The surrounding scenery flickered like a broken film, the sudden images leaving Lu Zhi frozen in place. Even more surprising to Lu Zhi was seeing Yan Shao and Jiang Yue, who were supposed to have been taken to other villages, their clothing and attire exactly as when they first entered.
They now stood in a familiar mountain forest, the very path they had taken as children to be brought to Qing Shen Village.
Yan Shao’s expression was one of astonishment. "What… what's going on?"
Jiang Yue touched her face, then lowered her head to feel her chest. "Hey, I've changed back? My little… it's gone!"
Lu Zhi: …
Li Le and Shi Yu wore equally bewildered expressions.
Shi Yu raised his hand, and several plump bumblebees flew from the others' sides to his hand. He hesitated for a moment, then said to Lu Zhi, "After you guys left, I contacted everyone else. Except for Little Fatty, who can't use psychic powers, and you… you."
This "you," naturally, referred to Shen Qi and Lu Zhi.
Shen Qi, restored to his adult form, exuded an undeniable presence and a sense of distance just by standing there.
Lu Zhi was handsome, his temperament gentle, his eyes sparkling when he smiled.
The two stood together, one cool and one warm, their atmosphere harmonious.
"Hey, hey, you two are really something. Do you always have to show off your affection even in the Cage?" Jiang Yue put her hands on her hips, her eyes wide as she glared at their clasped hands.
Shen Qi raised an eyelid and cast a cool glance their way.
Lu Zhi smiled, deliberately tightening his grip on Shen Qi’s fingers and raising them to shake. "What? Are you envious, Senior Sister Jiang? If you're envious, go find one for yourself."
The memory of Jiang Yue's dying words was still vivid, as if it were yesterday.
Jiang Yue pouted. "Men only hinder my beauty. This sister doesn't need one!"
Yan Shao: "Heh."
Jiang Yue: ???
Jiang Yue, embarrassed and angered, exclaimed, "President, how can you undermine me like this?"
Yan Shao's eyes curved, resembling a fox secretly enjoying itself. "My bad, my bad. You two carry on."
Li Le and Shi Yu were also seeing Jiang Yue in person for the first time. It was difficult to reconcile the current image of a petite, delicate girl with red hair tied in a high ponytail, resembling a loli, with the lewd behavior she displayed as a boy when they first entered.
"Hm? Where's the rich Little Fatty?" Lu Zhi suddenly remembered the only ordinary person in their group, the real estate mogul.
"Right, where is he? Don't tell me he kicked the bucket within just a day?" Jiang Yue looked around, scanning the vast mountain forest, but couldn't see any trace of anyone other than themselves.
"Actually, after nightfall, I could no longer sense Little Fatty's life force," Li Le said calmly, explaining his ability. "My ability is quite special; I can see everyone's life force above their heads, much like seeing health bars and status effects in a game."
Li Le spoke truthfully. "Ordinary people in the Cage either awaken special abilities or rely on their… " Li Le nodded. "…intelligence to survive. But the real estate mogul’s luck stat is minus 100."
Jiang Yue frowned and clicked her tongue. "Indeed, unlucky. For an ordinary person to be dragged into the Cage, barely one in ten survives. If only we knew the conditions under which Fatty died."
Accustomed to life and death, everyone accepted the passing of a life with great equanimity.
Lu Zhi fell silent for a moment, then looked at Shen Qi and asked, "What exactly is going on? What kind of Cage is this?"
If anyone else had asked, Shen Qi wouldn't have bothered to respond.
Shen Qi countered Lu Zhi's question, "Do you remember the clear the stage requirement we received upon entering?"
"Of course, I remember: uncover the secret of Qing Shen Village." Lu Zhi paused after speaking. "Could it be because we saw the origin of the birth of the Mother and Child God?"
"But that doesn't make sense either," Lu Zhi mused, thinking for a moment. "If this is the secret of Qing Shen Village, shouldn't the Cage have been broken by us, allowing us to leave?"
Shen Qi said slowly, "Who said there's only one secret?"
As his words fell, rustling sounds approached them from behind, accompanied by several wolf howls.