Super Gene Ⅱ: Evolution

This eerie scene also made Lin Shen and Wei Wufu involuntarily stop in their tracks and turn to look behind them.

Upon looking, both were taken aback.

Behind them, the Mushroom Beasts had likewise ceased their attack, including the Black-Capped Mushroom Beast. The difference was, perched atop its mushroom cap was a pigeon, fat as a snowball.

The Black-Capped Mushroom Beast stood still, its luminous mushroom cap reverting to its original black. Lin Shen seemed to make out its expression, rigid with the corners of its eyes twitching uncontrollably.

“Fei Zai, what’s going on here?” Lin Shen was both shocked and delighted, unable to determine just what his odd white bird, Fei Zai, had done to make the entire Mushroom Beast horde stop their attack.

It was certain that the Mushroom Beasts hadn’t lost their ability to move; they glared furiously at Fei Zai perched atop the Black-Capped Mushroom Beast, eyes nearly shooting flames, yet not one charged forward.

“Coo… Coo…” Fei Zai emanated pigeon-like coos, and the Black-Capped Mushroom Beast under its claws suddenly began to move.

Lin Shen and Wei Wufu instinctively retreated, only to realize that the Black-Capped Mushroom Beast wasn’t charging at them but was instead stepping forward, its pace not fast.

The Mushroom Beasts in front slowly parted, still glaring at them furiously.

“What’s this supposed to be? Taking a hostage?” Lin Shen and the other followed the Black-Capped Mushroom Beast as they walked through the Mushroom Beast crowd.

Wherever they went, the Mushroom Beasts reluctantly parted, forming a path. Even the two Blue-cap Mushroom Giant Beasts, after a series of angry roars, shifted their tremendous bodies aside.

Under the watchful eyes of countless Mushroom Beasts, the two followed the seemingly hostage Black-Capped Mushroom Beast as they slowly walked forward.

Fei Zai stood on the black mushroom cap, occasionally issuing a coo as if warning the Mushroom Beasts not to act rashly.

After traveling several miles, they finally passed through the Mushroom Beast horde. The beasts behind began to stir, seeming ready to charge again.

The Black-Capped Mushroom Beast stopped, no longer moving forward, and glared menacingly at Lin Shen and his companion.

“Coo… Coo…” Fei Zai called out to Lin Shen a few times, as if telling them to go ahead.

Lin Shen and Wei Wufu exchanged glances and simultaneously broke into a sprint toward the direction of Yashen Base.

As they ran, Lin Shen couldn’t help but look back at Fei Zai, wondering how it would escape later on.

Fei Zai remained on the top of the Black-Capped Mushroom Beast, immobile, until Lin Shen and his companion had gotten quite a distance away, then it suddenly vanished in a flash.

Lin Shen felt his backpack grow heavier; somehow, Fei Zai had made its way back inside the backpack.

From behind came the strange cries of the Black-Capped Mushroom Beast, filled with intense hatred and reluctance, as if warning Lin Shen and his companion to never show themselves again or else they would be dead for sure.

Lin Shen and Wei Wufu ran desperately without looking back. Inside the backpack, Fei Zai’s red eyes peered through the gap, coldly watching the Black-Capped Mushroom Beast with a chilling ruthlessness, resembling the blood-red eyes from the shadows of dark hell.

After running over a dozen miles without the Mushroom Beast horde catching up, the two finally stopped to catch their breath.

The carapace on Lin Shen’s body had receded, and he felt as if his body was falling apart with soreness.

Taking off the backpack, he opened the lid, took out a Base Mutation Egg and fed it to Fei Zai, saying happily, “Fei Zai, well done.”

Fei Zai stretched out his chubby head, opened his mouth, and swallowed the tiny Base Mutation Egg. He then adorably nuzzled Lin Shen’s palm with his head, looking endearingly dumb and cute.

Had it not been witnessed with his own eyes, it would have been difficult to imagine that this cuddly, fleshy pet, Fei Zai, could actually suppress the eerie Black-Capped Mushroom Beast.

Without it, Lin Shen and Wei Wufu would likely have had a hard time getting out of there unscathed.

“I just wanted to get away from this place of trouble, but instead, I’ve walked into even bigger problems,” Lin Shen said to Wei Wufu after slinging his backpack on again. “That Black-Capped Mushroom Beast has already taken a grudge against us. It’s very dangerous to leave Yashen Base now; it seems we have no choice but to seek temporary shelter within Yashen Base.”

“Alright,” Wei Wufu agreed without objections.

Summoning two Steel Level Iron-horned Horses, since there were no Alloy Mounts available, the two men had to make do.

Returning to Yashen Base, Lin Shen spent the journey pondering over what to do next.

The beast tide from the Blue Tree Sea was far from ordinary, and it was unknown how many terrifying Mushroom Beasts resided within. Once the tide formed, it was uncertain whether Yashen Base could withstand it.

Fortunately, Yashen Base housed Crystal Base Level powerhouses, who were significantly stronger than those at Dark Bird Base. Relying on the base’s defense infrastructure, it should not be reduced to slaughter, at least.

The premise was that there weren’t many Crystal Base Level Mushroom Beasts among them, or at the very least, Lin Shen and his group hadn’t seen any Crystal Base Level Mushroom Beasts.

However, thinking of the eerie Black-Capped Mushroom Beast, as well as the countless Mushroom Beast horde, was still enough to send shivers down one’s spine.

“We need to find a safe place to settle down.” The sheer number of Mushroom Beasts was terrifying, and Lin Shen felt that Yashen Base’s outer defense lines were unlikely to hold; there would probably be street battles, and they would need to find a relatively safe place to stay.

The most well-fortified locations within Yashen Base were naturally those of the Lu Family and the Xu Family.

There was no need to consider the Xu Family, as Lin Shen feared their schemes; the Lu Family was a good choice, but unfortunately, Lin Shen was somewhat too embarrassed to approach the Lu Family for help.

After much deliberation, Lin Shen decided to buy some pets first, as the battle they had just fought had nearly depleted all his pets.

In case the beast tide truly broke through, an inevitable close-range battle awaited, and at the very least, he had to ensure that his Angel Revolver could be used normally.

With the modest wealth that Lin Shen had, he couldn’t afford any Alloy pets. Buying more Steel pets to use as ammunition was the only option; if Yashen Base fell, he could still have a chance to break out and escape using his Angel Revolver and the Seven Steps of Conflict.

Due to his limited funds, Lin Shen could only browse through the market stalls, trying to buy some cheap goods. After all, they were to be used as ammunition—any pet would do, regardless of their level or attributes.

After shopping around for a while, the not-so-wealthy Lin Shen had to compare goods at three different stores. While browsing, he suddenly saw a familiar figure standing in front of a stall opposite him, speaking to the owner.

“Why is Ye Yuzhen here?” Lin Shen felt surprised, as Ye Yuzhen, being Lu Qing’s close friend, came from a family not as prestigious as the Lu Family but was still far from ordinary. Why would she come to a street stall to buy a Base Mutation Egg?

Today, Ye Yuzhen looked nothing like she did on the day of the blind date. She was wearing her usual sportswear, which completely concealed her good figure.

However, her body proportions were still noticeable, and in combination with her baby-smooth skin and glossy black hair, she was somewhat eye-catching.

The only imperfection was that Ye Yuzhen’s looks were not the sweet or pure beauty in the traditional sense.

If she were to become an actress, she would probably fit the role of a beautiful, strong, and ruthless antagonist with schemes—capable of decimating the protagonist’s team till only the title remained.

Lin Shen subconsciously moved closer to hear what she was discussing with the owner. After listening for a while, his eyes filled with increasing astonishment; it seemed he had stumbled upon some incredible secrets about Ye Yuzhen.

Chapter 61: Threat

Ye Yuzhen seemed to sense something and turned his head to see Lin Shen, his face immediately taking on an unpleasant look.

Lin Shen smiled, turned around, and was ready to leave.

Ye Yuzhen immediately rushed over, blocking Lin Shen’s path, adjusted his emotions, and asked as if nothing was wrong, “When did you get back? I heard you left Yashen Base, did you not?”

“Not too early, not too late, just when you were talking about ‘tou’, ‘tou’, ‘tou’, ‘tou’… what tone is that word supposed to be in again, I can’t quite remember…” Before Lin Shen could finish speaking, Ye Yuzhen covered his mouth and dragged him to an isolated place.

“Why are you dragging me? Mind your image, you are a strategist, strategists should use their mouths, not their hands; how can you personally resort to violence?” After Ye Yuzhen let go, Lin Shen said with a deadpan expression.

“I warn you, if I hear a single word related to this matter outside, I will definitely not let you off,” Ye Yuzhen threatened fiercely.

“I’ve always been someone who responds to kindness, not force. It seems someone actually wants to threaten me; looks like I need to go print some flyers,” Lin Shen said playfully as he made to leave.

Ye Yuzhen quickly reached out to hold him back, biting her lip and saying, “What exactly do you want?”

“Take me home,” Lin Shen said seriously, with a subdued smile.

“What do you mean? Take you home, to whose home?” Ye Yuzhen looked at Lin Shen with a puzzled face, not understanding what he meant.

“Of course, take me to your home,” Lin Shen replied.

“Why should I take you to my home? Have you lost your mind?” As soon as Ye Yuzhen saw Lin Shen’s face darken, ready to walk away, she quickly caught him again, whispering, “You have to at least tell me why you want to go to my home, right?”

“I met you for a marriage interview and found you quite satisfactory; it’s only reasonable to meet your family now, isn’t it?” Lin Shen said.

“Reasonable, my foot. I already apologized to you, can’t you stop playing with me?” Ye Yuzhen said exasperatedly.

“Just tell me whether you’ll take me or not.” Lin Shen had made up his mind to go to Ye Yuzhen’s home. Her family’s defenses should also be very good. After the beast tide broke into the base, it should be a relatively safe place.

Since he had caught Ye Yuzhen’s weak spot, it would be a pity not to make good use of it.

“Impossible. I won’t take you to my home even if I die; get that through your head,” Ye Yuzhen said, gritting her teeth.

“Impossible, is it? How should I write the flyer later? Someone ‘tou’, ‘tou’, ‘tou’, ‘tou’…” Lin Shen pretended to be lost in thought, slowly turning around to leave.

“Fine, fine, fine, if you want to go to my family’s ancestral tomb, I’ll even take you there, okay?” Ye Yuzhen grudgingly said as she held on to Lin Shen.

“I’ll pass on visiting your family tomb for now; we can talk about that when we’re buried together in the future,” Lin Shen paused, then added, “I’m meeting our parents; what kind of gift should I bring, I wonder?”

“Who’s ‘our parents’ with you…” Ye Yuzhen was almost amused by her anger.

“Tou’, ‘tou’, ‘tou’, ‘tou’…” Lin Shen began to chant again.

“All right, all right, all right, it’s yours, everything’s yours, is that okay?” Ye Yuzhen said in frustration. “Seriously, what do you really want to do? If you don’t feel vindicated, why don’t you just beat me up? Beat me however you like, I’ll take it even if it kills me.”

“How could I bear to hit you? I’ve finally taken a liking to someone, and I’m waiting to marry you. It wouldn’t be good if you were injured. Stop wondering, let’s go buy some gifts to meet our parents,” Lin Shen said as he put his arm around Ye Yuzhen’s shoulder and walked toward the market.

Ye Yuzhen struggled with her waist a few times but couldn’t undo it, so she just stopped bothering with it.

When they arrived at the gift shop, Lin Shen simply bought a few things and came out.

“You’re really generous, all these items together must cost over a hundred bucks, you’ve really spent a fortune,” Ye Yuzhen commented as she saw what Lin Shen was carrying, her lips twitching uncontrollably.

“A small gift from afar conveys deep feelings,” Lin Shen genuinely had no money left. After buying the pet, he didn’t even have money for food, otherwise, he wouldn’t mind spending a bit more.

Now, he was holding onto Ye Yuzhen as a big thigh, hoping to at least secure a place to eat and live.

“If you carry these things to meet my parents, do you believe they’d break your legs and throw you out along with this trash?” Ye Yuzhen said as she snatched the things from Lin Shen’s hands and dumped them into a trash can before heading to another high-end gift shop of her own.

“Don’t throw them away, that’s all money. If you don’t like them, you can return them,” Lin Shen hastily picked the items out of the trash and went to get a refund.

In a short while, Ye Yuzhen came out holding several exquisite bags and handed them to Lin Shen, “Take these instead.”

Lin Shen accepted them and handed them over to Wei Wufu, “Hold these for me.”

“Don’t tell me you’re actually thinking of bringing him to meet my parents?” Ye Yuzhen looked at Lin Shen as if he were insane.

“Which wealthy person doesn’t bring a bodyguard? It’s a sign of our distinguished status. Let’s go, hurry up and head back, my parents are getting anxious,” Lin Shen half-hugged, half-pushed Ye Yuzhen forward.

“I just don’t know what sins I committed in my past life…” Ye Yuzhen complained reluctantly, twisting her body as she walked on.

As they got to the front door, Ye Yuzhen glanced at Lin Shen with some nervousness and said, “Are you really going in?”

“Of course I’m going in. Why else would I be here?” Lin Shen looked at the Ye Family’s castle-like home and felt particularly satisfied.

“Fine, you’ve got guts. Just don’t say anything stupid later,” Ye Yuzhen said and walked towards the gate, ringing the bell. It wasn’t long before someone opened the door from inside.

The castle with white walls and a blue roof was like something out of a fairy tale. From the outside, one couldn’t tell it was built of base mutation materials, but the door alone was half a meter thick which showed just how extensive the defense system of the castle was. The Ye Family’s security was even better than Lin Shen had imagined, probably no worse than the Lu and Xu Families.

Of course, in terms of scale, the Lu and Xu Families were much bigger, but in terms of equipment, they might not be better than the Ye Family.

“It looks like Ye Yuzhen’s parents have more backing than I thought,” Lin Shen thought. Even though he hadn’t been out much, the architectural standards of the castle told him that Ye Yuzhen’s parents were not simple.

Before Lin Shen and Ye Yuzhen could enter the castle, a beautiful, well-dressed lady, appearing to be only around thirty years old, had already seen the two clearly through surveillance.

“Is that Lin Yin’s youngest brother?” The lady asked an old man next to her as she observed the two on the monitor, who seemed somewhat awkward and ambiguously close.

“Yes, madam. His name is Lin Shen. He is the youngest of the Lin siblings. His reputation at Dark Bird Base wasn’t very good. However, with the recent attack on the Lin family’s caravan and the absence of Mr. Lin Zongzheng and the fourth child from the base, only Lin Shen could handle the situation. According to the information from our spy in the Xu Family, although Mr. Lin Shen’s own abilities are not impressive, he possesses a handgun capable of killing Crystal Base Level pets, presumably a Pet Launcher with an unknown grade,” the elder detailed meticulously, even recounting the conversation between Lin Shen and Ye Yuzhen without missing a word.

“How do you think he compares to Lin Yin from back then?” The lady asked after listening.

“He is far inferior, one is in the heavens, the other on earth,” the elder answered without hesitation.

“A difference between heaven and earth, huh? Not necessarily. I find him quite interesting,” the lady said with a meaningful smile.