Taking advantage of a gap, Jiang Xiao's gaze swept over the guards and finally fixed on a somewhat younger-looking guard.

He casually pointed, his voice leaving no room for doubt as he commanded.

"You, lead the way, take me to find Niu Jieshi."

The guard who was singled out was obviously at a loss due to the sudden command. His eyes were filled with confusion as he uncertainly looked towards Boss Xu.

If he wasn't mistaken, this Niu Jieshi was no longer someone ordinary guards like them could approach.

He guessed that now Niu Jieshi was likely treated like a black slave, oppressed to do the most menial and laborious work in the isolation zone, not to mention having his power extracted...

Unsure whether he should lead the way, he looked to his boss—Boss Xu—with pleading eyes.

Boss Xu, seeing his subordinate's hesitant demeanor, was instantly ignited with anger.

His expression grew even gloomier, a hint of fury flashing in his eyes, and he scolded sharply.

"If he asks you to lead the way, just do it properly, what are you looking at me for?"

Damn?

What are you looking at me for?

Are you an idiot or what? Can't see the priorities here!

Can't you see even I can't protect myself right now?

The young guard was startled by Boss Xu's scolding, quickly lowered his head, and dared not hesitate any longer. He said to Jiang Xiao,

"Please follow me, I know where your friend should be now."

After speaking, he led Jiang Xiao and Shi Shi briskly towards the depths of the isolation zone.

Jiang Xiao and Shi Shi followed closely behind, while Boss Xu trailed behind them, his steps clearly the heaviest, his heart filled with anxiety and fear.

He didn't know what Jiang Xiao's purpose was in doing this.

Was it just to rescue that bizarre friend of his?

If so, he could have gone alone, why bring him along?

Did he intend for me to die in front of his friend to atone for my sins?

No need for that, if he wanted to act, he could kill him right now. Although afraid of death, Boss Xu wanted a quick end, and the time it took to reach Niu Jieshi's location was undoubtedly the greatest torment for Boss Xu.

Because he had no idea what kind of end awaited him in the end...

But then again.

Jiang Xiao, one of the chosen ones, was supposed to be a mortal enemy, how had he ended up mingling with the bizarre?

Due to the Capital City already being disconnected from the internet, combined with the hospital here having sunk underground and become isolated from the world, Boss Xu and the others had no idea that the bizarre in Kaidan had temporarily reconciled with humanity.

....

Originally, a guard wouldn't be qualified to approach here, but with Boss Xu following behind them to vouch, they naturally faced no obstacles.

Passing through one protective door after another, under the strict surveillance of countless cameras and guards, Jiang Xiao and the others finally arrived at a secluded place.

The air here was thick with a pungent smell of sweat and rust, evidently a place used for incarceration and labor for a long time.

The young guard stopped in front of an iron door, his fingers trembling as if hesitating whether to open it.

But under Jiang Xiao's gaze, he finally mustered the courage and unlocked the door.

The door creaked open slowly, and the sound of chains and metal clashing came from inside.

A figure appeared particularly tall under the dim light, and that person was Niu Jieshi.

Niu Jieshi raised his head and, upon seeing Jiang Xiao, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes before turning to calmness.

Although they arrived much sooner than he had imagined, Niu Jieshi understood that they just couldn't match Jiang Xiao...

Damn?

Seeing the environment in front of them, both Jiang Xiao and Shi Shi couldn't help but widen their eyes.

It was completely different from the cyberpunk-like future and technological feel of the outside isolation zone!

The scene here was far more wretched than they had imagined, as if it were a forgotten hell.

The lights were dim, the air filled with oppression and despair, and at the center of it all, Niu Jieshi seemed like an unflagging iron tower, enduring unimaginable suffering.

A massive machine rumbled as it operated, with Niu Jieshi wielding a hammer half his height, constantly striking something resembling an "air pump".

It seemed to be a kind of power generation device.

Each hammer strike was accompanied by a dull echo, and the "air pump" emitted a low whimper, as if silently devouring every ounce of Niu Jieshi's strength.

Jiang Xiao furrowed his brows, and Shi Shi also looked on with a face full of compassion.

They both knew that even though Niu Jieshi's supernatural energy was sealed, his physical strength was far beyond that of ordinary people.

Yet under such torment, even he would inevitably reach his limit one day.

Moreover, there was a large suction cup attached to his exposed back, continuously extracting his supernatural energy.

On his arms and thighs, fine electric lines were visible.

Whenever the machine operated to a certain rhythm or Niu Jieshi's pace of hammering the air pump slowed, currents would flow through these lines, stimulating Niu Jieshi's muscles, forcing him to continue working.

"You're here, huh, earlier than I expected."

Niu Jieshi's voice was hoarse and low, each word seeming to strain his entire body.

Jiang Xiao didn't speak, merely reaching out to touch the large suction cup.

With a gentle touch of his finger, the suction cup reacted as if meeting a natural enemy, quickly contracting and detaching from Niu Jieshi's back.

Niu Jieshi's body shuddered, seemingly feeling a slight relief from the sudden liberation.

As Jiang Xiao looked at the seemingly self-aware suction cup, he frowned, clearly recognizing it as a strange device designed to siphon the bizarre's energy and transform it into usable human power.

Shi Shi examined the machine, seeking a way to shut it down.

Meanwhile, Jiang Xiao supported Niu Jieshi, comforting him softly.

Niu Jieshi, however, nonchalantly waved it off.

He indicated that before becoming an anomaly, the suffering he endured was far worse than now.

"It's just being a laborer, nothing much, I wasn't even done warming up yet when you found me."

"Laborers wouldn't have their energy extracted by such weird things, right?"

As he spoke, Jiang Xiao stomped on the suction cup trying to slink away, causing it to "play dead," freezing in place.

"Oh well!"

Niu Jieshi nonchalantly waved it off again.

"It's only taking the energy I emit externally, no harm to my core, I'll recover in a few days."

It's not like Boss Xu and his people were soft-hearted.

It's just that they understood that the value of a continuously laying hen far surpassed the value of eating one outright.

Shi Shi turned off the machine, hurriedly tearing away the wires that still stimulated Niu Jieshi's body, then strangely pointing to the scorched areas on Niu Jieshi's skin caused by the electricity.

"Uncle Niu, you've been shocked till you look like a charred mess, and you're still boasting?"

Uh...

Niu Jieshi awkwardly scratched his head but still tried to explain.

"What's this? Back in my younger days, things were way crazier. I'd even let girls shock me with wires on my own, candles and whips didn't do anything for me."

He paused, then proudly said,

"Honestly, being shocked like this for a while, I even feel younger now. That dormant twisted mindset of mine is reawakened~"

Niu Jieshi's expression:

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