Blind Spot-Chapter 82 - Mysterious One

Chapter 82: Mysterious One

Chapter 82: Mysterious One

The cool breeze was refreshing.

Marian glanced at the hand extended by Li Chengyi, smiled faintly, and eventually reached out to lightly grasp it.

“Actually, I don’t like this way of greeting,” she said softly. “In my homeland, hands are a very important tool for attack. Once people get close and make physical contact, there’s a chance for others to grab the opportunity to strike a deadly blow.”

“Your homeland? May I ask where that is?” Li Chengyi inquired.

“A small country called Libiru, it’s quite chaotic and backward,” Marian pulled out a chair, gracefully sat down and crossed her legs slightly.

“There is rampant gang violence, drugs, smuggling, and arms dealing. You name a crime, and it’s there.”

“Must have been tough to struggle out of such a place?” Li Chengyi asked.

“Not really that difficult,” Marian, looking at the also seated Li Chengyi with slightly narrowed eyes, said, “as long as you learn to completely extinguish any bit of threat, you too could live very well there.”

“Haha… You’re quite the joker. Though it does sound like something out of a chaotic zone in a novel,” Li Chengyi chuckled dryly. “I’ve never seen such a place; from birth, I’ve always been in Suiyang and have rarely gone elsewhere.”

“That’s why you’re so adorable…” Marian leaned forward slightly, not minding the glimpse of snow-white skin barely hidden by her dark purple tube top.

She gazed at Li Chengyi.

“Much more adorable than your sister…”

“Could Miss Marian not describe me like that? After all, I am also an adult in my twenties,” Li Chengyi displayed an uncomfortable and awkward expression.

“Do you know how old I am?” Marian chuckled.

“Twenty-seven?” Li Chengyi guessed.

“I just celebrated my fifty-third birthday last week.” Marian stated her age unabashedly, her Yi Country language fluent without any need for a translation device.

“Fifty-three…!?” Li Chengyi was genuinely surprised.

No matter how he looked, he couldn’t see Marian as fifty-three years old.

Even in an age where many gene medicines could be used to maintain the body and slow aging, looking in one’s twenties at fifty-three was still too exaggerated.

He had obtained Marian’s information from Boss Xindela.

Marian Xilian, an extremely dangerous woman, expelled by multiple countries, had a long list of risky and illegal activities.

Compared to him, who only dared to cause small trouble in small cities and quietly commit murder, they were not on the same level.

After receiving the information, he was essentially certain that the sudden inexplicable rise of Evil Thoughts at home last time was likely absorbed from Marian.

He was no fool and could deduce some truths from the behaviors of Marian and his sister, Li Chengjiu.

“May I ask what is the relationship between my sister Li Chengjiu and Miss Marian?” Without any disguise, Li Chengyi directly asked.

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“A very common relationship between a newcomer and a veteran,” Marian smiled and said, “You can call me Malian; that’s the name I use in Yi Country.”

“Okay then, Malian… can you briefly tell me which company or unit my sister is affiliated with?” Li Chengyi asked with an innocent curiosity, without the slightest hint of probing for sensitive information.

“We’re both part of Hong Li Group. Recently, I was seconded to a branch office here in Suiyang. I saw the resume your sister sent in and thought she wasn’t too bad, so I hired her,” Marian casually spun a tale that nobody would believe.

“What about you?” Suddenly, her body leaned in closer, her eyes revealing an inexplicable excitement.

It was the natural desire and curiosity that arise when seeing something of interest.

“Little Chengyi… there’s a smell on you… that isn’t quite washed away…”

“Smell?”

Li Chengyi’s heart tightened, and he narrowed his eyes as well. He was not accustomed to such intrusive proximity, and unconsciously, his Flower Language Ability was on the verge of condensing in his hand, ready to strike first.

He lowered his head, pretending to drink the juice, but in reality, he was masking the murderous intent that had naturally emerged in his heart.

Some things cannot be simply hidden with a pair of glasses.

“Alright, it’s getting late. Shall we exchange contact information?” Marian stood up, her mood seemingly much improved than before.

She tapped her glasses lightly, clearly wearing AR technology as well.

Soon, a friend request was sent to Li Chengyi’s phone.

This was the face-to-face close range transfer feature.

Li Chengyi quickly took out his phone, confirmed, and added her.

He looked up.

Suddenly, he was startled to find that Marian had silently moved behind him.

A faint, pleasant fragrance wafted toward him from behind.

“Next time… remember to wash off the blood on your body before going out, little Chengyi…”

Marian’s voice was soft and alluring, like a whisper, barely there yet distinctly audible.

The scented breeze quickly departed.

The smile on Li Chengyi’s face slowly faded.

He stood up from his seat and turned to look at the gradually receding Marian, uncertain where he had revealed a flaw to her.

He remained standing, watching as Marian and her two bodyguards progressively disappeared into a silver-grey sedan parked by the roadside.

Before getting into the car, Marian looked back at him from a distance, her blue eyes revealing a hint of amusement.

Only then did Li Chengyi abandon the idea of sneaking up and silently taking out the three individuals.

‘Is it really that obvious?’ he thought to himself, pondering the words she had just spoken.

Where had he been seen through?

Watching the sedan slowly move away, disappearing at the end of the road.

Li Chengyi didn’t sit down again but casually picked up the juice from the table and downed it in one go.

Then he paid the bill and left quickly.

He needed to find out as soon as possible how Marian had detected there was something wrong with him.

Of course, maybe she was just joking, but the chances of that were too slim, and he couldn’t take the risk.

In less than ten minutes, the two of them had left the snack bar one after the other.

Lin Sang stood to one side, her face flushed and hands clenched tightly, watching as Li Chengyi finally left, not once looking back at her until he was gone.

Seeing Kun Ge and the others chatting and laughing, pointing in her direction, and then getting up and leaving on their own accord.

Others were laughing, including Kun Ge, but his smile was completely different from usual; though he was laughing, his face clearly betrayed a hint of annoyance.

Until the very last moment when they departed, they all, just like Li Chengyi, did not glance at her once more.

At this very moment.

The shame in Lin Sang’s heart finally reached its peak at this moment.

Her lips trembling, she squatted down on the spot, closed her eyes, and started crying into her hands.

*

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*

Li Chengyi walked on with his head bowed, trying not to let anyone see his eyes.

He glanced at the time on his glasses—5:32 PM.

‘Right, Gladiolus’s evolution is complete, so the new Divine Flower Position should be accessible now, right?’ Suddenly, he paused mid-step, thinking once more of the Mountain Azalea in Zhaoshan.

The Mountain Azalea in the Mist Street Blind Spot, with its Flower Language, was a point of interest he still couldn’t let go of.

But no sooner did he think of the Mountain Azalea than another consideration came to mind.

‘If I choose the Mountain Azalea for my third slot, then… for a long stretch of time to come, I’m sure to be stuck at this particular stage.

After the Blind Spot is destroyed, it takes at least a week to restart—depending on using the Blind Spot’s restarts to harvest Mountain Azaleas, not to mention whether it’s feasible. Even if it is, I’d have to wait indefinitely to gather enough to satisfy the basic prerequisites of using Flower Language.

Of course, it’s possible that one flower could meet the requirements to complete the Floral Dress.

But he didn’t dare to wager on it.

Afterward… To successfully complete another evolution, to unlock a new Divine Flower Position, I would inevitably be delayed for a very long time… and in case the Mist Street Blind Spot fades away in the meantime… I might end up facing a situation where I’m completely stuck.’

Li Chengyi spread out his thoughts. He was very clear that choosing that Mountain Azalea wasn’t the best option. But his desire for advanced Martial Arts techniques made it difficult to discard the thought.

He just couldn’t give up the thought of assigning the third Divine Flower Position to the Mountain Azalea.

Walking along the edge of the street, he strolled aimlessly.

He soon found himself on a street lined with bars, KTVs, and barbecue restaurants on either side.

The sounds of loud music and rhythmic drum beats ebbed and flowed by his ears.

The crowd around him gradually started to thicken.

Young people out for a post-dinner stroll, couples in pairs, matronly women trying too hard to flaunt their bodies, and some old men danced to the music from their portable speakers, oblivious to others on the sidewalk.

Two silly, drunk girls singing in strapless tops swayed by Li Chengyi.

The strong smell of alcohol pulled him out of his quandary.

He halted his steps.

‘What am I agonizing over? Mountain Azalea is nothing but an unattainable pie in the sky for me right now. Just having one is far too few; if such an unusual flower could appear once in the Blind Spot, then there’s bound to be a second time, a third!’

‘Once I face the Blind Spot with more ease, then I’ll consider unusual flowers like the Mountain Azalea!’

Eventually, he made a definite decision—to give up the Mountain Azalea for now.

The moment he made that decision, it was as if a heavy stone had suddenly lifted from Li Chengyi’s heart. He felt much lighter.

He turned and looked at the exterior glass of a bubble tea shop.

In the glass, his own reflection was faintly visible.

Commonplace, as though smiling, and… eyes that the glasses could not quite conceal, cold and distant.

‘It seems it’s all in the eyes…’

Li Chengyi tried to adjust his gaze, but after several attempts, he didn’t succeed. That bone-chilling coldness kept seeping through his expression.

He was slightly irritated, and the noisy music and drum beats in his ears only added to his frustration.

Turning around, he walked briskly to the end of the street, eager to leave this area as quickly as possible.

Pressing forward, he only after an uninterrupted five-minute walk managed to leave the neighborhood behind.

By this time, the sky had started to darken.

Vehicles of various colors were parked along the curb, including several worth hundreds of thousands, if not millions.

Naturally, Li Chengyi headed toward the less crowded side of the street.

Passing a small supermarket, he felt thirsty. He stopped for a moment, pushed open the door, and decided to buy a bottle of beverage.

Ding-dong.

An automated greeting sound came from the entrance.

In the brightly lit supermarket, various colorful products were displayed on each shelf.

On the side of every shelf were white plastic signs with the names of the respective product categories.

Snacks, drinks, daily needs, fruits and vegetables, frozen goods.

Li Chengyi went to the drinks section, glanced around with a slight frown.

‘All brands I’ve never tried.’

He looked up at the ceiling. White plastic boards hung there, with uneven white fluorescent lights shining down, faintly emitting a subtle buzzing electrical sound.

After looking, he randomly took a bottle of strawberry apple mixed juice, checked the label—a line of unfamiliar letters with a logo of a blue strawberry marked by the classic smile of three curved lines.

Li Chengyi, holding the juice, walked to the checkout counter by the entrance.

The checkout counter was simply a glass case over two meters long, with black, white, and red cigarette packets on display.

On the counter, there was a rotating container stuffed with lollipops and an open box of cheap lighters.

“Boss, check out,” called Li Chengyi, standing at the counter’s edge, seeing no one there, he called out loudly.

No response.

The little supermarket was quiet, with only the faint hum of the lighting.

“Boss?” Li Chengyi raised his voice again.

Still no answer; the entire supermarket echoed only with the faint reverberation of his own voice.