The Creatures That We Are

Chapter 182: Li Zhuanghu

“But, but!” Xiran added in a heated tone. “When one serial number 5400000 monster is trapped in the special subspace and isolated by the Heavenly Way, the Monster Supreme can produce another monster with the same serial number without reservation and place it on an isolated island of the Mist World, maintaining the operation of the surface world.”

“Yes.” Gao Yang took the bottled water from Xiran and held up two bottles. “The two monsters with the same serial number are basically clones with the same specs. Following the will of Monster Supreme, the pair of clones won’t be allowed to exist in the same space and time.”

“However, Niu Xuan came to the Eleventh High School, and under the influence of the Rune Circuit, he sensed his other self trapped in the Rune Cave, named Li Zhuanghu, and they shared memories. He couldn’t figure out why there were two of him, so he rationalized it as Li Zhuanghu from eighteen years ago being his past life.”

Gao Yang grew excited and turned to the others. “Think back to how crazed Niu Xuan seemed back in the auditorium. It was as if he no longer cared about anything, and he had a self-destructive tendency.”

“It’s because he figured out what he was and where he came from.” Lithe Snake nodded in agreement, his expression as impassive as ever. “He was disappointed and considered himself an expendable clone.”

“It’s very likely.” Gao Yang agreed. “When he called out to his ‘mother’, he must be asking to return.”

“For what?” Gray Bear didn’t understand. “Be it monsters or bugs or bees, isn’t it better to live pitifully than die honorably?”

“Maybe he’s looking to be reborn?” Xiran suggested.

That got everyone’s attention.

Xiran continued, “Perhaps not all monsters are lowly clones, but only wanderers. That’s why Niu Xuan wanted to be ‘reincarnated’. He wanted to return to Monster Supreme and be born anew as a pride monster or other types of monsters. Even being a wrath monster or greed monster will be better.”

“True. Humans aren’t born equal, and the same must be true of monsters. Who wouldn’t want to be born with a good hand?” Old Joe was getting worked up as well. “I’ve wished to be born tall, handsome, and rich in my next life!”

“Yeah.” Gao Yang added, “That’d explain why lower-ranking monsters lose control of their emotions and rationality once they transform, while higher-ranking monsters are more emotionally and mentally sound, more similar to humans. It’s all because wanderers are lower-end ‘products’.”

All the talks left Gao Yang’s mouth dry. He opened his bottle of water and took a gulp.

“You’re more quick-witted than you seem, Xiran.” Gray Bear patted Xiran on his frail shoulder.

“Oh, no.” Xiran was flattered. He said with a humble smile, “I love talking to Ronnie about our guesses regarding the world. That’s why the thought came to me suddenly.”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. It’s all speculation at this point.” Gao Yang spoke up to keep excitement at a moderate level. “And the speculation doesn’t exactly help us in this situation.”

Lithe Snake nodded. “I’m more worried about how we should find the Rune Circuit and the exit.”

Gray Bear sighed. “For now, we can only wait. Perhaps Yellow Butterfly’s group has found something.”

...

At noon, the five ‘construction workers’ went to the cafeteria for lunch. They each took a standardized plate and went to the food window, ordering three dishes and one soup. Then they got some rice and sat down at a table in the corner.

None of them moved their utensils.

For one, they had filled their stomachs earlier. For another...they didn’t dare eat anything.

Gao Yang could still remember Wang Zikai throwing up worms after the banquet like yesterday, and he had told everyone about it. They had come to the cafeteria to look for their target: Li Zhuanghu.

After all, they had entered the Rune Cave with Niu Xuan’s ‘sacrifice’. It would make sense for Li Zhuanghu, Niu Xuan’s ‘past life’, to be the main person of interest.

Covering for each other, they pretended to eat, when in truth they had been throwing food into the waste bin under the table spoon by spoon. Once they had emptied their plates that way, the five of them kept up a chit-chat while looking for Li Zhuanghu.

Students bustled about in the cafeteria, chattering away in groups of three to five. The table near them was unoccupied.

“Here he comes.” Lithe Snake was the first to spot Li Zhuanghu.

Gao Yang looked up to see the boy emerging from the door, wearing thick glasses and ill-fitted uniform.

He shared the same appearance as Niu Xuan, yet his temperament was entirely different. With his head lowered and his back hunched, he looked timid and introverted.

Like an invisible man, he quietly made it across the bustling crowd.

With an aluminum eating plate in hand, he got two vegetarian dishes from the ordering window and moved to a corner table without a word. Before he could take more than a few steps, however, a boy with spiky hair pushed him from behind.

Clang!

Li Zhuanghu fell face-down along with his plate.

“Oh, isn’t this our dear aerobics leader? Are you alright? You should watch your steps better!” Spiky Hair went up to him with a couple other boys, offering to help Li Zhuanghu up with disingenuous concern.

“I’m, I’m alright...” Li Zhuanghu hurriedly picked up his glasses and cleaned up the mess, his gaze downcast.

“Look, you’ve wasted perfectly fine food. Each grain of rice is a precious fruit of labor. You should treasure the meal.”

Spiky Hair grabbed a clump of soup-soaked rice from the floor, smearing it on Li Zhaunghu’s face. “Eat! While it’s still hot, haha!”

Li Zhuanghu coughed, keeping his mouth shut and shaking his head in rejection.

Spiky Hair shoved the rice into his mouth with a fierce gaze. “I said eat!”

“Hmph, pah... Ack, ack...”

Li Zhuanghu threw up a mouthful of rice and got into a coughing fit on hands and knees.

Emboldened, Spiky Hair grabbed Li Zhuanghu by the hair and pushed his face into the floor, demanding haughtily, “Eat! I told you to fucking eat, you hear me—”

“Stop!” Mister Tan showed up, dressed in the same sportswear. “What are you doing?”

Spiky Hair quickly let go of Li Zhuanghu and put on a fake smile. “Li Zhuanghu tripped, Mister Tan. We were helping him up.”

Then he pulled Li Zhuanghu to his feet. “Isn’t that right, Li Zhuanghu?”

“Yes, I...I tripped...” Li Zhuanghu lowered his head, trembling. He didn’t dare look at his bully.

“Yu Pengliang, this is the school. Do you even think of us as teachers? If you keep this on, I’m going to call your parents!” Mister Tan was a mere PE teacher, and he didn’t dare offend Yu Pengliang, who came from an esteemed family. All he could do was tell the boy off by mentioning his father.

“I’m sorry, Mister Tan.”

Yu Pengliang, the boy with spiky hair, reluctantly relented. But then he turned to Li Zhuanghu and scoffed coldly. “Watch your step next time.”

He left with his two sidekicks.

“Bastard!” Gray Bear balled his hands into fists. “If not for the circumstances, I would’ve taught them a lesson!”

“They crossed the line.” Xiran was angry as well. “They are obviously bullying him. Aren’t the teachers going to do something?”

“There are many ways to bully someone, and many difficult to catch. The teachers may be able to stop the obvious ones, but not the others.” Old Joe sighed and shook his head. “It’s difficult.”

Gao Yang sympathized with Li Zhuanghu, but at the same time, he thought, So Li Zhuanghu was a bully victim, while Niu Xuan was the bully. Is this what people call karma?

The radio in his pocket received a signal.

Gao Yang gave the others a look. “Cover me.”

They immediately came closer to him and shielded him from unwanted eyes.

Gao Yang gingerly pressed a button and asked quietly, “Yes?”

“We’ve found something. Let’s meet and talk.” It was Nine Frost.