He is the leader of the Tantric sect in Chagdu.

-What kind of people buy houses in the suburbs? (Lin)

-They're either villains or idiots. These kinds of people should either be executed (which would be good for society), or they drool all the time. (Wilding)

Looking at the messages popping up in the temporary group chat, Ai Yi shuddered—why was she being scolded even while walking?

As it turns out, in the city where advanced technology is rampant, the scenario of "being exposed due to exchanging voices during an infiltration" simply does not occur.

Using Virtin's internal channel, the group quickly created a small chat group—from the outside, the entire team appeared expressionless, silent, and menacing.

In reality, it's a face-to-face chat on QQ.

Lin: Why are there residential areas in this godforsaken place...? Do those gangsters, who seem to be fighting and killing outside, actually work like office workers, going home every day after they're dismissed to support their wives and children?

Wilting: No, that's not true... Although it's called a residential area, it's actually just a fairly intact plot of land and a group of buildings. About a decade or so ago, you could still find victims of low-price housing scams in the downtown area. There were always fools who would be tricked into going to the suburbs and losing both their money and their homes. But in recent years, very few people fall for such low-level tricks anymore.

So who lives in these houses now?

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Ai led Nie through a narrow alley with ease, then turned around and found Lin and Sherlock stuck behind them. She originally wanted to take another route, but Sherlock had already used force, squeezing through the collapsed low wall like crushing soft tofu to make a passage.

Seeing Ai's shocked expression, Sherlock chuckled: "Burning Steel—the path I take, although it doesn't lead to the mysterious pinnacle, is simple and brutal, and its destructive power is even greater than some grand paths of the same level. That's why Wei Sir values ​​me."

That's not the point!

"We've come a long way, and we're very close to the place that mysterious person mentioned... Can we still be this high-profile?"

Ai looked around at the houses. The buildings in this area were relatively complete, at least they all had walls and roofs—but there were no lights on in any of the windows, and no signs of life. It didn't look like a place where anyone lived at all.

"So, there are no residents in the residential area at all, right?"

Sherlock shook his head and said softly, "It's not that there aren't any... but there are very few. Most of the residential areas are the faction leaders' reserves in the suburbs. These buildings are usually converted into supply warehouses, safe houses, and the like. Normally there might be people guarding them, but lately, the suburbs are in chaos, and many people have been drawn away to fight each other, so it's normal that the rear is empty."

"What about those esoteric practitioners?"

Sherlock didn't answer immediately; he pointed to Wilting in front of him.

The girl stood alone in the depths of darkness, a long distance away from the group. Ai narrowed her eyes slightly, sensing that something was gathering within that petite body, like sharp, thorn-shaped ripples flowing through the narrowest gaps, like a centipede crawling between pores.

Ai blinked, feeling uncomfortable—as if an extremely thin, invisible silver needle was pressing tightly against his pupil.

-Wilding, what is she doing?

Sherlock's eerie voice rang in his ears:

"I know that in your eyes, Wei Sir may have become a comedian... but I still want to emphasize: she is the Foundation's genuine, once-in-a-century genius in terms of physiognomy—close your eyes."

- Close your eyes?

Ai reacted almost the instant Sherlock spoke, and the moment she closed her eyes, she immediately covered Nephew's eyes—

But Lin wasn't so lucky later on.

The next moment, the principle of insight and revelation blossomed in that silver light.

"Hissing Technique"

The crimson liquid, bounded by the ground where Veltin stood, traveled almost beyond the realm of speed to the edge of darkness. Ripples spread across the crimson pool, creating an invisible wave that seemed to brush away clouds and disperse thick fog—

Ai felt a chill run down his spine. Even with his eyes closed, the sensation of being pierced by a fine needle lingered in his vessel, as if he had briefly stared at a bright light, with torn shapes of light and shadow moving before his eyes.

He thought of the fluttering of a moth's wings... but unlike that, the fluttering of thin wings was meaningless, chaotic, disordered, and foolish. But that hiss just now was a purposeful revelation—like the ringing of a rattlesnake's tail, the echo of a bat in the night.

It is for tracking prey and anticipating danger.

But how can I not distinguish between friend and foe?!

Lin was already clutching her head, wishing she could roll on the ground—Ai quickly stepped forward to comfort her… carefully blocking her way and covering her exposed vertical pupil.

In fact, Ai had already noticed Lin's change when she got off the bus. Although she didn't know why Lin was hiding the fact that she had awakened, since Lin didn't want others to know, Ai pretended to be oblivious and helped her keep up the act.

- But what exactly were the criteria that Lin obtained?

First, there were the scales on the back of her head, then the mutated pupils. It was hard for Ai Yi not to think of the fantasy creature called "dragon"—could it be that Lin was a case of atavism and awakening, preparing to perform the role of a corporate slave turning into a dragon?

Damn, that's a dragon! Just thinking about it makes me so cool...

Could it be that you're the main character?

Sherlock quickly shook his head, shaking it vigorously, and whispered to the two of them, "Don't panic, it's a good thing. Being pricked in the head by the Enlightenment Criterion will help the cranial cavity. Don't worry about what the cranial cavity is for now. Just think of it as giving you a wakefulness buff so you won't be tricked by strange things like the Induction Ritual or the Sleep Incense later."

He continued to explain on behalf of his superior: "Moreover, what you just experienced was the purest principle of penetration and opening—even for newbies like you, Wei Sir deliberately controlled the intensity, so there definitely won't be any aftereffects... This kind of penetrating sensation will also be imprinted on your red fluid, which may improve your intelligence. In short, it's all beneficial."

-That's true.

Ai watched the light screen dissipate silently. Just now, the door had made its presence felt again:

"The hissing stirs ripples in your crimson fluid, revealing and piercing the principles that penetrate your vessel, leaving only a brief, shallow mark—"

"You have become keen and perceptive; even the slightest change cannot escape the light of your bright mind."

"Your resistance to 'ignorance' has increased."

"You 'temporarily' tilt a horizontal line in the direction of the light seeping through the keyhole, continuing through the changing of seasons."

Current preference: Moth 3, Ash 3, Start 1 (temporary)

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An unexpected gain.

Shaking his head in place, Ai Yi wondered if it was just his imagination, but he really felt like he had become more alert... The red fluid inside his skull was vibrant and lively, like the awakening of someone after a long, exhausting sleep. Even in the middle of the night, the world seemed brighter than ever before in his eyes.

This is... the power of the principles of enlightenment.

Compared to the chaotic moths and the ethereal embers, Ai only experienced the feeling of "becoming stronger" on Qi.

The increased speed of thinking and the clarity of consciousness all indicate that the criterion, in terms of its manifestation at the level of power, cannot be compared in terms of either numerical value or form.

Both Ai's Ash and Moth have three horizontal lines, but none of them provide such a direct boost as a single horizontal line.

No wonder even a prodigy like Virtin would hold the "wild chicken cultists" of the outskirts in respect. Walking on different paths is like the difference between species, and it can't even be measured by ranks—a pure combat-oriented mystic like Sherlock, theoretically, might be able to tear apart a tilter who is not good at defense and has no defenses at the qualified stage.

Of course, it's theoretically possible, but whether it can actually be done is another matter entirely.

Lin was pulled up from the ground, and Wilting returned to the group from a short distance away. The five of them quickly got ready.

"Officer, is there something going on?"

"I searched all the red liquid in this area... and only found a few ordinary people, with no fluctuations of mysterious power."

Veltin shook his head, his expression unchanged, but still revealing a hint of relaxation. "The location of the inheritance is nearby; we can just go and collect it."

- Is it really that simple?

As if knowing what Ai was about to say, Sherlock chuckled and patted him on the back: "How could professionals like us, specializing in counter-mystery crimes, be foolish enough to use our physical bodies to probe? — Do you think Inspector Wei got promoted so quickly? Her accuracy is even higher than life-tracking equipment, so don't worry."

After that, everything went smoothly.

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The group stopped in front of a mansion.

"Is this the place?"

Apart from Ai and Nie, the other three looked up and examined the silhouette shrouded in darkness—a villa-like building with its own courtyard. The three-story detached structure was considered quite impressive in the suburban residential area. If this kind of house were in the downtown area, it would be enough to command an astronomical price in the "rich area," and it would definitely not be a place that a wage slave could afford.

- Yes, this is the place.

Ai looked at the tightly closed door, her Adam's apple bobbing up and down, her pupils dilating slightly.

Mr. Gray's residence, the lair of a suburban lord and a cult leader.

Welcome to "Ai's Single Apartment".

"Let's go then."

Since Veltin confirmed there were no living people in the area, and discipline was no longer necessary, the group became lax. Sherlock no longer covered the rear and followed Lynn into the courtyard.

Ai and Nie were left standing in front of the iron fence, lost in thought.

"Brother, let's go."

Nie took a step forward and stepped onto the lawn in the courtyard. He then grabbed Ai's hand and pulled him onto the ground.

Ai silently surveyed her surroundings.

The entire mansion was old and dilapidated, and the yard in front of the door was overgrown with weeds, as if no one had taken care of it for a long time.

As they ventured deeper, the weeds grew taller and taller, and dense ferns grew in large patches. Ai could only follow the path that Sherlock and the others had taken, squeezing through them to carve a clear path forward from their starting point.

The faint light from the dome at night filters through the dense foliage, casting sparse shadows onto the ground.

Ai could hear the rustling sounds of small creatures moving around in the nearby corners, and the splashing sound of water from further away, perhaps from a small stream.

It's harmonious and natural...

.

.

Natural my foot!

Ai suddenly woke up:

Where is the sound of water coming from?

And... only three months have passed, at most three months, why are these grasses growing so tall?

Why can plants still grow on land in the far suburbs?

Everything is abnormal, it's like a ghost!

Ai felt a chill run down his spine. Even though this was his own home, something felt off; too many things were wrong. Some things—things left behind by that Mr. Gray—were completely beyond his control, even beyond his comprehension, as the "second generation."

"dimension--"

He tried to call out to the three people in front of him, but his voice got stuck in his throat.

Ai suddenly felt confused:

-In the entire outskirts, only this place is special, so special that it cannot be ignored at all—they walked in as if nothing had happened despite such an obvious anomaly...

Officer Wei, Sherlock, what are you two doing?

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A faint sense of disorientation washed over Ai Yi.

The enhanced cranial fluid, which had just been activated, rippled amidst this almost ignored sense of incongruity—

He looked at the courtyard, the mansion:

"This place is like a house with the door open—you walk in and find that there are still water stains in the corner of the kitchen sink, the faucet in the bathroom is still running hot water, the air conditioner in every room is set to 24 degrees Celsius, and every light is on."

But after searching every corner of the house, you find that there is no one in the entire house.

Upon further exploration, you even discover that there are no traces of "human" activity in the house.

The refrigerator in the kitchen was full of food sealed with plastic wrap, which looked like packaged dishes that had just been bought from a convenience store, but there were no labels on each of the wraps.

All the kitchen utensils and tableware were displayed brand new on the shelves; there were no knife marks on the cutting board, and no burnt marks on the bottom of the pots. Although the fruit bowl on the coffee table was covered with a thick layer of dust, the fruit inside showed no signs of drying out or losing moisture; it still looked very fresh.

The "incongruity" of this place refers to this: it is presented harmoniously in nature and seems reasonable at first glance, but it is mixed with some elements that are detached from the scene and are incomprehensible.

It's like a crack in time that has been frozen.

But the mutation is still evolving silently.

An invisible gray lingered in the courtyard, flowing gently like melting wax, silently burying Ai's feet, then spreading over her ankles and rising to her knees—

Ai gradually lost in thought...

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Suddenly, a cacophony of noise erupted from the gray void, accompanied by a faint glow: "Wake up—you old codger, you're too lazy to even know your master is back? Who the hell are you trying to fob us off with this routine?"

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In the utter silence, Ai blinked.

He suddenly woke up, and the light screen imprinted in the center of his vision was emitting a dazzling glow.

"Wake up, you too! Aren't you ashamed? You almost got eaten alive by this dilapidated house—did you even feed the dogs the Enlightenment Criteria you just got?"

He looked around in bewilderment. Nie stood quietly beside him, while the door roared in his ear, then whispered, seemingly conveying an ancient and grand will from this mansion:

"I'm sorry, I must have been half asleep, I just realized it was you..."

Ai rubbed his eyes hard. He saw tongues and lips growing out of the paving stones under his feet, moving towards him. The expression on the stones was as delicate and detailed as a living person, and they looked terrified.

The next moment, a light gray path stretched from beneath his feet toward the gate, its hazy texture seeming to have been born from a dream.

The three people not far away were stealthily making their way down another equally indistinct road, gradually disappearing into the mist.

They were enveloped in a gray mist.

Ai took a step forward instinctively, and then, the gray mist quietly buried everything behind him.

"Where is this?"

-How did my home become like this?

—A gray mist, like pillars in a courtyard, descends upon this world.

A voice came from within the gray mist: "Everything is fine here. Welcome back, Mr. Gray."

"Welcome back to—'Grey Garden'."