The Shelter

Chu Ying looked confused. "Brother, you're so strong. Can't we just stay home?"

Chu Yuan replied unconcernedly, "There are plenty of people in the Martial Suppression Bureau and the military who are stronger than me, and Chenyang City still ended up like this."

In a place with lots of people, to put it bluntly, at least there'd be a few human shields...

But when they reached Dafeng Mall, Chu Yuan's heart sank again.

The shelter at Dafeng Mall was underground. When danger struck, Chu Yuan obviously wasn't the only one who'd thought of this place.

Looking at the chaotic footprints on the ground and the vehicles piled up along the roadside, it was clear that plenty of clever people had gotten here early.

But... something was wrong...

A frigid energy was prowling nearby! It made him feel as though thorns were pricking his back.

Chu Yuan could sense that the energy was coming from beneath Dafeng Mall!

Listening carefully, he couldn't hear any voices from inside...

"Mom, you two hide here for a bit." Chu Yuan yanked open a car door and let Han Cui and Chu Ying get inside.

Then he blurred into motion again, rushing toward the mall!

Chu Ying's eyes followed him until Chu Yuan had completely disappeared inside.

She raised her wrist and looked at her terminal, which had no signal. She was just about to say something to ease the tension when Chu Yuan suddenly came leaping back out like a rabbit being chased!

"Brother!"

"Get out of here!"

Chu Yuan stopped in front of the car and opened the door.

"Why are you back so soon..."

But Chu Yuan didn't answer her. His expression grave, he stared in the direction of the mall.

Chu Ying followed his gaze and saw a woman drifting out as if she were floating!

She had delicate features, but her eyes were vacant, and an eerie smile tugged at the corners of her mouth...

Han Cui clearly recognized what this thing was. Her face paled, and she hurriedly covered Chu Ying's eyes. "Don't look! Hurry, go!"

Chu Yuan was frantic. He should've known better than to come to the shelter.

The moment he entered the mall, he'd seen bodies strewn everywhere!

There were no wounds on them. They looked as if they were merely asleep, yet not one of them was breathing.

Then he'd heard a sob, and a lock of hair had dropped onto his shoulder...

Chu Yuan had heard of these things. They were called the uncanny, the "ghosts" of folk legends!

Their origins were a mystery, but they were enemies of humanity! They loved devouring human souls!

They were rare, but extremely difficult to deal with!

Ordinary attacks did nothing to them. Only energy attacks imbued with special attributes or mental attacks could hurt them.

But those were beyond the abilities of low-level Warriors...

Yan Xuan and his group had their eyes on the essence of flesh and blood, while these uncanny creatures were after the souls of Chenyang City's residents... You really don't waste a thing, do you?

Chu Yuan grumbled inwardly, but didn't dare let his guard down.

"Brother! Hurry!"

Chu Ying seemed to be calling him. Chu Yuan turned without thinking and met a pair of pitch-black eyes.

The hatred in them was almost tangible, crashing against Chu Yuan's will like a tidal wave!

Chu Yuan reacted instantly, channeling Spiritual Power into his mind. Only then did he feel his thoughts clear.

He immediately slashed!

A flash of cold light struck her neck. It was like hitting stone, and the impact numbed Chu Yuan's wrist.

The blade sank halfway in, and a few drops of thick black blood oozed out.

But the woman seemed to have suffered a grievous injury. Her vacant expression twisted, and a piercing scream burst from her mouth!

"Ah~!!!"

Ripples spread through the air in every direction.

The tangible sound waves destroyed everything in their path!

Chu Yuan was caught off guard. For a moment, he felt as if his eardrums had burst, and the world fell silent... Blood trickled from his ear canals.

Still, he was delighted. His Spiritual Power... seemed to hurt this uncanny creature badly?

Ignoring the needle-like pain in his mind, Chu Yuan pulled his long blade free and struck again.

"Swift!"

The blade flowed like water, cleaving down in an instant.

It split the woman from the center of her brow to the ground!

Chu Yuan could only sigh helplessly again... It wasn't that his power had suddenly increased enough to kill the uncanny creature in one blow.

There hadn't been the slightest impact through the blade... as if he'd struck empty air.

No need for "as if"—he really had struck empty air. Chu Yuan watched the woman's form shatter like an image of light and shadow. It was obvious he'd only hit an illusion.

He looked around again and saw a familiar figure standing atop the giant screen on the outer wall of Dafeng Mall...

Her face now showed a humanlike confusion and wariness.

But above all, it still showed hatred.

Chu Yuan knew that some low-level uncanny creatures couldn't communicate, but he didn't know whether this one could.

He waved his long blade tentatively and asked, "I don't want to fight you. How about letting me leave?"

But the only answer was a sob...

Han Cui and Chu Ying didn't run blindly far away. Han Cui worried that Chu Yuan might not be able to find them later.

So they went only a few hundred meters, stopping where they could just make out the outline of Dafeng Mall, and hid inside a convenience store with its door open.

The store was a mess, with goods scattered across the floor and a large amount of blood on the ground.

The original owner probably hadn't met with a good end...

Han Cui looked around, gritted her teeth, and took Chu Ying to hide beneath the counter.

It wasn't exactly a secluded spot, but from outside, only someone coming from the direction they had could see beneath the counter.

That way, they wouldn't miss Chu Yuan when he came back...

Chu Ying buried her face and began to sob. Han Cui sighed, pulled her into her arms, and gently patted her back.

It wasn't just Chu Ying who had never seen anything like this. Han Cui hadn't either.

Martial arts had been revived for three hundred years, and the situation had largely stabilized. Most conflicts took place on the front lines.

She wasn't a Warrior, so naturally she'd never been to the front lines...

"It's okay, Yingying. Don't cry. Your brother will figure something out..."

But the helpless comfort didn't seem to make Chu Ying feel any safer. She kept crying, and her sobs grew louder and louder!

As Han Cui listened to her cries, she began to feel dizzy, and a surge of anger seemed to rise in her heart.

The hand patting Chu Ying's back gradually grew heavier...

Just then, hurried, heavy footsteps burst into the store!

Han Cui's thoughts were interrupted for a moment. Before she could react, the counter they were hiding under was flung aside with tremendous force!

She looked up, and a young man's face filled her vision.

He looked about twenty-five or twenty-six, with neat, short hair. One eye was clamped shut, apparently injured, and blood streamed from it.

The young man seemed experienced. Before she could speak, he spoke in a hoarse voice. "Don't be afraid. I'm with the Martial Suppression Bureau."