# 609
**Chapter 610: The Search**
Yuzuri Nana’s delicate body slammed against the concrete floor with a dull thud. A trickle of blood ran down her forehead as she curled up in pain.
Iwamori Yusuke narrowed his eyes slightly.
“I’ll ask you one more time—do you have anything that can pay off your father’s debt?” His icy voice echoed through the warehouse.
Yuzuri Nana lay on the ground, her fists clenched tightly, teeth gritted as she spoke word by word:
“No.”
Iwamori Yusuke stared at her in silence for a long time, then stood up from the black sofa and turned toward the warehouse exit. As he left, he said to the thugs:
“Lock her up. No one goes near her. No food. Starve her for two days. If she still can’t come up with something to pay the debt, sell her off in Shinjuku.”
“Yes, boss!”
The thugs answered in unison.
Iwamori stepped out of the warehouse, glanced at the clear blue sky above, and after confirming no one was around, took a deep breath and solemnly pulled out his phone to dial a number.
“Mr. I, this is Iwamori Yusuke.”
“……”
“I’m terribly sorry! There’s still no progress. This girl really seems to know nothing. I couldn’t—”
“……”
“Yes! Yes! You’re right to scold me. I’m truly sorry! Please give me one more chance!”
“……”
“No, I beg you, please, just one more chance!” Beads of sweat formed on Iwamori’s forehead, his face pale. “Tomorrow—tomorrow I’ll definitely get the information you want! Please, just one last chance!”
“……”
“Thank you! Thank you so much! I’ll definitely—”
Before he could finish, the call was cut off. He stood there holding the phone, his back soaked in sweat.
He stood like a statue for a long time. Finally, color returned to his pale face. He took a deep breath, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes.
He turned and walked back toward the warehouse.
…
Lin Qiye and Hongyan stopped at a deserted alley.
“This is good. Hongyan, keep watch. Make sure no one comes near,” Lin Qiye said, looking around.
Hongyan nodded, stomped hard on the ground, and leaped over ten meters into the air, landing on the rooftop to scan the surroundings.
Lin Qiye pulled a piece of chalk from his pocket, snapped it in half, and crouched to draw on the ground.
A few minutes later, a massive and intricate summoning array lay before him like a work of art.
He tossed the chalk into a trash bin, crouched at the center of the array, pressed his palm to the ground, and poured in his mental energy.
A blinding blue light flashed from the array!
The light was intense but lasted only a moment. When it faded, a terrifying gaze pierced through the void and began scanning the area.
Lin Qiye stood motionless like a statue.
After about half a minute, the gaze finally withdrew. Lin Qiye resumed movement and looked up. Across from the array, a pool of black liquid oozed across the ground.
The next moment, the liquid twisted and formed a humanoid figure. A crimson eye with a black pupil opened on its forehead, glowing mysteriously.
The figure bowed politely.
“Orderly No. 007, Black Pupil, at your service, Director.”
Lin Qiye’s mouth twitched. “Get up. Let’s move first.”
Hongyan leaped down from the rooftop, grabbed both Lin Qiye and Black Pupil, and merged into the ground in a flash of light, vanishing.
When they reappeared, they were on the steps outside the shrine.
Thanks to the last incident, Lin Qiye had figured out the pattern: the more mental energy used when activating a Forbidden Ruin, the longer the gaze lingered. A simple hand-drawn summoning array only drew a brief scan—like the mysterious presence wasn’t sure if it had sensed anything and left after a quick check.
Still, there was a chance an Oracle Envoy might come to investigate, so he had to leave quickly and avoid surveillance.
Now, Lin Qiye and Hongyan stood on the steps. Black Pupil had merged into Lin Qiye’s shadow, hidden under his hoodie—completely invisible.
“Director, what do you need?” Black Pupil’s voice echoed in Lin Qiye’s ear.
“I need you to find someone.” Lin Qiye pointed at a street camera above.
“No problem.” Black Pupil didn’t hesitate.
Lin Qiye opened his palm. A cherry-blossom-colored hairpin lay quietly in it. “Find the girl wearing this. You only have an instant—no Forbidden Ruins allowed. Can you do it?”
“An instant…” Black Pupil pondered.
His [Eye of Secrets] could see the past like rewinding a film, but to find a girl and track her location, he had to pinpoint the exact moment something happened.
“Do you have a rough timeframe?”
Lin Qiye thought. “Two to three hours ago.”
“Alright. I’ll try.”
As he spoke, a crimson eye with a black pupil opened at the collar of Lin Qiye’s hoodie, staring intently at the camera above. A faint glow emanated from it.
The mysterious gaze descended again!
Since Black Pupil was attached to Lin Qiye, he felt the pressure from the void clearly. The longer Black Pupil stared, the more accurately the gaze zeroed in on him—and the heavier the pressure became.
Sweat beaded on Lin Qiye’s forehead.
The gaze sharpened. Lin Qiye felt like a mountain was crushing his shoulders. A sense of crisis he’d never felt before loomed over him.
One more second… and he’d be locked on.
“Now!” Lin Qiye growled.
At the same instant, the crimson eye snapped shut. The mysterious presence lost its target, wandering aimlessly before finally fading away.
“Hongyan.” Lin Qiye turned. She understood, grabbed his wrist, and they vanished into the earth again.
Back in a safe place, Lin Qiye exhaled, heart still racing.
“Did you find her?” he asked.
“I did,” Black Pupil’s voice echoed. “She was taken.”