Duàn Chén subtly moved Jiǎ Yúnlián's hand away and chuckled, "Hey, I'm not here to inspect or play today. I need your help with something."
"Duàn Chén, just say it. I'll cooperate with anything, no matter what," Jiǎ Yúnlián emphasized the words "no matter what," making it obvious to anyone with common sense what she meant.
Duàn Chén, ignoring her insinuation, roughly explained the situation with Jìng Chéng and expressed his hope for full cooperation from her establishment, Bǎifú Yèxuàn KTV.
"What? Does the method to enter 'Jìng Chéng' have something to do with my KTV?"
Duàn Chén nodded, scrutinizing Jiǎ Yúnlián from head to toe. A smile suddenly curved his lips as he squinted.
Even this fierce tigress was made uneasy by his smile.
"Brother Duàn Chén, you, looking at me like that, what exactly are you...?" Jiǎ Yúnlián shyly lowered her head.
"Simple, very simple. I just need... hehehehe..."
Midnight, 00:00.
The presidential suite of Bǎifú Yèxuàn KTV... in the restroom.
All lights were extinguished, and five dimly burning candles surrounded Jiǎ Yúnlián in the center.
She sat before the mirror, her hair disheveled.
The dim candlelight flickered in the mirror.
In the deep darkness of the reflection, unseen dangers seemed to lurk.
The mirror's surface cast Jiǎ Yúnlián's pale face, and... her increasingly impatient expression.
She tapped the sink rhythmically with her fingers.
"Damn it, what kind of April Fool's prank is this? How much longer do I have to sit here?"
Duàn Chén, hidden outside the mirror's field of vision, glanced at his luminous wristwatch.
"Soon, it's 12 o'clock."
"Is the Sea Monster really coming?" Mǐ Xuě'ér and Qín Zé were still a bit nervous.
"Didn't I tell you to go back first?" Duàn Chén looked at them, somewhat speechless.
"This is a great opportunity for training!" Qín Zé's eyes were full of determination.
"I, I can't possibly leave you alone with that busty woman," Mǐ Xuě'ér mumbled softly, then quickly covered her mouth with her hand, realizing she had spoken her mind aloud, her cheeks flushing red with embarrassment.
"Meow meow~~"
"...So why is Little Jianjian here too?" Duàn Chén slapped his forehead in exasperation.
Little Jianjian wriggled out of Mǐ Xuě'ér's embrace, climbed onto Duàn Chén's head, and settled there, rubbing against him contentedly.
"I locked it at home, I don't know how it followed. And I can't just abandon it now," Mǐ Xuě'ér said with a hint of apology.
"Alright, let it be." Duàn Chén shook his head.
Just then!
A chill wind blew, making the candlelight flicker and blurring Jiǎ Yúnlián's reflection.
A subtle spiritual energy dispersed, and something in the darkness seemed to be breaking free.
Duàn Chén's sleepy eyes instantly brightened, and he excitedly whispered, "It's coming, it's coming! Sing quickly, don't let it escape!"
Jiǎ Yúnlián also noticed the strangeness of the mirror. She cleared her throat and sang:
"The great river flows east, you and I have it all! Hey, hey, ho ho hey~"
Duàn Chén's face darkened. "Sing a gentle girl's song, don't scare it back!"
Jiǎ Yúnlián snorted in dissatisfaction. In her nervousness, she couldn't think of any other songs.
"Give me some suggestions then!"
Duàn Chén blushed and softly hummed a prompt:
"...If you suddenly sneeze, it must be me thinking of you..."
"No, change it!"
"...May every dream be blessed, may every tear turn into a pearl..."
Jiǎ Yúnlián looked defeated. She glanced at the corner where Duàn Chén and the other two were hiding through the mirror.
"So you like sweet girls like this..."
Suddenly, Jiǎ Yúnlián's eyes changed.
Were there two faint points of light in the mirror?
She focused her gaze, and her mind buzzed. Fear surged through her, and her body froze stiff, unable to move.
In the dim mirror, a ripple spread outwards.
Jiǎ Yúnlián's face suddenly vanished, and behind the ripple, a grotesque, blue-faced, fanged visage slowly emerged.
Suddenly, a wet, sharp claw extended from the darkness within the mirror, grasping her neck.
"It's finally here!"
Duàn Chén was ecstatic, completely awakened.
He couldn't fire his gun.
Duàn Chén forced himself to endure. If he startled the Sea Monster and caused the teleportation array to close, all their efforts would be in vain.
Jiǎ Yúnlián's body was already rigid. The Sea Monster's head, along with its upper body, emerged from the mirror and lunged towards her chest.
Now!
Duàn Chén suddenly sprang from the darkness, charging towards the mirror like a thunderbolt.
The Sea Monster was startled and was about to scream when Duàn Chén's fist slammed into its jaw.
Bang!
A sharp tooth flew out.
The scream was swallowed, and the turbulent energy only stirred up a gust of wind before dissipating.
The Sea Monster clan used sound as a medium. Without sound, they could not open the void domain.
"At this critical juncture, I don't want those ghost-faced monsters causing trouble."
Duàn Chén smirked.
On the other side, Jiǎ Yúnlián's body trembled violently, and she gasped.
She could move again!
Her shock turned into ferocity, her fear into rage.
A thorny vine whip rapidly materialized in her hand.
Having awakened the 'Queen of Thorns' ability, Jiǎ Yúnlián could transform her body into thorns or conjure blood-sucking vine whips out of thin air. A strike from her whip would not only inflict physical pain but also drain some of her opponent's spiritual energy.
"Die, stinky fish."
Slaap!
The vine whip cut through the air like a phantom, striking the Sea Monster's body and instantly erupting in a gruesome spray of blood.
The mirror's oscillations quickened, and the other side seemed to realize something was wrong.
"Initiate reverse invasion!" Duàn Chén commanded. Mǐ Xuě'ér and Qín Zé quickly charged forward.
Qín Zé reached out and touched the mirror's surface, which was now churning like boiling water, coming alive!
"You're scared? Then I'll go first!"
Mǐ Xuě'ér concentrated, ready to charge, but Qín Zé pulled her back.
The young man's figure passed through the mirror and vanished from sight.
"I won't lose to you!" Mǐ Xuě'ér followed closely.
"Tsk, hope this doesn't ruin my makeup..."
Jiǎ Yúnlián, in her high heels, also stepped in with an air of pride.
Duàn Chén confirmed that the Sea Monster on this side was no longer breathing before leaping into the mirror himself.
The last time he entered the mirror, he was almost lured by the Night Terrors. This time, what would await him? A hint of apprehension stirred in Duàn Chén's heart.
After a slight dizziness, the smell of the sea entered his nostrils.
Besides the salty tang of the ocean, there was also a rotten, fishy stench.
The sensation underfoot changed from emptiness to solidity. Heavy humidity clung to his skin, and the air felt thick and oppressive, like a large stone pressing down on his shoulders.
When he opened his eyes again, the scenery had completely transformed.