Chapter 108: Taking the Lead

Then, the post simply ended.

That was the end of it.

Oh, wait, there was one more sentence: "The remaining content is visible upon reply."

Qin Ye frowned slightly and continued to scroll down. No matter how bizarre a pinned post might be, there were bound to be people reading it. The comments below had already surpassed several hundred replies.

"OP is an idiot? Why should I come? Am I your son?" "Is the moderator sick? How can this kind of post be pinned?" "Four sentences in total, hehehe, this is the shortest pinned post I have ever seen." "What does your cat have to do with me?" "When others are earning a million a month, you are still worrying about a monthly salary of three thousand. Follow QQ438125732 to lead you to a different life."

"Cats can communicate with the spirit world," Arsaces said calmly. "This claim exists in both the East and the West. In the West, cats are the spokespeople for the Grim Reaper and can see Western underworld messengers. In the East, it is said that cats have nine lives, and cats... especially black cats, can see many things that ordinary people cannot."

Qin Ye tapped his phone gently with his index finger without speaking. Instead, he opened the Daishan City Entertainment Forum. Although it was unrelated to casual chatter, the pinned post was still, "Have you seen my cat?"

The comments below were identical to those on the city forum: "My god, why is this post everywhere? How much did the OP pay Daishan City?" "The 'people are not as good as cats' series. When a cat goes missing, the whole city pins it; when a person goes missing, not even a ripple is made." "OP, please tell us your story." "Have you guys tried replying? It’s impossible to reply at all."

Not a single comment was insightful.

He hovered over the reply button for several dozen seconds before searching other forums.

Several minutes later, he finally confirmed a fact.

Every single forum related to Daishan City had this post pinned to the top!

"What are you looking at?" Arsaces asked, somewhat puzzled.

"So, you have only reached the level of an 'old aunt' born after '95, and there is a qualitative difference between you and a fresh post-00s kid like me," Qin Ye said, his finger gently rubbing the reply button. "Have you noticed? There are no replies on this."

Arsaces: "???"

Qin Ye continued to himself, "It has hundreds of thousands of views, yet not a single reply. You don't understand the mindset of netizens; they would definitely leave a footprint on such a pinned post. But... none of the comments show any record of a reply."

"Actually, you could just get to the point without taking a detour to look down on me, right?"

Qin Ye coughed lightly. "Sorry... couldn't help it. What I mean is, this reply button might have more to it than meets the eye."

After saying the last word, he typed '1' and tapped reply.

The moment he entered the reply, the phone screen instantly turned a vivid red. A line of pitch-black text, like blood that had congealed for years, appeared glaringly on the screen.

"Warning: The section you are about to enter is life-threatening. Once accepted, you are responsible for your own safety. Yes/No."

Qin Ye clicked Yes.

A loading circle appeared on the screen. Three seconds later, another prompt box popped up: Please enter your identification number.

"For centralized management, all cultivators have an ID number. This is one hundred percent a paranormal incident, and... I’m afraid it’s going to be very troublesome." Qin Ye licked his lips; he was now truly intrigued by this cat.

What kind of paranormal entity could be worthy of the attention of both Principals Li Tao and Xu Anguo? Why was it specially selected?

Moreover... this paranormal incident was still unresolved in the vast city of Daishan, the capital of Anhui Province. Even the Soul-Detaining Messengers and the Impermanence were helpless?

***

S9527. After he entered it, the page loaded for only a second before finally revealing a simple interface. However, at the very top of the page, there was a striking line of red text.

"You are currently viewing a special paranormal incident in Daishan City. The scope is extremely small, the impact is minimal, the predation zone is extremely hidden, and the lethality is extremely high."

"Victims show signs of being gnawed; bodies are left incomplete. Currently, seven cultivators of the Ghost Messenger level have entered, and none have survived. Four Soul-Detaining Messengers returned empty-handed. Based on the Special Investigation Department's ruling, the spectral entity does not exceed the Ghost Messenger level. It is hereby classified as a C-level danger zone."

He scanned it and immediately saw the hidden content.

"At twelve o'clock every night, I will wait for you at Table 4 of the No. 4 Cafe."

That was the only sentence. The comments below were few, about a dozen, but they finally became informative.

"Be careful, fellow Daoists, be extremely careful. This predation zone is incredibly strange. An old Daoist friend of mine, who was on the verge of reaching the Soul-Detaining level, went there and never returned."

"To the person above, don't talk about the Ghost Messenger level. I heard that Master Jiang, a patrol officer at the Soul-Detaining level, went there himself. When he returned, his back was covered in tooth marks and claw scratches. If it weren't for the fact that Ghost Messengers cannot break the defenses of a Soul-Detaining Messenger, he probably wouldn't have survived with his body intact. It is precisely because of this that this predation zone is classified as Ghost Messenger level. It may also be the most unique one at that level."

He finished reading in a few seconds. Before he could speak, Arsaces said, "Interesting."

"How so?"

"Haven't you noticed?" Arsaces laughed deeply. "The owner of this predation zone... has a physical body."

"The spectral entities you've encountered in the past have never had physical bodies. Even the 'household deities' are just visual illusions. In the end, spirits are just spirits; they represent something illusory. But this predation zone is different. It actually leaves marks on a Soul-Detaining level cultivator, which is proof enough that it has a physical form."

Qin Ye narrowed his eyes. "It has a physical body... yet it cannot be discovered? What kind of situation is this?"

"There are several possibilities—they are closely related to the open lecture you'll be giving after school starts. Each one is extremely rare, even in the old Underworld, and could be called a rarity. Just looking at this, I cannot judge yet. Are you going to take it?"

"Of course," Qin Ye closed his phone. "Nothing can stop the path of a future God of Teaching!"

"Why do I always get the feeling you’re only so bold because you're invincible among your peers as an Underworld Messenger? This kind of bravado doesn't fit your usual persona at all..."

***

At the same time, a text bubble popped up on Zhou Xianlong's phone.

"Mentor S9527 has triggered a C-level predation zone mission. C-level predation zone, codename 'Lost Track.' It poses a certain threat to Soul-Detaining Messengers. The Yin energy index has been rising steadily for three years. Do you want to initiate protection?"

"So fast?" Zhou Xianlong raised an eyebrow. His finger hesitated between Yes and No for a moment before he finally clicked No.

No need.

Although he despised S9527's lazy personality, he had to admit that the other's strength was the best among the mentors of this batch.

He put down his phone. This time, he didn't send a voice message but posted a message in the group chat for the first cohort of mentors at the First Cultivation University, specifically tagging everyone.

"S9527 has officially accepted the 'Lost Track' mission. Difficulty C, 5 faculty points earned. Total faculty points: 10, Ranking: 1."

A short sentence, yet it drew the attention of over a hundred pairs of eyes.

"Damn it..." On the street, Lin Han gritted his teeth as he looked at his phone. "Does he have to be so fast!"

"Instead of being jealous of others, you should see where we missed out and why we haven't discovered it yet," Su Feng pushed up his glasses. "At least it's S9527... don't think that just because someone let you win first place, you are truly the best."

In an abandoned factory, a young man was chatting with a security guard when his phone suddenly rang. He picked it up, glanced at it, and immediately frowned. "It's him again..."

"Should we say that he is worthy of being the number one mentor who has cut down nine major predation zones?" On an ancient street, a long-haired woman wearing sunglasses lowered them, stared blankly for a few seconds, smiled, and put the phone in her pocket.

Everyone knew that this screening had already begun.

Even if they were behind for now, who among those selected as candidate mentors for the First Cultivation University wasn't a dragon among men? The one who laughs at the end is the true winner.

"There's still plenty of time..."

Qin Ye saw it too, but his mood was completely different. He wished he could spit a mouthful of old blood onto Zhou Xianlong's face!

Are you that annoyed that I'm doing well?

And you specifically tagged everyone?

I'm trying to sneak into the city quietly here, without firing a shot, and you're setting off a royal eighteen-gun salute for me?

You're a Judge, for heaven's sake! Can't you focus on something other than a mere Soul-Detaining Messenger like me? Can't you stop the personality cult! Why are you staring at me so intently!

After sighing with resentment, he called a taxi and headed straight for the No. 4 Cafe.

As they drove, the scenery along the way became increasingly desolate yet familiar. Qin Ye was stunned. "Driver, the No. 4 Cafe... is it in Anhui University?"

That's right, the path they were taking led directly to Anhui University.

"You didn't know?" Nine out of ten drivers love to chat. The driver laughed, "In the past, this place was called Tianxi Fourth Street. It was decades ago, originally a seafood market, with old buildings from decades back. The surrounding areas were all slums, and later Anhui University was built here, which boosted the economy. But the old places were never torn down; they’re right at the North Gate of Anhui University. Didn't you smell a strong fishy odor when you walked by?"

Qin Ye shook his head; he really hadn't noticed.

"Last year, they were going to demolish the place, but for some reason, it stopped. It's been a year since then. Smoke?" The driver took out a pack of cigarettes. Qin Ye refused, and the driver lit one, exhaling a puff of smoke. "Young man... here to study at Anhui University? A freshman?"

"How did you know?" Qin Ye was amused by the driver and asked casually.

The driver took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "Little brother, let me give you a piece of advice: don't go to that place if you don't have to. It's... not clean."

He seemed to recall something and bit down hard on the filter. "Everyone in Daishan City knows that after six in the evening, taxis absolutely won't go there. Every month or so, everyone who goes there disappears! This incident is also known as one of the 'Three Major Unbelievable Events of Anhui University—The North Gate Fish Market.' You... you've arrived."

The brief familiarity ended as he got out of the car. Qin Ye paid the fare, stepped out, and carefully examined his surroundings.

This was an ancient neighborhood.

One could vaguely see what it looked like in its prime decades ago. Cross-crossing utility poles looked like tombstones even in the daytime. Wires hung down like nooses, drawing oppressive arcs. Various signs and small advertisements were scattered about. Overflowing trash cans emitted a pungent, strange odor. Everything indicated that this street had passed its prime and was stepping into twilight.

Right at the corner of the street, a dust-covered sign extended crookedly, with the words "No. 4 Cafe" written in wobbly characters.