Turning her gaze towards the unexpected source of support, Su Ling’s eyes were met the golden mask, peering back at her through the gap was calm and gentle gaze.

Cloaked in a black windbreaker, and wielding a threaded cane in one hand. Shen Yi made a grand entrance to the scene, at the nick of time through the Book of Ten Traveler. 

With a smile, he said loudly: “Salian, you have come to the wrong place. She is my chess pieces after all. How can I let you destroy her at will?”

After being taken aback for a moment, Su Ling felt a relief washed over her.

If the person coming here was Shen Yi, it was more than enough to tilt the scales in their favor.

A sudden warmth spread through her abdomen, igniting a familiar sensation. The red mark on her skin seemed to pulsate with energy, responding to the surge of power and determination that radiated from Shen Yi.

“…” Su Ling felt a little overwhelmed.

The blurry human face in the center of the “deep mud” let out a mournful cry, before it grew rapidly, while surging and tumbling towards the two. 

Just as it seemed to be closing in on them, the unexpected happened – it came to an abrupt halt, freezing in its tracks.

Shen Yi raised his threaded cane high and struck the body of the “deep mud” with a powerful strike.  

The impact of his forceful strike reverberated through the air, but the creature remained still, unresponsive to his attack, leaving a silence in its wake.

After Shen Yi struck, he retracted the spiral cane.

Su Ling looked at the “Deep Mud” that had stopped moving, then Shen Yi, who after striking once stopped attacking.

“This is……”

Shen Yi turned his eyes to Su Ling: “Let the bullets fly for a while.”

While supporting her, he asked with a smile, “Can you still walk?”

Su Ling nodded immediately: “I can still walk now, but what about it?”

She turned her head to gaze at the static monster, wary of its attack.

As on cue, the stillness ended at a pivotal moment along with a loud explosion reverberated through the space: “Bang!”

The “deep mud,” previously motionless, shattered into scattered shards at its original location, a deluge of muddy liquid spraying outwards, even splattering Su Ling’s attire.

Su Ling’s sense of wonder and disbelief was so profound that her mouth fell open in a wide. 

This is Mr. Shen’s power.

Is “Let the bullets fly for a while” is some kind of invisible spell?

In fact, Shen Yi’s word was just show off.

Though Su Ling said that she could manage on her own, her feebleness betrayed her, nearly causing her to stumble after just a few paces, and almost fell face on if not for Shen Yi’s timely support. 

“It seems that you still need my help.”

Su Ling’s cheeks flushed slightly, her pulse quickening, and a warmth spread within her abdomen.

In comparison to her more outgoing peers, Su Ling’s interactions with men had been limited, rendering her somewhat bashful in Shen Yi’s presence.

Yet, she reasoned with herself, “Ah this, the heat in my abdomen has nothing to do with me…it’s all about the branding.”

Su Ling’s initial embarrassment quickly subsided as she rationalized that Shen Yi, being non-human.

Why am I being shy? Anyway, Mr. Shen is not a human being, so he is very likely to have no awareness of gender.

Perhaps, just as he said, he just looks at me as a chess piece.

As Shen Yi held her, he caught a whiff of a delicate floral fragrance emanating from Su Ling, uncertain if it was from her physical state or the lingering scent of her shower gel. Adding a subtle layer of intrigue to the moment.

Mr. “Albert”, seemingly vanished for a long time, opened his mouth. “Oh, it’s true that I can’t defeat you, but you can’t protect her either.”

Shen Yi responded calmly: “I will protect her, at the same time I will kill you.”

“Then you can try, but you have to find my true body.” 

Shen Yi nodded slightly, and his face became solemn.

A sense of determination flickered in his eyes as he recalled the bone-chilling scene he had witnessed just moments ago while exploring the apartment with the Book of Ten Traveler. The horrific sight, akin to a glimpse of the underworld.

In his mind, the other party was just like a Paradox player, who could be directly sentenced to death without any trial.

Nevertheless, as he had mentioned, his primary task was to find his exact location.

Su Ling stood up with difficulty and weakly murmured: “He should be nearby, not too far away.” 

Responding with a confirming nod, Shen Yi deftly snapped his fingers, an eruption of white flames shot out from his fingertips.

Guiding the ethereal flames under his command, they fervently scoured every nook and cranny of the sprawling teaching building, hunting for any trace of the enigmatic presence that lingered. 

The white flame, which had undergone a qualitative change, blazed with unprecedented velocity, resembling a majestic bird in full flight as it swiftly navigated through room after room, meticulously inspecting each and every nook, leaving no stone unturned in its relentless pursuit.

“I’m so hungry!”

A plaintive cry echoed through the air, startling Su Ling from her reverie as she realized the sound originated from beyond the school’s walls, carrying a sense of urgency and desperation that tugged at her heartstrings.

Shen Yi remained stoic and composed, his focus unwavering as he peered through the ethereal conduit of the “White Flame,” witnessing the grim reality unfold outside the school grounds where all the “hungry ghosts” in the apartment had gathered. 

Whether it was a men, women, elderly, or younger or infant, with unusual big stomach and red skin gathered in a haunting procession outside the school gates, their eyes vacant and hollow as they mindlessly advanced towards the teaching building, driven by a primal instinct that transcended the realms of the living.

Driven by an insatiable hunger that defied mortal comprehension, the throng of gaunt figures effortlessly breached the school’s gates, their haunting footsteps growing louder as they surged towards the towering teaching building with an unsettling sense of urgency.

As the horde of afflicted souls swelled in number, it became evident that the curse afflicting the neighborhood extended far beyond the confines of a single apartment, ensnaring unsuspecting residents in its insidious grip.

Shen Yi’s arm was suddenly grabbed by a white hand.

Su Ling expression morphed into a complex mix of emotions, reminiscent of a black cat poised with pride yet humbled by the gravity of the situation as she knelt before Shen Yi, her plea a fragile whisper in the midst of chaos, “Please, spare them if you can. These people should still be saved.”

Su Ling was very afraid that he would use his invisible technique to clear the area so that there would be no living people around. 

Of course, this was the most efficient way, but she didn’t want to see this kind of scene.

Shen Yi with a smile reached out to touch her hair.

“Rest assured.”

Saying that, he turned his gaze to left and said solemnly. “Su Ling, I won’t let you bear the guilt anymore.”