Chapter 7: I Want to Live

Liu Yuan and Li Yifei's conversation cut off as both of their faces turned pale. Suddenly, Liu Yuan clamped his hand over his nose, glancing around in terror.

Lin Qiye was just about to speak when an overpowering stench hit him, filling his nostrils like a wave of rot that had festered for days. The scent was like rotting meat left to decay in a sewer, mixed with the sulfurous tang of rotted eggs—a single whiff made his stomach churn violently.

It was, without a doubt, the worst smell Lin Qiye had ever encountered.

Ji Qian, who had the sharpest sense of smell among them, couldn't even hold back. She dropped down, retching as her face turned a shade of green.

"What the hell is that smell?!" Li Yifei yelled, his voice muffled through his hand as he covered his nose.

"I'm not sure." Lin Qiye's brows furrowed as he scanned the surroundings, his gaze settling on the narrow alley Wang Shao had just taken. After a moment's pause, he raised his finger to point down that dark path.

"But from the direction, it seems to be coming from over there."

The next second, a bloodcurdling scream echoed through the silent night, piercing the stillness. It was coming from the alley, the same path Wang Shao had disappeared into.

"Wang Shao?!" The three shouted in unison as they recognized the voice.

Without a moment's hesitation, they exchanged glances and bolted down the alley where Wang Shao had gone.

Lin Qiye stood alone, frowning as he stared into the shadowy path. He couldn't shake a sense of impending doom.

An eerie smell, a scream in the dead of night, a serial killer rumored to lurk in the old district… Something was definitely wrong.

He hesitated, torn between instincts and reasoning, before sighing heavily and reluctantly gripping his cane, sprinting after them. Normally, Lin Qiye would avoid situations like this at all costs, preferring to run as far as possible from trouble. A scream usually meant something bad, something he wanted no part of—robbery, murder, or stumbling upon a grisly crime scene.

He wasn't curious enough to find out what happened, nor did he have the heroic impulse to intervene. Most importantly, he couldn't fight. What if he ended up losing his life over this?

But this time, things were different.

He couldn't deny Wang Shao's peril was partially due to him. If they hadn't insisted on escorting him home, maybe Wang Shao would have left earlier or taken another path and missed this danger entirely.

No matter what, he at least needed to take a look—to repay their kindness in some way. And if things got too dangerous, he could always turn and flee.

Though blindfolded, Lin Qiye sprinted without hesitation. As he approached the source of the scream, the foul stench intensified.

"Ahhhh!"

A second scream rang out, this time a woman's voice.

Ji Qian!

Lin Qiye halted at the corner, his mental awareness sensing Ji Qian and the others ahead. Ji Qian lay on the ground, trembling, her mouth agape in terror. In front of her, Liu Yuan and Li Yifei stood rigid as statues, their eyes wide with horror, staring into the shadows.

Beyond that, Lin Qiye's mental sense couldn't reach.

Unable to see, Lin Qiye could only rely on his acute hearing. In the silence, he picked up faint, gnawing sounds—something feasting, voracious and unrestrained.

It sounded disturbingly like a dog gnawing on bones.

"What happened?" Lin Qiye whispered, his voice barely audible.

Startled by his voice, Ji Qian clutched at his sleeve, teeth chattering. "A… a monster… it's eating Wang Shao's face!"

Lin Qiye's face paled instantly. "Run!!"

Both he and Li Yifei shouted at the same time.

At that command, Liu Yuan shot off like a rabid dog, stumbling as he collided with Lin Qiye before scrambling to his feet and running with everything he had.

"Monster… someone, help! Monster!" he screamed as he ran.

The collision threw Lin Qiye off balance, and before he could fully recover, he heard a heavy, rhythmic pounding from behind—the sound of something massive barreling his way.

Ji Qian's pupils dilated with fear, and she bolted upright, shrieking as she sprinted. As for Li Yifei, he had taken off the moment he heard "run," already several strides ahead of Liu Yuan.

Only Lin Qiye lagged behind, barely regaining his balance in time to watch his so-called "friends" disappear. It seemed everyone had forgotten his blindness, or rather, they didn't care. The classmates who'd promised to escort him had left him behind.

Well, not entirely—Liu Yuan had at least remembered to knock him off his feet first.

Lin Qiye sneered to himself.

But now wasn't the time to dwell on their betrayal. He'd only just started running when his mental perception picked up a figure entering his ten-meter range.

It resembled a human—four limbs, a head—yet it was anything but human.

The creature bounded on all fours like a hyena, its hulking form closer to a bear's in size. Worst of all, its head bore a twisted, ghostly face—pale and contorted, with a long, blood-red tongue slithering out like a serpent.

Lin Qiye's heart sank.

Its speed was terrifying; in mere seconds, it had closed the distance, now only a few strides away. Even an Olympic sprinter wouldn't outrun this.

Lin Qiye estimated the distance to the alley exit, realizing with dread that he wouldn't make it out in time.

He racked his brain for a solution, anything nearby that might slow the creature down.

Suddenly, his mental awareness registered Ji Qian's backpack.

"Throw your backpack! Slow it down!" Lin Qiye shouted.

Ji Qian flinched, a glint of cold resolve flashing in her eyes. She screamed and wrenched off her backpack—then hurled it straight at Lin Qiye.

His eyes widened in shock. He'd never expected her to turn on him.

Before he could react, the bag slammed into his chest, halting him in his tracks.

Through his perception, he could see Ji Qian's expression clearly.

She looked like a frightened rabbit, pale and trembling, yet her eyes gleamed with a steely malice.

"Yes, I'm the class rep. Yes, I promised to look after you. Yes, I swore to your aunt I'd take care of you…"

"But right now…"

"I want to live."

So, please… die.

Time seemed to freeze as Lin Qiye met her gaze, his eyes as dark and cold as the night.

Throwing a backpack might not delay the monster for more than a few seconds, but leaving a person behind… that could buy enough time to escape.

This was Ji Qian's choice.

The backpack wasn't heavy, but it was enough to unbalance Lin Qiye just for a moment.

Behind him, the beast leaped, lunging straight for him.

In that split second, Lin Qiye smirked.

Without turning, he squatted down, sidestepping the creature's path with uncanny precision.

As he crouched, his cane shot out, sweeping across Ji Qian's ankle.

She shrieked, losing her footing and tumbling to the ground.

A massive shadow crashed down upon her.

In the blink of an eye, the night was painted red.