Moonlit Night and Bai Yang

It was the power of a rule. The crescent-shaped blade light had no temperature, yet it made their bodies ache unbearably, as though they were being burned alive.

Only then did they realize what their sense of danger had warned them about. It was not the eerie creature before them, but the blade light that filled the sky and blanketed the earth.

Without a second thought, they all retreated into the room behind them, avoiding the light. Only then did the burning pain ease somewhat.

The blade light fell silently into the corridor. The hammer-wielding eerie creature charged to meet it, but upon contact with the blade light, it silently vanished into the darkness along with every light.

"Sizzle—"

After the sound of something dissipating, a deathly silence fell outside the room.

Their taut nerves seemed to dance in their temples. Tao Yuan and An Ying wore grave expressions, their weapons trained on the doorway.

All five were on high alert. Even the barrage of comments in the livestream slowed to a crawl.

Under the circumstances, no one noticed that Bai Yang, whose face was equally stern, showed more impatience than fear or tension in his eyes.

Bai Yang silently counted the seconds. When he reached 120, the clear chime of a silver bell suddenly rang out outside. It was faint, but in the deathly silence, it made everyone's heart skip a beat.

"Jingle—"

An Ying frowned. The sound was familiar. He seemed to have heard it amid the wind and rain a few days ago.

He glanced at Bai Yang out of the corner of his eye and found his expression rather intriguing.

Thinking of the pattern on the back of Bai Yang's neck, An Ying formed a vague suspicion.

As though sensing his gaze, Bai Yang quickly changed his expression and looked at him in confusion. An Ying promptly looked away and met the eyes of the evil ghost Qin Rang.

Though the Evil Ghost Mask could fill a person's heart with thoughts of slaughter, it would not make them completely lose their senses in a short time. The moment their eyes met, they understood each other's thoughts.

The silver bell and the sound of dragging footsteps outside the door drew closer and closer. The newcomer seemed to be deliberately taking their time, each step landing with great weight.

"Clang—"

The footsteps and the silver bell finally stopped at their door. The newcomer also carried the only red lantern still lit in the building, casting a hazy black shadow across the doorway.

In the faint firelight, the shadow flickered in and out of sight, its form twisting as though waiting for a chance to strike.

Only one step away, death seemed to raise its scythe at that moment.

Bai Yang took a deep breath and, unable to stand it any longer, said, "Stop playing ghost. Your tricks for scaring people are as crude as ever."

A deathly silence fell both inside and outside the room.

A long time passed before an unhurried voice spoke.

"Watch your words."

The young man's voice carried a hint of amusement in the darkness.

Hearing the laughter in his words, Bai Yang said irritably, "Moonlit Night, didn't He send you to operate in Sushui District? What are you doing here?"

The young man outside the door chuckled and stepped forward, fully revealing his face to the group and the livestream.

In the lantern's warm, dim glow, the young man's medium-length black hair fell loosely behind his ears. He wore a neat black shirt and suit trousers, and the silver bell at his waist shone dazzlingly. The contrast of black and white was striking.

Higher up were a pair of deep green eyes and an exceptionally fair, handsome face. His lips curved upward, and his green eyes fixed on Qin Rang and the others. It was the gaze of someone looking at prey.

"You?"

An Ying blurted it out. Tao Yuan and Sheng Qingqiao also recognized him.

He was the mysterious man they had seen just a few days ago. What was he doing here?

Moonlit Night ignored them and looked at Bai Yang with a hint of disdain. "What about you? How did you end up mixed in with these people? Didn't the master send you here to kill eerie creatures? Hiding behind them and needing their protection—do you really think you're some frail minor?"

"Or could it be that you want to betray us and join them?"

Bai Yang gave him a fake smile. "Can you only speak normally to Him with that foul mouth of yours? Since you know this is where I'm assigned, what are you doing here? Trying to steal the credit?"

"This instance is so big. If I hadn't come, could you have handled it?"

"Why couldn't I?"

Moonlit Night's lips curved upward. His tone was gentle, but his words were cutting. "If you could handle it, what are you doing with them? You're not the type who likes working with others."

Bai Yang's hand, hanging at his side, slowly clenched into a fist, his thumb unconsciously rubbing the ear of the doll he held.

[What happened? Looks like there's a story here!]

[A gentlemanly scoundrel? He's kind of handsome!]

[At least he's human... That scared me to death. I thought the Calamity Crossing Squad was going to fall here.]

[Something's off. Why does Bai Yang act like he has a grudge against this guy? Could they be rivals?]

[What are they talking about? What mission? What master? It sounds weird.]

[Idiot, those two are obviously from the same mysterious organization and knew each other beforehand, right? If Bai Yang goes on missions in the same organization as this Moonlit Night, his identity must be extraordinary too!]

[That makes sense!]

Sheng Qingqiao looked from side to side, his gaze passing over Moonlit Night's cold eyes. He detected no killing intent from him.

He pondered for a moment, then suddenly reached out and pulled Bai Yang over, interrupting the strange atmosphere between the two.

He stood in front of Bai Yang like a protective parent. "Hey, you're Moonlit Night, right? Who are you? If you've got a problem, take it up with me."

Bai Yang glanced at him in surprise.

The smile on Moonlit Night's lips remained unchanged, and his gaze stayed on Sheng Qingqiao, who stood in front of Bai Yang. "Looks like you have quite a close relationship with them."

"Mr. Moonlit Night, I think there's been a misunderstanding. Since you know each other, could we sit down and talk this over?" Tao Yuan said with a smile, hanging her chainsaw on the holder at her waist. Her long pink hair made her look especially gentle and harmless.

Only then did Moonlit Night turn his gaze to the group. When he saw the white-haired An Ying, a trace of understanding finally appeared in his eyes. "It's you. I've seen you before."

An Ying nodded. "Mr. Moonlit Night, thank you for stepping in and dealing with the eerie creature in Sushui District."

"That was my mission. No need to thank me; it had nothing to do with you." Moonlit Night's slight curiosity quickly faded, and his gaze settled on Bai Yang again. "Come with me."

Bai Yang gave him a fake smile. "Get lost."

After watching for a long time and confirming that Moonlit Night would not kill at random, Qin Rang finally tore the mask off his face. The sound of flesh tearing made both Bai Yang and Moonlit Night look over.

If the Evil Ghost Mask was worn for too long, it would grow together with the skin of the face, assimilating the wearer into the next eerie creature. He could not wear it for long.

Qin Rang wiped the blood from his left cheek without a change of expression and looked at Bai Yang, his black eyes smiling. "What's going on, friend? Shouldn't you explain first?"

Bai Yang turned sideways to look at him and sighed. "Actually, I..."

"Shing!"

The sound of a long blade leaving its sheath cut Bai Yang off. A streak of blade light burst from its tip and slashed down behind him.

A scorching heat erupted, instantly burning the skin on Bai Yang's back and exposing a patch of red flesh.

It happened so suddenly, and the distance was too short. No one had time to react; they could only watch as the blade light drew closer and, in the blink of an eye, reached the unsuspecting Bai Yang's back.

Just as everyone thought the blade light was about to cleave through Bai Yang's body, a fluffy rabbit doll suddenly appeared behind him, swelling in size. It wrapped its furry arms around Bai Yang's body and blocked the slash.

Qin Rang's hand, which had been rubbing the hem of his clothes, paused. He did not take out an eerie object.

The frenzied energy flung everything nearby high into the air. The doll was split open by the blade light, sending fluff and stuffing flying everywhere like falling snow, only for them to be burned to ash by its heat.