The youth refused to take another step forward, the edge of the flower teetering on the boundary where darkness and light met.
As Duan Chen’s finger brushed against the flower, a searing pain shot through him. He instinctively withdrew his hand, and the little red flower dropped from the youth’s grasp.
It transformed into seven withered petals, then withered at an accelerated pace.
Rustle—
The petals fell at Duan Chen’s feet. Under the illumination of the light, they had lost their fiery red hue. The light cast shadows that merged with Duan Chen’s own.
Duan Chen felt an overwhelming sense of oppression, struggling to breathe.
Behind the door, an ancient, mysterious power seemed to be hidden, a taboo he could not touch.
Suddenly, hands formed from countless shadows reappeared, clinging to the youth’s body and pulling him back.
Duan Chen’s pupils contracted. His body reacted before his brain could.
He lunged forward, reaching out to the youth, attempting to yank him out of the darkness. But the youth merely smiled, an eerie and placid grin.
The door slammed shut with a rush, and everything ceased.
“Duan Chen?”
Wu Suowei’s calm voice echoed in his ears.
Duan Chen blinked, a chill crawling up his spine, his limbs numb.
“It’s not that serious, is it? I’ll give you a discount.” Wu Suowei looked at him, puzzled.
“Huh? What?”
Duan Chen took a deep breath and realized the cigarette butt had burned down considerably, almost touching his fingers. He quickly dropped and extinguished the cigarette.
“I said breakfast is three thousand five hundred. You settle the bill.”
Wu Suowei thrust his payment code in front of Duan Chen.
“Oh.”
Duan Chen numbly took out his phone. Just as he was about to scan the code, he froze, his expression darkening considerably.
“…Three thousand five hundred? For that breakfast? Wu Suowei, this is extortion. Believe it or not, I’ll arrest you right now.”
Wu Suowei emotionlessly pulled out a pile of receipts from his pocket.
“You can check the total. The animals are quite expensive, mostly.”
Duan Chen grabbed a random receipt, which read—
【Gushi Chicken, a Level 5a breed, renowned as the "King of Native Chickens." Exquisitely beautiful in appearance, with a delicate and compact build, full plumage, and a unique tail. It has been a tribute to the imperial court since the Ming and Qing dynasties. Its meat is tender, its soup rich, and its flavor unique… 250 yuan/jin.】
“…This chicken is 250 a jin? Only a complete idiot like you would buy it.”
Unwilling to accept defeat, Duan Chen grabbed another receipt—
【Iberian Black Pig, a frequent patron of the menus at high-end restaurants and five-star hotels worldwide. The fat of this pig can be stored within the muscle fibers, appearing like the marbling of top-grade raw meat. Its flesh is tender and delicious… 500 yuan/jin.】
“…Alright, you win.”
Duan Chen was utterly speechless. Bai Ye, however, chuckled and scanned the code first.
“How can I let my benefactor pay? Such a small matter should be handled by me.”
Beep, transfer successful. Wu Suowei contentedly pocketed his phone and rose to leave.
“Hey, wait a minute. Aren’t you going to clean up this mess?” Duan Chen called out to him.
“I bought the items. Isn’t it your responsibility to clean up after yourselves?”
“…”
Looking at Wu Suowei’s smug and self-satisfied face, Duan Chen felt an urge to punch him.
“I’ll handle it,” Bai Ye said with a slight smile. “Wasting food is a sin…”
Hundreds of crows flew out from within him, their hoarse caws filling the air as they swarmed the food, devouring it as if they hadn’t eaten for days. In an instant, the food on the table was cleared, not even the bags were spared.
“Hiccup~” Bai Ye let out a satisfied burp, the crows dissolving into black smoke.
Wu Suowei watched with amusement. “That’s quite a useful skill.”
“Now that you’re full, it’s time to work,” Bai Ye said.
Bai Ye took out a small, exquisite mirror, placed it in the water, and dripped his own blood into it. As spiritual energy was infused, strange incantations appeared around the mirror’s surface, and then it instantly vanished.
“The passage is open,” Bai Ye said, making a ‘please’ gesture.
“That’s it?” Duan Chen raised an eyebrow. This was far more convenient than waiting around or singing to a mirror.
“Let’s head northwest of Mirror City,” Bai Ye narrowed his eyes.
Suddenly, a golden thread shot out and pierced Bai Ye’s chest. He immediately felt his heart being encased in a fine net.
A wave of discomfort washed over him as the power of the demon was sealed. A gigantic crow within him let out a pained cry, its throat being constricted.
Wu Suowei said expressionlessly, “If you do anything that goes against my will, the net will slice your heart open.”
Bai Ye offered a pallid smile, his eyes as indifferent as water.
“Alright, great god. I’ll be careful not to die easily.”
“By the way, as an apostle, where are you responsible for? Not Mirror City, so where?” Duan Chen casually asked.
“Responsible for… donuts, I guess.” Bai Ye smiled gently and airily.
“‘Cloud Temple’? Where is Cloud Temple?” Duan Chen had just finished reading his thoughts.
“The Sumeru Temple in the clouds, of course,” Bai Ye shrugged, his response smooth and natural. “Mind-reading is truly hard to guard against.”
Bai Ye glanced at his phone and saw an unread message.
It was a voice message—
【Zhu Fanfan】: Bai Ye! Get out here!! I’m going to kill you!!! You threw me into a pigsty, and I’ve showered three times! Three!!! I still stink!!!!
The roaring voice echoed through the building, enough to convey Zhu Fanfan’s fury.
Bai Ye smiled slightly and put away his phone. “It’s a minor issue. Stay calm.”
“…”
The three stepped into the mirror one after another.
…………
Mirror City.
Bang!
The heavy stone door was abruptly flung open, shattering into several pieces and collapsing due to the immense force.
Gao Tiankai stormed into Dongting with a dark expression.
The twenty newly promoted black-robed envoys inside all looked up. Among them were several familiar faces.
Ao Ge, caressing his hellhound and baring his fangs;
Sun Xiaoxiao, chewing gum and playing with a hair clip, a yandere girl;
Nurse Tian Qi and Ding Ding, a pair of black and white demons in stockings and black silk;
Manager Zhang from the 4S shop, licking his dagger with a sinister look;
And a masked woman with a graceful figure and an elegant demeanor, sitting unobtrusively in the farthest corner.
Gao Tiankai waved his hand, his mood extremely foul.
The number 03 mask of the evil god, the duck that was almost in his grasp… had flown away.
He had thought the love-struck Gu Sang wouldn’t be able to let go of Xiao Fang, but he actually did it.
Putting on the mask, he discarded everything.
Then he must have gone to Paradise and made a wish at the Fountain of Wishes, and the evil god had already granted his wish.
Damn it, this should have been mine!
Now he had to wait patiently for the next opportunity, or perhaps find a chance to reclaim the lost mask…
“Apostle, you seem to be in a bad mood. Calm down,” Ding Ding said flirtatiously, bringing him a cup of clear tea.
“Hmph,” Gao Tiankai snorted. “How are things at the altar?”