“It looks like he noticed,” the driver said to Long Ling when Wen Yuxian suddenly changed direction and started driving back.

“Then let’s stop here for today. Thank you,” Long Ling replied.

“No need to thank us. If not for you, Miss Long Ling, we might not have survived back then.”

When people are at their lowest, even something small—like a cup of tea or a piece of bread—can feel like a huge kindness. It can leave a deep impression and create a sense of debt. This was exactly the method Long Ling used to control others. She never acted when things were already good—she only stepped in during hardship. Even if she was the one who caused the hardship.

Although they failed to complete the tracking on the first day, they still followed half the route. Long Ling had no intention of giving up. She had plenty of people and vehicles. With this kind of system, it would be very hard for Wen Yuxian to avoid being tracked.

Because of this, Wen Yuxian’s return home became more difficult. He had to stay alert at all times and watch everyone around him.

The people following him were ordinary humans, which made things harder. If they were Atavists, he could sense their aura. But in a world full of ordinary people, it was impossible to tell who was a threat.

The pressure grew heavier. He began to lose sleep at night. Only by tightly holding Zhang Simiao’s hand could he calm down a little. His nerves were stretched tight, like a bowstring with an arrow ready to fire. No one knew whether that arrow would strike someone else—or himself.

…

Liuyun Prefecture.

Tao Ze got dressed and prepared to go out when Mo Weiwei jumped down from the bed.

“I’m going too.”

“This is my task alone,” Tao Ze said.

“I don’t want to stay in the hotel by myself. Just take me with you. I promise I won’t cause trouble,” Mo Weiwei said.

Tao Ze’s face grew serious. “You know you did something wrong, right? You gave false answers on purpose last time. If the boss wasn’t better than you, how much trouble would that have caused?”

Mo Weiwei looked upset. “She already knew the answer. Why make me find it? She just wanted to mess with me and suppress me.”

“Anyway, I’m not taking you this time. Stay in the hotel. If you’re hungry, go eat downstairs, but don’t go wandering around,” Tao Ze said before leaving and closing the door.

Mo Weiwei stayed behind, angry.

He did not realize his emotions were becoming stronger. He no longer liked being alone.

Tao Ze drove the rented car to a high-end apartment area. He changed into a delivery uniform and carried several boxes.

After registering fake information at the gate, he entered the building and pressed the button for the 27th floor.

When he got there, he looked around as if searching for the door number. He stopped at 2701, then moved toward 2703. As he walked, a black card seemed to fall from his hand and land in front of 2701.

He did not notice it. After placing the packages, he left and took the elevator down.

Today’s task was simple—pretend to be a delivery worker and leave a business card at room 2701. He did not know why, and he did not care. He only needed to complete the assignment.

Elsewhere, at Liuyun Medical University, a man in a white coat was very popular with female students and respected by male students.

“Professor Tang, about your last paper on the brainstem—there’s something I don’t understand…”

The man surrounded by students was tall and strong. His looks were sharp and rugged, with a short beard on his chin. Tattoos could be seen on his wrist, reaching into his sleeve. He had a strong and wild aura.

He looked like he could belong to any profession—except a careful doctor.

But he was one.

“No. It’s after work hours. Ask during class,” he said with a bright smile that showed eight teeth, then refused them.

“How could you!”

“He looks like a playboy, but he’s actually heartless toward girls.”

“We’re used to it…”

A senior student whispered to the others, “Let me tell you some gossip. A senior once tried to seduce him after graduation. She even took off her clothes. Guess what he said?”

“What?”

“He said, ‘You seem underdeveloped. I suggest acupuncture for your chest at the traditional medicine department.’”

“Seriously? How do you know?”

“She said it herself! She was furious. She actually had a great figure. She said he must have a problem and told everyone not to waste time on him.”

Nobody knew whether Professor Tang really had a problem or not. But no one had succeeded in getting close to him—not even bold male students. That mystery only made him more attractive.

Professor Tang drove back to his apartment. As he entered the code at the door of room 2701, he noticed a black card on the ground.

He picked it up and turned it over.

【Puzzle Intelligence Agency】

Below it, in gold letters:

【I have all the information you want】

…

Jiangnan West District, in a remote villa area.

A black car drove into the empty neighborhood.

“This does look like a good place to hide something,” the woman in the passenger seat said.

This time there were four people. Two more members sat in the back. All of them looked strong and dangerous. Wen Yuxian had killed their previous teammates, so they took him seriously.

They stopped in front of the villa where Wen Yuxian had lived.

The four of them moved like shadows. In a blink, they were at the door.

One man’s arm turned into a sharp blade like a mantis. With two flashes, the door was cut open.

No movement inside.

The house was simple, with plenty of open space—clearly designed for something large to move around. The second floor had even been opened up into a single room.

This was once Wen Yuxian and Zhang Simiao’s home.

But now it was empty.

“Damn it. We’re too late!” one member spat angrily.

“Hey, show some manners,” the woman said. “Don’t do that in someone else’s house.”

“Shut up,” he snapped—but in the next moment he was punched by her partner and sent flying into a table.

“Say that again and I’ll kill you.”

“Enough. Focus on the mission,” the mantis-armed man said.

They went back to the car and tried to track Wen Yuxian’s new location.

But they found nothing.

No moving records. No housing search. No clues.

It was as if he had simply vanished.

If they tracked him directly, he would notice them quickly. That would ruin everything. Their goal was to capture Zhang Simiao alive. Wen Yuxian did not matter.

“Should we ask headquarters for help?”

“We can, but we’ll get scolded.”

Then they noticed something else—

Another group was tracking Wen Yuxian.

And they were doing it better.

…

The sky was dark and heavy, as if something was about to happen.

Only the glowing cage in the distance gave off faint light, reminding everyone there was still an angel trapped inside.

But the angel could not help here.

Only he could.

But plans don’t always go as expected.

Jing Pei sighed and got out of the car, heading to school.

She glanced to the side. The one-eyed boy was gone. Of course he would hide—otherwise the Zhou family would kill him.

She entered the classroom just before class started. Everyone was eating snacks. The empty desks also had food, clearly from Wen Yuxian.

Tang Qiaoqiao’s seat was empty.

Sharp students noticed something different about Wen Yuxian. But they could not explain it.

His gaze had changed.

He looked at each student carefully, as if trying to remember their faces.

“Class dismissed… Goodbye,” he said.

“Goodbye, Teacher Wen.”

“Do you feel something’s off?” Chen Mo asked Feng Yilian.

Feng Yilian frowned slightly and glanced at Jing Pei.

Deep down, none of them had forgotten about Wen Yuxian’s mystery.

Jing Pei unwrapped a candy and put it in her mouth.

None of them knew this was his last class.

He had decided to leave quietly.

The trackers had brought back his fear. He decided to stay in the Bubble and never return to the city.

On his way home, he bought flowers, a cake, and books.

He was preparing to propose.

But he had already escaped.

He left his car behind and took a taxi instead.

The person tracking him realized too late.

But fate had its own plans.

The taxi driver turned out to be someone Long Ling knew.

Long Ling smiled.

Everything was in her favor.

But she did not know—

she herself was being followed.

A car stopped next to hers.

Four people got out.

Danger.

“Drive!” she shouted.

But it was too late.

The car was crushed.

Within seconds, everything fell apart.

Her driver died instantly.

She ran.

But she could not escape.

She was caught.

Held like a toy.

Begging for her life.

“Please… I’ll give you anything…”

The woman stopped her partner.

“Wait. She has Dragon blood. She can be used.”

A proposal.

A new test subject.

Long Ling trembled.

She tried to bargain.

She even offered another target.

“The Tang family… would you want one of their Atavists?”