# 994
Chapter 995: Variables Emerge
The moment this exotic fragrance appeared, all the darkness within a ten-li radius centered on Fang Mo began to surge.
In the pitch-black alleyway.
A distorted mannequin crawling along the ground like a spider suddenly lifted its head high.
Its black wig concealing those hollow eyes, its neck grotesquely twisted ninety degrees toward one direction. It froze in the dead-silent alley like a sculpture, as if thinking, as if confused...
Finally, it turned its body around, moving like a humanoid cockroach, frantically crawling toward where the fragrance emanated.
...
Inside the dark classroom.
On the desk, the pencil hovering above the white paper continued drawing twisted lines, sometimes making circles, sometimes making X's, as if an invisible schizophrenic stood beside the desk, frantically sketching something.
At the same time, that scalp-prickling voice still echoed through the classroom.
"If that man is dead, please draw a circle on the paper... If that man is dead, please draw a circle on the paper...
Penang... Penang... You are my past life, I am your pre..."
Suddenly, the voice stopped abruptly.
The pencil hovering above the white paper also froze in place.
"So fragrant... So fragrant... Want to eat... Want to eat..."
The voice spoke again, but this time, the pencil didn't continue drawing on the paper. Instead, it eerily flew up into the air, its tip sharp as a blade, and smashed through the classroom window, flying toward a certain direction.
Dark alleyways, deserted street corners, old mansion cabinets, rusted trash bins, the shadowy side of streetlights...
One pair after another of eyes opened, gazing greedily toward where the fragrance came from, like dying travelers who had been thirsting in the desert for over ten days. The previously peaceful streets eerily stirred.
...
Atop the tall building.
"Something's wrong." Shao Pingge seemed to have sensed something. "There's a region where the 'Mystical' appear to be going insane on a large scale."
"It's that commercial street area."
While Lin Qiye perceived the distant situation with his spiritual sense, he furrowed his brows. "How could this happen..."
Through his spiritual perception, Lin Qiye clearly saw the scene where Fang Mo slew the rotting "Mystical" only to be ambushed by a second "Mystical" and injured.
He had long detected the approach of that second "Pool" realm "Mystical," but hadn't intervened. The primary reason was that he believed Fang Mo's innate abilities could allow him to dodge this strike. As for the minor injuries sustained during this process, they were simply part of the necessary training.
Everyone grows up little by little through constant battles and injuries. If he protected these new recruits like呵护花苞 (cherishing flower buds), never letting them suffer any harm, they would never truly mature.
But the chain reaction triggered by Fang Mo's blood after his injury exceeded his expectations.
If he hadn't miscalculated, the "Mystical" in that area had fallen into agitation due to the attraction of Fang Mo's blood. But why could Fang Mo's blood attract them?
Fang Mo indeed carried some of Lin Qiye's "miracle" bloodline, but Lin Qiye knew very well that even blood containing the power of 【Mortal Divine Realm】 couldn't have such an effect. Otherwise, he would have been torn to shreds by rampaging "Mystical" back in Cangnan.
"There are numerous low-realm 'Mystical' heading in one direction. Some high-realm 'Mystical' hidden in that area are also stirring... It seems like there are even two 'Klein' realm 'Mystical' chasing after them...
Those several high-realm 'Mystical' are acting earlier than anticipated."
Shao Pingge closed his eyes, as if sensing the flow of "Mystical" aura, and said.
After a moment, he opened his eyes and looked solemnly at Chen Han beside him:
"It's time for you to make your move."
"Mm."
Chen Han seemed to have been waiting for this moment all along. His right hand rested on the blade at his waist, two flickers of cold light闪过 (flashing) in his eyes as he stepped toward the edge of the building and into nothingness.
The next moment, that figure wrapped in a military coat vanished from where it stood.
...
Under the bridge.
A bloodstained Straight Blade was slowly drawn from the corpse of the blood-red wolf-dog.
Lu Baoyou stood beside the pool of blood, expressionlessly wiping the bloodstains from his cheek. That eye flickering with crimson light gradually returned to normal.
"So it died... How boring."
Lu Baoyou sheathed the Straight Blade back into the black case, turned to look behind him. The little beggar girl still sat乖乖 (obediently) on the ground, tightly closing her eyes, that pale cheek still trembling slightly from fear.
Lu Baoyou was about to tell her to open her eyes, but then, as if remembering something, he silently closed his mouth.
First, he dragged the blood-red wolf-dog's corpse and tossed it into a nearby overgrown grass pile. Then he used stream water to wash the blood from his cheek and cleaned the ground under the bridge. When there was no trace of blood visible, he sat back beside the extinguished campfire and said leisurely:
"You can open your eyes now."
Upon hearing this voice, the little beggar swallowed hard, covered her face with both hands, and slowly opened her eyes.
She anxiously looked around but didn't see any trace of the blood-red wolf-dog, so she finally relaxed. She took a long moment to compose herself before standing and returning to the campfire.
"Th-That... That monster?"
"What monster?"
Lu Baoyou casually struck a match, lighting the extinguished campfire. The faint firelight danced before him, illuminating one corner of that stern face.
"You mean that, that dog with lots of eyes!"
"You're seeing things. There's no such thing." Lu Baoyou replied calmly.
"But..."
"Shut up."
"...Oh."
The little beggar hugged her knees in grievance.
Once the campfire was fully burning, Lu Baoyou stood up, glanced at the dim sky in the distance, and a faint excitement flickered in his eyes.
"So there are hidden 'Mystical' in Shangjing City after all... It seems this three-day holiday won't be so boring after all."
He murmured to himself, picked up the black case beside him, and walked toward the dim city beyond the bridge.
Seeing Lu Baoyou stand and leave, the little beggar was slightly stunned.
"Where are you going?"
"Just going out for a spin." Lu Baoyou looked back at her.
After hesitating for a moment, he walked back.
"Close your eyes."
"Close my eyes again?"
"Close your eyes."
"...Okay."
Once the little beggar covered her eyes, Lu Baoyou swept his hand across several large stones beside the bridge. An invisible God's Ruins rapidly expanded.
Those stones trembled, and from the sturdy rock crevices, ferocious giant mouths suddenly split open. At the same time, pairs of crimson eyes emerged from the stone surfaces, like a horde of rock demons guarding the bridge.
"You can open your eyes now." After finishing all this, Lu Baoyou said.
The little beggar had barely opened her eyes when Lu Baoyou tossed a ten-yuan banknote into her hand and walked into the darkness, his voice drifting back:
"When it gets bright, take the money and buy two boxes of instant noodles. I'll be back tomorrow night to eat."
The little beggar stared at the figure of Lu Baoyou who had vanished into the darkness, then looked at the crumpled ten-yuan banknote in her hand, completely dazed as she stood there.