I Am Your Natural Enemy

Chapter 520: Chapter 209: Eating from the inside out, pretending to be dirty to open one’s eyes (5k)_3

He was certain he couldn’t have been mistaken. In a pile of motionless plants, when a sprout moved, it was especially noticeable.

Wen Yan smiled. He did nothing more than carry over a large bucket of water, placing one end of a cotton rope in the bucket and the other end outside.

”It’s fate that we met. It’s too dry here; you probably won’t survive long. I’ll leave you a bucket of water. Use it slowly, don’t waste it, and don’t let anyone catch you.”

After gathering the mature herbs, Wen Yan turned and left.

Long after he departed, a sprout broke through the earth, its branches reaching for the cotton rope. Soon, fine roots sprang out and twined around the rope.

Wen Yan wasn’t trying to lure it out; he had truly left.

Taking the harvested herbs with him, he left the estate.

He once more located the nearest temple with a god statue, which led him to the mountains north of the estate.

Entering the mountains again, he headed north, traversed the ranges, and after half a day’s journey, he saw a desolate temple standing in the distant wasteland.

The pitch-black, ruined temple almost merged with the land. A figure stood at its entrance.

Wen Yan narrowed his eyes at the sight, casually took out a mask to cover his face, and donned the battle suit he had prepared earlier. According to Cai Heizi, as long as he wasn’t directly hit by the first wave of radiation from the Mushroom Bomb, his physique would ensure he’d be fine.

Even with minor radiation exposure, given his physique, he would only need to take some medicine for a couple of days after returning.

If he truly needed to use it, he would set the timer for a bit longer, giving himself enough time to escape.

Otherwise, anyone present would die.

He wasn’t in a hurry. After changing his clothes, even with his sharp vision, he could only make out the silhouette of a rundown temple. He faintly saw someone entering it, who probably couldn’t see him.

Right now, he was just beyond the edge of their field of vision.

He dismounted, took his equipment, and ambled towards the derelict temple.

As he drew nearer, he saw that the temple courtyard walls had collapsed, and a significant part of one side of the temple roof had caved in.

A ruined temple like this, appearing in the Netherworld, must be related to Ghost in some way.

Standing at the entrance, he looked inside. In the main hall of the temple, a person was holding incense above their head, worshipping the god statue within.

The statue looked like an old, decaying piece of wood. At first glance, Wen Yan didn’t see any reaction from the Natural Enemy Profession, and the statue’s Yin Qi wasn’t even as strong as that of the surrounding environment.

Wen Yan didn’t go in; he just waited, listening to the person inside speaking.

”Disciple Du Xin, I beg the great god to change my fate.”

The person inside repeated the same phrase over and over. After a long wait, Wen Yan heard another sentence.

”Disciple’s request is humble: I merely wish for good health. I hope the great god will fulfill this wish.”

Wen Yan hid outside, waiting for more than an hour, until he saw the man walk out.

The man looked sallow, as if afflicted by a serious illness, and walked with a limp.

After the man dissolved into faint light and disappeared, Wen Yan stepped into the ruined temple.

The moment he entered, information appeared in his mind.

If you wish to change your fate, bow when you see it.

Offer incense daily over your head, recite your own name, and pray fervently eighty-one times.

Speak of your desire.

If your sincerity is enough, your wishes shall be granted.

Wen Yan smiled, carefully inspecting the tiny temple, which could be taken in at a glance.

Inside, there was nothing of value—no plaques, no inscriptions. Not a single word could be found.

But the architectural style of the temple, with its slightly upturned flying eaves and overlapping bracket sets, along with wood carvings that looked quite exquisite, indicated it had some age.

Wen Yan couldn’t be sure who was enshrined here in the past, but he was certain it definitely wasn’t this wooden statue.

The traces on the altar made it clear: the god statue once enshrined here was several times larger than this wooden one.

The paint on the front of the statue had completely peeled off, and the wood looked somewhat decayed. However, when Wen Yan went around to the back, he noticed it seemed to have been sanded and waxed for maintenance.

The wood was smooth, its grain and pattern clearly that of a dense, valuable hardwood.

Wen Yan examined it closely from back to front. The rear third was high-quality wood, but it progressively worsened towards the front, which was almost entirely rotten.

The transition was seamless, with no visible joints.

This is undoubtedly the statue I’m searching for. Wen Yan thought. For some reason, however, both on the surface and upon close examination, the statue seems otherwise unremarkable.

Wen Yan thought for a moment, then backed out, doing nothing.

He turned and left.

He kept his distance, ensuring he was out of sight, and waited.

After waiting for a day, another person arrived, and Wen Yan followed them.

This newcomer seemed somewhat wary. After entering the temple, they hesitated for a long time before beginning to worship.

”My name is Wang Hengxin. I wish to become wealthy.”

Immediately after, the man calling himself Wang Hengxin cried out in surprise and responded quickly, ”Yes, yes, I just want to become wealthy. I don’t want anything else.”

”Thank you, great god! Thank you, great god!”

”Alright, I’ve remembered. I’ll come again at this time tomorrow.”

Wen Yan watched the newcomer depart, walking with a vigorous and joyful stride.

He looked towards the temple’s interior. This time, he saw the statue open its eyes, revealing a pair of jewel-encrusted orbs that gazed solemnly out of the temple.

At the same moment, new information surfaced in Wen Yan’s mind.

Statue Ghost.

One of the few Nether Souls to possess a physical body, it can even transform into an animal to move. The statue it becomes is its body and also represents the path it has chosen.

This is a Statue Ghost that has completed its infestation and eye-opening ritual. It has chosen the most difficult path, yet it is also the one from which it is easiest to recover. Fortunately, it found an unobserved and unguarded place to carry out its theft. It has already noticed you. It covets everything you possess and will stop at nothing to beguile you into kneeling before it. It needs everything you have as the price for its full recovery.

Friendly reminder: Art is explosive; you need to choose the right moment for the pinnacle of art to flourish.