With the same sense of weightlessness as when he first entered, Ye Qingfeng smoothly entered the Hollow. He glanced around, and the scene before him was identical to the one from back then.
[Beep! Host detected entering the Hollow, automatically activating Rosetta Data!]
As soon as the system's announcement ended, a precise map of the Hollow appeared in Ye Qingfeng's mind. This feeling was quite marvelous; it was as if he could walk through the Hollow with his eyes closed and still find his way out. However, besides the various paths, there was nothing else on the map. Ye Qingfeng had thought it might directly show the locations of the Ethereals, but it seemed it would still take some effort.
Compared to the panic and helplessness of his accidental last entry, Ye Qingfeng was now exceptionally calm. Perhaps this was the difference between having confidence and not having it.
Come to think of it, he had been so nervous the last time he entered the Hollow that he had forgotten a very practical skill. Divination! He had learned this from an old man before he transmigrated.
At first, he didn't believe in such things, until he later learned that the old man had won 2 million RMB in the lottery with three copper coins to pay off his son's debts. But the reason he got involved wasn't that; it was because the loan sharks found out and kidnapped his grandson to threaten him. The old man, already in his sixties, used some method to locate them. He went there alone, and by the time the police arrived, they saw him emerge from the gate covered in blood, holding his grandson. You had to admit, he was a tough guy!
However! In the end, divination was still a form of metaphysics. He didn't know why, but he could never reach the old man's level. To put it in perspective, if he and the old man both performed a divination using the same method and then bought lottery tickets, Ye Qingfeng might win around 100,000, while the old man would win over 500,000. But when it came to just finding the location of Nicole and the others, he wouldn't be wrong.
Ye Qingfeng took out three copper coins, casually tossed them on the ground, and repeated the process six times. After gathering the coins, he decisively ran in one direction.
Soon, he encountered two Ethereals. His hand suddenly retracted into his sleeve, and when it emerged again, it held a pistol. He quickly fired two shots in two different directions, accurately hitting their heads. The two Ethereals fell straight back, their bodies slowly dissipating.
From then on all the Ethereals Ye Qingfeng encountered on his path never got within five meters of him. The good news was that he didn't waste too much time; the bad news was that his ammunition was down to about half. However, he could already see the figures of the three members of the Cunning Hares in the distance, and his anxious heart finally settled.
"Nicole! Anby! Billy!"
Ye Qingfeng ran towards them excitedly.
"Qingfeng?"
"Qingfeng?!!"
Nicole and Billy looked at the approaching Ye Qingfeng with shocked expressions.
"I'm here to save..."
Before Ye Qingfeng could finish his sentence, he was suddenly interrupted by Anby, who was beside him.
"Awooo! I've been corrupted by the Hollow and turned into a monster! Awooo awooo!"
Anby looked at Ye Qingfeng with a blank expression, her hands open with fingers curled and wrists wiggling.
Ye Qingfeng stared, stunned at Anby, who was suddenly acting cute towards him. This... this was way too cute!
Anby tilted her head, looking at the dazed Ye Qingfeng, waiting for his reaction. Seeing that he didn't speak for a moment, she suddenly reached out, grabbed his hand, and revealed a pair of cute little fangs, gently biting down on his finger.
Anby held Ye Qingfeng's finger in her mouth, tilted her head up, and stared at him with a pair of large, watery eyes.
To be honest, Anby's naturally blunt personality meant she often spoke without thinking, which frequently angered Ye Qingfeng. What was even more exasperating was that she was unaware of it. For example, that sentence from today...
However!—looking at how cute Anby was, he'd forgive her!
Ye Qingfeng looked at the adorable Anby and sighed helplessly, "Honestly... fine, I forgive you!"
A hint of confusion flashed in Anby's eyes. She slowly released her bite, and as her lips parted, they left a faint trace of moisture and a row of shallow teeth marks on Ye Qingfeng's finger.
"Mm thanks for forgiving me, Qingfeng..." Anby then continued, "So, can we have hamburgers tonight?"
Although Anby didn't know what she had done to anger Ye Qingfeng this time, her clever little mind instantly thought of a countermeasure: obediently admit her mistake to get a chance to eat the hamburgers he made! Nicole often said she was blunt if not sometimes a bit clueless, but most of the time, she was actually quite clever!
At this moment, Nicole, who knew both Anby and Ye Qingfeng well, instantly realized the misunderstanding. But she had no intention of exposing Anby's little scheme. She was worried that Ye Qingfeng might still be holding a grudge over that sentence from before, so the current situation was simply a win-win for everyone!
"Hey... Nicole!" Billy, feeling the strangely quiet atmosphere was a bit weird, poked Nicole's shoulder with one finger while pointing at Ye Qingfeng with the other, "So, why is Qingfeng here in the Hollow?"
"Oh yeah!" Prompted by Billy, Nicole finally remembered the Ye Qingfeng in front of her. Her eyes seemed to spew flames as she roared at him, "So! Qingfeng! Why are you in the Hollow?!!"
In stark contrast to the furious Nicole, Billy looked incredibly moved and came up to Ye Qingfeng's side. "I can't believe you risked your life and fought your way here to save us! You must have been fully prepared, right?"
Ye Qingfeng was clearly taken aback by Billy's question. He didn't expect his two sentences to be so tricky; it seemed Billy wasn't as simple as he looked!
"Right! Qingfeng, did you not run into any Ethereals on the way?"
Nicole walked up to Ye Qingfeng, leaning forward with her hands on her hips, her bright eyes full of doubt.
"Heh heh!" Ye Qingfeng puffed out his chest with a proud chuckle, "No more hiding! I'm laying my cards on the table! I'm actually a genius!"
With a flick of his hand, a pistol appeared. He casually picked up a small pebble from the ground. "Nicole, watch this shot carefully!"
"Why?"
"Because this shot is going to be awesome!"
Ye Qingfeng tossed the pebble forcefully into the air. As it reached its highest point, he raised his gun with one hand, aimed, and pulled the trigger.
A bullet flew from the barrel, accurately hitting the pebble in mid-air.
While everyone's attention was on the sky, Ye Qingfeng quietly slipped his hand into his sleeve and then slowly pulled out a white, high-crowned top hat.
Ye Qingfeng placed the hat on his head, gently tweaking the brim. The corners of his mouth stretched into a wide grin, revealing a set of pearly white teeth.
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