Stunned into silence.

Page 1 of 3

(The ending of the previous chapter has been slightly revised. It’s crucial. If you haven’t refreshed, return to the table of contents and long press the chapter title to re-download.)

Night had fallen, and the sky appeared especially gloomy.

The usual myriad of stars had vanished, and even the moon had hidden itself behind the clouds.

Inside the small cave, the interrogation continued.

Meng Yao still refused to utter a word. More than once, she even feigned death, leaving Qin Xiaofan at his wit’s end.

The traitor had to be eliminated.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to sleep soundly at night!

Given Meng Yao’s unyielding will, Qin Xiaofan's patience wore thin. He decided to employ a most ruthless method of interrogation.

Tickling her feet!

That’s right!

Cruel enough, wasn’t it?

Qin Xiaofan unfastened Meng Yao from the wooden rack and threw her onto the ground, face down. Then, sitting on the floor, he grabbed one of her feet.

And so it began...

Immediately, Meng Yao’s piercing cries echoed through the cave, sending chills down anyone’s spine.

First came uncontrollable laughter, then desperate sobbing, and finally, tearful pleading—

“Stop! Please... stop! I’m begging you... please...”

Qin Xiaofan remained unmoved, tickling her even more vigorously.

The coarse yet soft bristle he had plucked from “Second Senior Brother” resembled a giant calligraphy brush as he traced and scribbled over Meng Yao’s sole, as though practicing his penmanship.

Meng Yao was on the verge of collapse.

Her face flushed crimson, her body convulsed, her delicate fists pounded incessantly on the ground, and her sweat-soaked clothes clung to her skin.

Even so, Meng Yao refused to talk.

Half an hour passed.

“How tragic...” Xiaoyan, keeping watch at the cave entrance, could barely bear to look.

“Fine! I’ll tell! I’ll talk!” Meng Yao finally broke, unable to endure any longer.

Qin Xiaofan set down her foot and stopped, and Meng Yao slumped onto the ground, utterly drained, gasping for breath.

After a moment, when she had recovered, Qin Xiaofan asked, “Speak. Who is your accomplice?”

Meng Yao replied weakly, “I’ll tell you, but you must promise not to kill me.”

Qin Xiaofan nodded. “Alright, I won’t kill you. Now speak.”

Meng Yao’s expression shifted, pain and struggle flickering in her eyes. At last, she murmured three syllables: “Lu Xiaoqing.”

Qin Xiaofan laughed coldly, tossed the wild boar bristle aside, and strode out of the cave.

The hunt had begun.

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When Qin Xiaofan appeared in front of Lu Xiaoqing’s cabin, she was completely unsuspecting, her innocent, wide eyes betraying no hint of understanding as to why he had come.

Qin Xiaofan scrutinized her from head to toe.

His Titanium Eyes displayed: Name—Lu Xiaoqing; Gender—Female; Ability User, Grade B; Danger Level—Low.

Black T-shirt, blue jeans, a crisp ponytail, a graceful figure, and a lovely face—she was, without a doubt, a rare beauty.

But Qin Xiaofan was never one to be swayed by beauty.

Whatever the truth, he would detain her first and ask questions later.

“Lu Xiaoqing, isn’t it? You’ve been implicated. Come with me.”

Just like that, Lu Xiaoqing was led back to the cave by Qin Xiaofan. She made no attempt to resist, only repeating over and over, “What happened? What’s going on?”

Qin Xiaofan ignored her.

He brought her straight to Meng Yao.

Then he demanded, “It’s her, right?”

Meng Yao glanced at Lu Xiaoqing, then nodded at Qin Xiaofan.

Qin Xiaofan sneered and said to Lu Xiaoqing, “What do you have to say for yourself now?”

“I have no idea what’s going on... I don’t even know her!” Lu Xiaoqing stamped her foot, nearly bursting into tears.

Qin Xiaofan frowned as he observed her anxious face and the subtle expressions it wore. If this was an act, her skill rivaled that of an award-winning actress.

After a moment’s thought, he asked, “Lu Xiaoqing, what is your ability?”

Lu Xiaoqing replied at once, “My power is a storage space—just a small one, only big enough for some personal items.”

“A spatial ability?” Qin Xiaofan was taken aback. He’d always boasted about having a storage space himself, but now, he’d met someone with the genuine article?

He asked Lu Xiaoqing to demonstrate.

She nodded.

Taking a deep breath, she extended her hand, and suddenly, a black portal the size of a fist appeared before her.

Lu Xiaoqing reached into the portal.

Moments later, she withdrew her hand. The black portal vanished.

But she looked a little embarrassed, for in her hand was a black bra...

Qin Xiaofan’s eyes widened in astonishment.

This ability was truly impressive—enviable, even.

No matter how small the space, it was still incredibly useful.

After considering for a moment, Qin Xiaofan told Lu Xiaoqing, “Put it back.”

She reached out again, conjured the portal, stuffed the black bra inside, withdrew her hand, and the portal disappeared once more.

Qin Xiaofan nodded, now certain that Lu Xiaoqing’s ability was indeed a storage space.

But that didn’t clear her of suspicion. Still, her cooperative attitude made Qin Xiaofan begin to doubt whether Meng Yao was telling the truth.

Page 3 of 3

Meng Yao looked at Qin Xiaofan and said, “Everything I’ve said is true. Whether you believe it or not is up to you.”

Meanwhile, Lu Xiaoqing anxiously pleaded her case, “I don’t even know her! Wait—I just remembered, she’s the one who revived me, but aside from that, I have no connection to her. Boss, you have to believe me. I’m innocent!”

...

Both women stuck to their stories, leaving Qin Xiaofan with a splitting headache, unable to tell who was lying.

Moreover, that unsettling feeling returned—the sense that something was wrong, but he couldn’t quite pinpoint what.

As the night wore on, Qin Xiaofan still couldn’t make a judgment.

Eventually, he gave up on questioning them further. Better to lock them both up and continue the interrogation tomorrow.

And so, Meng Yao was once again bound to the wooden rack.

As for Lu Xiaoqing, since it was unclear whether she was a member of the Changing Sky group, and given her cooperation, Qin Xiaofan simply confined her with Meng Yao, without binding her.

The small cave entrance was blocked by a wooden grille, sealed tight like a prison cell.

Late at night, everyone gradually drifted off to sleep, while Qin Xiaofan closed his eyes and feigned slumber.

His hearing was exceptional. If Meng Yao and Lu Xiaoqing spoke to each other, he would be able to hear them clearly in the dead of night.

Perhaps he would discover something.

But he was disappointed. The two of them didn’t exchange a single word; apart from a few faint sounds, there was nothing.

Yet that sense of wrongness only grew stronger.

Qin Xiaofan began to recall every detail in his mind.

Scene after scene, frame by frame, flickered past like the frames of a film.

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning flashed through his mind, illuminating the darkness.

Qin Xiaofan shot upright and raced toward the cave as fast as he could!

But he was too late.

The cramped cave was empty—Lu Xiaoqing and Meng Yao were gone, the vines used to bind Meng Yao scattered across the floor...

And before his eyes, there was only a single black portal.

It floated in midair, no longer the size of a fist, but tall enough for a person to walk through—a black door!

Within the doorway,

Meng Yao and Lu Xiaoqing turned back and gave Qin Xiaofan a flirtatious smile...

At that moment, the black door snapped shut, vanishing utterly from the air, as though it had never existed.

Qin Xiaofan stood at the mouth of the cave.

He was—

Completely stunned!