"Wang Shao?!" Li Yifei and his two companions exclaimed in unison upon hearing the familiar voice.The three of them exchanged glances and sprinted toward the dark alley where Wang Shao had disappeared.Lin Qiye stood still, frowning as he stared at the shadowy path ahead, his expression heavy with concern.Although he didn't know what was happening, a deep sense of unease settled in his chest.The outskirts of the old city, a psychopathic killer, a strange stench, screams...Something was off.He hesitated for a while, debating with himself. With a helpless sigh, he eventually picked up his cane and rushed toward the alley.Normally, if Lin Qiye encountered such a situation, he wouldn't hesitate to run in the opposite direction as fast as he could.The moment someone screams, it's clear nothing good is happening.And nothing good means trouble.Robbery, murder, or stumbling upon a crime scene... any of those things were situations Lin Qiye had no desire to be involved with.He wasn't particularly curious and didn't care to know what was going on. He wasn't a hero and didn't feel any obligation to help.Most importantly, he wasn't a fighter. What if he got himself killed?But this time was different.If they hadn't insisted on escorting Lin Qiye home, maybe Wang Shao would have taken another route or gone home a few minutes earlier and avoided this altogether.Lin Qiye didn't like meddling in others' affairs, but he hated owing favors even more.At the very least, he felt he should check out what was happening. If it got dangerous, he'd just run for it.Despite his blindfolded eyes, Lin Qiye moved quickly. The closer he got to the source of the screams, the deeper his frown became.The stench grew stronger."AAAAHHHH!!!"A second scream echoed from the corner ahead—a woman's voice this time.Jiang Qian!Lin Qiye skidded to a stop at the alley's corner. Within his ten-meter mental perception radius, he sensed Jiang Qian and the other two.Not far ahead of him, Jiang Qian was collapsed on the ground, trembling violently, her mouth agape in terror as she stared ahead.In front of her, Liu Yuan and Li Yifei stood frozen like statues, their eyes fixed on something beyond, their bodies shaking just as badly.Farther ahead... Lin Qiye's perception couldn't reach.His eyes remained shut, unable to see the world around him. His mental perception only extended ten meters, creating an awkward predicament.Within ten meters, he could sense everything. Beyond that, he was truly blind.What had Jiang Qian and the others seen to terrify them like this?Lin Qiye couldn't see, but his hearing was sharp. He could distinctly hear something nearby, making strange, gnawing sounds.It was as if someone were chewing ravenously, savoring every bite.Hmm... It sounded just like his dog gnawing on a bone."What happened?" Lin Qiye asked in a low voice.Jiang Qian flinched at the sound of his voice, clutching his sleeve in panic, her teeth chattering uncontrollably."A monster... a monster is eating Wang Shao's face!"Lin Qiye's face instantly turned grim."Run!!"Lin Qiye and Li Yifei shouted simultaneously.As soon as the word left his mouth, Liu Yuan bolted like a crazed dog, colliding with Lin Qiye's shoulder before scrambling back up and running for his life."Monster... help! Somebody! A monster!" Liu Yuan screamed as he fled.The collision left Lin Qiye staggering. As he regained his balance, a heavy thudding sound echoed from behind.It was as if a bear were pounding the ground, charging toward him at full speed.Jiang Qian's pupils contracted. Somehow, she mustered the strength to leap to her feet and ran off, screaming.As for Li Yifei... he had taken off as soon as he shouted, running even faster than Liu Yuan.If not for Liu Yuan knocking into Lin Qiye, he would have been far ahead by now.But the brief delay had left Lin Qiye trailing behind Jiang Qian and Li Yifei.At this moment, it seemed everyone had forgotten about Lin Qiye's "blind" condition. The classmates who had sworn to escort him home had abandoned him completely in their terror.Lin Qiye had barely taken a few steps when something entered his ten-meter perception range.It resembled a human, but not entirely.It had a human-like body with limbs and a head, but it moved like a hyena, running on all fours. Its hulking frame was as massive as a bear's.Most horrifying of all, it had a ghostly face.Pale and grotesquely twisted.A long, blood-red tongue, like a snake, extended half a meter from its mouth, writhing and twisting.Lin Qiye's face darkened.The creature was incredibly fast. In just a few steps, it had closed the gap, entering his perception range and still speeding toward him.He could already feel the gust of wind from its approach.Jiang Qian felt it too. Her face turned ashen, and panic overwhelmed her. She stiffly turned her head to see how close the creature was.Surely... it was still far away, right?"Don't look back!" Lin Qiye's voice rang out beside her.But it was too late. Jiang Qian's pupils shrank as the grotesque face loomed inches from her own. She could feel its sickening, metallic breath."AAAAAHHHHH!!!"Her scream shattered the silence of the alley. She shut her eyes tightly and swung her backpack at the monster in desperation.She was utterly panicked.A backpack wasn't a weapon, and she wasn't a trained fighter.In moments of life and death, losing composure meant losing any chance of survival.The monster grabbed the straps of her backpack with brute strength. The force threw Jiang Qian off balance, and she tumbled to the ground.A shadow loomed over her, crashing down.The next moment, blood stained the night crimson.