Pop.

Wu Wang had expected her to just turn and leave.

Instead, Zhuge Yue snatched the mask right off his face, revealing the incredibly handsome features underneath.

“Well now, I didn’t expect to find a handsome little guy,” Zhuge Yue teased. “Your level isn’t very high, though.”

She was right. Wu Wang’s current appearance was quite striking. This was all thanks to the strange activation requirement for his 【Heilan Home Brooch】.

【Equipment Condition: Conquer the brooch with your Charisma】

Of course, the “Charisma” mentioned here wasn’t a stat.

It was all about his looks.

Wu Wang had experimented with this when he first got the item. His original face could activate the brooch, but it changed his clothes at a snail’s pace, taking several minutes for a new outfit to materialize.

But once he used the 【Fake Smile Mask】 to make himself handsome, the damn brooch kicked into overdrive like it had a new motor. It could complete a costume change in an instant.

He’d even held the brooch and sung “Ugly Freak” at it for an hour, but it refused to change its shallow assessment.

That was why he’d been wearing the 【Fake Smile Mask】 from the start.

“What do you mean my level isn’t high? What’s wrong with Level 10?” Wu Wang retorted.

The words had barely left his mouth when he froze.

Wait. What level?

He quickly checked his status.

【Pending Death#9527】【Lv10】

He’d leveled up four times in a single Instance?

He’d seen posts on the Spirit Calamity app mentioning that team Instances provided more EXP than solo ones, but four levels at once? Wouldn’t he get reported for cheating?

He didn’t dare to imagine what would happen if Baili Dao, on a whim, decided to check his friends list. The man would probably freak out seeing him at Level 10.

At the thought, Wu Wang quietly pulled up his friends list and checked the 【Block Information】 option for Baili Dao.

That way, Baili Dao wouldn’t be able to see his info.

Ding—

【Zhuge Yue#6666 has sent you a friend request】

The sudden system notification made Wu Wang fall silent. He looked up at the strange woman, who was now casually eating a lollipop.

“Um, Sister Zhuge,” he said awkwardly, “can we maybe not add each other? My mom told me not to play with… pretty sisters. She said all women are liars.”

“Oh?” Zhuge Yue raised an eyebrow. “Why? Have you heard stories about me?”

Wu Wang’s heart skipped a beat.

How the hell would I know who you are?

But you did just mention “Li Guoqiang”! That name I know!

After becoming a Spirit Calamity Player, Wu Wang had seen a news report on TV. Li Guoqiang, the captain of the city’s criminal investigation division, had died in the line of duty. The report claimed he had passed away from a heart condition induced by overwork.

At first, Wu Wang didn’t think much of it. But when the broadcast showed Li Guoqiang’s photo, he was stunned.

The man in the black-and-white picture was the same middle-aged uncle who had broken into the secret room shop that morning.

His cause of death was definitely not overwork.

Although Wu Wang didn’t know why the man had been a bloodthirsty killer holding a token, he knew he had to take this secret to his grave. Otherwise, the peaceful life he shared with his Second Sister would likely be gone forever.

“No, I haven’t heard any stories about you, ma’am, but you’ve got ‘trouble’ written all over your face… ahem, I mean stories. Stories.”

That was a close call. One slip of the tongue and he might have caused a disaster.

Little did he know, his words only made Zhuge Yue more curious about him.

A Spirit Calamity Player in Huaxia who doesn’t know who I am?

It was one thing if he hadn’t seen her face, but she had just introduced herself, and this kid was still completely unfazed.

Either he was playing dumb, or he was a complete newbie.

However, the last distribution of closed beta accounts had ended not long ago. Only one new player had been created then. A new player who shouldn’t have existed.

Zhuge Yue got angry just thinking about it.

It took her five years, countless resources, and innumerable 【Epic】 and even 【Legendary】 items just to find a way to modify an Instance’s content once. She had made the item she wanted appear out of thin air in a place it never should have been.

That piece of clothing, stained with the aura of a supreme being, should have been brought back to reality by Li Guoqiang’s corpse, which she had been controlling.

Her five-year plan was just one item away from completion.

Yet it was stolen by a complete stranger she’d never even heard of.

Zhuge Yue had actually been in Mingyang City for several days. Besides searching for traces of Li Guoqiang, she was also investigating which organization had sent that newcomer to disrupt her plans. The result was nothing.

This made her suspect that the guy might actually be a real newcomer after all.

A heaven-defying newcomer like that…

“Another Qing Long?”

That was the only conclusion she could draw. But could the world really contain two monsters like Qing Long?

“Huh? What are you talking about? What Qing Long, white tiger?” Wu Wang asked, bewildered.

This woman seems to have a few screws loose. Why is she just rambling to herself?

As soon as he spoke, the teasing and curious look on Zhuge Yue’s face instantly turned to shock.

“You don’t know who Qing Long is?”

Not knowing who she was was already strange. One could charitably assume he just didn’t frequent the forums. But not knowing Qing Long was simply unbelievable.

He was the Director of the Abnormal Affairs Bureau, currently recognized as the world’s strongest Spirit Calamity Player, and hailed as the guardian who maintained order in Huaxia. He was a living legend.

You would be hard-pressed to find any player, even a foreign one, who hadn’t heard the name Qing Long.

“Uh… of course I know!” Wu Wang bluffed.

He usually only browsed the Spirit Calamity app for information he deemed important, mostly related to equipment, items, and Instances. He didn’t know much about the major organizations.

In his view, they were incredibly distant from him. He was only in contact with the Abnormal Affairs Bureau and was being targeted by the Calamity Cult. He figured he could ask Xiezhi about it later and get the details. Maybe then he’d find out who this Qing Long person was.

But no one could have predicted the timing would be this awkward.

How could he have guessed that Qing Long was a player?

No matter how quickly Wu Wang’s level and strength increased, he was still a new player who had only been in the game for a week. It was like starting a new video game. You’re more concerned with gameplay and mechanics than with pro players and tournaments.

Many things that were common knowledge to veterans were still completely new to Wu Wang, and his ignorance immediately set off alarm bells for Zhuge Yue.

Swoosh—

In an instant, Wu Wang found it hard to breathe.

Zhuge Yue, who had been standing right in front of him, vanished. A heavy weight slammed onto his shoulders as a pair of legs clamped around his neck with immense force. A chilling sensation pricked the top of his head.

In the blink of an eye, the woman had appeared behind and above him. She was sitting on his shoulders with her legs locked around his neck, and a sharp weapon was pressed against his scalp.

Her movements were too fast. He had absolutely no room to react.

“You say you’re an ordinary player, but you don’t know me or Qing Long. You say you’re a newbie, but you’re already Level 10, a level that’s impossible to reach so quickly.”

“Little handsome guy, you’re full of contradictions!”

“This is way more interesting than a Nightmare-level Instance.”

“Who on earth are you?”

Zhuge Yue’s voice was still as cheerful as ever, as if she had just discovered an exciting new toy. She hadn’t felt this kind of thrill in a long time. The last time she’d felt this desperate craving to uncover a secret was when she’d snuck into the Tarot Society to steal their president’s cards.

Because of that, she had been hunted by players from half the country for months.

“I’m just a passing Kamen Rider,” Wu Wang said calmly after taking a deep breath.

The next second, Zhuge Yue felt the space beneath her go empty. Wu Wang appeared half a meter behind her.

【Shadow Mutual Combat Art】!

He had swapped his entire body with his shadow, breaking free from her hold. But he knew it was only a temporary reprieve. Given the speed and strength she’d displayed, escape seemed impossible.

This situation was bad.

“Little handsome guy, I really, really want to… dig open your brain and see what secrets are hidden inside! Hehehe…”

Zhuge Yue’s cheeks flushed, and her breathing grew ragged. Lifting the Bee Sting-like weapon in her hand, she extended her tongue and licked the blade lightly.

Her whole body trembled, exuding a strong, morbid aura.

Wu Wang had a very bad feeling.

Crap! She’s a real psychopath!

“Sis, let’s talk this out calmly. No need to get hasty and start cracking open heads. I’m not Kennedy.”

He rarely had such a pleasant chat with someone. Today, he’d finally met a person even stranger than himself.

He thought he was just making polite conversation to de-escalate, but to his surprise, Zhuge Yue actually frowned and considered his words. She tossed the Bee Sting back into her backpack.

She nodded with a hint of seriousness.

“You’re right. I can’t be so impulsive. Little Yueyue will get angry. And I promised Qing Long I wouldn’t kill people randomly within Huaxia. I need to calm down.”

“How about this. You add me as a friend, and I’ll stay at your place for a while. It’ll be convenient for me to study your secrets.”

Wu Wang was speechless.

Are you even hearing yourself? Who makes a request like that? The first thing you suggest is moving into my house?

She was a psychopath. Oh, right. She really was.

“May I be so bold as to ask, who is Little Yueyue?”

“My fifth personality.”

Wu Wang smiled in resignation.