Era of Magic and Martial Arts-Chapter 248 - 232: Countdown

The game begins, with 8 hours remaining in the countdown.

The glaring red text made Feng Yuhuai’s eyes hurt, and her stiff face that’s been barely maintained almost cracked into two.

The shadow of the last game still loomed over her, taking effect, as nightmarish memories began attacking the divided cortex of her brain.

Perhaps it’s true, once a novice, twice a master.

Feng Yuhuai didn’t hesitate as long this time and gritted her teeth to directly click on the link below.

What appeared before her was a half-body photo of a middle-aged man, whose features vaguely resembled the deceased Cang Qingsen, making Feng Yuhuai’s heart skip a beat.

Feng Yuhuai’s pupils constricted into needlepoints upon seeing the name behind the picture—Chang Wei.

Below, there was a thoughtful note: Uncle of Cang Qingsen is seeking the killer of his nephew. He’s about to target you. For safety, I suggest you strike first.

"Heh~"

Feng Yuhuai almost laughed out loud. How could she believe that the mastermind hiding behind the scenes of this message could suddenly become so considerate, really thinking for her well-being?

"Pretending to be so considerate through a message is nauseatingly hypocritical!" Feng Yuhuai’s heart brimmed with anger, her eyeballs shifting back and forth between her pupils and the coils in her eyes.

"First, it was Cang Qingsen, now it’s Chang Wei. Clearly, the mastermind manipulating everything from the shadows must have a close connection or deep-seated hatred with someone named Cang." Feng Yuhuai strained her brain and deduced a conclusion.

Feng Yuhuai had privately investigated the previous message but couldn’t find anything; the clues left by the opponent were too few.

Moreover, her mind was a bit stiff lately, with heavy coursework and participation required in a joint martial arts competition held by several universities, leaving her with very little free time.

Or perhaps, to minimize the side effects of the Puppet Mother on her body, so her usual expressions wouldn’t split, and her speech wouldn’t have a dual tone, Feng Yuhuai had exhausted herself.

These days, she had become increasingly reticent in class, deliberately using dieting as an excuse to avoid having lunch with her dorm mates, preferring solitude as much as possible.

Although Feng Yuhuai could still barely disguise and hold up, she could feel her dorm mates had sensed something was off with her.

While they haven’t noticed the terrifying changes in her, their eyes full of concern and strangeness were becoming increasingly piercing day by day.

"Yuhuai, Yuhuai, your dad is asking you something?" Wang Xiuli gently patted her dazed daughter’s shoulder.

Feng Yuhuai snapped back to the thoughts of today; it’s becoming increasingly difficult for her to multitask. A slight lapse in concentration, and her brain would be like an overloaded computer, stuck in a half-frozen state of daze.

She put away her phone, slowly lifted her head, and the coil in her eyes reverted to normal pupils.

Looking at Feng Ju, she forced out a weary smile: "Dad, what did you say just now? I zoned out and didn’t catch it."

Feng Ju, still very concerned for his daughter, frowned slightly and inquired with care:

"You’ve been so absent-minded lately. Is the stress from studying too much? I told you before, there’s no need to always run to the hospital to keep me company."

Feng Yuhuai wasn’t just visiting the hospital to accompany her father; she primarily came to gather information.

Feng Yuhuai nodded gently and responded, "Yes, participating in the martial arts competition is quite exhausting, but I can manage. Since you’re discharged now, I’ll focus on staying at school and concentrate more on my studies."

Feng Ju acknowledged with a slight nod, his expression growing somewhat serious as he admonished:

"This martial arts competition organized by several universities is equivalent to a ranking assessment for all students in the district. The outcome holds high reference value.

If you can stand out in the competition and achieve a good rank, it will greatly benefit your citizenship assessments. You’re the pride of our family. Dad believes, with your abilities, you can shine in the competition.

So you must give it your all, avoid slackness, and don’t let your mom and me down, got it?"

Feng Yuhuai listened, feeling somewhat irritable. Previously, she was pleased to hear such teachings from Feng Ju; the sense of being the family’s hope brought her joy.

Especially when Feng Ju praised her and subtly demeaned Feng Mu, the feeling of comparison would exponentially amplify her inner pride and satisfaction.

However, times have changed, and now Feng Yuhuai feels the more she hears Feng Ju’s words, the more genuinely annoying they become.

What’s more, Feng Mu didn’t come for dinner today, leaving Feng Yuhuai unable to savor the pleasure of being compared.

"Why must you always impose your hopes onto me as if I’m a puppet on strings?" Feng Yuhuai silently grumbled in her heart.

She stiffly nodded and changed the topic, asking, "So, dad, what were you trying to ask earlier?"

A pale white [Mask] flashed through Feng Ju’s mind, a hint of unabated hatred and a trace of deeply hidden fear crossed in his eyes.

He instinctively moved his mechanical arm, the unparalleled sense of power from the metallic operation dispelled the residual fear in his heart.

Feng Ju exhaled deeply. Perhaps it was an illusion, but even his breath seemed tinted with a cold metallic scent:

"Recently, there’ve been several murders in your school. The special agent assigned this case to me. I must use all my strength to catch the culprit hiding in your school."

Feng Yuhuai’s expression turned serious. She nodded earnestly and said with determination:

"Yes, I firmly believe that you will soon apprehend the culprit and seek justice for the classmates from my school who fell victim."

Feng Ju agreed, "Rest assured, dad will capture him at any cost. So, I wanted to ask if you’ve noticed anyone suspicious or showing unusual behavior among your classmates or teachers recently?"

Feng Yuhuai’s eyebrows raised slightly, and she asked in astonishment, "Suspicious, unusual behavior?"

Feng Ju nodded, "I mean sudden changes in personality, or any evident difference in behavior from before."

Before being discharged, Feng Ju had an in-depth conversation with the special agent.

His life now essentially belonged to the special agent. Thus, out of trust, the special agent disclosed some extremely confidential key information to him.

The gist is that the [Mask] is likely parasitized by some kind of special evil sacrifice.

During this process of parasitism and fusion, the host will be increasingly influenced by the evil sacrifice, manifesting as drastic changes in personality, interests, and habits, which are extremely difficult to completely mask through disguise.

Feng Ju paused for a moment, then gave examples to explain:

"For instance, someone who was originally enthusiastic about socializing suddenly becomes reticent; or someone who usually eats bland suddenly has an increased appetite; or someone with historically poor grades suddenly makes a huge leap academically; have you noticed anything like this?"

Each example Feng Ju gave sunk Feng Yuhuai’s heart further, her nails were merging into red lines in her palm.

She seemed to be swayed by Feng Ju’s words and felt a bit hungry!

...