"Xiao Qi, has your teacher left?"After seeing Zhao Kongcheng off, Aunt hurriedly came out of the kitchen. "Oh dear, why didn't you make him stay for dinner? That kid..."Lin Qiye shook his head. "He has something to do later; he wouldn't stay for dinner.""What did your teacher say?""Not much, he just mentioned some sort of physical test and came to check on my eyes.""That Zhao teacher is such a good person, even coming to a student's home to ask. Oh, and before you came back, he was even helping me wash vegetables in the kitchen. He looks big and burly, but his hands are surprisingly delicate."Aunt wiped her apron with her hands and turned off the roaring exhaust fan, saying to Lin Qiye, "Dinner's almost ready. Go call your brother to come eat.""Okay."Moments later, the family of three was neatly seated around the table. The table was laden with seven dishes, all fragrant and colorful, making one's mouth water!"Tomato and scrambled eggs, chicken soup, stir-fried green beans… and sweet and sour ribs?!" Yang Jin looked at the sumptuous spread and swallowed hard. "Mom, how long has it been since we had such a feast?""Xiao Qi's eyes have recovered! This is bigger than a New Year's celebration, of course, we have to make it special!" Aunt replied matter-of-factly.Lin Qiye looked down at Little Black Scab, who was wagging his tail furiously, and smiled."Looks like Little Black Scab will feast tonight too.""It's his lucky day." Aunt laughed, lifting the teacup in front of her. "To celebrate Xiao Qi's recovery, cheers!""Cheers!""Cheers!!"...Under the dim clouds, the twilight glow had long since disappeared, and the world seemed to be draped in a veil of darkness.The rain swayed in the wind.In the distance, the city lights shimmered vividly.In this low, old residential area, a figure clad in a dark red cloak was sprinting through the rain, holding a large case in his hand.Rainwater slid down Zhao Kongcheng's face. Though it was summer rain, it carried a strange chill."Are you sure the Ghostface King is heading this way?" Zhao Kongcheng asked, his brows furrowed.From his earpiece came Wu Xiangnan's voice."Not sure. Ten minutes ago, our search team found traces of the Ghostface King's blood in the nearby sewer network. Judging by its movements, its destination could only be either the old residential area or the city center.""Two possible destinations?""Exactly.""Then what do we do? Split into two teams?""That's the plan, theoretically. But the city center has a huge crowd, and we can't easily evacuate the population. If the Ghostface King shows up there, it'll cause significant casualties and potentially widespread panic. So, we've deployed most of our forces to guard the city center.""What about the old residential area? If the Ghostface King shows up here, the people here will be in danger!""The old residential area has fewer residents who are more dispersed. It's easier to evacuate compared to the city center. And…""And even if the Ghostface King comes here, the losses won't be too great, is that it?" Zhao Kongcheng's tone carried a hint of anger. "The people living here are just as alive as anyone else!""Zhao, calm down!" Wu Xiangnan's voice was stern. "I never said we're abandoning the old residential area. Hong Ying is already on her way with reinforcements. Your job is to evacuate the residents as quickly as possible. And remember, even if the Ghostface King does show up there, do not engage it directly. It's not something you can handle. If necessary, deploy the No Boundary Void Zone to trap it temporarily."Zhao Kongcheng slowly unclenched his fists, letting out a sigh."Understood."Though Zhao Kongcheng was somewhat resentful, he understood this was the most rational approach.After all, if the Ghostface King truly entered the city center, with its dense population, it could hide in any dark corner, kill a few people to heal its injuries, and spark fear if exposed to the public.Deploying as many people as possible to the city center wouldn't feel like overkill, only insufficient.Meanwhile, the old residential area had fewer people living farther apart. Even if the Ghostface King came here, it would need more time to recover its injuries, and the chances of exposure were lower.Under such circumstances, Wu Xiangnan assigning anyone to the old residential area at all was already quite considerate.Now, he had to focus on evacuating the area's residents.This was a race against time!Zhao Kongcheng's figure zipped through the rain, moving at incredible speed. Droplets splattered against the case in his hand, bursting into tiny crystalline blooms.Not far ahead, amidst the hazy mist, the familiar low-rise house grew clearer.Just a few minutes ago, he'd left that very place.Complex emotions churned in Zhao Kongcheng's heart. By now, that family should have started dinner, right? He remembered the sweet and sour ribs, the tomato and egg, the stir-fried green beans…Oh, and those green beans—he washed them himself.Damn it. Just minutes ago, I was putting on airs, saying I'd take care of protecting the world. Now I have to go back and knock on their door, telling them to evacuate…This is going to make me look bad, isn't it?But there was no time to care about appearances now.As Zhao Kongcheng raced forward, a putrid stench suddenly filled his nostrils, making him gag!His pupils shrank, and he abruptly came to a halt!The pounding rain roared in his ears as he cautiously and slowly turned his head, eyes wide open to catch any detail.Then his gaze landed on a nearby manhole cover.The stench grew stronger.Zhao Kongcheng gripped the handle of his case tightly. Taking a deep breath, he crouched down slightly and placed the case on the ground.He knew exactly what that stench signified."Reporting in, Watcher Zhao Kongcheng here. Ghostface King sighted in the old residential area…" His voice was calm as he opened his earpiece.While speaking, he pressed a button on the case.Click—!The case popped open, revealing three neat, pristine signs.Zhao Kongcheng hoisted the signs, planting one firmly in place before dashing toward another point!Almost immediately, Wu Xiangnan's voice crackled through his earpiece."Understood! I've issued the order—Night Watchers are en route to the old residential area, and Hong Ying's team will arrive in ten minutes at most! Ten minutes! Zhao, set up the No Boundary Void Zone and stall it!"Zhao Kongcheng planted the second sign and sprinted toward the third point of the triangle, speaking with a tinge of helplessness:"Xiangnan, the No Boundary Void Zone is meant for concealing battles, not for containing foes. It can't hold the Ghostface King for ten minutes."Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle…Rainwater flowed into the manhole, but suddenly, the cover began to shake violently. The water that had been pouring in erupted like a boiling spring!"Regardless, do not engage the Ghostface King directly!" Wu Xiangnan's voice grew urgent. "Zhao, the old residential area is large. Even if the Ghostface King emerges, it won't cause significant damage immediately.These ten minutes, even if it claims a few lives, it won't recover much strength!'Mysteries' causing civilian casualties happens all the time. We Night Watchers aren't gods; we can't stop all deaths. But losing a core team member over a severely injured Ghostface King is absolutely not worth it!Zhao! Zhao! Do you hear me?"Bang—!The manhole cover shot up like a cannonball, and from the dark abyss of the sewer, a grotesque arm thrust out, followed by a monstrous figure several times the size of the original Ghostface King!Zhao Kongcheng gazed calmly at the scene, slowly placing the last sign down. He bit his fingertip and smeared a stroke of fresh blood across the sign's surface."Xiangnan, do you still remember the oath you once took…"Zhao Kongcheng stared at the Ghostface King, crouching slightly, his gaze drifting toward the small, low house in the distance."If darkness descends, I shall stand before the multitudes…This time, there are no multitudes behind me, but behind me lies…That boy's entire world."His hands came together in a sudden clap.An invisible veil enveloped the tiny triangle."Forbidden Ruin… No Boundary Void Zone!"