Chapter 269: Parasitism
Jiang Yu’s hands trembled when he learned there was finally a lead on his missing sister, Jiang Tong.
An impulse surged within him—he wanted to rush off alone and find Song Yuebing’s convoy right away.
Three whole years… and now, at last, he had news of his sister!
But he held himself back.
Captain Song would bring them the people as soon as possible.
His top priority now was to follow Su Tao to Xindu and protect her along the way.
Su Tao reassured him, “Captain Song and his team are already on their way. At most, they’ll reach Xindu in four days. We’re leaving tomorrow, so we should arrive around the same time. Hold on for three or four more days—once they get there, you can interrogate them however you want.”
Jiang Yu took a deep breath and nodded. “I’ll listen to you.”
“Good, good. It’s late—go get some rest. We have to be ready to leave at seven tomorrow.”
Jiang Yu hesitated for a moment before adding,
“There’s something else. Lately, I’ve noticed that Qu Jingwen sometimes talks to herself.”
Su Tao blinked. She had almost forgotten about Qu Jingwen.
Ever since she had suddenly defected to their side, Su Tao had found her suspicious, but with everything else going on, she hadn’t had the time or energy to pay attention to her.
“What does she say?”
Jiang Yu frowned, deliberating for a moment.
“It’s strange. It reminds me of dissociative identity disorder—like she’s talking to another version of herself. And she looks pained, almost grotesque. I think she’s unstable. We should have Director Qi keep an eye on her. We don’t want any trouble after we leave.”
Su Tao frowned. “When did this start?”
“These past two weeks. She was fine before. I was surprised too.”
The next morning, before dawn, before Su Tao even had the chance to speak to Qi Yunlan, Qu Jingwen came looking for her on her own.
She looked completely haggard, like she hadn’t slept in days.
From Su Tao’s angle, she could see scratch marks peeking out from under her collar.
Self-harm?
Qu Jingwen opened her mouth as if she wanted to cry for help.
But just as she shaped the first syllable, her expression twisted in agony.
Her entire demeanor shifted.
When she reopened her eyes and saw Su Tao, she froze for a second before baring her teeth in rage, lunging forward with clawed hands.
“Su Tao! You killed Tan Yong! You killed him! You wouldn’t even let me see his body—you—”
Jiang Yu kicked her to the ground.
Su Tao instinctively took a half-step back.
This… This is the real Qu Jingwen!
Qu Jingwen struggled to get up and pounce again, but Jiang Yu elbowed her in the temple, knocking her out cold.
Su Tao crouched beside her and pushed up her sleeves.
Just as she suspected—her arms were covered in knife wounds.
Her legs too.
And on her stomach, there was an even deeper cut.
She had clearly not gone to Zhong Gaoyi for treatment. She had simply wrapped the wounds herself, and blood was still seeping through the makeshift bandages.
Something about this was deeply unsettling.
“Take her to Dr. Zhong first for a check-up.”
Jiang Yu immediately tied the unconscious woman up like a dumpling and prepared to take her to the clinic.
But just as they arrived, “Qu Jingwen” slowly woke up.
The moment she saw Su Tao, she grabbed her arm weakly and pleaded, “Boss Su, save me!”
Zhong Gaoyi jogged out. “What’s going on? Weren’t you about to leave?”
Su Tao replied, “Let us use your office for a bit. We’ll head out once we’ve dealt with her.”
With the office door shut, Jiang Yu tied “Qu Jingwen” to a chair.
She didn’t struggle at all, maybe because she had no strength left.
“Talk. What’s going on? Who are you?”
“Qu Jingwen” pressed her lips together. “Do you have anything to keep me alert? If I relax even a little, she’ll take over again.”
Su Tao signaled Jiang Yu to get her a cup of coffee.
After downing it in one gulp, “Qu Jingwen” took a deep breath and said, “I’m sorry, Boss Su. I’m not Qu Jingwen. I just… ‘borrowed’ her body.”
Su Tao narrowed her eyes. “Borrowed? How?”
“Qu Jingwen” fell silent for two seconds before speaking.
“My real name is Mu An’an. I don’t know if you came across my name while investigating Tan Yong. He kidnapped me fifteen years ago. I was only seventeen, traveling north to find my relatives. I stopped at the Old Station for two nights, and then he…”
Mu An’an’s voice grew cold with hatred.
“I couldn’t fight back, so I had no choice but to submit. But I never gave up on escaping north to find my family. I tried running away multiple times, but he always caught me. Then, Qu Jingwen arrived. As expected, Tan Yong grew tired of me and loosened his guard.”
“I started planning another escape. But Qu Jingwen found out and told Tan Yong, even accusing me of sneaking out to meet some other man. Tan Yong was furious—he nearly beat me to death.”
Mu An’an’s face twisted at the memory.
“I know I died. I could feel it. But… maybe the heavens pitied me, because suddenly, I realized I had awakened an ability—‘Parasitism.’”
“I panicked. All I wanted was to survive. So I… parasitized Qu Jingwen’s body. But I soon discovered that I could only remain hidden. I couldn’t leave, and I couldn’t control her. I endured like this for ten years.”
“Then, one day, Qu Jingwen was gravely injured. While she was unconscious, I finally managed to control this body. But she must have sensed me. She started fighting to reclaim control.”
“For a while, I had the upper hand. But as this body healed, her consciousness grew stronger. To stop her from taking over, I began self-harming. It worked… but I felt the pain too. And before long, she’d regain control anyway.”
“That’s when I understood—unless her consciousness dies, or she willingly submits, I will always be just a parasite.”
Mu An’an looked at Su Tao expectantly.
Su Tao’s expression remained indifferent. “I can’t save you. Don’t look at me for help.”
Mu An’an grew agitated.
“You can! You took Lian Sha’s crystal core, didn’t you? You can use it to hypnotize Qu Jingwen! If you keep at it long enough, she’ll submit!”
Su Tao had nearly forgotten about that.
She folded her arms. “And why should I help you?”
Lian Sha’s Manipulate ability only lasted six days. After that, the crystal core would be useless.
Helping Mu An’an wouldn’t benefit Su Tao in any way.
Mu An’an was stunned. “If you help me, I’ll work for you. Unlike Qu Jingwen, I don’t want to kill you.”
Su Tao asked, “And what skills do you have that make you worth saving?”
Parasitism was an ability, sure—but it wasn’t exactly practical or immediately useful.
Mu An’an fell silent.
Su Tao checked the time—almost 7 AM. From the shadows, Jiang Yu signaled that Lin Fangzhi was on his way.
Su Tao stood up, ready to leave.
Mu An’an panicked. If Su Tao walked away now, she might never regain control of this body. She cried out desperately,
“I know where Tan Yong hid his treasures! You will be interested! The Old Station has existed for so many years—Tan Yong couldn’t have just hoarded federal currency. He collected valuables from passing convoys and merchants and hid them away.”
Su Tao wasn’t convinced.
The Old Station had long been part of her system’s territory. If there were anything truly valuable there, she would have discovered it during reconstruction.
Mu An’an seemed to anticipate her doubt. “It’s not hidden at the Old Station—it’s somewhere else.”
