Ch. 11 - Kid, Aren't You Afraid of Me?

Zhao Zicheng nodded thoughtfully, then returned to his seat, feeling relieved.On the other hand, Yusheng's gaze remained fixed on the bus driver, appearing calm, but his hand was concealed in his sleeve.

As the driver had said, the journey took only about five minutes. They spotted an abandoned factory in the distance, the bus slowly entered and stopped.

There were already more than twenty people standing scattered on the open ground of the factory, including students in school uniforms and some middle-aged individuals.

From a distance, Yusheng even spotted his homeroom teacher, Liu Qingfeng.

The bus came to a stop.

"Indeed, Du Xu is here too."

"A Six-Stripe Talent!"

Zhao Zicheng didn't rush to get off the bus. Instead, he looked at a certain figure and spoke with a serious expression.

Li Kai was puzzled: "Which one is Du Xu?"

"Do you see a guy with a full beard on his face?"

Zhao Zicheng pointed in the direction of a particular figure.

That person, well, could hardly be called a human.

His face was covered in thick and dense beard, like a mask, concealing his features almost entirely. Only his eyes were visible, deep, and tranquil like an ancient well.

"This isn't just a beard."

"It's a face with a beard on it."

Yusheng marveled through the window.

For a moment, the other three surprisingly agreed with him, nodding to each other in approval.

"Let's go. People from the other two schools and the instructors from the Mo Pavilion have already arrived."

"Yusheng, although we haven't reached an agreement yet, I hope you'll be careful around Du Xu."

"That guy is strong."

"I hope you won't let us down!"

Zhao Zicheng looked at Yusheng with a serious expression, displaying some adolescent naivety.

"Okay."

Yusheng nodded gently and walked off the bus with Zhao Zicheng and the others.

The bus driver also got off the bus, leaning against it, lighting a cigarette, then taking a deep drag. He casually strolled into the factory and opened a rusty iron door.

Inside the damp room, two middle-aged men were sitting with screens displaying the footage from the open ground.

"How is it?"

The driver grabbed a stool, sat down, and then asked.

The other two shook their heads.

"They are not cautious and they easily trust strangers."

"They are also too simple-minded."

"The plan from above is too simple, considering remote city autonomy."

The speaker's voice sounded disappointed.

The driver, still smoking, seemed to be deep in thought as he nodded, his gaze falling on Yusheng through the surveillance footage.

"This kid is interesting."

"Maybe he'll surprise us." sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ NƟvelFɪre.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

Recalling Yusheng's actions on the bus, the driver made a casual remark but soon smiled again. "But there's no need to expect too much."

"This mission is just a waste of time."

"Who knows what those people above were thinking?"

"Let the idiots from the Exorcism Tower be busy. I'll take a nap first."

With that, he stretched lazily and comfortably laid down on the only single bed in the corner. Despite the moldy bedsheet, he seemed to find sleeping an enjoyable experience.

"No need to go on a mission, it's so comfortable."

He sighed with emotion, closed his eyes. Within a short while, he started snoring softly.

The other two exchanged glances, their eyes filled with a hint of helplessness, then refocused their attention on the surveillance footage.

...

Factory open ground.

"I'll be leading the team this time."

"The specific assessment content is still unclear, we'll know when the people from the Exorcism Tower arrive."

"However, during the apprentice stage, this is the only chance where everyone is on an equal playing field, regardless of talent."

"At best, he has slightly greater physical strength than you."

"So, this is an incredibly precious opportunity for you all."

"Remember..."

"No matter what the assessment content is, you must be cautious and stay calm. Only then will you have a higher chance of success than others!"

Liu Qingfeng's expression was solemn as he addressed the group.

Zhao Zicheng nodded vigorously, when he looked at Du Xu again, his eyes were filled with determination.

“Indeed, everyone was still at the apprentice stage, and unable to use special abilities yet. The competition was about their willpower!”

Regarding willpower, Zhao Zicheng believed he wouldn't lose to anyone!

As time passed, it was already afternoon, under the scorching sun, the people from the Exorcism Tower were still nowhere to be seen.

At this point, the students were becoming a bit impatient.

Just as the sun was gradually setting, a somewhat worn-out off-road vehicle finally appeared in the distance.

Kicking up dust all over

The vehicle was rushed into the factory.

The dust settled on the fifteen students present.

For a moment, most of them subconsciously frowned and took a step back.

The car door opened.

A middle-aged, muscular man with sunglasses and a cigarette in his mouth got out of the car, casually glancing around. His gaze fell on the teachers, particularly pausing when he saw Liu Qingfeng.

"Lao Liu?"

"F*ck, I've been looking for you for years. Where have you been?"

He walked up to Liu Qingfeng, ignoring the students around him, then slapped his shoulder forcefully.

When Liu Qingfeng saw the man, his expression changed slightly, and he fell silent for a few seconds before regaining his composure. "I've been working as a teacher."

"What?"

"You became a f*cking teacher?"

The man's face displayed disbelief, scrutinizing Liu Qingfeng until he saw the missing little finger on Liu Qingfeng's right hand. He abruptly stopped talking.

"Not bad!"

"Being a teacher is not bad. At least it's more comfortable than licking blood from a knife like us."

Tapping Liu Qingfeng's shoulder again, the man's breathing became somewhat heavy, but a smile appeared on his face, though it seemed somewhat exaggerated.

Perhaps aware of this, the man quickly changed the topic. "Which ones are your school's students?"

Liu Qingfeng pointed in Yusheng's direction, a slightly cold expression revealed a rare smile.

The man took off his sunglasses, took another deep drag of his cigarette then grinned widely, but...

To the students still in school, his smile looked somewhat sinister.

Especially his eyes, once he took off the sunglasses.

With just one glance, it seemed like they had seen mountains of corpses and rivers of blood, sending shivers down their spines.

Seeing the students' fearful expressions, the man seemed quite satisfied. He smiled even more broadly, but his smile soon froze as he fixed his gaze on Yusheng, or rather, on Yusheng's calm eyes.

"Kid, aren't you afraid of me?"

The man's smile gradually faded and his voice turned cold.

At that moment, a faint but chilling killing intent seemed to spread through the air.

Although it was just

In one sentence, it brought immense pressure to everyone present.