Chapter 110: The Truth Behind the Murder Case

After visiting the last attraction within Summer Palace City, Lin Huang and Lin Xin returned to their hotel just past one in the afternoon.

No sooner had Lin Huang entered the hotel room than his Imperial Heart Ring vibrated.

Seeing that the communication screen showed a video call request from Yi Zheng, Lin Huang pressed the accept button.

“Did you need me for something yesterday?” Yi Zheng asked straight away.

“I wanted you to help look up some information, but it’s already been resolved,” Lin Huang nodded.

“Oh, I had some matters yesterday and couldn’t respond promptly,” Yi Zheng explained. “I heard you’re in Summer Palace City now?”

“Yes, I’m planning to visit the Summer Palace Ruins tomorrow,” Lin Huang replied.

“Summer Palace City hasn’t been very safe lately. I suggest you don’t linger there,” Yi Zheng casually warned.

“You mean the murder cases? I’ll be careful,” Lin Huang acknowledged Yi Zheng’s concern.

“Forget it, you really haven’t raised your guard. There’s something you should know,” Yi Zheng shook his head helplessly.

“Regarding those murders, results came out early this morning, but the Alliance government hasn’t made them public. Seven suspects have been arrested over the past few days; all were humans parasitized by parasitic species.”

Lin Huang frowned slightly. “How could parasitic species bypass the city gate’s early warning system? Maybe at a small outpost, but Summer Palace City is a B-level large outpost. Its warning systems should be more advanced.”

“They say it’s a new type of parasitic species that has never appeared before. Its parasitic method differs greatly from other known types, rendering the warning system ineffective. Fortunately, this species cannot induce secondary parasitism, so it can’t spread extensively,” Yi Zheng explained.

“The biggest problem now is that several exorcists brought in to remove these parasites have failed. That’s why the Alliance government has been reluctant to reveal the truth—they fear causing panic,” Yi Zheng revealed, catching Lin Huang somewhat off guard.

“Although it can’t replicate secondary parasitism, if the city gate’s warning system remains ineffective, allowing many parasites to infiltrate, Summer Palace City could still fall…” Lin Huang’s brows knit tightly as he grasped the gravity of the situation. “Does the Alliance government have any countermeasures?”

“They’re currently following three strategies: enhancing monitoring of people entering the city, increasing internal security management, and accelerating research on this new parasitic species to develop new detection methods,” Yi Zheng shrugged.

“Treating the symptoms, not the cause…” Lin Huang shook his head.

“What else can they do? Announce to all residents that the city gate’s warning system is compromised, with an unknown number of parasites lurking inside—and that these parasites cannot yet be removed?” Yi Zheng raised an eyebrow. “Maybe at a small outpost, but this is a B-level large outpost. If such news got out, who would still trust the Alliance government? Should everyone just move to an A-level mega outpost to be safe?”

Lin Huang nodded helplessly. He knew there was no better way to handle this. If ordinary citizens panicked, the situation could worsen. Fear is contagious. Panic spreads.

He recalled how, back on Earth, whenever water pollution was reported somewhere, people rushed to supermarkets to hoard bottled water. When an influenza outbreak with fatalities was announced, people scrambled for herbal remedies. This was the spread of panic.

“Don’t stay there any longer than you have to. If you get infected by this new parasite, it’ll be a big problem,” Yi Zheng warned kindly.

“I understand. Thanks for telling me all this. I still have one matter to resolve here. I’ll finish it in the next couple of days and then leave immediately,” Lin Huang agreed.

Despite the unusual intelligence from Yi Zheng, Lin Huang had no intention of leaving just yet. He had already seen the notebook left behind by Xia Hao and couldn’t leave without investigating thoroughly.

After ending the call, Lin Huang’s mind began to churn through everything he knew about parasitic species.

In this world, parasites are among humanity’s most reviled creatures.

Most parasitic species latch onto humans, and once they infiltrate an outpost, they become exceedingly difficult to detect and defend against.

Parasitic species are broadly classified into five types based on their parasitic methods.

The first is invasive parasitism, where the parasite burrows directly into the host’s body and controls it entirely. Highly evolved parasites can even learn human knowledge through their host. These parasites tend to be highly intelligent.

The second is seed parasitism, where parasites release vast numbers of seeds at once. Anyone who comes into contact with these seeds becomes a host. Such parasites can control thousands of hosts simultaneously and cause massive destruction. Plant-like parasites often use this method.

The third is ovum parasitism, where parasites implant eggs inside the host to hatch, turning the host into an incubator and food source to nurture their offspring. Many insect-like parasites adopt this strategy.

The fourth is soul parasitism, a rare method where the parasite inhabits the host’s soul, erasing the host’s consciousness and usurping control. These parasites can fully inherit the host’s memories and live in their guise, making detection extremely difficult.

The fifth is unclassifiable aberrant parasitism, as rare as soul parasitism.

Based on Yi Zheng’s information, the recent invasion likely involves invasive parasitism or seed parasitism.

Lin Huang was not particularly afraid of these two.

Most invasive parasites are visible to the naked eye and can be slain with proper precautions. Seed parasites can usually be blocked by armor—so long as any exposed skin avoids contact with the seeds, there’s no problem.

Though Lin Huang himself was relatively safe, he couldn’t help but frown thinking about Lin Xin. “If Summer Palace City isn’t safe, the smaller Xia City in the ruins must be even less so. I can’t bring Lin Xin with me.”

After hesitating briefly, Lin Huang knocked on Lin Xin’s door and laid out everything Yi Zheng had told him.

Lin Xin listened, her face filled with shock.

“Brother, then let’s leave Summer Palace City early tomorrow morning,” she said.

“I still need to visit the Summer Palace Ruins to handle some matters,” Lin Huang said, having already arranged for Lin Xin’s safety. “I’ll leave Bai here to protect you. Try not to go out while I’m away. Order takeout for meals, and Bai will answer the door and bring it to you.”

“Also, here—this is for you. You’ve always wanted one, right?” Lin Huang produced a Gray Eagle 17 pistol and several boxes of ammunition. He no longer needed unarmed firearms himself.

“What about you?” Lin Xin asked anxiously.

“I have a Black Eagle 33 with armor and a flying-type summoned beast. If danger arises, I can escape,” Lin Huang smiled reassuringly.

“Do you really have to go?” Lin Xin worried about him.

“It’s quite an important matter,” Lin Huang nodded solemnly.