Bang, Bang, Bang~~

After returning to his rented apartment, Lu Siye took the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill out of his system inventory and placed it on the table, intending to strengthen it to the fourth level.

He placed his hand on the manual and silently commanded the system to strengthen it.

"Ding~ This upgrade requires 2,000 Fear Points. The host does not have enough Fear Points. Upgrade failed!" The system's merciless voice rang in his ear.

"Damn, the third level only needed 400, but the fourth needs 2,000? System, are you ripping me off?" Lu Siye couldn't help grumbling.

He was still more than 500 Fear Points short. Looked like he'd have to fleece someone again.

He put the manual away and took out his phone. When he tapped the website link Chen Feiguang had sent him, the screen flashed, bringing up a site that looked pretty legitimate.

Though it looked legitimate, it was actually a ghost website. Lu Siye browsed around and found that the site only offered benefit coupons with different terms.

After thinking it over, he decided to try buying a coupon labeled "Ten Years."

Of course, before buying it, he first reported it to the Town Demon Suppression Division, to avoid having his account frozen once the money came through.

After putting away his phone, Lu Siye arranged the 27 cultivation poses from the first three levels on the floor and continued working on his control over the Yang energy within his body.

"Ah~ I can finally clock out!" At the furniture store, Zhuang Xiaoman checked the time on her phone, stretched, and said happily.

"Ugh! I'm so jealous, Sis Xiaoman! You got commission today, got a handsome guy's contact info, and even got to leave early. I'm so jealous I'm about to split in two!"

A baby-faced coworker clung to Zhuang Xiaoman's arm and pouted.

At the mention of a handsome guy, Zhuang Xiaoman thought of that masculine, handsome face, and her cheeks immediately flushed.

"Oh, I was just lucky! Once you make a sale, you can ask the supervisor to let you leave early, too!"

Zhuang Xiaoman patted her head and pulled her hand away.

"Waaah~ I've only been an intern for less than a month. How am I supposed to make a sale that easily?" the baby-faced coworker said dejectedly.

"Believe in yourself! You can do it!" After gathering her personal belongings, Zhuang Xiaoman gave her coworker an encouraging fist pump.

"I'm heading out. Bye!"

"Mm-hmm, bye, Sis Xiaoman!" the baby-faced coworker called, waving.

After leaving the furniture store, Zhuang Xiaoman went over to her electric scooter.

She took out her phone and, seeing that Lu Siye hadn't messaged her all day, couldn't help composing a message and sending it to him.

'I'm off work! (smiley face)'

She waited a while, but when Lu Siye didn't reply, she climbed onto her scooter, a little disappointed.

Just as she was about to leave, her phone chimed. That handsome guy had replied!

'Okay! Be careful, and remember to stick to busy areas.'

He was worried about my safety!

As Zhuang Xiaoman read the message, her heart beat a little faster and her face took on a faint blush. It felt as if most of her exhaustion from the day had faded away.

'Mm-hmm! (cat nodding.jpg)'

After sending the message, Zhuang Xiaoman rode off toward her rented apartment, a smile on her lips.

It was a little past nine at night, and there were still plenty of cars and pedestrians on the road.

The bright streetlights and the roar of passing cars made her feel completely safe. Humming some tune she couldn't quite remember, Zhuang Xiaoman turned at an intersection.

As she rode along, something started to feel off.

At some point, the pedestrians and cars around her had disappeared. The shops on both sides of the street were shuttered, and the once-bright streetlights had grown dim, flickering every now and then.

A cold breeze blew over, and Zhuang Xiaoman shivered. She rubbed the goose bumps on her arms, hit the brakes beneath a streetlight, and looked around nervously.

Then she suddenly remembered what Lu Siye had told her earlier that day.

"Things have been a little unsettled at night lately. Try to get off work early, and stick to busy areas on your way home."

At the thought, a chill crept down her back.

"Don't scare yourself, Zhuang Xiaoman. There's no such thing as ghosts in this world. We have to believe in science!" She raised a hand and slapped her cheek, trying to reassure herself.

Suddenly!

A loud bang rang out. A streetlight up ahead burst into a shower of sparks and went dark, plunging the road ahead into darkness.

Wooo~

At the same time, a strong wind blew out of an alley by the roadside, making a chilling howling sound.

"Ah! I'm not going down this road!" Startled, Zhuang Xiaoman trembled all over, her voice thick with tears.

She hurriedly turned her scooter around, cranked it up to full speed, and headed back the way she'd come.

"Amitabha, Buddha, protect me! May the Heavenly Venerable bless me, Ancestor, protect me! Jesus, protect me..." Watching the shops fly past, Zhuang Xiaoman couldn't help muttering prayers under her breath.

Suddenly, she saw two little boys run out of an alley up ahead, carrying something round that looked like a ball.

Zhuang Xiaoman instinctively felt something was wrong. Why were there children playing at the entrance of a pitch-black alley in the middle of the night?

The children seemed to notice that Zhuang Xiaoman was the only person on the road. They quickly stopped and glanced at her timidly, then ran back into the alley.

Zhuang Xiaoman breathed a sigh of relief. They'd run away when they saw a stranger, so the two boys were probably fine.

Her scooter kept moving, and as she passed the alley entrance, she couldn't help glancing inside.

The entire alley was pitch-black, without a trace of light. Gusts of cold wind blew out now and then, making it seem like a passage leading into the abyss. The sight sent a nameless shiver down her spine.

Would the two children run into danger in an alley like that?

Zhuang Xiaoman swallowed, unable to stop worrying about the children.

After hesitating for a while, she got off her scooter, pulled out her phone, turned on the flashlight, and walked toward the alley.

"Ah!"

Just as she was about to step inside, a burning sensation shot across the back of her hand, making her cry out in pain.

The pain cleared her muddled mind. A gust of cold wind blew past, and the hairs on Zhuang Xiaoman's body stood on end.

Why had I wanted to go in and look for those two children?

Clutching her phone, she hurriedly backed away, her heart pounding with lingering fear.

In a panic, she shoved her phone back into her pocket, ran to her scooter, and twisted the throttle, quickly getting away from the eerie place.

A minute or two later, Zhuang Xiaoman looked behind her. The terrifying alley had vanished from sight, and only then did her unease begin to ease.

Bang, bang, bang~~

Suddenly, she heard a sound up ahead like a basketball bouncing on the ground. Startled, Zhuang Xiaoman quickly turned to look.

In the middle of the road ahead, two children were chasing each other beneath a dim streetlight. They slammed the ball to the ground with a bang, and it bounced into the other child's hands.

The two children seemed to notice Zhuang Xiaoman. They stopped, turned around, and held the ball against their chests.

Screeech~

The piercing sound of brakes rang out on the empty road. Zhuang Xiaoman's eyes widened in terror. Her mind went blank, and her trembling limbs seemed rooted to the spot, unable to move even half a step. Boundless fear washed over her like a tide, threatening to drown her.

They were two children who looked no older than five or six, holding a skinned human head in their arms. Their four pitch-black eyes fixed on Zhuang Xiaoman as they grinned, revealing teeth like saw blades.

"Big Sis, stay and play ball with us!" a childlike voice rang in her ears.