Zhou Bai cheerfully returned to the old man’s home.

Jing Xiu followed him like a lackey the entire way.

Christina looked at Jing Xiu, who watched Zhou Bai with admiration, and said, “Zhou Bai, you’re just going to let this woman of dubious background follow us home?”

Zhou Bai said carelessly, “She admires me and appreciates my talents. Is there anything wrong with her wanting to follow me around?”

“You can’t judge a book by its cover,” Christina said. “This woman doesn’t look so honest. You have so many secrets—don’t get too close to her.”

“Secrets? What secrets do I have?” Zhou Bai exclaimed. “My biggest secret is my outstanding talent. I’ve only practiced for less than ten days, and I got first place in Donghua Tao Academy’s entrance exam. Even I admire myself…”

Christina gritted her teeth furiously. “This guy is bursting with arrogance.”

Soon after, Jing Xiu followed Zhou Bai to the old man’s door.

Jing Xiu said with a grin, “Brother Zhou, I’ll come here tomorrow and wait for you so we can enter school together.”

“Huh?” Zhou Bai said with some embarrassment. “You don’t need to do that. That’s too much trouble.”

“Not at all, not at all,” said Jing Xiu. “My mom told me to make lots of friends once I got into Tao academy, especially with people who have good grades. Brother Zhou, you have an iron will and the best comprehension capacity in this year’s class, plus you got first place, and you’re so amiable and so hardworking. If my mom knew, she would definitely tell me to be friends with you.”

Zhou Bai was a little embarrassed by her compliments. He shook his head and said, “What your mom said is reasonable. Rest assured, after we go to school, you can ask me about anything you don’t know.”

After waving goodbye to Jing Xiu, Zhou Bai knocked on the door and gleefully entered the house.

He found that the door to the old man’s house was open. The house was dim, and there seemed to be no lights on.

“What the hell! He didn’t even turn the lights on?” Zhou Bai walked in and shouted, “I got first place in this year’s Donghua Tao Academy entrance exam. Old man! Come, come, come! Let us celebrate together…”

As he spoke, Zhou Bai sensed something was off.

He walked into the house. The clamor and noise of the outside world seemed to grow distant and fade gradually. The entire room was as quiet as a mourning hall.

Farther inside the house, he heard the old man coughing continuously. The coughing got louder and louder, as if he was about to cough his lungs out.

Zhou Bai furrowed his brows. Christina said, “Something’s wrong. Be careful; don’t get me into trouble.”

The rooms seemed to get dimmer and dimmer. Only a faint flame burned in the heart of the house, flickering as the old man coughed.

Zhou Bai called quietly in the direction of the firelight. “Old man, is it you?”

Zhang Aidao’s father said, “Oh, it’s Zhou Bai? You passed the exam?”

“Yeah.” Zhou Bai directed his primordial spirit power to extend out from his consciousness. “Why did you turn off all the lights?”

“Oh, I’m getting old. The lights are too bright. They make my eyes uncomfortable.” He started speaking faster. “Zhou Bai, come over here. I have something to tell you.”

Zhou Bai asked, “Where’s my dog? Elsa! Elsa, where are you?” His ears twitched, hearing a chewing sound coming from near him.

He turned to look and saw Elsa eating something in the dark.

“Elsa! Elsa, stop eating. Come here!”

Elsa whined. After Zhou Bai repeatedly urged her, she jogged over unwillingly.

Zhou Bai stroked her body. He felt something wet around her mouth. “What did you eat? You got it all over your mouth.”

Elsa’s mouth widened, she stuck her tongue out and tried to lick Zhou Bai.

But Zhou Bai smelled something bloody from her mouth. He was taken aback. “F*ck, Elsa, what did you eat?”

He held down her head. Elsa had a hurt expression, and she didn’t understand why Zhou Bai didn’t let her lick him.

At that moment, the old man’s urging came again from the fire. “Zhou Bai, come let me take a look at you. I have something good to give you.”

Hearing the old man’s voice grow colder and sharper, Zhou Bai retreated toward the door, step by step.

The old man’s voice came again. It was cold and eerie, but also filled with a hint of impatience. “Zhou Bai, why are you walking out? Won’t you come and see me?”

Zhou Bai went blank for a second. He deepened his voice and said, “Sorry, I walked into the wrong house. My name is not Zhou Bai. You have the wrong person!”

The man suddenly became silent.

Zhou Bai grabbed Elsa’s head and walked out faster.

But the next moment, Zhou Bai heard a thump behind him. The door slammed shut.

Zhou Bai immediately used his primordial spirit power, but only felt his power hit something furry. It couldn’t break open the door at all.

“What is that?” Zhou Bai asked.

“Zhou Bai…” Inside the room, the elder slowly poked out the right half of his face. He looked at Zhou Bai in the dark with one eye. He said with a cold voice, “Why aren’t you coming over?

“Why won’t you come over?

“Come over here!

“Come over here!

“Come over here! Come over here!”

The elder’s voice got more and more urgent; he spoke faster and faster.

Zhou Bai’s primordial spirit power felt around in every direction. He felt nine long furry strands on the door. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t open the door.

Hearing the elder’s urgent voice, Zhou Bai shouted, “Shut up! I’m coming.”

“Take my talisman!”

The half-face behind the wall froze for a moment. The next instant, it sensed a ball of fur flying at it, hitting his face.

Christina, who was thrown at the elder, screamed, “Zhou Bai!! I #￥%…”

And when she approached the elder, she saw the elder’s entire body clearly.

The half-face revealed was not a face. There were only eyes, nose, and mouth growing on a back. The elder’s original head had turned into a lamb’s head. Nine tails extended out from his butt, blocking the door.

Seeing Christina fly at him, his nine tails instantly shot up, curling toward the cat in mid-air.

At the same time, Zhou Bai took this chance to use his primordial spirit power to break open the door. He charged out with Elsa in his hands.

Inside the room, just as Christina was about to be caught by the nine tails, her body lightened, and she turned into a puff of smoke, disappearing into Zhou Bai’s forehead. He retrieved her into his consciousness.

The instant he charged out of the house, Zhou Bai screamed at the top of his lungs, “Help!”

“Murder—”

A few seconds later, flying blades shot past them, rushing into the elder’s home.

He heard growling and crashing. Zhou Bai fell to the ground, dumbfoundedly looking at the house that was in battle, gasping for air.