Chapter 18: The Kiss

The matriarch said she could speak with Song Mujin and Xiao Shu, but Old Madam Zheng knew well that this would be limited to just a few words. As for other matters, such as allowing them to return to the Marquis’s residence, that was certainly out of the question; otherwise, they wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to bring them back.

I hurriedly charged over with the Ox-Head, encountering one of our scouts—one of the ghost soldiers who had already been driven back into mist, barely clinging to life.

Those people were all young men—not sons of noble families, royal descendants, or scions of prestigious clans or high officials, yet there were quite a number of them, complete with attendants. It was hard to say if they could be trusted not to spread word of what they saw.

Everyone knew that at this moment, Helian Xuanyu and Feng Linglong were inseparable, deeply entwined, so the arduous task fell squarely on his shoulders.

Luna also came to visit Chen Yang. Chen Yang had expected her to cause trouble again. To his surprise, Luna arrived and declared her complete trust in him.

Of course, this was far from good news. After sweating, the last place one should be was in an air-conditioned room.

“This is the apocalypse; everyone should unite against the zombies. Yet, these scum keep appearing over and over!” Ling Zhan cursed angrily, nearly striking his beloved vehicle, but he restrained himself in the end.

Chen Yang rarely left the academy, fearing ambushes. He had intended to keep a low profile, but it seemed he had made too many enemies.

“I only wish to fulfill my duties as a friend, but…” Lin Jie saw the confusion in Xia Yihan’s eyes and conveyed his thoughts to her.

The biting north wind howled through the city streets, producing sharp whistles between the buildings. Snow on the rooftops was blown off, swirling into a hazy curtain in the air, as if heralding a new snowfall.

The Man of a Thousand Faces felt a pang of unease. Players who survived horror games were not to be underestimated; this man was certainly one who could speak and act with conviction. Only now did he regret recklessly approaching Su Cheng alone, placing himself in danger.

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“Amazing…” Amber murmured in astonishment, raising her eyebrows as she looked toward the end of the corridor.

Hades had long understood that Xiao Ran’s deployment was deliberate. With the Burning Legion alliance utterly defeated, he focused even more earnestly on his tasks, leaving his mark on every battlefield where the Burning Legion had fought.

Flesh and bone fused together, quickly forming three strong ghoul servants without skin, their dull gray muscles exposed.

A foul stench assaulted the senses; the long-tongued zombie’s breath nearly overwhelmed Su Cheng.

“A level C ghoul nest! Very old, at least a century! Not comparable to the level C ghouls from the previous test. This one is perfect and in an excited state,” Shen Yixuan transmitted nervously to Yu Jing.

Ariel wore only suspenders, his chest covered with thick hair. Wood shavings clung to him, sweat steaming with the heat as he frowned sharply.

“We haven’t even started fighting. What’s there to be overwhelmed by?” Gao Hongzhong suspected his subordinates were trying to slack off, anger boiling inside. There was no gunfire or clash on the battlefield—nothing at all.

I was not surprised by Luo Ange’s actions. If Mang Kang weren’t a villain and they weren’t rivals for affection, they could have been good friends.

Tie Rou completely shattered the pleasant atmosphere but was oblivious: weren’t they together for the New Year before? What’s the difference? She frowned in confusion.

At first, I wasn’t sure, but then Ajiu called out irritably. I opened the window barefoot and asked who it was.

“Good, very good. No one escapes today,” Qi Yu said angrily upon hearing their words, but he held back from saying more. Qi Hang was now a third-level bone-forging master, on par with him, and with several second-level experts alongside, he dared not be distracted.

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I moved like a robot. She pulled me two steps, and I took two steps. After much effort, she finally dragged me out of the mourning hall. Seeing Lin Rongshen’s car parked nearby, she didn’t hesitate, pulled me forward, opened the door, and shoved me inside.

Just as we lunged toward it, the creature swung its over-one-meter-long massive tail viciously at us, slicing through the air with a loud whoosh. We could feel the immense force behind it.

Andy despised Wei Guoqiang’s contact with Bao Yifan, but she already knew yesterday that the situation was beyond her control.

However, Sun Yifan immediately sensed the uneasy atmosphere among the boys upon returning to the training room.

I stared out the window, lost in thought. When the car stopped, I snapped back to reality, looking around only to realize we had stopped at the Jian family residence.

“After work, do you always come here for a coffee before heading home?” Lu Yan asked curiously.

“Don’t joke. You can’t even move; how would you know what’s inside… uh…” Li Ran sneered, then suddenly wore an expression of sudden understanding.

The noble Sea Salt Princess who appeared amidst the waterfall was certainly not here for leisure. Although Xu You spoke gently, both knew the princess had committed a grave offense, resulting in her exile from the capital. Helpless, she hid within the confines behind the waterfall.