Lin Fan opened his eyes, returning to familiar surroundings. The clock on the wall had only just ticked past one second. He turned his head, seeing a familiar face. Old Zhang was breathing rhythmically, a smile on his lips, as if having a pleasant dream.
Lin Fan got up, sat on the edge of the bed, and stared motionlessly at Old Zhang. Any normal person, upon opening their eyes to find someone sitting at their bedside watching them, would undoubtedly jump up in fright. It's terrifying, almost like something out of a horror movie.
The sleeping hen opened its eyes and saw Lin Fan watching Old Zhang. A shiver of unease ran down its spine. The scene was eerie, especially with that upward curve of Lin Fan's lips, that unsettling smile. The room was air-conditioned, yet the hen felt cold.
The demonic rooster, unable to sleep, pretended to keep its eyes closed. I didn't see anything, I don't know anything, don't bother me, I'm scared. Its undercover life was truly terrifying. It didn't know what the future held, treading carefully on thin ice. Moreover, its fellow roosters were all kept by humans on a pig farm in the suburbs, laying eggs daily, contributing to human society. This thought pained the rooster deeply.
October 1st, morning!
Old Zhang woke up and saw Lin Fan, already awake, sitting by the bed. He smiled. "Good morning."
"Good morning." This simple greeting felt to Lin Fan like it spanned a vast expanse of time.
Renshen, the ginseng, looked at Lin Fan curiously. It felt that its master had changed somehow, as if he had undergone some kind of ascension. It was strange. But Renshen didn't dwell on it. In its view, anything happening to Lin Fan was normal.
Lin Fan hugged Old Zhang, patting his back gently. "Long time no see."
Old Zhang was puzzled. Had it really been a long time? He didn't think too much about it and patted Lin Fan's back in return. "Long time no see."
The demonic rooster internally screamed, Old man, do you know how dangerous you were last night? This guy didn't sleep a wink, just stared at you all night! Don't ask me how I know, I was so freaked out I couldn't sleep either!
The first person Lin Fan saw upon waking was Old Zhang, but the person on his mind was his wife. It wasn't that he was fickle, but both were important to him. And of course, there was also his beloved Xiaobao. He was afraid of forgetting these important people, so during that time, he had recorded every little detail about them, looking at it every day, etching them into his memory. This was the only way he could prevent himself from forgetting.
Downstairs at the Special Department building, One-Eyed Man was in high spirits. The Demonic Beast Battle Alliance and the High Court Alliance had contributed the most, yet the Special Department took all the credit. This was the importance of publicity. Whoever publicized first gained the advantage. Li Guofeng, a powerful businessman, might not be able to compete with others in making money, but in terms of publicity and momentum, he had never been outdone.
"Lin Fan..." One-Eyed Man greeted Lin Fan enthusiastically upon seeing him. To him, Lin Fan was the hope of all mankind. Of course, One-Eyed Man still had some reservations about Old Zhang. He was most afraid of Old Zhang saying, "Your eye has a problem, let me give you a needle." If that happened, his first thought would be to knock the old man out.
Hearing One-Eyed Man's call, Lin Fan looked at him, momentarily stunned, then smiled. "Is there something I can do for you?"
One-Eyed Man approached Lin Fan, slightly surprised. There was a strange feeling, a sense of unfamiliarity, like meeting someone after a long separation.
"There's a press conference later, do you want to attend?" One-Eyed Man asked. With such an event, continued publicity was essential. They weren't afraid of too many people knowing, but of no one knowing.
Lin Fan replied, "I can't, I need to go find my wife now." A blunt refusal.
One-Eyed Man was helpless. He had long known that Lin Fan disliked participating in these activities. He had asked out of a hopeful attitude, thinking it might work out. Having received his answer, his expression remained neutral, as if he had expected it all along.
Lin Fan waved to One-Eyed Man and left.
"Wu Sheng, hiding from me is useless." In a luxurious house, a woman looked coldly at Wu Sheng, her eyes scrutinizing him before shaking her head. "I thought your strength would have improved after coming here, but unexpectedly, it's still the same. How disappointing."
"Heh, don't be disappointed. I've already told the clan that the High Court Alliance shouldn't participate. The most important thing now is to maintain good relations with the humans here, especially the Yanhai City Special Department," Wu Sheng said.
He looked at the woman's chest, thinking, Truly, big breasts and no brains. He couldn't understand why the clan elders had sent this woman. He didn't know how many gifts she had given them. The relationship he and the clan elders had painstakingly built could very well be ruined by this woman. Of course, he wouldn't sit idly by.
Wu Youyou smiled. "The elders' meaning is clear: join the High Court Alliance, don't interfere in other matters. The elders have requested your return. Everyone in the clan is disappointed with your recent behavior."
"Bullshit! Do you know how much I've contributed to the Wu Clan?" Wu Sheng roared. He felt this woman was too malicious. Before, she had acted weak and obedient, polite to everyone. But who could have imagined that once she gained power and favor from the elders, she would transform into a phoenix, her status soaring, to the point of disregarding him, the young master of the Wu Clan.
"I don't know," Wu Youyou said.
Hearing this, Wu Sheng clenched his fists, took a deep breath, and said, "I don't want to talk to you." He turned to leave.
Two powerful figures from the Wu Clan blocked his path.
"What do you want to do?" Wu Sheng's face darkened. He felt incredibly stifled. He was the young master of the Wu Clan, yet the current situation made it seem as if he was about to be controlled.
Wu Youyou said slowly, "I've told you the clan's intentions. They want you to return. Knowing you wouldn't go back willingly, they sent people to 'invite' you back."
Wu Sheng pointed at her, many harsh words on the tip of his tongue, but they remained stuck in his throat. Damn it! This is too much!
Deep in the starry sky, at the edge of a forbidden zone...
"Why are you here?" Dragon God floated in the cosmos, the surrounding space rippling slightly as Little Rulai arrived, seated on a lotus flower.
Little Rulai smiled without speaking, his thick, golden, iron-like lips seemingly perpetually curved in a smile.
"Dragon God, hesitating at the edge of the forbidden zone, are you thinking of entering to seek opportunities, or perhaps to explore its endless mysteries?" Little Rulai asked softly.
Dragon God pointed to the chaotic cosmic forbidden zone before them. "This isn't a place you can just enter as you please. Look at this forbidden zone, countless shattered stars, who knows what kind of power caused this? That area remains unexplored by us. Even I, or you, Little Rulai, don't have the ability to safely traverse this cosmic forbidden zone."
They were both peak powerhouses. They knew all the known secrets of the universe. The only thing blocking their path was this desolate cosmic forbidden zone, formed at some unknown time.
Once, an ancient powerhouse of the Dragon Clan had left these words: I saw a head larger than a planet in the cosmic forbidden zone. It was the head of a giant beast, dead for who knows how long. Approaching it, one could feel its terrifying power. Even after thousands, tens of thousands of years, its power remained undiminished, still so terrifying. I don't know who killed such a terrifying forbidden powerhouse. If they were still alive, how large would their body be? This is just the tip of the iceberg of what I saw.
Little Rulai gazed deeply at the endless forbidden zone. For them, it held immense allure, but behind this allure lay unimaginable danger.
"Heh," Little Rulai chuckled. "When does Dragon God plan to enter?"
Dragon God knew Little Rulai also wanted to enter. For any peak powerhouse, the forbidden zone held a powerful draw, but they all had their own concerns. If something were to happen to them inside, it would be an unimaginable disaster for their respective races.
At the hotel, Mu Qing opened the door to see Lin Fan rushing towards her like a hungry wolf pouncing on its prey. She was taken aback by his behavior.
"Wife, I missed you so much!" Sincere words filled with Lin Fan's love for her.
Mu Qing was stunned. Miss me? They had strolled in the park together just last night, and he had walked her back. But now... he was acting so excited, as if they had been separated for a long time. Was something wrong? Or had she remembered incorrectly?
Mu Qing let Lin Fan hold her in his arms. It wasn't the first or second time; even if it was, what did it matter?
Lin Fan cupped Mu Qing's face, gazing at her deeply. "Wife, did you miss me?"
Mu Qing said, "There are other people here." No matter who it was, as long as she was a woman, she would feel shy.
Lin Fan was curious. "Who?" He looked at Old Zhang, then back at Mu Qing. "Wife, Old Zhang is one of us, it's okay."
"Did you miss me or not?"
"Yes, I did." Mu Qing considered herself not a casual person. If anyone else asked her this way, she would have kicked them over or scolded them angrily. But in front of Lin Fan, she was truly helpless. Perhaps this was the benefit of persistent pursuit. From beginning to end, Lin Fan had taken the initiative. From her initial shyness, Mu Qing had now grown accustomed to his advances.
Undeniably, this change might be difficult for those involved to notice, but outsiders could see it at a glance.
If Director Hao knew about Lin Fan's situation, he might have proactively offered to become his disciple, exclaiming, "Amazing!" completely convinced. He might even treat Lin Fan to fine tea and wine, hoping to learn a trick or two. Even though Director Hao was older, as long as he was a man, even at sixty or seventy, the thing that could pique his curiosity the most was often just one sentence...
"Look, there's a naked woman over there."
A seemingly simple sentence, yet it captivated both young and old.