Married by Paper, Loved by Fate 34

34: Hatred and Betrayal

Xue Yinzhou examined her. “You’ve changed a lot these past few days, like a different person.”

Shen Tang maintained a calm exterior, but her heart was in a panic. Xue Yinzhou had been by the Original Host’s side for so many years and knew her personality inside and out. Could he have noticed something?

Just as Shen Tang was about to find an excuse, the man turned away from her and looked ahead faintly. “We’re here.”

Shen Tang moved past him and discovered they were at a cliff.

Below the cliff was a dense and vast jungle. The silhouette of a factory loomed in the distance against the dim sky, its chimney half broken, exposed rebar like shattered bones. Gray-green vines coiled around its reinforced walls, clinging to the jungle like a dying behemoth, making the entrance hard to discern.

“It’s so high, how do we get down?” Shen Tang muttered to herself. When she turned her head, she was met by the man’s cold, sinister face.

Xue Yinzhou stood against the moonlight, his entire face hidden in shadow. His silver-purple eyes stared with a chilling indifference, as if at a dead thing. The corners of his lips slowly curved into a strange smile.

The System in her mind suddenly let out a sharp burst of noise.

[Warning! Warning! Male lead Xue Yinzhou’s favorability has plummeted, he has now entered blackening mode!]

Shen Tang’s pupils constricted. Terrified, she turned to run, but a thick, long snake tail instantly coiled around her, trapping her in a circle and lifting her towards the edge of the cliff.

Below the cliff, the roar of fierce winds and black soil buried with countless bones.

Xue Yinzhou looked down from above, his cold gaze fixed on Shen Tang’s ugly, fat face, feeling extreme disgust.

Full of lies, hypocritical and ugly.

No matter who she was.

It no longer mattered.

This was the end.

“Shen Tang, go to hell,” he said softly.

The moment the snake tail released her, Shen Tang plummeted down the cliff.

[Beep! Host detected in life-threatening danger, protective system activated!]

A faint green light instantly enveloped Shen Tang, forming a semi-transparent barrier around her. She floated down like a feather, landing safely at the bottom of the cliff.

As soon as the green light dissipated, Shen Tang suddenly lost her strength and collapsed on the ground, her face ashen, her pupils unfocused. The near-death experience left her gasping for breath, and it took her a while to recover.

That Serpent Beast had tried to kill her!

Shen Tang trembled, her heart burning with anger. “This man wants to kill me, how am I supposed to capture his heart? Either I quit this capture mission, or you find a new host, or you find a new capture target!”

The System’s voice did not come for a long time.

Shen Tang called out to it several times in distress, but still no response.

Had the System broken? Rustling sounds came from all around, and a dense swarm of insects emerged from the soil. Shen Tang’s face turned pale, and goosebumps erupted all over her skin.

Fortunately, the System backpack was still functional. She quickly took out the insecticide from her System backpack and sprayed it wildly! A large number of insects died when sprayed.

Nearby insect swarms, highly fearful of the spray’s scent, scattered and vanished.

After some of the mutated insect beasts died, gray crystal cores appeared on the ground.

The System’s voice came again. [Killing mutated creatures has a certain chance of obtaining crystal cores. Host, you are lucky. These crystal cores can be exchanged for corresponding atonement points after returning to the shelter. Host can also use them yourself; crystal cores can quickly replenish the energy of Beastmen’s abilities.]

Shen Tang exclaimed in surprise, “You’re still alive! That’s great. I called you just now and you didn’t answer, I thought you were gone.”

[The System is bound to the host’s soul and cannot die. It merely exhausted its energy and entered a low-energy state. Please, host, strive to complete the mission so the System can have more energy to serve you.]

Shen Tang’s worries eased slightly. She asked the System to help store the crystal cores in the System backpack and continued her journey towards the abandoned factory.

It was only a few hundred meters away. Fortunately, she hadn’t encountered any large mutated species, and the mutated insect swarms had been eliminated by her insecticide.

There were over three hundred crystal cores in the System backpack.

Shen Tang crossed the fence and walked to the factory gate. The iron gate was covered in vines. A faded warning sign nearby had illegible writing. Outside the gate lay numerous dead bodies of contaminants. The wind carried a pungent, foul odor. The factory was eerily silent, as if deserted.

Shen Tang’s heart sank. She wondered if Lu Xiao and the others were still alive, and if the factory harbored any mutated creatures.

She first had the System scan the factory’s interior. After confirming there was no danger, she picked up a heavy iron rod and banged it loudly on the factory’s rusty, mottled gate.

“Hello, is anyone there?”

The echo was hollow.

The factory was dead silent. Beastmen in tattered clothes, covered in blood, lay motionless in corners or on the floor. If not for the faint breathing in the air, one might have mistaken it for a giant morgue.

Someone faintly heard the sound and crawled up from the ground, dragging their gaunt, wobbling body towards the window to look outside.

Then, a flicker of light appeared in his despondent eyes. He said in pleasant surprise, “Brothers, quickly look outside, someone is knocking at the door…”

“The outside has long been surrounded by contaminants; no one would possibly come. Are you hallucinating from hunger?”

“It’s really a person, a living person! I’m not mistaken, quickly come and see!”

“I, I heard the sound too.”

A few more emaciated Beastmen emerged from the shadows. They used their hands to wipe the dust off the windowpanes and saw a stout female outside the gate, holding a stick and knocking.

How could a female be stranded here? Was she seeking refuge?

The hope that had just ignited in everyone’s hearts was extinguished again. They had been trapped here for half a month, their supplies depleted, and they could barely survive themselves. How could they help others?

But they couldn’t just leave the female outside. Within a night, she would become food for the contaminants.

After Shen Tang knocked for a long time, the thick iron gate finally opened from the inside.

“Quick, get in!”

Someone yanked her into the factory and quickly closed the iron gate, locking it with three locks.

“You’re all alive, that’s great. I’ve been looking for you,” Shen Tang said, relieved to see the missing group still alive.

“Are you a Beastman sent by the shelter for support?” the Beastman sized her up.

But why is it a female? Everyone’s expression varied, their gazes towards Shen Tang containing a hint of anticipation. At least the shelter hadn’t forgotten them and was still looking for them; they weren’t abandoned! “The support troops are coming soon, right? You’re here to bring us news!”

“That’s wonderful, I can finally leave this hellhole!”

“The shelter hasn’t forgotten us!”

Shen Tang saw the excited and expectant eyes of the Beastmen, swallowed, and decided to state the truth. “No, you’ve been abandoned. The support troops sent by the shelter turned back after an attack. I accidentally ended up here.”

Everyone froze, their faces filled with confusion and emptiness.

Shen Tang continued, “I want to see your captain.”

“You want to see the captain? What’s your relationship with him?” The Beastmen became instantly vigilant.

Shen Tang replied, “I am his mate.”

Dylan