The moon shines brightly, casting its sparse light.
As the bell rings, signaling the end of the evening self-study, students emerge from classrooms in pairs or groups of three, chatting and laughing as they walk into the night. After a day of trials, this might be their most relaxing time.
No homework, no teachers; surrounded by a few close friends, they can return home, take a refreshing shower, and comfortably climb into bed. Isn't it delightful?
However, amidst the scattered crowd, a large group of about a dozen people marches out, moving in a disciplined and steady manner towards the school gate.
In their midst, a young man with a blindfold over his eyes seems to be the filling in a dumpling, tightly wrapped.
This massive procession immediately captures the attention of all surrounding students.
"Well... I can actually walk back on my own, really," Lin Qiye's mouth twitches slightly, speaking with a hint of helplessness. "I can see, just not very well in the light..."
"No need to say more, Lin Qiye," Jiang Qian interrupts him, speaking sternly. "We promised your aunt that we would take care of you, and we will keep that promise!"
"Yes, Qiye, our homes are in the same direction, so it's convenient for us."
"I'm going that way too."
Lin Qiye: ...
Honestly, at this moment, he wishes he were the one isolated. Having spent too much time in the dark, he's not accustomed to the feeling of being cared for by so many people. It makes him uncomfortable.
Of course, Aunt and Yang Jin don't count because they are his family.
However, they mean well, and he can't say much. He can only reluctantly follow the crowd.
"I'll be turning right at the next intersection, but I can walk with you for a while."
"I have to turn here; see you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow."
...
As they get farther from the school, students around Lin Qiye gradually bid farewell and leave. A few minutes later, only five people remain by Lin Qiye's side.
The once lively atmosphere quiets down, and the space around him suddenly becomes more spacious. Lin Qiye takes a long breath of relief.
"Do you guys think... the mist will really reappear and engulf Da Xia?" Li Yifei, carrying his bag, curiously turns to ask.
"Haven't you heard what those experts said? The probability of the mist reappearing is very low. Maybe it won't change for the next hundred years. As for what happens after a hundred years... well, we won't be around to worry about it anyway," Jiang Qian rolls her eyes.
"Come on, you know those experts' words are the least reliable. What if, after working so hard to get into university, we don't get to enjoy life, and the mist swallows the entire Da Xia? Wouldn't that be a loss?" Li Yifei says.
"So, that's why you're slacking off in your studies every day?" Jiang Qian walks up to Li Yifei, speaking seriously. "I have to remind you, Mr. Wang has already said that if you get the last place in the upcoming exam again, you'll be moving your desk next to the podium."
"I know, I know," Li Yifei smiles awkwardly.
"But, I really don't think the mist will resurface," Wang Shao, who is at the front, suddenly speaks up. "In the end, the mist is just a natural phenomenon. After reaching a certain critical point, it will gradually dissipate, just like the Ice Age. When the glaciers cover the land, with the rise in temperature, they will slowly retreat, ushering in a new era."
"I've heard about that, it's called the natural disaster theory, right? It's quite widely accepted now," Jiang Qian nods.
"But what if... the mist is not just a natural phenomenon?" At this moment, Lin Qiye, who has been silent, suddenly speaks.
Wang Shao is taken aback and then laughs, "Qiye, you don't really believe those so-called theologians who claim the mist is related to supernatural forces, do you?"
"It's the 21st century, and we should believe in science. There are no so many supernatural things in the world," Liu Yuan, another classmate, chimes in.
Lin Qiye doesn't respond. He knows best whether there are things beyond science in this world, but there's no need to share those thoughts with others.
Li Yifei mutters under his breath, "I actually think that if there really are such things, the world would be more interesting."
"Why bother talking about these useless things? It's not something we should worry about. Instead of pondering whether the mist will resurface, it's more practical to get some extra sleep during the three-day break on Survival Day," Jiang Qian laughs.
"Yes, the break is the most realistic!"
...
At this moment, in the old city of Cangnan City.
A man is carrying a sign and walking calmly on the desolate and dimly lit streets. The old streetlights cast a faint glow, elongating his figure continuously...
Glancing at his phone, he reaches a narrow street and stops.
"This is it..."
He mutters, placing the sign he's carrying on the ground and adjusting it.
Under the flickering streetlights, the shadow of the sign appears and disappears, and on its dark background, a few bright red characters stand out prominently!
—No entry ahead!
Leaning against the streetlight, the man lights a cigarette for himself, takes a deep drag, and then opens his earpiece.
"Captain, the third sign is in place."
"Received, commence."
"Mm."
With a cigarette in his mouth, the man steps in front of the sign, places his thumb on his teeth, and bites down hard!
A drop of blood oozes from the wound, and the man crouches down, using his blood-stained thumb to draw a long horizontal line over the four big characters of "No entry ahead"!
His eyes narrow as an inexplicable momentum erupts around him!
Looking up at the dark red night sky, he whispers with a voice only he can hear...
"Forbidden Ruins, [No Taboo Zone]."
In the next moment, the bloodstains on the sign in front of him rapidly fade, as if being absorbed. Then, the four words "No entry ahead" flash with a red glow!
Gradually returning to their original state.
The man sits on the ground, exhales a long breath, and complains.
"Damn, emptied again..."
At this moment, if someone were to overlook Cangnan City from the sky, they would see three points of light near the old city. With these three points as vertices, they would quickly form a dark red equilateral triangle!
As the triangle takes shape, half of the old city covered by it seems to be erased from the map, gradually disappearing...
However, from the ground, the old city remains the same.
At the same time, in the center of this triangle, six figures in black and red cloaks flash across the sky like lightning!
The man in front looks up at the dark red sky, grabs the hilt behind him, and squints slightly.
"Ghost-faced team, cleansing operation, begin."
The moon shines brightly, casting its sparse light.
As the bell rings, signaling the end of the evening self-study, students emerge from classrooms in pairs or groups of three, chatting and laughing as they walk into the night. After a day of trials, this might be their most relaxing time.
No homework, no teachers; surrounded by a few close friends, they can return home, take a refreshing shower, and comfortably climb into bed. Isn't it delightful?
However, amidst the scattered crowd, a large group of about a dozen people marches out, moving in a disciplined and steady manner towards the school gate.
In their midst, a young man with a blindfold over his eyes seems to be the filling in a dumpling, tightly wrapped.
This massive procession immediately captures the attention of all surrounding students.
"Well... I can actually walk back on my own, really," Lin Qiye's mouth twitches slightly, speaking with a hint of helplessness. "I can see, just not very well in the light..."
"No need to say more, Lin Qiye," Jiang Qian interrupts him, speaking sternly. "We promised your aunt that we would take care of you, and we will keep that promise!"
"Yes, Qiye, our homes are in the same direction, so it's convenient for us."
"I'm going that way too."
Lin Qiye: ...
Honestly, at this moment, he wishes he were the one isolated. Having spent too much time in the dark, he's not accustomed to the feeling of being cared for by so many people. It makes him uncomfortable.
Of course, Aunt and Yang Jin don't count because they are his family.
However, they mean well, and he can't say much. He can only reluctantly follow the crowd.
"I'll be turning right at the next intersection, but I can walk with you for a while."
"I have to turn here; see you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow."
...
As they get farther from the school, students around Lin Qiye gradually bid farewell and leave. A few minutes later, only five people remain by Lin Qiye's side.
The once lively atmosphere quiets down, and the space around him suddenly becomes more spacious. Lin Qiye takes a long breath of relief.
"Do you guys think... the mist will really reappear and engulf Da Xia?" Li Yifei, carrying his bag, curiously turns to ask.
"Haven't you heard what those experts said? The probability of the mist reappearing is very low. Maybe it won't change for the next hundred years. As for what happens after a hundred years... well, we won't be around to worry about it anyway," Jiang Qian rolls her eyes.
"Come on, you know those experts' words are the least reliable. What if, after working so hard to get into university, we don't get to enjoy life, and the mist swallows the entire Da Xia? Wouldn't that be a loss?" Li Yifei says.
"So, that's why you're slacking off in your studies every day?" Jiang Qian walks up to Li Yifei, speaking seriously. "I have to remind you, Mr. Wang has already said that if you get the last place in the upcoming exam again, you'll be moving your desk next to the podium."
"I know, I know," Li Yifei smiles awkwardly.
"But, I really don't think the mist will resurface," Wang Shao, who is at the front, suddenly speaks up. "In the end, the mist is just a natural phenomenon. After reaching a certain critical point, it will gradually dissipate, just like the Ice Age. When the glaciers cover the land, with the rise in temperature, they will slowly retreat, ushering in a new era."
"I've heard about that, it's called the natural disaster theory, right? It's quite widely accepted now," Jiang Qian nods.
"But what if... the mist is not just a natural phenomenon?" At this moment, Lin Qiye, who has been silent, suddenly speaks.
Wang Shao is taken aback and then laughs, "Qiye, you don't really believe those so-called theologians who claim the mist is related to supernatural forces, do you?"
"It's the 21st century, and we should believe in science. There are no so many supernatural things in the world," Liu Yuan, another classmate, chimes in.
Lin Qiye doesn't respond. He knows best whether there are things beyond science in this world, but there's no need to share those thoughts with others.
Li Yifei mutters under his breath, "I actually think that if there really are such things, the world would be more interesting."
"Why bother talking about these useless things? It's not something we should worry about. Instead of pondering whether the mist will resurface, it's more practical to get some extra sleep during the three-day break on Survival Day," Jiang Qian laughs.
"Yes, the break is the most realistic!"
...
At this moment, in the old city of Cangnan City.
A man is carrying a sign and walking calmly on the desolate and dimly lit streets. The old streetlights cast a faint glow, elongating his figure continuously...
Glancing at his phone, he reaches a narrow street and stops.
"This is it..."
He mutters, placing the sign he's carrying on the ground and adjusting it.
Under the flickering streetlights, the shadow of the sign appears and disappears, and on its dark background, a few bright red characters stand out prominently!
—No entry ahead!
Leaning against the streetlight, the man lights a cigarette for himself, takes a deep drag, and then opens his earpiece.
"Captain, the third sign is in place."
"Received, commence."
"Mm."
With a cigarette in his mouth, the man steps in front of the sign, places his thumb on his teeth, and bites down hard!
A drop of blood oozes from the wound, and the man crouches down, using his blood-stained thumb to draw a long horizontal line over the four big characters of "No entry ahead"!
His eyes narrow as an inexplicable momentum erupts around him!
Looking up at the dark red night sky, he whispers with a voice only he can hear...
"Forbidden Ruins, [No Taboo Zone]."
In the next moment, the bloodstains on the sign in front of him rapidly fade, as if being absorbed. Then, the four words "No entry ahead" flash with a red glow!
Gradually returning to their original state.
The man sits on the ground, exhales a long breath, and complains.
"Damn, emptied again..."
At this moment, if someone were to overlook Cangnan City from the sky, they would see three points of light near the old city. With these three points as vertices, they would quickly form a dark red equilateral triangle!
As the triangle takes shape, half of the old city covered by it seems to be erased from the map, gradually disappearing...
However, from the ground, the old city remains the same.
At the same time, in the center of this triangle, six figures in black and red cloaks flash across the sky like lightning!
The man in front looks up at the dark red sky, grabs the hilt behind him, and squints slightly.
"Ghost-faced team, cleansing operation, begin."
