The Scattered Crowd

Leng Qingqiu had been rendered speechless by Gu Yan's words, her face flushed and heart racing.

But now, she was playing the role of Leng Bingning, Leng Qingqiu's elder sister, so she had to act accordingly.

Suppressing her embarrassment, Leng Qingqiu forced her voice to remain steady as she replied, "Oh? I must have underestimated you then."

"Who knew Gu Yan could say something like that?"

What did she mean by "who knew"?

Did he usually come across as that unreliable?

Gu Yan raised an eyebrow. "Come on, hearing you say that is kind of a blow to my ego."

"But... well, I can’t blame you for thinking that, because..."

He paused for a few seconds before continuing with a teasing tone, "Even my dear wife Qingqiu hasn’t uncovered all my good qualities yet."

"What a shame. If only our Qingqiu were here—I’d definitely show her every one of my strengths!"

Leng Qingqiu’s heart skipped a beat.

Why was Gu Yan suddenly saying this? Had he figured out she was pretending?

No, no... that couldn’t be.

She was confident in her disguise.

Covering her mouth, she let out a soft laugh. "What strengths do you even have?"

"You can show them off right now, and I’ll pass them along to my little sister later."

Gu Yan, however, shook his head slightly. "Nope."

"These are qualities I only reveal in front of Qingqiu."

"Since you’re not our Qingqiu, Sister Bingning, let’s just drop it."

Leng Qingqiu felt both relieved and disappointed.

Relieved because Gu Yan maintained proper boundaries with outsiders.

Disappointed because, right now, she wasn’t Leng Qingqiu—she was pretending to be the fabricated Leng Bingning.

This disguise was limiting her too much.

Still, chatting with Gu Yan in this strange, familiar-yet-distant way gave her an oddly refreshing feeling.

She chuckled lightly. "You’re quite loyal, aren’t you? Fine, I’ll stop teasing you. Let’s just keep walking."

Gu Yan smiled without a word.

Internally, though, he was calculating—it was about time. While he wasn’t in a hurry to leave, the group gathering could interfere with his plans.

So...

In his mind, he issued an order for Plan B to Lin.

Meanwhile, Leng Qingqiu suddenly tensed, her sharp gaze turning toward Gu Yan.

Huh?

Had Gu Yan just been silently communicating with someone in his head again?

Unlike Gu Yan’s leisurely, sightseeing-like attitude, Bai Jun and his group ahead were on high alert.

"Captain, just how big is this place?"

"We’ve been walking forever, but the surroundings look exactly the same."

Zhao Zilin, a fellow innate-level martial artist with a bronze complexion, gripped his Martial Arts Department-issued rifle tightly.

His voice was tense—the faint red mist around them obscured their vision, leaving their instruments as the only way to confirm their bearings.

"No idea. Might be a quirk of the Forbidden Zone."

"Maybe it’s related to this mist."

Bai Jun shook his head, scanning the endless white haze around them.

They were in what seemed like a tropical rainforest, surrounded by dense trees and shrubs. Logically, they should’ve encountered dangerous magical creatures by now...

But...

Why was there no trace of them?

A trap?

Just as the thought crossed his mind—

*Hum!*

The mist began to shift. Bai Jun could clearly see its color deepening from pale red to... blood crimson!

Even the previously visible trees and shrubs became indistinguishable.

"Stay sharp, everyone!"

"Keep your eyes open!"

Bai Jun shouted—but it was already too late.

When he turned around, his expression froze.

The people who had been behind him moments ago were gone.

"Damn it...!"

Bai Jun cursed under his breath.

His instrument showed all the surrounding signals had vanished—his team had been separated.

How did this happen?

Staying rooted in place, Bai Jun warily observed his surroundings.

The crimson mist was spreading rapidly, swallowing even the faint outlines of the path until nothing remained but pure white.

Like an invisible hand, the mist had effortlessly torn them apart.

The team was now scattered.

Yet—

Before Bai Jun could react, the mist shrouding the Forbidden Zone began to dissipate.

The scene before him gradually cleared.

"??"

Bai Jun blinked in confusion.

He found himself standing near a seemingly tranquil swamp, its surface covered in thick moss and decaying leaves.

Along with... over a dozen martial artists from the department and various sects!

They exchanged bewildered glances, equally disoriented by the sudden shift.

Bai Jun quickly realized—they had been...

Teleported?

"Brother Bai Jun...!!"

A familiar, fragile voice reached his ears.

He turned—

There stood Bai Lian, her eyes red-rimmed like a frightened fawn amidst the crowd.

Her vulnerable appearance instantly stirred a fierce urge to protect her.

She, too, seemed to have been separated from her team by the mist.

"Bai Lian?!"

Bai Jun was stunned, then immediately strode toward her without hesitation.

Meanwhile—

Every martial artist from the department or sects who had entered the Forbidden Zone had been similarly scattered and regrouped by the mist.

Shangguan Miaoyin and Ning Qian coincidentally ended up in the same area.

"Hmm? Interesting... The mist split us up?"

Shangguan Miaoyin surveyed her surroundings.

They were in a vast, open space with a floor made of an unknown material. At its center stood an ancient altar, above which the air warped—as if hiding a portal to another world.

Ning Qian frowned, tightening her grip on her sword as she eyed the altar warily. "This thing feels off. The aura of magical creatures here is overwhelming."

Shangguan Miaoyin nodded slightly, scanning the others nearby.

Their cultivation levels varied—some were department martial artists, others from sects.

Their confused expressions suggested they, too, had been randomly relocated by the mist.

Well, no matter.

Her gaze flicked to Ning Qian, who was intently studying the altar.

*Being paired with Ning Qian...*

*Not the worst outcome.*

Time to filter out who belonged to which faction.

...

As expected, Mei Xue and You Xingxue were grouped together.

"Waaah! Where are we?! This is so scary...!"

You Xingxue crouched on the ground, hugging her head as tears welled in her eyes.

Mei Xue ignored the other party, merely casting a quiet glance around. She found herself in a dense, shadowy forest where towering trees stood closely together, their intertwined canopies blotting out the sky.

Even though the crimson mist had dissipated, the place remained as dark as night.

More importantly...

Mei Xue observed the attire of the people surrounding her.

Why such a coincidence?

But it didn’t matter. She narrowed her eyes slightly.

The terrain was perfect—an ideal... assassination ground!

Coincidentally, her former master had tasked her with hunting down sect warriors, and this was the perfect opportunity to test her new abilities.