Chapter 51: Ability Mutation Sparks Suspicion, Mao Yu Deeply Trapped in a Dilemma

The night draped over the supernatural metropolis like a colossal black velvet curtain.

Neon lights flickered, yet failed to dispel the lingering unease within Mao Yu's heart. Standing atop a towering skyscraper, he gazed down at the very land he had just defended, his brow furrowed deeply. The air was still thick with the lingering scent of alcohol from the victory banquet, forming a stark contrast to the heavy weight pressing upon his soul.

"This supernatural mutation is definitely no accident!" Mao Yu muttered under his breath, sounding as though he were talking to himself.

He couldn't shake the feeling that a massive conspiracy lurked beneath the surface, resembling a colossal black hole ready to swallow everything whole at any moment.

No sooner thought than done!

"System, give me directions. Destination: the Supernatural Beings Research Center!" With a single thought, Mao Yu vanished from the spot in an instant.

When he materialized once more, he was already standing before the grand gates of the research center.

Yet, the moment he stepped inside, the surrounding crowd erupted into an instant uproar, bubbling over like a boiling pot of oil.

"Look, isn't that Mao Yu? What's he doing here?"

"Could he be connected to those mutated freaks?"

"Shh, keep your voice down! Who knows, but I bet he's no good either!"

Skeptical whispers pierced through the air like sharp needles, stabbing straight into Mao Yu's eardrums. He frowned heavily, feeling as though he were a caged monkey in a zoo, surrounded and pointed at by onlookers.

A surge of anger flared up within him. "Will you all shut the fuck up? I have zero goddamn relation to the mutants!"

Too lazy to waste his breath on these brainless passersby, he strode purposefully toward Professor Su's office. He was simply too impatient to uncover the truth.

"Bang, bang, bang!" Mao Yu hammered furiously on Professor Su's office door, the blows so heavy they sounded as though he intended to rip it off its hinges.

"Professor Su, open up! I know you're in there!"

Silence reigned from within, devoid of the slightest response.

Mao Yu pounded on the door once more, striking even harder, tinged with a trace of impatience. "Professor Su, don't play dead! I know you can hear me!"

"Crash!" With a single kick, Mao Yu smashed the door wide open. What met his eyes was Professor Su, trembling from head to toe.

The professor was cowering in the corner, his eyes vacant, resembling a frightened bird startled by the mere twang of a bowstring.

"Professor Su, what on earth is wrong with you? You look as drained as if your vitality had been completely sucked dry, looking utterly lifeless," Mao Yu teased, a faint trace of mockery playing on his lips.

"Stay... stay away from me!" Professor Su shrieked as though he had laid eyes on a ghost, his voice cracking at the high pitch.

He curled his body even tighter into a ball, as if attempting to melt directly into the wall.

***

Mao Yu was completely baffled by Professor Su's reaction. He strode forward swiftly, grabbing the professor by the collar of his shirt.

"Professor Su, what the hell are you playing at? I'm asking you, what's going on with these recent supernatural mutations?!"

Pale with fright, Professor Su's lips trembled uncontrollably.

"I... I don't know anything! Don't ask me, I... I'm scared! Please, let me go!"

"Scared my ass! As the head of the research center, you can't even protect yourself, what the hell is the point of doing research?!" Furious and exasperated, Mao Yu hurled Professor Su back against the wall.

Just at that moment, a mocking voice rang out from the doorway. "Well, well, if it isn't our great hero Mao Yu! Such impressive authority you're flexing here!"

Journalist Wang strutted in, his face heavily greased and powdered, a blindingly flashy gold chain dangling around his neck, holding a microphone, followed by a bustling entourage of reporters hoisting heavy camera rigs. He wore a gloating expression, as though he had just caught the scent of a massive scoop.

"Mao Yu, what are you doing here? Are you the mastermind behind the supernatural mutations?"

"Eat shit and bark at the moon!" A wave of searing fury consumed Mao Yu. This reporter possessed absolutely no baseline of decency whatsoever just for the sake of grabbing eyeballs!

"Professor Su, why don't you tell us? Did Mao Yu threaten you and force you to cover up the truth?" Journalist Wang completely ignored Mao Yu, turning instead to address the shivering professor.

Professor Su's eyes darted evasively, stammering and stuttering for ages without managing to string together a single coherent sentence.

Seizing upon this, Journalist Wang sensationalized the moment further for his broadcast. "Dearest viewers, did you all see that? Professor Su's reaction has already explained everything! Mao Yu, what do you have to say for yourself now?"

The very next day, front-page headlines across every major news media outlet were dominated by negative reports concerning Mao Yu.

The headlines were utterly sensationalist:
*《The Supernatural Tournament Champion is Actually the Mastermind Behind the Mutations?》*
*《Mao Yu, What Secrets Are You Hiding?》*...

Walking down the street, Mao Yu felt as though every single person was glaring at him with strange, hostile eyes.

Some spat in his direction, others hurled rotten vegetable leaves, and a few even attempted to physically strike him. He had become a street rat that everyone longed to beat.

"I, Mao Yu, walk straight and sit upright! What have I got to be afraid of?!" Mao Yu roared internally. He needed an opportunity—an opportunity to prove his innocence.

He decided to hold a press conference.

As soon as the news broke, the entire supernatural metropolis was sent into a frenzy.

Some mocked him for overestimating his abilities, some sat back waiting to watch him make a fool of himself, while others silently offered their support.

The press conference venue was packed to the gills with a vast sea of people.

Camera flashes flickered continuously, and reporters stared at Mao Yu like starving wolves, waiting eagerly for him to speak.

"I know that many people are currently doubting me, and some even hate me." Mao Yu swept his gaze across the surroundings, his tone remarkably calm. "But I am standing here today to tell everyone one thing: I have never done anything to wrong the supernatural metropolis! As for the supernatural mutation incidents, I will thoroughly investigate them and give everyone a proper accounting!"

The audience below broke into a chaotic chatter, with questions and sneering derision rising wave after wave.

***

"What evidence do you have to prove your innocence?" an aggressive reporter demanded relentlessly.

The corners of Mao Yu's lips curved upward slightly, revealing a confident smile. "Evidence? Naturally, I do." He paused slightly, his gaze sweeping across the faces in the crowd. "System, it's your turn to shine!"

No sooner had Mao Yu finished speaking than the system responded instantly.

A flash of light swept through his body, and a screen materialized before them, instantly displaying numerous glaring loopholes and fabrications within Journalist Wang's report.

With a cold sneer, Mao Yu flicked his finger lightly through the air, projecting the undeniable evidence one by one for all to see.

"Ladies and gentlemen, what you are looking at right now are the glaring falsehoods in Journalist Wang's report." Mao Yu's voice was clear and resolute, striking like a heavy punch directly to Journalist Wang's face. "Take a look, this fraud used multiple fabricated paragraphs to distort the truth, all with the malicious intent of blackening my reputation!"

An instant, pin-drop silence fell over the audience below. Every single eye locked onto Journalist Wang.

Camera flashes clicked ceaselessly. The pens and voice recorders of the reporters froze mid-air, leaving them standing there with their jaws hanging open in utter astonishment.

"What kind of reporting do you call this? It's pure, unadulterated fabrication!" Mao Yu's voice acted like a sharp blade, piercing straight into Journalist Wang's heart.

Journalist Wang's face turned ashen, his mouth twitching uncontrollably, yet he found himself utterly incapable of uttering a single word in rebuttal.

"Why aren't you talking anymore? Didn't you love running your mouth with nonsense in front of the cameras?" Mao Yu pressed on relentlessly. The citizens in the audience began to murmur amongst themselves; some had already shifted their stance, beginning to applaud for Mao Yu.

Journalist Wang flushed crimson, cold sweat beading on his forehead. He desperately attempted to defend himself, but the words choked in his throat, refusing to come out no matter how hard he tried.

In the end, he could only lower his head, retreating to the sidelines with a face burning with shame.

Mao Yu was flooded with a profound sense of accomplishment, experiencing a rush of cathartic satisfaction he had never known before.

Yet, his gaze suddenly shifted toward Feng Yao standing in the audience.

Her eyes were brimming with deep affection and tender concern, as though silently conveying to him: *"I have always been by your side."*

Witnessing everything Feng Yao had done for him touched Mao Yu's heart deeply.

He smiled gently and nodded softly toward Feng Yao, the bond between them quietly warming and deepening in that exact moment.

However, the atmosphere outside the venue failed to ease up as a result.

Despite the fact that a portion of the populace had begun to trust Mao Yu, a vast number of supernatural beings still harbored intense hostility toward him.

Mutation incidents continued to erupt without cessation, and Mao Yu understood deep down that a far grander conspiracy must be shrouding all of this.

Just at that moment, a faction of supernatural beings suddenly surged forth from the crowd, trapping Mao Yu in a tight, impenetrable circle.

The one leading them shouted at the top of his lungs: "Mao Yu, you must give us an explanation!"

A momentary flash of surprise crossed Mao Yu's eyes, but his composure returned swiftly.

Clenching his fists tightly, he braced himself inwardly with heightened vigilance, unaware of how this tempestuous storm would ultimately reach its conclusion.