The bus was mostly filled with students from No. 1 High School. When Wang Fei sat down expressionlessly behind Jiang Xia, Jiang Xia's entire body tensed, and a cold sweat broke out on his back.
Jiang Xia wasn't scared out of his wits, but his heart was gripped with unease. The thought that Wang Fei might be following him to find a secluded place to devour him made the hairs on his body stand on end, stiff as nails.
His mind raced, searching for a way to respond.
According to Li Sitong, Demonspawn wouldn't expose themselves in public, so Wang Fei definitely wouldn't make a move on the bus.
For now, he was safe, but what about after getting off?
Staying put was the most foolish option.
Confrontation was also unwise.
Of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, fleeing was the best option!
Just as the bus was about to close its doors, Jiang Xia stood up, intending to rush out. But before he could fully rise, a strong hand pressed him back down.
Wang Fei leaned close to Jiang Xia's ear and whispered, "Don't move. There's an Awakened on the bus."
Jiang Xia's eyes flickered.
An Awakened?
So Wang Fei was following because of the Awakened?
After all, the nourishment provided by an Awakened was greater than anything else!
"He's not talking about me, is he?" Jiang Xia wondered to himself.
His phone buzzed, the screen lighting up with a message from Wang Fei.
Xinghe No. 1 High School's day students were allowed to carry phones, but they had to be handed over to the Class Monitor during school hours.
Wang Fei: [You might have caught the attention of that Awakened.]
Jiang Xia: [Who is the Awakened, and where are they sitting?]
Wang Fei: [Sitting at the front, the woman with a bag of oranges at her feet.]
Jiang Xia quickly glanced up. The woman appeared to be in her early thirties, wearing a light pink dress with a cream-colored coat, the picture of a virtuous wife and good mother.
Jiang Xia: [She doesn't look like it.]
Wang Fei: [Awakened are better at disguising themselves than we are. If she looked like an Awakened at first glance, she'd be dead by now.]
Jiang Xia: [Then how do you know she's an Awakened?]
Wang Fei: [I saw her once half a month ago, killing one of our kind in a dark alley. She disappeared after that, and when I saw her board the bus with you, I followed.]
Jiang Xia: [What do you plan to do, eat her?]
Wang Fei sent a sweating emoji: [Idiot, of course, I'm helping you. What if she didn't board the bus by accident but has targeted you?]
Jiang Xia paused at this message, quickly typing back: [Helping me? Are you really that kind-hearted?]
Wang Fei: [Why do you make it sound like I'm not a good person? Did Li Sitong badmouth me to you?]
Before Jiang Xia could reply, Wang Fei sent another message: [I advise you to stay away from her. She's an Aberrant Demon. Do you know what that is?]
Jiang Xia: [I know, she told me. But aren't you one too?]
Wang Fei: [Yes, I am, but I'm different from her. I never harm my kind. I prefer cooperating to hunt normal humans and Awakened! But she, she's a lunatic. Haven't you noticed how she acts like a psychopath when you're alone with her?]
Reflecting on the past day and night, Jiang Xia realized that Li Sitong did indeed seem like a madwoman when they were alone, something he had sensed all along.
Wang Fei sent another message: [She's getting close to you to cultivate you. The stronger you become, the more nourishment you can provide her. Once you've grown, she'll drain you to complete her evolution.]
Jiang Xia: [Evolution?]
Wang Fei: [Yes, evolution. Once we've absorbed enough nourishment, we evolve. Our abilities and bodies are enhanced, becoming stronger!]
Jiang Xia fell silent, contemplating before responding: [Tell me your true intentions. You didn't board the bus just to help me.]
Wang Fei: [Alright, I admit it. I didn't board the bus to help you. I just wanted to find out where that Awakened lives, so I can deal with her later.]
Jiang Xia hesitated, then typed: [Li Sitong said if I die, no matter who kills me, she'll kill you to avenge me!]
Compared to the Awakened, Jiang Xia felt Wang Fei was more likely targeting him.
Given the current situation, he had to prepare for the worst.
He was gambling, betting that Li Sitong was strong enough to make Wang Fei wary!
After all, Li Sitong had said that when she became a Demonspawn, there were few of their kind around her, suggesting her strength was above average for their "kind."
Wang Fei: [I sense a hint of threat in your words.]
Jiang Xia: [Just a reminder. If you think I'm an easy target, go ahead. Even if I die, I'll make sure to take a piece of you with me. Don't think of me as a newbie.]
Sitting in the back row, Wang Fei didn't reply for a long time. It wasn't until they were nearing the next stop that he responded: [Are you so sure I'm going to make a move on you?]
Jiang Xia: [Because you've been lying. If there really was an Awakened, you wouldn't tell me. That way, before you could act, I might tell Li Sitong, and other kind could swoop in. I also don't believe you'd dare to blatantly follow an Awakened alone. You're just trying to keep me in check.]
After sending this message, Jiang Xia quickly followed up: [If you don't get off at the next stop, I'll consider it a sign that you're determined to eat me tonight. I'll immediately grab you and shout, exposing our identities!]
Wang Fei: [I don't believe you dare do that!]
Jiang Xia: [You can try. I can't beat you, but precisely because of that, mutual destruction is my best option!]
Wang Fei didn't reply again, and Jiang Xia's heart was in his throat. If Wang Fei was determined to follow him, he truly didn't know what to do.
He couldn't really stand up and expose both his and Wang Fei's identities, could he?
He had also sent a message to Li Sitong for help, but she hadn't replied yet.
If Wang Fei was dead set on following him, with no other options, mutual destruction was the only choice.
Fortunately, when they reached the next stop and the doors opened, Wang Fei disembarked with the crowd.
The opportunity for an easy meal slipped away, leaving Wang Fei feeling frustrated, resentful, and angry.
But he had no choice. Li Sitong was a lunatic, the craziest and most ruthless of their kind he'd ever encountered. He didn't dare risk that, after devouring Jiang Xia, this madwoman would indeed take him down as a burial companion.
Moreover, Jiang Xia had already seen through his intentions and was on guard. Even if Jiang Xia was a newbie, it wouldn't be easy to take him down now.
As for whether Jiang Xia would truly stand up and expose their identities, Wang Fei doubted it, but he thought it best not to gamble. If pushed too far, Jiang Xia might really go down with him. After all, Jiang Xia wasn't the only suitable prey.
Staring at the chat with Wang Fei on his phone, Jiang Xia couldn't shake off the shock.
Just that morning, they'd been arm in arm, calling each other brothers, and by night, the claws were out. Luckily, he'd managed to scare Wang Fei off, though he wasn't sure which words had done the trick.
Looking at the chat where Wang Fei claimed Li Sitong was cultivating him to extract more nourishment, Jiang Xia chose neither to believe nor disbelieve.
A single, absolute conviction emerged in his mind—trust no one!
Whether normal humans, Awakened, or his kind, including Li Sitong and Wang Fei, none could be trusted!
To survive, he could only rely on himself—this was the life of an undercover!
Through the bus window, Jiang Xia watched Wang Fei, after getting off, scan his surroundings before following a short-haired girl chewing bubblegum. Clearly, he'd found a new target—normal humans were easier prey than "kind"!
Unable to protect himself, Jiang Xia didn't warn her, only wishing the girl luck in his heart!
After getting off the bus, Jiang Xia headed straight for the mistress's house. He not only wanted to see his sister but also needed to inspect the place to ensure she wasn't in danger, so he could be at ease.
His pace quickened from a brisk walk to a run, his heart filled with worry for his sister.
He wanted to confirm her safety, but feared sensing the presence of his kind on her!