Hua Yin and Yun Qingxue vaulted over the wall and concealed themselves in a corner of the courtyard.
The foul, putrid odor intermittently wafted into their noses.
Hua Yin remained expressionless, while Yun Qingxue struggled to endure, the stench nearly making her retch.
The room was dark, unlit, yet faint rustling sounds occasionally drifted out.
Before long, the sound of chewing—*chomp, chomp*—emerged, as if someone were eating. Amid the lingering stench, a faint trace of blood began to mingle in the air.
The chewing didn’t last long. Soon, silence returned, save for the lingering foul odor.
*Creak—*
Someone pushed open the door from inside and stepped out.
Having adjusted to the darkness, and aided by their vantage point, Yun Qingxue could clearly see the face of the person emerging from the house.
It was none other than Scholar Zhao, who had been sitting at the neighboring table earlier that day.
But now, as Yun Qingxue took in his face, she shuddered involuntarily.
The face was the same, yet his entire demeanor exuded an eerie, sinister aura. In the dead of night, Scholar Zhao stepping out of the door gave her the chilling sensation of encountering a ghost—especially his eyes, which glowed with an eerie blue light, cold and ghostly like will-o’-the-wisps.
Instinctively, Yun Qingxue glanced at Hua Yin, her eyes questioning.
Meeting her gaze, Hua Yin gave a slight nod, confirming her suspicions.
Scholar Zhao was no longer among the living.
Emerging from the house, Scholar Zhao surveyed the courtyard with a strange, ghastly expression.
*Heh heh.* His raspy, unnatural laughter echoed as a whirlwind rose from beneath his feet.
“This face will do for now!”
As the whirlwind carried Scholar Zhao away, Yun Qingxue heard a hoarse, grating voice mutter to itself.
*You’re truly hideous!*
Abruptly, the words of the grotesque monster she had encountered in the wilderness the previous day flashed through her mind.
The same raspy, unpleasant voice, the same body concealed within a whirlwind…
She couldn’t help but wonder—was the current Scholar Zhao the same repulsive creature she had met in the wild?
Had it entered the city? With so many cultivators present, how dare it act so brazenly?
*Idiot.* Hua Yin’s flat voice delivered the verdict on the reckless monster.
Yun Qingxue looked up, barely making out something moving toward their hiding spot in the darkness.
Likely, Scholar Zhao’s dying screams had drawn the cultivators. Tonight was far from peaceful…
*The cultivators will likely confront the monster head-on, so we’re safe for now,* Hua Yin analyzed.
Yun Qingxue continued watching the sky. The approaching figures descended mid-flight and vanished from sight.
Perhaps due to her recent spell practice, her senses had sharpened.
In the dead silence of the night, even faint sounds carried far. Soon after the figures descended, she faintly heard the clashing of battle.
*Are they fighting?* Yun Qingxue asked uncertainly.
*Mm.* Hua Yin acknowledged, then pulled her back the way they had come, returning to the house they had just left.
Back inside, Yun Qingxue sat in the same chair as before, straining to listen to the distant sounds of battle until she drifted into a hazy sleep.
When she awoke again, daylight had broken, and the sounds of fighting had long ceased.
Rubbing her bleary eyes and stretching her limbs, she turned to Hua Yin. *It’s morning. Can we leave the city now?*
*We can’t.* Hua Yin’s expression was unusually grave.
Frowning, Yun Qingxue wondered—what had happened while she slept?
*The monster from last night escaped,* Hua Yin stated bluntly, his brow furrowed.
*Escaped?* Yun Qingxue arched an eyebrow. She had clearly seen multiple figures flying in—how could so many cultivators fail to capture a single murderous fiend?
Was the monster too powerful, or were the hunters too weak?
The thought made her shudder with relief. If the creature that killed Scholar Zhao was indeed the same one she had encountered in the wild, she owed her life to her current hideous disguise…
A monster that could evade a group of cultivators was beyond her ability to handle.
Who knew that being ugly could sometimes save your life?
*Last night’s battle ended with the monster not only escaping but also injuring two cultivators. At dawn, the town chief, acting on the cultivators’ request, ordered the city gates closed during the day. No one is allowed to leave until the creature is caught.*
*So…* Yun Qingxue blinked. *We’re trapped here too?*
*Mm.* Hua Yin nodded. *I could break through the barrier at the gate by force, but it’s best to avoid antagonizing humans during such times.*
*I completely agree with not provoking humans.*
Yun Qingxue smiled in agreement. In her past life, she had been an ordinary person. Though her race had changed, her human sensibilities remained.
*But…* She hesitated, glancing at Hua Yin. *The spell you cast on this family must be wearing off soon. Shouldn’t we find another hiding spot?*
*No need.* Hua Yin replied tersely. *Moving around is troublesome. We’ll wait here until the gates reopen.*
*What about this family? We can’t leave them asleep forever!* If the gates remained shut for days or weeks, they’d either die in their sleep or starve to death.
Having endured hardships in two lifetimes, Yun Qingxue considered herself hardened—but she still had moral boundaries. This family had done her no wrong; she couldn’t let them perish just because she and Hua Yin were hiding here.
If she allowed it, how was she any different from the murderous monster last night? Coldness and cruelty were fundamentally distinct.
*They won’t.* Hua Yin answered.
Just then, rustling sounds came from inside the house.
Yun Qingxue stiffened—the homeowners were waking up and getting out of bed.
Hua Yin stood by the door, utterly unfazed by the noise.
Yun Qingxue, however, grew restless.
She nudged Hua Yin’s arm and whispered, *They’re awake!*
*Mm.* Hua Yin acknowledged, then fell silent again.
*Aren’t we leaving?*
Yun Qingxue pressed.
If the homeowners saw two strangers standing boldly in their main room, what would they think?
But no matter how anxious she grew, Hua Yin showed no intention of moving.
With a sigh, Yun Qingxue resigned herself to brainstorming excuses.
Yet she found herself at a loss—there was no plausible explanation for their uninvited presence.
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