Chapter 65: The Rainy Night Encounter

While the others busied themselves with tidying the house, Bai Hao seized the opportunity to wander through its every corner.

His gaze snagged, however, as he passed the innermost room on the second floor.

Drawn by an unseen impulse, Bai Hao stepped inside.

Amidst the array of dust-laden objects, a brand new baby bottle stood out, conspicuously out of place.

At the sight, Bai Hao’s eyebrow arched.

He picked up the bottle, examining it for a moment, then, with a soft hum of dismissal, returned it to its place.

***

Before long, two rooms on the first floor had been cleared, with the decision made that men would occupy one and women the other.

Such an arrangement, of course, was far from ideal for Bai Hao.

Aunt Xia, keenly aware of this, clasped her hands together, her eyes reflecting a silent plea.

Observing her silent entreaty, Bai Hao simply retrieved his phone and sent a message.

Upon reading the message, Aunt Xia’s delicate face flushed crimson, yet she nodded her assent with a touch of hesitation.

***

The night had grown hazy, and now, heavy rain began to lash down, deepening the already profound darkness and lending the scene an unsettling eeriness.

Bai Hao opened his eyes, then slipped out of the room, careful not to disturb anyone.

Gazing at the torrential downpour outside, he retrieved a black umbrella and stepped into the rain-drenched night.

By all accounts, such a deluge should have inevitably left him damp, even with an umbrella.

Yet, the raindrops appeared to recoil in fear, parting around him wherever he walked, leaving even the ground beneath his feet untouched.

Judging the location to be opportune, Bai Hao halted his steps, a faint smirk playing on his lips as he spoke.

“You’ve been following me all this way, Unnamed Plump Young Man, aren’t you going to show yourself?”

As Bai Hao’s words faded, the only sounds that answered were the relentless drumming of raindrops.

Growing impatient, Bai Hao abruptly snapped his umbrella shut.

In the very next instant, the umbrella, transformed into a lethal blade, shot forth, stabbing sharply in a particular direction!

A startled ‘Holy crap!’ echoed through the night.

A golden shield of light flared, and the plump young man, startled and afraid, was abruptly, violently revealed.

“Bold demon! How dare you reveal yourself? Watch me, this Fat Lord, uphold justice today and eradicate you!”

The Unnamed Plump Young Man was, in fact, He Guangzheng.

Despite his penchant for petty thievery and his daydreams of being supported by a wealthy beauty, he was a remarkably shrewd C-rank ability user, having completed no fewer than eighty, if not a hundred, missions on the TNS platform.

One might wonder why an ability user of his caliber would still resort to petty theft.

The truth was, stealing money was never the objective; his true desire was to savor the thrill of the act itself.

Consequently, he had become a familiar face at the police station.

Were it not for his meritorious service in eradicating threats, he would have long since been a guest of the state, enjoying its ‘hospitality’.

“Demon, die!”

With a battle saber drawn, He Guangzheng immediately lunged, bringing the blade down upon Bai Hao.

Bai Hao met the attack with a dismissive smile.

As the blade arced towards him, he merely flexed the fist in his hand.

In a blur, Bai Hao vanished and reappeared.

In the next instant, his fist connected with He Guangzheng’s abdomen, nearly knocking the previous night’s meal from him.

“Hiss. How can he be this powerful?!”

Clutching his aching stomach, He Guangzheng was drenched in cold sweat from the pain.

Yet, his internal shock was far greater, for he hadn’t even glimpsed the monster’s strike.

Hearing this, Bai Hao offered a languid smile.

“He Guangzheng, you’ve been trailing me all day, and your eyes have lingered on my woman for quite some time, haven’t they?”

He Guangzheng’s expression shifted drastically upon hearing this.

He hadn’t anticipated his early exposure.

What disturbed him even more was the sight of the young man standing amidst the downpour, yet the rain itself parted around him, as if in deference or fear.

He Guangzheng’s face flickered with uncertainty, but within moments, he made the boldest decision of his life.

He cast aside his battle saber, gritted his teeth, and with a soft thud, dropped to his knees.

“Big brother, I was wrong.”

Internally, He Guangzheng was already cursing up a storm.

Had he known this fellow possessed such formidable power, he would have rather died than return to this desolate place.

Ultimately, he had been lured by Aunt Xia’s captivating beauty, harboring foolish hopes of a hero-saving-the-damsel scenario…

Bai Hao’s mouth twitched imperceptibly at the plump man’s lightning-fast surrender.

Feeling a sudden dearth of excitement, he waved a dismissive hand.

“Forget it. I have more important matters to attend to.

You may leave.

But if you ever dare to meddle again, or even glance at my woman, do you truly believe I won’t gouge out your eyes?!”

Upon hearing that his life would be spared, He Guangzheng’s eyes instantly brightened, and he nodded vigorously.

“Yes, yes, yes, Big brother, I promise there won’t be a next time.

I’ll scram right away.”

With that, he scrambled to his feet, ready to make a quick getaway.

Before he had taken more than a few steps, however, Bai Hao suddenly spoke, as if a thought had just struck him.

“Wait.”

He Guangzheng’s body stiffened, and he turned back, his heart pounding with dread.

“What is it, Big brother?”

He then saw the monster stroking his chin, staring at him with an intensity that made He Guangzheng’s scalp prickle.

“How did you figure out who I am?”

He Guangzheng’s heart jolted at the question, and he stammered nervously.

“Well, my ability is just a little unique; I can perceive things ordinary people cannot.

That’s how I, uh, inadvertently offended you, Big Brother.”

Bai Hao nodded slowly, a wry, unreadable smile playing on his lips.

“Is that so? Then it appears I still cannot allow you to live, can I? After all, only the dead can truly keep secrets, wouldn’t you agree?”

He Guangzheng’s body froze at the words, his mind racing.

“No, no, no, Big Brother, I swear I will never reveal your secret!

May I be cut off from all descendants if I ever do!”

Bai Hao merely snorted softly in response.

“Do you take me for a fool? Forget it, I believe it’s best you die.”

As he spoke, the retracted umbrella flew back into Bai Hao’s hand, where it now resembled a chilling spike, striking fear into He Guangzheng’s heart.

He Guangzheng was truly beyond tears.

Staring at the young man advancing step by step, he saw not a benefactor, but the grim reaper himself.

Finally, a desperate thought struck He Guangzheng, and he blurted out.

“Big Brother, don’t kill me, I can be useful!

Don’t you want to know the whereabouts of those souls you’re trying to save?!”

Bai Hao’s steps faltered, and he couldn’t help but raise a skeptical eyebrow.

“Are you sure?”

***

The rain continued its relentless descent, showing no inclination to cease.

Bai Hao returned to their lodging, yet he bypassed the men’s room, making his way instead to the side corridor.

There, a woman of graceful curves stood, nervously twisting her slender fingers.

Was it Aunt Xia, or someone else entirely?

Without a word, Bai Hao stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her slender waist, a gesture that startled Aunt Xia, causing a look of panic to flash across her face.

“Aunt Xia, it’s me.”

Hearing his voice, Aunt Xia finally relaxed, settling compliantly into the young man’s embrace as she playfully complained.

“You called me out in the dead of night, only to be late yourself.

Is that how you treat someone?”

Hearing her words, Bai Hao caressed the beautiful mature woman’s silken black hair, his voice laced with apology.

“Aunt Xia, don’t be angry.

I just went to deal with a rat, which is why I wasted some time.”

Aunt Xia paused, taken aback, then immediately found his explanation perfectly reasonable.

After all, it was only natural for a house left vacant for so long to harbor rats.

“Oh, I see.

It’s raining heavily tonight.

If there’s nothing else, let’s go back to sleep.”

Aunt Xia spoke with deliberate casualness, yet she was keenly aware of what was inevitably to follow.

Indeed, in the very next moment, the young man pinned her against a pillar in the side corridor.

Bai Hao gazed at the alluring woman before him, her eyes like silken threads, and chuckled softly.

“Aunt Xia, since you’ve come so willingly, surely you understand?

Feigned ignorance won’t save you now.”

Aunt Xia’s delicate face flushed crimson at his words, her beauty remaining utterly captivating even in the dimness of night.

Her crimson lips parted instinctively, poised to speak, but the young man’s lips found her delicate neck instead.

With that, all words dissolved into soft murmurs, drowned out by the relentless downpour.

The rain intensified, falling harder and harder.

Standing in the covered walkway, listening to its cadence, possessed a certain poetic charm.

However, Aunt Xia would likely need a change of clothes upon returning…