The Ghost-faced Man, realizing its attack couldn't break the transparent cage, turned its gaze to the only person among the five who wasn't protected—Lin Qiye.
"Qiye, run!" Li Yifei, the first to grasp the monster's intent, shouted. "Don't worry about us! That thing can't touch us for now. Just run!"
Snapping out of his daze, Lin Qiye didn't hesitate. He bolted in the direction he came from. In his perception, the monster had already locked eyes with him. If he didn't run now, was he waiting to be eaten?
The moment Lin Qiye turned, the Ghost-faced Man charged after him on all fours. Benches, trash cans, even his own backpack—everything became a makeshift obstacle to slow the creature down. But despite his efforts, the distance between them kept shrinking.
Just then, another Ghost-faced Man entered his mental perception—ten meters ahead.
Lin Qiye slammed to a halt.
One alley. Two monsters. One in front, one behind. Lin Qiye trapped in the middle.
His face turned ghostly pale. He muttered under his breath, "Why is it always me… I'm not afraid of you… I refuse to accept this!!" Then, with a calm motion, he pushed up the black cloth covering his eyes.
A golden pillar of light erupted into the sky, illuminating the entire Old City District.
Meanwhile, the Night Watcher squad had just finished their sweep and were retrieving the Boundless Null Domain.
"The domain's been retrieved. Notify logistics to clean up the battlefield," Wu Xiangnan said coolly, placing the device into a roadside car.
Suddenly, a scorching golden light pierced the sky, turning night into day.
All five members turned in shock.
"What is that…?"
"A Divine Ruin," Wu Xiangnan replied, eyes narrowing. "This sacred, scorching, creative aura… If I'm not mistaken, it's Code 003—Seraph Michael's Mortal Divine Realm."
Realizing the urgency, he immediately contacted Zhao Kongcheng. "Old Zhao, you're closest to the Divine Proxy. Go stabilize him. We'll follow."
"Got it."
"Si Xiaonan, take Hong Ying back to HQ. Everyone else, with me."
"Yes." × 4
…
Back in the alley, Li Yifei and the others had closed their eyes, unable to bear watching Lin Qiye torn apart. But instead of screams, they felt a wave of scorching heat rush past.
Opening their eyes, they saw Lin Qiye's eyes glowing gold. A pillar of light surged skyward, bathing the area in daylight.
Their classmate Lin Qiye hovered ten meters in the air, golden eyes blazing. The two Ghost-faced Men were pinned to the ground by divine pressure, unable to move.
Seven or eight seconds passed. Then Lin Qiye descended, and the golden light faded, leaving only a faint glow in his eyes.
The two Ghost-faced Men, nearly crushed into paste, slowly rose, dazed. Their gaze returned to Lin Qiye.
But Lin Qiye, now truly seeing the world for the first time, was exhilarated. Perception was one thing—sight was another.
The reckless Ghost-faced Man didn't notice the change. It lunged again.
But its speed was now sluggish, like a snail. Lin Qiye dodged easily and drove his white cane into its right eye. A wisp of divine might surged through the cane into the creature's body.
The monster stiffened. Lin Qiye yanked the cane out and stabbed again—this time into its brain.
With a scream, the Ghost-faced Man collapsed.
The second monster, lurking nearby, pounced. Lin Qiye, exhausted from the chase and kill, could only watch as its claws closed in.
Until—
Swish—
A blade flashed. The creature's front limb was severed.
Before it could scream, another crescent-shaped slash landed on its neck. Blood trickled. Its head slid to the ground.
Zhao Kongcheng sheathed his blade and looked at Lin Qiye with curiosity. Lin Qiye stared back at the man who had just saved him.
On a rooftop in the distance, Furina watched with glee, phone in hand, recording and snapping photos.
"That's it! A rainless night, a middle-aged uncle and a high school boy silently staring at each other. This is the beginning of a relationship!
Next: hotel rooms, meeting the parents, and then… nothing.
No, I must see the next part of the story. For Lin Qiye!"
She shook her phone. "Candid shots with a phone don't feel candid enough. I need a camera… One's not enough. I'll buy out the whole store. My Serenitea Pot can store items anyway.
Hmm, that's settled. I'll go tomorrow. My teachers can't stop me if I skip class."
…
Down below, Lin Qiye and Zhao Kongcheng stared at each other for a long moment. Finally, Zhao spoke.
"Was I handsome just now?"
Lin Qiye: …? I was bracing for interrogation, and you ask me that?
"Handsome."
Zhao chuckled, confident he'd won Lin Qiye over. "Then do you want to be as handsome as me?"
"No."
"You… What?" Zhao's grin faltered. "Why?"
"Easy to die."
"Don't you want to be a superhero like in movies?"
"No."
"Is it still because it is easy to die?"
"Yes."
…
"My name's Zhao Kongcheng. How about we talk somewhere else?" He paused, realizing his job was to stabilize—not recruit. Leave the professional work to professionals.
Lin Qiye blinked. "Lin Qiye. I'll go get my backpack first."
Zhao pulled out a cigarette and waved him off. "Go on, go on."
Lin Qiye quickly left the spot and soon disappeared at the end of the alley.