Chapter 60

Inside the courtyard of the pitch-black, abandoned teaching building, Zhu Ming was curiously poking and prodding at the millennium-old tree.

Tang Qiaoqi looked around idly, bored out of her mind. She noticed Zhuang Guigui had vanished again. Shining her flashlight forward, she was just about to urge Zhu Ming on when she heard a series of panicked wails from behind her.

She recognized that sound instantly—it was her best friends.

Tang Qiaoqi spun around in surprise. She had no idea why they suddenly ran out. Doing this now meant all their effort was wasted!

Before Tang Qiaoqi could awkwardly ask what was going on, Huang Lili dashed forward, grabbed her arm and started pulling her, crying out with a pale face, “Quick, let’s go! There’s a ghost here!”

Tang Qiaoqi saw that Bao Zaozao and Zhuang Guigui were here too. Her eyelid twitched as she winked meaningfully. “Of course there’s a ghost. Didn’t we come here to get rid of it?!”

“Qiaoqi, what I mean is…” Huang Lili swallowed hard. “That shadow just now… wasn’t Guigui!”

Tang Qiaoqi: “…”

Just then, Zhu Ming, whose interest had been solely on the tree, finally retracted her gaze. She walked over with a beaming smile. “What a coincidence! All of Qiaoqi’s roommates, huh?”

Tang Qiaoqi didn’t know whether to feel more awkward or terrified.

Zhu Ming feigned surprise. “What’s this? Seems like I stumbled upon a little secret.”

Bao Zaozao stepped forward, putting herself in front of her friends, and said angrily, “Who cares about that now! Let’s get out of here first!”

Zhu Ming rubbed her chin. “What ‘that’ do you mean? You mean that thing about you trying to fool me by pretending to be ghosts?”

Huang Lili was frantic. “We did plan to pretend to be ghosts, but this time, it really wasn’t us!”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. You were lying before, but now it’s come true. You didn’t lose out.” Zhu Ming comforted them.

“So… ghosts are actually real?” Tang Qiaoqi thought hazily. But she quickly shook her head. She declared firmly, “Impossible! Even if that shadow wasn’t Guigui pretending, it can’t be a ghost. It has to be a person.”

Zhu Ming said, “This time, I agree with Qiqi. I heard there’s a wanted criminal operating in the area recently. Maybe it’s him.”

Tang Qiaoqi: “…” That’s way scarier than ghosts!

Whether it was a ghost or a wanted criminal, both were terrifying. Huang Lili didn’t want to stay here a moment longer. She tugged at Tang Qiaoqi. “We’ll figure everything out after sunrise. Let’s just go!”

Though Tang Qiaoqi was bitter about their failure, there was no other choice. The four of them huddled together, arms linked, and headed for the exit.

“Zhu Ming, aren’t you coming?” After a few steps, Tang Qiaoqi realized Zhu Ming wasn’t following. She couldn’t help but turn back and ask.

Without moonlight or lamplight, the woman’s tall, slender figure melded into the darkness. Her face was indistinct, not even her shadow was visible. Tang Qiaoqi could only tell she was looking up, her head tilted towards the higher floors.

“No, I still have something to take care of.” Zhu Ming’s voice seemed to carry a strange meaning.

“What is she doing?” Huang Lili muttered quietly. “Being all spooky and weird. Ugh. If she wants to stay here, let her. We need to get out of here, fast.”

An uneasy feeling grew in Tang Qiaoqi’s heart. She wanted to expose Zhu Ming’s scam, but she didn’t want to leave her alone for a wanted criminal. What if someone got killed?

“No, you have to come with us!” Tang Qiaoqi said urgently. “Or else I won’t pay the rest of your fee!”

Zhu Ming chuckled softly. “I’ve already made a profit from just the deposit. You can keep the rest.”

Tang Qiaoqi was at a loss. This money-loving woman didn’t even want money anymore. What was she trying to do? Fine, if she was so determined, just leave her.

The four dormmates ran forward quickly. But suddenly, Bao Zaozao let out a yelp and stumbled backward.

Tang Qiaoqi quickly steadied her. “What’s wrong?!”

Bao Zaozao rubbed her forehead. “I think I just walked into a wall.”

But looking carefully ahead, where was the wall? Shining her flashlight around… it was just air.

Tang Qiaoqi took a step forward. Thud! She clutched her forehead, her eyes wide with disbelief.

There was clearly nothing in front of her, yet she also felt like she’d hit a wall. What the hell was going on?

The four panicked. They frantically patted around on this invisible wall and found it extended infinitely up, down, left, and right. It had completely sealed off the entire abandoned teaching building!

Now, the wanted criminal theory was completely blown apart. Even Tang Qiaoqi began to waver, suspecting they had encountered a Ghost Wall.

Could ghosts actually exist in this world? Tang Qiaoqi felt her entire worldview being shattered.

“If ghosts are real, then maybe Boss Zhu is actually… the real deal?” Huang Lili put forward the terrifying suggestion.

“You’re right.” Bao Zaozao’s hand holding the camera hadn’t stopped shaking. “Maybe… we should go back and find her.”

The sound of soft footsteps approached. They had appeared very close by. The moment she heard it, the hairs on the back of Tang Qiaoqi’s neck stood on end. But she thought it was Zhu Ming coming.

She turned her head and said, “Boss Zhu!”

But what appeared before her wasn’t Zhu Ming. In the beam of her flashlight, a pair of glowing green eyes emerged, like two clusters of eerie Ghost Fire.

Tang Qiaoqi was so frightened she couldn’t even make a sound. It was Huang Lili who turned her head and screamed for her.

The four immediately scattered and fled in panic.

“Boss Zhu, there’s a ghost!”

“Duck!” Zhu Ming’s voice barked from somewhere unknown, cold and commanding.

In that moment, Huang Lili obeyed and ducked down without a second thought. A gust of wind whizzed right over her scalp towards the thing behind her.

Whap!

Something slammed hard into the thing behind them, and then the thing crashed into a wall.

Huang Lili didn’t dare look back. She scrambled up and kept running towards the courtyard with her friends. After only a few steps, Zhu Ming blocked their path.

“A g-ghost, there’s a g-ghost.” Huang Lili’s hands trembled as she frantically took out her phone to call the police, only to despair. No signal!

Zhu Ming steadied her by the shoulders, also reaching out to catch Zhuang Guigui, who had almost fallen. “What happened? Where’s Tang Qiaoqi?”

Huang Lili looked around in shock. She saw only Bao Zaozao and Zhuang Guigui. No Tang Qiaoqi. Right… where was Qiaoqi?!

Bao Zaozao said, her lips trembling nervously, “We ran into a Ghost Wall, or something. We couldn’t get out. Then we met a wandering ghost with green eyes. Then Qiaoqi… she was just gone!”

“It’s not a Ghost Wall. It’s a barrier.”

Zhu Ming rubbed her chin in frustration. Since she had seen through Miss Tang’s trap from the very beginning, Zhu Ming was simply planning to take a stroll and go back, just earning the deposit money. That’s why she’d come empty-handed, completely unprepared. But upon arriving, she realized these little sisters had actually, inadvertently, stumbled right into a restricted zone.

Of course, the truth wasn’t a ghost encounter as these few imagined.

It was a demon matter.

Earlier, when Zhu Ming told them to leave first, she intended to cover the rear and guard against that demon up on the rooftop. She hadn’t expected its accomplice was hiding in the shadows elsewhere.

And with four ordinary students here, Zhu Ming was stretched thin. There was truly no way she could watch over them all.

“We can’t panic now. All of you, follow me.”

Zhu Ming made a snap decision. She led the three of them up to the second floor and found a small classroom at the very edge of the barrier, hiding them inside.

“Open the window. Keep your flashlights on and wave them outside. Remember to yell for help too. Though it might not do any good.”

The rear window of this classroom faced outside the building, overlooking a fairly major road. If they were lucky, a campus security guard might spot them.

“What about Qiaoqi?” Huang Lili asked worriedly.

“I’m going to save her right now, aren’t I?” Zhu Ming smiled and said. “After I’m gone, remember to lock all the other doors and windows.”

“So you really are one of those real masters?” Bao Zaozao was utterly astonished.

Zhu Ming grinned and handed over a business card. “Of course. Well, I wish you luck. I’m going to find Qiqi now.”

The moment she left that classroom, the smile on Zhu Ming’s face vanished completely.

She sprinted towards the stairs and dashed straight for the rooftop. Tang Qiaoqi wasn’t there, but a strange woman was. The night wind cut to the bone. Zhu Ming didn’t recklessly charge forward.

The other party already expected Zhu Ming to come up. She glared with a predatory gaze. “Are you with the Management Bureau?”

Zhu Ming cracked her knuckles. “You’re wrong. I’m just an ordinary Awakened.”

“Impossible!” the woman declared definitively. “If you weren’t, why would you just happen to be here? You’re obviously pursuing us!”

Zhu Ming said grumpily, “I told you, you don’t believe me. So why even ask?”

“Yeah, don’t bother asking her.” From behind the woman, the one holding Tang Qiaoqi emerged onto the rooftop from the stairs on the other side. It was a large, tall man whose face bore wolf demon features—fangs, bristly fur, and wolf eyes. Seen from a distance, he was hideously shocking.

Seeing Tang Qiaoqi was still alive, Zhu Ming secretly sighed in relief. “What do you want by taking her hostage? Let me warn you, killing someone will only add to your crimes.”

The woman was also a Wolf Demoness. She couldn’t help but smile. “Are you joking? We’re already considered criminals by you people. But don’t worry, I don’t want her life just yet.”

“Then what do you want?”

“I want your life.” The Wolf Demoness smiled slightly. “This little girl here is just an ordinary person. She poses no threat to us. But you’re different. I’m sorry, but for our safety, you have to die.”

The perception of the Demon Clan is extremely sharp. To the Wolf Demoness right now, Zhu Ming was undoubtedly a very powerful threat. She carried an intimidating pressure. Even if she appeared completely ordinary, she absolutely couldn’t be underestimated.

Based on experience, a fight with Zhu Ming right now would definitely attract attention. That wasn’t worth the cost for the Wolf Demoness.

Moreover, the Wolf Demon was injured, unable to even fully maintain his human form. A fight wasn’t guaranteed to go their way.

So the best method was to make Zhu Ming die willingly. Quietly.

Zhu Ming sighed softly. “And if I say no?”

The Wolf Demoness spread her hands. “Then this little girl dies. I’ve heard that people from the Management Bureau are all so righteous. You wouldn’t just watch an ordinary person die, would you?”

Zhu Ming snapped irritably. “I’m not from the Management Bureau!”

The Wolf Demon growled impatiently, “I don’t care if you are or not! A life for a life. We Wolf Demons keep our word and never go back on it. Otherwise, I’ll kill her right now!”

As he spoke, the Wolf Demon pressed his claws to Tang Qiaoqi’s neck. A slight twitch of his claws immediately drew a line of blood. Tang Qiaoqi, her mouth covered, could only make muffled sounds. She stared at Zhu Ming in terror, trying to shake her head.

“Stop.”

Zhu Ming had no choice. She said, “Fine, fine, fine. You have a hostage. I’ll behave, okay? But you have to swear, after I’m dead, you won’t harm these ordinary people. No, remove the barrier and let the other three go first.”

The Wolf Demoness rejected this without a second thought. “Impossible. If they leave, won’t we still be exposed? Let them stay here for the night.”

Damn it. They have a hostage.

Zhu Ming pressed her lips together. “Fine, then I’ll go die.”

So she walked to the edge of the rooftop, and jumped off cleanly and decisively. The jump made even the Wolf Demoness gape in surprise. Are you people from the Management Bureau really that practiced at sacrificing yourselves?!

No. There was no sound of a body hitting the ground.

The Wolf Demoness sneered inwardly, already seeing through Zhu Ming’s trick. “Drop the act. Come back up. I’m not an idiot.”

No one answered.

The Wolf Demoness said impatiently, “If you don’t come up, I’ll start on her!”

Still no answer.

The Wolf Demoness’s expression turned cold. She dragged Tang Qiaoqi over to the spot where Zhu Ming had just jumped off.

“Hey, Management Bureau woman, if you don’t make a sound, I’ll break one of her arms first, then one of her legs!”

Tang Qiaoqi’s mouth was finally free, but with her throat squeezed, she could only rasp out, “Boss Zhu, just run! Don’t mind—mmph!”

That newly freed little cherry mouth was covered by the Wolf Demoness again.

Impatient, the Wolf Demoness dragged her to the edge of the rooftop. Using Tang Qiaoqi as a meat shield in front of her, she cautiously looked down. Below was completely empty. Zhu Ming was nowhere to be seen!

Where did she go?

The moment that ominous premonition struck, a dark silhouette shot up fiercely like a hawk from behind the Wolf Demon. Blazing crimson flames erupted like a sky full of signal fireworks. The Wolf Demon’s back was scorched black. He wailed in pain and stumbled forward.

A hand pierced through the smoke, grabbed the Wolf Demon’s tail, and yanked him backward.

The grotesque, large figure was pulled up and back. Then, a sharp pain struck the back of his knees, forcing him to kneel. Just like Miss Tang had been, someone now had him by the throat, completely restrained.

The Wolf Demoness whirled around in fury. Her beastly features flickered on her face as she bared her fangs in rage. “You dare attack?!”

Zhu Ming held the Wolf Demon by the throat, smiling without any warmth. “Why wouldn’t I? Look, now we’re even. I don’t want his life. But if the one you’re holding suffers even a scratch… don’t blame me for returning the favor tenfold on your clansman.”

The Wolf Demoness held Tang Qiaoqi on one side. Zhu Ming held the Wolf Demon on the other. One hostage each. They stood facing off from a distance, deadlocked.

Worse, the commotion Zhu Ming had just caused was too big. It had surely drawn unwanted attention. If they stayed here any longer, the two wolves would be surrounded!

“Do you know that we Wolf Demons always seek revenge for any grievance?” the Wolf Demoness threatened venomously. “If you ruin our business today, beware our clan hunting down your entire family for payback!”

Even the coldest Awakened had people they cared about. Everyone feared bringing disaster on their family. The last time the Wolf Demoness killed someone from the Anomaly Management Bureau, she had done it by threatening their family.

But Zhu Ming wouldn’t be threatened. She even smirked provocatively. “Give her back to me, and you can take revenge on whichever family member you like. I’m just afraid you won’t have the guts.”

The Wolf Demoness was shocked. “What exactly is your relationship with her?! Why would you go this far for her?!”

Zhu Ming twisted one of the Wolf Demon’s unruly paws behind his back. Amidst his howls of pain, she pressured, “Why do you care so much? Are you letting her go or not?”

But the Wolf Demoness refused to drop it. She racked her brain, and suddenly, a look of epiphany dawned on her face. “I get it now… You two are a same-sex couple, outcasts from human society!”

“What?!”

The moment she understood, Zhu Ming thought she had misheard. Her rage exploded, and a plume of black smoke rose from the hand holding the Wolf Demon. “Bullshit! She and I have nothing but a purely transactional, financial relationship!”

The Wolf Demon shed innocent tears. “Awooo—”

Can’t we just negotiate?! Don’t you dare just start hitting without a word!