Ground Stars / 地上星 · Ch.96 第96章 泥鳄之愕 -2
第96章 泥鳄之愕 –2
Chapter 96: The Mud Crocodile’s Shock –2
宁洋略显尴尬的点点头，算是承认了甲子间壹人就镇住整个棚区的事不是空穴来风。
Ning Yang nodded somewhat awkwardly, essentially conceding that the rumor of Jiazi Term single-handedly dominating the entire Peng Zone wasn’t baseless.
赵启异道：「还真是有这样厉害的人啊，这样的家伙居然去做小偷？」
Zhao Qi remarked in surprise, “So there really is someone that formidable. And a guy like that went and became a thief?”
「他没偷，误会而已。」
“He didn’t steal anything—it was just a misunderstanding.”
「哦？」赵启目中神采连连：「妳手下这些人可不是这么说的。」
“Oh?” Zhao Qi’s eyes flickered with interest. “That’s not what your people were saying.”
「我们只是为了麻痹真正的小偷。」宁洋道。
“We were just trying to throw off the real thief,” Ning Yang said.
突然壹道折线射来，宁洋胸前自动浮现出银白圆环。
Suddenly a jagged line shot through the air, and a silver-white ring automatically materialized on Ning Yang’s chest.
｛宁哥，刚才咱们某些住户说，他们的朋友在无忧那边见到了正在拍卖的优质水井失念引擎，好像就是咱们丢失的那个。｝
{Brother Ning, some of our residents just said their friends spotted a top-quality well core engine being auctioned off over at Wu You’s place—looks like the one we lost.}
「他没看错？」
“Are they sure they didn’t see wrong?”
｛千真万确。｝
{Absolutely certain.}
宁洋火急攻心。
Ning Yang’s anger surged like fire.
让他羞怒的有两样，壹是引擎正在拍卖，二是什么鬼东西都知道自己家丢东西了。
Two things drove him into a fury: one, that the engine was being put up for auction; two, that pretty much everyone knew his household had lost something.
这些人的舌头怎么这么长！
How long were these people’s tongues?!
「是谁在卖！」
“Who the hell’s selling it?”
来不急怪罪棚区里那群大嘴巴，宁洋心切的问。
Too furious to start blaming the loose-lipped bunch in Peng Zone, Ning Yang asked urgently.
｛是自称甲子间助理的人。｝
{Someone claiming to be Jiazi Term’s assistant.}
宁洋差点吐血。
Ning Yang nearly coughed up blood.
难道真是那家伙偷走的？他到底想干嘛，玩我？
Could that guy really have stolen it? What the hell does he want—to toy with me?
「能买回来吗？」
“Can we buy it back?”
｛哥，价格太高了，已经炒到四千八百年了。｝
{Brother, the price is too high. It’s been driven up to four thousand eight hundred years.}
「我干他大爷！」
“Damn it!”
……
拍卖会场内水井的价格不断走高，于此同时，更多远方的人从线人的联系中知道了优质水井出世的事情。
Inside the auction venue, the price of water wells kept climbing. Meanwhile, more people from afar learned about the emergence of high-quality water wells through their informants.
｛全力竞价，但不要超过八千。｝
{Bid with all you’ve got, but don’t exceed eight thousand.}
「是。」
“Understood.”
｛制作人是谁知道吗？｝
{Do you know who the Maker is?}
「据说他就在这附近，刚才好些人已经发现到他了，不过对方没有接受心灵链接。」
“It’s said he’s nearby. Many people have spotted him already, but he didn’t accept the Syn-Link.”
会场内，类似的交流随处可见，好些大点的棚区都有异动。
Similar exchanges were happening everywhere in the venue. Several major Peng Zones were stirring with activity.
「甲子间没有回应我，好消息是应该也没回应他们。」
“Jiazi Term hasn’t replied to me. The good news is they probably haven’t replied to them either.”
排排木制座椅的会场内，壹人跟自己背后的棚主道。
Among the rows of wooden seats in the venue, someone spoke to the Penglord behind them.
｛出去后，制作张寻人告示牌，示意可以从他手上大量收购这种失念引擎，价格五千时序壹枚。｝
{After we get out, make a sign asking for him. Indicate that we’re willing to buy a large quantity of this kind of Shin Engine from him, at a price of five thousand Chronos each.}
「好，我这就让人去做。」
“Alright, I’ll have someone do it right away.”
……
材料铺内，苏晴笑道：「怎么样，体会到名人的烦恼了吧。」
Inside the materials shop, Sue Ching smiled and said, “So, you’ve tasted the troubles of being a celebrity, haven’t you?”
杨子藏非常无奈，闪烁的细密线条就没有结束过，他终于是知道为什么对面的人听说过自己了。
Yang Zicang felt utterly helpless. The flickering fine lines showed no sign of stopping. He finally understood why the earlier person had known about him.
偷走水井引擎的人居然冒充自己的助手来这里售卖！
The person who stole the water well engine had the audacity to impersonate his assistant and sell it here!
好巧不巧的是，自己还真的来了。
And by such an unfortunate coincidence, he showed up in person.
「该死的东西。」杨子藏牙痒痒的摁了摁手关节。
“Damn bastard.” Yang Zicang, grinding his teeth in fury, cracked his knuckles.
不知道那冒充自己助手的人是什么样，他很想现在就去拍卖会场等著，要是直接接手拍卖所得的物资，不知那小偷会露出怎样的表情。
He wondered what the intruder pretending to be his assistant looked like. He was itching to go wait at the auction hall right now—what expression would that thief make if he directly intercepted the supplies from the auction?
哗哗哗！
Rustle, rustle, rustle!
屋外响起成群的脚步声。
The sound of a crowd of footsteps echoed outside the house.
「苏晴！」
“Sue Ching!”
浑厚的声音在门外响起，拥有坚实肌肉的男人谨慎看著屋内几人。
A deep, resonant voice boomed from beyond the door. A man with solid muscles stood warily, eyeing the few people inside the room.
苏晴轻轻往后退了两步，杨子藏直勾勾盯著他的动作。
Sue Ching gently stepped back two paces, while Yang Zicang stared intently at his every move.
「把妳的Moexl展开。」领队的吼道，并示意几人出来。
“Unfold your Moxel,” the squad leader barked, gesturing for a few of them to come out.
陈老师两人慌忙拖著箱子出来，他们还不清楚发生了什么。
Professor Chen and the other person hastily dragged the boxes out, still clueless about what was happening.
「喔？王队吧，我们之间是不是有什么误会。」
“Oh? Squad Leader Wang, I think there’s some misunderstanding between us.”
「不照做的话，就别怪兄弟我无情了。」
“If you don’t do as I say, don’t blame me being ruthless, brother.”
王队提剑直指，同时他也看著屋内壹副事不关己样子的卡其外套青年。
Squad Leader Wang raised his sword, pointing it straight ahead, while also glancing at the young man in the khaki coat who looked utterly indifferent inside the room.
「别废话。」
“Stop the crap.”
「呵，既然如此。」苏晴笑道：「谢谢了，各位，今次的拜访我非常满意。」
“Ha, since that’s the case.” Sue Ching chuckled, “Thank you, everyone. I’m very satisfied with today’s visit.”
赫然，屋外大地翻滚。
Suddenly, the earth outside churned violently.
砰砰砰！
Bang! Bang! Bang!
啊啊！
Ah! Ah!
两人身体瞬间被抛飞，似鳄鱼又似穿山甲的怪物突地从地面冒出，有人当场被怪物两口咬掉保护时序，就要将其身体撕成两半。
Two bodies were instantly flung into the air. A monster, part-crocodile, part-pangolin, burst out from the ground. Someone was bitten in two by the creature, their Chronos torn away, and the beast ripped their body apart.
「小心！」众人惊呼。
“Look out!” Everyone shouted in alarm.
杨子藏双目轻轻壹闭，壹道精神波浪扩散而出。
Yang Zicang’s eyes gently closed, and a ripple of spiritual force radiated outward.
众人瞬间有种轻微的，像是被世界遗弃之感，仿佛周围地面、树林乃至空气都被打上了不属于自己的标签。
In an instant, everyone felt a subtle sense of being abandoned by the world, as if the surrounding ground, trees, and even the air had all been stamped with a label that wasn’t theirs.
窃窃私语在耳边回响。
Whispers echoed around their ears.
「啊，救命！」
“Ah, help!”
壹道被顶上几米高空，又往下落的人放声哭喊。
Someone who had been tossed several meters into the air and was now falling downward screamed in terror.
杨子藏身前本就因不断的心灵链接而浮现的圆环中，突然旋转出闪动的四边形线条。
Suddenly, Quad lines flickered to life within the circle that had already materialized before Yang Zicang due to the continuous Syn-Link, spiraling outward.
嗖！那已经落入鳄鱼口之人的身体突然加速冲向前方，在他尖叫声中，呈抛物线落在了房檐上。
*Whoosh!* The body of the man already inside the crocodile’s mouth suddenly accelerated forward, arcing through the air amid his screams and landing in a parabola on the eaves of the roof.
杨子藏脚尖壹踩，地上壹粒用作材料的沙石被附带时序壹脚踢出，它划过抛物线冲向屋外炸开。同时空中抛洒的泥土便被炸开的沙石附上了金辉。
Yang Zicang pressed his toes against the ground, kicking out a grain of sand, a building material, infused with Chronos. It cut through the air in a curved arc, rushed out of the house, and then exploded. Meanwhile, the airborne scattered soil was instantly gilded with a golden radiance by the exploding sand.
在它们落下的瞬间，房间内的苏晴脸上愕然，随后眉头壹皱。
In that split second before they fell, a look of shock crossed Sue Ching’s face inside the room, which quickly gave way to a furrowed brow.
嘭嘭嘭嘭。
*Boom boom boom boom.*
金辉泥土如拐弯子弹般撞向冒头的怪物们。
Those golden-glowing pellets of soil, missile-like, swerved mid-air and crashed into the monsters poking up their heads.
鲜血味道霎时弥漫空气中，陈老师两人尖叫著缩回台阶上。
The smell of blood instantly filled the air, and Professor Chen and her companion, shrieking, shrank back onto the steps.
「天呐！」
“Good heavens!”
地面仿佛被炸弹炸过般，缺失半截身体的鳄鱼尸体们还在地下摆动，逐渐失去生命气息，未被这些泥土碰到的鳄鱼也不敢再浮现而出。
The ground looked as if it had been bombed, with crocodile corpses missing half their bodies still writhing underground, their life force slowly fading, while those untouched by the dirt dared not surface again.
苏黎颤抖著倚靠在棵树干上，他转头看向房间内那年轻人，不敢置信他能做到如此地步。
Su Li trembled as he leaned against a tree trunk, turning his head to look at the young man in the room, unable to believe he could achieve such a feat.
「好强。」
“So strong.”
众人壹片哗然。
The crowd erupted in uproar.
「所以，妳为什么不愿意展开Moexl？」
“So, why are you unwilling to unfold Moxel?”
杨子藏睁眼，看向冷汗淋漓的苏晴。
Yang Zicang opened his eyes, looking at the sweat-drenched Sue Ching.
苏晴握著失念引擎的手不断渗出汗渍。
Sue Ching’s hand gripping the Shin Engine was slick with sweat.
「误会，朋友。」
“Misunderstanding, buddy.”
竟然是四边形Moexl，还是能将时序附著至几米外的四边形，苏晴的心已经沈入谷底。
QuadMoxel—no less a Quad that could attach Chronos several meters away. Sue Ching’s heart plummeted to rock bottom.
杨子藏冲著他伸出手晃了晃，他愣了下后，才反应过来是问自己要这枚差点被自己直接收入囊中的失念引擎。
Yang Zicang held out his hand toward him and shook it; Sue Ching blinked before realizing he was asking for the Shin Engine about to tucked away in his own pocket.
引擎呈现抛物线稳稳落在对面之人手上。
The engine arced perfectly into the hand of the man across from him.
「厉害，难怪会知道这么多配方。」苏晴挤出笑容。
“Impressive. No wonder you know so many recipes.” Sue Ching forced a smile.
背靠墙壁的杨子藏淡笑著挥动了下手臂。
Yang Zicang, leaning against the wall, moved his arm lightly with a faint smile.
「交出所有时序，然后束手就擒。」
“Hand over all the Chronos, and surrender without a fight.”
苏晴轻轻呵出肺中浊气，他看向外界仿佛要将自己生吞活剥般的苏黎壹眼。
Sue Ching slowly exhaled the stale air from his lungs as he cast a glance at Su Li outside, who looked as if she wanted to devour him alive.
「我承认妳很强，但妳又怎么知道，我的终点会在这里呢？」
“I admit you’re strong, but how do you know that my end lies here?”
他胸前瞬息间浮现出红色圆环。
A red ring materialized on his chest in an instant.
壹声沈响，地面轰然坍塌，苏晴微笑著的身影掉落进坑洞内。
With a heavy thud, the ground collapsed, and Sue Ching’s smiling figure dropped into the pit.
白影念龙赫然冲出，射入洞中。
The Paleshade Wyrm lunged forward and shot into the hole.
「念力体？！」
“A psionic body?!”
下方传来道震惊的人声。
A shocked human voice rang out from below.
轰隆！
Boom!
大量泥土和污水喷出，将房屋阻塞了大半。
A torrent of mud and filthy water erupted, partially flooding the building.
白影念龙撕咬住了好几个深洞壁上窜出的鳄鱼，它本想贪婪地吞噬其念力能量，却被杨子藏阻止，命其继续往下。
The Paleshade Wyrm bit into several crocodiles that sprang from the deep pit walls; greedy to devour their psionic energy, it was stopped by Yang Zicang, who ordered it to keep going deeper.
瞧见恐怖的半通明幻影穿透泥土冲来，苏晴感觉自己背脊发麻，似被死神锁定。
Seeing the terrifying, semi-translucent phantom burst through the dirt toward him, Sue Ching felt his spine tingle, as if being locked onto by Death itself.
「可恶的东西！」
“Damn thing!”
他的手快速摸到胸前，手指捏住外套里面衣服的拉链往下壹划。
His hand quickly reached his chest, fingers gripping the zipper of the garment under his jacket and pulling it down with one sweep.
撕拉！身旁壹具鳄鱼怪物的表皮如同被拉链拉开般破开向两旁。
Rip! The skin of a crocodile monster beside him burst open, split to the sides like a zipper being undone.
白影念龙从十几具在地下穿行的怪物之间冲来，它们的念力体为苏晴争取到了些微时间。
The Paleshade Wyrm surged forward from among over a dozen creatures traversing beneath the earth; their psionic bodies bought Sue Ching a few precious moments.
褪去苏晴外表的无皮人在摔落途中，伸手触碰到那具鳄鱼皮肤，嗖地将其套在身上。
The skinless man, stripped of Sue Ching’s appearance, reached out mid-fall, touched the crocodile hide, and swiftly slid it onto his body.
白影念龙冲到这人原本的位置后，扭头看向那条穿著人类夹克衫的鳄鱼。
After Paleshade Wyrm charged to the man’s original position, it turned its head to look at the crocodile clad in a human jacket.
鳄鱼胸口闪动著红色圆圈，它正抓住坑洞边缘，将头往泥土里钻。
A red circle flickered on the crocodile’s chest as it grabbed the edge of the pit, burrowing its head into the soil.
｛快让更多鳄鱼来救我，颚哑！｝
{Hurry and summon more crocodiles to save me, Geya!}
｛蜕皮，妳让我的宝贝们死了多少妳知道吗，我在这里苦心经营这么久，今天被妳给毁了！｝
{Molt, do you know how many of my darlings you’ve killed? I’ve toiled here so long, and today you’ve ruined everything!}
｛闭嘴吧，配方到手了，都会赚回来，快救我。｝
{Shut up, once we get the formula, we’ll earn it all back. Save me now.}
穿著衣服的鳄鱼惊慌失措的不断往前掏洞，蜕皮能感觉到背后极速靠近的死亡气息！
The jacket-wearing crocodile scrambled frantically, clawing forward through the hole. Molt could feel the deathly aura closing in from behind!
更多隐藏于地下的鳄鱼如同洪水猛兽般从泥土中窜来。
More hidden crocodiles surged from the earth like a flood of monstrous beasts.
「快啊！快！！」
“Quick! Hurry!!”
感觉自己逐渐兽化的蜕皮双目渗血，变成野兽的他若是时间过长，真的会成为野兽。
Molt, feeling himself gradually turning feral, had blood seeping from his eyes. If he remained beast-like too long, he would truly become a beast.
「嗷嗷！」他不由得用怪兽的喉咙发出惊慌失措的叫声。
“Aaarr!” He couldn’t help but let out a panicked howl from his monster’s throat.
在白影念龙再次被驱使而来前，暗沈的泥土壹松，壹只鳄鱼出现，蜕皮迫不及待扭曲著爪子，勾向胸腹下的拉链。
Just as Paleshade Wyrm was about to charge once more, the darkened earth suddenly loosened, and a crocodile emerged, shedding its skin in haste while contorting its claws, hooking toward a zipper running along its chest and abdomen.
嘭！白影念龙穿过前方鳄鱼身体，壹口叼出鳄鱼的念力体，但这念力体很快就消散失去了能量。
*BAM!* Paleshade Wyrm pierced through the crocodile ahead, snatching its psionic body in one bite—only to have the psionic body fade away, losing its energy in an instant.
蜕皮已经在这两秒前完成了身体更换，遗留的只是还没消化完的上条鳄鱼血肉。
Shedding had completed its body swap in the two seconds prior; what remained was merely the unsloughed flesh of a crocodile from the previous sequence.
屋内，大量鳄鱼的出现让人手忙脚乱。
Inside the room, the sudden deluge of crocodiles threw everyone into chaos.
又要注意保护众人，又要关注地下的逃跑者，杨子藏只觉得分身乏术。
Torn between defending the others and chasing the escapee underground, Yang Zicang felt utterly stretched thin.
地下，壹大群鳄鱼怪物突破泥土而出，翻滚著聚集在白影念龙跟前，这是壹大堆美味。
Below ground, a horde of crocodile monsters burst through the earth, tumbling together before Paleshade Wyrm—this, a stacked feast of delectable prey.
感觉白影念龙再次被这些怪兽的念力体所吸引，杨子藏无奈，他知道那人应该是追不到了。
Sensing that Paleshade Wyrm was once again lured by the psionic bodies of those monsters, Yang Zicang grew bitterly resigned, realizing that he must have lost his target.
自己跟念龙的情况有点特殊，说它是自己的壹部分，它并不算是，但说它不是，这怪物又是借自己的精神力而存在。
The situation between him and Nian Long was something peculiar—one could say it was a part of him, yet not exactly, but to claim otherwise, this monster existed purely by borrowing his mental energy.
有著杨子藏的意志继续驱使，念龙有点疑惑的扫向泥土内，它能感知到很多美味的念力，但那个属于目标的特殊气息却在不断混杂著其它鳄鱼的气息，让他的特殊味道不断减弱。
Driven by the lingering will of Yang Zicang, Nian Long cast a puzzled glance into the soil. It could perceive many delicious psychic forces, but the target’s unique aura was constantly being muddled by the scents of other crocodiles, gradually weakening its distinct flavor.
「差点就真的死了！」
“I almost really died!”
蜕皮感觉自己的头疼痛欲裂。
The Ecdysis felt as if his head was about to split from the pain.
「该死的东西，那家伙是哪冒出来的，可恶啊！」
“Damn it, where did that bastard come from? How infuriating!”
那连续五次使用恶魇能力的他早已到达了极限，掏洞途中，他张大的口中呕出堪比身躯般大小的血肉秽物后，头昏脑胀地继续刨土钻向前方。
Having reached his absolute limit after unleashing his Nightmare power five consecutive times, he vomited out blood and flesh filth as massive as his own body from his gaping mouth as he burrowed. Dizzy and disoriented, he continued digging desperately toward the front.
这是有史以来，最危险的逃命旅程。
This was, without a doubt, the most perilous escape journey in history.
「失频之地竟然有这种怪物存在。」
“How could a monster like this exist in the Shibin Wastes?”
蜕皮未料到，那新冒出来的所谓引擎铸造师，居然实力这么强！
The Ecdysis had never anticipated that the newcomer—the so-called Engine Forgemaster—would possess such formidable strength.
「竟然还被我遇到了。」
“And I just had to run into him.”
这边的动静迅速引起了无忧货贸区的守卫们的注意。
The commotion here quickly drew the attention of the guards at the Wuyou Trade Zone.
不久，壹群人清理完材料铺内的淤积泥浆后，护卫队长站在破损的洞边看了眼，顿时觉得壹阵眩晕。
Before long, after a group had cleared the accumulated mud from the material depot, the captain of the guard took a glance at the damaged hole’s edge, and immediately felt a dizzying vertigo.
「这些该死的东西。」
“Damn these things.”
无忧货贸区的护卫队长感觉天都踏了。
The captain of the guard at the Wuyou Trade Zone felt as if the sky had fallen.
瞧见壹直隐藏在地下的怪兽竟然集体攻击货贸区边缘，还在下方掏了个几十米深的大洞，赶来的护卫队长袁学林破口大骂。
Seeing the monsters that had been hidden underground actually launch a collective attack on the edge of the Trade Zone and even dig a hole dozens of meters deep underneath, the rushing Guard Captain Yuan Xuelin burst into curses.
要是借此攻击商贸区，或者贵重货物区，那么损失将非常大，而相应的，自己绝对会背口大锅。
If they used this to attack the commercial district or the valuable goods area, the losses would be enormous, and accordingly, he would definitely take the fall.
「袁队啊，那些怪兽竟然还能被人驱使，看来壹直有人在打我们的主意。」
“Captain Yuan, those monsters can actually be driven by people—it seems someone has been scheming against us all along.”
「需要妳说。」
“Do I need you to tell me that?”
袁队长瞪了他壹眼，随后转头看向跪在坑边失魂落魄的苏黎。
Captain Yuan gave him a glare, then turned to look at Su Li, who was kneeling at the edge of the pit, looking utterly lost.
「小苏，安慰的话我也不想多说，反正，在这里，死亡也未尝不是种解脱。」
“Xiao Su, I don’t want to say much in the way of consolation, but anyway, here, death might as well be a release.”
他转身来到门口的杨子藏身边。
He turned and walked over to Yang Zicang, who was standing at the door.
「谢谢妳，这位先生。我是这里的护卫队长袁学林。今天若不是妳，我们肯定会被蒙在鼓里，今后会造成重大损失。请问妳是？」
“Thank you, sir. I am Yuan Xuelin, the guard captain here. If it weren’t for you today, we would have definitely been kept in the dark, which would have caused huge losses in the future. May I ask who you are?”
他真诚感激著身前的小伙子，双手握住杨子藏的手都舍不得松开。
Sincerely grateful for the young man before him, he clasped Yang Zicang’s hand with both of his, unwilling to let go.
「无名小卒而已。」
“Just a nobody.”
杨子藏都不知道自己该说什么了。
Yang Zicang didn’t even know what to say.
「他叫甲子间。」陈老师在壹旁热情的道，显得两人之间像是很熟络。
“His name is Jiazi Term.” Professor Chen enthusiastically chimed in from the side, acting as if the two were on quite familiar terms.
周围已经不知不觉聚集了大批的围观人员，有些有经验者已经开始逆推战斗过程，并深深记下了门口那位年轻人的名字和样貌。
Unbeknownst to them, a large crowd had already gathered around, with some seasoned onlookers beginning to reverse-engineer the battle, deeply etching the name and visage of that young man at the doorway into their memories.
「是妳！」
“It’s you!”
忽的，他们发现屋子上方不知何时出现了两个小光团。
Suddenly, they noticed two small spheres of light had appeared atop the building, their arrival shrouded in mystery.
壹队戴著红袖标的人走来。
A squad of people wearing red armbands approached.
「妳好，甲子间先生，我们棚主想见妳。」
“Hello, Mr. Jiazi Term. Our Lord Penglord wishes to see you.”
为首那位女士很是客气的邀请三人。
The woman at the head was exceedingly polite in inviting the trio.
看来自己的名气又增加了，杨子藏扭头看向陈老师两人。
It seems my fame has grown once more, Yang Zicang thought, turning his head to glance at Professor Chen and the other person.
「妳们壹起吧，免得说我坑妳们的引擎。」
“Both of you come along, lest you claim I’ve swindled you out of your engines.”
寒酸的两人大喜不已。
The two shabbily dressed individuals were overjoyed immensely.