This time I chose Paladin

Nie Weiyang closed his eyes, seizing the opportunity to search the other person's memory in a destructive way.

After a moment, he opened his eyes and his expression became complicated.

This was indeed the soul-destroying puppeteer he was familiar with, but this time, before he could develop, he entered a biological research institute of a former civilization while being hunted.

What exactly happened in that underground research institute? Nie Weiyang didn't know, because it was obviously beyond his mental endurance. He couldn't find any relevant information in those chaotic memories.

However, he knew very well who was chasing the other party—

——Li Duo, the red bird in Lianhe.

In this guy's memory, he was passing by the Lianhe No. 1 High School training ground near Langcheng. He saw a little girl among the group with a promising future, and he wanted to lure her out. But just as he started talking to the six or seven-year-old girl, Li Duo rushed out from nowhere, holding a wooden lollipop in her mouth, and a huge fireball hit him in the face...

Considering that for a mythical creature like Danque, which is related to fire and phoenix, sensing evil is a basic operation, Li Duo must have rushed over before he approached the little girl.

What followed was a pursuit that lasted for a full ten days. This guy didn't know where Li Duo got so much energy. He climbed over mountains and ridges and dismantled his puppets. The two of them even ran into a cordon on the way. Soon, he was chased into a valley where there was a former civilization city. He didn't dare to enter the city, so he could only run in any direction. As a result, he soon found a former civilization research institute and dove in.

When he regained consciousness, he found himself transformed into a dog, but a dead dog that had signed a contract with him. Li Duo, however, was missing. Perhaps she had been out for too long and couldn't stay near the former civilized city, so she gave up the chase and returned to Lang City.

From then on, the soulless puppeteer, his mind completely confused between human and animal, wandered the mountains. His self-awareness could only reach less than an hour a day, and the rest of the time he acted completely on instinct. Gradually, he approached several settlements and instinctively transformed the people inside into puppets. During this time, he devoured the souls of more than one person, replenishing his soul and gradually extending his lucidity by a few minutes. But the feeling of devouring souls also became addictive. He needed more—more—more souls. He had to obtain more souls... and nearby, the human gathering place with the most souls was the ancient city!

Nie Weiyang frowned and fell silent.

Reality is always more absurd and terrifying than fiction. At least he did not expect that the enemy would appear in front of him in the form of a dog and kill 80,000 people out of instinct in order to devour their souls.

But the number of souls this guy devours every day is limited. In its mind, killing 80,000 people is just a "helpless act influenced by instinct." It can be seen that from its thinking to its consciousness, it is no longer a human being.

No wonder Nie Weiyang asked Gu Shi to guard against special humanoid creatures, but Gu Shi still failed to defend against them... This time, the Lost Soul Puppet Master was not a human being at all, and his actions were not human!

Nie Weiyang let out a slow breath, stood up from the giant dog's corpse, and drew his spear and sword. He muttered something, and the crossed weapons shone with a gentle light, which fell down and began to purify the corpse.

Level 19 skill [Purity Sanctification] - Adds a holy effect to Order creatures and objects, exorcising and purifying Dark creatures and objects. Of course, as always, Nie Weiyang should avoid letting it touch him while using it.

A star-like white light showered down, and Nie Weiyang's expression regained its composure. At the edge of his vision, a message indicating a successful mental confrontation and failed possession of the target slowly faded away.

The world today has changed so much... In this foggy and chaotic world, he cannot assume that everything will proceed according to his ideas. After all, even twenty years after the previous life, people have not been able to fully uncover every truth of the new world, let alone completely control the situation.

Only now, new problems arise:

What went wrong in that biological research institute of the previous civilization that turned humans into animals with human genomes?!

The transformed bloodline of the Lost Soul Puppet Master is some kind of dog. Is there any connection between his transformation into a giant dog and this incident?

By the time the purification was complete, the giant dog's corpse had lost its permeating terror, and the remaining purple glow had vanished. Nie Weiyang sheathed his golden spear and turned to rejoin his two teammates. There were few casualties here. The stalkers hiding in the area had worked together to effectively protect nearly everyone. The army had arrived and was working alongside the stalkers to clear the zombies. The puppets with purple eyes had lost control and reverted to their normal zombie forms, some falling to the ground, some struggling, and some attempting to attack...

They were all residents of the old city, with their own lives, work, loves and hates.

The three of them walked back, their expressions not looking very good. But soon, they passed a mud house. The straw covering the windows was pulled aside, and the heads of a family of three popped out from inside, smiling excitedly and extending their hands to greet them.

"Thank you, boss!" "Thank you, brother and sister!" "Thank you, brother and sister!" They shouted in a disjointed manner.

The three of them were stunned for a moment, and then they saw people emerging from the houses and huts on both sides of the road. Several stalkers and soldiers gently stopped them, fearing that they would be harmed by the hidden dangers nearby. But they still smiled at the soldiers, the stalkers, and Nie Weiyang and the other two, as if all the gratitude in their lives emerged from their hearts, bathing in the sunset at this moment.

Chapter 145 Eat well and don’t waste

After leaving Chaoyi District, the three of them remained silent for a while.

Yi Jian's expression was complex, but he remained silent, staring down at the road, his thoughts unclear. Han Jiangxue's gait became distorted again. This time, feeling cold, she didn't hold her staff, so she simply rubbed her hands together, her gaze blank.

Nie Weiyang walked with them for a few minutes and found that they seemed to be in automatic follow mode. They followed him wherever he went. He couldn't help but smile.

"Want to eat?" he asked.

"Ah?" Han Jiangxue came back to his senses.

Yi Jian subconsciously asked, "What to eat?"

"Eat in the cafeteria." Nie Weiyang answered simply.

This answer amused both of them, with Yi Jian laughing even harder: "What are you talking about? Who doesn't eat in the cafeteria these days? ? Liang Zhenduan even went to the cafeteria to eat from the same pot with everyone!"

"Just kidding. You guys can order whatever you want. It's my treat." Nie Weiyang laughed and led the two of them into the nearest cafeteria. "Don't be shy. We're all partners from now on."

People passing by were shocked by the wording and turned to look at them. Yi Jian couldn't help laughing, and Han Jiangxue also pursed her lips, almost unable to hold back her smile.

The cafeteria was filled with the aroma of food. The most common occupations in the Huaxia region were chefs, craftsmen, farmers and fishermen, and this was fully reflected in the food - otherwise the people in Gushi would not just be starving, but a large-scale famine would have begun.

When the two of them got their favorite meals and came to Nie Weiyang's table, they found that there was only a bowl of the most ordinary vegetable porridge in front of him. The porridge was not a delicacy, but one of the most basic mass-produced recipes in the chef's profession. At this moment, he was stirring the porridge in the bowl with a wooden spoon. The floating pickled wild vegetables were wrapped in the porridge water, and the surface was crystal clear.

There was a boiled egg next to his bowl - some people from the Gu City military had come with piglets, chickens and ducks, which greatly alleviated the protein shortage problem in Gu City.

"Brother Nie, why don't you eat something delicious?" Yi Jian asked, "This vegetable porridge tastes okay, but if you drink it every day, you'll get a little sick of it..."

He put down the plate. The stir-fried vegetables and shredded meat on the plate were fragrant. A mixed flour steamed bun was placed next to it, soaked in some soup.

Han Jiangxue also sat down. Nie Weiyang scooped a spoonful of porridge and savored it slowly. Yi Jian took a deep bite of the steamed bun. The firm and delicious mixed noodles mixed with the aroma of the broth made him let out a sound of comfort.

"This is the first time I drink it," said Nie Weiyang.

He looked at the porridge in the bowl.

This is the daily food of ordinary people in Gushi. A bowl the size of a palm is a meal for one person. They drink porridge in the morning, at noon and in the evening. If there are children, a small half of the porridge will be shared with the children.

Originally, the situation in Gushi wasn't that dire, but the previous granary theft had severely impacted the canteen's supply. To date, that grain has yet to be found, and it's unlikely to ever be found again. It couldn't have been transported to the territory of the Return Sect, otherwise Nie Weiyang would have at least found some clues...

Nie Weiyang thought about it, glanced sideways at the food on Han Jiangxue's plate, and was stunned for a moment.

Apart from a steamed bun, there are vegetables, vegetables, vegetables and vegetables. What kind of eating habit is this?

"Protein supplementation is necessary. Also, your job causes your body temperature to be low, and sometimes the ambient temperature can also drop, so you need more energy to balance the temperature." Nie Weiyang said slowly, "It's my treat, so you can order some meat, fish, and eggs."

Han Jiangxue ate her grass silently. After swallowing a mouthful, she looked up and stared at Nie Weiyang for two seconds. Suddenly, she picked up her plate and returned to the cafeteria window. A moment later, she returned with a pile of meat and two eggs on her plate. She nodded in satisfaction and lowered her head to start a feast. The speed at which she inhaled the food so quickly that even Yi Jian was stunned.

Nie Weiyang had no idea what was going through her mind in those two seconds. He had never been able to keep up with this guy's speed of thought in his previous life. He just smiled speechlessly and looked at Yi Jian's plate again.

"Are you not full?" he asked.

Yi Jian lowered his head, seeming a little embarrassed.

"No need to save money for me, go ahead." Nie Weiyang said.

Yi Jian looked up, his face free of embarrassment. He happily rushed back to the window and got his meal again.

At this moment, a man holding a tray sat in the seat that originally belonged to Yi Jian.

Nie Weiyang raised his eyebrows, while Han Jiangxue frowned slightly. They both looked up at the visitor, only to see a thin figure.

"Qiao Xing?" Nie Weiyang called out the man's name. He smiled at this Gushi's current strongest assassin, whom he had only met once since his rebirth. "Why are you here if you're not investigating the case?"

"Huh? You still remember me?" Qiao Xing's eyes widened. "Also, I'm coming to eat."

"Why don't I remember you?" Nie Weiyang asked back.

Qiao Xing took out half a bottle of classic Lao Gan Ma chili sauce from his backpack, took out two steamed buns that were obviously just out of the pot, took a bite of the bun first, and then slowly used chopsticks to spread the sauce on the gap, ensuring that every bit of the dough was soaked in the crispy and fragrant oil.

"I heard you were away from the old city for over half a month. I want to ask you something," he whispered, moving closer to Nie Weiyang. "Have you ever seen anyone in the settlements around the old city, or in the territory of the Return Sect, who eats their fill, or even wastes food?"

"No." Nie Weiyang shook his head slightly.

He'd never seen anyone like that before. Who would waste food these days... well, except for those who fed their leftovers to dogs along with human debris?

Qiao Xing sighed and took another big bite of the steamed bun, then smeared chili and grease on the opening again, as if he was making some kind of exquisite delicacy.

"I just saw you guys in Chaoyi District," he said. "Awesome, really awesome. If I were in your position, I'd just run."

Han Jiangxue continued to gulp down his food like a starving hamster. Yi Jian returned with his plate, glanced at Qiao Xing, and silently sat down across from Nie Weiyang. Nie Weiyang thought about it and felt that Qiao Xing was referring to those dogs. Indeed, as an assassin with little defense, especially one in his early days, when surrounded and facing a powerful enemy attack, he had no choice but to run and seek another opportunity on the periphery.

But this praise was definitely not what Qiao Xing meant.

"Let's get down to business." Nie Weiyang said.

Qiao Xing smiled.

"I knew you didn't want to hear nonsense—well, anyway," he lowered his voice, "there's currently speculation that the grain hasn't actually left the Gushi area—"

"Mr. Nie! Mr. Nie!" A shout came, interrupting Qiao Xing's voice.

Xu Rui, one of the two guards who followed Nie Weiyang when he first came to Gushi, ran into the cafeteria and quickly found Nie Weiyang under the watchful eyes of the surrounding diners. He leaned over and whispered something in his ear.

Nie Weiyang's expression changed from calm to frowning, then he asked Xu Rui to leave first. He drank the porridge in the bowl in one gulp, stuffed the boiled egg into his backpack, and transferred the money to pay for the three people's dinner.

"Shu Li is acting strangely. I'll go check it out." He said, "Come find me after you finish your meal. Eat well and don't waste anything."

Chapter 146 Shu Li?

Outside the ancient city, across two mountains, a group of people squatted on the edge of a field, looking into the distance in a state of panic.

"Is it still moving?"

"Yes."

"The Dark Zone has also moved?"

"Yes……"

Liang Zhenduan scratched his head. He looked like he wanted to pull out his hair, but he held back.

In the distance, a pitch-black area was moving at a constant speed. It was the dark area of ​​'Shu Li'.

In the darkness, an old farmer in coarse clothes walked slowly across the fields. The setting sun could not reach him, but everyone could see that he was moving towards the old city!

"Go check! There must be something in Gushi that's attracting it!" Liang Zhenduan shouted, "Are all the people here?"

"One third of the 120 people on the list have arrived, and the rest are on their way."

"Where's Nie Weiyang?"

"He hasn't... Oh! He's coming!"

'Om—'

The setting sun dyed the sky and the earth orange and red. The lucky lottery crossed the uncultivated wilderness, jumped onto the ridge of the field, and headed straight here.

Under the light and shadow, the black body of the motorcycle reflects a beautiful blood orange color. The blue crystal shield blade on the edge of the round shield merges with the blue light in front and behind the motorcycle, cutting out a color like the blue sky in the orange-red world.

The knight in black and silver armor was covered in light, his armor gleaming like black iron surrounded by diamonds. He glanced sideways at the setting sun - except for the color, it was exactly the same as the blood moon people remembered.

Nie Weiyang shook his head slightly, stepped on the accelerator to increase the speed, crossed the hill like lightning, pulled up the front of the car and jumped up, landing heavily next to Liang Zhenduan, splashing a cloud of mud, drew an arc, and stopped on a stone platform.

"What's going on?" he asked.

Seeing him coming, Liang Zhenduan's expression relaxed a little and replied, "Shuli is moving towards Gushi. I suspect something in the city is attracting it..."

Nie Weiyang frowned, and countless recent information and intelligence left over from his previous life flashed through his mind, and he quickly put together an answer in his mind.