The Creatures That We Are-Chapter 1132: Killer Move

Chen Ying froze as if struck in her acupuncture point, her face flushed with color. Nine Frost remained stoic, but tension rippled through his shoulders.

“Um, I don’t remember much from before Hong Xiaoxiao brought me back,” Chen Ying said, her darting eyes betraying her feelings.

“Same for me.” Nine Frost hesitated before volunteering the truth. “I only remember vaguely how I felt.”

“What you felt? What did you feel?!” Zhang Wei shot to his feet, leveling Nine Frost with a death glare. “Wait! Did you, did you perhaps...”

Nine Frost nodded. “It’s probably what you’re thinking.”

Zhang Wei's jaw dropped as his confidence crumbled. He had always had feelings for Chen Ying—true, he found many beautiful women attractive, but Chen Ying was different.

He had noticed something growing between Nine Frost and Chen Ying, but he'd thought their feelings were merely budding. If he had fought for Chen Ying's hand fairly, he might have overtaken Nine Frost given his current status.

But Lust! Goddamn Lust...put Nine Frost on a speeding car and took him to the finish line!

The emotional blow sent Zhang Wei staggering back into his chair, but it didn’t take long for him to recover. Men should be able to move on quickly!

He turned to Nine Frost. “You must treat Sister Ying well, bro. I won’t let you off the hook if you dare to hurt her!”

“Zhang Wei!” Chen Ying was ready to bury her head in the sand. “What nonsense are you saying? Do you take this as a wonderful experience? Nine Frost and I were killed!”

“Pfft.” Crimson Bee couldn’t help but laugh. He quickly covered his mouth. “So-sorry. I know I shouldn’t be laughing, but I can’t stop myself.”

Old Seven joined in with a cackle, punching Crimson Bee's shoulder. “You’re incorrigible.”

“Pot calling the kettle black.” Hong Xiaoxiao shot them both a withering look. What was it with men always having their heads in the gutter?

“No!” Chen Ying’s face was as red as a lantern. “Hong Xiaoxiao had reset us to a few minutes prior, so those things had never happened! Stop dwelling on this. Nine Frost and I—”

“It’s just as you all think,” Nine Frost said.

“Yes, we—” Chen Ying paused, then raised her voice and cursed. “What, what the hell are you saying?!”

“I love you, Chen Ying.” Nine Frost held her gaze. “I want to know how you feel.”

“Whoa!”

“Holy!”

“Fuck!”

“Say yes, say yes!”

“Just get married already!”

The crowd erupted into cheers and screams. This might be the second-best news they had received outside of Greed being dealt a heavy blow.

“I, I—” Chen Ying’s head blanked at the sudden turn. Her face burned hotter, and she could almost feel smoke rising from her head. You’re putting me on the spot! Why would you confess when we’re holding a serious strategic meeting?

Nine Frost met her eyes and saw his answer. He put an arm around her waist and bent down, giving her a serious, loving kiss. She didn’t pull away.

The room fell into stunned silence. The onlookers watched with bated breath—except for Quiet Book and Dead Pig, who scrambled to cover Wang Weiyan's and Lovely Lamb's eyes.

Then Nine Frost let go of Chen Ying.

Chen Ying's mind ground to a halt. She had believed she had a chance with Nine Frost, but she'd thought it would take time, an opportunity, and plenty of subtle hints on her part. Never had she imagined Nine Frost would make the first move.

This isn’t the right occasion, this is embarrassing...but Adept Horse, THANK YOU! I’d set up a shrine for you!

Nine Frost announced, “Chen Ying and I love each other. Thank you for your blessings. Please stop fussing about our personal matters, however. Let’s get back to business.”

Even War Tiger needed a moment to recover from the sudden shift. “Alright, meeting time.”

“Yeah, meeting!” Zhang Wei hit the table angrily, feeling a twist of pain in his chest. “You all are too concerned about gossip!”

The others shifted their attention back to the meeting.

“Adept Horse was right,” Vermilion Bird said, getting to the point. “Each death monster’s power relates to their name. It’s their weapon, but also their weakness.”

“And...” she continued after a bemused pause, “Based on what I gathered from the abstract information, I believe the death monsters each correspond to a body part of God—their God, I mean.”

“Which is which?” Gao Yang asked.

“Lust, Gluttony, Sloth, Wrath, Greed, Envy, and Pride each corresponds to blood, teeth, tail, horn, eyes, wings, and heart.”

A heavy silence fell as everyone processed this revelation.

“Ha, God?” Gregor scoffed. “A demon is more like it. Only a demon would have those seven parts.”

Lying Wood drew in a sharp breath. “You’re right.”

Vermilion Bird nodded. “There’s another thing. While it’s only my personal observation. It feels to me that the death monsters aren’t exactly a united front.”

“Ha, that’s been plenty clear to me. For example, Gao—” War Tiger caught himself. “Envy isn’t one to listen to order. She left quickly after making an appearance.”

Gao Yang remained perfectly still, as if the words meant nothing to him.

“Yeah.” Vermilion Bird mused. “And while the Eye of Greed corrupted me, I could sense Greed’s complicated feeling toward Pride. Derison, fear, but also a desire to control Pride.”

Zhang Wei snorted. “So, a rat looking to overthrow the man in charge.”

“All sufferings stem from a disagreement between the eyes and the heart,” Dragon said in a measured voice.

The others turned to him, not fully understanding his words.

“Ah, you’re right,” Muzitu said with a chuckle, waving his fan while shaking his head. “The eyes see the mundane and the shallow. The heart knows the enlightenment leading to true bliss.”

Gregor was reminded of a saying: “Only when we transcend the five aggregates of clinging will we see the vast cosmology.[1]”

“You have a good understanding of Buddhist teachings.” Muzitu gave him an approving look.

“Oh, I don’t.” Gregor laughed self-deprecatingly. “I know, but I don’t understand.”

“You’re all being cryptic.” Zhang Wei threw up his hands in frustration. “Death monsters are strong enough as they are. Let’s not give them an epic narrative too. If you go on like this, I’ll lose my confidence.”

War Tiger chuckled in amusement. “Even our Mr. Confident is losing confidence. We should go into the practicals.” He turned to Gao Yang with expectation. “Little Yang Yang, you’ve been in your head for a while. You must have come up with a strategy.”

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Gao Yang nodded. “Yeah, but it isn’t much.”

1. In Buddhism, the five skandhas, the aggregates of clinging, are the material and mental factors that create cravings, clingings, and aversions. ☜