Proofreader&Editor: Lotas
Atop a signal tower in Cangnan City.
A woman casually rested her hand on the railing, a breeze teasing her black, curly hair, revealing an enchanting and seductive face with a pair of eerie vertical pupils that silently watched the slowly awakening city, her expression a mix of a smile and not quite a smile.
Buzz buzz buzz…
The vibration of a cellphone broke the silence.
She took out her phone, answered the call, and spoke in a languid tone:
"Hello…?"
"The agents we planted in the training camp have been exposed. Yuan Gang has left the camp, and you don't have much time left," a deep male voice came from the other end of the line.
"Oh dear," the woman said, propping her chin with her other hand, "Is it time to wrap things up already? I haven't had my fill of fun yet…"
"Serpent Woman, I feel the need to remind you that you're not in Cangnan for pleasure," the man's voice grew more serious,
"Lin Qiye is the first ever dual Agent of the Ancient Gods. If you can't recruit him into our Ancient God Church, then he must not be allowed to continue living in this world, or else we'll have an adversary more troublesome than Wang Mian in the future."
"Wang Mian, huh… Last time he nearly cut me in half. How can there be such a romanceless man in this world," the Serpent Woman sighed.
"You're a newcomer to the Ancient God Church, and your Boundary isn't high. When you approach Lin Qiye, focus on recruitment. If that fails, have Han Shaoyun take action and ensure Lin Qiye is eliminated on the spot!
With Han Shaoyun's combat power, only Yuan Gang in Cangnan City can defeat him head-on. But when the time comes, someone will hold Yuan Gang back for you."
"Besides Han Shaoyun and Yuan Gang, is there another 'Sea' Boundary hiding in the city…?" The Serpent Woman's eyes narrowed slightly.
"That's correct, but he won't be able to hold Yuan Gang off for long. You don't have much time."
"Understood~" The Serpent Woman slowly stood up straight from the railing, stretching languidly, her snake-like vertical pupils focusing on a certain small shop in the distance, as if she had thought of something amusing, her lips curving into a strange arc.
"A dual Agent of the Ancient Gods… sounds like an interesting man."
***
After clearing the snow, Lin Qiye turned and entered the office, picking up two black cases from the corner. After hesitating for a moment, he grabbed some New Year's goods from the table and stuffed them into his pockets.
"Going out?" Chen Muye emerged from the kitchen and asked.
"Mhm," Lin Qiye nodded, "Consider it paying a New Year's visit."
The explosion that had just occurred at the love hotel still echoed in Lin Qiye's ears. Although he didn't think the chubby kid would be in any trouble, it was still better to check.
If indeed nothing had happened, then it would be just as he had said, a New Year's visit.
Of course, there was another more important reason. Since tomorrow was the last day of the holiday, those lurking in the shadows must be growing impatient. By going out, he could also test their limits.
If a particularly strong enemy did appear, Lin Qiye wasn't afraid. He could simply release Nyx and flee under the cover of night. However, Nyx's divine power could easily stir the Night Watchman, so unless absolutely necessary, he didn't want to resort to that.
Chen Muye did not stop Lin Qiye but simply nodded, "Alright, you go."
Lin Qiye, carrying the black cases and New Year's goods, quietly passed through the snoring-filled dining room and stepped out the door.
After his departure, Wu Xiangnan, who had been lying on the sofa like a dead dog, slowly opened his eyes, sat up, exchanged a glance with Chen Muye, and then slapped Wen Qimo awake beside him.
"He's gone, time to work."
***
Lin Qiye left the Peace Office and headed straight for the love hotel.
The once bustling streets had now quieted down, the surrounding shops all closed up tight, with fresh "Fu" characters pasted on their doors. The people inside had already packed up everything and gone home for the New Year.
Occasionally, a few cars drove by, scattering the snow on the roadside. Wrapped in a scarf, Lin Qiye turned into another, more secluded alley, and the world became completely silent.
This was an old road from years past, with low and dim houses on both sides, walls covered in moss and etched with the marks of time, and bare tree trunks like dark brown thorns, wildly piercing into the sky.
The love hotel where Baili Pangpang and the others stayed wasn't far from Peace Bridge, just a ten-minute walk, but as Lin Qiye walked further down this road, for some reason, he felt increasingly uneasy.
Yet he couldn't pinpoint the source of this unease.
Finally, he stopped in his tracks.
On the quiet sidewalk, Lin Qiye frowned, seemingly sensing something. After a long moment, he turned to look at the abandoned low-rise building to his right and reached out to slowly touch the building's wall.
His hand, wet with snow, gently wiped the dusty and mossy wall. Soon, a strange crack appeared on the surface.
The crack seemed natural, forming a narrow semicircle, with several intersecting lines within it. At first glance, it appeared unremarkable, but upon closer inspection…
Was this pattern an eye?
A narrow, sinister, and enchanting snake's eye.
"This is…" Lin Qiye's frown deepened. He crouched down, swept away the snow beneath his feet with the black case, and to his surprise, the sidewalk where he stood was also covered with these eerie snake eyes!
The snake eyes, made of black lines, resembled charcoal or natural stains. They varied in size; the small ones were only as big as a thumb, while the largest were the size of manhole covers. They were densely packed, covering the ground.
Lin Qiye fully extended his psychic power, his expression growing increasingly grave.
The branches of the roadside trees intertwined, forming snake eyes from a certain angle;
The remaining snow left by the sanitation workers beside the walkway, already half-melted, also took the shape of snake eyes on the ground;
The surfaces of the surrounding old, low houses revealed snake eyes in an inconceivable manner;
Even the winter sun hanging in the sky had somehow transformed into the shape of a snake's eye…
This street had turned into a world of snake eyes!
Lin Qiye finally understood where his uneasy feeling was coming from.
"Is this… the Forbidden Ruin?" His eyes tinged with a faint gold, he bent down to set down the New Year's goods and gripped the two black cases tightly, cautiously observing his surroundings.
Suddenly, a figure slowly approached from the opposite sidewalk.
It was a woman, her black curly hair naturally falling over her shoulders, swaying eerily like twisted black snakes in the breeze, her strange snake eyes quietly watching Lin Qiye.
Her lips curled up slightly, as if in a smile.