Chapter Seventy-six: Qin Mei's Hint

“What’s wrong, my goddess? Are you missing me?”
“Hehe, how did you know? Sweet little brother, I’m planning to buy some lingerie tonight. Would you like to come with me?”

Damn!!!

Qin Mei wants me to accompany her to buy lingerie?!

Fu Yang’s mind buzzed. He couldn’t control himself, already picturing Qin Mei’s voluptuous, alluring figure, those full, proud curves clad in delicate lingerie...

And it’s at night—too late to return to the dormitory. Would they just stay at a hotel? Could it lead to...?

The hint was so blatant it was nearly absurd—a windfall falling straight from the heavens.

Was his luck soaring today? The goddess herself was offering such an unmistakable invitation.

Fu Yang felt so excited he was about to faint. His breath became rapid, his throat moving with anticipation.

But… wait!

He suddenly remembered tonight’s plan—to catch the murderous monster in the botanical garden. He’d already discussed everything with Shan Shan, and preparations were set.

“Fu Yang, why aren’t you saying anything? Are you afraid to go out with me at night? Worried I’ll eat you up? Hehe.”

He could almost picture Qin Mei’s sultry, teasing smile on the other end of the call.

She hadn’t accepted his years of pursuit and confessions, but now she hinted at intimacy so directly. A woman’s heart was truly as inscrutable as the depths of the sea...

Yet Fu Yang could only take a deep breath and refuse, “I’m sorry, goddess, but I really have something important tonight. I’m afraid I can’t accompany you!”

“Oh? What’s so important, sweet brother—is it more urgent than being with me?”

“Sorry, Qin Mei, I truly have something to do tonight. I’m hanging up now.”

He ended the call, his face clouded.

Clap, clap, clap.

A Huang suddenly applauded, waggling his eyebrows at him, “Xiao Yang, impressive! You’re a man of purpose. Women are important, but a promise once made cannot be taken back. Besides, hunting monsters for the sake of the people—that sort of thing can’t be delayed. You agreed to meet Shan Shan at the botanical garden, and you must go.”

Fu Yang nodded.

What none of them knew was that Qin Mei was sitting at the edge of the rooftop of the tallest academic building at Jiangcheng University. Her feet dangled over the air, swinging gently, as if she might fall at any moment. Yet she showed no fear.

The phone pressed to her ear carried Fu Yang’s refusal and abrupt hang-up. Qin Mei’s face revealed a hint of sorrow and helplessness.

She gently set the phone aside, gazing at the orange sunset sinking beyond the city’s edge, and softly murmured,

“The sun is setting, darkness is coming... Since that’s so, Fu Yang, take care.”

A long sigh drifted through the twilight breeze.

It was like the sound of a lover’s poignant tears shattering in the dusk...

Eight o’clock at night.

Fu Yang, A Huang, and Zhao Shan Shan arrived punctually at the entrance of the botanical garden.

The iron gate was tightly shut, with a sign reading “Closed”.

“Uh, Shan Shan, didn’t you arrange for the police to notify the staff?”

“Huh? A Huang said during the day it was just an ordinary monster—if it dared to appear, he could handle it alone. Since we three are here, I thought we didn’t need to make a big deal out of it. We could sneak in and solve it quietly. Besides, the city’s been under pressure from various cases lately, and manpower is scarce.”

Fu Yang turned and shot a fierce glare at A Huang, who had his hands stuffed in his pockets.

“Bragging costs you nothing! If anything goes wrong tonight, I swear I’ll shove a steel pipe up your ass.”

“Hey, hey, there’s a lady here—can’t you be a bit less crude?”

With no other choice, they had to climb the gate.

Fu Yang and Zhao Shan Shan were agile—getting over was easy.

Especially Fu Yang, who had absorbed nine vengeful spirits and awakened the power of the ghost path. His physical abilities had been enhanced in every way! Now, like the line from the movie ‘Ip Man’: ‘I want to fight ten men!’

He absolutely had the strength to take on ten ordinary adult men—of course, only if they hadn’t trained.

Poor A Huang, a would-be Daoist master, was hopelessly average in physical fitness. When he reached the top of the gate, he simply couldn’t get over...

“Xiao Yang, give me a hand! I’m stuck—it’s killing me.”

Fu Yang, annoyed but unable to ignore him, scrambled back up to help.

Finally, after much effort, A Huang managed to swing his leg over, but snagged his jacket on the gate’s upright spikes.

Fu Yang didn’t notice, and gave him a hard pull.

Rip...

A Huang’s jacket tore right up to his armpit.

“Fu Yang, damn you! This was my brand new Uniqlo! You owe me!”

“Owe you nothing! Get down here—calling yourself a senior mage, what a disgrace! If I were the head of Dragon Tiger Mountain, I wouldn’t let you on the register. You’d ruin our reputation…”

The two bickered nonstop as they walked the empty, deserted paths toward the Hundred Herbs Garden.

Zhao Shan Shan listened to their antics, giggling behind her hand.

With only a few hundred meters left to the Hundred Herbs Garden, the two finally grew serious.

“Shan Shan, when we get there, stay fully alert. If the monster appears, run straight toward us. And make sure you keep A Huang’s protective talisman on you—it can block a hit from most vengeful spirits and monsters.”

Fu Yang kept reminding Zhao Shan Shan—after all, acting as bait to lure a man-eating monster was truly dangerous. If anything went wrong, he’d never forgive himself.

Seeing his worry and concern, Zhao Shan Shan was naturally delighted. She nodded repeatedly, hardly looking like a deputy captain of the criminal investigation unit.

Everything was ready.

A Huang and Fu Yang pasted talismans on themselves to conceal their presence and see in the dark, watching Zhao Shan Shan from a distance…

Zhao Shan Shan walked alone to the pond, which had been drained during the day. Black, foul-smelling mud still emitted its stench.

This was a quiet path, with streetlights spaced far apart.

Under the dim glow, the trees around her cast strange, monstrous shadows, exuding an eerie, sinister atmosphere.

Zhao Shan Shan felt her heart pounding in her throat.

She knew a terrifying, man-eating monster lurked somewhere in the darkness, yet had to pretend nothing was amiss, deliberately enticing it to appear…

This was far more frightening than capturing a murderer.

Five minutes passed, then ten…

Fifteen minutes went by as Zhao Shan Shan paced back and forth along the path, but nothing happened.

Fu Yang, hidden in the shadows, was growing anxious, repeatedly asking A Huang why the monster hadn’t appeared yet—had he misjudged? (Third update~)