I will be stronger after the remake

Chapter Sixty-Eight: Bewitchment

Tang Ping tried to move, but found that his limbs were bound by invisible threads and he could not move. The fragrance in the air grew stronger and stronger, and the whispers in his ear grew louder and louder, trying to blur his thoughts.

"why me?"

Tang Ping tried to stall for time; if the other party didn't intend to answer, he would launch his next move.

Whether it was because Director Zhang was under mental manipulation, causing his guard to drop significantly, or because his manipulator felt confident of victory, or perhaps he was bewitched by the "fox demon," he actually answered:

"You used the power given to you by the Lord to become a superstar in the public eye, but you did not think of giving back. This is your way to your death."

Director Zhang pulled a gleaming dagger from under his robe. The candlelight flickered on the blade, reflecting his twisted and crazed face: "Rejoice! Although you are an incorrigible ingrate, our Lord is merciful. With His broad mind, He has given you a chance to atone for your sins. We will broadcast the sacrifice to the world live, so that people may understand the majesty of our Lord."

Tang Ping glanced at the several cameras placed in the corner and understood why the other party had chosen her. People are afraid of becoming famous, just like pigs are afraid of getting fat!

Sacrificing an ordinary person to the point of death will certainly attract more attention than sacrificing a celebrity.

"Is there any room for negotiation, such as allowing me to join your Church of the Returning Souls?"

Are you willing to give up your current fame, fortune, and status?

"Of course I'm reluctant to give it up, but even the best fame and fortune can only be enjoyed if you're alive. What's the point of fame and fortune if you're dead? Not to mention I don't even have any children. If I die, it'll all be over. I can't even pass it on to my descendants."

Director Zhang sneered, "If you're so unwilling, you won't be loyal to the Lord after joining the church."

Tang Ping smiled slightly and said, "Even if I was disloyal before joining the sect, don't you have any means to make me loyal after joining?"

"Think about it yourself, which is more trustworthy: those believers who claim to have voluntarily joined the Church of the Spirits, or those who are brainwashed and controlled by psychic powers and magic?"

"If you can gain trust by shouting a few fervent slogans, then I can shout them now!"

"I can talk, I can love to teach, and I can offer my loyalty to the Great Spirit!"

"...It's truly the devil's temptation. For a moment, I actually thought that all believers should be subjected to mind control. How could someone like you be chosen as a positive role model? The government is as blind as ever."

Whether the other party rejected the proposal based on moral bottom line or technical difficulty, Tang Ping continued to entice: "Think about it again, think carefully. Which method can better promote the majesty of the Lord: live-streaming the killing of a celebrity or live-streaming the conversion of a model of positive energy recognized by the government?"

"The former only brings fear to the world, while the latter can shake people's resistance. There might even be some people who join the Guiling Cult with me. You should know that there is a group of beings called fans who can trample on the law, abandon morality, and betray their families for their idols. Don't you want such obedient and practical believers?"

Director Zhang fell silent, or rather, the manipulator behind him fell into thought.

After a moment, Director Zhang slowly spoke: "If it weren't for the inappropriateness of your identity, I would really like to call you a born villain. The kind of face that disregards human life and sells out others for your own sake is simply wicked to the point of being rotten. Even in the Guiling Sect, people as shameless as you are a minority."

Tang Ping said smugly, "Thank you for the compliment."

"I've decided that, while retaining my rationality, I will imprint a mental mark on you. Your wisdom should be used for my own purposes, but this process will be extremely painful. You need to be mentally prepared."

Director Zhang revealed a mocking smile. The more Tang Ping valued her life, the more he wanted to torture her. After all, once he had imprinted her with his mind, he wasn't afraid of her holding a grudge and seeking revenge.

"Wait a minute, is there an easier way? I'm afraid of pain and can't stand torture."

Tang Ping panicked and struggled to get up.

"Heh, I love seeing the reactions of self-proclaimed clever guys when their schemes fail. Just bear with it... What!"

A cry of alarm came from behind, as if they had been attacked.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Tang Ping flicked his arm, and a pocket pistol fell into his palm. With the limited freedom of movement, he rotated his hand and fired several shots in quick succession, accurately hitting Director Zhang and the man in black robes on the insteps.

This will not take their lives, but it will deprive them of their ability to move. Even if they are not in pain under mental control, a bullet embedded in their foot will severely impair their mobility.

At the same time, a flurry of footsteps could be heard at the entrance to the underground parking garage, clearly indicating that reinforcements were beginning to storm in.

Director Zhang, who had fallen to the ground, stared at Tang Ping and gritted his teeth, saying, "You! Were you just stalling for time?"

Tang Ping waved his arms, feeling that his limbs had regained their freedom and were no longer bound. He guessed that among the unlucky souls who were hit, some were key figures in maintaining the ritual, or perhaps all of them were.

"Don't you investigate the kidnappers before you kidnap them? I'm famous for playing undercover agents, and you actually believed what I said? Sure enough, the brains of cult members have been marinated in 'doctrine,' and even the most basic logic has become a luxury. Do you think the earth is flat and the sun is the light bulb in your backyard? People like you probably need divine revelation to understand '1+1=2,' right?"

"Don't think you're safe now, I..."

"Shut up! The moment you open your mouth, the entire underground parking garage reeks of stupidity," Tang Ping interrupted with a look of disdain.

"Tang Ping, I want you dead!"

With a roar of extreme rage, two of the black-robed figures suddenly swelled up and transformed into two enormous reptilian creatures with the heads of women, the hind legs and tails of horses, and the forepaws of cats.

Tang Ping fired a shot when the opponent transformed, but the result was minimal. The bullet only pierced the opponent's skin and did not cause enough damage to affect their movement. Seeing this, Tang Ping immediately turned and ran away, using "Three-Eyed Spirit" before escaping.

[Monster: Lamia]

[Source: Greek Mythology]

[Introduction: The children of Lamia. Lamia was the daughter of Poseidon, the god of the sea, and Rabi in Greek mythology. She was also the queen of Libya and possessed outstanding beauty. She was seduced by Zeus, the chief god, and became his mistress. The enraged Hera killed all of Lamia's children and transformed her into a half-human, half-serpent monster. Afterward, Lamia gave birth to more children, who were called Lamiae or Lamya.]

Lamia chased after Tangping in a strange posture. Its huge body was unusually agile, like a big cat. It would also actively avoid vehicles during the chase to avoid being slowed down.

"Get down quickly!"

A distant call for reinforcements alerted Tang Ping, who immediately did as instructed, lunging forward and rolling under the chassis of a van. Instantly, a barrage of gunfire erupted from the underground garage, as a hail of bullets rained down upon them.

A series of blood blossoms burst from the two monsters' bodies, and the intense pain combined with the physical impact momentarily halted their movements.

Chapter Sixty-Nine: Vajra Subdues Demons

Tang Ping breathed a slight sigh of relief when he saw that the guns had effectively killed the two monsters.

He was really afraid of some kind of setting where technological weapons were ineffective against monsters, or that firearms were ineffective, since many novels had similar settings for the sake of convenience.

The power of a regular army rifle was far superior to Tang Ping's pocket pistol; the two Ramiyai were shot at and screamed in agony, retreating in defeat.

"The target's flesh has a strong ability to stop bleeding, so the wounds left by the bullets will not bleed continuously. Moreover, the torso is protected by snake scales, so the rifle can only cause very shallow wounds. Immediately switch to an anti-materiel rifle and aim at the parts without scales."

A man who looked like both an observer and a commander was giving orders.

In the group, two soldiers each took out a large-caliber weapon that looked menacing and began firing at the monster.

The two Ramia seemed to have anticipated the danger and tried to dodge in advance, but at such close range, they still couldn't completely avoid it. One was hit in the front paw, and the paw, which was as thick as a load-bearing pillar, shattered completely. The other was grazed on the back, and a large amount of flesh flew everywhere.

Upon seeing this, Tang Ping still felt uneasy and quickly approached, asking, "Isn't there a more powerful weapon, like a rocket launcher?"

The soldier who looked like a commander explained, "This underground parking garage was not built to wartime shelter standards, so it cannot withstand a strong blast. Using weapons like rocket launchers could easily cause it to collapse. Even if we can evacuate in time, the others in the building probably won't have time to escape."

Tang Ping listened intently and indeed heard the sound of a group of people retreating. He said, "I don't have much combat ability, so I'm afraid I can't be of much help."

The commander saluted and said, "You've already done us a great service by helping us catch the Guiling Cult in the act. Now, leave the rest to us."

However, he was immediately proven wrong. A loud bang was heard, and the strong impact, along with various fragments, scattered the team. It turned out that Lamia had used the car parked in the garage as a weapon to smash it.

Fortunately, the military had prepared a contingency plan for this situation. Several physically enhanced psionicists stepped forward with riot shields and barely managed to block the impact. However, they were also seriously injured. With each block, their internal organs were damaged, and their arms showed signs of fracture.

Lamiai realized he had found the best way to attack, and began throwing cars one after another while laughing maniacally.

Tang Ping, hiding in the back, said anxiously, "Why don't we retreat first? At worst, we can just bomb the underground parking garage after everyone has evacuated from the building."

The commander hesitated, but he knew he had to make a decision quickly. Every second of hesitation increased the danger. So he gritted his teeth and was about to give the order.

"Sorry, I'm late."

A somewhat familiar voice came from behind. Tang Ping turned around and saw Ling Chong, with whom she had shared life and death. Realizing that this was the expert from out of town she had invited, she couldn't help but laugh and say, "Not at all, you've come at just the right time. A hero should appear at the crucial moment."

"Haha, you're the hero of this incident, I'm just a garbage collector."

Ling Chong strode forward, rushing to the front. He pushed forward with both palms, blocking two cars that were crashing down on him with two loud bangs. Then, like the Hulk, he grabbed the cars with both hands, spun around in place, and used the centrifugal force to smash the two cars back.

Lamia, whose foreleg was severed, was unable to dodge and was hit squarely by the car, flying away with a pained howl. The other car, however, managed to avoid the impact by using the terrain.

Seeing this, the commander was about to order an attack when Ling Chong stopped him, saying, "Let me do it. The superiors want to capture these two monsters alive."

The commander asked in surprise, "These two are monsters, not psionicists?"

Without the Three-Eyed Spirit's identification, Tang Ping would also have believed that these two monsters were psionic beings whose spiritual resonance had gone out of control.

"Yes, a monster that has possessed a human body and is able to enter the mortal world has great research value."

Ling Chong strode forward to the center of the garage, clasped his hands together, closed his eyes slightly, and his monk's robes fluttered without wind, faintly exuding an aura of solemnity.

Unlike his solemn demeanor when dealing with the swarm of insects last time, he was calm this time, as if he didn't take his opponent seriously at all, simply because these large monsters were his "favorite".

Tang Ping secretly used the Three-Eyed Spiritual Radiance on Ling Chong, and instantly a piece of information surfaced in his mind:

[Character: Chen Zengfu (Lingchong)]

[Linge: Vajra]

[Psionic Powers: Vajra Lion's Roar, Impenetrable to All Evil, Golden Body, Immovable Vajra]

[The Lion's Roar: When the lion roars, all beasts submit; when the Vajra pestle strikes, all peaks shatter. Your voice has two forms: the spiritual form contains pure Yang energy, reaching the depths of the soul; the physical form can transform into a shockwave. The louder the sound, the greater the power.]

[Invulnerable to All Evils: Increases resistance to various plagues and curses]

[Golden Dharma Image: Summons a massive golden Dharma image. The more spiritual power consumed, the larger the summoned Dharma image becomes.]

【Immovable Vajra: When you stand still, your physical attributes are greatly enhanced, and you gain a defensive aura. If your opponent cannot break through the aura, they cannot move you.】

With its forelegs severed, Lamia opened its mouth and spewed out a cloud of black poisonous mist. The mist spread rapidly, corroding the ground and causing it to sizzle.

The other serpent, Ramia, suddenly lashed out with its tail, instantly creating a deep ravine in the ground. Its body lunged at Ling Chong like lightning, its sharp claws tearing through the air.

Ling Chong neither dodged nor evaded, a layer of golden light faintly emanating from his body, like an indestructible Vajra statue. He directly withstood the enemy's impact without moving his feet an inch, his posture remaining upright.

He threw a powerful punch, knocking away his opponent's claws. The force of the punch still lingered, striking his face squarely. The fierce energy spread like a tangible force, as if the air was being torn apart. The glass of the nearest car shattered instantly, scattering shards everywhere.

Lamia's once pretty face was twisted and deformed by the punch, and her massive body flew backward, crashing heavily into the wall and creating a large crater. She lost consciousness on the spot.

At this moment, the poisonous fog had already spread to Ling Chong's side, but it did not cause any harm. It did not even corrode his clothes. Ling Chong did not even hold his breath and was breathing freely.

The remaining Ramia swung its tail and slammed it down, causing the ground to crack open again, sending countless fragments of stone flying out like arrows.

However, when the pebbles hit Ling Chong's body, they were deflected by the golden light and fell to the ground without leaving a trace.

“It’s useless, you beast,” Ling Chong’s voice was calm and firm. “Your evil power cannot shake the true Dharma of Buddhism.”

Your greatest skill is clearly Taoist arts!

Tang Pingxin harbored resentment in his heart.

Chapter Seventy: Duties of the Public Security Section

The remaining Lamiai failed to cause any trouble. After all, one of its front legs was broken, making it difficult to move. Limited by the underground parking garage environment, it had no chance to escape and had to confront Ling Chong head-on. As a result, it was knocked unconscious by Ling Chong's punch and followed in its companion's footsteps.

After triggering "Immovable Vajra", Ling Chong's physical abilities are comparable to a youthful version of the Hulk. Fighting the several-ton Lamiai is no different from bullying a child, and being hit by a car at high speed is like a gentle breeze.

Tang Ping witnessed the entire battle, and combined with the demonic calamity caused by the spider demon last time, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart: compatibility is really very important in the battle between spirit beings.

Ling Chong and his group of psionicists put up a fierce resistance against a swarm of insects led by a second-tier insect demon, but they were still outmatched. If Tang Ping hadn't pointed out the location of the insect demon leader, the most likely outcome would have been that after a period of delay, he and his few surviving teammates would have fled in a sorry state.

Now, Ling Chong is easily and comfortably dealing with two second-tier monsters, and he even has the strength to capture them alive. It should be noted that killing an enemy and capturing an enemy alive are two completely different levels of difficulty in battle. Moreover, he can also capture his target alive while showing off.

With the battle over, the commander reported to his superiors while sending people to take in the two Lamiai and to send those who had been mind-controlled to the hospital.

Tang Ping kindly asked, "Don't we need to go help elsewhere?"

"Thanks to Comrade Tang for discovering the Guiling Cult's whereabouts in advance, we have had enough time to prepare our plans. We have sufficient manpower in all areas and do not need any additional assistance. We only need to handle our own tasks."

"Enough time? Less than four hours, I guess."

The commander smiled and explained, "Three years ago, it was also an operation against the Guiling Cult. We also discovered their plan in advance, but we only had about twenty minutes to prepare. Compared to that, we have plenty of time this time. If we still don't handle it properly, all of our leaders will be held accountable."

Ling Chong also came over and laughed, "That's why I said the biggest contributor to this operation is you. Discovering the enemy's whereabouts half an hour or four hours in advance is a completely different concept in terms of strategy. I heard on the way that the other side had just sent a puppet to make contact with you, and you discovered it. You are really cautious."

Tang Ping stroked his chin and casually made up an excuse: "Perhaps it's because I played the role of an undercover agent. Under Ling Ge's influence, I really put myself into the role and couldn't help but observe everyone who tried to approach me. Unfortunately, the people they sent to contact me spoke in a stiff tone and walked in a way that didn't seem like a living person. Once I became more vigilant, it was easy to find their flaws."

“People who are mind-controlled do act like puppets, but it is difficult for ordinary people to notice, especially strangers. They will subconsciously think that it is someone else’s personal habit and ignore it.”

Based on their previous collaboration, Ling Chong guessed that Tang Ping's spirit was that of a fox spirit. However, due to the Spiritual Energy Administration's control over information, his understanding of fox spirits was limited to two basic spiritual abilities, and he was not clear about anything more detailed. Therefore, he did not doubt Tang Ping's statement, but simply thought that the fox spirit's performance made people feel more immersed and that it made sense logically.

Tang Ping was unwilling to talk about it further and changed the subject, saying, "I didn't expect it to be such a coincidence that I would run into Captain Ling Chong coming to our rescue."

“The higher-ups need a third-tier psionicist to oversee things, and I happened to be the closest one on a mission nearby, so I rushed over as fast as I could.”

Ling Chong looked at Tang Ping and sighed, "I never expected that in just over two months you would become a nationally renowned superstar. I originally wanted to persuade the director to increase the efforts to poach people, but after 'The Invisible Guardian' came out, I knew that there would be no chance anymore. Hmph, you have made a great contribution this time, and the director must be regretting it to the core."

He felt a sense of regret, like someone who had their eye on a rough stone but couldn't afford it, and then watched helplessly as someone else bought it and cut it open to reveal a top-quality jade.

Tang Ping could only comfort her, saying, "Fate brings us together and fate separates us; why force it?"

The variety show could no longer be filmed, and everyone finished their work and went home.

Tang Ping originally wanted to take the high-speed rail back, but Ling Chong persuaded her not to because of safety concerns, so she had no choice but to take the car arranged by the army.

Half an hour later, the commander shared the good news he had just received with the two men: "This operation was perfect. All the members of the Guiling Cult involved have been arrested without exception."

Ling Chong sighed, "The other side probably didn't expect to be exposed so quickly."