Chapter 38

At the entrance of the steel plant, Long Yuehong held a walkie-talkie and answered Jiang Baimian's question:

"Jingfa! He said his name is Jingfa!"

The other side of the walkie-talkie was silent for two seconds, with static and electrical noise lingering softly.

Then, Jiang Baimian said urgently:

"Pull back immediately!"

As soon as she finished speaking, she turned off the walkie-talkie.

Shang Jianyao and Long Yuehong did not quite understand why the team leader's reaction was so strong, not even asking about what had happened after they encountered Jingfa, whether they were considered "people with a connection," and directly issued the order to retreat.

Despite their confusion, the two did not have any intention of disobeying Jiang Baimian's decision. On one hand, this was due to following the rules for external operations by the Security Department and trusting the team leader's experience and judgment. On the other hand, it was because they were also filled with fear towards the mechanical monk with his strange theories.

The two did not speak, holding their assault rifles, slightly bending their backs, and sprinting towards the outside of the steel plant.

With their genetically modified constitutions and long-term training, maintaining a high-speed run for a while was not too difficult. It wasn't until they left the dilapidated cement road and were about to turn towards the hidden spot where the jeep was parked that they slightly slowed down, catching their breath.

The jeep had already started, attempting to pick them up.

This time, Bai Chen was sitting in the driver's seat.

Bang! Bang! Shang Jianyao and Long Yuehong each climbed into the back seat and closed the doors.

Pant, pant, the two took deep breaths.

"Drive at full speed," Jiang Baimian instructed Bai Chen, then turned to Shang Jianyao and Long Yuehong, "How far were you from Jingfa when you used the walkie-talkie?"

"Very far, we were at the entrance of the steel plant, pant, and Jingfa, should, pant, have walked behind the chimney, out of sight of each other," Long Yuehong answered while panting.

He had not seen where Jingfa was, but estimated based on the directions, approximate speeds, and time spent when they separated. This was very inaccurate and could only serve as a reference.

Jiang Baimian, who clearly had some knowledge of the layout of the steel plant ruins, recalled for a moment and said:

"This distance is not very safe... The mechanical monk's surveillance system is very strong, capable of capturing sounds from a considerable distance.

"Bai Chen, don't worry about the battery, and don't fear a rollover, maintain the current speed."

It was only then that Long Yuehong noticed that the team leader had already picked up the rather heavy grenade launcher and had switched to a type of grenade with greater explosive power.

"Team leader, Jingfa said we have no connection with the Monastic Order, no need to be so tense," he hurriedly relayed the key information to prevent Jiang Baimian from overreacting.

Jiang Baimian looked in the rearview mirror and shook her head slightly:

"That's not the point.

"You should have learned that the 'Immortal' technology has certain flaws, and all mechanical monks have some mental issues.

"These issues vary, and according to the information gathered by the company, Jingfa, well, he is one of the more active mechanical monks on the Ashland, and his main issue is..."

Jiang Baimian paused and said:

"Hatred towards women!"

"Eh?" Shang Jianyao and Long Yuehong understood the meaning of these four words but were not clear on what it entailed and how serious it was.

Jiang Baimian glanced at Bai Chen:

"Jingfa, upon encountering women, or even just hearing a woman's voice, will go mad and attack everyone around him indiscriminately.

"And from the marks on some corpses, he has a tendency to torture and abuse."

"He's just a robot..." Long Yuehong couldn't imagine it.

Jiang Baimian sighed:

"That's why it's terrifying... By the way, who will use the exoskeleton device?"

Before Shang Jianyao and Long Yuehong could respond, her already serious expression became even more solemn:

"Quiet."

Shang Jianyao and Long Yuehong instantly understood something, turning their heads to look out the window, searching for the mechanical monk in his red robe.

However, they could only see sparse woods, soft ash soil, black swamps, and rocks of various sizes. Nothing else.

At this moment, many potholes and rocks appeared ahead, and Bai Chen had to slow down the jeep.

A rollover would make the situation even worse.

Jiang Baimian, holding the grenade launcher, slid her left hand down and silently patted Bai Chen's right elbow.

Bai Chen did not turn her head, turning the steering wheel to the left and reducing the speed to almost normal.

Throughout the process, the windows on both sides of the jeep remained open.

Suddenly, a black figure in tattered monk's robes and a red robe leaped down from the roadside trees, directly pouncing at the passenger seat where Jiang Baimian was, the mechanical monk Jingfa who called himself a monk!

However, at this moment, Jiang Baimian seemed to have a premonition and had already raised the grenade launcher, aiming at this "Immortal."

It looked as if Jingfa was actively pouncing towards the grenade about to be fired.

And the grenade loaded with high explosives was powerful enough to injure the mechanical monk.

Just as Jiang Baimian's finger pressed down, about to pull the trigger, the red eyes on Jingfa's metal face suddenly flickered.

Jiang Baimian instantly saw many people.

These people's figures were slightly illusory, lying on the ground, frantically grabbing soil, pebbles, and leaves, stuffing them into their mouths.

Their bellies were highly distended, as if they would burst from the food they had eaten, but they did not feel full at all, eating whatever they saw.

Jiang Baimian seemed to become one of these people: she did not feel physically hungry, but believed she should be very hungry, in a state of hunger, and needed to eat something.

This impulse, this self-perception, made her unable to control herself. She immediately released her right index finger from the trigger and threw the grenade launcher back onto her lap.

She took out a bag of compressed cookies, tearing open the packaging and stuffing the food into her mouth.

During this process, she did not even bother to drink water, choking with her eyes slightly rolling back, but still continued to swallow.

Not just her, Bai Chen also stepped on the brake, frantically gnawing on an energy bar, while Shang Jianyao and Long Yuehong each took out their food and mindlessly enjoyed their late dinner.

They completely ignored the dangerous enemy outside who was pouncing towards them.

With a light click, the mechanical monk Jingfa landed beside the jeep.

He opened the passenger door with his left hand, aiming his right hand at Jiang Baimian and Bai Chen, and also covering Shang Jianyao and Long Yuehong.

It was only at this moment that Jiang Baimian broke free from the illusion of hunger.

The illusory figures with distended bellies on the ground had disappeared.

Almost simultaneously, Shang Jianyao leaned forward slightly, lowering his head.

Jingfa paused for two seconds, not using his laser weapon or flame thrower to purify the four. His red eyes flickered several times, and he said:

"Do you think this monk will now send you to the afterlife?

"I won't grant your wish. I will take you to the depths of the swamp, find a place where no one will disturb you, and let you enjoy it."

When he spoke, he only looked at Jiang Baimian and Bai Chen.

Jiang Baimian's expression changed slightly, but she did not respond, seemingly thinking about how to resolve this situation.

At this moment, Shang Jianyao straightened his body and asked:

"Are you an Awakened?"

"Yes." Even though they were enemies, and he had gone mad upon seeing women, Jingfa seemed to adhere to the principle of "monks do not lie."

He observed the seats, continuing to aim his laser weapon and flame thrower at Jiang Baimian and Bai Chen, and walked to the back seat, opening the door.

"This monk will sit in the middle," he said in a cold, emotionless voice.

This way, he could monitor everyone in the car and ensure the jeep smoothly reached his destination.

Shang Jianyao quickly got out of the car, making way for him, as if the other party was not an enemy.

The mechanical monk Jingfa did not relax his vigilance, sitting in the middle of the back seat.

Shang Jianyao, sitting on the side, asked as if pondering something:

"Is hating women your flaw?"

He did not use the term "cost," but the common term "flaw" used by ordinary people to describe mechanical monks.

Jingfa did not lie, answering truthfully:

"No, my cost is increased lust.

"I originally thought that uploading my consciousness to a robot body would bring me purity and no longer be affected, but it didn't turn out that way."

Shang Jianyao feigned understanding:

"I thought it was that you couldn't lie."

"Not lying is a rule of the order," Jingfa answered, "Anyway, you will all gain liberation, so it doesn't matter if you know."

Shang Jianyao closed the jeep door and asked curiously:

"What was that ability just now?"

"The 'Hungry Ghost Realm' in the Six Realms of Rebirth," Jingfa's red eyes looked at Bai Chen, "Drive, go straight."

Hearing the conversation between Shang Jianyao and Jingfa, Long Yuehong and Bai Chen felt a sense of absurdity:

Clearly, the mechanical monk was about to take them to a place to torture and kill them, yet Shang Jianyao and he were acting like old friends who hadn't seen each other in years.

As Bai Chen stepped on the gas, Jiang Baimian laughed:

"Ha ha, I get it!

"You hate women because your current body can't satisfy you, and your act of uploading your consciousness has only amplified your flaw countless times! Your mind is already twisted, and only physical violence can give you some relief!

"Ha ha, doesn't your order talk about the six roots being pure? Your mind, monk, is so dirty!"

Jingfa, who was already suppressing his consciousness, could no longer control himself. His eyes glowed red, and his body leaned forward, about to pounce at Jiang Baimian in the passenger seat and physically assault her.

Jiang Baimian did not dodge but moved forward, raising her left arm and pinching Jingfa's black metal neck.

Her left index finger, as if prepared, extended, carrying a faint, silver-white current, and inserted into a hole in the mechanical monk's neck.

This was a tool attached to an eel-like bio-limb, equipped with chips, circuits, and sensors, capable of reading data from computer-like devices and breaking through firewalls of a certain strength!

And the mechanical monk, apart from the human consciousness, was essentially an artificial intelligence robot.

PS: Please give me a recommendation!