Wang Chenghao had a bad feeling about this, and he gulped nervously, "This is too big a deal. Why don't we … take our leave first?"
Qin Ye shook his head, "There's no way we can leave."
"If I were Cao Youdao, the first thing I would do after last night would be to immediately seal off all entrances and exits.
If I dared to go out now, he would immediately appear and kill me.
But now … the Special Investigations Department has become my umbrella of protection. He's only been operating in the City of Salvation for a hundred years, while humans … have been operating for thousands of years! "
"If not for the Special Investigations Department, he would have long since made a move against the City of Salvation!"
Wang Chenghao nodded and asked apprehensively, "Brother Qin … t-then what should we do?"
"We wait."
Qin Ye licked his lips and sat down, "I'm looking forward to the first all-out war between the netherworld and the netherworld … and as soon as they do, then … my chance will be here."
Time passed quickly. Early winter nights always came especially early. By 6.00 a.m., the sun had already submerged the horizon, leaving only the twinkling lights of thousands of homes and stars in the sky.
At 6.00 a.m. sharp, a clear voice echoed throughout the entire city, "All citizens, please take note.
From now on, the entire city is under curfew.
Citizens who haven't returned home yet, or those who are unable to return home by 7.00 p.m., please prepare your identification card and rest nearby. "
"Please do not stay in the city alone.
Do not go out alone.
Do not leave any antiques, mirrors, or other items … "
Qin Ye stood by the window and watched as the number of pedestrians and vehicles dwindled.
Finally, the lights were lit, and the entire street was dead silent.
It was not the kind of excessive liveliness that turned into silence. Instead, it was the sudden silence that came after the broadcast.
The wind seemed to have stopped.
Even the birds and beasts seemed to have stopped.
The entire City of Salvation was filled with the bustle of human civilization, the 99% silence of nature, and the 1% restlessness of human civilization.
It formed a kind of … deep and unknown terror.
Qin Ye's eyes flickered slightly, and his hands involuntarily tightened around the window frame.
A gust of night wind blew past, ruffling his bangs. Within ten seconds, the wind grew stronger and stronger!
Even the curtains were fluttering in the wind!
It was almost as though a rift had opened up in Hell, and a nethergale of the netherworld was gushing out unbridled.
It's begun …
"Student Wang." He glanced at the rising dark clouds in the sky and muttered placidly, "Don't go anywhere tonight.
Don't open the door no matter who knocks. "
As soon as he finished speaking, the ground appeared to blur. A split second later, boundless greenish-white Yin energy erupted from every corner of the city.
The City of Salvation spanned an area of 130 square kilometers, and Yin energy surged out from the buildings, the streets, and the basements of the City of Salvation like a tsunami!
It grew larger and larger, and grew more and more turbulent. Ten minutes later, Qin Ye could see that the ground of the City of Salvation … had already been transformed into a sea of greenish-white fog!
Amidst the fog, illusory shadows appeared. They maintained the appearance they had before they died. There were employees in suits, civil servants with briefcases, students with backpacks … They all looked different, but the one thing they had in common was that they all held a lantern in their hands.
Red lanterns, black words.
Cao.
They were densely packed and endless!
It was like a blood-red star in the dark night!
Then, like a great river, it flowed in all directions!
Cao Youdao's direct subordinate Yin spirit!
At his command, all of the souls that had perished in the City of Salvation over the past hundred years began to search the entire city!
"Arti, if I recall correctly, the shard of King Yanluo's Seal can conceal my Yin energy?" Qin Ye asked softly.
"It can … cough cough … To be precise, it's not a concealment, but a disguise.
It's just like how I disguised you as the Anitya Hellguard of the Black and White … huff … "Arthis spoke slowly, and her voice was barely audible," Every Emissary of Hell has different Yin energy … cough cough … if not for the shard of King Yanluo's Seal, you would have long been recorded by the mortal realm … Also, don't call me anymore … I don't have enough Yin energy to speak again … "
Whoosh … Qin Ye's chest glowed with a faint black light, and a dense cloud of Yin energy wrapped around him, replacing his original aura.
He didn't make his move immediately.
Like a seasoned hunter, he patiently waited for the right opportunity to strike.
"I've lived for decades … but I've never been looked down upon like this before …"
"Not even a ball!"
… … …
The Yin energy in the City of Salvation continued to spread silently.
Wisps of Yin spirits drifted along with the wind, disappearing into the various neighbourhoods.
Lin Ming was a second-year high school student who lived on the 13th floor of Block 3, Fengrun Neighbourhood near Insignia University.
He was already on the outskirts of the city.
Whenever night fell, he would walk along the edge of the spacious road. The shadows of the trees and houses on both sides of the road, coupled with the dim yellow lights of the city, made him feel as though something was tailing him from behind.
"Huff …" He finally made it back to his neighbourhood at 6.30 p.m.
He cursed under his breath, "Damn curfew!" as he pressed the elevator button.
Whoosh … The doors of the elevator closed softly. He wasn't sure if he was imagining things, but he couldn't shake the feeling that tonight was exceptionally cold.
It wasn't the cold of winter. Rather, it was a kind of … indescribable chill that caused one's heart and nerves to freeze over.
He watched as the elevator slowly ascended.
Just as he was about to pull out his phone to check on the latest news, the elevator suddenly stopped.
Second floor.
Lin Ming looked up, but he didn't see anyone. Thus, he continued to look at his phone.
He didn't notice that the elevator had stopped for a full ten seconds on this floor.
Furthermore, the doors of the elevator never closed.
Ten seconds later, the doors closed once more, and the elevator began to ascend once more.
But before Lin Ming could even read a few lines of text, the elevator … stopped once more.
Third floor.
"What the hell?" He stared at the elevator that had just opened. Who the hell is so crazy?
Did they press the buttons on the second and third floors?
Are they out of their minds?
"Retards." He furrowed his brows and pressed the button to close the doors of the elevator.
However, there was no response at all.
"Holy shit!
Have all the property management fees been gobbled up?!
Why can't they fix this broken elevator?! "He pressed the button several more times.
Another ten seconds later, the doors closed once more with a soft rustle.
"Tsk …" As soon as the doors closed again, he shivered uncontrollably, "It's way too cold … I didn't even feel anything on the way here. Are we really going to make it through this winter?"
Rustle … The elevator ascended for the second time.
Three seconds later, it stopped for the second time.
Fourth floor.
Lin Ming stopped cursing.
He blinked his eyes and cautiously peered out into the corridor.
It was dead silent.
Apart from the white lights, there was no one around.
He glanced at the elevator buttons again.
Nobody had moved at all.
Gulp … He gulped nervously and dashed back into the elevator.
His heart began to race inexplicably.
Rustle … The elevator doors closed for the third time.
The elevator ascended for the third time.
Three seconds later, it stopped for the third time!
Buzz!
Lin Ming felt his scalp tingle!
No … something's wrong!
There's a problem!
The elevator clearly hasn't lit up … but why does it stop at every floor?!
It's almost as though … there's something invisible … pressing the buttons of the elevator on every floor.
The elevator was silent, and the corridors were silent. He didn't encounter a single person. However, the stillness was so stifling that his lips began to dry up.
Suddenly, he rushed to the elevator and pressed the button for the 13th floor with all his might.
Unfortunately, just like before, it didn't budge at all!
Ten seconds.
The third ten seconds.
He stared intently at the door. Not a single person had entered the elevator. But it felt as though … something invisible was entering the elevator on every floor!
It was hair-raising.
Perhaps … I'm not the only one in the elevator … A terrifying thought flashed across Lin Ming's mind. The reflective glass panels all around him reflected his own image, almost as though he were a complete stranger.
He leaned against the corner of the elevator and trembled as he glanced about his surroundings.
That said, there wasn't a single person around.
Rustle … The elevator activated for the fourth time, and then paused for the fourth time. The fifth floor, the sixth floor … and then the seventh floor. And then, the elevator stopped on every floor!
It opened on its own!
T-t-t-t … Lin Ming wrapped his arms around himself. His teeth chattered uncontrollably.
He didn't dare to go out.
Outside … it was dead silent.
He didn't dare to take the emergency exit at all!
He was afraid. He needed light. The dim light in the emergency exit made it difficult for him to tell whether he would see a flight of stairs when he turned the corner, or … a little girl who was crying on her back.
Only the light from the elevator gave him some measure of peace.
Just then, the lights above his head flickered twice, and then went out with a soft click.
He almost screamed out loud. The fear that had filled his heart completely exploded in this instant!
But in the very next moment, he covered his mouth tightly.
Fear to the extreme. It was impossible to make a sound.
He covered his mouth with trembling hands and pulled out his cell phone with trembling hands. The elevator was as dark as a morgue, and the muffled sobs of a young man echoed throughout.
His thumbs were trembling so much that he was barely able to unlock his cell phone's screensaver. With great difficulty, he finally tapped on the screen and saw the time.
6.38 p.m.
The light from his cell phone wasn't too bright. He immediately searched for the flashlight function. Light! He needed light!
He was going to go crazy if he stayed here any longer!
However, just as his finger was about to touch the flashlight, he suddenly stopped.
"T-t-t-t-t-t …" His teeth chattered furiously, and his lips quivered as though he had suffered a stroke. His entire body was drenched in cold sweat, and his mouth was wide open. Tears streamed down his face as though he wanted to say something, but nothing came out.
Around the faint glow of the cell phone.
At the border of light and darkness.
More than a dozen pale faces were staring at his phone.
Only the face.
His body was completely submerged in the darkness.
At some point in time, the elevator … was packed with people.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"
His screams echoed in the night sky, but he wasn't the only one.
At the same time, countless people and families saw a scene that they would never see in their entire lives!
City No. 2 People's Hospital.
Unlike before the curfew, the door was closed at night, and no one would come to see the doctor.
A nurse's job is to take care of the patients in the hospital.
"Hey, the new intern, 024. What do you think?"
Two nurses on duty were chatting in front of the on-call counter. A short-haired nurse was playing on her computer, and she winked at the other nurse, "He's handsome. He's tall and has long legs, isn't he?"
The other nurse with shoulder-length hair was bored to death as she played Hearthstone on her iPad. She didn't even bat an eyelid, "Being tall and long legs is useless. What's important is having a big body and a good life.
Look good, and use good. Which one do you choose … Holy shit?
Mind control?!
Haven't I already played two cards?!
Holy Light really is dirty! "
Just as she was about to press down the 'sorry' button in anger, her hand suddenly froze.
She wasn't the only one. The nurse next to her who was reading a novel on her cell phone also froze.
The two nurses raised their heads in surprise and glanced at each other. Two seconds later, the Hearthstone nurse hesitantly said, "Hey, did you hear something?"
"Just now … did something pass by?"