Come Here

Zhou Bai happily headed back to the old man's house.

Jing Xiu followed him the whole way like a little attendant.

Watching Jing Xiu's worshipful expression, Christina said unhappily, "Zhou Bai, you're really letting this woman of unknown origin come home with us?"

Zhou Bai said casually, "She admires me, appreciates my talent, and wants to follow me. What's wrong with that?"

Christina said, "You can know a person's face but not their heart. This woman doesn't look like a good woman. You have so many secrets—don't get too close to her."

"Secrets? What secrets do I have?" Zhou Bai sighed. "The biggest secret I have is this belly full of talent. In less than ten days of cultivation, I became the top scorer in Donghua Dao School's entrance exam. Even I admire myself..."

Christina ground her teeth in anger. "This guy's ego is about to explode."

Before long, Jing Xiu followed Zhou Bai to the old man's door.

With a cheerful smile, Jing Xiu said, "Big Brother Zhou, I'll come wait for you here tomorrow so we can enroll together."

"Huh?" Zhou Bai said awkwardly, "There's no need, right? That would be too much trouble for you."

"It's no trouble, no trouble," Jing Xiu said. "My mom told me that after entering Dao School, I should make more friends, especially friends with good grades. Big Brother Zhou, your will is as solid as steel, your comprehension is the best among this year's candidates, you're our top scorer, and you're so approachable and hardworking. If my mom knew, she'd definitely tell me to become good friends with you."

Even Zhou Bai felt a little embarrassed by the praise. Shaking his head, he said, "Your mom makes sense. Don't worry—once school starts, come ask me if there's anything you don't understand."

Waving goodbye to the departing Jing Xiu, Zhou Bai happily knocked and entered the house.

But after only lightly knocking, he discovered that the old man's door was already open. The room was pitch-dark, as though not even the lights had been turned on.

"What's going on? Why aren't any lights on?" Zhou Bai walked in and shouted, "I got first place in Donghua Dao School's entrance exam this time, old man! Come on, come on, let's celebrate together..."

But as he spoke, Zhou Bai increasingly sensed that something was wrong.

As he stepped through the doorway, the clamor and sounds outside seemed to gradually drift away and vanish. The entire room was as silent as a funeral hall.

From deep within the house came the old man's continuous coughing. The coughs grew louder and louder, as if he were about to cough out his lungs.

Zhou Bai frowned. Christina said, "Something's wrong. Be careful—don't get me killed."

The surrounding rooms seemed to grow darker and darker. Only a faint flame glimmered in the depths of the house, trembling slightly along with the coughing.

Zhou Bai softly called toward the light, "Old man, is that you?"

The voice of Zhang Aidao's father came over. "Oh, Zhou Bai. You passed the exam?"

"Mm." Zhou Bai controlled his Primordial Spirit Power, extending it out from his consciousness. "Why did you turn off all the lights at home?"

"Oh, I'm old. The lights are too bright, they make my eyes uncomfortable." The other party's speech gradually began to speed up. "Zhou Bai, come here. I have something to tell you."

Zhou Bai said, "Where's my dog? Elsa, Elsa, where are you?" His ears twitched slightly, and he seemed to hear some kind of chewing sound nearby.

He turned to look and saw Elsa seemingly eating something in the darkness.

"Elsa! Elsa, stop eating and come here!"

Elsa let out a whimper. Only after Zhou Bai repeatedly urged her did she reluctantly trot over.

Zhou Bai touched her body and felt that the area around her mouth was wet. "What were you eating? Why is your whole mouth covered in it?"

Elsa grinned, stuck out her tongue, and tried to lick Zhou Bai.

But Zhou Bai caught a bloody smell rushing from the dog's mouth, startling him. "Fuck, Elsa, what did you eat?"

He pressed down on the dog's head. Elsa wore an aggrieved expression, unable to understand why Zhou Bai would not let her give him a lick.

Just then, the old man's urging voice came again from where the light was. "Zhou Bai, come over quickly and let me see you. I have something good to give you."

Hearing the old man's increasingly cold and shrill voice, Zhou Bai began backing step by step toward the door.

The old man's voice came again, cold and strange, yet laced with impatience. "Zhou Bai, why are you walking outside? Aren't you coming to see me?"

Zhou Bai froze for a moment, then lowered his voice and said, "Sorry, wrong door! My name isn't Zhou Bai. You've got the wrong person!"

The other end immediately fell silent.

Zhou Bai quickly grabbed the dog by the head and sped up his retreat toward the door.

But in the next instant, Zhou Bai heard a bang behind him. At some point, the front door had shut.

Zhou Bai suddenly activated his Primordial Spirit Power. He only felt it strike something furry, completely unable to break through the door.

Zhou Bai said, "What is this?"

"Zhou Bai..." From deep within the room, the right half of the old man's face slowly extended out. One eye stared at Zhou Bai in the darkness as he said coldly, "Why aren't you coming over..."

"Why aren't you coming over!"

"Come over!"

"Come over!!"

"Come over!! Come over!!"

The old man's voice grew more and more urgent, faster and faster.

Zhou Bai spread his Primordial Spirit Power through the surroundings and only felt nine long, furry strips arranged across the door. No matter how hard he tried, he could not open it.

Hearing the old man call out more and more frantically, Zhou Bai shouted, "Shut up! I'm coming."

"Catch my magic treasure!"

The half-face behind the wall paused in slight surprise. The next moment, it saw a furry mass fly toward it and smash into its face.

As Christina was hurled toward the old man, she screamed, "Zhou Bai!! I #￥%..."

And as she drew closer to the old man, she saw his entire body more and more clearly.

That exposed half-face was not a face at all—it was simply eyes, a nose, and a mouth growing from his back. The old man's original head had already turned into a sheep's head, while the nine tails on his backside extended outward, blocking the outer door.

Seeing Christina fly over, the nine tails instantly sprang up and all curled toward the cat in midair.

At the same time, Zhou Bai seized the opening and fiercely activated his Primordial Spirit Power, smashing open the door and charging outside with Elsa in his grasp.

On the other side, just as Christina was about to be caught by the nine long tails, her body became weightless. She had already transformed into a wisp of green smoke and shot into Zhou Bai's brow, where he recalled her into his consciousness.

The instant he rushed out of the house, Zhou Bai tore his throat open and shouted, "Heeelp!!"

"Murdeeer!!"

A few seconds later, flashing sword lights shot over with swooshes and darted straight into the old man's house.

Roars and crashing sounds rang out without end. Zhou Bai collapsed onto the ground, staring blankly at the house engulfed in battle as he gasped for breath in great gulps.