Liu Nanfeng had heard about Bai Xinghe from Ao Haiping, and had also seen a large number of Bai Xinghe's corpses during a previous raid on a Tidal Society research institute.
However, those were all clones, and it was unclear if many had died due to experimental failure or other reasons.
Liu Nanfeng had also long suspected that Bai Xinghe might be plotting something behind the scenes.
However, after the research institute was dismantled, the Tidal Society seemed to have gone completely silent, as if it didn't exist.
It was only after they opened the Heavenly Gate that they became active again.
What Liu Nanfeng couldn't understand, however, was why they were targeting Yang Ruoyun.
What was so special about Yang Ruoyun that they would bother?
Her strength?
That reason didn't hold up. Yang Ruoyun's strength was not great, and there was nothing about her that the Tidal Society would covet.
Therefore—
Her uniqueness lay in her connection with Feng Zhirun.
Thinking of this, everything made sense.
The Tidal Society still held a grudge against Feng Zhirun, an irreconcilable one.
However, Feng Zhirun was too powerful.
So, while he was alive, they were subservient, but after his death, they struck with full force?
The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed. There must be something Feng Zhirun possessed that they coveted.
Thinking of the man and woman he encountered outside the Peach Blossom Garden that day, he guessed they had the same goal.
With this thought, Liu Nanfeng drew a circle in the air. Then, a circular doorway appeared before him. He stepped through it and vanished from the riverbank.
Since Liu Nanfeng had chosen a secluded spot, he didn't worry about being seen. However, he was unaware that his actions had been captured by a drone flying overhead.
Even if Liu Nanfeng had known, he probably wouldn't have cared. After all, the world today was different from before. All sorts of strange phenomena emerged, blurring the lines between reality and illusion, filling the internet. This made many truly astonishing events seem ordinary and commonplace, even expected.
Yang Ruoyun was fleeing in a panic, her escape frantic. She dared not return to find Hu Mengyao, fearing she would bring enemies upon her.
First, she had been inexplicably attacked by an enemy who struck with immense force, aiming for a killing blow. Fortunately, her reaction was swift, and the Inverse Scale Armor on her body saved her life. Simultaneously, it triggered the armor's counterattack mechanism, giving her a chance to escape.
However, she found she couldn't shake off her pursuer; they stuck to her like a stubborn stain.
She also sensed something was amiss, but couldn't pinpoint what. All she could do was flee desperately, prioritizing her survival.
The reason Yang Ruoyun fled to the riverside was that if all else failed, she intended to escape by the river. Even if she couldn't escape, creating a disturbance would attract Zhu Yin'e's attention. Falling into Zhu Yin'e's hands would at least guarantee her safety.
Of course, this was her last resort. She also had other trump cards, protective measures left to her by Feng Zhirun in the past, which she was reluctant to use unless absolutely necessary.
Yang Ruoyun had borrowed life from a cat, and thus her fate had become entangled with felines. She had transformed from human to cat demon. Cats are naturally agile, and their escape speed is incredibly fast. By all rights, she should have already outrun her pursuer.
Yet, no matter which direction she ran, the opponent seemed to anticipate her, waiting for her ahead like a prophet, leaving her feeling utterly exhausted. Just as Yang Ruoyun was considering plunging into the river, she suddenly sensed something was wrong.
Although it was still nighttime, a cool breeze was blowing. Many people who had finished dinner were out for a stroll by the river. Previously, due to her incredible speed, even if she ran past them, they wouldn't have noticed her. But that didn't mean they weren't there.
However, she suddenly realized that these people were truly gone. All of them had inexplicably vanished.
She turned to look at the embankment. The embankment was brightly lit, indicating that this was not an undeveloped area, but rather inhabited. Yet, it was just as silent, with not a single figure visible, like a ghost town.
Yang Ruoyun stopped, crouching slightly, cautiously surveying her surroundings. These were residual cat-like habits from her transformation into a cat demon.
Just then, a figure emerged from the darkness ahead.
It was the middle-aged man who had attacked her earlier, the one with the large scar on his face.
The scar ran from his temple down to the corner of his mouth, like a giant centipede, giving him a ferocious and sinister appearance.
The middle-aged man's gaze was indifferent, his eyes fixed on Yang Ruoyun without any discernible emotion.
Yang Ruoyun no longer chose to flee. Instead, she faced him directly. The Inverse Scale Armor on her body spread out, making her entire form appear covered in spikes.
Sharp claws extended from her fingertips, glinting in the night light. She hunched her shoulders, lowered her arms, and crouched with her toes, like a vigilant large cat.
The opponent seemed to ignore Yang Ruoyun's posture and continued to walk towards her at an unhurried pace.
However, the scar on his cheek seemed to come alive, transforming into a massive centipede that crawled down his neck and disappeared into his collar, a rather unsettling sight.
But at that moment, both Yang Ruoyun and the middle-aged man sensed a problem.
They were not far apart, only about fifty meters, yet the middle-aged man had been walking for a minute or two and still hadn't gotten any closer to Yang Ruoyun, as if he were stuck in place.
Both of them looked down at the ground, but there was nothing unusual about it.
The middle-aged man cautiously scanned his surroundings, then suddenly leaped, lunging at Yang Ruoyun in mid-air.
Yang Ruoyun immediately raised her claws defensively in front of her chest to meet the attack.
And then—
The middle-aged man fell from the air. As expected, he landed exactly where he had started, without any forward progress whatsoever.
Yang Ruoyun let out a sigh of relief, but at the same time, she warily scanned her surroundings.
Nothing happened without a reason. There was definitely someone else nearby.
The middle-aged man had clearly come to the same conclusion.
He remained silent, unfazed, simply standing still, closing his eyes and concentrating. It was clear that he perceived all of this as some form of illusion.
"Why is he chasing you?" At that moment, a voice suddenly sounded beside Yang Ruoyun's ear.
Yang Ruoyun jumped as if startled by a cat, her fur bristling. Upon seeing that it was Liu Nanfeng, she let out a sigh of relief.
"So it's you."
"Yes, I saw you were quite flustered being chased by him. What happened?"
"Who's flustered? Who's flustered? I'm not!"
"Alright, alright, you're not. I misspoke, okay?"
Whether it was due to her transformation into a human-cat or her inherent personality, she had a rather prickly demeanor, which could be described as tsundere.
Yang Ruoyun: ...
"What's wrong with you now?"
"What's with that tone of yours, trying to coax a child? I'm not a kid."
The two of them were conversing as if nothing were amiss, while the middle-aged man on the other side, having exhausted all his skills and tried various methods, initially attempted to approach them, and later even tried to flee.
However, no matter what he did, he always found himself back at his starting point.
Finally, he stood still, merely looking at the two of them coldly.
Yang Ruoyun glanced at him and said with a hint of lingering fear, "I don't know why he's chasing me. You can ask him."
"Okay."
Liu Nanfeng nodded, then turned to the middle-aged man.
"Can you tell me why you are chasing her?"
Yang Ruoyun: ...
She found his behavior akin to idiocy.
.
Where Can I Get Peaches reminds you: Please remember to collect after reading.