The sparks had barely touched the surface of the oil when flames, symbols of death, instantly leaped and danced, prepared to consume the lives of everyone present. However, as the fire began to rise, the oil surface was instantly congealed by a layer of white frost!
The two drunkards closest to the scene stared blankly at the incredible sight before them. It felt as though a wave of frost had slapped them across the face. The grass by the roadside was suddenly struck by something, a gap instantly opening. A gust of wind blew, and everyone instinctively closed their eyes.
"W-What's going on?"
The onlookers, who had been ready to help, stared dumbfounded at the suddenly frozen water surface. Then they looked at the two drunkards who had nearly caused a disaster, feeling as though they had just escaped from the gates of hell.
"No matter what happened, we've escaped from the jaws of death. Thank the gods for protection; good deeds are rewarded." The speaker clasped their hands together and bowed repeatedly towards the sky, where a fine drizzle was falling.
"Phew, you two drunkards still haven't gone to the temple to give thanks! If it weren't for divine protection, you two would have been blown to pieces long ago!" An old woman, wearing a string of prayer beads and looking devout, paid homage to the heavens.
The two drunkards also emulated their demeanor, bowing to the sky with trepidation. Yet, the matter was indeed very strange, especially the sudden gust of frosty wind, as if someone was hidden within it.
And only the woman holding the leash of the dog had a glimmer of understanding of all this.
Her gaze flickered towards the grass by the roadside, and she smiled sweetly. Then, she slightly bowed in a gesture of respect before letting the dog lead her away.
At this moment, Ren Yuanhao was hiding in the grass, his chest heaving like a bellows. He immediately circulated his internal energy, and after a moment, he finally managed to recover from his somewhat stifled state.
"Damn it, that was close. I almost got turned into charcoal too. I'm supposed to have a grand burial when I die! How can there be a grand burial if I'm blown to pieces?"
While everyone's attention was diverted to the rescue, Ren Yuanhao cautiously emerged from the grass and nonchalantly walked towards Shen Lan Ni's apartment.
Along the way, Ren Yuanhao carefully moved along the wall. Then, following the instructions of the system's young lady, he swallowed the secret medicine, the 'Deaf Dumb Pill'.
"Beep beep, you now have two hours to cast the 'Deaf Dumb' effect on any target. This effect will make those who would normally see you unable to see you, and it can also affect electronic devices. Of course, although this secret medicine's effect is powerful, it doesn't mean it works on everyone. Furthermore, the secret medicine also allows you to use a large-scale group effect once. The stronger your internal energy, the wider the coverage."
"It's as if it was tailor-made for me!"
With the enhancement of this secret medicine, Ren Yuanhao's gait became somewhat buoyant.
"Additionally, due to the effect of the Merman's Tear, your body has gained some buffs. Although the numerical changes are not significant, in other words, if cultivators or espers manage their internal energy and abilities with a single core, you now have a dual core. Even if you cannot yet achieve interaction between the dual cores, the vessel for your internal energy is much larger than before."
Ren Yuanhao understood the system's meaning and, without realizing it, had arrived at the main entrance of Shen Lan Ni's apartment.
The old security guard was currently slumped over the desk in the security room. The dim yellow light fell on Ren Yuanhao's front. A biker on a Harley sped past from the driveway, the roar of the engine instantly creating a gust of wind that buffeted the closed door and windows of the security room.
The old security guard suddenly started, his sleepy eyes looking towards the entrance.
"Let me experiment on you first."
Ren Yuanhao's pupils contracted sharply. The old security guard unconsciously rubbed his eyes, his face instantly turning ashen.
He nervously pushed open the door of the security room, cautiously poking his head out. His eyes darted left and right, and after confirming that no one was there, he muttered, "That's strange. I clearly saw a man just now. Could it be that I was drowsy and saw things incorrectly?"
Under Ren Yuanhao's gaze, the old security guard retracted his head. Although he felt some surprise, he couldn't resist the pull of sleep. A moment later, he seemed to have fallen back asleep.
After this magical experience, Ren Yuanhao's confidence grew. He swaggered into the apartment, and all the surveillance cameras lost track of him as he passed.
Smoothly progressing, he quickly reached Shen Lan Ni's room.
Fortunately, it was the middle of the night. If it were daytime and residents were coming and going, seeing the door automatically open and close would surely have terrified them and sent them sprawling to the ground.
Ren Yuanhao entered the room and, through his senses, detected no surveillance or other electronic devices. He felt a slight sense of relief and then, as if familiar with the layout, walked through the foyer. The second room on the left was the one Shen Lan Ni had made available for Ye Lan to reside in.
At this moment, all the room doors were closed. The lingering scent of their daily lives seemed to remain within the rooms. A purple ambient light lazily cast its glow from the direction of the TV wall. And it was within this somewhat dazzling beam of light that Ren Yuanhao suddenly saw a wisp of white smoke slowly rising, and his heart tightened!
"You're finally here. I've been waiting for two days, and I'm almost out of cola in the fridge. You really have a lot of patience, aren't you afraid we'll kill them?"
A man in a white shirt slowly sat up from the sofa, exhaling faint smoke. The vapor rose, obscuring the purple light, making it appear hazy and illusory.
But as he turned, his pupils constricted, and he saw no one!
And he had just heard the sound of a key turning in the lock!
"Could it be that you can also turn invisible?" The man seemed to show little fear or shock. He took a deep drag from his cigarette holder and, when he exhaled, it was as spectacular as a sea of clouds. However, such smoke presented a great challenge to Ren Yuanhao, as he thought: the effect of the Deaf Dumb Pill only targets people; it's an illusion. Under impact with smoke or other physical phenomena, he would surely be exposed!
What was even more terrifying was that this smoke was not coming chaotically but seemed to be controlled by the man before him, moving like a white monster.
"We're all espers; we share the same frequency. Where can you hide if you keep hiding?"
Before the man could finish speaking, the smoke suddenly accelerated and instantly lunged towards Ren Yuanhao!
"Beep beep, don't believe this bastard. He's bluffing you. Don't worry, even if the smoke changes its form in reality after touching you, the person being cast upon will not see any change. Otherwise, it wouldn't be called a secret medicine."