"Where are you taking me, exactly?" Feeling that something was amiss, Qin Yan couldn't help but ask, wondering if Li Ruobing intended to take advantage of the dark night to harm him and silence him forever.

"Don't ask too many questions. Just follow me," Li Ruobing, with a heavy-hearted demeanor, replied somewhat coldly.

"Can't you give me a heads-up beforehand?" Qin Yan's tone carried a hint of displeasure.

Sensing Qin Yan's unease, Li Ruobing turned to look at him and noticed his guarded expression. Softening her tone, she said, "Don't worry, I have no ill intentions towards you. Please trust me."

"Okay." Seeing Li Ruobing's expression, Qin Yan refrained from further questioning.

Before long, the two entered a forest, and Qin Yan realized it was the same forest he entered when he first arrived at the Esper Academy. True to his recollection, they soon arrived at a small waterfall surrounded by the sound of rushing water. Qin Yan remarked, "Hey, isn't this where I first met Director Li?"

"Yes," Li Ruobing nodded. "This forest is off-limits to outsiders. Generally, people are not allowed to come here."

"Why did you bring me here then? I remember you wanted to punish me and turn me into an ice stick," Qin Yan joked.

Li Ruobing blushed slightly and said, "Why bring up those things now? Are you still holding a grudge against me?"

"At first, maybe a little. Back then, Director Li, you were quite fierce, almost like you wanted to eat me alive," Qin Yan teased.

Li Ruobing remained silent, not responding. Qin Yan turned to look at her and noticed her slightly lowered head, with a shy expression.

Feeling a tremor, Qin Yan realized Li Ruobing was a beautiful woman. Her shy demeanor left him stunned, and he couldn't help but entertain some inappropriate thoughts. He wondered if Li Ruobing had a romantic interest in him and if she brought him to this secluded place to tempt him. Lost in his thoughts, they left the waterfall and continued deeper into the forest. The forest was eerily quiet, with only the sound of their footsteps echoing softly.

Unbeknownst to them, they arrived at the foot of a mountain surrounded by trees. At the base of the mountain was a dark, massive cave. Li Ruobing led Qin Yan straight towards the cave. With a wave of her hand, a faint glow emanated from the cave walls, illuminating their path as they entered.

"Can you tell me why you brought me here..." Qin Yan couldn't contain his restless and anxious feelings and began to ask.

Before he could finish, Li Ruobing leaned in and covered his mouth with her hand, whispering, "Don't speak, keep quiet."

Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

Startled, Qin Yan found Li Ruobing's charming face right in front of him. Her soft body lightly touched his chest, and the mature woman's unique scent enveloped him, causing his heart to race uncontrollably.

Qin Yan felt his heart pounding rapidly, his mind becoming muddled. What should he do? If Li Ruobing was truly tempting him, should he accept or reject her? Despite Li Ruobing's slightly problematic personality, she was beautiful, gentle, skilled in cooking, caring, and would make a good girlfriend...

However, a sudden image of Lin Shiqi's angry face flashed in Qin Yan's mind. He realized that if Lin Shiqi found out about this, she would despise and scold him, possibly never wanting to see him again. In an instant, Qin Yan snapped back to reality, realizing he couldn't do something that would hurt Lin Shiqi. His thoughts gradually cleared, and his mind no longer felt confused.

Li Ruobing was completely unaware of the inner turmoil in Qin Yan's mind. She remained focused and continued leading Qin Yan deeper into the cave.

Suddenly, a rhythmic sound, resembling a song, emanated from the depths of the cave. The sound was peculiar, unlike any human voice, almost as if it was produced by the movement of air within the cave.

With a tense expression, Li Ruobing said, "It's not asleep yet. We might be discovered, but it should be fine." Observing Li Ruobing's demeanor, Qin Yan had a sense of foreboding and whispered, "Is there something inside this cave?"

"Yes, when you see something later, stay calm and don't make any noise," Li Ruobing said gravely, leading Qin Yan further into the cave. Her steps became slower and lighter, as if afraid of disturbing something.

As they progressed, the song-like sound grew closer. Li Ruobing suddenly stopped, leaning against the cave wall and gazing intently into the depths of the cave.

In front of them was a massive cavern, spacious like a small sports field, with walls emitting a faint glow that illuminated the surroundings. The rhythmic singing emanated from within this cavern.

"You wanted to know the connection between biological modification and monsters. The answer is right in front of you. Take a look for yourself," Li Ruobing pointed towards the center of the cavern.

Suppressing his uneasiness, Qin Yan approached Li Ruobing and peeked into the cavern.

"What... is this?" Qin Yan's pupils constricted, almost shouting in surprise. In the middle of the cavern stood a bizarre creature, resembling a large, yellow-skinned bag with a dull red body, six sturdy legs, and four large gray-brown wings on its back. The most astonishing aspect was its round head devoid of eyes, nose, mouth, or ears.

"What in the world is this?" Qin Yan was in utter shock, feeling like he was in a dream. Li Ruobing anticipated his reaction and said, "This is a creature known as 'Di Jiang,' a divine being from ancient myths."

"A divine being? 'Di Jiang'?" Qin Yan was speechless.

"Yes, perhaps you don't know yet, but the abilities in our academy are derived from 'Di Jiang,'" Li Ruobing explained.

"What is going on here?" Qin Yan was increasingly confused.

Li Ruobing explained, "The divine being 'Di Jiang' possesses unimaginably powerful abilities. By studying its body, analyzing its blood samples and tissues, we created drugs that can activate human abilities. These drugs contain a certain amount of 'Di Jiang' genetic material, and when used on humans, there is a chance they may transform into creatures similar to 'Di Jiang.'"

"I see now," Qin Yan realized, and everything began to make sense.

Li Ruobing continued, " 'Di Jiang' is the core of our Esper Academy. Without it, our research into abilities cannot continue. This is the biggest secret of our academy. I hope you will keep everything you've seen and heard today confidential, or we will face significant trouble in the future."