Chapter 143: The Threads Finally Unravel

That inner voice was less like the clucking of a chicken and more like the creaking and groaning of an old loom.

What was going on? Signal interference?

Just as he was pondering this, a system notification chimed:

9527: [Detection complete. The target of your chosen skill, Mind Reading, is currently in a special state. Therefore, their inner thoughts cannot be read normally. Please be advised.]

Wen Nan: [What special state?]

9527: [A special state refers to a condition where a character or NPC within a specific instance is being influenced by external forces, causing them to exhibit behavioral patterns outside the instance's established programming.]

Wen Nan: ...

He wasn't asking for a definition; he wanted to know exactly which special state this was.

Forget it.

Clearly, his system was incapable of distinguishing the specific type of state and had begun its usual AI-style evasion. He wouldn't get an answer even if he kept asking.

As he thought this, he saw the Junior Sister drop another piece of chicken into his bowl. She then asked, seemingly nonchalantly, "Senior Brother, why haven't I seen you back at the office all afternoon? Was something holding you up?"

*Chirp, chirrup, chirrup-chirrup...*

Wen Nan inwardly scoffed. The Zhang Beibei of the past would never have asked where he went or what he was doing. She would only have told him how she had covered for his unauthorized absence, then hurried to claim credit, clinging to him and taking every opportunity to get close.

Despite these thoughts, Wen Nan maintained a faint smile. "I had a sudden emergency to handle. It was just... that place you mentioned earlier—there were some issues."

Upon hearing this, a sharp glint flashed in the Junior Sister's eyes. The smile on her face faded slightly as she leaned closer to him. "Did something go wrong with the secret laboratory? Are the things inside... still there?"

*Chirp, chirrup, chirrup-chirrup...*

Wen Nan looked at her. "What things?"

The Junior Sister was silent for a moment, then smiled and changed her tune. "Nothing. Just asking."

*Chirp, chirrup...*

As she spoke, she placed yet another piece of chicken into his bowl.

This was the third piece she had added. The plate of chicken on the far right had been hollowed out, while the dishes placed to their left remained completely untouched.

At this thought, Wen Nan’s gaze dropped to Zhang Beibei’s left arm, which rested stiffly by her side.

Since she had walked through the door—whether opening it, pulling out her chair, passing bowls and chopsticks, or picking up food—she had used only her right hand. She was acting almost as if she were a fellow patient of his.

Speaking of fellow patients...

"Beibei, is your arm bothering you?" Wen Nan asked, reaching out to casually pinch her left hand, which hung limply at her side.

Zhang Beibei startled like a frightened bird, jerking away to avoid his touch. She barely managed to maintain a smile as she explained, "I felt a bit weak when I was getting ready to eat. It’s fine, Senior Brother, just an old problem."

As Wen Nan withdrew his hand, he lowered his head, catching a flicker of light from the golden subjugation sigil on his palm.

Wen Nan curled his lips slightly.

And at the very moment a smile appeared in his eyes, the woman sitting beside him revealed a look of sinister malice in hers.

Wen Nan looked up just in time to see Zhang Beibei violently grab at her own chest with her right hand. A glob of viscous green fluid shot out from her chest, aiming directly for Wen Nan’s face.

Having already tensed his muscles and prepared for battle, Wen Nan leaned backward at once, laying himself flat on the floor.

Seeing this, a cold sneer appeared in Zhang Beibei’s eyes. *The fool,* she thought. *Does he think lying flat will help him avoid this venom? It will only ensure the poison on my chest makes more thorough contact with his skin. The toxicity will take effect instantly, paralyzing the target in a heartbeat.*

However, the next moment, she realized she was terribly mistaken.

This man hadn't lain flat to dodge her venom; he had done so to... coordinate with the person behind her for a better strike!

*Whoosh!*

A beam of golden light shot from behind the door. A long sword followed, blocking all the venom at an incredibly sharp angle.

The green liquid splashed onto the nearby dining table, instantly corroding a hole through the solid wood.

Before Zhang Beibei could process what happened, the blade had already pierced her right arm.

Having run through her right hand, the long sword did not stop. It moved at a speed invisible to the naked eye, spinning around Zhang Beibei and wrapping her in golden afterimages.

A split second later, the sword zipped back into the hand of the person at the door.

Zhang Beibei’s strength completely vanished, and she collapsed to the ground like a pile of mud.

Yu Shujun flew to the window, raised her long sword, and gave a sharp tug backward—

Like a kite flyer pulling on a string, a silver-white figure was yanked off the roof of the building across the street.

As the figure fell through the air, they quickly raised their hands, slicing through the threads wrapped around their limbs and head. They then spun in mid-air and bolted into the distance, nearly vanishing into the night.

Without a word, Yu Shujun vaulted over the windowsill and gave chase in the direction the figure had disappeared.

Watching this, Wen Nan braced himself and rose from the floor. He stepped around the prone Zhang Beibei and walked to the window, but the golden and silver figures were already lost in the darkness.

A message popped up in his mind:

[Slave-Jun: Requesting temporary leave to pursue the target, Master.]

Looking at her stiff, "act first, report later" message, a hint of helplessness crept into Wen Nan’s smile.

[Nine: No need to request. Just go.]

He turned back and crouched beside Zhang Beibei to inspect her.

She was clearly unconscious. Green venom continued to ooze from her arm and chest, pooling on the floor and corroding a shallow pit into the wood.

After a moment of thought, Wen Nan opened the [Steadfast] guild chat in his system.

[Nine: Ask the new member—who was the target he was assigned to conquer?]

At the men's dormitory respawn point.

Seeing that the first phase of the guild’s trial period was coming to a close, Gu Jinxing had immediately had the player sign the membership contract.

Just as he finished filing the contract, he received the guild leader’s message in the group chat. Gu Jinxing immediately typed out the question.

The new member replied with frantic tapping: "It was the delicate Junior Sister. I didn't even get to conquer her; I never even saw her face. Once I picked the target and got the soul doll, I found the gym's equipment room and hid. But it was useless. I still ended up finished. Sigh..."

At Zhang Beibei’s home.

Seeing the answer forwarded by Gu Jinxing, Wen Nan understood everything.

The threads of this mystery were finally clear.