In the silence, only Walker's muffled screams could be heard.

He writhed frantically on the ground, desperately trying to activate his Source Substance and manifest a Dreamland to hide himself, but his Soul, on the brink of shattering, no longer possessed any power of Source Substance.

The burning youth smiled and advanced step by step.

Walker opened his mouth, his twisted face mustering all its strength to scream. He looked towards the high viewing platform, his expression stripped of its original confidence and ease, leaving only horror and pleading.

But no one responded.

In the silence, there were only the heavy footsteps of the youth, now transformed into an Evil Ghost, advancing steadily.

And the sudden melody of a cello.

The G string.

Huai Shi was startled. He turned his head in confusion towards the viewing platform above. From his clothes on the coat rack next to the muscular old man, a cellphone was ringing.

"Sorry, could someone help me get that?"

"..."

In everyone's speechless silence, only Older Cousin enthusiastically retrieved the phone, opened the window, and tossed it over.

"Thank you!"

Huai Shi caught the phone and answered the call. "Hello, who's this?"

A mature and gentle female voice came from the phone, "Is this Mr. Huai Shi?"

"Yes," Huai Shi nodded. "What's the matter?"

"Since our notification SMS went unanswered, we're making a manual notification," the woman said calmly. "Your ABRSM professional cello exam is scheduled for ten o'clock tomorrow morning. Please arrive fifteen minutes early to check in, or it will be considered that you have forfeited the exam."

"What?"

In an instant, Huai Shi stood frozen, as if plunged into an icy cavern. His frenzied murderous intent and ferocity vanished, replaced by bewilderment and helplessness.

"Mr. Huai Shi, are you listening?"

Huai Shi shuddered and stammered, "Uh, yes... I, I know..."

"Has there been some sort of accident?"

"No! Not at all!" Huai Shi raised his voice in panic. "Absolutely not!"

Other than being so busy I completely forgot about the exam and haven't practiced at all these past few days, no accidents whatsoever.

Damn it, how could I forget something like this!

How could I possibly forget!

Huai Shi stamped his foot in regret and slapped his forehead, thinking, This is really bad!

"...Then, I wish you the best of luck on your exam."

The woman on the phone politely bid farewell and hung up.

In the deathly silence, Huai Shi maintained his stiff posture for a long, long time before finally snapping out of it. The joy he had felt moments before had vanished without a trace.

He hadn't practiced the cello since he began his advancement over half a month ago...

He was definitely going to fail this exam.

Listening to the busy signal, Huai Shi listlessly lowered his hand, then couldn't help but utter a curse.

It felt as if he'd suddenly plummeted from happiness into despair. Huai Shi now keenly realized that happiness was for other people; he had nothing...

This is so infuriating!

Why am I wasting time on trash like him!

Angrily, he reached out and lifted the terrified nightmare from the ground.

"The sweet dream is over, Mr. Walker."

He raised his palm, condensing Apocalypse laced with plague, then stuffed it into Walker's nostrils and mouth. "Now, it's nightmare time!"

When Huai Shi lowered his hand, Walker's eyes finally opened.

His remaining eye held only a dull gaze.

Devoid of luster.

Only numb breathing and a faint heartbeat remained.

The overwhelming negative Source Substance had completely devoured his fractured Soul; the nightmare was ultimately drowned in endless dreams of despair.

This was the outcome of the duel.

Huai Shi slowly released his grip, letting the drooling imbecile fall to the ground. He turned to look at the high platform behind him and took two steps back.

You can deal with the rest.

Behind the floor-to-ceiling glass, the old man nodded expressionlessly, but a flicker of disappointment crossed his eyes.

So close.

If it weren't for that phone call...

"He probably won't be a match for you, Teacher Luo," Older Cousin said, passing an apple while contentedly munching on a banana. "The kid only gained suffering from his brush with death, not a shred of joy. In fact, he utterly detests the act of killing. Such a person is destined neither to become your successor nor to complete that task."

"Indeed."

The old man lowered his eyes. "Life is full of disappointments."

Older Cousin finished his banana, tossed the peel, and rubbed his hands together. "There's no need to rush," he said earnestly. "We can actually think of other ways."

"There's not enough time."

Luo Lao slowly shook his head, his expression calm. "Some things, one must do oneself, right?"

Older Cousin seemed to want to say more, but amidst hurried footsteps, Huai Shi had already rushed in, grabbed his coat, gave a hasty wave to everyone, and shouted to the old man, "I'm taking a leave of absence tomorrow!"

"A leave of absence?"

Luo Lao frowned. "To do what?"

"An exam! Do you think you're the only teacher in the world?"

Huai Shi answered as if it were the most natural thing, then hurriedly donned a head covering, grabbed the most idle-looking Yuan Zhao from the corner, and rushed out the door.

"Hey! What are you doing!"

Yuan Zhao struggled fiercely.

"No time to explain! Let's go, get in the car!"

"But-but I'm only fourteen and don't have a driver's license..."

"As long as you can hit the gas pedal, it'll be fine! Hurry, hurry!"

BANG!

The sound of a collision came from the end of the corridor.

They had run into a wall.

The atmosphere instantly became awkward, but Older Cousin couldn't help but laugh out loud, his laughter thoroughly ungracious.

"See, Teacher Luo? Young people's affairs should be sorted out by young people themselves."

Older Cousin turned and looked at the silent old man. "I actually think there's no need to be so hasty."

"Let's wait and see."

The old man lowered his eyes. "Let me wait and see..."

* * *

In the evening, Ai Qing found Liu DongLi in the lounge of the Jinling Branch.

He sat in a chair, a cup of coffee untouched before him, as if he were waiting for someone.

She shook her head and, leaning on her cane, walked over. "He's not here."

"I was waiting for you."

Liu DongLi shook his head with a smile and gestured to the seat opposite him. "Have a moment?"

Ai Qing was taken aback. She looked at him intently for a long while, then slowly shook her head. "It doesn't matter. It's dinnertime, anyway."

She sat down across from Liu DongLi, placing her dinner container on the table.

A vegetable salad with a few meager slices of meat.

She picked up a fork. "I have a coordination meeting later. Do you mind if I eat while we talk?"

Liu DongLi snapped his fingers, signaling a waiter for a cup of hot tea, then turned back to her. "Eating cold food all the time isn't good for your stomach."

"Where did you pick up that earnest tone?"

Ai Qing frowned. "Have you lost your mind?"

"Ah, sorry. I just ran into an ex-girlfriend, and I haven't quite switched back my tone," Liu DongLi coughed awkwardly twice. "Don't worry, I wasn't asking to borrow money."

"...That's a relief to hear."

Ai Qing responded calmly, it unclear whether she was being sarcastic or sincere. "So, you're saying there's an even more troublesome problem waiting for me?"

"About Huai Shi..."

Ai Qing understood; problems involving him were usually quite troublesome. But Liu DongLi paused for a moment before continuing, "And you."

And so, the problem became even more complicated.

"I'm not sure about the Yin family's stance," she stated bluntly. "But Huai Shi will likely be seen as a threat, right? Especially after demonstrating the abilities of a Legendary Investigator... You should know how rare that title is."

Liu DongLi nodded silently.

He'd known for a long time; this unlucky kid always managed to surprise people in the most unexpected ways.

A title held by only sixteen people worldwide is even rarer than a Fifth Stage Sublimator. Even though the Darknet doesn't have a large user base, a Sublimator who can fight their way through a nightmare game and seize the legendary crown is not to be underestimated under any circumstances.

Especially when such a Sublimator holds a grudge against one's own side.

It was entirely normal for the Yin family to make a move.

But right now, there was no need to worry about this, especially after Older Cousin had openly expressed his admiration for Huai Shi. Even though he seemed approachable and down-to-earth, that person was still the head of the Jinling Social Security Bureau; his every word and action could represent the stance of the Dongxia Genealogy.

Moreover, his sister is the current Second White Emperor's Son of Dongxia, and his father is the renowned Natural Enemy Chu Hai. Such a figure, even if he were a good-for-nothing, could make Jinling tremble with a stomp of his foot.

And the crucial point was, he was anything but.

After he had specifically cautioned certain parties that he didn't want any unpleasantness, the Yin family naturally wouldn't choose to instigate something everyone wished to avoid.

If the Yin family wanted to kill Huai Shi, they would ensure his death was public and beyond reproach, not through clandestine means that would render it suspicious.

Liu DongLi wasn't too worried about overt confrontations; that kid was tough and could handle a fair bit of trouble, so a little more wouldn't break him.

"Rather than Huai Shi, I'm actually more concerned about you," Liu DongLi said, looking at her intently. "The Yin family has started pressuring you recently, haven't they?"

Ai Qing didn't speak, merely lowered her head and continued eating her dinner, the rhythm of her movements unchanged. Only after a considerable time did she put down her meal container, take out a tissue to wipe her mouth, and look up to tell him, "This has nothing to do with you."

"What about Huai Shi?"

Liu DongLi countered. Ai Qing furrowed her brow.

"A few days ago, an account looked up the Yin family's corporate structure and the detailed information of its key members," Liu DongLi said, his brow furrowed slightly. "I got this information through a friend's connections."

"It might not have been Huai Shi."

Liu DongLi didn't speak, simply taking out his phone to show Ai Qing the account's profile picture.

She stared blankly for a long moment, then finally murmured with a sigh, "That photo is so stupid... Who on earth took it for him?"

"I'd like to know too."

Liu DongLi said, "Even if you don't intend to involve him now, he's already planning to dive into this murky business. Besides, he seems to care a lot about you."

Ai Qing said expressionlessly, "You're exaggerating."

"But it's not as trivial as you make it out to be, is it?"

Liu DongLi looked at her and, after a long moment, couldn't help but sigh. "To be honest, I never expected your mother to be Huai Shi's cello mentor... I should have realized long ago that Ai Ting, Dongxia's most renowned cellist back then, was your mother."

In the silence, Ai Qing's gaze changed.

It was as if the mask she wore had been ripped away by a surge of anger, revealing a chillingly sharp edge beneath.

"I don't know what you're trying to say, Liu DongLi, but let me remind you of one thing."

She stared into the man's eyes, telling him word by word, "Don't you dare mention her name. Not a single word!"

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