Chapter 45: Vermilion Jade

From the moment Zhou Ming broke into the third floor to the moment the battle ended, it had only taken a few minutes in total.

Not long after Zhou Ming left, the Security Bureau finally received the alarm and rushed over.

By then, Zhou Ming had already changed into protective clothing and arrived at the No.3 sewer entrance in the western part of the city, carrying a glass box in one hand and the corpse of Mei Fox on his shoulder.

As for his escape plan—the most critical step—Zhou Ming had long thought it through.

After walking for an hour in the pitch-dark sewers, Zhou Ming emerged from the No.4 sewer exit in the western part of the city.

At this point, Mei Fox’s body had been completely disposed of by Zhou Ming, including the firearms and protective gear he had used earlier.

The only thing left in his hand was the glass box containing the twice-mutated Ironthread Snake.

In fact, if the corpse of someone who had successfully taken the Genetic Potion were brought to the Black Market, Zhou Ming’s gains might not be any less than what he earned from his first trip back from the wilderness.

It was even possible to exchange it for a high-grade item.

However, after pondering in the sewers for a moment, Zhou Ming ultimately gave up on that tempting profit.

There were too many strings attached to this matter.

Even if the other side merely suspected something, Zhou Ming wouldn’t be able to withstand the danger that came with it.

In the end, Zhou Ming could only abandon the thought.

After all, if one were to gamble, there had to at least be a chance to win—there was no point digging his own grave when facing a certain loss.

Leaving the sewers, Zhou Ming arrived at a sedan parked by the roadside—the very vehicle he had hurriedly purchased in advance as part of his escape plan.

Amid the heavy rain and darkness of the night, the car’s headlights swept across the street as Zhou Ming quickly drove away from the western district.

“Ding, ding—”

At dawn, after working through the entire night, Zhou Ming was still drifting in his dreams when the noisy ringing suddenly woke him up.

“Hello.”

His voice was weak and lazy—anyone hearing it might think he had been up all night doing something indecent.

“Boss, I’ve transferred the money to your account.”

It was Brother Snake on the line.

Having heard early in the morning about the major incident in the western district, he confirmed Zhou Ming’s accomplishment and immediately transferred the promised one million.

Even his form of address had changed by now.

“So it’s Brother Snake.”

“Boss, you’re overpraising me. From now on, just call me A-Snake or Little Snake.”

Brother Snake never would’ve thought that in just over a year of acquaintance, that sunny young man he knew had transformed into a man-eating tiger overnight.

“I’ve already cleaned up the traces. As long as you keep your mouth shut, nothing will happen.”

“Also, no matter what happens, don’t drag me into it, and don’t spread any rumors. Understand?”

As Zhou Ming spoke the last sentence, his sleepy eyes suddenly snapped open, and his tone turned cold and threatening.

The change in his voice was like that of a tiger awakening from its slumber, emitting a low, terrifying growl.

“Understood, understood.”

Even through the phone, Brother Snake’s trembling could be heard.

“Pa.”

Zhou Ming didn’t care about Brother Snake’s reaction. He hung up the call and immediately got up to wash.

Leaving his residence, Zhou Ming wandered around the city for a while, mainly to observe the Security Bureau’s response to the western district incident.

A feud between Hunters, with no civilian casualties, and connected to several cold cases in the western district—

Once such news spread, no one paid much further attention to what happened last night.

Situations like this occasionally occurred within the base.

As long as no ordinary residents were harmed, these incidents merely became topics of gossip for the people’s daily conversations.

During his stroll, Zhou Ming called Wang Yan—after all, since the event happened in the western district, he should at least show some concern for his friend.

What Wang Yan didn’t know was that the person showing concern for him and the one who caused last night’s commotion were one and the same.

After hearing Wang Yan’s words of gratitude, Zhou Ming returned to his residence with a mischievous grin.

……

“Beautiful… truly beautiful, like a fine lady.”

Back at home, Zhou Ming was carefully observing the Crimson-scaled Mutated Ironthread Snake before him.

He had taken a tremendous risk to obtain this little creature.

“Hiss… hiss…”

At his side, Inkband hissed softly, clearly expressing its displeasure as it watched its master focus all his attention on the newcomer.

“Heh, you jealous little thing.”

Zhou Ming flicked Inkband on the head.

Now that it had become a Ferocious Beast, its body was tough enough that Zhou Ming didn’t need to worry about hurting it.

After teasing his beast a bit, Zhou Ming began preparing to implant a Spiritual Seed to take control of the Ironthread Snake.

Once Zhou Ming could control two Ferocious Beasts, his overall strength would increase dramatically.

The Spiritual Seed flew from the center of Zhou Ming’s brow like a meteor streaking across the night sky, shooting directly into the Ironthread Snake within the glass box.

The implantation process was not as smooth as he expected.

Even controlling a regular Ironthread Snake took some effort, let alone this twice-mutated one.

However, relying on the unique properties of his Spiritual Seed and the foundation laid from taming dozens of Ironthread Snakes, Zhou Ming finally succeeded.

The Spiritual Seed took root and sprouted within the mutated snake’s mind—he had successfully tamed the Crimson-scaled Ironthread Snake before him.

Having gained control of a second, twice-mutated Ironthread Snake, Zhou Ming retrieved the Serpent Saliva Fruit from his medicine box, preparing to cultivate another Ferocious Beast.

“You’d better advance to Ferocious Beast rank after eating this Serpent Saliva Fruit, or I’ll feed you to Inkband.”

Zhou Ming threatened the Crimson-scaled Ironthread Snake with mock sternness before it swallowed the fruit.

“Hiss, hiss…”

The Crimson-scaled Ironthread Snake slithered between Zhou Ming’s fingers, hissing repeatedly as if promising compliance.

Zhou Ming said nothing more. He took out the Serpent Saliva Fruit from the medicine box and fed it directly into the Ironthread Snake’s mouth.

Once the fruit entered its body, the Crimson-scaled Ironthread Snake immediately quieted down, coiling itself in Zhou Ming’s palm.

Zhou Ming was intensely curious about the Ironthread Snake’s evolution.

Since he had missed observing Inkband’s last time, he wouldn’t let this chance slip away.

Through the Spiritual Thread connection, Zhou Ming observed the internal changes within the Crimson-scaled Ironthread Snake as a detached third party.

Under the influence of the Serpent Saliva Fruit, the snake’s cells rapidly divided and grew, their structures becoming more complex and refined.

The effect of the Serpent Saliva Fruit was as if it were allowing the Crimson-scaled Ironthread Snake to be reborn—its entire body undergoing a complete reconstruction.

But the most crucial transformation occurred in its genes.

Zhou Ming noticed a faint golden substance slowly integrating into the genetic spiral structure, subtly modifying—or perhaps replacing—part of it.

Was that golden substance the essence of the Serpent Saliva Fruit, a latent bloodline within the snake itself, or the key factor behind its mutation?

Upon noticing the trace of golden matter, Zhou Ming realized it was the true source driving the Ironthread Snake’s evolution.

However, since it appeared only fleetingly, all Zhou Ming could do was speculate silently.

As night fell, nearly ten hours had passed.

Zhou Ming had remained immersed in observing the Crimson-scaled Ironthread Snake’s evolution the entire time.

Every moment of transformation was a test of his understanding—some parts were clear, others hazy—but this observation provided him with rare, valuable insight.

“Thankfully, this is a transcendent world, not one of genetic evolution.”

Zhou Ming opened his eyes, murmuring in the dark room without switching on the lights.

Otherwise, with his lazy attitude toward thinking, he doubted how far he could have gone.

Fortunately, a Beast Tamer cultivated mental power rooted in the realm of spirit.

“Your name shall be Vermilion Jade.”

Looking at the Crimson-scaled Ironthread Snake before him, Zhou Ming calmed his mind and gave his second Ferocious Beast-level Ironthread Snake a fitting name.