"Wang Shao?!"The familiar voice made Li Yifei and the other two cry out in unison.They exchanged a glance and immediately bolted toward the narrow alley where Wang Shao had gone.
Lin Qiye remained where he was, frowning into the dim alley ahead, his expression turning grave.He didn't know what had happened, but a strong sense of foreboding filled his heart.
The outskirts of the old city,a deranged serial killer,a nauseating stench,a bloodcurdling scream...
Something was definitely wrong.
He hesitated for a long moment, struggling internally, then finally sighed helplessly and picked up his white cane, rushing into the alley.
Normally, if Lin Qiye encountered something like this, he would never get involved.He would've turned and run in the opposite direction—the farther the better.
After all, someone screaming usually meant something bad was happening.And "bad" usually meant trouble.Robbery, murder, or stumbling upon a crime scene… Lin Qiye wanted nothing to do with any of that.
He wasn't that curious—he didn't want to know what had happened.He wasn't overflowing with compassion—he didn't want to be a hero.Most importantly, he couldn't fight.If he lost his life over something like this, what would be the point?
But this time was different.
If they hadn't insisted on walking him home, maybe Wang Shao would've taken a different route.Or if they'd left just a few minutes earlier, this might never have happened.
Lin Qiye hated getting involved.But he hated owing people more.
No matter what, he had to at least see what happened.That was the least he could do.If it got dangerous—he'd run. No hesitation.
Though his eyes were blindfolded, his pace didn't slow.The closer he got to where the scream had come from, the deeper his frown became.The stench in the air was growing thicker.
"AAAAAAAHHHHH!!!"Another scream rang out from just around the corner—this time, a girl's voice.
Jiang Qian!
Lin Qiye stopped abruptly at the turn.Within the range of his mental perception, he sensed the presence of three people.
Just ahead, Jiang Qian had collapsed on the ground, mouth agape in terror, trembling uncontrollably.In front of her, Liu Yuan and Li Yifei stood frozen like statues, their eyes locked forward, shaking with fear.
Farther ahead… Lin Qiye's perception couldn't reach.
His eyes were still sealed.He couldn't see the world himself,and his spiritual sense only extended ten meters.This put him in an extremely awkward situation:
Within ten meters, he saw everything.Beyond that—he was truly blind.
What had Jiang Qian and the others seen that scared them like this?
He couldn't see, but his hearing was sharp.He could clearly hear something not far off—a squelching, gnawing sound.Like something gnawing wildly… and enjoying it.
It sounded…just like Xiao Hei Lai chewing on bones.
"What happened?" Lin Qiye asked quietly.
Jiang Qian seemed startled by his sudden appearance.She clutched his shirt in a panic, her teeth chattering.
"A monster… the monster is chewing on Wang Shao's face!"
Lin Qiye's face went pale instantly.
"Run!!"
He and Li Yifei shouted the word at the exact same time.
As soon as they did, Liu Yuan spun around like a rabid dog and bolted, crashing into Lin Qiye's shoulder in his panic.He stumbled but scrambled up and sprinted away like mad!
"Monster! Help! Someone help! There's a monster!!"He screamed while running.
Lin Qiye had staggered from the impact, and just as he regained his balance,a heavy, thunderous sound came from behind.
Like a grizzly bear stomping the ground—charging straight at him.
Jiang Qian's pupils contracted sharply.Somehow, she found the strength to leap to her feet and dash away in terror.
As for Li Yifei—he had already started running the moment he shouted "run."He was even faster than Liu Yuan.If not for Liu Yuan's collision with Lin Qiye, he'd have been long gone.
But that slight delay meant he was now falling behind, like Jiang Qian.
In that moment,everyone forgot that Lin Qiye was "disabled."His classmates who had just vowed to escort him homehad completely abandoned him.
Faced with something so terrifying and bloody,fear consumed them all.
Lin Qiye had just taken a few steps when something entered the ten-meter radius of his spiritual perception.
It looked human—but wasn't.
It had four limbs and a head like a human,but it moved like a hyena,racing across the ground on all fours.Its body was massive—like a grizzly bear.
Worst of all, it had a ghost face on its head.Pale. Twisted.
A long, blood-red tongue hung from its mouth like a snake,slithering through the air half a meter long.
Lin Qiye's expression darkened.
It was too fast.In just a few strides, it had leapt from outside his perception range to within it—and it was still coming.
He could feel a violent gust of wind rushing in from behind.
Jiang Qian felt it too.Her face went deathly pale.Terror flooded her heart.She slowly turned her head, trembling, to see how far away the creature was.
It… it should still be 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.That grotesque, terrifying ghost face was right there,almost touching hers.She could smell the thick stench of blood on it.
"AAAAAAAHHHH!!!"
She screamed again, tightly shut her eyes, and swung her backpack around to hit the faceless monster.
She'd completely lost her composure.
A backpack wasn't a weapon.She wasn't a trained fighter.
At moments like this—whoever lost their cool first,was the first to die.
The ghost-faced monster yanked her backpack's strap—its brute strength knocked her off balance.She tumbled to the ground.
A massive shadow descended and landed heavily on her body.
The next second,blood splattered through the night—painting the darkness crimson.