Chapter 13: Black Mist

“You’re not old at all! You’re still young and beautiful!” Sister Mei glanced at Lü Yang, and a faint blush appeared on her face, making her look even more charming.

“Nonsense! Haven’t you seen how men on the street stare at you? They almost walk into poles because they’re so distracted by you.” Lü Yang grinned. It was the first time he had spoken such bold words to Sister Mei.

“Are you exaggerating?” Sister Mei modestly replied, then looked Lü Yang up and down with a slightly pleased expression.

Even beautiful women enjoy being praised, especially when they are no longer young.

“It’s true.” Lü Yang grinned again, his gaze inadvertently drifting over Sister Mei’s pretty face and ample chest. He suddenly remembered the times he had fantasized about her while masturbating, and his face unconsciously felt hot.

Sister Mei, who had been watching Lü Yang, immediately noticed where his eyes had wandered. She gave him a stern look as if she was angry, yet she subtly pushed her chest out a little more.

Neither of them spoke again, and the air between them grew somewhat ambiguous. After the incident with the porters, they had apologized and comforted each other, and their relationship seemed to have grown closer.

Suddenly, a sharp ringing sound, like a school bell or an alarm, pierced Lü Yang’s eardrums and even seemed to bore into his mind. Instinctively, he looked around and frowned slightly.

He had heard this unpleasant ringing earlier when he was upstairs.

“Is there a power outage?” Sister Mei followed Lü Yang’s gaze and looked around the residential area.

“Yes, why did the power suddenly go out? Is there a school nearby?” Lü Yang found the persistent ringing in his ears strange, and for some reason, it sent an inexplicable chill down his spine.

“No, the nearest school is probably one or two stops away.” Sister Mei shook her head.

“What is that ringing?” Lü Yang pointed in the direction he thought the sound was coming from, but after raising his hand, he felt it wasn’t from that direction at all.

“What ringing?” Sister Mei looked at Lü Yang curiously.

“You don’t hear it? It’s so loud…” Lü Yang felt the ringing growing increasingly shrill, as if it were resonating inside his head.

“Is there ringing?” Sister Mei glanced around, still looking confused.

“Ah!!!”

Lü Yang let out a loud cry, clutching his head and shaking it violently. At the same time, the ringing that had nearly deafened him abruptly stopped, as if it had never happened.

“Are you okay?” Sister Mei quickly asked Lü Yang.

“I’m fine.” Lü Yang instinctively opened his bag and pulled out the Eerie Computer.

A message appeared on the screen of the Eerie Computer: “The Mysterious Domain has opened…”

Could it be… that the ringing was because of this? What does it mean that the Mysterious Domain has opened?

“You bought an iPad? How much did it cost? Let me see…” Sister Mei curiously leaned over to look at the Eerie Computer in Lü Yang’s hands.

“Don’t…” Lü Yang quickly put the Eerie Computer away. This strange object had already cost him Yi Yi, and he didn’t want it to harm anyone else.

Sister Mei pouted, seemingly displeased with Lü Yang’s reaction. Was it just an iPad? Did he think she would break it?

“Let’s go. It’s getting dark so quickly. Such a large residential area—doesn’t the property management have a backup power source? There aren’t even any emergency lights.” Lü Yang changed the subject and walked toward the slope below the apartment building entrance.

“Yes, it’s so strange. Why is there a power outage? And… why is there no one on the roads in the residential area?” Sister Mei took a flashlight from her bag, hurried a few steps, and followed closely behind Lü Yang.

Hearing Sister Mei’s words, Lü Yang quickly took advantage of the remaining twilight to look around. Sure enough, as Sister Mei had said, there was not a single person on the roads of Qingyuan Residential Area!

This was indeed strange. Lü Yang had left the residential area late before, but at this time, Qingyuan Residential Area was usually bustling—people walking their dogs, taking evening strolls, returning from work, or heading out for nightlife. The roads were always filled with people and private cars.

Moreover, with the power outage, residents who were stuck at home should have come downstairs to walk around. But why was such a large residential area completely empty?

Could it be… that all of this was related to the message on the Eerie Computer: “The Mysterious Domain has opened”?

What is the Mysterious Domain? What happens after it opens? For some reason, Lü Yang felt a sudden chill in his heart.

Sister Mei was also puzzled and uneasy. She stayed close behind Lü Yang as they hurried toward the main road of the residential area. The building where Sister Mei’s duplex apartment was located was quite far from the residential area’s entrance. After walking briskly for over ten minutes, they finally reached the entrance. From a distance, they could see a few people standing at the entrance talking, which slightly eased Sister Mei’s anxiety.

As they approached, they realized the people at the entrance were four of the five porters who had been carrying sand earlier. Lü Yang couldn’t help but wonder—these five porters had left Sister Mei’s home quite some time ago. Why were they still lingering at the entrance without leaving?

Lü Yang had had some unpleasant interactions with these porters earlier, so he didn’t want to talk to them. But Sister Mei still needed them to carry sand tomorrow, so she put on a friendly smile and walked over to them.

Lü Yang walked a few steps alone toward the residential area’s exit. Looking at the scene outside, he couldn’t help but frown again.

Outside the residential area, it was pitch black—much darker than inside. It was so dark that he couldn’t even see his own hand in front of his face! Not only that, upon closer inspection, faint traces of black mist seemed to drift in the air outside.

Just as Lü Yang was about to take a few more steps to get a better look, a strange cry suddenly came from within the black mist. Caught off guard, Lü Yang was startled.

The strange cry sounded like the roar of some wild beast, but it was muffled, as if coming from behind several walls, or like a car horn. It was hard to make out clearly.

Instinctively, Lü Yang stepped back. Regardless of what was happening outside, he had a strong intuitive sense of danger. The outside was definitely very, very dangerous, and he couldn’t just rush out recklessly.

Lü Yang felt there was only one possible explanation for all the strange and illogical phenomena occurring inside and outside Qingyuan Residential Area: the so-called “Mysterious Domain has opened,” as prompted by the Eerie Computer.

And he, along with everyone he had been in contact with during this time, had been dragged into this Mysterious Domain.

“They said something is not right outside. The skinny one was just sent out to scout, and they’re waiting for his news.” Sister Mei came over and spoke to Lü Yang, her face filled with fear as she shone her flashlight toward the black mist outside.

Clearly, Sister Mei had learned from the four porters about the dangers outside, so she didn’t venture out recklessly. Sister Mei’s small flashlight was bright, but its light couldn’t penetrate the black mist outside, nor could it reveal what was happening beyond the residential area.