Zhao Junyu grumbled, "Enough already, there's a limit to how much you can tease someone."
"I'll thank you later."
"See you later."
The call ended.
Wu Xiaode smiled and dialed Xia Huilan's number as he walked.
"Little Wu?"
"Sister, how's your rest going?"
"I've rested well. If you've finished your business, I can join you at any time."
"Okay, then come on down, I'm waiting for you downstairs."
"Coming."
Wu Xiaode waited at the hotel entrance.
With nothing else to do, he suddenly felt his nose itch.
Yes.
The Book of the Dead stated that this was normal.
Until he figured out a new function, there would be periodic itching on parts of his body.
So—
Should he scratch it?
A group of young men and women passed by, laughing and joking.
Wu Xiaode's hand, which had just been raised, froze.
No, he couldn't scratch his nose; it was a signal for murder.
What if the sniper misunderstood and killed these innocent people?
Wu Xiaode shrugged and put his hand back in his pocket.
—After all, it was just an itch; it would pass if he endured.
The sound of high heels echoed from the hotel.
Xia Huilan appeared, wearing a trench coat and carrying a suitcase.
Her figure was lithe and graceful, her demeanor exceptional, she still looked beautiful, but there was a trace of fatigue in her expression.
"Haven't you rested at all?" Wu Xiaode.
"Couldn't sleep, shall we depart now?" Xia Huilan asked.
Wu Xiaode pondered.
His nose was itchier than ever.
If possible—
No!
With Huilan by his side, if he picked his nose, the sniper would make his move.
Wu Xiaode took a deep breath, enduring the itching on his nose, and said:
"Let's go, back to the countryside from the city."
"Okay."
As they were about to leave, they suddenly noticed a handsome man in a black shirt by the wall beside the street.
"Hi, hello."
The man smiled at Wu Xiaode, his attitude friendly and amiable.
Wu Xiaode's expression hardened.
Since returning from Death Demon Cave, he felt as if he could sense the aura of others.
It was a feeling impossible to express in words.
—Having seen Corpse Mountain, he naturally felt familiar with similar things.
The man looked handsome and clean, but he exuded an overwhelming, sickening stench.
"Be careful, in the business of killing, this guy is at least at the level of a thousand cuts,"
Ya cautioned Wu Xiaode via telepathy from his shoulder.
Wu Xiaode felt his nose itch to the extreme.
But he remained calm.
"Sister, this is a friend of mine. We need to discuss something in private, please wait for me for a moment," Wu Xiaode said.
Xia Huilan looked toward the man.
His features were handsome, his gaze gentle; he nodded slightly to Xia Huilan, appearing quite polite.
—His looks could grace the cover of any fashion magazine.
Standing beside Little Wu, he was not overshadowed at all.
He didn't look like a bad person.
"Okay, I'll wait for you in the hotel lobby," Xia Huilan said.
She turned and walked away.
Only after she entered the lobby and sat down on a sofa, did Wu Xiaode finally address the handsome man, "What is it?"
"I originally came wanting to spar with you, hoping I could defeat you," the handsome man said with a smile.
Wu Xiaode's itch was unbearable, and just as he finally had the chance and was about to pick his nose,
Die.
"However, things are different now," the man shifted his tone, "I just found that video of your fight on the university sports field, and I realized that killing you seems quite difficult."
Wu Xiaode's hand froze again.
This guy is incredibly dangerous. Although the oppressive feeling he gives is not nearly as terrifying as the One-eyed Giant, it's still quite horrifying.
If the sniper fails to kill him, wouldn't that create a deadly feud?
But my nose is really itchy!
"Also, I checked, and it seems you've been... affected by Evil Magic, which offered a question and answer session with that annoying guy?" the man asked.
"Ah, yes, that Evil Magic questioned me for ages, and then for some reason, it ran off," Wu Xiaode said.
"Ran off?" the delicate-looking man repeated.
"Yeah, it kept asking me about some foreign languages and my sister's birth situation. It's absolutely insane," Wu Xiaode said while observing his companion.
He was ready and could strike at any moment.
Unexpectedly, the delicate-looking man burst out laughing, looking very pleased.
"Right? I also think that guy's mind isn't quite right, but it's impressive that you could frustrate him," the delicate-looking man said.
"May I ask how to address you?" Wu Xiaode asked.
"Xiao Baihong, a bartender at Level S Club," the delicate-looking man replied.
"My last name is Wu, everyone calls me Little Wu, you can call me that too if you want to make friends," Wu Xiaode said.
"Brother Wu, the fight you had on the playground, you probably didn't even use one-tenth of your strength," Xiao Baihong ventured.
"That's right," Wu Xiaode said proudly.
—At that time, the Ancestor Spirit had said he had used less than half his strength.
Impersonating a bit now wasn't a big deal; after all, if you can avoid fighting, you should. When walking the world, it's best to prioritize peace.
"I knew I saw it right!" Xiao Baihong said excitedly, rubbing his hands unconsciously: "How about joining us? A drastic change in the world is coming, and people like us should gather to achieve some unprecedented things."
So he wanted me to join them!
Wu Xiaode instinctively shook his head, although a thought suddenly flashed through his mind.
"What is your... power like?" he asked.
"Of course, everyone is similar to you, each surpassing the 10-point Soul Power limit, just waiting for the world to release more power, then we'll become even stronger!" Xiao Baihong laughed neurotically.
Wu Xiaode's heart trembled.
According to Ya, changes in the world had just begun, and people exceeding 10 points of Soul Power were extremely rare.
—Yet here was a team, all masters with more than 10 points of Soul Power?
Is this the true face of the world?
Countless thoughts flitted through Wu Xiaode's mind.
Speaking of which, 5 points of Soul Power and 10 points of Soul Power seemed almost similar.
But Wu Xiaode knew well, each point of Soul Power was almost equivalent to the ability to use a skill.
One more point of Soul Power meant one more attack at your disposal.
In battle, this was absolutely lethal.
Not to mention 5 versus 10—
When you have exhausted your skills, others could unleash another round of skills.
This was a vast chasm in strength.
With myriad thoughts racing through his mind, he remained composed and said:
"If it were someone else inviting me to join some underground organization, I would absolutely refuse, but you're different. For some reason, the scent of killing on you feels familiar to me."
Xiao Baihong couldn't help but ask, "What can you feel?"
"Corpses—I've been in a place before, seeing corpses piled up like a mountain. You give me the feeling of that Corpse Mountain," Wu Xiaode carefully probed.
"Corpse Mountain..."
Xiao Baihong imagined that scene, his face gradually showing a look of longing.
"Right, I just did something for you," Xiao Baihong said.
"What is it?" Wu Xiaode asked.
"I killed all those beggars—they were a gang involved in numerous murders. Killing them felt extremely exhilarating," Xiao Baihong said.
Wu Xiaode observed his alternating expressions, suddenly reminded of his childhood when he completed some particularly difficult homework, or scored high on exams, and the expression he had while bringing the test paper home.
—So, should I praise him?
No, perhaps praising him would make him lose interest instead.
This person—
could not be judged by common sense.
Wu Xiaode reviewed every word he said in his mind, gradually coming to a decision.
"Well, let me make an interesting suggestion," he said.
"What?" Xiao Baihong, genuinely interested, quickly asked.
Wu Xiaode leaned forward, whispering into Xiao Baihong's ear, "I want to invite you... to join me in killing that practitioner of Evil Magic and placing him on top of Corpse Mountain."
Xiao Baihong's expression grew serious, and he solemnly said, "No, that's not possible. He's also a member of the club, and we can't publicly execute a comrade."
As he spoke, he shook his head, but his hands tightly clenched the umbrella, as if struggling to control some emotion.
Wu Xiaode noticed.
"Is that so? We can't do it openly? That's too bad. Then how about we—"
Wu Xiaode lowered his voice and said, "secretly get rid of him."
Xiao Baihong quietly looked at him, and after a moment, nodded with a smile and said:
"Little Wu, we really do see eye to eye."
Bang!
A booming sound erupted, and a dazzling light burst forth in the Void, quickly transforming into half of a star, appearing above Xiao Baihong's head.