"Xiaoqi, has your teacher left?"
After seeing Zhao Kongcheng off, Auntie hurriedly came out of the kitchen, "Oh dear, why didn't you invite him to stay for a meal before he left! This child..."
Lin Qiye shook his head. "He has something to do later and won't be staying for dinner."
"What did your teacher say?"
"It's nothing. They said there's some kind of physical test, and they specifically came to ask about my eye condition."
"This Teacher Zhao is such a good person. He even came to the student's home in person to ask about the situation. By the way, before you came back, he was in the kitchen helping me and Xiao Chen wash vegetables. He looks big and rough, but I didn't expect him to be so meticulous in his work."
"Aww.... That's sad..... He's a cool teacher tho! He teach me the right way to stir the meat today!" Lin Xi Chen pouted as she took off her apron and hung it on a nearby hook; her face was slightly smudged with seasoning from having just snuck a taste of the food.
Aunt wiped her apron with her hand, turned off the noisy range hood, and said to Lin Qiye:
"The food is almost ready. Call your brother to come and eat."
"Okay."
A moment later, the family of four sat neatly around the table, which was laden with eight dishes, all of which looked and smelled delicious, making one's mouth water!
"Scrambled eggs with tomatoes, chicken soup, spicy fried pork, stir-fried green beans... and sweet and sour pork ribs?!" Yang Jin looked at the table full of food, swallowed hard, and exclaimed, "Mom, how long has it been since our family has had such a lavish meal?"
"Xiaoqi's eyes are better! This is an even bigger celebration than the New Year, so of course we should celebrate it grandly!" Auntie said matter-of-factly.
Lin Qiye lowered his head, glanced at the little black toad wagging its tail wildly, and laughed:
"Looks like Little Black Tortoise will have a good meal tonight."
"It's a bargain." Auntie smiled and picked up the teacup in front of her. "To celebrate Xiaoqi's eye recovery, cheers!"
"Cheers!"
"Cheers!!..."
"To stinky brother!"
Beneath the dim clouds, the twilight had long since vanished, and the world seemed shrouded in a black veil.
The rain swayed in the wind.
The light shines brilliantly in the distant city.
In this low-rise, old residential area, a figure wearing a dark red cloak is running wildly in the rain, carrying a large suitcase in his hand.
Rainwater streamed down Zhao Kongcheng's cheeks; though it was summer rain, it had a strange, icy feel to it.
"Are you sure the Ghost-Faced King is really heading this way?" Zhao Kongcheng frowned.
Wu Xiangnan's voice came through the headset.
"Uncertain. Ten minutes ago, our search team discovered the Ghost King's bloodstains in the nearby sewer system. Based on its tracks, its destination could only be that old residential area or the city center."
"Two suspected destinations?"
"That's right."
"What should we do then? Split into two teams to guard them?"
"Theoretically, that's true, but the city center has a huge flow of people, and we can't easily evacuate them. If the Ghost King appears in the city center, it will not only cause a lot of casualties, but also easily cause panic. So we sent most of our forces to the city center to guard it."
"What about the old residential area? What if the Ghost-Faced King shows up here? The people there will be in danger!"
"Older residential areas have fewer residents, who are more dispersed, making them easier to evacuate compared to the city center, and also..."
"And even if the Ghost-Faced King comes here, he won't cause too much damage, right?" Zhao Kongcheng's voice carried a hint of anger. "These are living, breathing people living here!"
"Old Zhao, calm down!" Wu Xiangnan's voice was extremely serious. "I never said I would abandon the old residential area. Hongying is already leading people there. Your task is to evacuate the residents of the old residential area as quickly as possible."
"Also, even if the Ghost-Faced King really goes to your place, do not engage him in direct conflict. The Ghost-Faced King is not someone you can handle. If necessary, use the [Boundless Void] to trap him."
Zhao Kongcheng slowly loosened his clenched fist and sighed.
"All clear."
Although Zhao Kongcheng felt somewhat resentful, he knew very well that this was the right thing to do.
After all, if Ghost King were to go to the city center, where the population density is so high, it could easily recover its injuries by killing a few people in some dark corner. Moreover, once it is exposed to the public, it will inevitably cause panic.
Therefore, no matter how many people are sent to the city, it won't be enough; in fact, it will feel insufficient.
The old residential area has fewer residents, and the houses are far apart. Even if Ghost King came here, it would take him time to recover from his injuries, and the chances of him being exposed would be very small.
Under these circumstances, Wu Xiangnan's willingness to send people to the old residential area is already quite considerate.
Now, he must hurry to evacuate the residents of the old residential area.
This is a race against time!
Zhao Kongcheng's figure moved through the rain at an astonishing speed, and the falling raindrops hit the suitcase in his hand, blooming into crystal water flowers.
Not far away, in the hazy mist, the familiar low house became increasingly clear.
He had just come out of there a few minutes ago.
Zhao Kongcheng's heart was filled with complex emotions. Judging by the time, that family should be starting to eat dinner by now, right? He remembered there was sweet and sour pork ribs, spicy fried pork, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and stir-fried green beans…
Oh, and he was the one who washed those green beans.
Damn it, I was just showing off in front of that kid, saying I'd take care of protecting the world, and now I'm going to go knock on his door and tell him to get out of there...
This makes me look bad, okay?
However, this is no longer the time to worry about saving face.
Zhao Kongcheng sped forward through the rain, but just then, an extremely disgusting stench suddenly filled his nostrils!
His pupils suddenly contracted, and he abruptly stopped in his tracks!
Splash splash splash splash...
The clamor of the rain filled Zhao Kongcheng's mind. He cautiously and slowly turned his neck, his eyes wide open, afraid of missing any detail.
Then, his gaze fell on the manhole cover not far away.The stench grew stronger and stronger.Zhao Kongcheng gripped the handle of the suitcase tightly. He took a deep breath, bent down slightly, and placed the suitcase on the ground.
He knew very well what the stench meant.
"Report, Watcher Zhao Kongcheng, Ghost Face King has been found in the old residential area..." He turned on his headset, his voice very calm.
As he spoke, he pressed a button on the briefcase.
CLICK!
The suitcase popped open, revealing three neat and brand-new notice boards inside.
Zhao Kongcheng picked up the three notice boards, put one down on the spot, and then sped off to the other side!
Almost the instant Zhao Kongcheng finished speaking, Wu Xiangnan's voice came from the other end of the earpiece.
"Received! I have given the order. The Night Watchmen are moving towards the old residential area. Hongying and the others will be there soon, in ten minutes at most!"
"Ten minutes! Old Zhao, set up the [No-Rules Airspace] to temporarily trap it!"
Zhao Kongcheng put down the second notice board and, while sprinting towards the other vertex of the triangle, said helplessly:
"Xiangnan, [No-Rules Airspace] is for concealing battles, not for trapping people. It can't hold Ghost Face King for ten minutes."
Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle...
Rainwater flowed down the slope of the ground into the manhole cover, but suddenly the entire manhole cover began to tremble violently, and the rainwater that had been poured into it surged out like a boiling spring!
"No matter what, don't fight Ghost Face King head-on!" Wu Xiangnan's voice became noticeably anxious.
"Old Zhao, the old residential area is so big, even if Ghost Face King comes out, he may not cause any damage for a while."
"Even if it kills a few people in these ten minutes, it won't recover much of its strength!"
"Civilian casualties caused by the 'mystery' occur every moment. We Night Watchmen are not gods and cannot stop all the deaths and injuries. However, if we lose a core member because of a seriously injured Ghost King, it would be an absolute loss!"
"Old Zhao, Old Zhao! Can you hear me?"
Bang—!!
The manhole cover was launched like a cannonball, shooting into the sky. From the dark sewer opening, a ferocious arm suddenly reached out, followed by a monster several times larger than the original masked man leaping out!
Zhao Kongcheng calmly watched this scene, slowly putting down the last notice board in his hand, biting his fingertip, and smearing a line of blood on the notice board.
"Shonan, do you still remember the vow you once made...?"
Zhao Kongcheng stared at the Ghost-Faced King in front of him, squatted down slightly, and glanced at the small residential building not far away.
"If the darkest night ever comes, I will stand before millions of people..."
This time, I don't have millions of people behind me.
But
Behind me...
is that child's whole world."
His hands suddenly clasped together.
An invisible canvas enveloped this small triangle.
"Forbidden Ruins... [Boundless Void]!"