"Take out the item; don't make me repeat myself."
After these words fell, the entire alley turned utterly silent.
People instinctively looked toward Yun You's pants pocket, seeing that the ragged pocket was bulging as though something really was hidden inside...
Her breathing was visibly rapid, and her gaze was flitting, unable to meet the eyes of the Apprentice Death God.
Yun You obviously knew what the Mad Spirit was referring to—it was the last bird grenade hidden in her pocket, a little device meant to save her life.
The grenade wasn't large, just forming a small arc protruding from her pocket, but its shape was quite unique—certainly not a phone or keys, which is why it caught the Apprentice Death God's attention.
Crystalline sweat soaked the strands of hair at her forehead, making her already mud-stained and oil-smeared little face appear even more disheveled.
She understood that the grenade absolutely could not be brought out.
Ordinary civilian girls didn't have the habit of strolling the streets with grenades.
If the thing was seen by the Mad Spirit, even if the Apprentice Death God were slow-witted, he'd undoubtedly be suspicious...maybe even re-evaluate her identity.
But faced with the current situation, if she remained obstinate or motionless, it would only worsen matters.
So under the Mad Spirit's oppressive gaze, Yun You was silent for two seconds, before finally she slightly moved her wrist, trembling... and pulled her hand out of the pocket, revealing it to the crowd.
"What could it be? Dangerous goods? Food? Or..."
People were thinking chaotically, but no one guessed the correct answer.
Because what Yun You held wasn't a grenade, nor a tasty snack, but a solid white ball covered in mud.
It was about the same size as a grenade, but the material was entirely different, with its surface covered in a layer of soft white wax, which could be scraped away with a fingernail.
"Is this... the 'Healing Pill' fast-acting tablet?"
People recognized the identity of the ball.
Healing Pill Fast-Acting Tablet, full name "Healing Pill Anti-inflammatory Pain-relief Hemostasis Bruise Treatment Fast-Acting Tablet," is an oral trauma medication produced by Nest City No. 3's pharmaceutical giant—Huikang Company.
As its complicated name suggests, Healing Pill is a special medication designed specifically for wound treatment.
When the chemical agent in the pill is ingested, it merges into a person's bloodstream within seconds, coagulating and closing wounds.
Though the pamphlet emphasizes that it is highly effective for external injuries, it can also treat relatively severe internal organ damage, but the effectiveness is not as good.
Due to its good quality, even gang members in Nest City like to keep one or two pills on hand.
However, ordinary citizens living at the bottom don't use it much... because its price is a tad steep, equivalent to several days' wages for ordinary people.
Most, when injured, prefer to wrap themselves in a couple of pieces of ragged cloth, take a few expired anti-inflammatories, and wait for wounds to heal naturally.
Thus, the pill Yun You held should be considered the only medication in the little alley, quite rare indeed.
As for why it replaced the bird grenade and suddenly "appeared" in the girl's hand, only Yun You herself knows.
Actually, whether it was the bird grenade or the Healing Pill, they were both always in her pocket, never moved.
So when the Apprentice Death God confronted her, she could use this pill to cope.
But where did the grenade go?
The fact is, Yun You's pants pocket was now completely flat, with no chance of hiding anything.
Did the grenade evaporate into thin air?
The answer lies in her subtle movements.
Yun You first slightly opened her pocket with trembling actions, also lifting her pant leg, then used her fingernail to tear the inside of the pocket, letting the grenade roll down her pant leg directly into her boot.
A seamless succession of actions, not a trace of the hesitation and fear shown on her face.
That's her nature; the more dangerous, the more frightening the situation, the clearer and calmer her mind becomes...
She must not only ensure the present is free of mishaps but also continue calculating and planning her next steps!
Yet Yun You also knew that Apprentice Death Gods were always suspicious, and these seemingly flawless actions might not convince them.
They were never lacking in vigilance.
Thus Yun You once again lowered her head, displaying her superb acting skills.
"Sorry... God... I didn't mean to hide this..."
"I know you want this... If it were any other medicine... I'd honestly give it to you... But this... I really can't..."
She pitifully held up the pill, even squeezing out a few pitiful drops of sour tears.
"This medicine is from my dad; he asked me to pass it to my uncle who got injured in the factory..."
"If I lose this medicine, I won't be able to explain to my family... So I hid it, fearing you'd... that you'd want to take it..."
"Who wants to take your stuff?"
Mad Spirit indeed fell for it, snorting disdainfully.
"Filthy and smelly... it's worthless junk; even if you give it to me for free, I wouldn't want it."
With that, he turned his head away, disinclined to continue speaking with Yun You or questioning any further.
"Everything's said, right? Alright, time to think about exploring this place..."
"Wait, is there still a little guy who hasn't spoken?"
Mid-sentence, Mad Spirit suddenly noticed the white-eyed child nestled beside Yun You.
This child had actually arrived earlier in the Death Domain but hadn't spoken a word the entire time, leaving Mad Spirit with many questions.
Taking this chance, he planned to ask this child thoroughly to see if he could gather some information from the little guy.
"Thump thump thump—"
Just as he prepared to speak, a mellow drumbeat suddenly emerged from the other end of the alley, interrupting Mad Spirit's thoughts.
Next, more electronic instruments gradually joined in, forming a melody with a lively tune, which, upon close listening, even carried a hint of pop music.
"No, this is pop music... It's the popular track from two years ago that swept through Nest City No. 3—[Fiery Flame Body-Burning]!"
Everyone present suddenly realized.
They followed the music, instinctively turning to look at the other end of the alley.
About thirty meters away, in the corner of the alley, stood a figure... more accurately, a robot with human proportions, wearing a crisp suit and holding a golden baton, waving it with complete disregard for anyone else.
Though its movements had the typical stiffness of a robot, stopping between each motion... its expression carried an inexplicable sense of "elegance," as if it were a legitimate conductor.