"Mr. Ji Bai, are you going out?"

"Mm, I should be back by dinner time," Ji Bai estimated.

"But, your internal injuries..."

Due to the overuse of the Divine Vein yesterday, his body had prematurely entered a critical phase, leading to a series of embarrassing situations. This made Keer believe that Ji Bai had been injured by the Demonkind while saving her. No matter how much Ji Bai tried to explain, even weaving a tale that combined the Four Great Classical Novels, wuxia, and xuanhuan, Keer still looked at him with a doubtful expression.

This girl, she wasn't this hard to fool before, was she?

"Well, don't worry. My body is still quite sturdy. I've been cooped up at home for so long, I'm starting to feel moldy. It's time to get out. Besides, I'm not going alone. If anything happens, your sister Lin will drag me back," Ji Bai said, ruffling Keer's hair.

"Meow~" Keer purred, her eyes half-closed in contentment, letting out a couple of soft, kitten-like meows.

The silky, soft fur, like the finest silk, made Ji Bai reluctant to stop. His hand traveled down her long, cherry-colored hair, until it reached...

"Meow, meow, meow~? Mr. Ji Bai, you can't touch there...!" Keer's voice changed, her face flushing red as she looked at Ji Bai's hand, her eyes filled with a mix of embarrassment and anxiety.

"Uh, sorry, sorry. I got a bit carried away," Ji Bai said, snapping out of his daze and realizing the dangerous territory he was treading, immediately retracting his hand.

"Mr. Ji Bai, such things... are not allowed. I'm still young!" Keer puffed up her cheeks, looking a bit angry.

"Sorry, it was my mistake..." Ji Bai scratched his head awkwardly.

He had been petting the cat and had let his hand wander, almost forgetting that this cat couldn't be petted too much, or he might end up behind bars, or even on the executioner's block.

...

After giving Keer some trivial instructions, Ji Bai changed into his uniform and left the room, under the watchful, 'hurry up and leave, don't disturb us' gaze of Xiao Sha.

He loosened his collar, making his neck more comfortable.

The uniform wasn't the most comfortable, but it fit well, and the material was far superior to the cheap clothes he usually wore. He had no complaints.

Stepping out of the dorm, he nodded to Lin, who was waiting outside.

As they left the campus, Lin walked ahead, and Ji Bai followed, the two of them like strangers, not speaking to each other.

"Are you feeling better?" Lin suddenly asked, walking ahead.

"Mm?" For a moment, Ji Bai thought he was hearing things.

"Me? Should I take that as a sign of concern?" Ji Bai chuckled, pointing at himself.

"Mr. Cockroach always likes to think too much. I just don't want to have to drag you back if you collapse," Lin said calmly.

"Then don't drag me. I'm not that weak yet."

...

The two walked in silence, like two mute gourds, one in front and one behind.

"Old Zhang, did you hear about the incident a few days ago?"

"Of course! The Demonkind attacking the city is a big deal, everyone in the city knows about it. Did anything happen to your family? It was quite a commotion."

"No, no, fortunately, we live in the city center, far from the incident. I can't imagine... even the Demon Sealing Barrier couldn't stop the Demonkind. Is there any place safe in the world...?"

"Old Liang, your information is outdated. According to the latest official news, it was due to the negligence of the Vanguard Knights. A Vanguard Captain was planning to betray the city, colluding with the Night Knights who were hiding in the city. They let the Demonkind in, nearly causing a disaster. Fortunately, the Radiant Knights saw through the plot and sent troops to the front lines, capturing the Demonkind and the traitorous knights."

"What? Is that true?"

"Of course, the truth is out now. The whole Border City, even the Human Federation, knows about it," Old Zhang said with a serious tone.

"Betraying humanity, opening the city gates for the Demonkind... that's too despicable! What did the Demonkind offer them to make them sell out their own kind!?" Old Liang said indignantly.

"Tsk, what do you think? The Vanguard Knights aren't part of the regular Knighthood. They're mostly poor, uneducated people. They see an opportunity and take it, no matter what. Now, all the Vanguard Knights have been arrested and tied up in Wax Square, on display for a day. They'll be publicly tried and executed tomorrow."

"Serves them right, these traitors! Taking people's money and not doing their job, a bunch of good-for-nothing beggars! They deserve to be flayed alive!"

"Hey! Want to go see the spectacle tomorrow? Watch how those scumbags die, hahaha!"

Ji Bai stopped, his hands in his pockets, listening to the conversation of the passersby.

He glanced ahead and saw that Lin had stopped, leaning against a wall, fiddling with her phone.

"Parasite, the way to the market isn't this direction, is it? Or do you want to buy a few electric bikes in the city center first?" Ji Bai pointed to the sign that clearly read 'City Center'.

"Let me guess, Lin Tuo didn't actually send us to buy anything. You just wanted to get me out, right?"

Lin looked up at Ji Bai, her expression neutral, neither confirming nor denying.

"Going to the market without a basket, that's not like you... If you just wanted to tell me this, you didn't need to go to such lengths," Ji Bai glanced at the passersby.

"Still, thanks for letting me know, even though I don't like vampires... I'll go on ahead."

... Lin watched Ji Bai's back for a moment, then turned and walked back in the direction they came from.