C8 Someone Who Threatened Me

The entity shot straight into the vessel designed for containing such malevolent forces.

In that instant, I was bewildered, caught off guard by the turn of events.

I had been pondering how to coerce the entity into the vessel, but to my surprise, it entered of its own accord.

This was a fortunate twist, sparing me the effort of intervening.

I advanced and affixed the talisman to the vessel, effectively trapping the entity within.

I wondered why the entity had entered so willingly.

Then it dawned on me: the entity was originally nurtured inside this very vessel, so upon seeing it, it likely sensed a haven and ventured in.

Little did it know that I had brought the vessel.

A smirk crossed my mind, as I realized I had inadvertently stumbled upon a solution.

Having resolved the issue with the entity in the villa, I made my way downstairs.

By the time I got to the door, it was late. Zhong Ling was visibly tense when I appeared. She quickly moved closer, her voice laced with concern, "Security guard, how did it go?"

My gaze landed on Zhong Ling's delicate features, and I involuntarily let out a sound of amazement.

Something was amiss.

I had previously noticed issues with Zhong Ling's Spouse Palace and Health Palace.

But now, the mole in her Spouse Palace had begun to fade, and the blemish in her Health Palace was also vanishing.

I murmured to myself, "This is odd."

Perhaps my persistent gaze made Zhong Ling self-conscious, as she soon blushed, "Security guard, is there something on my face?"

I snapped back to reality, "No, you look great. Are you feeling any better now?"

Zhong Ling paused for a moment, then nodded, a note of surprise in her voice, "Oh, I do feel somewhat better." Her tone lightened, "Security guard, did that talisman you gave me work?"

I shook my head and replied with a hint of detachment, "It's not that simple."

Curiosity seemed to bubble up in Zhong Ling like an eager child, and she quickly pressed me for an explanation.

My theory was that by trapping the malevolent entity in the container, I had reduced the chances of it forming a marital connection with Zhong Ling, which in turn triggered an immediate response in her zodiac.

Even I had to admit, the art of physiognomy was quite extraordinary.

It could reveal a person's fortunes and misfortunes in real-time.

I tried to break it down for Zhong Ling, but my explanation just flew over her head.

I didn't have the energy to go over it again.

"Listen, it's getting late, and you should head back to get some rest. Just not here in this house," I advised.

"Okay." Zhong Ling nodded, then with a serious look, she offered, "How about I drive you home first?"

"Sure."

Considering the hour, hailing a cab wasn't the easiest task.

Zhong Ling's offer to drive me was timely, and I saw no reason to decline.

Twenty minutes later, I was home. I rented a modest studio apartment in the city—nothing grand, but it was plenty for a bachelor like me.

Before she left, I reminded Zhong Ling to give me a call if anything came up.

She left with a smile, a stark contrast to her previously troubled demeanor.

Having spent the last couple of days with Zhong Ling, I realized she wasn't as outgoing as she appeared to be; in fact, she seemed rather reserved.

As for the rumors about her being the general manager's mistress, I wouldn't be surprised if they were true.

Not many young women can boast of driving a BMW and living in a villa.

Exhausted from the day's activities, I collapsed onto my bed to catch my breath and planned to whip up some instant noodles after a short rest.

But the moment I hit the bed, I was out like a light.

The next thing I knew, it was morning, and I was jolted awake by a phone call from none other than Zhong Ling.

Her voice was cheerful as she asked, "Security guy, you awake yet?"

"Not yet."

"Okay, then catch some more sleep. I'll be downstairs to pick you up in thirty minutes."

With that, Zhong Ling ended the call, and I closed my eyes to drift back to sleep. Upon waking again and reaching for my phone to check the time, I noticed an unread message.

No name was attached to the message.

It was from an unfamiliar number. My phone was often cluttered with junk messages, like those random ones about Venice.

Casually, I opened it for a quick glance, but the text that met my eyes soured my expression in an instant.

It was this message that jolted me to full alertness.

The message was terse and to the point: "Zhang, don't stick your nose where it doesn't belong, or you're asking for trouble."

The message was an unmistakable threat.

I stared at it, taking my time before responding. I checked the timestamp—it was sent in the wee hours of last night, while I was likely deep in slumber.

The timing was uncanny, almost immediately after I had trapped the malevolent entity in the vessel the previous evening. The sender must have sensed it right away.

Another troubling thought crossed my mind: how did they get my number? It was peculiar. They didn't just know my number; they had some of my personal details—at the very least, my surname, Zhang.

This made my heart heavy with concern. Was it possible that the person behind this knew me? Or could it be someone acquainted with both Zhong Ling and me?

After pondering for a moment, I typed out a response: "Who is this?"

I sent the message and prepared to rise, not expecting a swift reply.

To my surprise, the response came immediately, simple yet chilling: "Zhang, I've already given you a chance. If you don't take the hint, your life is forfeit."

Reading this, a wave of irritation washed over me. Unless I was mistaken, this person was very likely the same one who had targeted Zhong Ling.

People like that tend to only dare skulk in the shadows.

With that thought, I swiftly redialed their number; I was determined to uncover the identity of the person lurking behind the scenes.

I'm no pushover. This individual clearly wanted to play the keyboard warrior from the safety of anonymity. Well, I was about to pull them into the light.

I made the call without hesitation, but the outcome that awaited me was something I never could have anticipated.