Chapter 20

A man in black stepped forward, leaning down to whisper in Zhao Junyu's ear, "Young Master, an S-class ghost is chasing Wu Xiaode."

Zhao Junyu's expression turned serious, and he asked, "What about our people?"

"They have already followed."

"Good, ensure Wu Xiaode isn't killed, and continue to dispatch more people to assist."

"Yes, sir!"

Just as Zhao Junyu was about to take a sip of tea, his phone rang again.

"Huh? Sister, is there something else?" he asked in surprise.

On the screen, the expression of the ice-cold beauty was somewhat subtle.

She looked like she was trying to hold back a laugh, or perhaps she was dealing with a tricky situation, which was giving her a headache.

"What's wrong, Sister?" Zhao Junyu was puzzled.

The woman said, "Wu Xiaode is live-streaming. You should take a look and figure out how to handle this."

Zhao Junyu was surprised, "Live-streaming? What's going on?"

...

At the train station.

Under the dim streetlights.

A crow descended from the sky and transformed into Wu Xiaode.

He landed and immediately checked the time on his phone.

Ten minutes had passed.

The floating Book of the Dead slowly opened, revealing a line of icy small letters:

"This upgrade is complete."

"You have obtained a new wall."

A wall?

What does that mean?

Wu Xiaode was confused and thought to himself, "Let me see."

The Book of the Dead trembled.

Countless mists rose from all around, shrouding the entire world.

The massive Wish Wall reappeared in Wu Xiaode's line of sight, but this time, a new wall appeared beside it at a perpendicular angle.

This new wall was completely shrouded in white mist, making it hard to see clearly.

"What is this?" Wu Xiaode asked in surprise.

The Book of the Dead displayed a line of icy small letters:

"The power required for this evolution: the resonance of a thousand souls."

"The actual number of soul resonances received: 108,654."

"Given the soul power far exceeds expectations, the new function has been elevated to an unprecedented level."

"This highest level of evolution requires your confirmation of will."

"Please speak your strongest desire to the wall."

"The wall will form the final auxiliary function based on your desire."

Wu Xiaode was stunned.

—Decided by my will?

"Alright, let's make this wall directly generate a 'defeat the Cyclops' function!" he said, clenching his fist.

The Book of the Dead trembled and quickly flipped open, displaying a line of bold red text:

"There is no such function!"

"But you said it's up to me," Wu Xiaode said, spreading his hands.

"The functions generated by this book can only assist you, not directly achieve anything," the Book of the Dead explained.

Wu Xiaode fell into deep thought.

The first ability of the Book of the Dead was the "Wish Wall."

Now he could open a second ability, and he needed to be cautious.

After all, he had to face the Cyclops in seven days, and he needed to think of a powerful ability!

At this moment, the Book of the Dead seemed to calm down and displayed another line of icy small letters:

"Don't rush. You can take your time, but until you decide, every hour, a part of your body will itch. This is the book's power overflowing, and you don't need to worry about it."

"What if it itches too much?" Wu Xiaode asked.

The Book of the Dead displayed a large word:

"Scratch."

"Alright, I'll think quickly," Wu Xiaode said immediately.

His phone suddenly rang.

He took it out and saw it was Zhao Junyu.

"What's up?" Wu Xiaode asked.

"From now on, you are no longer a wanted criminal," Zhao Junyu said.

"…How did you manage that? I remember being on TV, wanted nationwide," Wu Xiaode asked in surprise.

"Of course, I intervened, so I could do this," Zhao Junyu said.

"Thank you. Is there anything you need me to do?" Wu Xiaode asked.

"You've already saved me once, so you don't need to say that. However, I do have a choice for you to make personally," Zhao Junyu said.

"Please go on," Wu Xiaode said.

"Xia Huilan's mentor, the vice president of United Manufacturing, and the head of the Defense Bureau are all dead. You and Xia Huilan can take this opportunity to leave the capital, find a place to lay low, and live your own lives," Zhao Junyu said.

"What's the other choice?" Wu Xiaode asked.

"The real mastermind hasn't shown up, and I have already intervened. If you are willing to work with me to investigate these matters, we will uncover the truth, strike back, and take revenge, eliminating all our enemies once and for all," Zhao Junyu said.

Wu Xiaode thought for a moment and said, "I hope Xia Huilan won't have to worry about being ambushed in the future. That would give me peace of mind."

"Very well. Send Xia Huilan to the countryside, and then come back to the city, how about that?" Zhao Junyu said.

"No problem," Wu Xiaode said.

"By the way, to ensure your and Xia Huilan's safety, I have arranged for snipers to protect you."

"Snipers?" Wu Xiaode asked in surprise.

"Yes, and some other powerful personnel. They will be in position soon. If you notice anything suspicious, touch your nose. Left hand for elimination, right hand for targeting the most threatening individual."

"—My people will act immediately upon seeing your signal."

Wu Xiaode joked, "You should have brought some snipers when you confessed."

Zhao Junyu was displeased, "Enough, there's a limit to teasing."

"I'll thank you later."

"See you later."

The call ended.

Wu Xiaode smiled, walked while dialing Xia Huilan's number.

"Xiao Wu?"

"Sister, how are you resting?"

"I'm well-rested. If you're done with your business, I can leave with you anytime."

"Alright, come down. I'll wait for you downstairs."

"Coming."

Wu Xiaode waited at the hotel entrance.

At this moment, he suddenly felt his nose itch.

Yes.

The Book of the Dead said this was normal.

Until he decided on a new function, a part of his body would itch every so often.

So—

Should he scratch?

A group of young men and women walked by, laughing and joking.

Wu Xiaode's raised hand paused.

No, he couldn't scratch his nose; it was a signal to kill.

If the snipers misunderstood, wouldn't they kill these innocent people?

Wu Xiaode shrugged and put his hand back in his pocket.

—It's just an itch. He could endure it.

High heels clacked from inside the hotel.

Xia Huilan emerged, wearing a trench coat and carrying a suitcase.

She was tall and slender, with an outstanding presence, still very beautiful, but her expression showed signs of fatigue.

"Didn't you rest?" Wu Xiaode asked.

"I couldn't sleep. Are we leaving now?" Xia Huilan asked.

Wu Xiaode thought for a moment.

His nose was itching, and it was getting worse.

If he could—

No!

With Xia Huilan around, if he scratched his nose, the snipers would act.

Wu Xiaode took a deep breath, enduring the itch, and said,

"Let's go, out of the city and back to the countryside."

"Alright."

Just as they were about to leave, they noticed a man in a black shirt standing by the wall on the street.

"Hi, hello."

The man smiled at Wu Xiaode, appearing friendly and kind.

Wu Xiaode's expression tightened.

After returning from the death pit, he seemed to be able to sense the aura of others.

It was an indescribable feeling.

—Having seen a mountain of corpses, he had a natural familiarity with similar things.

The man looked clean and handsome, but he emitted a strong, nauseating aura of decay.

"Be careful, this guy is at least a thousand-kill level when it comes to killing," the crow on Wu Xiaode's shoulder warned telepathically.

Wu Xiaode's nose was itching to the extreme.

But he remained calm.

"Sister, this is a friend of mine. We need to talk about something private. Wait for me a moment," Wu Xiaode said.

Xia Huilan looked at the man.

He had a handsome face and gentle eyes, nodding politely at Xia Huilan.

—He looked like he could be on the cover of any fashion magazine.

Standing next to Xiao Wu, he was no less impressive.

He didn't seem like a bad person.

"Alright, I'll wait for you in the hotel lobby," Xia Huilan said.

She turned and walked away.

Once she was in the hotel lobby and sitting on a sofa, Wu Xiaode turned to the handsome man and said, "What's up?"

"I originally wanted to spar with you and maybe take you out," the handsome man smiled.

Wu Xiaode, already itching, finally had a chance to scratch his nose.

Die.

"But now, things are different," the man continued, "I found the video of your battle on the university playground. It seems killing you won't be easy."

Wu Xiaode's hand paused again.

This guy was very strong, and while the pressure he felt was far less than from the Cyclops, it was still quite terrifying.

If the snipers couldn't take him out, wouldn't it create a deadly grudge?

But his nose really itched!

"Also, I checked, and it seems you… were affected by a curse and completed a Q&A with that annoying guy?" the man asked.

"Ah, yes, the curse asked me a lot of questions, and then it ran away for some reason," Wu Xiaode said.

"Ran away?" the handsome man repeated.

"Yes, it kept asking me foreign languages and about my sister's birth, which was really crazy," Wu Xiaode said, observing the man.

He was ready to act at any moment.

To his surprise, the handsome man laughed, looking very pleased.

"Right, I also think that guy was a bit off. But for you to make him back off is quite an achievement," the handsome man said.

"May I ask your name?" Wu Xiaode asked.

"Xiao Baihong, the bartender at the S-class club," the handsome man said.

"My name is Wu, and everyone calls me Xiao Wu. If you want to be friends, you can call me that too," Wu Xiaode said.

"Xiao Wu, in the battle on the playground, you probably didn't use even a tenth of your strength, right?" Xiao Baihong probed.

"That's right," Wu Xiaode said, puffing out his chest.

—The ancestral spirit had said he used less than half his strength.

Pretending a bit wouldn't hurt, after all, avoiding a fight was better, and harmony was the way to go.

"I knew I was right!" Xiao Baihong was delighted, rubbing his hands unconsciously. "Why don't you join us? The world is about to change, and people like us should come together to achieve things never seen before."

So he wants me to join them!

Wu Xiaode instinctively wanted to shake his head but had a sudden thought.

"Your… strength, how is it?" he asked.

"Of course, we are all around your level, each exceeding the 10-point soul power limit, just waiting for the world to release more power, and we will become even stronger!" Xiao Baihong laughed nervously.

Wu Xiaode's heart skipped a beat.

According to the crow, the world's changes had just begun, and people with over 10 points of soul power were extremely rare.

—But here was a team, all with over 10 points of soul power?

Was this the true face of the world?

Countless thoughts flashed through Wu Xiaode's mind.

In theory, 5 points of soul power and 10 points didn't seem much different.

But Wu Xiaode deeply understood that each point of soul power was almost equivalent to the right to use a skill.

One more point of soul power meant one more attack.

In battle, this was absolutely fatal.

Not to mention 5 versus 10—

When your skills were used up, others could still use a full set of skills.

This was a world of difference in strength.

He thought for a moment and said, without showing any emotion,

"If someone else invited me to join some underground organization, I would never go, but you are different. For some reason, the aura of killing around you feels familiar."

Xiao Baihong couldn't help but ask, "What can you sense?"

"Corpses—I once saw a mountain of corpses in a place, and you give me the same feeling," Wu Xiaode said.

"Mountain of corpses…"

Xiao Baihong imagined the scene, and a look of longing appeared on his face.

"By the way, I did something for you," Xiao Baihong said.

"What did you do?" Wu Xiaode asked.

"I killed those beggars—they were a gang, responsible for many murders. It was really satisfying," Xiao Baihong said.

Wu Xiaode looked at the changing expressions on his face and suddenly remembered how he felt when he completed a particularly difficult homework assignment or got a high score and brought the test home.

—Should he praise him?

No, maybe praising him would make him lose interest.

This person—

Could not be judged by normal standards.

Wu Xiaode carefully considered every word he said and gradually formed a plan.

"Then, let me make an interesting suggestion," he said.

"What?" Xiao Baihong was clearly interested and asked eagerly.

Wu Xiaode leaned forward and whispered in Xiao Baihong's ear, "I want to invite you… to kill that curse user and place him on top of the mountain of corpses."

Xiao Baihong's expression tightened, and he said solemnly, "No, he is a member of the club. We can't kill a fellow member in public."

As he spoke, he shook his head, but his hands tightly gripped his umbrella, as if trying to suppress some emotion.

Wu Xiaode noticed.

"Is that so? Can't do it in public? What a pity. Then how about we—"

Wu Xiaode lowered his voice, "Do it secretly."

Xiao Baihong looked at him silently for a moment, then nodded and smiled,

"Xiao Wu, we really hit it off."

Bang!

A loud noise, and a dazzling light appeared in the air, quickly transforming into a half-star, appearing above Xiao Baihong's head.