Peninsula: I'm being supported by a top idol.

Rice! Isn't it traditionally believed that rice can ward off evil spirits?!

The instinct for survival and the thought of saving Cui Shi'an overwhelmed all fear.

Liu Zhimin practically pounced on it, grabbed the bag of rice, and frantically tore it open.

They didn't care about accuracy anymore.

With his eyes closed, he threw a handful of rice at the terrifying earthbound spirit!

"laugh--!"

When the white rice came into contact with the earthbound spirit's body, which was emanating black energy, it was like a red-hot iron being branded onto ice. It instantly burst into wisps of blue smoke, accompanied by a foul stench of burning protein!

"ah--!!!"

The earthbound spirit let out a far more shrill and painful scream than before, and the hand gripping Cui Shi'an's neck involuntarily loosened.

"Cough! Cough cough!" Cui Shi'an fell heavily into the muddy water, clutching his neck and coughing violently.

When Liu Zhimin saw that the rice was really effective, he was overjoyed and his courage grew considerably.

"It works! It really works!" she exclaimed excitedly, as if she had found a magic formula, and threw the rice at the earthbound spirit with even more effort.

"Get out of here! You monster! Get out of here!"

The earthbound spirit was forced to retreat repeatedly by the rice grains, with blue smoke constantly rising from its body, screaming in agony, clearly in great pain.

Despite the burning pain in his back from being splashed with a few grains of rice earlier, Cui Shi'an took the opportunity to roll over in the mud and struggle to reach out and grab the fallen arrowhead.

The cool metallic touch invigorated him.

"Shoot! Keep shooting!" he shouted at Liu Zhimin, while he gripped the arrowhead tightly, looking for an opportunity.

Liu Zhimin fought with increasing ferocity, even beginning to actively approach the Earthbound Spirit.

As she watched the once arrogant monster retreat in disarray before her, a sense of smug satisfaction welled up within her, thinking, "So I can do it after all."

The idol group's leader kept bluffing, waving his hand and saying, "Scared now? You know how powerful I am, right?"

However, joy turned to sorrow.

When she reached for the rice again, she found nothing—the bag was empty.

Liu Zhimin's expression froze instantly.

Undeterred, she emptied the bag, and only a few grains of rice pitifully fell out.

Then, subconsciously, I made a scattering motion with rice.

The earthbound spirit also instinctively flinched.

But this time, no smoke rose at all.

The earthbound spirit's movements stopped. Its empty eye sockets "looked" at its own unchanged body, and then "looked" at Liu Zhimin's empty hands.

A moment of deathly silence.

Immediately, an even more violent and venomous black aura erupted from its body! It was utterly enraged!

"roar--!!!"

The terrifying roar was deafening, and the twisted figure of the earthbound spirit, like an expanding shadow, instantly enveloped Liu Zhimin, who was frozen in place, too terrified to move!

The chill of death froze her completely, and her legs trembled.

At this critical moment!

"Hey! Look here!"

Cui Shi'an had already staggered to his feet at some point and pounced on it from behind. With his last bit of strength, he wrapped his arms tightly around the neck of the earthbound spirit, almost hanging on its back!

He gripped the triangular arrowhead tightly in his right hand and plunged its sharpest point deep into the earthbound spirit's brow!

"Damn it! Go enjoy your hell!" He roared hoarsely with all his might!

"roar--!!!!"

The moment the arrows made contact, the earthbound spirit let out an unprecedented, piercing scream that seemed to shatter eardrums!

Its body began to tremble and convulse violently.

Black resentment surged wildly from the seven orifices like boiling water, only to be absorbed and purified by the location of the arrowhead!

It struggled frantically, trying to shake Cui Shi'an off, but Cui Shi'an seemed to be welded to it, his arms like iron clamps, holding it tightly!

Finally, after a long and desperate wail, the earthbound spirit's movements suddenly froze, the black aura around it completely dissipated, and its empty eye sockets lost all luster, turning ashen.

In an instant, it was as if all the bones in his body had been removed, and he collapsed softly and silently, crashing heavily into the mud and water, never to make a sound again.

All that remained was the sound of the pouring rain and the heavy, rapid breathing of the two people.

"Is he... dead?" Liu Zhimin asked first, raindrops forming from his hair and trickling down his chest.

Only then did Cui Shi'an realize that under her coat, she only had a thin nightgown, indicating that she had rushed over in an extremely hurried manner.

I felt both touched and conflicted.

"He should be dead." Cui Shi'an glanced back, walked over, picked up the arrowhead, and saw Liu Zhimin still standing there dumbfounded in the rain. He quickly opened the large black umbrella he had brought and handed it to her.

"Go back quickly, don't catch a cold. I'll explain everything to you later."

Liu Zhimin nodded blankly, his lips trembling slightly from lingering fear.

She held the umbrella, her gaze fixed on Cui Shi'an, who was tidying up his things on the ground:

Aren't you leaving?

Cui Shi'an turned around, raindrops sliding down his sharply defined jawline. He glanced at the streetlights that had come on nearby and urged softly:

"You go first. If someone recognizes you as Karina, it could really be a disaster in a place like this late at night."

These words jolted Liu Zhimin awake, reminding her that she had sneaked out of the dormitory. The members must be worried when they couldn't contact her, and if the manager got involved...

She could almost imagine the terrible consequences.

"Okay..." she responded softly, took a deep breath, mustered her courage, turned around, and faced the alleyway she had come from, which now seemed particularly deep and dark.

The rain pattered against the umbrella, making a monotonous and dense sound.

For a moment, her feet felt like they were filled with lead, and she couldn't take a single step.

That fear of the unknown, like cold vines, once again entwined around her heart.

Cui Shi'an packed his things, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and looked up to find Liu Zhimin still frozen in place. He frowned slightly, then limped over to her side.

"What happened? Are you hurt somewhere?"

Liu Zhimin turned his head, his rain-soaked bangs clinging to his forehead, his eyes filled with embarrassment and an unspoken plea. One hand carefully, with fingertips, gently pinched the hem of his soaked clothes.

"I...I'm scared..."

The girl's voice was so soft it was almost drowned out by the rain, and a barely perceptible blush rose on her cheeks in the darkness.

"Could you...could you...take me to a place where I can get a taxi?"

Cui Shi'an couldn't help but chuckle after hearing this: "Weren't you quite valiant when you were scattering the rice just now?"

Liu Zhimin immediately lost face after being teased like that.

Her fear lessened considerably, and she instinctively loosened her grip on his shirt, clenched her small fist, and lightly punched his arm.

"Oh! It's all because of you..."

"Ugh—!" Unexpectedly, Cui Shi'an groaned from her "light" punch, his face turned pale instantly, and his body swayed slightly.

Liu Zhimin was startled, then remembered that Cui Shi'an had just been hit several times by the earthbound spirit and had been choked and lifted up, so he must be seriously injured.

"I'm sorry..." She dropped the umbrella, grabbed his arm, and looked flustered and guilty. "Does it hurt a lot? Should I take you to the hospital?"

The umbrella fell into the puddle, and the icy rain poured directly onto the two of them again.

With her support, Cui Shi'an steadied himself, the sharp pain subsiding. He shook his head, his voice weak:

"No need... I won't die, and it would be more troublesome to explain at the hospital."

He glanced at the umbrella that had fallen to the ground, bent down to pick it up, tilted most of the umbrella towards her, and sighed softly.

"Let's go, I'll take you to get a taxi."