Troubles in Tandem, Rising Bloodlust

Yi Bai's apartment door remained firmly shut, with no indication of him opening it.

Huo Xiangling couldn't help but furrow her brows. Yi Bai's vigilance was far too intense.

Dealing with someone like him was often quite tricky.

The purpose of the Pingluan Palace was, in fact, quite simple.

They merely needed to check if the target player was mentally stable.

Furthermore, they needed to confirm whether the player had been possessed or parasitized by a monster.

This sort of possession had occurred more than once.

Each time, it led to significant disasters in the affected areas.

The reason was simple.

Monsters and humans perceive the world in fundamentally different ways.

Take killing, for example.

For monsters, humans were no different than prey—like how humans might casually crush an ant or butcher a pig.

Thus, when a monster parasitizes a human, it's almost always a disaster waiting to happen.

The Pingluan Palace, as an official organization of Daxia, was tasked with maintaining order and relative stability in the human world.

It was the only thing they could do.

Inside, Yi Bai was thinking about how to deal with the Pingluan Palace agents,

how to move out of this place as quickly as possible and start a new life, hidden from sight.

Outside,

Huo Xiangling didn't immediately try to break Yi Bai's mental defenses.

Instead, she quietly took out her phone and sent a message to her three teammates:

"The target is not a regular player. He likely possesses the powers of a monster from the horror game! That's why he's so resistant to us."

Huo Xiangling was very sharp. Based on Yi Bai's attitude, she had already deduced certain things.

Those who obtained the powers of a monster usually exhibited one of two extreme responses.

Either they became overly ambitious, seeing themselves as no longer ordinary humans and developing wild thoughts,

or, like Yi Bai, they became overly cautious, constantly on guard after emerging from the game.

As for those in between, who could maintain a balanced state of mind?

Such individuals were rare.

Countless survivors of the horror game had shown signs of mental strain.

Even those fortunate enough to gain the powers of monsters weren't exempt.

What troubled them most was this:

Whether they became over-ambitious or overly cautious, both types of people were highly resistant to the Pingluan Palace.

The former out of ambition, and the latter out of paranoia.

After some brief communication,

Huo Xiangling and her teammates decided to treat Yi Bai as an exception.

Although they weren't sure yet whether he had indeed gained the powers of a monster,

the possibility alone was enough for the Pingluan Palace to alter their approach.

Anyone who might possess the power of a monster was a person they would do whatever they could to recruit.

Inside,

Yi Bai, with his heightened senses as a vampire, could tell the people outside hadn't left.

Their prolonged silence made him even more cautious.

Although the Pingluan Palace was a government organization,

not all of their members were trustworthy.

Yi Bai squinted slightly, then called out tentatively, "Sister, are you still there?"

"I'm here! I'm here!" Huo Xiangling responded quickly this time, her voice smooth and comforting.

"Yi Bai, I hope you don't mind me calling you that."

"No, I don't mind. But may I ask what brings the Pingluan Palace to my door?"

"Yi Bai, you've definitely just come out of the horror game, haven't you?"

Huo Xiangling's tone turned more direct, no longer playing games.

"I'm an official from the Pingluan Palace, so I'll skip the pleasantries. I know you're very cautious right now, and that's a good thing. You should be cautious."

She paused, then changed her approach. "But our duty in the Pingluan Palace is to maintain the stability of Daxia. We just need to ask you a few questions. Is that alright?"

Yi Bai's heart shifted. He wasn't stupid—he quickly understood their intent.

They wanted to confirm whether he had been "contaminated" by a monster...

After a brief moment of thought, he responded, "Alright."

The questions came in quick succession, almost one after another.

Yi Bai answered without hesitation, his speed matching theirs.

The questions were simple—nothing more than ordinary things.

But hidden within them were subtle traps: questions about his food preferences, his ideal partner, and so on...

The pace of the questions was rapid, and if Yi Bai had been parasitized by a monster,

even simple questions would take on a completely different meaning for them.

Monsters' thoughts were far different from humans',

and this was an effective way to determine whether someone was truly human or not.

Under the barrage of questions, they hoped to catch any suspicious signs, enough to make a proper assessment.

When the Pingluan Palace agents finally left,

Yi Bai had never opened his door.

After confirming that he was likely fine, they made a tentative invitation,

but of course, Yi Bai politely declined.

However, they left him with a contact number, in case he reconsidered.

Yi Bai made a note of the number, just in case.

He then packed a few belongings, donned a mask, and stepped out.

With his vampire senses, he quickly confirmed the Pingluan Palace agents had already left.

Now, he needed to leave this troublesome place as fast as possible.

But as soon as he stepped out of the building,

Yi Bai felt several pairs of eyes following him.

They were watching him from various corners of the neighborhood.

Their gazes were fixed, and their target was clear.

"The Pingluan Palace agents might have issues, but they probably won't play such tricks," Yi Bai thought.

"That means… these people tailing me must be from one of those ambitious groups, right?"

A faint murderous intent began to rise within him.

The age of the horror game had thrown the world into chaos,

but he hadn't expected such boldness, such blatant pursuit after the Pingluan Palace had left.

It was almost reckless!

"Their organization either has enough power to back them,

or they're just reckless fools who don't know their limits."

Yi Bai's eyes narrowed, and deep within his pupils, the crimson light began to swirl.

The bloodlust of a vampire was quietly awakening.