Chen Shouyi could kill a cultist without a ripple of emotion, but faced with the pleading of a grieving woman who had lost her husband, he found himself somewhat at a loss.

Xiao Changming was definitely dead.

Although his body was not found, both the barbarian's remarks at the time and the military's search over the past half month proved that the possibility of him still being alive was almost nil.

Chen Shouyi awkwardly offered a few words of comfort, and after a gentle refusal, finally extricated himself from Xiao Changming's wife.

Upon walking out of the hotel, he found Qin Liuyuan still waiting outside, squatting on the steps, smoking a cigarette.

"Why haven't you left?" Chen Shouyi asked.

"Let's go together!" Qin Liuyuan stubbed out the cigarette with his fingers, flicked it, and the butt flew into a nearby trash can.

"Okay!" Chen Shouyi nodded.

Qin Liuyuan tactfully didn't ask about the conversation with Xiao Changming's wife, but instead brought up another matter: "Including last month, I've completed three tasks this month."

Chen Shouyi said nothing, knowing the other party surely had more to say.

"All were invasions by extraterrestrial species!"

"Were they dangerous?" Chen Shouyi asked.

"Not really, they were resolved smoothly," Qin Liuyuan said. "But I feel something is amiss. Lately, too many extraterrestrial creatures have been appearing, they're almost rampant."

Chen Shouyi's expression became serious.

Before the mutations, each passage was tightly guarded, and everywhere was covered with surveillance cameras. Coupled with efficient communication and transportation, even if new passages appeared, they could be discovered quickly and actions taken promptly.

But now, with the power outages, handling efficiency has plummeted by tens or even hundreds of times.

"Last time, during a mission to eradicate snake spiders at White Mist Mountain, I encountered a nest," Qin Liuyuan said.

"Was there a spatial passage?" Chen Shouyi asked curiously.

"No, they're all propagating on Earth, and other extraterrestrial creatures can be seen all over the mountain." Qin Liuyuan instinctively reached for another cigarette but recalled that Chen Shouyi didn't smoke, so he stuffed it back into his pocket and continued:

"In the plains, densely populated areas, most extraterrestrial creatures are eradicated as soon as they appear. But in remotely populated mountainous areas, no one pays attention, and now they're breeding in large numbers."

"That serious!" Chen Shouyi's face changed slightly at the news.

The vast majority of extraterrestrial creatures, upon arriving on Earth, have no natural enemies.

As long as they can adapt to the environment, they can reproduce and proliferate in large numbers.

And Jiangnan Province is mostly mountainous.

This is a huge hidden danger, like a ticking time bomb waiting to explode.

Once it erupts, the consequences would be unimaginable.

The atmosphere became somewhat oppressive. After chatting for a while, the two parted ways.

Chen Shouyi looked up at the sky, which had already turned gloomy, as dense dark clouds obscured most of the sun, and the temperature became more stifling.

"A heavy rain is coming."

He turned on his heel and headed home immediately.

Just as he finished bringing in the clothes, the rain poured down in torrents.

A few pedestrians on the street held their heads and ran quickly.

Smelling the thick earthy scent from outside, Chen Shouyi was slightly lost in thought.

The rain continued to pour through the window, quickly soaking his clothes. He frowned slightly, focusing his will.

Time seemed to suddenly stand still, with every raindrop suspended in mid-air.

Each raindrop entering the "domain" slowed down rapidly.

Soon, more and more raindrops were suspended, increasingly dense.

At a certain moment, they suddenly collapsed.

A mass of water fell with a "crash".

Chen Shouyi closed the window, his mind at ease.

...

Evening!

Chen Shouyi held a long sword, practicing again and again with the force of his body, making the air ripple with delicate vibrations.

An invisible force pulsed in the air.

He leaped lightly, and at the highest point, his body felt a slight suspension.

Whenever his will concentrated, every movement felt as if he were aided by divine power.

For instance, when running, he could run faster,

and when jumping, he could jump higher.

In attack, he was also sharper.

As his will grew stronger, the effects became more pronounced. Now he increasingly sensed the mysterious aspect of this attribute, as if his whole body carried an aura of enhancement.

"Knock knock knock!"

The sound of knocking came.

Chen Shouyi retracted his sword, glanced at the Shell Lady amusing herself on the bed, and walked over to open the door to find Chen Xingyue and Mrs. Chen. He looked puzzled and asked, "Mom, what's the matter?"

"Xing Yue is going to the crematorium tomorrow night to stay overnight. I'm a bit worried, so go with her!" Mrs. Chen said.

Crematorium!

Even Chen Shouyi, who usually remained calm, was taken aback: "Why is she going to the crematorium for no reason?"

"I say it's inauspicious too, especially with so many ghostly things happening recently, but it's an organized courage-training by her class, she must go!" Mrs. Chen complained.

He glanced at Chen Xingyue and found her expressionless, clearly reluctant.

"Since it's organized by the school, wouldn't it be inappropriate for me to go?"

The crematorium is near the safe zone, operating normally, so naturally, there's no danger. And with his sister as a martial artist, her safety was even more assured.

"What's inappropriate, just keep a distant watch," Mrs. Chen said nonchalantly.

"Alright, I understand, don't worry!" Chen Shouyi agreed reluctantly.

After they left, Chen Shouyi closed the door.

He continued practicing for a few more minutes, when again, there was a knock at the door.

This time, it was only Chen Xingyue.

"What is it now?" Chen Shouyi opened the door.

"Brother, please, don't listen to mom. If my classmates know I had my brother accompany me, I'd die of embarrassment!" Chen Xingyue pleaded with her hands together, looking pitiful.

She was not only the top martial artist in her class but also the class monitor. Although the youngest in age, she commanded respect.

If her classmates found out, her persona would collapse.

Chen Shouyi looked at his sister's pitiful demeanor and found it amusing.

He maintained a calm facade but comforted her: "Don't worry, if your classmates find out, I'll explain that mom made me go, not you."

"What's the difference? Didn't you understand my meaning? Either way, you can't go!"

"But mom asked me, I can't lie and not go."

"Haven't you lied enough?" Chen Xingyue gave her brother a disparaging look.

Chen Shouyi flushed with embarrassment: "It's as if I have to go! The crematorium handles countless bodies daily. I've heard it's often haunted, even during the day it's eerily terrifying, I don't want to go either!"

Chen Xingyue's face quickly turned ugly at these words.

She had always been afraid of ghosts. Thinking of Uncle Wang back in Dongning, she couldn't help feeling anxious. This time it wasn't just a simple visit to the crematorium; she had to be a volunteer, even helping with cremating bodies…

Internally, she struggled fiercely between pride and practicality, finally leaving a sentence before running off!

"Hmph, go if you want!"

ps: Had drinks with friends last night, got drunk, and wrote a chapter early this morning.

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