“Cultists? You mean like those who carried out the terrorist attack at Fengfeng City’s train station last time?”
Recalling the recent terrorist attack at her hometown’s train station—an incident orchestrated by cultists—Yan Yu looked at Yan Qi and asked.
Yan Qi nodded.
“Pretty much. After all, only those fanatics who worship creatures from the Abyss as gods would have the ability to control Abyssal monsters.”
“If there really are cultists behind this in Ninghang, then we’ll need to be extra careful when clearing out the Flesh Blooms. If we push them into a corner, who knows what they might do?”
“That’s exactly what I’m worried about. If not for these concerns, I wouldn’t have come to ask for your help or involve the Anomaly Bureau. I’d have just gone into the black barriers myself and dealt with those twenty-plus Flesh Blooms already.”
Hearing this, Yan Yu finally understood why Yan Qi had devised such a cautious plan. She couldn’t help but smile.
“True. With your power, Daoyan, there probably isn’t a single supernatural being on Earth who could stand against you.”
“Of course. As a three-star supernatural, my strength is on a completely different level compared to ordinary ones.”
Unable to resist showing off a little in front of her sister, Yan Qi boasted before quickly steering the conversation back.
“Enough of that. Yan Yu, why don’t you take some time to rest?”
“Rest? I think I’m fine for now. I don’t really need it.”
“Really? You’re sure you don’t need sleep?”
“…Well, okay, maybe I am a little tired.”
Under Yan Qi’s sharp gaze and relentless questioning, Yan Yu—never good at hiding her true feelings—finally caved.
With a sigh and a slightly embarrassed smile, she admitted the truth.
Yan Qi, who saw no issue with lying about something so trivial, simply said,
“If you’re feeling sleepy, go take a nap. Once the Anomaly Bureau finishes evacuating the civilians, I’ll call you so we can deal with the Abyssal monsters together.”
“Alright. But I still have class right now…”
After agreeing, Yan Yu suddenly remembered her unfinished morning lessons and brought it up.
Yan Qi, having anticipated this, replied confidently,
“Don’t worry. If you ask your homeroom teacher for leave, I’m sure he’ll agree without hesitation.”
“How can you be so sure?”
Yan Yu looked at her, puzzled.
“Because in your teacher’s eyes, you’re no longer an ordinary person, Miss Yan Yu.”
Hearing this, realization dawned on Yan Yu, and she murmured,
“Right… I’m not ordinary anymore.”
“Go back to class for now. I’ll keep scouting around Ninghang. See you later.”
“See you later.”
With that, Yan Qi left the pavilion without further discussion. She stepped onto an empty patch of ground—then, in the next second, soared into the sky.
Yan Yu watched her leave, the plan firmly etched in her mind, before turning and heading back to the classroom where her teacher was still lecturing.
“Reporting.”
“Come in.”
At the sound of Yan Yu’s voice, the homeroom teacher—who was wiping the blackboard—barely glanced her way before returning to his lesson with a dismissive acknowledgment.
Seeing his dedication, Yan Yu said nothing more and quickly slipped back into her seat.
Her best friend, Xu Ziqi, immediately leaned over, curiosity burning in her eyes.
“Xiao Yu, what did you and Empress Daoyan talk about earlier?” she whispered, taking advantage of the teacher’s turned back.
Caught off guard, Yan Yu hesitated. Remembering the twenty-plus Flesh Blooms surrounding the city—and the danger they posed—she decided it was best not to spread panic.
“Nothing much. Just some unimportant stuff.”
“Really? Just stuff?”
“Of course. You don’t think I’d lie to you, do you?”
“I didn’t say that!” Xu Ziqi hastily waved her hands in denial.
Satisfied, Yan Yu nudged her friend.
“Then get back to your seat before the teacher notices and scolds you.”
“Fine, fine.”
Knowing the risks of getting caught, Xu Ziqi reluctantly returned to her desk and copied notes like everyone else.
…..
Meanwhile, high above the city, Yan Qi soared through the air, her sharp eyes scanning the black barriers below.
She watched their progression while waiting for updates from the Anomaly Bureau.
“It’s been so long. Why hasn’t the Bureau sent any messages yet? The civilians down there still haven’t even started evacuating.”
Just as frustration began to simmer in her mind, movement finally caught her attention.
The people she’d been observing were finally being guided away—slowly, methodically, under the guise of various official excuses—from the invisible but deadly barriers.