"One, two, three, four... twenty-three?!
Huh? Something's wrong. Why is there an extra person?!"
Ying Ming Hao's eyes widened as he stared suspiciously at the crowd before him, muttering to himself.
As he muttered, he pointed and counted Lin Zihan and the others one by one: Lin Zihan, Zhao Bufan, and their eight companions; Lin Qinqin and her two best friends; Lin Qi and his younger sister.
Adding Yun Qingyi, the four underlings from Liu Jingyuan's Breeding Farm, himself, Yu Wanchuan, and a Heavenly Prodigy from the Shui Family, there should only have been twenty-two people!
So why was there an extra person now?!
Everyone else was equally puzzled. They exchanged glances, trying to find an answer in one another's eyes, but came up empty.
Just then, a faint sound caught everyone's attention. Someone gently tugged at the oversized black cloak they wore and quietly edged toward a corner, seemingly trying to make themselves as inconspicuous as possible.
Everyone immediately noticed something amiss, and all eyes swung toward that mysterious figure.
Their instincts told them this person had to be suspicious-very likely an uninvited guest or a spy who had slipped into their midst.
In an instant, blades flashed and swords crossed, the crisp clang of metal ringing out incessantly. Everyone was clearly on edge, ready to confront any potential threat.
As the atmosphere grew increasingly tense, the surrounded figure finally lost control of her fear and panic.
A startled cry rang out. "Hey, hey, hey... wait! It's me!"
A black hood was abruptly thrown back, revealing a face wearing a sheepish grin.
At the same time, two slender arms rose high into the air to show she meant no harm.
"Holy shit, it's you! You actually followed us!"
Lin Qinqin bristled on the spot. She could tell at