling Wen replied.

Su Ming laughed angrily, "You chased me alone, taking me away from your colleagues' encirclement, and that's in accordance with discipline?"

"If it doesn't meet the requirements, I will take responsibility."

The car had already left the city, Su Ming stopped it. He didn't bother to argue anymore. "I can wait a few days, you should go to the hospital quickly."

Based on his medical research over this period, he had a rough idea of Ling Wen's condition; if she didn't go to the hospital soon, she really would die.

"Perhaps," Ling Wen suddenly said, "You could think about why you lost control back then."

Suddenly, Nether Sea appeared beside Miao Xin, then disappeared after rippling.

"I'll consider it," Su Ming said.

Su Ming handed control over to Miao Xin and [left first].

[Um.]

There's a lot of information, but it's not necessarily a bad thing. First of all, regarding the situation in Vietnam, what Ling Wen said actually aligns with the conclusion he reached after calmly reflecting on it.

Secondly, the appearance of Ling Wen, who violated the rules, clearly indicated that he was still being tracked. Considering that she was able to catch up, but her teammates didn't know her location, the answer is quite simple.

Su Ming found a corner, activated the Little Spiky Head's original form, and then carefully searched the body. Sure enough, he found a very tiny attached tracker on it. He didn't know how it had been tricked, but it must have happened during their meeting on the rooftop in Vietnam.

The tracker is made of white bone and is smaller than a grain of rice. It is completely undetectable unless you are specifically looking for it.

They also found two other burnt items. Su Ming recalled that these must have been stuck on earlier when his tracks were discovered. However, he had taken a high-voltage electric bath once when he was at the Dahlgren Test Center in the United States, which destroyed them at that time.

Fortunately, the two organizations did not cooperate.

Although he stumbled on something so simple, Su Ming was truly a blank slate. If he had a choice, he really wouldn't want to deal with these people and gain this kind of experience.

Finally, there was the matter of being asked to wait a few days, and Su Ming couldn't make up his mind.

He didn't trust Ling Wen at all. It wasn't that he was paranoid, but rather that what was happening was too strange. His transmigration to another world was chaotic enough, but how could these people from the physical world be doing something even more abstract than him?

However, the long day had left him exhausted.

After removing the tracker, Su Ming had Miao Xin change her appearance and get on a truck.

Several cars with signs indicating insurance claims passed by the truck and headed straight for Ling Wen's location.

Su Ming breathed a sigh of relief. These people weren't gods, and their methods of tracking weren't endless.

The connection was lost, and it was already late at night in another world. A deep sense of exhaustion washed over me.

It was an extremely long day for him. So much had happened, but Su Ming didn't want to sort it out now. He returned to his room, crawled into bed, and went to sleep.

But he was woken up by the scholars early in the morning.

"[Come to the workroom.] "Zijin said seriously.

Su Ming rushed over without even washing up. In the workshop, there were several pirates hanging there. Judging from their skill level, they were all Intermediate Rank or higher combatants.

They were ensnared by thorn frogs and several other types of whip-like frogs, all struggling in agony under constant torture. They opened their mouths to scream, but because of the silenced frogs, they could not utter a sound.

These restless frogs originated from a mage-like figure standing beside Le Zijin. This man had a scraggly beard, a pale face, and a braided ring around his neck; judging from the pattern, it was an alchemical bomb made by a scholar.

"This braid was taken from a necromancer of the spirit school, one of the pirates," Zijin explained. "I got it from them."

Upon hearing about Miao Hai's situation yesterday, Zijin also began gathering information. She originally intended to obtain some data from the various braided merchant guilds.

Unexpectedly, there was a ready-made living example.

Zijin immediately demanded the prisoner's return, and the merchant guild that had detained him sent him over overnight, along with several experimental materials.

"So what happened?" Su Ming asked.

"I described Miao Hai's situation to him, and that's how I came to know him."

The monk quickly replied, "My name Saenieka."

"Saenieka says something's wrong," Zijin said, gesturing to the mage, "Hurry up and demonstrate!"

Saenieka bowed to the Zijin, then intensified the Frog's attack, torturing one of the pirates to the point of death.

He unfurled a long string of runic frog gestures and began chanting incantations.

"[Why have I never seen you chant incantations?]" Su Ming asked, puzzled.

"[This is an aid to helping you focus your mind.]" Zijin replied, "[I don't need it.]"

"Didn't you ever think I might need it?" Su Ming complained.

About a minute later, the spirit of the dead pirate was extracted and transformed into a vengeful spirit before their eyes. But the spirit appeared extremely thin.

"Lord Liya," Saenieka, the scion of the Frog King, bowed and said, "The selection of materials was too rushed, and this pirate has very little resentment, so this is all we could get."

"Next thief," said Zijin.

Saenieka nodded and began chanting again. This time it was faster, and a pale, Nether Sea appeared around the vengeful spirit, and its range was narrow.

"Is this the kind of one Miao Hai has?" Zijin asked.

"It's somewhat similar, except Miao Hai's Nether Sea is much more solidified," Su Ming replied after careful observation. "At her most stable..."

The range is also dozens of times larger than this braid.

Saenieka was astonished, "So powerful!"

Zijin didn't give him a chance to waste words, "Explain the Nether Sea."

Saenieka quickly explained, "Wraiths are very dangerous things. Once activated, they become ruthless and destructive until their power is exhausted. They can even attack people in between. So, they are usually sealed off. Unlocking them allows the Resentment Power to overflow, making them ready to be activated at any time, which is what is called the Nether Sea Form."

"Resentment Power is constantly being consumed, and the lockdown is also to conserve energy," Saenieka added.

Su Ming of Miao Hai's bottomless Abyss. Consumption? He was overthinking it.

He carefully recalled the scene at the time, "I never lifted Miao Hai's blockade—and how could I have lifted it?"

Saenieka said, "Forgive my bluntness, but Lord Wang knows nothing about the spiritual realm. Although he has made a contract with a vengeful spirit, he hasn't used any encryption methods. It's like an unlocked door; if you know how to turn the handle, you can open it."

"So that's why I can't untangle it, but someone who understands this braid can untangle it easily?" Su Ming asked.

"Yes."

"Do you have anything like vengeful spirits on your Earth?" Zijin asked.

Su Ming initially wanted to object, but then he remembered the heroic spirits, and it seemed that such matters were difficult to say. "[I don't know.]"

He composed himself and began to ponder. According to Saenieka, Miao Hai had been activated in his Nether Sea Form on the rooftop.

That's why things got out of control later.

Su Ming narrowed his eyes, and the events that had occurred in the Vietnam industrial park were being reconstructed.

Let's leave aside the insane CIA and the Lighthouse military for now.

It seems the service department was clearly on a mission and had no way of interfering with the liberation of Miao Hai or involving the adults themselves.

But someone was infiltrated among them and plotted against them!

The feeling of almost being ruined without knowing anything made Su Ming extremely unhappy!

Ling Wen must have sensed something, and went so far as to break the rules to stop Su Ming. Otherwise, he would have foolishly stepped into the trap, intending to make contact a second time.

If the person who framed him has any backup plans, the ending will be a spectacular display of fireworks!

"Can you guess who the enemy is?" Zijin asked.

To be honest, it was always Su Ming who was asking Zijin this question, and he never expected that he would be the one being asked it in return, which left Su Ming feeling speechless.

"It might not be targeting me; it could be an inside man. If he can't have it, he'll destroy the whole thing," Su Ming lamented. Human factions don't even spare him, a traveler already in another world.

Zijin had an idea. "The core of this matter is that Miao Hai is too fragile."

Miao Hai is now a super-powerful bomb that can be easily triggered. With the fuse lit and exposed, it's no wonder that someone might take the opportunity to set it on fire.

Su Ming looked at Saenieka, "Can the Nether Sea Form be locked back in?"

"If Lord Miao Hai is as powerful as you describe, your current strength is insufficient," Saenieka replied.

"That means I need to be promoted," Su Ming said. "How much?"

Saenieka did not speak.

[I don't think it's that far off. The fact that you were able to pull Miao Hai back from the brink of losing control is unusual in itself.] Zijin judged, [Your Space Element cannot be deduced using common sense.]

"That's true." Su Ming felt a little more confident.

"How do you plan to resolve this?" Zijin asked.

"Let's play it safe for now," Su Ming replied. "Playing it safe is the essence of War Frog's mantra. I do have a way to deal with Zhi Le's betrayal of my people."

He shifted his gaze halfway, connecting it to Miao Hai.

Earth, late at night.

Miao Hai hid in an old factory building.

She kept a close watch on her surroundings, making sure she wasn't being followed. With the vengeful spirit's power unleashed, her range of perception had expanded considerably, especially at night.

[Miao Hai, are you confident you can cause some trouble and then escape?] Su Ming asked.

"[Yes, that's possible.]" Miao Hai replied. "There's a highway nearby. She can hitch a ride on a car to escape, and then avoid the surveillance cameras by jumping onto another vehicle."

After jumping around several times, they probably wouldn't be able to be tracked anymore. This was one of the methods the two came up with to eliminate their tracks.

There was no one at the factory, but there was an old gatekeeper. Miao Xin politely asked him to borrow her phone.

"Hello, is this 110? I need to report a crime!" Su Ming dialed the number, his hand reaching towards the factory. He stretched out his other hand, and a pillar of the abandoned factory was dismantled by his failed summoning frog, turning into fine dust.

Then, half of the factory building collapsed with a roar.

Amidst the smoke and dust, Xiao Shuaitou nimbly leaped out of the collapsed area, returned to the guardhouse, and stood before the stunned old man. "Sorry, I just caused the collapse of one of your factory buildings."

Su Ming continued into the phone, "Could you please write down two sentences for me: 'Last time we met in Vietnam, someone framed me and caused me to lose control. Please clean up this mess!'"

This kind of thing should be investigated by the service department themselves. No matter who cheated him, if they make him suffer, he won't have an easy time either! Su Ming thought to himself.

"And then," I continued, "I'm not some transmigrator from Earth. I'm human, at least for now!"

Miao Hai returned the phone to the old man, then disappeared down the highway in a few leaps.