Chapter 61: A Familiar Face

The peacock's casual gaze swept over Lu Shu before pausing on the elaborately wrapped gifts. "Stand up," he commanded.

He strutted over with an air of nonchalance, walking straight through the wire fence as if it were mere air, his form passing through and leaving a ripple in the air. As he emerged, a tall, elegant figure materialized, featuring strikingly handsome features: sword-like eyebrows, phoenix eyes, a high nose, and red lips.

Lu Shu glanced up, then quickly lowered his head, biting his lip to stifle any sound.

Gu Xiaowu, straightforward as ever, stared at the transformed peacock. Before he could say anything, Zhao Jiong swiftly covered his mouth. "Keep quiet if you value your life," Zhao Jiong warned, then turned to the peacock with sincere flattery. "I've heard of your unparalleled beauty, sir. Seeing you today, the rumors don't do you justice."

"Really?" a melodious male voice responded, his words laced with enchanting tones. "But your friend's expression says otherwise."

"He's young and inexperienced, overwhelmed by your magnificence," Zhao Jiong said, nudging Gu Xiaowu, who nodded reluctantly, hiding his true thoughts.

The peacock, drawing a fan from nowhere, flicked it open, revealing a peacock design on the fan's surface. He glanced at the gifts again. "So, what brings you here?"

"Nothing major," Zhao Jiong replied, knowing better than beating around the bush with powerful beings. "Several children have gone missing in T City. We suspect someone who is cunning and uses disguises. We hoped you could help us find him."

"Oh, that's it?" The peacock seemed almost disappointed. "Give me his photo. I can find him in no time."

Relieved, Zhao Jiong quickly handed over a photo. The peacock took it, grimacing at the sight. "Ugly."

He released the photo, and his vast spiritual consciousness enveloped the entire city, scanning like a radar. Other demons in the city felt a cold chill, their movements freezing until the overwhelming presence faded.

A novice demon asked his senior, "What was that?"

"Shh," the senior warned. "That was the most powerful demon in all of China."

Meanwhile, Ling Ji and her group arrived in T City. The lingering pressure from the peacock's scan made Jin Hong move closer to Ling Ji for comfort. "That aura..."

Ling Ji sniffed the air, her cold eyes thoughtful. "Familiar."

"Did you notice something?" Xing Miao, less sensitive than Jin Hong, asked cautiously.

"Nothing. Let's go to the stadium," Ling Ji shook off her doubt. Finding the child was more important.

Back at the zoo, the peacock retracted his consciousness, frowning. His emerald eyes narrowed. "Are you sure he's in T City?"

"I'm sure," Zhao Jiong insisted. With checkpoints around the city, He Guang would have been caught if he tried to leave. Since there had been no alerts, He Guang must still be here.

"Interesting," the peacock smirked, his eyes icy. "Any other clues?"

"Yesterday, he kidnapped a six-year-old boy at T City's stadium. The boy has a water element," Zhao Jiong explained, realizing the peacock hadn't found He Guang. He wisely kept quiet, answering the questions instead.

As Zhao Jiong finished speaking, the peacock vanished along with the gifts.

"What's happening?" Gu Xiaowu asked, confused.

"Let's head to the stadium," Zhao Jiong said, knowing the peacock had accepted the task. It wasn't their place to question the timeline.

...

At T City's stadium, the facility was closed for investigation after a child went missing. The vast space echoed their steps.

"Where is everyone?" Jin Hong wondered, noting the emptiness.

"They must be on a lunch break," Xing Miao guessed, glancing at the clock. "We should hurry before they return."

They weren't official investigators, and being caught at the scene would be hard to explain.

Ling Ji snapped her fingers, enveloping the security cameras in a mist. "Let's go."

Impressed, Xing Miao felt a pang of inadequacy for not considering the cameras. She followed Ling Ji into the changing room.

The room was small, about thirty square meters, with clothes racks against one wall, a vanity against another, and a sofa and shoe rack in the corner.

"There's nowhere to hide a six-year-old here," Xing Miao noted. Even with thorough searches by the police and the Zhao family, the room was too small to conceal a child.

Ling Ji circled the room, stopping at the clothes racks. Jin Hong joined her, examining the racks but finding nothing unusual.

"Look up," Ling Ji suggested, pointing to a ventilation panel above.

Jin Hong saw the panel but didn't grasp its significance.

"The child was taken through there," Xing Miao realized, leaping up to inspect the panel. Pushing it aside, she saw a dark, narrow passage filled with dust and faint traces of slime.

"There's a trail," she confirmed, descending. "The child was dragged through there. The slime might be connected to whatever took him."

"Spider," Ling Ji identified the scent as soon as the panel was opened. She was about to explain further when she sensed a presence and pulled Xing Miao and Jin Hong behind her, eyes vigilant.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

"Who are you?" Another voice echoed, their combined powers clashing and sending a shockwave through the room.

"Kon Lan?"

"Ling Ji?"

Both voices expressed confusion, and a strikingly handsome man materialized before them.

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