Black smoke billowed up like a vortex, floating silently in midair.
Within it, there seemed to be a human silhouette, though its true form was impossible to make out.
Seeing this, Wang Yong immediately dropped to one knee, placed his right hand over his left breast, and lowered his head and eyes. "Your Grace," he said respectfully.
A bishop of the Eternal Church?!
Xu Ye's pupils contracted.
He clenched his teeth almost imperceptibly, panic rising in his chest.
An independent church with no official backing dared to challenge the mighty Sky City. Although it had been wiped out once ten years ago, even a dying giant was still a giant. One of its bishops would need only a single finger to crush him.
"We're done, we're done! Someone like that must be at least a Sequence 7 Awakened. Xu Ye, we're finished!" Alice began sobbing with little mewls.
A drop of cold sweat slid down his back, all the way to his tailbone.
Heart! Heart!
Xu Ye screamed inwardly, but this time, his heart gave no response.
Playing dead again when it matters most!
As Xu Ye tried to think of a way out, the shadow's electronically synthesized voice slowly sounded from within the black mist. "Xu Ye, the sole survivor of Doctor Chen's laboratory. I am very curious-what exactly makes you so special?"
"Of course, our Eternal Church always welcomes capable individuals."
"You want me to betray the Dawn Blade?" Xu Ye's brows drew together as he spoke in a low voice, without the slightest tremor.
The shadow replied calmly, seemingly disdainful. "The Dawn Blade is merely a dog kept by the nobles of Sky City. Betrayal hardly comes into it."
Xu Ye snapped, "A dog is still better than the Eternal Church, a rat everyone wants to stamp out."
He backed away as he spoke.
But the next instant, Xu Ye's back struck an invisible wall, preventing him from retreating another inch.
A flicker of alarm passed through him, but his expression remained unchanged. Suddenly solemn, he declared righteously, "Even if I, Xu Ye, fall into your hands today, even if you torture me or kill me here, I will never beg for mercy, much less betray them."
Xu Ye's presence was as imposing as a mountain. At that moment, his youthful face held a resolve and courage beyond his years.
"My will is a blade, my body is steel! Die!"
He swung his fist and charged at the shadow.
Moved to tears, Alice cried, "Xu Ye, let's fight him to the death! Hurry and let me possess you!"
In an instant, Xu Ye's soaring aura swept through the entire alley.
Feeling that awe-inspiring righteousness, Wang Yong's expression changed drastically. For a moment, he even wanted to plead on Xu Ye's behalf, his heart roiling with conflicting emotions.
The shadow paused, visibly moved. "A promising young man with loyalty and conviction."
He did not move, merely standing within the black smoke with his hands clasped behind his back.
Strength like this did not even warrant him lifting a hand.
Xu Ye leaped high into the air. Just as his fist came within a meter of the shadow, the tentacles on both his forearms suddenly shot out at tremendous speed, braced against the walls on either side, then pulled hard.
Like an arrow loosed from a bow, Xu Ye shot over the shadow's head with a whoosh and hurtled outside.
The next second, a shrill, panicked voice rang out, shaking the heavens.
"Sexual assault! Help! Two creepy men in the alley are trying to have their way with me!"
"In broad daylight, under a clear sky, can handsome guys like us really not show our faces outside anymore?"
"Where is the justice?!"
???
Wang Yong's expression visibly stiffened, turning to stone. He looked as though he had swallowed a fly. All the admiration and emotion he had felt a moment ago shattered into pieces.
His mouth hung slightly open.
Beside him, the shadow likewise remained silent for a long while before finally saying slowly, "Let's leave for now."
Wang Yong felt that His Grace must have suffered an internal injury.
Meanwhile, Xu Ye raced out of the alley, immediately opened his mouth, and bellowed. Once he had caught the attention of passersby, he swiftly slipped into the crowd.
He kept changing positions, shouting in different voices as he went.
"Two men are molesting another man?"
"Come watch the drama! I'm recording this and posting it online!"
"Where's the handsome guy? Hurry, let's go see!"
Once he had stirred up a commotion, Xu Ye quickly vanished into the crowd.
Having witnessed Xu Ye pull off this entire series of outrageous maneuvers, Alice was speechless for a long time.
"Xu Ye! Give me back my feelings! Give me back my tears! As your second personality, I'm ashamed of you! What happened to all that righteous resolve?"
"I have to stay alive first! That guy was obviously a high-level boss. If I'd charged him for real, I probably would've been vaporized. Of course I had to put on a little show for him."
"Phew... this world is too dangerous. I'm still far too weak." Xu Ye wiped away his sweat. Only after confirming that the other party would not dare cause a major disturbance in Night Spirit City did he breathe a sigh of relief, then head toward the hospital without stopping.
[I escaped their clutches and breathed a sigh of relief. This was thanks to my powerful heart, which allowed me to remain calm and composed at a crucial moment. I must thank it for all its patient instruction.] [Of course, I understood perfectly well that my heart had not warned me because this was not enough to cost me my life.] [This was Night Spirit City, the city closest to Sky City. It must have had ways to keep the Eternal Church in check, or everything would have descended into chaos long ago.] [Moreover, that shadow did not seem to be the bishop's true body. If I had fought desperately, I could have escaped, though I would have been seriously injured.] [This was merely a trial my heart had set for me, not a case of it chickening out. I appreciated this deeply and was fully aware of it.] [Gratitude. Thanks.]
Xu Ye seethed.
His own heart was actually even more shameless than he was.
But it had been right about one thing.
Xu Ye had already guessed that the Eternal Church did not dare reveal its true presence in Night Spirit City. There must have been something holding it back.
Half an hour later, outside the hospital.
He Li's eyes were red and glistening with tears. "A Qiang, listen to me. It really isn't what you think. I truly love you."
A Qiang said, "A Zhen, you said you loved me, that your love would never change even if the seas dried up and the rocks crumbled. Then explain this to me: who is this man?"
Another handsome, muscular man beside her gripped He Li's shoulders and shook them. "Xiang, didn't you tell me you were single? And why is he calling you Zhen? Isn't your name Xiang? Are you cheating on me?"
Looking at the two men, He Li clutched her head and screamed in distress. "I'm sorry, A Qiang, A Ren! I really haven't been lying to you. I love you both, but I haven't told you the whole truth."
"The truth is, I'm mentally ill. I have a second personality. My name is Zhen, and my second personality is called Xiang. I really haven't been dating both of you at the same time. It was my second personality. I can't control her."
"I actually came to the hospital today for a follow-up appointment."
"I'm suffering so much... sob... I'm sorry. I'm not a good woman."
For a moment, the two handsome men choked up, unable to speak. Seeing He Li like this broke their hearts so badly that they nearly cried. Both wrapped their strong arms around her.
"We're the ones who should apologize. We had no idea you were suffering so much."
"Zhen (Xiang), we misunderstood you."
"From now on, we'll date separately. I'll keep seeing Zhen, and he'll date Xiang."
Standing nearby, Xu Ye stared at the scene, dumbfounded.
That performance was so slick it made his scalp tingle!
Alice drew a deep breath. "Xu Ye, this woman is even more outrageous than you."
Xu Ye nodded in wholehearted agreement.
Before you continue