One person: Starting with the Snow Drinking Blade

Nie Lingfeng's figure reappeared before him as if by teleportation, blocking the only light at the alley entrance. This time, Nie Lingfeng didn't even use any moves. He simply raised his right hand and, from a distance, gently grabbed at the man in black.

"Well--!"

The man in black froze mid-flight, as if he had crashed into an invisible, incredibly resilient wall. He felt the air around him instantly solidify like cement, imprisoning him in place, unable to move! A terrifying, heavy pressure, mixed with a chilling will that froze his very soul, pressed down on him! The energy within him, like a frozen river, instantly ceased, rendering him unable to even twitch a finger! The hand that had reached into his robes was welded shut, impossible to withdraw.

He could only watch helplessly as that demon-like figure slowly walked up to him, its dark golden pupils calmly gazing at him. There was no murderous intent, no anger in that gaze, only a condescending indifference, as if observing an experimental sample...

"Now, can we talk?" Nie Lingfeng asked, his voice still calm.

The man in black wanted to speak, to curse, to threaten, but only a hoarse, leaky sound came from his throat. Even breathing became extremely difficult, and his face quickly turned red and purple.

Nie Lingfeng frowned slightly, seemingly finding his appearance somewhat offensive. He extended his right index finger and gently tapped the black-clad man's chest acupoint, Tanzhong.

"puff."

A pure and gentle (relatively speaking) internal force penetrated his body, instantly relieving some of the suppression on his breathing, but firmly locking down the rest of his joints and energy nodes.

"Cough...cough!" The man in black coughed violently, his eyes filled with terror and despair. He knew he was finished. Falling into the hands of such a terrifying being, forget about completing the mission; even suicide was a pipe dream.

"Are you from the Yaoxing Society?" Nie Lingfeng asked.

"...Yes." The man in black gasped, not daring to hide it, nor able to.

"Was it you who administered the 'Fragrance Inducing' just now?"

"...It's the research institute's...latest...tracking agent..." the man in black answered with difficulty, "mixed in...food oils...and volatilized through high temperatures..."

"Is Qu Tong in Guiyang?"

"...The president...is at the base in the suburbs..." The man in black's eyes flickered.

"Oh?" Nie Lingfeng raised an eyebrow, catching the fleeting unease in his expression. "It seems you weren't entirely telling the truth. Or perhaps you don't know her exact whereabouts either?"

The man in black trembled, lowered his head, and dared not look Nie Lingfeng in the eye.

Nie Lingfeng stopped pressing for answers. He reached out and, to the black-clad man's horrified gaze, gently placed his hand on the top of his head. Without applying force, a powerful yet precise soul force (fused with the characteristics of phoenix blood and dragon essence) instantly invaded the depths of the black-clad man's consciousness.

This isn't soul-searching (that kind of brutal method easily destroys consciousness and yields fragmented information), but rather a more advanced method based on overwhelming mental power, forcibly reading surface memories and emotional fluctuations. It's surprisingly effective against prisoners whose willpower isn't top-tier (at least far inferior to Nie Lingfeng's), who are completely suppressed and have lost their composure.

Fragments of images, information, and emotional moments, like fast-forwarded movie scenes, flooded into Nie Lingfeng's mind:

—Researchers in white lab coats are busy in front of cold instruments, while indescribable tissues wriggle in petri dishes…

—A base converted from an abandoned chemical plant in the suburbs, high walls and electric fences, heavily armed guards, and... the occasional chilling, inhuman roars that emanate from the depths of the ground...

—Qu Tong's cold yet beautiful face scrutinized the report behind her gold-rimmed glasses. Her red lips parted as she issued instructions: "Increase the activation level of the 'Sanctuary' node... The 'seeds' must be released on schedule... Raise the observation priority for the 'Qilin' and 'Phoenix'..."

—An encrypted mission briefing, targeting him and Chen Duo, instructed them to "closely monitor, assess their condition, and, if possible, collect biological samples (non-lethal)..."

Finally, there was a vague instruction, seemingly existing deep within the subconscious: In the event of unforeseen circumstances, immediately activate the implanted "purification program" to erase all memories and biological characteristics...

So that's how it is. The Yaoxing Society does indeed have a secret base in Guiyang, conducting extremely dangerous biological and energy research, even related to "Sanctuary Nodes" (likely referring to contaminated faith sites like Luodong Village). Qu Tong isn't often at the base; her whereabouts are unpredictable. This time, they're mainly here to "monitor" and "assess," and even intend to "collect samples"... They really have a lot of nerve.

As for that "purification process"...

Nie Lingfeng's eyes turned cold, and the dark golden light flashed slightly from the hand he placed on the black-clad man's head.

"laugh……"

A very faint sound, like a circuit burning out, came from under the skin of the black-clad man's nape. At the same time, a weak fluctuation of destructive energy, before it could fully erupt, was forcibly enveloped, annihilated, and reduced to nothing by the even purer and more powerful dark gold energy in Nie Lingfeng's palm.

The man in black convulsed violently, the last glimmer of light in his eyes vanished, and he collapsed limply to the ground, falling into a deep, forcibly suppressed coma, just like the other two. The miniature "purification bomb" inside him had already been "defused" by Nie Lingfeng beforehand.

Nie Lingfeng withdrew his hand and shook it off, as if it had been stained with something unclean. These three guys weren't particularly strong (by his current standards), but their methods were insidious and their backup plans were ruthless. However, in the face of his current power and perception, these arrangements seemed utterly laughable.

Just then, Chen Duo counted to: "...nine, ten. Nie Lingfeng, I'm done counting."

She opened her eyes, her emerald green pupils blinking in the dim light as she looked at the situation in the alley. The three men who had been so aggressively blocking the alley entrance were now lying sprawled on the ground, motionless. Apart from the three extra humanoid "trash" figures, the alley seemed no different from before.

"Huh? Are they... asleep?" Chen Duo tilted her head, a little puzzled. She hadn't heard much fighting. (๑•́ ₃ •̀๑)

"Yes, she's asleep." Nie Lingfeng nodded naturally, walked over, and took her hand. "Let's go, it's too dirty here, let's go back."

"Oh." Chen Duo, unsuspecting, obediently followed Nie Lingfeng, stepping over the "obstacles" lying on the ground and walking out of the alley. She didn't even glance at the three "sleeping" people; her attention was quickly drawn to an old woman pushing a cart and selling "rock candy strawberries" a short distance away outside the alley, and her eyes lit up again. (☆▽☆)

Nie Lingfeng couldn't help but smile as he looked at her innocent expression, as if to say, "All the bad guys are gone, now it's time to enjoy the food." The lightning-fast, almost crushing instant kill, as well as the thrill of forcibly reading memories and defusing the bomb, all seemed insignificant in the face of this girl's clear eyes and simple appetite.

He pulled Chen Duo to the stall selling rock sugar strawberries, bought two of the largest bunches of bright red strawberries covered in glistening sugar, handed one to Chen Duo, and kept the other for himself.

"Here you go, a reward," Nie Lingfeng said with a smile.

Chen Duo happily took it and carefully took a bite. The sugar coating was crispy, the strawberry was sweet and sour, and the cool texture was especially refreshing after eating the hot and spicy pork intestine noodles. She squinted her eyes contentedly and ate it in small bites, completely forgetting the little episode in the alley earlier.

Nie Lingfeng also took a bite of the candied strawberry, the sweet and sour taste melting in his mouth. As he ate, he casually glanced around. The night market was still bustling, teeming with people; seemingly no one had noticed the brief conflict that had occurred in the dimly lit alley. The traffic camera overhead had somehow returned to its normal angle. The cigarette butt behind the second-floor window of the internet cafe across the street had also disappeared.

The other side must have received the "signal"—the three "professionals" they sent were completely wiped out in less than ten seconds, and even the "purification program" was silently cracked. This is enough to make them reassess and... be hesitant to act for a while.

However, it's inevitable that they'll be alerted. The Yaoxing Society, especially Qu Tong, must already know they've discovered the tracking and possess the ability to easily dispose of "conventional" surveillance. Their next move will either be a more covert and sophisticated surveillance operation, or... a more direct and dangerous contact, or even an attack.

"I need to go check out that suburban base as soon as possible," Nie Lingfeng thought to himself. Judging from the fragments of the black-clad man's memories, it was not only the Yaoxing Society's research center in the southwest, but also likely directly connected to the "Sanctuary Node" and the "Seed" project. Although Qu Tong wasn't stationed there permanently, there must be important clues there, perhaps even the key to "that person's" secret.

Moreover, a vague unease lingered in his heart. The being in the "blood moon," the phrase "the seed has been planted," and the research that the Shining Star Society was clearly conducting related to "ancient god worship" and "contamination"... all of this seemed to be developing in a more dangerous and uncontrollable direction.

We need to speed things up.

"Chen Duo," Nie Lingfeng finished the last bite of strawberry and threw the bamboo skewer into the roadside trash can, "Tomorrow, we might be going to a place that's a bit far and desolate. There might not be much good food there, but... we should be able to see some 'interesting' things."

Chen Duo had finished her candied strawberries and was licking the remaining sugar crumbs off the bamboo skewer with lingering enjoyment when she heard him. She looked up, her emerald green eyes meeting his, and without any hesitation, said, "Wherever you go, I'll go. 'Interesting' things... are they like that stinky thing in the cave?"

Nie Lingfeng chuckled: "I hope not. But even if it is, we'll burn it clean."

"Mmm!" Chen Duo nodded vigorously, a glint of eager anticipation in her eyes. To her, following Nie Lingfeng meant having food and being able to burn all the "stinky" and "disgusting" things—that was a good life. As for danger? With Nie Lingfeng around, she wasn't afraid. (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧

Hand in hand, like countless couples or siblings strolling through the night market, the two merged into the bustling crowd and headed towards the safe house.

Behind them, the city's neon lights continued to flicker, and the night market's hustle and bustle persisted. It was as if the brief, almost unnoticed confrontation that had just taken place in the dark alley was merely an insignificant, quickly forgotten interlude in the vast city's night.

Only the three unconscious "professionals" lying beside the garbage heap, along with the energy forcibly suppressed within them and the "dismantled" backup plans, silently tell the story of an even more intense and dangerous undercurrent quietly surging beneath this seemingly peaceful city.