The entire room gasped audibly.

"However, the most terrifying of the Chenzou beasts is the Hornbearer. If you encounter it, death is certain."

"Is the Hornbearer that powerful?" Qingling asked.

"No, but it uses its special vocal cords to instantly alert every beast within a one-kilometer radius."

"..."

Gao Yang remained silent. Perhaps this was a blessing in disguise.

It seemed investing all his points in luck wasn’t entirely useless. Superstitions sometimes have their value; better to believe than not.

"Officer Huang, hello," said Pang Jun, stepping forward with an eager smile, extending his hand. "I’m your new partner."

"I can see that." Officer Huang shook his hand, then glanced back at Wang Zikai, who stood confidently yet cluelessly.

"And this lively young man is...?"

Suddenly, Officer Huang’s brow furrowed, and a cold, murderous intent flickered in his eyes.

"Officer Huang!" Gao Yang quickly stepped forward, shielding Wang Zikai. "He’s one of us."

Officer Huang met Gao Yang’s gaze and fell silent for a moment, seemingly piecing things together. It wasn’t always necessary to kill the Lost. They resembled humans far too much. As long as you didn’t provoke them, coexistence was theoretically possible.

But overall, humanity knew far too little about the beasts. This approach still seemed overly idealistic. However, Officer Huang wasn’t in a position to lecture the young man. After all, he himself hadn’t killed "Old Liu."

He nodded and whispered, "Are you sure it’s safe?"

"Safe."

"Alright." Officer Huang lit a cigarette, taking a deep drag. "You three clean yourselves up and leave immediately. Go back to school as if nothing happened."

He then looked at Pang Jun. "You’re the owner of this hotel, right?"

"Yes."

Officer Huang nodded, surveying the bloody scene. "I can report this as a robbery, but the traces of the fight are too obvious. It’ll be hard to cover up quickly. The risk of exposure is high."

"Any other options?" Pang Jun asked.

"How about making the news? 'Couple’s hotel suffers gas explosion: one dead, one injured.'"

The deceased would naturally be Aunt He, and the injured would be Pang Jun. The performance had to be convincing, but since Pang Jun could heal, it was a cost-effective plan.

"This... but this is everything I own! Do I really have to blow it up?" Pang Jun groaned in agony. "I don’t have insurance! No compensation, and I might even get fined..."

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"Is your life more important?" Officer Huang countered.

"Officer Huang is right. There’s nothing more significant than life and death," Gao Yang added.

Pang Jun let out a long sigh, cursed under his breath, and relented. "Burn it down then! Trading a building for a few comrades is worth it!"

...

Ten minutes later, Gao Yang and Qingling left the hotel.

The city, bathed in the soft light of dawn, was just beginning to wake up.

The streets were sparsely populated, with a few breakfast carts here and there, seven or eight young men finishing their overnight gaming sessions, and a sluggish water truck passing by.

Wang Zikai followed closely behind them, bursting with energy. "Damn, now everyone looks like a lizard person to me!"

"Keep your voice down!" Gao Yang warned him. "Go home and lay low. Qingling and I will head to school first. Pick us up at the gate tonight; I have a task for you."

"Got it." Wang Zikai sprinted across the street to his sports car.

Before driving off, he waved exuberantly at Gao Yang. "Let’s kill them all! Save the world!"

"The Lost would never remain calm after being provoked like that. It’s unnatural," Qingling said coldly.

"I thought you’d already let him go," Gao Yang sighed.

"Impossible," Qingling replied, her gaze icy. "If he dies tonight, we’ll be too suspicious. We’ll wait for a more opportune moment..."

Before she could finish, her expression darkened.

"What’s wrong?" Gao Yang asked, just as he noticed where Qingling’s eyes were fixed—behind him.

He turned and froze in shock.

"Gao Xinxin?!"

Standing just a few meters away was his sister, dressed in a new Lolita dress and wearing a golden wig, looking like a porcelain doll. She stared at Gao Yang, expressionless.

Had it been under different circumstances, Gao Yang would have complimented his sister on how beautiful she looked. But at this moment, panic gripped him, making him stutter. "Sis, what are you doing here? I... I was just talking with my classmates..."

"Stop pretending. I’ve already figured it out," Gao Xinxin’s voice was eerily calm.

Gao Yang’s heart sank.

Qingling took a step forward, her fingers subtly tensing, ready to act.

Gao Yang, still clinging to a sliver of hope, continued, "Sis, I don’t understand what you’re talking about..."

"It’s too late," his sister’s lips curled into a cold, unsettling smile. "I’ve already told everyone."

A wave of immense despair and terror instantly gripped Gao Yang’s throat.

—The Hornbearer!