The Melancholy Man

Lu Wuxin lit a cigarette again, using the glow of the gradually shattering eerie field around him as a smoker.

Xu Qianyan stood aside without saying a word.

She watched Lu Wuxin smoke quietly.

What just happened.

It made her think a lot.

...Tonight's lack of faith is so different from usual.

Although he's still so listless, he's... so reliable.

However, what she cared about even more was... Lu Wuxin's current mood.

after all.

Whether it was that pure white figure that resembled an older sister just now, or Lu Wuxin's forced smile...

Xu Qianyan felt all of this...

Lu Wuxin, who was usually crazy and always grinning at the air with a happy expression, now only felt heavy-hearted...

but.

No matter what.

Lu Wuxin just saved her.

It was still in that critical state of being subjected to psychological attacks.

I saw a different Lu Wuxin again...

Right now, Xu Qianyan is very happy no matter what.

"Brother-in-law..."

Xu Qianyan originally wanted to say, "Brother-in-law, you were really cool just now," and also to encourage Lu Wuxin.

But she just couldn't say it.

It was such a simple sentence, yet the girl could never quite say it.

Looking at Lu Wuxin now, smoking under the starry sky.

He recalled the dashing way he had just killed the ghost.

There was always a feeling of shyness in her throat that was holding her back.

The girl didn't know why, but she just couldn't explain it...

Although Lu Wuxin wasn't looking at her, she felt embarrassed and flustered.

When the awkwardness reached a certain point, she immediately tried to change the subject.

"Oh right! We can't waste this Grade A bizarre tumor, I'm going to dig it out!"

However, she had only taken two steps when Lu Wuxin called her back.

"Take your dagger."

The girl froze instantly when she was called to a stop.

She turned stiffly, and the instant she took the dagger, she ran away.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she arrived at the bizarre corpse.

Although the ghost's body was torn into many pieces by the spatial rift that Lu Wuxin had just created, it did not affect the girl's search for the tumor.

The ghost's originally translucent body has now become pitch black, resembling the stark contrast between a shrimp before and after cooking.

After much hardship, Xu Qianyan finally found the tumor on the ghost's chest.

The girl lifted the tumor and glanced at it in the moonlight.

"Huh? Why is it a grade C sarcoma?" Xu Qianyan asked, puzzled.

"Brother-in-law, isn't it possible that an A-grade monster's body isn't entirely composed of A-grade materials?"

Lu Wuxin, who was still feeling melancholy, was also taken aback when he heard this.

"How is that possible... the material should be the same regardless of its grade..."

Xu Qianyan suddenly turned around, her face full of confusion.

"What's going on here... Is it actually a C-rank anomaly?"

"But just now... wasn't he clearly an A-level anomaly? He almost caused two B-level experts to perish..."

Lu Wuxin continued smoking.

The smell of smoke was quickly dispersed by the night breeze.

"This matter... is not simple..."

He quickly understood what was going on.

The previously D-level eerie domain suddenly rose to C-level... and is even using some kind of [eerie ritual] to advance towards B-level...

Originally a C-rank anomaly, it has become so powerful that it is no different from an A-rank...

This does not conform to the usual pattern.

There must be something man-made behind this...

Of course, that might not be a person.

……

The next morning.

With the disappearance of the eerie realm, all 100,000 residents of Xicheng District received assistance.

A large number of police officers, medical personnel, firefighters, and volunteers rushed to the scene to carry out rescue operations.

Fifth Fish also woke up.

She went to find Xu Qianyan immediately and learned what had happened last night.

Although she suffered psychological attacks and attempted suicide, she still knew that Xu Qianyan had saved her.

"Qianyan! What kind of ability did you have last night? You were able to see the strange power connection and cut it to save me!" Fifth Fish was extremely excited.

"It's nothing... I was just too anxious at the time..." Xu Qianyan said shyly.

"By the way! What happened next? Did you manage to defeat that monster after all the trials and tribulations? It was capable of taking on both me and that female teacher in one go; its level must be quite high! Maybe even A-rank! How did you manage that?!"

Speaking of this, Xu Qianyan looked out onto the rooftop.

They are now in the rooftop café, and through the glass, they can see the sun shining brightly on the rooftop.

Lu Wuxin was sitting on a white plastic chair outside, smoking.

"It was my brother-in-law who came to save me," Xu Qianyan said, pointing to Lu Wuxin.

"There's actually a master...?" Fifth Fish looked over, somewhat amazed.

Lu Wuxin was sitting by the railing, with the entire cityscape of the West District as a backdrop.

This left Fifth Fish completely stunned.

"Even though it looks like a B-grade..."

"But Qianyan... he looks so melancholy! He really evokes a feeling in me!"

"And look closely, his features are really good! So handsome!"

"Did this handsome man really save me last night?!"

Xu Qianyan was momentarily speechless upon hearing her words.

No, how did Wuxin save you?!

"He's so handsome~!" Fifth Fish covered her chest with both hands, completely smitten.

Xu Qianyan suddenly became anxious.

Although she didn't know why, she was just very anxious.

"He's not handsome at all! He's not handsome at all!"

"How could someone without faith be handsome?!"

"You must be seeing things!!"

"No, you're definitely still being controlled by the monster!!!"

Xu Qianyan shoved Fifth Fish, trying to push her away.

Fifth Fish used her height to glance at Lu Wuxin a few more times before being pushed away.

……

Xu Qianyan finally breathed a sigh of relief after pushing the fifth fish to the balcony on the 60th floor.

However, she suddenly realized something was wrong.

Why was I so nervous just now?!

At this moment, another policeman from the miscellaneous affairs department also arrived.

"Little Fish, what's the situation now?" He was holding a pen, probably making logistical records.

"Yes, Officer Liang!"

Fifth Fish immediately told him what had happened last night, and generously said that Lu Wuxin and Xu Qianyan were the great heroes of last night.

"Thank you for your help, otherwise our trainee officer would have been in trouble!" Liang Bailong said gratefully.

The fifth fish scratched its head, feeling extremely embarrassed.

"Besides that, is there anything else?" Liang Bailong continued to ask.

"That's all..." Fifth Fish thought for a moment.

"This anomaly is simply using the rules to guide superhumans to commit suicide, thereby performing a ritual to upgrade this bizarre realm..."

At this point, Xu Qianyan immediately added, "Officer Liang, I also have some information!"

"That weirdo from last night, although he had A-level strength, was essentially only C-level!"

"My brother-in-law said...it might be man-made."

Liang Bailong and Fifth Fish immediately locked eyes.

...This matter is a bit complicated.

"I'll go back and contact the Major Crimes Unit and ask them to help investigate."

"If it's caused by human intervention, then it's beyond the jurisdiction of our miscellaneous affairs department."