The bell signaling the end of evening self-study rang, and Lin Qiye found himself surrounded by enthusiastic classmates—three layers deep—making it impossible to move.
Flustered, Lin Qiye tried to reason with them. "I'm not blind, I can see, I can walk back myself, really."
"No need to say anything, Qiye. To repay the favor of one egg, we'll definitely escort you home safely," Li Yifei declared, having successfully squeezed to the front. He patted Lin Qiye's shoulder with a grin. "Besides, my house is in the same direction. Escorting you is just a side trip."
"Same here." echoed another.
Unable to refuse their enthusiasm, Lin Qiye could only nod in agreement.
Meanwhile, Jiang Qian—pushed out by the crowd—noticed Furina sitting alone in a corner, watching the scene with great interest. Assuming she was too shy to speak, Jiang Qian approached and asked, "Furina, do you want to come with us to escort Lin Qiye home?"
Furina shifted her gaze from the crowd to Jiang Qian and replied calmly, "No, my way home is in the opposite direction. I won't go. You all be careful—it hasn't been peaceful lately."
"Okay then. We'll get going. You be careful too." Seeing Furina had no intention of joining, Jiang Qian bid her farewell and hurried to catch up with the "Lin Qiye Escort Team."
Furina watched the group gradually disappear into the distance and muttered to herself, "Why does this feel like a funeral procession? Never mind, I need to get going too. How could I miss the 'Unconvinced Brother' opening his eyes and Lin Qiye's rare embarrassing moments?"
With that, she pulled out her phone from her backpack…
In a corner of the Old City District, Zhao Kongcheng arrived at a narrow street entrance, a black box slung over his back. He muttered, "Hmm, this is it."
Inside the box was a sign that read "No Entry Ahead." He took it out and placed it where he stood.
Then, biting his thumb, he drew a long streak of blood across the sign and murmured, "Boundless Null Domain, open."
As the words fell, three light-red lines ascended. Three light-red screens connected the lines, forming a massive triangular barrier that enveloped the Old City District.
With the setup complete, Zhao Kongcheng sat down and pulled out his phone to play Identity V and Naruto 5v5 in the Canyon. Just as he used the manor's Automatic Trouble-Making Machine to solo kill Skeleton Brother, his earpiece buzzed.
"Zhao Kongcheng, a Ghost Mask King has emerged among the Ghost-faced Men. Hongying is injured, and the King broke through our encirclement."
Zhao Kongcheng immediately stood up. "Ghost Mask King? Which way did he run?"
"No, Zhao Kongcheng, I'll pursue the King. You head southeast—two Ghost-faced Men escaped with him."
"Got it."
Zhao Kongcheng jumped into a black van, slammed the accelerator, and sped off…
Elsewhere, by the time the "Lin Qiye Escort Team" reached the Old City District, only five remained. The others, who had sworn to escort him home, had quietly peeled off, returning to their own homes—and their mothers.
On a nearby rooftop, Furina rested her chin on one hand. In the other floated a sphere of water she'd pilfered from a resident's home. Though only a Zhan Realm, she possessed Authority—controlling water was effortless.
"It seems the main plot is about to begin. The appearance of the Godly Ruins is rare. I absolutely must record this. And the Zhan Realm Ghost-faced Man nearly solo-killing Lin Qiye, the will of the universe? That's a must-see. So entertaining."
At that moment, Wang Shao stopped and turned to the others. "Alright, I'm here. I'll go first. You all be careful."
Li Yifei suddenly called out, "Wait, Wang Shao! I heard this area isn't safe lately. There's a perverted serial killer.
More than a dozen people have died recently. All had their faces peeled off. The method is extremely cruel."
"Li Yifei, are you sick for bringing that up this late?" Jiang Qian snapped, her pale face betraying her fear.
As if struck by a thought, Lin Qiye asked, "How are you sure these were all done by humans?"
A cold wind blew. The group shivered instinctively. Silence fell.
After a moment, Wang Shao shrugged. "I'm not arguing with you guys. I'm leaving first."
With that, he stepped into the narrow alley.
Furina, watching from above, sighed quietly. She split the floating water into two spheres—one large, one small.
"They all say archons love humans, archons love humans… but who loves the archons? Since I possess Hydro Authority and an archon's body, then I… I suppose I count as one.
Besides, wasn't your—no, my—original wish to save people?"
With that, she hurled the two spheres. The smaller one flew above Wang Shao and transformed into a semi-circular cage, trapping him.
Wang Shao, having walked only a few steps, heard a "boom~" and found himself inside a transparent cage. He instinctively backed away, only to hit the barrier behind him. "What is this thing?" he cried, frantically pounding the cage to no avail.
"Li Yifei, save me!"
Lin Qiye and the others were still reeling from the shock when they heard Wang Shao's cry. Before they could react, the larger water sphere descended, enveloping everyone—except Lin Qiye.
As panic set in, a foul stench drifted from the alley toward them.
When people panic, they often inhale sharply before screaming or exhaling. Unfortunately, Lin Qiye's group was mid-panic.
"Yue~" × 5
Each of the five collapsed to the ground, vomiting in their own unique way—an ensemble worthy of a world-famous painting: The Last Supper.
From the alley Wang Shao had nearly entered, a monster emerged—neither human nor ghost, with a hint of hyena in its form. Its crimson eyes scanned the group before settling on the closest target: Wang Shao.
As for what kind of performance art the others were engaged in, the Ghost-faced Man couldn't care less.
By the time Wang Shao realized the creature was in front of him, it was too late to run (not that he could escape anyway). He could only watch helplessly as its claws struck the transparent cage—and then… nothing.
Seeing the cage unmoved, curiosity flickered in the Ghost-faced Man's eyes. It punched the barrier a few more times, but the cage held firm. Losing interest, it turned its gaze to Lin Qiye—the only one not protected.