The sunlight was dazzling as they emerged from the tunnel. Chen Siyao squinted and raised a hand to shade her forehead. After spending so long underground, her eyes struggled to adjust to the sudden sunlight.
Moontrace ran ahead of everyone and rolled in the weeds by the temple entrance, all four paws in the air, exposing a white belly.
Then Moontrace froze. Ears pricking up, Moontrace rolled over, stood, and stared beyond the temple entrance.
More than a dozen people stood outside. They wore matching uniforms and stood ramrod straight, like a row of trees planted in the ground.
Radios and unfamiliar equipment hung from their belts. Their stances, the spacing between them, and even the direction of their gazes were almost identical. It was obvious at a glance—they were no ordinary people.
Their leader was a burly man of about fifty, with a square face, deep-set eyes, and heavily callused palms. Instead of a uniform, he wore a dark gray jacket. Standing at the front, he resembled an old pine.
He glanced at the phone in Chen Siyao's hand—the livestream was still running. He gave a slight nod, signaling to her.
Chen Siyao understood. She smiled at the camera. "Everyone, that's it for today's stream. See you next time!"
[I Am Ying Zheng]: No! I haven't seen enough yet!
[Yaoyao's Little Red Riding Hood]: It's still early, Yaoyao. Why are you ending the stream so soon?
[Qin Family Xiaoyu]: Even without the Flood Dragon, we can still watch the High God.
Chen Siyao offered no explanation and simply ended the stream.
Only after the stream ended did the man approach. His stride was steady, each step almost exactly the same length. He stopped in front of Chen Hao and extended his hand.
"Mr. Chen Hao, I'm Qin Zheng of