Chapter Forty-Two: A Sedan Chair

With Wang Qingshan gone, the vials in the box were divided among the group, each person receiving two, while Du Lili was given three. Neither Shen Lie nor Ma Zhanlin objected, for in the recent battles against the mutated crows, she had contributed the most. As soon as she received the vials, Du Lili wasted no time in uncorking one and drinking it down. This action drew a look of admiration from Professor Liu, and Shen Lie quickly realized why.

Du Lili was indeed shrewd; now was the perfect moment to use the potion. After the exhausting fight, replenishing her depleted bloodline power was essential. Moreover, if the potion were fake or poisoned, any adverse effects would manifest immediately, ensuring that Professor Liu could not escape responsibility, and the fastest possible remedy could be sought. If they had all chosen to save the vials for later and only discovered treachery then, they’d have no recourse.

“How do you feel?” Shen Lie asked. After drinking the potion, Du Lili’s exposed skin flushed, and her body trembled violently. Ma Zhanlin and Shen Lie exchanged uneasy glances, uncertain whether this was a good or bad sign.

Professor Liu watched just as intently. He himself had tested the potion twice, but the effects on other awakened individuals were unknown to him.

After two minutes, Du Lili exhaled softly, opened her eyes, and spoke with excitement, “It’s remarkable. This vial has given my bloodline power a great boost. If I had a few more, I might soon reach the point of igniting my second node!”

“What? Node? I don’t understand what the Queen Du means by that,” Ma Zhanlin muttered, bewildered by her words.

Shen Lie, however, regarded her with surprise. She, too, had illuminated a node in her body, just as he had—though which part, he did not know. Her words suggested she was nearing the awakening of a second node, and he wondered what benefit that brought. Perhaps, when time allowed, he could discuss it with her.

“Nodes? You’ll understand them in time. It’s hard to explain right now,” Du Lili replied, saying little more, for it was a concept not easily conveyed.

“What Queen Du refers to as nodes is likely a sign of advancement among awakened individuals. We are still in the exploratory phase regarding their abilities—there’s no systematic knowledge yet. If we survive and leave this place, we’ll learn more in time. For now, I think we should move on,” Professor Liu urged.

His words carried weight, and the team resumed their journey. After a brief rest, and with the threat of mutated crows behind them, they moved at a brisker pace.

Du Lili did not use her remaining two vials, nor did Shen Lie. Two vials would not suffice to ignite a second node, so he kept them as backup restorative potions. Ma Zhanlin also refrained, though his reasoning was unclear.

After ten more minutes of marching, the group suddenly halted. Silence fell, chilling and unnatural.

A sedan chair.

On the path ahead, blocking their way, appeared a large red sedan, carried by eight burly men, surrounded by attendants on all sides. Yet every bearer and attendant looked vacant, as if their souls had been drawn away.

The eerie sight rendered everyone speechless. Shen Lie felt a mysterious force envelop the passage, preventing him from speaking or even moving a finger.

Fear coursed through his nerves. All he could do was watch as the sedan approached, unable to resist, his mind clear but powerless—a despair that threatened to shatter him.

The mist-shrouded corridor was about twenty meters wide. Afraid of wandering into the denser fog, the group kept to the center, leaving wide margins on either side. The sedan drew closer, yet did not enter the crowd, instead gliding slowly along the edge.

Then something astonishing happened.

Though the sedan did not pass through the group, as it moved by, many survivors followed behind it, becoming part of the vacant-eyed attendants. With each passage, at least a fifth of the survivors were ‘drawn’ into its wake, swelling the ranks of its followers, yet not a sound was uttered.

No one knew who—or what—sat within the sedan. Shen Lie’s nerves were stretched to the breaking point; he could hear his own heartbeat.

For the sedan was drawing near him.

He forced himself to remain calm, moving his eyes to scan his companions. Du Lili, Ma Zhanlin, Professor Liu, and Yang Weiguo were all caught by the same paralyzing will, unable to break free. He could see the terror in Du Lili’s eyes behind her mask.

Despite his silent prayers, nothing could stop the sedan’s approach. It brushed so close he could feel the strange aura from the bearers.

As the sedan passed, Shen Lie finally breathed out in relief. He did not know why the survivors were lost to it, but he had not been affected—yet.

Suddenly, he sensed a faint black thread appear in the void, winding around his body. He began to move involuntarily, drawn toward the sedan.

Alarmed, Shen Lie realized he had been chosen by the mysterious occupant of the sedan, destined to become another mindless attendant. He wanted desperately to resist, but the invisible thread offered no hope; he was still unable to move of his own will.

As his body turned, Shen Lie saw that Ma Zhanlin and Du Lili were also caught, their faces vacant as they moved toward the attendants behind the sedan. Professor Liu’s figure appeared at the edge of his vision.

It seemed the sedan’s master preferred awakened individuals as attendants. When choosing ordinary people, it was random, but with awakened ones, it took them all. No wonder Wang Qingshan had fled early—Professor Liu had guessed correctly; his daughter likely possessed a precognitive talent.

The closer he drew to the sedan, the tighter the ‘black thread’ became. Shen Lie watched himself pass by the survivors, reaching the end of the line. If this continued, there would be no chance of survival.