Zhi

A moment later, Ryuu Mufei also came back to his senses. He waved at the corner where Lin Yingbin and Ryuseki were hiding and said, "Come out, you two."

Then, Lin Yingbin's voice rang out.

"So you noticed us!" Lin Yingbin walked out with a nonchalant look on his face. He knew very well that since they had been exposed, there was no point in hiding any longer, so he simply showed himself.

"I noticed the two of you from the start!" Ryuu Mufei rubbed his shoulders and smiled at them. "How about it? Let me treat you to a meal, and we can make friends while we're at it. I rather like making friends."

"Sure!" Lin Yingbin slapped his thigh in excitement. For a guy like Lin Yingbin, there were two things that could get him pumped: encountering strong opponents and good food. When faced with these two things, any other thoughts were instantly thrown to the back of his mind.

"You're pretty strong! Especially that special ability called psychokinesis," Ryuseki praised him as he walked over. "You were actually able to change the trajectory of bullets so easily."

Under normal circumstances, Ryuu Mufei would have just accepted such a perfunctory compliment. However, after the guy in the hat had shown off his strength, he had no intention of accepting this praise whatsoever.

The three of them found an elegant and quiet place to dine, and during the meal, Ryuu Mufei shared some of the things he knew with the two of them.

Over dinner, from Ryuu Mufei's mouth, Ryuseki and the others learned about the layout of the entire world, as well as Zhi's attempt to control the Psychokinetic Clan. They also learned that Ryuu Mufei was the son of the patriarch of the Psychokinetic Clan, one of the Five Great Clans, and that he had left the clan specifically to defeat Zhi.

"I've actually heard a little whisper of this person named Zhi." Lin Yingbin lowered his head in thought before continuing, "Word has it that he's extremely mysterious and quite terrifying. Long ago, back before the World Alliance was even established, he was already an existence like a demon king. But wasn't it said that he died later on?"

Ryuu Mufei fell silent for a moment. He put down his chopsticks, calmly took a sip of water, and then said, "No! He didn't die, and he's still alive and well."

Lin Yingbin frowned and asked, "Then what on earth is he trying to do?"

"I don't know. I know nothing about that person. To this day, I don't even know whether I should call him human." Ryuu Mufei took a deep breath and continued, "To this day, I've only ever understood that person through snippets of rumors."

Seeing Ryuu Mufei start to grow dazed just by mentioning Zhi, Ryuseki couldn't help but ask, "Is he really that strong?" Hearing what had just been said, his expression carried a hint of doubt.

"You have no idea." Fear flickered across Ryuu Mufei's face; just thinking about it made him feel threatened, and a trace of unease welled up inside him. "When I was little, I once caught a glimpse of Zhi. It was during a meeting between my father and him, and I only remember crying for a whole month straight after seeing him just once. A demon, that's the conclusion I reached. That person's aura..." Ryuu Mufei's expression grew gloomy, as if the person he was describing was right in front of him. "It seemed to carry the scent of death; just seeing him once made me feel like I was dead for sure. That feeling, I'll never forget it for the rest of my life."

Ryuseki and Lin Yingbin looked at Ryuu Mufei in disbelief; they found it hard to comprehend what he had been through.

"He has already wiped out the Frost Clan and the Corpse Soul Clan of the Five Great Clans," Ryuu Mufei quietly added.

Outside the window, massive dark clouds drifted across the sunny sky, blocking out the sun and instantly plunging the earth into gloom.

Upon hearing those words, Lin Yingbin's voice began to tremble.

"What, two of the Five Great Clans are wiped out!"

Lin Yingbin gasped sharply. He steadied himself and continued, "Any one of the Five Great Clans possesses the power to destroy the world! He... he actually..."

Lin Yingbin's hand holding the water cup shook continuously, completely oblivious to the fact that the water in the cup was spilling out due to the trembling of his hand. This news was simply mind-blowing to him. No, not just Lin Yingbin; this matter was utterly earth-shattering for the entire world.

Looking at the deeply shocked Lin Yingbin, Ryuu Mufei spoke up again, "Yet to this day, we still have no inkling of Zhi's true purpose."

Lin Yingbin drank the remaining water in his cup, composed himself, and replied, "It seems we are far too ill-informed. We didn't even know about a world-level event like this."

"That's only natural. If the whole world found out about something like this, it would cause massive chaos. That's why the World Alliance has demanded that all countries and organizations aware of this incident keep it strictly confidential. On top of that, they've been devising countermeasures."

After hearing Ryuu Mufei's explanation, Lin Yingbin couldn't help but admire him in secret. "To be able to keep such a major event under wraps, the World Alliance is truly formidable."

"The World Alliance was founded on the basis of the 'Five Great Clans'. Word has it that back in the day, it was Zhi's appearance that threw the world into chaos; although the Five Great Clans united to suppress and defeat Zhi, they still remained uneasy, which is why they established the World Alliance. You two probably haven't heard of these things; this is all history that the World Alliance forbids civilians from knowing. Especially Zhi—his very existence has been erased, turning reality into myth." As he said this, Ryuu Mufei smiled wryly. "Still, the current World Alliance is no longer ruled by the Five Great Clans. After all, this is a pluralistic society now."

"Zhi, huh? I really want to meet you. I can't believe someone so incredible is hiding in this world," Ryuseki said with some excitement.

"Careful, he'll kill you!" Lin Yingbin shot him a blank look, then suddenly turned to Ryuu Mufei with a question. "By the way, Ryuu Mufei, why did you come here?"

"Because there are signs that Zhi's lair is within the borders of your Huabolia Country. Moreover, the moment I arrived, I sensed that guy's presence." As he spoke, Ryuu Mufei pointed at Ryuseki.

Yet Ryuseki had no idea what was going on and simply waited quietly for Ryuu Mufei to continue. However, Ryuu Mufei didn't pursue the previous topic.

Such abruptness naturally aroused Ryuseki's curiosity, so he asked, "What on earth is it?"

Ryuu Mufei shook his head and indicated, "I'm not quite sure yet either. I'll tell you two after I've confirmed it."