Liu Junnan was certain now: that mysterious presence was at Jade Manor!
Though he hadn't pinpointed the exact room, specialized energy fluctuations always left a trace for a short while.
If he could reach the site before the residue dissipated, he could rely on his own abilities to find the room—and the person!
But his body... it was too weak.
The forty minutes of persistence, followed by that final moment of backlash, had almost completely drained his mental power.
In this state, even if he made it to Jade Manor, he likely wouldn't even be able to stand, let alone activate his sensory abilities.
With trembling hands, Liu Junnan pulled a small glass vial from his shirt.
The vial was dark brown, containing about ten milliliters of transparent liquid that shimmered with a faint fluorescence in the night.
This was a Mental Restoration Potion, specially supplied by the organization.
Rumor had it that its raw materials were extracted from a specific location and refined with various precious medicinal herbs, allowing an Ability User to rapidly recover their mental power.
Within the organization, only core members were allotted such a resource.
Only one vial was issued per person every quarter.
No one used it unless it was a matter of life and death.
Liu Junnan unscrewed the cap and downed the liquid in a single gulp.
The moment the liquid hit his throat, a refreshing chill surged into his mind. Like rain after a long drought, it began to nourish his parched consciousness.
He could feel his mental power returning at a rate far beyond the natural pace.
While still far from his peak, it was at least—
Enough for him to activate his sensing ability one more time once he arrived.
Liu Junnan closed his eyes and leaned back, letting the cool energy circulate through him.
Twenty minutes later, the black business van pulled into the area surrounding Jade Manor.
Liu Junnan opened his eyes and gazed out the window at the cluster of high-rise buildings, a flicker of complex emotion in his gaze.
This place was too big.
If he were on the scene, he could have used the residual energy fluctuations to lock onto the exact location.
But nearly half an hour had passed.
How much of that energy fluctuation could possibly be left?
Liu Junnan took a deep breath and signaled for Qin Zhong’an to stop.
The van pulled over to the curb.
Liu Junnan pushed the door open and stumbled out. Standing in the darkness, he closed his eyes.
He pushed every drop of his newly recovered mental power outward like an invisible net, casting it over the entirety of Jade Manor.
His perception expanded.
Building by building, floor by floor, unit by unit.
He searched for any lingering trace of abnormality.
Time ticked by.
Cold sweat began to bead on his forehead once more.
Finally—
At one point, his perception brushed against a door on the twenty-second floor of Building 3.
There was an abnormality behind that door.
An extremely faint energy residue, one that was nearly gone.
It was the aura of a Mental-type ability!
Liu Junnan’s eyes snapped open, a flicker of manic excitement dancing in them.
Found it!
He had finally tracked down the person’s trail!
“Building 3!” Liu Junnan croaked. “Twenty-second floor! Move!”
Qin Zhong’an and Fang Yingshan followed immediately as the three of them rushed into the residential complex.
The security door at the entrance was no obstacle for them.
Minutes later, they stood before Room 2202.
Liu Junnan didn't bother knocking.
He kicked the heavy security door open with a crash.
Bang!
The door slammed against the wall with a deafening thud.
In the living room, Bai Chengye and Zhao Mengting were sitting on the sofa, nearly jumping out of their skins at the sudden intrusion.
Bai Chengye bolted upright, his face a mix of terror and rage. “Who are you—”
But when he saw that the intruder was Liu Junnan, his voice died in his throat, replaced by sheer bewilderment.
Zhao Mengting let out a shriek and recoiled into the corner of the sofa, her entire body shaking.
A quick sweep of mental power told Liu Junnan that neither of these two was his target, so he ignored them entirely.
He stormed into the room, his gaze sharp as a blade as it cut through every corner of the living room.
Then, his perception expanded once more, meticulously scouring every inch of the space.
The residual aura was still present.
It was faint, but it was there.
But—
Where was the person?
Liu Junnan’s eyes darted around the room before finally settling on Bai Chengye and Zhao Mengting.
He marched over and seized Bai Chengye by the collar, hoisting him up.
“What happened here just now?!” Liu Junnan’s voice was hoarse and piercing, his eyes swirling with a manic hostility.
“Who was here?! Where are they?!”
Bai Chengye was frozen with fear, his lips trembling too much to form a single word.
In his fifty-plus years of life, he had seen much, but he had never encountered a gaze like this.
Those eyes didn't belong to a living man.
They were the eyes of a demon crawled straight out of hell.
“I... I don't know...” Bai Chengye stammered, his voice quivering.
“I just got here... Mengting called and said something had happened, so I rushed over...”
Liu Junnan’s gaze shifted to Zhao Mengting.
Zhao Mengting was curled in the corner of the sofa, her face ashen and tears streaming down her face as she shook her head frantically.
“Nothing happened, really... I—I was just watching television...”
“Bullshit!” Liu Junnan released Bai Chengye and grabbed Zhao Mengting by the hair, dragging her off the sofa.
“You just called Bai Chengye and said something happened! What was it?! Speak!”
Zhao Mengting shrieked in pain, her tears falling even faster.
“I... I just wanted Chengye to come over. I missed him, so I made it up...”
“Nothing... nothing actually happened...”
Liu Junnan stared intensely into her eyes.
He saw only terror and confusion. No lies.
He released her, and she slumped back onto the sofa, curling into a ball and shivering.
Liu Junnan’s gaze flickered between the two of them, his chest heaving with heavy breaths.
They really didn't know a thing!
Liu Junnan recalled the two fluctuations he had sensed earlier.
The first had been brief.
The second had been just as short.
That person had only used their ability for a few minutes at most.
And then, they had vanished.
Vanished without a single trace.
Liu Junnan’s body swayed as a massive wave of helplessness and frustration washed over him.
He had paid such a staggering price!
He had pushed himself for forty minutes with the Source-Tracing Spiritual Jade, suffered a backlash that made him cough up blood, consumed his only Mental Restoration Potion, and dragged his half-dead body all the way here!
And for what?
The person was already gone.
They hadn't left behind the slightest clue!
Liu Junnan stood there, his entire body trembling.
It wasn't from weakness, but from pure, unadulterated rage and indignation.
It was the humiliation of being led around by the nose.
“Aaaargh!!!”
He let out a sudden, primal roar and slammed his fist into the adjacent wall!
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