Several days later.
The swirling undercurrents within North Ridge City came to a halt.
Lee Yuan and Crow entered a coffee shop, where an elegant and handsome middle-aged man was packing his luggage.
"005, what are you doing?"
Hearing Lee Yuan's question, the Face Waller turned around.
"The master has granted me a month's holiday," he announced, "I am preparing for a heart-stopping journey."
"In this journey, I will embark on a romantic encounter. Unfortunately, those beautiful and young girls are also waiting for the arrival of a gentleman."
"Ah... the reborn me, in a new guise, romantically and elegantly capturing the hearts of young girls!"
"Just think about it, at 18 years old, at the peak of their curiosity, they long for the mysterious, they dream of scenarios from movies and TV, and I shall fulfill them!"
"Just the thought of it has me intoxicated, splendid!"
"Romantic encounter!"
Lee Yuan: "..."
Crow: "..."
This guy is quite something.
"So, what brings you here?" the Face Waller asked, turning his head.
"We... We're here to find Master Os," Crow, turning into a young girl, said.
Hearing this, the Face Waller shook his head, "Too bad, you're too late. Master Os has already left, no one knows where He has gone."
"A journey that says 'leave at once,' Master's taste just so happens to match mine, huh, huh."
Gone?
"Did the master not leave any instructions?"
"Leave instructions?"
The Face Waller thought for a moment. Besides the holiday, Chen Ye did indeed mention some other things to him.
Especially it seems he instructed something about Lee Yuan and Crow.
"Master said, you are like newly minted ceramic crafts, shiny and bright but worthless."
"True masterpieces often need time to settle before they can fetch a high price."
"So, go search, go experience, find your value, and complete a transformation from physical to spiritual!"
Lee Yuan frowned, "Is this really what Master Os said?"
"Of course, your doubt is entirely superfluous. Oh, by the way, 001, the master specifically instructed to visit his room, as he seems to have prepared something for you."
With that, the Face Waller resumed packing his luggage.
"That's it, I won't say more. I too must search for my purpose."
"People live for beautiful women!"
The Face Waller, quite the character, finished packing his luggage and left, not forgetting to shoo the other two out before locking the door behind him.
...
Watching the Face Waller's debonair departure, Crow and Lee Yuan exchanged glances, "If the master really said that, then we have no choice but to follow."
"Alright, until next time."
With those words, Lee Yuan waved goodbye to Crow.
Suddenly, a thought struck Crow as she watched his departing figure, "What did the master prepare for me in his room?"
Transforming into a crow, she flew straight through the window into Chen Ye's room.
The room was tidy, except for a conspicuously large plant that stood out.
The plant resembled a sunflower, with numerous coiled tendrils.
"What's this?"
As Crow approached, the sunflower suddenly turned its head towards her!
Numerous eyes then opened within the flower's center!
"Yikes!"
Startled, Crow screamed and attempted to flee, but the plant's coiled leaves shot out towards her!
Pop pop pop!
Several tendrils wrapped around Crow, tightening quickly.
"What is this thing!"
Crow exclaimed, caught in the plant's grasp.
Transforming into a young girl, Crow found that the plant did not care whether she was a bird or a human; it continued to bind her tightly with its tendrils!
The tendrils wrapped around her thighs, and spikes appeared, slicing through her skin!
"Stinky flower, let me go, do you know who I am? I'm raised by the master!"
No matter how much Crow shouted, the plant paid her no heed.
Just as Crow's body was about to be strangled by the tendrils, she suddenly had an idea and transformed into Chen Ye's appearance!
"Look closely at who I am!"
Crow suddenly spoke with Chen Ye's voice, and upon hearing this voice, the little flower promptly loosened its tendrils and playfully shook its body.
Crow breathed a sigh of relief, her voice returning to normal.
"Phew... thought I was a goner."
"But really, what is this thing?"
"This can't be what the master prepared for me, can it? No, no, no, definitely not."
Crow looked at the coiled plant with trepidation. If such a dangerous plant could backfire on the master one day, what then?
"To prevent any unforeseen mishaps to the master, maybe I should just uproot it?"
Hearing Crow's words, the eyes on the plant suddenly opened wide!
Crow's mouth twitched, "Err... I was just joking."
Better not to meddle.
Crow circled the room and suddenly noticed a cabinet filled with various potions.
"What's this?"
Crow opened the cabinet, which was divided into three rows, each filled with numerous potions, each labeled underneath.
Crow picked out a pure black potion, drawn to it because she liked black.
Looking at the potion's label, "Spy?"
"Could this be what the master prepared for me? It must be, knowing my fondness for black, he must have anticipated this!"
Thinking so, Crow unscrewed the cap and, transforming into bird form, took a small sip with her beak.
It was sweet, reminiscent of mint candy.
Another sip...
Crow continued to drink the liquid, and soon, the bottle was empty.
"Hmm?"
Just as Crow was about to transform, her body suddenly convulsed!
"…Ahh!"
The raven emitted a sharp scream of pain, and the next second, the color in its eyes vanished completely, leaving only endless blackness.
As the pain in its body subsided, the raven unconsciously transformed into human form.
She turned into a naked girl kneeling on the ground, her eyes still a pitch-black void, without a trace of white.
She stood up dazedly, and the world before her suddenly became extremely unfamiliar.
Everything seemed as if she were seeing it for the first time.
"I hear... voices, who is whispering?"
Save me...
Help me...
A faint voice, she pleaded for help.
The raven walked dazedly to the edge of the bed, then transformed into an eagle and flew into the sky.
Following the whisper, she flew across the sky, the voice becoming more and more intense.
"Anyone... will do..."
"Save me, I've... had enough."