Shrouded in Mystery

Xu Rong had a very deep impression of that lazy man. It was none other than Wu Tao, whom she had crossed paths with a few times. She could recognize that infuriatingly sluggish demeanor even if he were reduced to ashes!

However, upon clearly recognizing the figure from behind, she found it hard to believe.

No matter what.

She could not associate this lazy man of mysterious origins with the enigmatic entity behind the recent terrifying clan exterminations. She absolutely refused to believe it—could this guy really be that terrifying?

Yet, what she saw with her own eyes told a different story.

Despite her heavy doubts, this was the reality!

Her eyes flickered with shock and uncertainty for a few moments. Not caring to overthink, Xu Rong immediately sprinted after him!

The shocking truth far exceeded any of her speculations. Throwing caution to the wind, Xu Rong sprinted in relentless pursuit.

Strangely enough.

Even though the lazy figure appeared to be walking slowly, he quickly vanished into the night as if he had evaporated into thin air. By the time she caught up to where he had been, the surroundings were completely empty.

Xu Rong couldn't help but feel a twinge of doubt, murmuring in bewilderment.

"Was I hallucinating?"

Just as she was questioning her own sanity, her team members caught up, panting heavily, and asked nervously.

"Captain, where is the person!?"

"Did you lose him?"

At their words, Xu Rong abruptly looked up.

"You all saw someone too?!"

The team members nodded emphatically, answering in unison!

"We saw him!"

"Yeah! There was definitely a figure just now. We only noticed him because we saw you giving chase, Captain. He must be the mastermind behind the recent bloody incidents!"

"What is it? Did you not catch him either, Captain?"

Hearing their barrage of questions, Xu Rong's heart sank.

Just as she thought.

Everyone had seen that figure; it wasn't a hallucination at all!

The true identity of that terrifying entity was none other than Wu Tao, the man she had constantly overlooked and found so annoying!

With her suspicions confirmed, Xu Rong suddenly grew tense. She felt more and more that Wu Tao was truly terrifying. To be able to hide his true self so deeply made him bizarrely mysterious, filling even her with an unprecedented sense of dread.

The thought that Li Weiwei was still staking him out made her eyes flash with anxiety. She hastily pulled out her phone and dialed her number.

To her surprise.

Li Weiwei's calm voice came through the receiver, sounding as if nothing had happened at all, making Xu Rong's worries seem entirely superfluous.

"Captain, what's wrong?"

Hearing her voice, Xu Rong relaxed slightly, only to plunge into an even deeper state of confusion.

"It's nothing..."

"Did you see Wu Tao leave his house?"

A slightly drowsy yawn echoed from the other end of the line, indicating her fatigue.

"Yawn..."

"No. I've been staking out his place from within the residential complex. The door hasn't so much as budged. That guy is holed up inside like a turtle in its shell; staring at it is about to put me to sleep."

He didn't leave?

How could that be possible...

If he hadn't left his house, then who was the person she had just seen?

Was her mind really playing tricks on her, or had Li Weiwei been fooled?

Xu Rong felt clouded by doubt and quickly pressed for confirmation.

"Are you absolutely certain he never left? Is it possible he slipped past you and sneaked out?"

The moment she finished speaking, Li Weiwei's voice suddenly perked up, brimming with confidence!

"Impossible!"

"I've staked my reputation on this mission. I even brought a thermal imaging infrared telescope. His every move is under my surveillance, so there's no way he could fool me!"

"Captain, you can rest assured. I'll keep a very close eye on this guy!"

Xu Rong grew even more perplexed, her mind spinning into a tangled mess.

She was well aware of Li Weiwei's expertise; there was absolutely no way she would make a mistake. Keeping tabs on a single person was a walk in the park for her. Since she guaranteed it, Wu Tao definitely hadn't left his home.

After all, besides visual surveillance, Li Weiwei was aided by cutting-edge technology.

But if Wu Tao hadn't left, who in the world had she and her team members just seen?

For a moment.

Xu Rong was engulfed in confusion, utterly unable to make heads or tails of the situation.

Just then.

A startled cry rang out from the other end of the line!

"Captain! Captain!"

"That guy just came out!"

"He just walked out his door and went into the noodle shop in the complex!"

Whoosh!

Xu Rong's eyes widened drastically at those words, her face painting a picture of sheer disbelief!

Wu Tao was actually in the residential complex all along.

But everyone had clearly seen a man's figure just now—how could that be explained?

Could it be that her deep-seated prejudice against the man, coupled with her recent anxiety, had caused her to mistake someone else for him?

Xu Rong's mind was instantly thrown into turmoil. She could only reply in a grave tone.

"Keep a close eye on him. I'll be back shortly!"

She had to confront him face-to-face. She needed to uncover the truth behind this bizarre series of events. Without waiting for her bewildered team members to ask any questions, Xu Rong rushed back toward Pingjiang City at top speed.

In less than two hours.

The decisive and beautiful captain had arrived at the old residential complex.

She walked toward the apartment building alone.

Following a tense series of knocks, the nine heavy security doors slowly swung open.

She finally laid eyes on the suspect, Wu Tao.

He still wore that same lazy look—flip-flops, shorts, and hair looking like a bird's nest. His usual unkempt appearance, which previously left her increasingly speechless the more she looked at it, now prompted Xu Rong to stare intently, scrutinizing him for a full half-minute.

Wu Tao, however, wore an expression of utmost calm. Steady as a rock, he spoke up to ask.

"Is there a reason you're knocking on my door in the middle of the night? If not, I'm going back to sleep."

His demeanor and tone were so incredibly placid, as if he genuinely knew nothing. It was absolutely impossible to connect him with the terrifying entity that had massacred the Phantom Spirits.

Had it been anyone else, they would have likely assumed this was all a massive misunderstanding.

However.

Xu Rong had survived countless perilous situations. Her observation skills and intuition were exceptionally sharp. Not giving Wu Tao the chance to say another word, she cut straight to the chase, her eyes icy as she interrogated him.

"The person who annihilated the Phantom Spirits tonight—was it you!?"

Wu Tao remained entirely unruffled. As a man of steadfast prudence, he had anticipated every possible scenario long in advance, preparing no fewer than a hundred backup plans.

His pre-rehearsed excuses rolled off his tongue, flowing with extreme naturalness.

"What are Phantom Spirits?"

"What on earth are you talking about?"

"I've been working out at home and was just about to go to sleep. Why do I have to deal with someone spouting nonsense like you? If there's nothing else, I'm shutting the door."

His opening volley of three statements not only dismissed all suspicions and painted a picture of complete innocence, but also casually established an alibi. His acting was so masterful that winning an Oscar would be a walk in the park.

However.

Xu Rong was no pushover either.

Her intimidating interrogation just a moment ago would have made even Li Weiwei flinch, yet the man before her had responded with perfect composure. His natural demeanor was almost suspiciously steady.

There was definitely something fishy going on!

No matter what trick he had used to fool them and fabricate an alibi, he absolutely could not wash away her suspicions!

Xu Rong took a step forward, her voice turning frigid as a fierce light flared in her eyes!

"It has to be you!"

"Stop acting. The person who appeared by the Qing River tonight was definitely you. I wouldn't mistake you for anyone else!"

In the face of the cold-faced woman's relentless probing.

Wu Tao remained as rock-steady as ever. Backup Plan Two was silently activated, the prepared lines already resting on the tip of his tongue.

Right at that moment!

Suddenly, brilliant, multicolored lights flared in front of the door. The walls and floor actually began to warp and distort, and the entire level seemed to writhe and drain of color like oozing sludge, rapidly being swallowed by the encroaching darkness!

It was a truly terrifying sight, worse than the darkest of nightmares!

Not even a horror movie could deliver such a visceral sense of dread. The terror of the unknown instantly flooded the corridor, sweeping through her body like a biting, midwinter gale!

Despite her excellence and her reputation as a rare talent, Xu Rong was ultimately just an ordinary mortal woman. How could she have ever witnessed such a scene!

In an instant.

The stunningly beautiful captain turned deathly pale from shock. She subconsciously stumbled backward, looking around as her entire body began to tremble!