### Chapter 223: A Clash on the Brink
An Que’s grip on the handrail of the stairs was so fierce it almost bent it out of shape. His eyes were fierce, and he bit down hard on his back teeth. While outwardly calm, after years as vice president, he knew how to hide his anger.
“Why did the intel go wrong?” He seized a gatekeeper, his voice a mere growl between clenched teeth, frustration boiling over.
“I’m sorry, Chairman.”
The gatekeeper looked utterly innocent; it wasn’t his fault! The information had come from Chairman Chen, not from his own investigation. Plus, all signs pointed to the fact that the Thousand Eyes Godmother had indeed changed her destination unexpectedly. It was very likely they had simply gotten the location wrong.
Normally, the distance between ghost gates is at least 30 kilometers apart, with even larger jurisdiction divisions.
This ghost gate and the one that Qian Mu was heading to were an exception, being only 11 kilometers apart—the closest by far.
In comparison, the other ghost gate was easily accessible; you could stroll right in without wasting any time.
But those words? Definitely not something An Que wanted to hear. He shivered at the thought of An Que tearing him apart if he caught wind of it.
Throwing the gatekeeper aside, An Que fished his phone out of his pocket, opened the satellite map, and zoomed in on the neighboring ghost gate. As he observed the area around it, he noticed a large expanse of open land right in front, bigger than several football fields combined.
Had Qian Mu really just changed her mind on a whim?
It didn’t seem like it—not at all.
But what was her goal? Was she intentionally leading them somewhere, or was there an ambush set up there, hiding a swarm of believers and evil ghosts?
But with the few believers she had gathered over the past few days, what could she possibly do?
If an influx of people were to converge on that location quickly, someone would have certainly noticed.
If there weren’t any ambushers, then what was Qian Mu’s objective? Did she genuinely believe she could withstand the entire batallion of gatekeepers by herself, like taking down a few and thinking they were all pushovers?
With those thoughts, even he began to doubt whether Qian Mu had truly changed her course by coincidence, as if it were all just a stroke of luck.
Everything he had been thinking was predicated on the assumption that Qian Mu knew about their movements.
The problem was, she very well might not know about them. Their operation was no small matter, but nevertheless, the gatekeepers were well-trained and wouldn’t leak information easily.
“Chairman.” A gatekeeper approached, “Chairman Chen told us to set off immediately and reach the G31 Ghost Gate in 15 minutes.”
With a creak, An Que crushed the handrail in his grip.
That old coot was definitely eyeing Qian Mu’s transformation—it was making him too anxious.
News of Qian Mu had spread among the gatekeepers already; everyone knew that the Thousand Eyes Godmother could be interrupted during her metamorphosis, wiping out her will and rearing her to be a loyal minion. No one would be unaffected by such news. Could he not fear his subordinates’ suspicions?
“Disassemble the formation. We’re off.”
With a grand wave of his hand, An Que led a large group of over a hundred gatekeepers on their way.
If that old man wanted to play, so be it—he thought he was in control. He better watch his arrogance, lest he trip over his own ego like a praying mantis catching a cicada, completely unaware of the oriole behind.
Who could say where Qian Mu would end up in the end?
As they boarded their vehicles, An Que toyed with a white bone ring on his finger, a smile creeping onto his face.
No one understood the Thousand Eyes Godmother better than he did.
Outside of the windows, shadows flickered by, and moments later, several vehicles followed the gatekeepers’ convoy.
—
“Is Lu Liangting out of his mind? What’s he doing wandering into places like this and getting involved in all this? Doesn’t he fear for his life at all?”
Outside the abandoned factory, several graceful figures were huddled in a shadowy grove, pointing and discussing the factory.
They had teamed up for the moment, determined to keep an eye on Lu Liangting while strategizing to weaken the gatekeepers’ power. After the mission concluded, they planned to swoop in and seize the ghost gates for themselves.
These ghost gates were prime real estate; the more they occupied, the better! With an abundance of ghost gates, they could expect to attract countless challengers and strengthen their own power in a vicious cycle of domination.
For now, Lu Liangting’s concerns could be set aside; becoming stronger was the true path.
“Seriously, what nonsense are you spouting?” one girl cursed, “Lu Liangting’s got a protagonist aura—how can a big event like this transpire without him? This is an opportunity; I’ll be the first to charge in and save the day!”
“Pfft, save the day? What ranking are you to be talking so big? Listen, this mission definitely isn’t just about the eight of us; there will be more. Want to bet that the top three freaks will also crash the party?”
The foul-mouthed beauty frowned at this, “The Doctor and Nightmare likely wouldn’t give a hoot about petty tasks like these, and the Dragon Lady? She wouldn’t involve herself in such affairs!”
“Which only proves you’re useless—hoping to be a hero? You don’t even have the intel. Let me tell you, it’s not just Lu Liangting coming; one of his companions is Zhao Mingyue, you know her?”
“Of course I know her! She’s the Female Protagonist! What’s the big deal? I’ve wanted to take her out for ages; otherwise, she wouldn’t be hanging around Lu Liangting all day—being the Female Protagonist no less! How can we compete?”
“Didn’t you find a way to deal with her? Dragging it out like this isn’t going to help; she’s here on a mission now—don’t you think their relationship is heating up?”
As soon as she said this, the others cast scrutinizing looks her way, filled with disdain and disbelief.
This girl—was she that sheltered? Had she been living in a prison without a clue about anything?
“What are you all looking at? Is there something wrong with what I said?” The foul-mouthed beauty sensed the vibe shift, “Killing the Female Protagonist isn’t normal business? If you have something to say, spill it, stop beating around the bush!”
“Cough, cough.” One girl cleared her throat, “I think we need to fill you in, just in case you end up screwing us all over.”
“Go for it.”
“I mentioned Zhao Mingyue, but it’s not about her being who she is; it’s about the one lurking in her shadow. We can’t mess with her.”
“What do you mean ‘can’t mess with her’?”
“Forget it.” Seeing the girl was so clueless, the other didn’t play coy, “Zhao Mingyue is indeed the Female Protagonist, and hanging around Lu Liangting is fine, but we haven’t gone after her because of the ghost residing in her shadows. We usually call her… the Doctor.”
The foul-mouthed beauty’s grin evaporated. “Are you serious?”
“Believe it or not, but if you don’t, go visit Zhao Mingyue and see for yourself. It’s no wonder you’re so out of the loop—the Doctor’s a different case entirely. Her target is Zhao Mingyue, and that’s a relief for us. If you think of making a move on Zhao Mingyue, you’re directly opposing the Doctor—let’s just say it’s a deadly game, got it?”
“……”
A deafening silence settled in. The girls exchanged glances, an unspoken understanding passed between them before they turned to strut toward the abandoned factory.
They had heard the whispers; an Evil God was set to transform right here. If they could clear its will, they could snag a powerful little Evil God on the house. True, she may not match their peak, but in this world, she’d definitely have a good combat prowess.
Inside the factory, the atmosphere was as vacant as could be; all the machinery and tools had been cleared away, leaving just a single grand door.
The ghost gate was located in the small office within the factory, where the ghosts found themselves wandering about.
The factory was a complete dark pit. Fortunately, they had all adjusted their eyesight during missions; a little darkness was nothing to them.
Pushing open the grand door, they all froze in place.
The foul-mouthed beauty had been about to say something when she edged forward to see inside, only to be just as frozen in shock, her pupils constricting.
Inside the factory sat a black-scaled girl on a throne made of bl**d threads, casually propping her chin with one hand. Leaning against her nearby was a long black blade, one that all of them recognized vividly and held an indelible impression of.
In the past, Bai Yu used to disguise her blade to hide her identity, but now there was no need. Her “Night Bright” looked exactly like the bl**d thread kn*fe that had been crafted in its image.
The identity of the black-scaled girl was glaringly apparent. Just the sight of the Dragon Lady was enough to instill despair, but more horrifying was that the possessor of the blade before them seemed to be controlling her body.
The first and third combinations—was this considered an illegal team-up?
How could anyone play like this?
Among the eight, a few had been to the White Day Amusement Park and were privy to the ins and outs of Bai Yu and the Dragon Lady.
So, at this moment, seeing Bai Yu controlling the Dragon Lady while Lu Liangting and Zhao Mingyue were nowhere to be found, they knew for sure: they’d fallen right into a trap.
There was no little Evil God to exploit; only a skillful “Doctor” waiting for them.
“Interested in a collaboration?” Bai Yu looked up and asked, gripping the blade’s hilt—clearly offering the unfortunate girls no other options.
—
We need tickets; y’all know the drill, right?
