Heavy Rain

"Xiao Qi, don't just eat vegetables. Have some ribs too!" Auntie picked up a rib and placed it in Lin Qiye's bowl.

Lin Qiye smiled. "Thanks, Auntie."

"Today is a wonderful day. Eat more—don't try to save Auntie money!"

"Got it, Auntie. A Jin, you should eat more too. You're at the age where you're still growing...

A Jin?

A Jin!"

Lin Qiye looked at the absentminded Yang Jin and called out twice.

"Huh? Oh, I'll eat now!" Yang Jin snapped back to his senses and scratched his head.

"What's with this child, so distracted? Have you gotten picky with food now? There's meat, and you won't even eat it?" Auntie shot Yang Jin a glare, then put several more pieces of meat into his bowl.

"Maybe A Jin's under too much pressure from schoolwork." Lin Qiye said with a smile. He picked up the bone he had just finished gnawing on and looked around, a trace of confusion appearing on his face.

Auntie came back to her senses as well and said in surprise, "Strange, where's Xiao Hei Lai? It's usually the most enthusiastic when it comes to meals. Now there's a bone to eat, and there's not even a trace of the dog?"

As though it had heard someone calling it, Xiao Hei Lai poked its head in from the balcony and barked.

"Woof—!"

Lin Qiye waved the bone through the air, signaling Xiao Hei Lai to come eat, but Xiao Hei Lai looked at the bone, then out the window, seemingly conflicted.

"What's wrong with this little thing today?" Auntie asked suspiciously.

After hesitating for a moment, Lin Qiye stood up with the bone in his chopsticks and walked onto the balcony. He stroked Xiao Hei Lai's head and spoke softly.

"What's wrong? Hm? Is there something outside?"

Lin Qiye tossed the bone onto the ground. While Xiao Hei Lai gnawed on it, he stood and looked out the window.

In the vast darkness of night, there was nothing but torrential rain.

Even the distant apartment buildings had not a single light on. The world was so quiet that it seemed as though nothing remained but endless rain.

"Strange, there's nothing there..."

Lin Qiye muttered. Just as he was about to turn and leave, several sounds suddenly came from outside the window, as though someone were tapping on it.

Lin Qiye turned back and saw a small bat outside the window.

The bat seemed to have been drenched by the rain. It kept crashing against the window, apparently trying to find somewhere to shelter from the rain.

Lin Qiye's eyes gradually lit up.

Come to think of it, he had yet to use the ability to communicate with Night Creatures that Starry Night Dancer had given him. Since he had happened to encounter a bat, he could give it a try...

So Lin Qiye simply stood quietly by the window, staring at the bat.

"Xiao Qi! What are you doing over there? Come back and eat—the food's going cold." Seeing Lin Qiye standing there in a daze, Auntie called out.

Yet Lin Qiye stood there like a statue, unmoving for a long while.

Just as Auntie was about to say something else, Lin Qiye abruptly turned around, his eyes trembling!

He dashed to the door and put on his shoes.

"Xiao Qi, what are you doing?"

"I just remembered something. I'm heading out."

"Silly child, what are you talking about? It's dark outside, and it's raining so heavily. Why are you going out?"

"I have something to do. Something important!"

"Then... then what about dinner?"

"I'll eat when I get back!"

Under Auntie's bewildered gaze, Lin Qiye had already changed into his shoes, hurriedly opened the door, and prepared to leave.

Just then, Yang Jin's voice suddenly rang out.

"Brother, the rain's too heavy outside. You shouldn't go."

"No, I have to go."

"No matter how important it is, someone else will do it. The Earth will keep turning just the same without you."

"But there are some things I have to do." Lin Qiye took a deep breath and forced a smile. "Don't worry too much. It's just a small matter. Once I'm done with it, I'll come back.

Besides, it's rare for me to get a meal this delicious. I can't bear to waste it.

I'm off."

Lin Qiye hurriedly shut the door and raced downstairs.

Only after Lin Qiye had gone far away did Auntie suddenly react. She hurried to the doorway and shouted downstairs.

"Silly child! The rain's so heavy—at least take an umbrella!"

Lin Qiye's footsteps grew more and more distant in the stairwell. No one answered.

Auntie sighed helplessly and returned to her seat. Suddenly, even the food before her no longer seemed appetizing.

Yang Jin merely sat there in silence, gazing at the rain outside the window.

In the rain.

Click, click, click!

Zhao Kongcheng flicked his lighter several times. The flame had barely sparked to life before the pouring rain snuffed it out.

With a cigarette hanging from his lips, he sighed helplessly.

My luck today... really sucks.

"Kiee—!!"

Not far from him, the Ghost-faced King stood like a demon in the rain, its figure radiating an overwhelming sense of oppression!

The Ghost-faced King looked vastly different from ordinary Ghost-faced Men. Its body alone was two sizes larger, and from afar, it resembled a small mountain.

Moreover, ordinary Ghost-faced Men moved on all fours like animals, while the Ghost-faced King stood on two feet, head held high and chest thrust out. If not for its pale ghost face and scarlet tongue, it actually looked quite human.

Yet this vicious, terrifying Ghost-faced King was covered from head to toe in blade wounds. Every slash seemed to have cut deep into its flesh, leaving its body drenched in blood.

Zhao Kongcheng looked at the Ghost-faced King's wounds and clicked his tongue.

"The captain's still a beast... He actually injured it this badly. Looks like he'd been going easy on me whenever we sparred...

"A 'River' Realm monster is still freakishly strong even when seriously wounded. Wonder how many moves I can last against it."

Muttering, Zhao Kongcheng reached over his shoulder, gripped the handle of his straight sword, and slowly drew it...

The pale blue blade sliced through the rain, letting out a faint hum.

A torrential downpour, a cigarette, A cloak, a straight sword!

The Ghost-faced King stared at Zhao Kongcheng. Its scarlet tongue curled and writhed, while bloodthirsty desire surfaced in its eyes!

In an instant, both of them moved at once!

Straight sword in hand, Zhao Kongcheng shot forward like an arrow loosed from the bow. His eyes were ice-cold, murder spilling from him!

He was fast, but the Ghost-faced King was faster!

Its massive body smashed through the curtain of rain, its deathly pale ghost face twisting violently. Like a hunter spotting prey, it could barely contain its wild delight!

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The instant their figures collided, blade light flashed. Three sharp rings of metal striking metal tore through the rain as claws met steel, throwing off showers of dazzling sparks!

Zhao Kongcheng truly deserved to be called a master of close combat. Three successive strikes slashed precisely at the Ghost-faced King's vital points, only to be blocked by the Ghost-faced King at even greater speed.

Zhao Kongcheng only managed three strikes, because after the third, the Ghost-faced King's terrifying strength sent him flying. He crashed awkwardly into the muddy ground.

The gap between them was simply too great.

One was a Mythical Creature that had reached the "River" Realm, possessing a Forbidden Ruin and terrifying physical strength;

The other was an ordinary man of flesh and blood, possessing nothing but skill and experience.

Zhao Kongcheng climbed out of the mud, spat out the soaked cigarette in his mouth, and cursed.

"Fuck, so what if you're a Mythical Creature? So what if you're strong?"

The Ghost-faced King had no intention of fighting fairly. It roared at Zhao Kongcheng, its voice booming like thunder!

"ROAR ROAR ROAR!!"

Then, centered on the Ghost-faced King, a huge and hideous ghost face gradually emerged on the ground...

Zhao Kongcheng's expression changed at once.

"Forbidden Ruin, Sequence 176: Ghost-faced Terrain."