Yue Shi watched a good show at the Investigation Bureau.
The fight between the two transcendents on the training field finally ended with Zhu Qunqing losing consciousness, his head bloodied from a direct hit by a blast.
Bai Wanyang had also sustained quite a few injuries, but he seemed to have broken through some kind of mental block or inner demon, and his mental state was excellent.
Medical staff arrived to carry both of them away for treatment.
Ling Xun and the Wei sisters crowded around Bai Wanyang, offering their concern and care. In contrast, Zhu Qunqing... his popularity was indeed quite abysmal.
"It seems normal for an ability like X-ray Vision to be hated," Yue Shi thought to himself, recalling the discomfort of being scanned from head to toe when he first met the man.
On the other side, Bai Wanyang spoke only a few words before falling into a deep sleep. His abilities were truly formidable—he could manifest energy spheres, grew stronger the more he was pushed by a powerful opponent, and even had a life-saving HP lock. He was practically a textbook protagonist.
"It seems multi-ability transcendents aren't that rare after all."
Just as Yue Shi was marveling at this, the illusory black feathers covering his body—the manifestation of his stealth—suddenly began to consume energy at a frantic rate. A sense of impending crisis surged into his heart without warning.
Without a second thought, he immediately stacked Hidden Black Feathers and Demon Feather Barrier, standing perfectly still in a corner.
At the same time, the sound of light, slow footsteps approached from the distance.
"Director, what brings you here?" Ling Xun was the first to notice Tang Zhuhe's arrival.
The others also chimed in with polite greetings.
Tang Zhuhe smiled and nodded, her gaze sweeping across the surroundings.
Ling Xun didn't quite understand her intent, so he simply reported, "Zhu Qunqing and Bai Wanyang were just sparring. They went a bit too far, but neither of them is in any danger."
"It doesn't matter." Tang Zhuhe's demeanor was warm yet distant, as if she were merely passing by. Her gaze lingered on Bai Wanyang for a moment longer before she turned to leave.
Ling Xun scratched his head in confusion.
Once Tang Zhuhe was gone, Yue Shi cautiously and immediately made his exit from the Investigation Bureau.
He didn't know what the Director's ability was, but the closer he got to her, the higher the energy consumption of his invisibility and barrier became.
After returning home, he went to bed early to rest and recover his strength.
...
Early the next morning, Yue Shi had a simple breakfast. Remembering his appointment with Zhong Mo, he decided to head over now.
Along the way, Yue Shi kept considering how to divert the trouble toward Zhong Mo and drag him into the mess.
After all, he was the type of person who couldn't stand seeing others doing better than him. If he wasn't happy, he wanted everyone else to be unhappy too!
If given the chance, he would love nothing more than to drag everyone around him into the swirling vortex of trouble.
Before long, Yue Shi arrived at Zhong Mo's doorstep and rang the bell.
A few seconds later, the door opened.
Dressed in a casual gray-blue hoodie and matching pants, Zhong Mo offered a faint smile upon seeing Yue Shi.
Yue Shi returned the smile, but his nose caught a very faint, irritating scent—one with a strange, sickly sweetness.
It smelled like some kind of chemical.
Subconsciously, a wave of wariness rose in Yue Shi's eyes.
"Please, come in." Zhong Mo didn't notice anything unusual.
Yue Shi walked inside and stood in the living room, where the strange, pungent smell was even more noticeable. He also discovered that the apartment felt exceptionally empty, with far fewer belongings than during his last visit.
The balcony, which had once been cluttered with miscellaneous items, was now completely bare. The space was wide and open, with sunlight streaming through the windows and spreading across the floor without obstruction. The paintings and photos on the walls had been removed, leaving only faint outlines behind.
The door to the master bedroom was open, and a black suitcase sat quietly by the doorway.
"What's all this?" Yue Shi asked, feigning confusion.
Zhong Mo was silent for a moment before saying slowly, "I thought about it all night. I feel that staying in Amber City is still too dangerous, so I plan to leave. Do you want to come with me?"
"You're running away?" Yue Shi looked directly into Zhong Mo's eyes, his inner malice expertly concealed.
Zhong Mo met his gaze calmly, waiting for a response.
Yue Shi raised an eyebrow. "You were the one who said we should act together to lower the risks. Why the sudden change of heart? Why flee now? Did you receive some bad news?"
"No," Zhong Mo shook his head. "I simply feel that since I know staying in Amber City is dangerous, there's no need to stubbornly tough it out. Escaping might seem cowardly, but it is effective."
Yue Shi asked, "You'd rather run than ask the Investigation Bureau for help?"
Zhong Mo replied, "I don't trust them. What if the Bureau is involved in these terrible things?"
"I suggest you leave with me. If you stay here and die for no reason, it'll be too late for regrets."
"No thanks," Yue Shi declined with a look of regret.
It seemed he wouldn't be able to trap Zhong Mo for the time being. He felt a bit dissatisfied, but on second thought, Zhong Mo wasn't an NPC; he wasn't going to just stand still and let someone plot against him.
"Since you insist on staying, I have a one-time-use supernatural item I can give you for protection." Zhong Mo's lips curved into a handsome smile as a brilliant, egg-shaped gemstone appeared in his palm.
"A Purification? Does your money just grow on trees?" Yue Shi was somewhat surprised.
Zhong Mo asked, "You know about Purification?"
Yue Shi nodded. "I heard they're products of the Radiant Church."
Zhong Mo said, "Then why won't you take it?"
"You're being far too kind for no reason," Yue Shi teased, his face full of suspicion.
Zhong Mo froze. A complex mix of emotions—displeasure mixed with a subtle hint of worry—was played out perfectly in his eyes. He then firmly pressed the Purification into Yue Shi's hand.
"We've known each other for a while now. I don't want to see you dead."
Yue Shi made a polite show of refusing for a moment before naturally accepting it. He had previously extorted one Purification from Jiang Cifei, so he now possessed two of them.
Zhong Mo wanted to say more, but Yue Shi didn't give him the chance. "Since you're planning to leave Amber City, I won't hold you up. I have a lot of things to take care of. Goodbye."
With that, Yue Shi stood up and walked out.
Zhong Mo fell silent. As he watched Yue Shi's retreating back, every trace of emotion instantly vanished from his face.
From somewhere behind him, a one-eyed man stepped out. His voice was mocking as he said, "How hypocritical. You're clearly full of false pretenses, yet you still insist on acting like you're close friends. Blegh."
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