<h4>Chapter 22: Chapter 22: Voices in the Dark</h4>


    "Ding~ Destination reached."


    The elevator doors slowly opened and closed again. Shao Zifeng looked around, somewhat incredulous. Clearly, he had taken the same elevator, but the ce he had arrived at was no longer the "Happy Sunshine Community." This ce looked like an amusement park abandoned a long time ago. The surrounding area was sparsely popted, overgrown with weeds.


    He forcefully shoved the Tang sword into his travel bag, as a wave of drowsiness and hunger hit him.


    Now it was already past eight in the morning. Having stayed up all night, Shao Zifeng felt a bit exhausted. He took out his phone to check his location and walked toward the nearest bus stop.


    ...


    "Ding~ Mr. 9331, the detailed information of the task you epted has been sent to your ount email. Pleaseplete the task as soon as possible. Have a pleasant day."


    The alert tone of a text message woke up the sleeping Shao Zifeng. Recently, his heart felt like a stretched string, a sense of crisis intermittently reminded him that someone was still watching him from the shadows.


    Rising to get dressed, he saw the sunset outside the window sinking below the horizon. ncing at Qiuqiu who was still asleep, Shao Zifeng felt that today''s mission was probably not going to be aplished. Although reality was harsh, he had to admit... without Qiuqiu, he was just a weakling.


    He picked up the leftover bread from the morning and checked the detailed information of the task.


    "The ''Gu Chang''an Residence'' in Su City has recently witnessed frequent cases of missing pets. Several owners who lost their beloved pets have collectively sought help online. The task requires finding out the reason for the pets'' disappearance. The executor of the task is not allowed to privately contact the owners. Upon taskpletion, the tform will send someone to gather evidence. Subsequent rewards and items will be transferred to the executor''s ount by the tform."


    The detailed information was not very detailed, causing Shao Zifeng to rub his temples in frustration.


    The so-called family pets were those individual evolved mutant creatures kept by ordinary households without needing a contract. Most of them had nobat abilities but possessed some miraculous abilities such as calming, cleaning, and aiding sleep.


    However, that wasn''t an absolute rule. Some collectively evolved species were also suitable as family pets. For example, the evolving "Clean Cotton" from dandelions was loved by many ordinary families for its soft and cute appearance and cleaning abilities.


    Of course, most families still chose family pets based on their looks. A cute and practical family pet often fetched a sky-high price.


    Strictly speaking, Shao Zifeng''s Qiuqiu could now also be considered a family pet. No contract was needed, but they depended on each other. Unlike in the past when cute pets relied on their owners'' love, today''s family pets were more like in a symbiotic rtionship.


    "Ying ying aoo~~"


    A soft, tender cry woke Shao Zifeng from his thoughts. He turned to look.


    He saw Qiuqiu, drowsy-eyed, rubbing its eyes with little paws, looking around.


    @@novelbin@@


    (''ω??)


    Suddenly, its eyes lit up. It quickly ran to Shao Zifeng''s side, spreading its short little paws and hugging Shao Zifeng''s leg.


    Shao Zifeng bent down to pick Qiuqiu up and started to observe closely.


    After drinking the energy potion type I, Qiuqiu slept the whole day. Its scales had grown somewhat, mostly covering the previously exposed skin. The brown-yellow scales leaned more towards a reddish tint, adding a slightly fierce aura to the usually cute Qiuqiu, although its personality hadn''t changed much.


    "Ying ying aoo~"


    Feeling shy under Shao Zifeng''s gaze, Qiuqiu raised its little paws in protest.


    "Alright, I won''t look anymore. Qiuqiu, shall we go out to y tonight?" Shao Zifeng gave a "benevolent" smile like an old father.


    "Ying ying aoo~" Poor Qiu·Tool·Qiu didn''t yet know it had to work again, happily hugging Shao Zifeng''s arm in coquetry.


    Shao Zifeng contentedly extended his hands, stroking Qiuqiu, sighing inwardly, "It doesn''t feel as good as before."


    ...


    At ten o''clock in the evening, Shao Zifeng left home. He saw the Tang sword in his travel bag, hesitated for a moment, but decided to take it. Although he didn''t know any knife techniques, converting his old fighting skill into knife skills should work.


    As an N-tier city, Su City had most shops closed by night except for the asional convenience store and barbecue stand.


    On a somewhat chilly night in early spring, Shao Zifeng wore a hoodie, holding "Cang Feng" in his arms. A small head poked out from his cor, curiously examining the handle of the knife.


    Poking the knife handle carefully with its little paw, a slight suction made Qiuqiu shiver. It felt unexpectedly pleasant. After touching the handle again and shivering, Qiuqiu''s eyes lit up and it happily let go of Shao Zifeng''s cor to cling onto the knife handle.


    "Ying ying~"


    Shao Zifeng felt his arms warming up, thinking it must be Qiuqiu''s ability to absorb fire elements. He looked curiously at Qiuqiu holding the knife handle with an ecstatic expression, stroked it once, and continued walking toward the east district.


    The "Gu Chang''an Residence" in the east district bordered Shao Zifeng''s old district. Although named the east district, it wasn''t in the easternmost part of Su City; the name was rtive to the former old district.


    Compared to the gradually declining old district, the east district was like a rising sun. Infrastructure was increasingly perfect, and housing prices soared. Families buying houses here couldn''t end up too poor.


    At the gate of "Gu Chang''an Residence," looking at the unfriendly eyes of themunity security guards, Shao Zifeng felt troubled. Given the strict citywide inspection, attempting to enter had failed. Wandering around the gate with his hat on, Shao Zifeng attracted the attention of the security guards.


    Fortunately, he had left the Tang sword in a corner earlier. Otherwise, facing him now would be a pack of arresting dogs.


    Leaving the front gate, Shao Zifeng retrieved the Tang sword and prepared to look for an entrance elsewhere around themunity. The "Gu Chang''an Residence" upied a vast area, surrounded by tall iron railings covered with vines. Combined with themunity''s greenery, itcked the oppressive feeling of typical concrete-steel neighborhoods.


    "Ying ying~"


    Just as Shao Zifeng''s patience ran out and he decided to leave, Qiuqiu in his cor sniffed around and gave a cautious reminder.


    "Qiuqiu, did you find something?" Shao Zifeng whispered, lowering his head.


    "Ying ying~" Qiuqiu popped out from his cor, sniffed with its nose twitching, and quickly ran to a flower wall in themunity.


    Shao Zifeng followed Qiuqiu cautiously, holding the Tang sword''s sheath in one hand and the long handle in the other, warily scanning the surroundings. It was a small park outside themunity, darkened by the tree shadows blocking the distant streetlights.


    "Ying ying aoo~" Qiuqiu stopped in front of the flower wall, pointing at a spot with its little paw and barking back at Shao Zifeng.


    Shao Zifeng came over and carefully probed the vines on the flower wall with the sword sheath. Beneath the vines, the iron railing had been broken, revealing a hole justrge enough for someone to pass through.


    Crouching down at the hole, Shao Zifeng turned on his phone''s shlight, shielding its light with one hand, and inspected the ground. The surface was dotted with countless small holes, as if poked by something.


    Several tufts of hair were scattered around.


    "Sh-sh, sh-sh~" In the dead of night, the sound of something being dragged was exceptionally clear.


    Shao Zifeng''s hair stood on end!