I am a full-level celestial master, you let me enter the strange talk of rules?

Zhang Yangqing and the chairman did indeed begin their investigation by the lake.

The two had changed into tattered linen jackets and trousers that they had taken from the laborer, and although the dark red mark on their chests could not be completely copied.

However, Zhang Yangqing used some secret method to simulate similar aura fluctuations. In addition, they deliberately imitated the slightly stiff and blurry posture of the laborers. At first glance, they were not much different from the indigenous laborers active in the dock area.

As they walked along the lakeside, carefully observing the eerie lake water and the floating and sinking leaves, they also heard the sounds of children playing nearby.

My gaze swept over and I saw the three older children pushing and kicking the little boy who was tightly clutching his bundle.

Zhang Yangqing's purple eyes held no sympathy or empathy, only an almost icy scrutiny.

His starting point was completely different from Song Zaixian's. He judged purely based on experience: in such a strange and dangerous place, any "special event" often hides clues, task triggers, or the manifestation of some kind of rule.

"Let's go take a look." Zhang Yangqing said calmly, and strode towards the group of children.

The chairman naturally had no objection and followed suit.

Although the two had concealed most of their aura, the deep-seated oppressive feeling honed through countless killings and peak battles, as well as the gloomy and deathly feeling brought about by their current role as natives, still permeated the air as if it were a tangible entity.

The three older kids who were bullying the children almost simultaneously felt a chill run down their spines, as if they were being targeted by some extremely dangerous prehistoric beast.

Their hands froze, their sinister smiles vanished, and they stiffly, bit by bit, turned their heads back.

What came into their view were two figures that stood like black iron towers.

Zhang Yangqing and the chairman were wearing oversized work jackets, making them appear exceptionally tall and robust in the eyes of the children.

Because they imitated the indigenous people, their faces also had a faint, blurry quality, but Zhang Yangqing's eyes were as deep as an abyss, as if they could devour souls.

The chairman's eyes were sharp as a hawk's, carrying the authority of someone who had long held a high position and an undisguised indifference.

Through that blurry layer, it was clearly projected into the hearts of the three children.

It was a crushing sense of power originating from the level of life itself and absolute strength, exuding a villainous aura and a strong sense of oppression!
The three children turned pale with fright instantly. Their arrogance in bullying the weaker child vanished, leaving only instinctive palpitations and fear.

Forget about provoking or attacking, they couldn't even muster the slightest thought of resistance; their only thought was to run!

The three children, like startled rabbits, turned and tried to dart away in different directions.

However, as soon as they made a move, they felt a tightness around their necks, and their feet instantly left the ground.

Zhang Yangqing's movements seemed casual, but with a flick of his arm, like an eagle catching a chick, he precisely grabbed the tall boy who had threatened Song Zaixian by the back of his collar and lifted him up.

The chairman on the other side was even more efficient, using both hands like iron clamps to grab the collars of the other two boys and lift them off the ground like packages.

The three children, who were like little devils and terrifyingly powerful in the eyes of other chosen ones, were like helpless toys in the hands of Zhang Yangqing and the chairman. Even their struggles seemed futile and laughable.

The tall boy being held by Zhang Yangqing felt the almost suffocating pressure on his neck. Terrified and terrified, he screamed, his voice trembling with fear, "Who are you? Let me go! Or I'll go home and tell my parents, and you'll be sorry!"

He clearly relies on his family's power and often uses this trick to intimidate people.

It's also clear that their parents are very powerful, which allows them to bully others with impunity. Upon hearing this, Zhang Yangqing didn't even raise an eyelid, simply retorting in a completely calm tone, "Oh? You're going to tell your parents when you get back? By saying that, you don't plan to go back alive?"

The tall boy was completely dumbfounded. His little brain had clearly never processed this kind of logic before. He stood there with his mouth agape, unable to react for a long time.

Is that even possible? Usually, the other person gets scared and quickly lets go to apologize, right?

As children, their logic isn't actually that complicated. It's just like that of a bullied little boy, only a little bit taller.

The other two little boys who were grabbed by the chairman had their faces flushed red. Threatened by Zhang Yangqing, they were terrified and cursed their incompetent teammate a thousand times over in their hearts.

One of the quicker-witted ones struggled and cried out, "Uncle! Uncle, spare us! Don't listen to him! He's talking nonsense! We have no grudge against him, why are you arresting us?"

The voice was crying.

Zhang Yangqing was too lazy to waste words with them and asked directly, "Tell me, why did you hit him?"

He glanced at the little boy who was temporarily safe because of their arrival, and who was holding a package and looking at them timidly.

The little boy's eye is white in one eye and normal in the other, which looks rather strange.

"You'd better tell me everything clearly. I'm going to have our statements checked later, so if you dare to lie..."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the eerie, inky black surface of the lake, his tone carrying a chilling undertone: "I'll throw you all into this lake."

The words "throw them into the water" seemed to have a magical power; the three boys instantly trembled with fear, their faces filled with extreme terror, clearly knowing how horrible the lake was.

"I'll talk! I'll talk!" The tall boy being held by Zhang Yangqing was the first to break down, blurting out, "It's because of him! He's lucky; he often finds shiny or strange things by the river!"

We saw that he had found another shiny treasure today, so we wanted to 'borrow' it to take a look, but he absolutely refused, so we hit him.”

The other two boys nodded in agreement, no longer daring to hide anything.

Zhang Yangqing finally understood.

The boy with the single white eye who was beaten seems to possess some kind of "luck" that allows him to find things on this dangerous lakeside.
In other words, there might be some kind of rule about him that, once triggered, would allow him to 'find' what sank into the lake, but he doesn't know it yet, and the chosen one needs to find out more.

This may be the key clue, far more valuable than the bullying of children itself.

The chairman listened from the side, his eyes flickering slightly as he glanced at Zhang Yangqing, his meaning clear: these three brats probably have powerful backgrounds; their parents might indeed be formidable figures here.

We've already offended them. To avoid further trouble, should we...? A fierce glint flashed in his eyes as he made a throat-slitting gesture, meaning to resolve the problem at its root.

This is an even more dangerous underworld within the world of ghost stories; we cannot be careless, nor can we be soft-hearted.

Zhang Yangqing felt the chairman's gaze, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, forming an elusive arc.

He gave the chairman a reassuring look, as if to say: Don't worry, I have a plan. (End of Chapter)