“Better to have one less problem than one more, and best to have no problems at all.”
Xia Yitiao murmured softly, slowly withdrawing his gaze.
He had just sensed someone peeking at him. As a Demigod of the Ward Guard pathway, his intuition was exceptionally sharp; a Demigod of almost any other pathway would have found it difficult to notice.
“Troubled times, indeed. Tsk, tsk. Once this is over, I’m taking sick leave immediately. Headquarters should understand my position and send a newcomer to get acclimated to the job early.”
“Whatever happens next isn’t my concern.”
He spat out a goji berry, a wistful expression on his face.
The blade-wielding ghost’s form vanished, reappearing in the darkness even further away.
The visibility here was much worse, but at least it was safe enough.
That man’s senses were far too sharp.
Either he was incredibly powerful, or he possessed some extremely specialized trait. The former meant he could disperse the blade-wielding ghost at any moment, and the latter meant he could find some trace of Yin Yang’s presence. Neither outcome was what Yin Yang wanted.
The water curtain churned, revealing only vague, blurry shadows within.
Fortunately, that was enough for Yin Yang.
‘It’s a pity the Lyu family’s defenses were so tight. I couldn’t plant any incantations around their home, otherwise I might have been able to influence things a bit.’
At this level of combat, it was too difficult for Yin Yang to intervene directly.
‘Hmm?’
‘A god?’
Due to the nature of his unique Sequence, Yin Yang was extremely sensitive to such auras.
He could sense it—a god who possessed authority!
“This is a bit troublesome. If that’s the case, I’ll have to collect my interest early.”
Yin Yang took a deep breath and moved closer toward the Lyu family.
He needed to find a spot that was neither too close nor too far to collect his interest.
...
The Lyu family manor.
All the blackish-purple mist was being absorbed by the Butler on the ground.
His no-longer-human flesh twisted and churned as the rot rapidly repaired itself. His body began to glow, and the earth beneath his feet withered instantly, as if every drop of life had been sucked out of it.
Whirr—
Boom!
The barrier protecting the Lyu family mansion could no longer hold and shattered with a thunderous crash.
In that instant, every ordinary person inside the house screamed as sludge began to ooze from their seven orifices.
Even some of the transcendents watching the battle suffered the same fate. Seeing this, Captain Zhou shouted frantically.
“Turn around! Don’t look!!!”
The transcendents with quick reflexes turned away in unison, but many more had already collapsed, wailing in agony.
They vomited large amounts of foul-smelling sludge as their bodies slowly caved in. Soon, only a complete human skin remained; their flesh and organs had all dissolved into muck.
What was even more terrifying was that this sludge was highly contaminating.
The floors, the walls—everywhere the sludge splashed began to rot and assimilate.
“We can’t stay here! Run!”
“Captain, where do we go? We’re surrounded by sealed objects!”
A transcendent’s voice was filled with despair, and the others weren’t faring much better.
Captain Zhou gritted his teeth.
“We can’t just stay here and wait to die! This sludge can even corrode and assimilate walls, let alone us!”
“Go! Get downstairs!”
“The barrier is broken. This building can’t protect us anymore.”
“You guys go first. I’m going to find the Old Master and the Second Young Master.”
“Captain!”
“Go!”
“Yes, sir!”
In times of danger, most people’s minds descend into chaos. This was when a leader was needed most.
The crowd scrambled toward the lower floors, with only Captain Zhou running in the opposite direction.
The building began to shake slightly. He knew the load-bearing walls had surely been compromised. If he delayed any longer, he feared he wouldn’t be able to get out either.
Fortunately, at the critical moment, he found the Old Master and Lyu Che.
The two were struggling to drag an oil painting along. Seeing him, they said urgently.
“Captain Zhou, you’ve come at the perfect time!”
“Help us! Help!”
“Yes, sir!”
Captain Zhou responded and began helping them drag the rolled-up oil painting.
Lyu Che made grand promises even as he hauled the weight.
“Captain Zhou, I’ve seen your loyalty and capability.”
“Rest assured, the Lyu family never neglects its own. Once this is over, I will help you prepare the promotion potion for Sequence 6. I’ll make you a Hero!”
“I’ll handle the fame-building too. I’ll make sure you’re renowned. The reputation you accumulate will be enough even for when you eventually promote to a Sequence 5 Grandmaster!”
“The old Butler met with an accident, and the Lyu family needs a new one. I think you’re very suitable, Captain Zhou.”
“Thank you, Young Master!”
Captain Zhou acknowledged the promise and pulled the oil painting with renewed strength.
Beside them, the Old Master seemed somewhat dazed.
“A century of the Lyu family’s legacy, destroyed this day.”
Lyu Che quickly comforted him.
“Grandpa, this is just our house. Our other properties are still there, and so are our savings. We can just buy another one.”
“What do you know!”
The Old Master glared at him, then glanced at Captain Zhou. Ultimately, he didn't say anything more.
Some things were not meant to be said in front of outsiders.
Thump-thump.
Thump-thump.
The Old Master clutched his chest, feeling his heart racing.
“Grandpa, what’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing. My heart is just beating a bit fast.”
Lyu Che didn't pay it much mind, assuming the old man was just frightened. After all, the scenes both inside and outside the house were far too terrifying right now.
Drip, drop.
The sludge was spreading faster and faster. When they reached the stairs, they saw that the staircase had already turned into muck and collapsed.
Captain Zhou gritted his teeth.
“We have to jump. The third floor isn't that high. I’ll take you down!”
As he spoke, he shattered a window with a punch.
“Young Master, I’ll take you down first.”
“No!”
Lyu Che waved him off, his expression solemn.
“Every second we stay here is another second of danger. I can’t let my grandfather face that risk. Let him go first.”
“Alright!”
Old Master Lyu didn't argue. He climbed onto the windowsill.
“Will we be okay?”
“We’ll be fine!”
Captain Zhou promised and leaped down with the Old Master.
As a Sequence 7, jumping from the third floor while carrying someone was no problem at all.
Once they landed, Captain Zhou looked up at the third floor and shouted.
“Young Master, hurry!”
Lyu Che didn't waste any time. He threw the oil painting down first, then jumped after it.
Captain Zhou caught him and then said with extreme gravity.
“Old Master, Young Master, that woman has summoned something unknown. Ordinary people turn into sludge instantly, and even transcendents will fall if they look at it.”
“So, we cannot look back. Do you understand?”
Lyu Che nodded very seriously. He was the future head of the family; he certainly couldn't die here.
The three of them dragged the oil painting in the opposite direction. But they had only gone a few meters when the Old Master groaned, his face contorted in extreme pain.
“Grandpa! Grandpa, what’s wrong?”
Lyu Che’s voice was filled with worry, yet he didn't immediately move closer.
After all, at a time like this, who knew if the Old Master was mutating?
“My... my stomach is so hot. It hurts.”
The Old Master tore open his clothes, revealing his sagging belly. Something inside his stomach was glowing.
Rate on N.U.
