Stone table in the inner courtyard of Douqiong Martial Arts Hall.

Gong Qi walked in briskly and said, "The Patrol Office's focus seems to have shifted recently. All the manpower is centered around the Eighth Academy, and even the second team of the Arresting Bureau has been transferred to help there."

Zhao Zhixin's eyes flickered slightly: "I investigated, and a body was found in the women's restroom at the school. The death was strange, which caught the attention of the Patrol Office."

Zhao Zhixin paused and added, "With this, the Patrol Office's manpower has been diverted, naturally easing the search for [Black Face]. For us, this is undoubtedly good news."

Beside him, Hong Ya rested her cheek on her hand, her fingers lightly under her chin, nodding as if she understood, then asked, "It's been several days, and they still haven't found anyone?"

No sooner had she spoken than Li Bashan took out his phone from his pocket, quickly opened a message, and glanced at the address and house number.

After he relayed the information to everyone in his deep voice, he suddenly clenched his hand tightly, crushing the phone and SIM card into powder, which fell from his thick fingers to the ground and was carried away by the wind.

Hong Ya ran back to the bedroom, pulled a box from the wardrobe, took out a stack of masks from it, and carefully returned to the stone table clutching them tightly.

She gently laid the masks down, spreading them out on the table one by one.

Each mask was exquisitely crafted, with fine lines outlining various animals' patterns, though the expressions were either bizarre or grim, the colors either bright or dull, adding a demonic aura when combined.

Yuan Xidi, with Feng Mu, walked to the table. He grinned, reached out, and picked up a Hyena mask from the table, putting it on his face. The hyena had a wide mouth, with its sharp teeth stained with scarlet.

"Little junior brother, pick one." Li Bashan said in his deep voice.

Feng Mu looked up, seeing the latter's face concealed by a tiger mask, its patterns half black, half white, like a fearsome tiger hunting in the shadows.

As he turned his head, he saw Hong Ya wearing a grinning fox mask, with red lines drawn around the eye sockets as if weeping blood, looking quite eerie.

Feng Mu glanced at the stone table, his eyes skimming over a ferocious monkey face, a sinister snake face, and an ugly pig head before picking up a goat face.

The goat had horns, curved upward like two pairs of crescent hooks, with spiral patterns covering its face. Its color was gloomy, and its expression was calm yet chillingly sinister.

"Let's go!" Li Bashan's voice sounded like a low drumbeat, he said gruffly.

Everyone responded, their voices through the masks seemed tinged with a metallic tone, becoming colder and more piercing.

A silver-gray van was parked at the back door, its license plate had been changed in advance. Everyone got into the van, with reflective film on the windows.

From inside, they could see out, but outsiders couldn't see in.

Yuan Xidi was eager to drive, but Li Bashan gently held down his dog head.

The driving task was handed over to Zhao Zhixin, who wore an ugly pig mask, with black lips split in the middle, resembling two mouths.

The car started slowly, and Hong Ya sat in her usual crouched position in the front passenger seat, arms raised above her head, fists clenched, announcing excitedly, "[Ronggui Sect] is taking the little junior brother for his first team building!"

Sitting in the back seat, Feng Mu subtly grinned under his mask, his fingertips gently stroking the goat mask as if conversing with it.

[Detectable edible iron class—Hundred-Forged Iron.]

[Note: This Hundred-Forged Iron is tainted with death energy, please consume with caution.]

[Consume and replace the occupied consumption slot?]

"Death energy?" Feng Mu murmured, discovering a new term. He moved his fingertips away, placing his palms on his knees, and silently thought in his mind, "No!"

...

Chemical Plant Community Building 3, Unit 2, Room 401.

Liu Yang frowned slightly, casting a puzzled glance at Wang Yu.

Wang Yu simply replied indifferently, "No rush, they've already set out after receiving the notice."

After a brief pause, Wang Yu's voice softened considerably, "You didn't tell anyone else, did you?"

Liu Yang nodded, a slight smile appearing on his face, "No, as soon as I got the news, I notified you. I didn't even tell my captain."

No sooner had he spoken than Liu Yang turned his head and glared at Wang Xu with furrowed brows, "You didn't sell the message about [Black Face] for the Patrol Office's reward, did you?"

Wang Xu, looking confused like someone who just woke up from a stupor, yawned and said, "Am I an idiot? Since when has the Patrol Office ever paid out a reward? Damn."

As he spoke, he spread his hands toward Liu Yang, three parts mocking and seven parts roguish, "Liu, you're not going to stiff me on the informant fee, right?"

Liu Yang originally intended to refuse, but after glancing at Wang Yu, he pulled out a wad of cash and tossed it over, laughing and cursing, "Take it easy, or you'll wake yourself to death while sobering up one day."

Wang Yu listened to their conversation, his expression calm.

He glanced at the clock on his phone, then slowly pulled out a blank piece of paper from his chest, laying it gently on the table.

Then, Wang Yu took a pen from his jacket pocket and said to Liu Yang, "It's still early, how about I draw another portrait for you?"

Liu Yang was slightly taken aback, a strange feeling rising within him, but when he looked up and met Wang Yu's sincere and emotional eyes, all doubts vanished, and he nodded without hesitation, agreeing to Wang Yu's proposal.

In the deepest corner of Liu Yang's heart, he found himself almost unable to resist that feeling.

Every time Wang Yu sketched those vivid portraits for him, Liu Yang would be captivated, as if each stroke of the brush was a caress to his soul.

He was addicted to this "caress," though perhaps this addiction was slightly less than Wang Xu's obsession with the T-37 hallucinogen, but the strong desire and dependence were just as evenly matched.

Every time he saw the finished artwork, Liu Yang felt as if he too was awakening.

Wang Xu found it inexplicable, but since he received the informant fee, he cooperated well.

He obediently cleared the table, walked to the sofa beside it, lay back, and soon fell asleep.

Liu Yang gently pulled a chair over, retreating to the window, sitting quietly.

Wang Yu held the pen, sketching lightly on the paper, the lines smooth and delicate.

Unlike the usual silence during his focused drawing, the air today was filled with casual conversation.

"I remember clearly, the first time you came to me for a portrait was around this time last year, right?"

"Yeah, everyone in the team praised how lifelike your drawings were, so I couldn't resist wanting a portrait of myself."

"So, counting this year, I've drawn you three times?"

"Yes, initially I thought one portrait would be enough, but every time I see it, I can't help but want more. Including this one, it's already the fourth. I'm planning to hang all the portraits over my bed when I get back."

"Hanging them by your bed, aren't you afraid they'll look like memorial portraits?"

"At first, I did think having those portraits over my bed looked a bit like memorial portraits. But gradually, if I don't see them first thing in the morning, I feel as if I'm already dead, strange, isn't it?"

"Ha—could it be, perhaps you are just a corpse after all?"

"What?"

"It's finished, have one last look at your... memorial portrait!"

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