Safe House, Ya's Past Legacy (Second Update)

He slept soundly, and he didn't know how much time had passed.

Bai Zhou woke up on the floor of the top-floor suite, which was tens of square meters in size, in the villa.

What greeted his eyes was a sky he wasn't too familiar with.

And a strange, glaring sun.

-- This was what a "sunroom" looked like, with no ceiling and two walls missing.

All in all, rounding down, Thanks to Bai Zhou's efforts, he had achieved a fairy-tale-like life of a successful person... though only half of it.

"Morning."

A familiar voice, faint, rang out punctually like an alarm clock.

"Morning, Ya."

Bai Zhou rubbed his eyes and sat up.

"How long did I sleep?"

"Seven hours."

"That long?" Bai Zhou looked up at the big sun overhead.

"I was exposed to the sun for so long and didn't react?"

He subconsciously kneaded his face, wondering if he had already been baked into charcoal.

"..."

Ya couldn't be bothered to answer, remaining noncommittal about Bai Zhou's question.

But as soon as Bai Zhou turned his head, he saw a mass of clawing shadow tentacles rapidly retreating from the corner where he had just slept--

Finally returning to Ya's feet.

"Could it be?"

Bai Zhou looked at Ya with a surprised expression.

Did Ya use her shadows to shield him from the sun?

-- No wonder he slept so soundly.

"Since you're awake, it's time to get down to business."

But Ya just turned her head away, still talking about business with a blank expression.

"Tap, tap-tap!"

Lifting her boot, she stomped her heel forcefully on the platform beneath her feet twice.

"As a stronghold, this place is lacking too much!"

"Especially in terms of escape plans and reinforcement."

"If the enemy were to fire a few rockets or conduct an artillery barrage here, you'd have no recourse but to wait for death."

Ya shook her head seriously.

"-- Unacceptable!"

"However..."

Looking at Bai Zhou's stern expression, Ya's voice softened.

"The internal traps are still somewhat acceptable..."

-- More than just acceptable.

Aside from their strength, many of the traps' interconnected ingenuity and the deviousness of their angles left even Ya in silence.

It was as if Bai Zhou had a lot of experience in this area, had seen many insidious trap setups, and already had mature plans in mind.

-- But how was that possible?

As Bai Zhou's only teacher, she didn't recall teaching him any of this.

... Then, it could only be talent.

This made Ya think again of the lime Bai Zhou had thrown during their previous fight, and the powerful flashlight tied to the spear...

Was Bai Zhou truly the Destined One of the [Chen] destiny, known for his straightforwardness?

What part of "straightforwardness" did Bai Zhou embody?

-- Ya was puzzled.

... And so, as soon as Bai Zhou got up, he became busy.

The abandoned villa was transformed beyond recognition.

Red Brick Fragments were used to draw various Strange Patterns on the walls.

Mummified Mouse Powder, Bird Corpse Bones, and various Insect Corpses were placed in specific locations for various Rituals.

As he practiced, Bai Zhou's mastery of micro-rituals also improved.

In fact, he had only learned about ten micro-rituals from Ya, each with little effect, but covering all aspects.

--It could only be considered an introductory lesson.

Among these, the most extraordinary and hardest to learn...

was the Explosion Ritual that shook the entire Special Management Department.

--This even required special chemical raw materials for assistance.

An hour passed quickly.

Watered by Bai Zhou's sweat, this abandoned "Haunted House" was finally transformed by him into...

something even more bizarre and terrifying than a haunted house.

If a homeless person stumbled in, they would flee in terror overnight, even without triggering any traps.

Because at this moment, all the floors, ceilings, and walls of this Five-Story Villa were covered in strange ritualistic patterns drawn with red paint.

--It looked exactly like a gathering at an Esoteric Cult's stronghold, utterly chilling!

"Snap"--

Dropping the small red stone that was almost worn away, Bai Zhou clapped the red dust from his hands and stood on the stairs, looking down at his masterpiece with satisfaction.

The bare cement walls were densely covered with scarlet rituals, like a spider web, filling his entire field of vision.

Although they looked quite gruesome, they offered a different experience in Bai Zhou's eyes:

"--So reassuring."

Bai Zhou exclaimed.

"Gulu Lu..."

Perhaps because he felt at ease, Bai Zhou's stomach rumbled.

A feeling of desperate hunger washed over him.

...Ah, it was time to eat.

Come to think of it, the last meal was yesterday noon, in the base cafeteria.

In the blink of an eye, the entire day was almost over.

"Bai Zhou."

As he was pondering, Ya's voice suddenly reached Bai Zhou's ears.

Bai Zhou turned his head and saw Ya looking down at him from the turn of the stairs.

However, he wasn't sure if it was his imagination...

He felt Ya seemed a bit listless.

There were also faint Black Eye Circles under her eyes.

...So, she could get tired too?

Come to think of it, Bai Zhou had never seen Ya eat or sleep.

Very strange, not like a living person.

"Now that the stronghold is built, we should head into the city."

Ya seemed to have something new and important to tell Bai Zhou.

"Into the city?" Bai Zhou was confused.

"A Cat and Mouse Game has already begun."

Ya's voice was still cold, with that unique hoarse quality, echoing in the empty, unfinished corridors of the villa.

"For now, they are the cats."

"Because their early advantage is too great."

"Not only are they numerous, but the surveillance system alone, spread throughout the city, is enough to make your every move difficult."

"It would be hard to even evade pursuit, let alone disrupt their Industry Chain..."

"--So, you might need some external help."

"External help refers to..." Bai Zhou blinked a couple of times.

He understood Ya's implied meaning, and his heart skipped a beat.

"Snap"--

Ya pulled out a folded map from her embrace and tossed it to Bai Zhou.

"A cunning rabbit has three burrows; it's a survival instinct etched into the bones of every Extraordinary."

"In every inconspicuous corner of this city, every shadow, even in the sewers..."

"could hide supplies and weapons that an Extraordinary had stashed for themselves, things that could pull them back from the brink of hell."

"Generally, they call this a 'Safe House'."

"--This is also an important lesson I'm going to teach you."

Her expression held a hint of practiced familiarity and emotion.

She looked like a notorious Fugitive veteran, reminiscing about her glorious days of being hunted across Jianghu...

"On this map, I've marked the coordinates."

"A long time ago, I left a little 'Pocket Money' in this place, and I'd forgotten to activate it."

As she spoke, Ya was filled with nostalgia and confidence for the private "Pocket Money" he had once hidden.

"It's not a nuclear launch button, but it's enough to arm you."

"To upgrade you, a 'lamb to the slaughter,' into a wolf that can bite off its pursuer's throat..."

"--And it just so happens to solve the problem of being monitored by roadside cameras."

Safe House!

Pocket Money...

"Are we going now?" Bai Zhou asked.

"Of course."

The simple two-word answer was like the command of 'Open Sesame,' about to blast open a peculiar Great Door for Bai Zhou.

Behind the Great Door lay Ya's old legacy, a tip of the iceberg of her past experiences of blood and fire.

She wanted Bai Zhou to quickly inherit all her past, arm himself to the teeth, and then...

Survive!

With a rustle...

With a mix of anticipation and nervousness, Bai Zhou curiously opened the map.

He examined it carefully.

One location was prominently marked with a red circle on the map.

It seemed to be in the most bustling and lively area of the city center, and it appeared to be extraordinary.

Even among the dense map coordinates, it had its own conspicuous name--

[L'Ambroisie]

Completely unfamiliar scribbles, like a spell or a shop name, met Bai Zhou's clear and bewildered gaze.

Below it also read:

"Michelin Three-Star High-End Restaurant, Established in 1988!"

"--Reservations Required!"