Chapter 309- Cultured Villain vs. Humanoid Weapon (14)
It wasn’t until Lou Bin called out from outside, saying that dinner was ready, that the two finally realized how late it had gotten.
Lou Bin had been knocking for quite a while before anyone responded, and he couldn’t help muttering to Shi Haoyu beside him, “What’s with locking the door in broad daylight?” He grumbled as Shi Haoyu tugged him toward the dining room.
Once they arrived at the dining room and noticed Mu Jin’s swollen lips, Shi Haoyu’s eyes flashed knowingly.
Only the oblivious Lou Bin would bluntly ask Mu Jin, “Hey, what happened to your mouth? Did you have an allergic reaction to chili?”
Mu Jin’s lips twitched at Lou Bin’s question, and he shook his head. Then, with a glance at Jian Minghui, he replied slowly, “I think I got bitten by a bug.”
“What? Your mouth’s so swollen! That must’ve been one vicious bug! Could it have been a mutated one?” Lou Bin exclaimed, intrigued.
Jian Minghui’s eyes glinted with amusement at Mu Jin’s words.
He knew he might have been a bit greedy earlier, and maybe his baby was a little upset, but he couldn’t bring himself to regret it in the least.
After all, Xiao Jin was always so sweet—surely, he’d forgive him.
Jian Minghui ate without slowing down, his mood much improved by the “appetizer” he’d just enjoyed, and for once, even Lou Bin didn’t seem as irritating to him.
Once dinner was finished, the four of them returned to the room. Jian Minghui gestured to Shi Haoyu to close the door, then pulled the small yellow herb Mu Jin had given him earlier from his pocket and handed it to Lou Bin.
“Here, take this.”
Lou Bin took the yellow herb, examined it curiously, and glanced at Jian Minghui, puzzled as to why he’d be given such a strange-looking plant.
Strangely, he detected a pleasant scent from the herb, making him almost want to eat it right there, despite its wilted appearance.
But cautious as ever, Lou Bin resisted. The plant’s bright color and odd shape could mean it was poisonous. He looked at Jian Minghui and asked, “Boss, what exactly is this? It smells so good—can I eat it?”
“You think it smells good?”
When Mu Jin heard Lou Bin’s question, he pondered for a moment. He had assumed he’d need to teach him how to absorb the mutated plant’s power, but it seemed that simply eating it would do the trick.
And since Lou Bin appeared naturally drawn to the plant’s energy, it was clear that this was indeed a rare treasure meant specifically for wind-element ability users.
So Mu Jin nodded at Lou Bin and said, “If you feel like eating it, go ahead.”
Lou Bin was pleased to hear this, though he turned to Jian Minghui to get his approval first.
Jian Minghui immediately pulled Mu Jin into his arms, looked at Lou Bin with a neutral expression, and said, “Since Xiao Jin said so, go ahead. But be careful with it—he went to a lot of trouble to find it for you.”
Lou Bin found Jian Minghui’s tone a bit odd at first. But then he saw Mu Jin stand on his toes and plant a loud kiss on Jian Minghui’s cheek.
Hearing that unmistakable “smooch,” Lou Bin’s jaw nearly dropped. He hadn’t expected that Mu Jin and Jian Minghui would have this kind of relationship.
The two had always seemed close, but Lou Bin had just assumed they got along well. He hadn’t realized there was something romantic going on between them. No wonder they’d been acting strangely during their night watches.
Turning to see Shi Haoyu beside him, unfazed and not surprised in the least, Lou Bin suddenly felt like the only clueless one in the group.
Swallowing a mouthful of “dog food,” Lou Bin bitterly bit into the yellow herb in his hand and quickly ate it in three bites.
Sure enough, the herb was aromatic. He couldn’t quite describe the taste, but it was incredibly enticing. As soon as he swallowed it, a wave of warmth rose from his core, filling him with amazement.
He lowered his hand to feel the warmth in his abdomen, then looked up at Mu Jin with a dazed expression.
“This mutated plant is very beneficial for wind-element ability users. After absorbing it, your powers should reach Level Three or higher. Future upgrades will likely be much easier for you than for others,” Mu Jin kindly explained.
Hearing this, Lou Bin was overjoyed. He hadn’t expected such a valuable gift, and he suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude toward Mu Jin.
However, thinking about Mu Jin’s relationship with his boss, Lou Bin knew that Mu Jin had helped him out of consideration for Jian Minghui. Feeling even more touched, he looked gratefully toward Jian Minghui.
Jian Minghui saw Lou Bin’s expression and nodded in satisfaction, feeling reassured. ‘With how dense he is, my precious Xiao Jin would definitely not be interested in him.’
After building up Lou Bin’s goodwill, Mu Jin turned his attention to Shi Haoyu, who had been unfazed and showed no jealousy toward Lou Bin. Silently approving of his composure, Mu Jin thought to himself that Shi Haoyu had a strong character.
With a smile, Mu Jin said to him, “If I get the chance, I’ll find a mutated plant that benefits fire-element ability users for you.”
Shi Haoyu responded with a sincere “Thank you.”
Jian Minghui then reminded the two not to reveal anything about this special mutated plant. Afterward, he set about making up the bed, ensuring Mu Jin could rest comfortably.
Meanwhile, Shi Haoyu and Lou Bin took their usual spots on the sofa and floor with their blankets.
Lou Bin was too excited to sleep, though unlike usual, he wasn’t loud or disruptive. Instead, he focused intently on absorbing the energy from the herb he had swallowed.
Jian Minghui lay beside Mu Jin, holding his beloved’s hand as they closed their eyes, though he didn’t sleep either. His mental awareness was active, repeatedly practicing his spiritual powers to advance quickly.
Although he knew that his love had no other interest in Lou Bin, the thought of Lou Bin’s ability soon surpassing Level 3—and potentially exceeding his own—was unsettling.
‘That won’t do. I can’t allow my precious Xiao Jin to be drawn to anyone stronger.’
Resolving this, Jian Minghui spent the entire night training his spiritual abilities, and by dawn, he had reached the cusp of Level 3. Surprisingly, he didn’t feel the least bit tired upon waking, and his spiritual powers seemed notably strengthened.
Indeed, with enhanced powers, his physical resilience had also improved. Ability users truly held an undeniable edge over regular humans. Thinking this, Jian Minghui turned once again to look at Mu Jin.
He knew that having powers now was all thanks to Mu Jin, and he also understood the thoughtfulness behind Mu Jin finding this mutated plant specifically for Lou Bin.
His beloved put so much effort into it, all for his sake. Though he felt a pang of jealousy, Jian Minghui was deeply grateful to Mu Jin and moved by his intentions.
After another night of good rest, the team set out the next day. It was clear that everyone’s spirits had improved noticeably over the two days of recovery.
Even Mu Jin was in high spirits, though his good mood didn’t last long; suddenly, a loud rumbling sounded from the road ahead.
Everyone looked up to see the once-smooth highway splitting apart as massive vines burst through the surface, pushing up huge mounds of earth. Then, in a scene straight out of a sci-fi movie, an enormous vine-like plant loomed in front of the group.
Seeing this towering monstrosity, the team instantly fell into a state of panic. The plant was so massive that even though their powers allowed them to sense it wasn’t of a particularly high level, its sheer size alone was enough to spell trouble for them.
Some of the vehicles veered off course due to the cracks in the road, resulting in minor collisions. But the car mishaps were far from the biggest concern—they had this monstrous mutated plant right in front of them.
Suddenly, several huge flower buds on the plant burst open, revealing not delicate petals, but massive, tooth-lined mouths that looked capable of tearing flesh with a single bite.
Jian Minghui’s pupils contracted sharply at the sight. He quickly rolled down the car window and shouted to the surrounding vehicles, “Retreat! All cars, back up!”