"Qiye, did your teacher leave?"
After seeing Zhao Kongcheng off, Auntie quickly came out of the kitchen. "Oh, why didn't you ask him to stay for dinner?"
Lin Qiye shook his head. "He has something to do. He wouldn't stay for dinner."
"What did your teacher say?"
"Nothing much. He just asked about my eyes. Apparently, there's some sort of physical test."
"That Teacher Zhao is such a good person, coming all the way to ask about his student's condition. And before you came back, he was even helping me wash vegetables in the kitchen. He looks all tough, but he's surprisingly meticulous when it comes to chores."
Auntie wiped her hands on her apron and turned off the loud exhaust fan. "Dinner's almost ready. Call your brother to come eat."
"Okay."
Moments later, the three of them sat around the table, with seven dishes laid out, full of color, aroma, and flavor. It made one's mouth water!
"Scrambled eggs with tomatoes, chicken soup, dry-fried green beans… and sweet and sour pork ribs?!" Yang Jin looked at the spread, swallowing hard. "Mom, how long has it been since we've had such a feast?"
"Lin Qiye's eyes are better now. This is an even bigger joy than New Year's, so we should celebrate properly!" Auntie said proudly.
Lin Qiye lowered his head and glanced at the little black dog, who was wagging its tail wildly. He smiled.
"Looks like tonight, Little Black can have a feast too."
"Lucky it." Auntie smiled as she picked up her teacup. "To celebrate Little Qiye's recovery, cheers!"
"Cheers!"
"Cheers!!"
…
Beneath the dim clouds, the faint glow of dusk had long since vanished, and the world seemed to be covered with a layer of black gauze.
The rain swayed in the wind.
The light in the distant city shone brilliantly.
In this old, dilapidated residential area, a figure draped in a dark red cloak was running through the rain, carrying a large suitcase.
Raindrops ran down Zhao Kongcheng's face. Despite it being summer, the rain felt oddly cold.
"Are you sure the Demon-faced King is coming this way?" Zhao Kongcheng furrowed his brow.
In his earpiece, Wu Xiangnan's voice sounded.
"We're not sure. Ten minutes ago, our search team found the Demon-faced King's blood in a nearby sewer system. Judging by its movements, its destination can only be this old residential area or the city center."
"Two possible destinations?"
"That's right."
"What should we do then? Split into two teams?"
"Technically, yes. But there are too many people in the city center for us to easily evacuate. If the Demon-faced King appears there, it could cause a lot of casualties and panic. So, we've sent the majority of our forces to the city center to guard it."
"What about the old residential area? What if the Demon-faced King shows up there? The people here will be in danger too!"
"The old residential area has fewer residents, and they are more scattered. It's easier to evacuate compared to the city center. Besides…"
"Besides, even if the Demon-faced King comes here, it won't cause much damage, right?" Zhao Kongcheng's voice had a hint of anger. "There are still living people here!"
"Old Zhao, calm down!" Wu Xiangnan's voice was stern. "I never said we'd give up on the old residential area. Hong Ying has already gone with her team, and your mission is to evacuate the residents as quickly as possible. The faster, the better."
"Also, even if the Demon-faced King really shows up there, don't engage it directly. The Demon-faced King is not something you can handle. If necessary, use the Zone of No Fear to trap it."
Zhao Kongcheng's clenched fist slowly relaxed as he sighed.
"Understood."
Though Zhao Kongcheng was frustrated, he knew this was the right course of action.
After all, if the Demon-faced King went to the city center, the population was so dense that it could easily kill a few people in dark corners to regain its strength. And once it exposed itself to the public, panic would ensue.
So, no matter how many people they sent to the city center, it would never feel like enough.
The old residential area, on the other hand, had fewer people, and they were more spread out. Even if the Demon-faced King came here, it would take time to recover its strength, and the chance of exposure was much smaller.
In this case, Wu Xiangnan sending people to the old residential area was already quite reasonable.
Now, he had to act quickly to evacuate the residents.
It was a race against time!
Zhao Kongcheng dashed through the rain, moving at an incredible speed. The raindrops splashed off the suitcase in his hand, forming sparkling droplets.
Not far ahead, through the mist of water, the familiar low houses became clearer.
A few minutes ago, he had just left there.
Zhao Kongcheng felt conflicted. Judging by the time, the family should be starting dinner now, right? He remembered there were sweet and sour pork ribs, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, dry-fried green beans…
Right, he was the one who washed the green beans.
Damn it, just a moment ago, I was showing off in front of that kid, saying I'd protect the world or whatever, and now I have to go knock on their door to tell them to evacuate…
This is so embarrassing.
But now, it's not the time to worry about face.
Zhao Kongcheng splashed through the rain, but suddenly, an awful stench assaulted his nostrils!
His pupils dilated, and he immediately stopped!
The noise of the rain filled Zhao Kongcheng's mind as he slowly and cautiously turned his neck, his eyes wide open, afraid to miss any details.
Then his gaze landed on a sewer grate not far away.
The stench grew stronger.
Zhao Kongcheng tightened his grip on the suitcase handle, inhaled deeply, and bent down to set the suitcase on the ground.
He knew exactly what the stench meant.
"Report, Watcher Zhao Kongcheng, the Demon-faced King has been located in the old residential area…" He opened his earpiece and spoke calmly.
As he spoke, he pressed a button on the suitcase.
Click—
The suitcase popped open, revealing three neatly stacked, brand-new signboards inside.
Zhao Kongcheng picked up the three signboards and placed one on the ground, then quickly ran toward the other side!
Almost as soon as Zhao Kongcheng finished speaking, Wu Xiangnan's voice came through his earpiece.
"Got it! I've already issued orders, and the Nightwatchers are moving to the old residential area. Hong Ying and her team will be there soon, no more than ten minutes!"
"Ten minutes! Old Zhao, set up the Zone of No Fear and trap it for now!"
Zhao Kongcheng set down the second signboard, running toward the third one while speaking helplessly:
"Xiangnan, the Zone of No Fear is meant to hide the battle, not to trap people. It won't be able to hold the Demon-faced King for ten minutes."
Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle
Rainwater flowed along the slanted ground and into the sewer grate, but suddenly, the entire grate trembled violently, and the rainwater inside began to bubble up like a boiling spring, surging outward!
"No matter what, don't engage the Demon-faced King directly!" Wu Xiangnan's voice grew urgent. "Old Zhao, the old residential area is so large, even if the Demon-faced King comes out, it won't cause much damage immediately.
In these ten minutes, even if it kills a few people, it won't regain too much strength!
Civilian casualties are happening all the time due to the mysterious events, and we, the Nightwatchers, are not gods. We can't stop every death. But losing a core team member to a severely injured Demon-faced King would be an absolute disaster!
Old Zhao, can you hear me?!"
Boom—
The sewer grate was blasted into the air like a cannonball, and a monstrous arm shot out of the dark sewer, followed by a creature several times larger than the original Demon-faced King leaping out!
Zhao Kongcheng calmly watched the scene unfold, slowly setting down the last signboard in his hand, biting his fingertip, and drawing a streak of blood across the sign.
"Xiangnan, do you remember the oath you made…"
Zhao Kongcheng watched the Demon-faced King in front of him, crouching down slightly. His eyes shifted to the small residential building not far away.
"If the dark night falls,
I will stand before the multitude…
This time, there are no multitudes behind me,
But,
Behind me,
There is that kid's entire world."
His hands suddenly came together in a prayer.
An invisible canvas enveloped the small triangle.
"Forbidden Wasteland... Zone of No Fear!"