An unbearably awkward silence hung in the air.
Huang Li and Zhou Yimin were still reeling from their terror when they witnessed the two monsters dissipate into thin air. They stood speechless, utterly at a loss for how to react.
“Thud.”
Footsteps sounded—Yan Zhen had stepped onto the second floor.
It was as if someone had pressed play again. Huang Li and Zhou Yimin finally snapped out of their daze, exchanging glances with great difficulty.
This… this…
Huang Li suddenly exhaled and whispered, “The Grandmaster truly lives up to his name.”
Zhou Yimin nodded. “We should hurry and follow him.”
·
The second floor felt even more ominous. Following Huang Li’s directions, Yan Zhen turned left, still pulling pieces of Five-colored Jade from his pocket as he walked. He crushed them in his hand, scattering the powder along the way. As the powder settled, the oppressive aura gradually thinned and vanished.
Soon, they reached the master bedroom—its door tightly shut.
Huang Li and Zhou Yimin stared fixedly at the door, sensing an overwhelming pull urging them to touch it. Though the Five-colored Jade they carried kept them from losing control, the temptation remained intense.
Without a doubt, anyone unprotected would lose their sanity the moment they laid a hand on that door.
Beads of sweat formed on Huang Li and Zhou Yimin’s foreheads, their nerves stretched taut.
Yan Zhen, utterly indifferent, reached out and turned the doorknob—
The door opened.
Nothing happened.
Huang Li and Zhou Yimin exhaled slightly in relief.
Unconcerned with the humans’ emotions, Yan Zhen strode straight into the room.
Just as he’d expected, the aura here was the thickest—and wildly chaotic. It was a mix of violent energy that incited conflict and malicious intent that lured people toward wrongdoing. When these two forces intertwined, they amplified even the slightest dark thoughts in good people, twisting them into something worse. Meanwhile, those already wicked would thrive, scheming against each other without restraint until it escalated into outright slaughter—a vicious cycle that only worsened the atmosphere.
Yan Zhen curled his lip and walked to the bedside.
A gaunt middle-aged man lay on the bed, eyes tightly shut, his face deathly pale. His breathing was shallow—more exhales than inhales—clearly on the brink of death.
Yan Zhen could see it clearly: a swirl of black energy coiled around the man’s heart, and another around his head. These two dark forces controlled his thoughts, explaining his previous bizarre behavior.
The moment Huang Li saw the man, tears streamed down her face. She rushed to the bedside, sobbing uncontrollably. “How did he get so thin? Last time I saw him, he still had a little belly… Grandmaster, can he still be saved?”
Zhou Yimin also sighed heavily. He had met Liu Bingyuan before—a healthy man. Now, even without medical knowledge, anyone could tell he was at death’s door.
Annoyed by her crying, Yan Zhen pressed his lips together. “Move aside.” He’d never liked listening to people weep—too many had come to his mountain just to wail.
Huang Li hastily scrambled back, afraid of displeasing the Grandmaster by lingering too long.
“You—you can save him, right?” she stammered, frantic.
Yan Zhen ignored her. Instead, he reached out and grabbed at Liu Bingyuan’s chest.
In a place invisible to ordinary people, that black aura was simply pulled out by him, and with a tightening of his fingers, it was crushed. As this black aura dissipated, Liu Bingyuan’s complexion visibly improved, appearing much healthier already.
Huang Li noticed immediately and couldn’t contain her joy, staring intently at Yan Zhen’s next move.
Her husband still hadn’t woken up…
Yan Zhen reached out again, this time toward Liu Bingyuan’s head. Another black aura was pulled out and crushed, and Liu Bingyuan’s condition improved further, his eyelashes fluttering slightly—clearly, he was about to wake up.
Even more strangely, as these two black auras vanished, the aura in the room quickly dispersed. Unlike when it was driven away by the Five-colored Jade, this time it disappeared completely, its source eradicated.
Meanwhile, Huang Li, noticing the change in her husband, hurriedly grabbed Liu Bingyuan’s hand. Unconsciously, tears streamed down her face, her previous dignified demeanor long gone.
Yan Zhen had no interest in being a third wheel to human emotions and simply said, “He’s fine.”
Then, he motioned for Zhou Yimin to follow him out.
Zhou Yimin also didn’t want to disturb the couple, so he followed Yan Zhen out quietly. Huang Li, who had held herself together until now, was emotionally overwhelmed and didn’t even notice them leaving. By the time they reached the downstairs, she was still anxiously waiting for Liu Bingyuan to wake up, oblivious to everything else as she wept uncontrollably.
Yan Zhen had no interest in the aftermath and instructed Zhou Yimin, “Wait here. I’m leaving.” With that, he strode out.
Zhou Yimin was taken aback and quickly said, “Grandmaster, you’re leaving already? Shouldn’t I go with you?”
Yan Zhen didn’t stop walking. “Tell them yourself.”
Zhou Yimin grew even more anxious and hurried after him. “Grandmaster, I still don’t understand. Is everything really resolved here? What exactly happened before? That monster you shattered with a flick of your hand—is it dead or what? Will it come back?”
The barrage of questions made Yan Zhen frown inwardly: Humans really are so verbose.
But when he turned and saw Zhou Yimin’s genuine distress, he answered, “It’s over. That wasn’t a monster, and it won’t return.”
Zhou Yimin sighed in relief but pressed further. “Not a monster? Then what was it?”
Yan Zhen said, “The two-headed one has no name. It loves watching people fight and was even worshipped as a deity. The one that looks like an ox is Qiongqi—it loves inciting people to do evil.” He summarized, “Neither is any good.”
Zhou Yimin shuddered. “Then, then…” Wasn’t that still a monster?
Yan Zhen saw the question in Zhou Yimin’s eyes and sighed lightly. “They were just tainted by the aura of those creatures. Ask Liu Bingyuan when he wakes up.”
After that, Yan Zhen had no patience for Zhou Yimin’s endless questions. In the blink of an eye, he was at the door; another blink, and he was far away.
By the time Zhou Yimin reached the doorway, all he could see was Yan Zhen’s distant figure. Resigned, he closed the villa’s front door and sat on the sofa, waiting for Huang Li and her husband to compose themselves.
If the Grandmaster wanted to leave, so be it. A master like him had no reason to linger and wait—it would be beneath him. As for whether Huang Li would go back on her word without Yan Zhen present, Zhou Yimin wasn’t worried. Having witnessed Yan Zhen’s power, he doubted anyone would dare renege.
Yan Zhen sat in a high-backed chair, drowsily propping his chin on his hand, utterly bored.
Back when he hadn’t yet found his precious treasure, Yan Zhen had been quite interested in the human world—reading books, sipping tea, occasionally catching a movie. It had been rather pleasant. But once he found Dan Zai, his sole focus became staying by Dan Zai’s side, nurturing the little one’s health, and preferably never leaving his side.
Naturally, now that he had found Dan Zai but couldn’t immediately be with him, Yan Zhen had lost interest in human affairs, consumed only by the thought of hurrying up and getting to share a dorm with Dan Zai.
Though summer break had ended, the scorching sun still blazed outside. Just as Yan Zhen was drifting into drowsiness, an elegant noblewoman strode in briskly, her high heels clicking sharply against the floor.
Yan Zhen lazily opened his eyes and perked up slightly upon seeing Huang Li.
Huang Li immediately smiled. “Grandmaster Yan, I’ve brought your payment.”
In the next instant, Huang Li felt a blur before her eyes—the breathtakingly handsome young man now stood half a meter in front of her, beaming with a smile that was utterly captivating.
Yan Zhen stretched out his pale, delicate palm. “Hand it over.”
Huang Li snapped back to attention, taking a file folder from the middle-aged man beside her and passing it over. “There are two things inside—an Auditing Certificate and the relevant documents. With these, you can directly audit classes at South Lake University. You’ll have unrestricted access to any lecture, regardless of the instructor or year level, and the same permissions as regular students elsewhere on campus…” After explaining, she asked eagerly, “Does this meet your satisfaction?”
Yan Zhen pulled out the contents of the folder to examine them and nodded. “It does.”
Huang Li relaxed slightly and continued, “I heard you’d like to live on campus. Do you have any specific requirements for that?”
Yan Zhen nearly shot to his feet. “I want to stay with Dan—” He paused. “With Lin Yangfeng.”
Huang Li agreed without hesitation. “No problem. I’ll look into it and arrange for you two to share a dorm.”
Yan Zhen was delighted, his eyes crinkling as he smiled again. “Mm.”
Once they finished discussing this, the middle-aged man beside them spoke up. He bowed deeply to Yan Zhen and said solemnly, “I truly owe you my life this time. If not for you, I would certainly be dead.”
As he spoke, he gestured to a few burly men waiting in the outer courtyard, instructing them to carry in several boxes as gifts for Yan Zhen.
This middle-aged man was Liu Bingyuan, who had only recently been freed from the torment of being controlled. After hearing from his wife how he had been saved, he couldn’t bear to wait any longer—despite still needing to recuperate—and came personally to express his gratitude. The boxes contained gifts he had carefully selected, not jewels or precious stones, but top-quality household appliances, including high-end electronics like phones and computers, purchased after consulting Zhou Yimin.
Yan Zhen glanced over them and, recognizing the items, was quite pleased—though slightly troubled. “I don’t know how to install these.”
Liu Bingyuan quickly reassured him. “Don’t worry. Just point out where you’d like them, and the men I brought will handle the setup for you.”
Yan Zhen thought for a moment, then led them to a side room, letting them renovate it into a small home theater.
Seeing Yan Zhen’s satisfaction, Liu Bingyuan was overjoyed.
While those people were busy, Yan Zhen made a cup of tea for the couple and invited them to sit and talk.
The couple exchanged glances, their expressions easing.
Liu Bingyuan took a sip of the tea and immediately felt refreshed, his body much more comfortable. He exhaled, his face filled with remorse. “To be honest, Grandmaster Yan, this time… the things I did, though not my intention, still caused great harm to the company and many people around me. After I woke up, I had to carefully sort through everything… I still remember, that time I went hiking with a group of outdoor enthusiasts. Nothing strange happened, but after descending the mountain, it was like my mind snapped, and I suddenly became a different person. After I changed, Lily checked—none of the other hikers had any issues. Only me. I was the unlucky one who ended up hurting so many people around me.” At this point, he covered his face, choking up. “Why? I don’t understand. I hurt so many people. Even if I try to make up for it now, there are things that can’t be undone. Especially with the company and the foundation. Lily had to put in so much effort just to barely stabilize the situation…”
Yan Zhen listened quietly before saying, “Not surprising.”
The couple tensed, waiting for him to continue.
Yan Zhen spoke slowly, “The Qiongqi—that thing hates good people the most.” He tilted his head slightly. “You were the most virtuous among those hikers. Who else would it target? The Qiongqi chose you, and the two-headed one followed suit.”
Huang Li hesitated before asking, “I heard from Yimin that you mentioned my husband was tainted by the auras of these two monsters?”
Yan Zhen gave a small nod. “Auras follow their masters. What’s so strange about that?”
Liu Bingyuan took a deep breath. “Then—now that you’ve removed those auras, will the monsters themselves come after me?”
Yan Zhen thought for a moment. “Probably not. They likely haven’t woken up yet. Once the Qiongqi stirs, it’ll cause trouble—really annoying. I’ll know and can catch it to lock it up. As for the two-headed one… well, it’s… a shut-in.”
Hearing this, the couple finally relaxed, overwhelmed with gratitude. “Grandmaster Yan, we truly can’t thank you enough.”
Yan Zhen nodded but said nothing.
He really, really hated the Qiongqi. If that thing didn’t behave, he’d just kill it. Every single time, whenever it went into the mountains, nothing good happened. The two-headed one was a big idiot, always getting tricked by the Qiongqi into running around together, making all those usually peaceful creatures restless and noisy. So much noise—so annoying!
Finally, the group sat quietly for a while.
Once the appliance installations were complete, Liu Bingyuan and Huang Li stood up, politely taking their leave. They understood well—disturbing the Grandmaster any further would only be a nuisance.
Before leaving, Liu Bingyuan solemnly assured, “Just let me know which dorm room you prefer, and I’ll make sure you’re transferred there.”
Yan Zhen beamed. “Then it’s settled!”
·
Lin Yangfeng maneuvered his wheelchair, gliding silently along the tree-lined avenue.
Along the way, many students on either side noticed him, but he wasn’t a new sight. Those who didn’t recognize him asked around and soon learned of his presence.
Lin Yangfeng had always ignored such attention. He attended university solely to understand the current state of human development—other people and matters held little interest for him.
Soon, he arrived at a dormitory building.
At South Lake University, there was only one luxurious dormitory building, consisting entirely of double rooms. Each double room had two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom—quiet but expensive.
Due to his “special condition,” Lin Yangfeng had applied to live on the top floor from the start. Thanks to the Special Affairs Bureau’s arrangements, he had the entire room to himself, ensuring considerable peace and quiet.
He had just finished class and taken a call from the Special Affairs Bureau, handling some official business.
Now, Lin Yangfeng was ready to go back and get some sleep.
His wheelchair glided into the elevator, ascending straight to the top floor. He swiped his student card at the door and entered smoothly.
Only…
The moment Lin Yangfeng stepped inside, he was hit by a strong, familiar aroma of home-cooked food. His eye twitched involuntarily.
Then, a slender, graceful figure floated over and stood before him, flashing a bright smile. “Starting today, we’re roommates! Surprised? Shocked?”
Lin Yangfeng: “…”
*What a fucking surprise. What a fucking shock.*