Chapter 954: Knock on Wood Thrice

“Hong Xiaoxiao.”

“Huh?” Hong Xiaoxiao broke out of her fantasy, still standing at the door.

“Let's go.” Heavenly Dog carried his heavy hiking backpack with Hong Xiaoxiao's in his hands.

“Oh, right.” Hong Xiaoxiao took her bag from him and slung it on. “Let's go.”

They crossed the living room. At the entryway, Hong Xiaoxiao stopped suddenly.

Heavenly Dog turned to her in confusion.

“Give me a moment.”

Hong Xiaoxiao gathered her resolve and ran back to Zhong He's bedroom. Standing outside, she opened the door by a crack. With Telekinesis, she sent a Black Gold hairpin flying into the room like a butterfly, hovering before Zhong He.

Zhong He opened his eyes slightly, his gaze still vacant even as he spotted the hairpin.

The hairpin suddenly flew up to knock on his forehead once.

Then once more. Then a third time.

Only after that did the hairpin fly into Zhong He's breast pocket.

The gesture had drained all her courage. Hong Xiaoxiao dared not linger. Instead, she pulled her power back and rushed to the entryway, saying to Heavenly Dog, “Let's go.”

“Your face’s red,” Heavenly Dog said.

“Oh, the heating’s just too warm after getting used to the cold outside.” Hong Xiaoxiao averted her gaze and strode out.

In the dimly lit room, Zhong He remained unmoving like a statue forgotten by time. Minutes crawled by. Then his almost lifeless eyes glinted briefly. A memory surfaced:

“Hong Xiaoxiao, we're going to the Qingyang Bridge soon. Are you scared?”

“Yeah, a little. You?”

“I'm not scared. I know a spell.”

“What spell... Ow, why did you knock my head?”

“Knock on wood thrice to drive away bad luck and welcome good luck. There's no wood around. Your head will do.”

“Thanks... Wait, is this a jab that I'm dense like a plank of wood?”

“No, no... Hahaha, I'm sorry, really sorry. Spare me, Sister Hong...”

Zhong He raised his hand slowly and rested it on his chest, sensing her energy.

It was warm.

He tried to find the man who had retreated deep in his mind. Slowly, he recovered his dulled senses.

The room was dark, the air stagnant. A bitter taste coated his mouth, like he had eaten a large clump of moss. His head rang incessantly.

Ha, I was the one to turn into a piece of decaying wood.

Can't have her look down on me.

Zhong He grinned. He suddenly felt like taking a shower and eating something. Then, after stretching his limbs, he would go to the frontline.

With level 7 Phantom, he would be a top-tier combatant. He shouldn't be rotting and spoiling in this room.

...

Late at night, 1.5 kilometers from the Yuan Yang River, Nine Frost crouched amid the western forest of Xijing District. Through tactical binoculars, he observed the brightly lit research facility, his camouflage blending with the shadows. Inside, Dr. Jia moved about his work, a bird following his every step.

On the clearing outside the laboratory was a car. Wearing winter clothes, “Chen Ying” sat cross-legged on its roof, her eyes closed. Around a bonfire, “Adept Horse” and “Zhong He” shared hot coffee and conversation while “Qing Ling” methodically cleaned her Tang Dao.

The body doubles Quiet Book created with level 4 Substitute appeared perfect from a distance.

Operation: Fishing Lure Jia split the team into three units, the recon unit, the vanguard unit, and the core unit. Each was hiding in a different place.

The recon unit held position closest to the facility at 1.5 kilometers, consisting of Nine Frost, Chen Ying, Lying Wood, Hong Xiaoxiao, and Adept Horse. They handled command, reconnaissance, and support.

Nine Frost’s Telepathy made him the communication center of the battlefield. With Avian King, he was a perfect commander. Chen Ying's Sensory provided precise detection for enemies within a three-kilometer radius. Lying Wood's Afterimage provided cover, while Adept Horse's combination of Healing, Jump, and Light made him their versatile support. Hong Xiaoxiao's Invisibility provided stealth, and Gamer served as their ultimate contingency; their survival could depend on her skills.

The vanguard unit stayed around 1.8 kilometers from the laboratory, consisting of Qing Ling, Heavenly Dog, Dead Pig, Mischievous Monkey, Liao Liao, and Ke Yo.

They were the quick and powerful unit. Mute, Disorientation, and Strange could effectively disorient the enemies and protect themselves, allowing them to choose either to advance or retreat. They would be the right candidates for charging into the fray.

The core unit was two kilometers from the laboratory, consisting of War Tiger, Wang Zikai, Nainai, and Gao Yang—as backup.

They were the core fighters and the last resort. They stayed out of view in case the enemies had a hidden ace. They couldn’t allow Qilin to get all of them at once with something like the puppet life monster from before.

Nainai didn’t really belong with the others given her strength.

However, she had completed many feats and had been brought back twice already, meaning she could no longer be reset. And level 7 Gale could help her teammates travel quickly. That was why Gao Yang put her on the core unit rather than the vanguard unit.

Nainai didn’t know his reasoning. She firmly believed that there was one reason she was on the core unit—it befit her sovereign status as the empress.

Wang Zikai held similar sentiment. Being God was about the supreme image!

The recon unit spotted no abnormality.

Hiding in a tree, Nine Frost suddenly lowered his binoculars and breathed, “Dammit!”