Incident

The ventilation duct was pitch black, with only a faint ray of light occasionally filtering in from a distance.

Ignoring all that, Yu Fuli crawled quickly forward through the narrow passage.

The fluffy white fur inevitably got covered in a thick layer of ash, and its face probably turned into a patchwork of dirt, but compared to gaining freedom, this price was insignificant.

The pipe is not straight; it has several near-right-angle bends and a downward slope.

Fortunately, the system seemed to have planned the route in advance, giving him brief prompts from time to time.

【Turn left.】

There is a support point about 1.5 meters ahead. Be careful.

After climbing for about five or six minutes, a hazy patch of natural light finally appeared ahead, along with a faint flow of fresh air.

It's an export!

Yu Fuli perked up and sped up.

The exit was sealed off by a layer of wire mesh, but the clips on the edges appeared to be rusted and loose.

He pushed hard with his head, and the barbed wire made a teeth-grinding "creak" sound as it flipped over.

He cautiously poked his head out of the hole.

Outside was a quiet back alley with a few miscellaneous items piled up, and the dim streetlights barely illuminated the wet ground.

The air was cool and crisp, carrying the damp scent of rain, a stark contrast to the stuffy, sweltering atmosphere inside the bar.

It worked!

Yu Fuli was overjoyed. He nimbly crawled out of the pipe and landed lightly on the damp cement floor.

He quickly looked around to make sure no one was there, then slipped into the shadow of a large trash can nearby.

Then, he emerged from behind the trash can, having transformed back into human form.

"System, navigate to the nearest safe evacuation point, avoiding main streets and cameras."

He quickly gave the order in his mind.

[Route being planned... We suggest exiting through the third alley behind, turning right past a 24-hour convenience store, and entering subway Exit C. This route has less surveillance coverage and relatively complex pedestrian flow, making it easier to hide.] The system's response remains efficient.

"Okay!" Yu Fuli lowered his voice, tugged at his dusty, drab shirt, and immediately set off.

After a series of close calls, Yu Fuli finally emerged from the shadows of the back alley, flagged down a car, and safely returned to her apartment.

He closed the door and leaned against the cold door panel before letting out a long sigh of relief, his heart belatedly pounding wildly.

The dust from the ventilation ducts was still stuck to his head, not to mention the clothes he was wearing, which he had carefully chosen for the bar, but were now covered in dust and smelled of all sorts of mixed bar odors.

"Tsk."

Yu Fuli wrinkled her nose in disgust, unable to stand it for even a second.

He's a fox who only loves cleanliness and style!

He quickly kicked off his shoes, unbuttoned his shirt as he walked, and carelessly tossed his clothes into the hallway before practically sprinting into the bathroom.

Warm water cascaded down, instantly creating a white mist that enveloped the entire body.

He tilted his head back, letting the water wash over his cheeks and neck, washing away the dust from his hair and the series of thrilling, absurd, and frustrating experiences he had endured that night.

Squeeze on two pumps of refreshing shower gel, lather it up to create a rich foam, and apply it to every inch of your skin, from your fingertips to the ends of your hair.

He only felt that he could finally catch his breath when his skin was rubbed until it was slightly red and he could no longer smell any odor that was not his own, only a refreshing plant fragrance remained.

I turned off the water, pulled a large, soft bath towel over myself, and let my wet hair fall messily across my forehead.

The mirror reflected a face flushed from the heat, with a hint of languor and fatigue in the corners of its eyes.

We're safe for now.

But Yu Fuli knew very well that the trouble was only temporarily kept out.

Yunbai probably won't give up so easily.

"Sigh." He sighed at himself in the mirror, haphazardly drying his hair with a towel. "What a mess..."

Meanwhile, in the bar's private rooms.

Yunbai returned quickly, still carrying a chilling aura.

The matter at the western suburbs warehouse was not going smoothly; the clues had gone cold and the scene had been deliberately sabotaged, which left a chilling aura between his brows.

However, when he pushed open the door to the private room and saw an empty room, as well as the continuous but unanswered sound of running water coming from the direction of the restroom, the chill suddenly intensified, almost solidifying into a tangible feeling.

"Mo Yi." His voice was eerily calm.

Mo Yi, who was guarding outside the door, immediately appeared and knelt on one knee: "Young Master. Your subordinate has been guarding this place. Mr. Yu has not come out since he went into the restroom. The sound of water started about twenty minutes ago and has continued until now."

Yunbai didn't say anything, but went straight to the bathroom and pushed open the door.

The faucet continued to run, the mirror was covered in fog, and above, the cover of the vent had been removed, revealing a dark, gaping pipe opening that seemed to mock his uselessness.

Mo Yi knelt on the spot, his head bowed even lower: "This subordinate has failed in his duty, please punish me, young master!"

Yunbai didn't look at him.

He walked to the sink and turned off the noisy water.

The private room fell into a deathly silence.

"It's not your fault." After a long silence, Yunbai finally spoke, his voice low and slow, "He was too cunning."

"Investigate. His departure route, his last destination. I need to know every detail from his appearance to his disappearance." Yun Bai turned around and walked out of the private room. "In addition, the academy gave me all of Yu Fuli's information, from birth to the present, any records, true or false."

"Yes!" Mo Yi replied sternly.

Yunbai walked to the window and looked down at the still bustling world with its bright lights and vibrant nightlife.

His teacher disappeared from his sight once again.

But this time, it's different.

He is no longer the child who was powerless to pursue his dreams.

"Teacher..." he muttered to himself, his fingers unconsciously tightening, "How long do you think you can hide this time?"

His reflection, wearing a silver mask, and the determined glint in his eyes were mirrored in the windowpane.

……

Yu Fuli stayed at home anxiously for several days.

The doors and windows were locked, the curtains were drawn tightly, and even takeout orders could only be left at the door.

This frightened fox pricked up its ears, listening intently to every rustle of wind and sound outside.

Given Yunbai's power and status, it's probably only a matter of time before he finds out about this temporary residence.

The thought sent chills down Yu Fuli's spine.

He really, really didn't know that Yunbai!

On the day he escaped from the bar, he locked himself in his room and went through his memories over and over again. He didn't even miss trivial things like stealing offerings from the neighboring mountain god's temple three hundred years ago, but he couldn't recall a single detail about Yun Bai or anyone he had saved as a child who had become his teacher.

Undeterred, he even pulled the system out of standby mode and repeatedly confirmed, "Are you sure my mission log doesn't include saving children, being a teacher, or any mysterious events from over a decade ago?"

The system's electronic voice remained calm and still as always.

[Host's mission log is complete, no relevant records found. Searching the world background database... No match found for the incident of Yunbai receiving assistance in her childhood. Preliminary assessment suggests that the target's perception may be biased or confused.]

Even his former nanny (an elderly woman who had long since retired and whose memory was somewhat hazy) laughed and said, "Little Yu, you were quite solitary as a child. You loved talking to the flowers and plants. You never took care of any other children."

All the evidence points to one fact—in the more than twenty years that Yu Fuli has lived in this world, Yun Bai has never existed.

He was reincarnated into this world. He was conceived in the mother's womb, born as an infant, experienced a confused childhood, and only at a predetermined point in time did he awaken all his memories and some of his abilities as the fox spirit Yu Fuli.

His growth trajectory is clearly traceable. How could he possibly have an extra period of glorious years teaching S-level masters out of thin air?

"So, what exactly happened..." Yu Fuli scratched her head, completely baffled. "Does that child have some kind of 'everyone looks like my teacher' filter syndrome?"

However, before he could figure it out, a sharp electronic alarm suddenly rang in his mind!

[Warning! Warning! The protagonist Lin Xun's vital signs are fluctuating drastically, and the coordinates have been locked—the slums of the Lower City. Host, please intervene immediately!]

Yu Fuli suddenly jumped up from the sofa, her expression changing instantly.

Lin Xun!