CHAPTER 37: CHAPTER 37: THE MAN IN BLACK

Xu Mo climbed to the console in a few steps and successfully switched to manual mode.

The aircraft finally adjusted to its normal angle smoothly.

Ruan Li lay on the sofa, utterly exhausted and breathing heavily, her chest rising and falling.

Xu Mo glanced at her and then looked away.

"Not sure what’s ahead, but it’s better to stay away..." He turned the aircraft around, and the console showed the mushroom cloud behind them spreading at a visible speed.

"Ruan Li, hold on tight..." As soon as he finished speaking, he pushed the speed to its maximum.

The aircraft shot forward like an arrow, racing at eight hundred miles per hour.

Bang——bang——

Clusters of red mushroom clouds exploded in the air, like chain bombs.

The aircraft was shaking uncontrollably due to the shock waves in the sky, not to mention the situation on the ground.

The Smart Brain on Ruan Li’s wrist buzzed, and she quickly connected.

"Ruannuan! Where are you now? Is there any danger?" Shi Jue’s anxious voice sounded.

"We’re currently safe, but it seems something red keeps exploding around us." Ruan Li calmly explained the current situation to Shi Jue.

Another call came in from Zhe Ye.

"Ruan Li, share your location with me. I’ll come to get you, over there—"

With a deafening roar, the Smart Brain emitted static noise and then cut off.

Ruan Li, shocked by the loud roar, covered her ears. She saw Xu Mo urgently looking at her, gesturing for her to get down. For a moment, Ruan Li hesitated, then quickly rolled off the sofa, as if a sharp wind brushed past her head, and the aircraft disintegrated instantly, leaving her falling straight down on what remained of it.

Xu Mo watched her falling figure, and his pupils shrank with urgency. Ignoring the surrounding danger, he sprinted toward her. Yet, the falling half of the aircraft was already unbalanced. He decisively transformed into a beast form—a giant fox took only a few steps to reach his female, grabbed her, and tossed her onto his head.

Despite the dizzying whirlwind, Ruan Li maintained clarity and an admirable tenacity. She quickly steadied herself, clutching the smooth red velvet-like fox fur beneath her.

The strong fox raised its brows slightly, truly pulled painfully at the scalp.

The fox, comparable in size to a small car, leaped from the falling aircraft and successfully landed on the rooftop of a building.

Lowering his head, he signaled the small female to come down.

Ruan Li, legs trembling, slid off his head, and before leaving, snuck another touch of the fox’s fur.

Xu Mo shifted back into human form, his red eyes glanced at her indifferently, without questioning her little actions.

"Where are we going now? Should we go downstairs?" Ruan Li, inexplicably nervous, touched her nose. Shouldn’t be, maybe he saw her actions just now?

Xu Mo furrowed his brow, pursing his lips, saying nothing.

Ruan Li rarely saw such a solemn expression on his face.

Xu Mo intended to walk to the edge of the rooftop, hesitated with fear from the recent tense scene, then stepped back, directly holding Ruan Li’s hand, "Don’t let go."

At the edge of the rooftop, a vast expanse came into view.

The situation was far worse than imagined.

Ruan Li’s dense fear was almost triggered as she tried to identify what those species were downstairs.

"Are they Fierce Beasts? Why are there so many?"

"Yes," Xu Mo’s expression was serious, as if recalling something, he curved his mouth into a mocking smile, "You must ask what the Empire’s politics have done."

His gaze shot like a sharp blade, chillingly sideways, following a cold and disdainful face.

"Xu Mo, what are you saying?" Ruan Li didn’t immediately understand his words, and Xu Mo’s expression was now so sinisterly cold it was terrifying.

He looked behind her and swiftly pulled Ruan Li behind him, "Don’t take another step forward!"

He coldly warned the men in military uniforms and holding guns in front.

"Miss Ruan, please come with us," said the Beastman leading them.

From behind Xu Mo, Ruan Li leaned out and asked, puzzled, "What do you want to do?"

Regardless of their purpose, appearing here now itself is highly suspicious!

"Prince Yale invites Miss Ruan for a meeting, I believe Miss Ruan won’t refuse such an honor."

"I refuse."

A row of gun barrels was raised, aimed at Xu Mo and Ruan Li.

"Is Miss Ruan ready to go now?"

This was clearly coercion!

"May I ask why your Prince Yale wants to see me?"

"No comment."

On the rooftop, a military aircraft briefly appeared, from which a man wearing a black cloak walked out. Though his specific features couldn’t be seen, his extraordinary aura was palpable.

"Miss Ruan, I heard your healing ability is extraordinary; able to cure male beastmen who nearly died consuming a Crystal Core in a short time, surely you can cure my minor ailment too?" The man’s voice was low and gloomy, merely listening to him made Ruan Li dislike him.

Lu Mufeng said the news wouldn’t get out.

How come someone knows in just a day?

Ruan Li inwardly criticized Marshal Lu’s incompetence.

"What are you saying? What dying male? I’m just a low-level healing ability little failure." Ruan Li held onto Xu Mo’s arm, hiding behind him, seriously spouting nonsense.

The man sneered coldly, his voice sinisterly low, "Is Miss Ruan joking?"

"Or perhaps believing that with Marshal Lu’s intervention, everything is fine." He raised his hand, playing with the Jade Ring on his thumb.

Without any apparent action, suddenly exceedingly thick branches sprouted from the ground, directly targeting Xu Mo, in a flash, binding him mid-air.

Seeing Xu Mo struggle, the man disdainfully said, "Seven Stars’ Wood Ability, even if your Fire Ability could suppress mine, there’s no way you can leap three levels."

"Miss Ruan, how about now, have you made up your mind?"

Xu Mo was tightly entangled by vines, no matter what methods he used, he couldn’t escape.

"Ruannuan, don’t agree with him," Xu Mo lowered his gaze, looking at the hesitant woman on the ground, the veins on his arms bulged, with energía faintly flowing in him.

Ruan Li’s gaze hesitated as she saw Xu Mo bound by branches, his limbs tightly restrained from moving.

If merely healing the man in black could spare Xu Mo from suffering, it doesn’t sound like a bad deal.

Except, fear arises that after witnessing her healing ability, the man in black might cause more trouble.

Ruan Li initially believed she was just a small failure with Level 1 Healing Ability, but since successfully saving the near-death Shi Jue, she knew well that she’s likely not merely a small failure.

Yet she understood the principle of keeping a low profile, especially when a certain treatment ability hasn’t moved for more than ten years, then suddenly leaps to Level 3, it would surely arouse suspicion.

"I can help you heal, but you have to tell me how you learned about Shi Jue’s situation?"