Tong Guoguo's Breakdown

Xu Mu arrived at his destination. To avoid alerting the enemy, he parked the helicopter at the town's local police substation.

After stepping out of the helicopter, Xu Mu immediately sent a message to Jiang Huihui.

He told her that he might have found a branch of the Immortality Research Institute and reported the location.

It didn't take long for the people there to receive the news, and their attitude toward Xu Mu instantly became respectful.

Xu Mu stroked his chin in thought. Seeing that the Cleaners had so many privileges, he even toyed with the idea of becoming one just for fun.

Heading into town with Tong Guoguo, Xu Mu used an illusion array to slightly alter his facial structure to avoid being recognized.

He also took out a hat and a mask from Tong Guoguo's spatial ring, telling her to disguise herself.

After walking a short distance, they arrived at the outskirts of the town. The paper mill Zhang Shengli had mentioned was right here.

Normally, paper mills were quite polluting to the environment.

But for an ordinary rural town, having a factory that contributed to tax revenue was considered a good thing.

Arriving at the front gate of the paper mill, Xu Mu used his perception to scan the internal environment.

He found that on the surface, it really was just producing paper.

Thus, Xu Mu and Tong Guoguo entered the factory. Not long after, they were stopped by a security guard.

Xu Mu glanced at him and smiled; he had finally found it.

A security guard in a rural town factory who was actually an ancient martial artist—it was hard not to be suspicious.

Who are you? It is working hours right now, unauthorized personnel are not allowed inside.

The guard was around fifty years old, wearing a security uniform and chewing betel nut.

Xu Mu walked toward the guard and suddenly released his Qi.

Boom!

The guard's expression changed drastically as his body uncontrollably dropped to his knees.

But Xu Mu immediately grabbed his arm. Where is the entrance to the ruin? Take us in.

Who... who are you?

The guard asked in a trembling voice.

You dare to question me? You only make a few hundred bucks a month, why are you risking your life?

Xu Mu's tone gradually turned icy. Believe it or not, I can send you to the afterlife right now.

The guard said tremblingly, Follow me...

Following behind Xu Mu, Tong Guoguo remained silent. Upon arriving here, she already roughly knew the answer in her heart.

She had not grown up in an orphanage at all. What kind of orphanage would be hidden inside a ruin?

Led by the guard, they arrived at the very back of the factory. The word Warehouse was written on the large door here.

After walking inside, they saw four guards sitting there playing poker.

Xu Mu looked around, picked up a pen from a nearby table, and threw it forcefully.

Crack!

The surveillance camera in the corner of the ceiling shattered instantly.

Seeing this, the guards immediately stood up.

Brat! Who are you?

The burly man leading them asked sternly.

You guys, go to sleep for a while.

Xu Mu took out a silver needle and first pierced the neck of the guard who had led the way.

He collapsed to the ground with a thud.

Swish!

Xu Mu's figure flickered instantly, and in the blink of an eye, the remaining four guards also fell to the ground.

His hand landed on a stone at the back of the warehouse, and he gently injected his Qi. Sure enough, it was an array formation.

Why aren't you following?

Xu Mu turned around to look at Tong Guoguo.

She was still standing at the door, without taking a single step.

Tong Guoguo clenched her fists, keeping her head down without saying a word.

You are scared. You are afraid that I was right, aren't you?

What am I afraid of.

Tong Guoguo took a deep breath and walked toward Xu Mu.

The two stepped into the ruin together, surrounded by low hills.

There were no guards here, and Xu Mu led Tong Guoguo deeper inside.

A massive playground appeared before their eyes.

The perimeter of the playground was fenced in by iron wire. Inside the playground, a group of grotesquely shaped people were playing, like animals on display.

Some of them were as thin as skeletons, suffering from severe malabsorption. Others had paralyzed legs and kept crawling on the ground.

These people were generally quite young; the youngest were only two or three years old, and the oldest were six or seven.

Some were laughing and playing, while others sat in a corner in silence.

A staff member shouted from a distance, gesturing for them not to do anything dangerous.

There were also two women cooking.

In front of them was a plastic bucket, and they proceeded to pour various kinds of nutrient solutions into it.

They then dumped the pre-prepared staple food and dishes in together.

Finally, they stirred it with a ladle, making it look like pig slop.

Looking at everything before her, Tong Guoguo's tears kept falling.

It was too familiar. Although the toys around had all been refurbished, the core essence had not changed at all.

Who are you?

Just then, a woman around thirty years old spotted Xu Mu and Tong Guoguo, asking from inside the cage.

Mr. Soul sent us to check on the growth progress of these people.

Xu Mu said calmly.

Hearing this, the woman immediately clapped her hands a few times. Everyone, come here quickly! Someone is here to see you! Hurry up and show them what you have newly learned.

The next moment, the surrounding children began to gather, dancing and waving their limbs.

Some were trying very hard, while others were just going through the motions.

Because of their uncoordinated bodies, to outsiders, these people looked like a horde of dancing demons.

Seeing the scene before her, Tong Guoguo finally broke down.

She squatted on the ground, buried her face in her hands, and wept bitterly.

Her worldview began to collapse, and the majestic image of Wang Hun in her heart gradually blurred.

Tong Guoguo had always believed that her life in the orphanage was no better than an animal's.

It was Wang Hun who brought her light, gave her a new life, and allowed her to live a meaningful existence.

But now, she finally understood that her former companions were all these abnormal experimental subjects, and she was just like them.

The woman inside saw this and immediately said, "Who are you people?"

Swish!

Xu Mu executed the White Emperor Holy Sword, slicing open the iron mesh in front of him with a single strike.

He walked in and grabbed the woman. "I know you are innocent. Confess everything, and I can spare your life."

"Mercy! I was just tricked into working here. I have nothing to do with them."

The woman turned pale with fright.

The other women, who were cooking over there, also prepared to flee when they saw this.

However, two dark red longswords pierced the ground in front of them, scaring them into stopping immediately.

"Come here and tell me how this place operates."

Xu Mu said expressionlessly.

The three women didn't hide anything and gave a general overview of the situation here.

Simply put, these people were all failed products cultivated by the Immortality Research Institute using various alien bloodlines.

They all had congenital deficiencies, whether physical or psychological.

However, Wang Hun felt it was a pity to kill them, so he specially established orphanages in various places and sent people to raise them.

As long as a subject possessed a certain physical strength, they would be taken away by Wang Hun again for further research.

Tong Guoguo was one of them; her congenital deficiency was blindness.

But her body had an incredibly strong compatibility with the Heart-Guarding Wood.

That was why she was taken away by Wang Hun, who cured her eyes through surgery.

Tong Guoguo cried uncontrollably, like a helpless child.

She was abandoned by her parents and rescued by the orphanage. It turned out that all of this was a lie spun by Wang Hun.

No wonder Zhao Guifen cried tears of excitement when she saw her a few years ago. Perhaps she also felt that Tong Guoguo was too pitiful.

Just as she was crying bitterly, Xu Mu pulled Tong Guoguo tightly into his arms.

Tong Guoguo's trembling body gradually calmed down because of this warm embrace.

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