"Ye Ying will never like you; why are you so fixated on her?" I must have told myself this countless times, yet I could not help but wait for her along this path. This marked the ninety-eighth time I had lingered on Ye Ying's way home. As a novice in the realm of romance, the only method I understood for pursuing a girl was this clumsy tactic. As a high school freshman, I had developed feelings for Ye Ying from Class Six upon our first meeting, dedicating more than a semester to win her over, but my progress had been meager, even resulting in several negative consequences. For instance, Ye Ying frequently altered her route home, leaving me to wait for hours in vain. "Sigh, it's nearly nine o'clock; I might as well head home." I rubbed my aching thighs, preparing to rise from my corner, when suddenly, several men rushed into the alley where I was hiding.
"Fang Baichuan, if you don't hand over that item, you'll die here today!" Upon hearing this, my entire body trembled, paralyzed with fear. "I've encountered a murderer!" It seemed to confirm my thoughts as the men quickly began to brawl after arguing. They appeared to be skilled in combat, their fight more intense and dramatic than anything I had seen in films. I watched in secret, utterly captivated, until a man in a black suit collapsed beside me, his lifeless eyes staring vacantly at the sky, his throat slashed, and blood splattering around me. I was gripped by terror. "They're really killing people!" This was the first time I had witnessed a death, leaving me frozen in shock. My gaze fixated on the short knife clutched in the dead man's hand. "Will they silence me too? I hope they don't discover me! Damn it, I should have listened and given up on pursuing Ye Ying. If I were home now, I wouldn't have to deal with this!"
"Fang Baichuan, you're quite skilled; no wonder you're from the SWAT background. The brothers didn't know you were an undercover agent and held you in high regard. But today, you won't survive. Where's the item? Speak!" The unfortunate target of the chase had killed four men but was now bleeding profusely. He didn't appear to be a police officer at all, and I suspected I couldn't rely on this officer to save me; he needed rescuing himself. "Axe, you've always been a man in the organization. Just give me a quick end; there's no way I'm handing that item over to you!"
"Hmph, Fang Baichuan, without that item, Lord Guan will surely kill us. Do you think I'll let you go?" The man referred to as Axe had a menacing look on his face. He gestured, and the remaining two assassins swiftly sliced at Fang Baichuan's legs, then began to search him. Fang Baichuan, evidently in intense pain, let out low growls as he rolled around in the alley. The two men in black momentarily lost their grip on him, taking a few steps forward when they spotted me.
"Axe, there's a kid!" Fang Baichuan saw the panic in my eyes and was about to shout for me to flee when he realized Axe was blocking the alley's exit, revealing his helplessness. He understood I had no chance of escaping from Axe. "Kill them both!" At that cold command, a chill ran down my spine, and I was about to scream when Fang Baichuan suddenly whispered, "Quick, swallow this, and remember to tell our people that Lord Guan is—" Before I could react, something was shoved into my mouth, and as the two black-clad men and Axe rushed toward me with horror on their faces, a white light enveloped me, and I vanished into the night air. Axe's eyes turned red, filled with rage, as he bellowed, "Fang Baichuan, I'll kill you!"
The two men in black were equally bewildered, looking to Axe and asking in hushed tones, "Axe, what should we do? Lord Guan won't spare us!" Axe silently snatched the knife from one of his subordinates and plunged it viciously into Fang Baichuan's chest. He cursed under his breath, "Do you know that because of you, I can't return to report? Lord Guan will order our deaths!" Fang Baichuan seemed to want to say something but his expression darkened, and he could only muster a faint smile before his head lolled to the side, lifeless. "You died rather painlessly!" Axe took a step back and suddenly swayed. His two subordinates looked at him in disbelief before collapsing to the ground. "You idiots, instead of dying at Lord Guan's hands, I'll help you find release. If we lose that item, Lord Guan won't spare anyone who knows the truth!" Tossing the short knife aside, Axe ignored the blood gushing from the two men's chests, removed his suit, wiped his hands clean, and strode away.
"Am I dead? Or…"
"Welcome to Demon Island. This is your Demon Book; please hold it carefully. You are our sixteen thousand eight hundred twenty-first visitor, and according to the rules of Demon Island, there is a reward for you!" Before I could comprehend what was happening, a melodious voice echoed in my ear. A massive tome, the size of four open books and as thick as an Oxford dictionary, fell upon my forehead, knocking me to the ground. When I finally sat up, gritting my teeth and struggling to push this heavy book, which could serve as a weapon, aside, I noticed the cover was made of fine sheepskin, adorned with a pentagram, within which was a small and peculiar print of the yin-yang symbol. As I slowly turned the cover, a petite, lively girl emerged from the first page, her radiant smile brightening the air around her. She wore an audacious outfit that no girl in reality would dare to don—a minuscule skirt that barely concealed her panties, exposing delicate lace. A small vest barely covered her most crucial area, leaving a significant expanse of flawless skin exposed. The only relatively conventional item was her long boots, albeit intricately cut with various patterns, allowing glimpses of her delicate calves and adorable toes.
However, the most astonishing aspect was the pair of cute little wings fluttering behind her, causing her to hover several inches above the page. Initially taken aback, I soon regained my wits and foolishly asked an irrelevant question, "Why is there a reward for the number sixteen thousand eight hundred twenty-one? It's nothing special."