Seeing the other's grin, Qin Shou's cheek twitched, barely suppressing the urge to toss this guy off the high altitude.

So brazen—what do you take me for?

A nice guy?

Damn it!

Qin Shou suddenly extended a finger and tapped the other's forehead, an immense surge of Light Energy pouring into it.

"Buzz..."

Lei instinctively closed her eyes, allowing Light Energy to flood into her brow.

In an instant, her forehead grew increasingly radiant. A peculiar ripple flowed through Qin Shou's fingers, causing his heart to tremble. He quickly withdrew his touch.

"Damn, still dared to pry!"

Qin Shou cursed under his breath. His Light Energy contracted inward, and the profound depths of darkness emerged. Once more, he pressed his finger to Lei's brow.

"Ugh..."

Lei let out a muffled groan as Dark Energy materialized into a black pattern on her forehead, sealing away the Light Energy.

"You... Dark Energy... You're not from the Land of Light?" Lei exclaimed in shock.

Qin Shou raised an eyebrow. "As expected, your mind-reading ability is just amateurish. You can sense I won't hurt you, but you can't see anything deeper."

Lei's face darkened. Despite the occasional glow from her forehead, the oppressive force of Dark Energy kept it completely suppressed, rendering her abilities useless.

"How can you use both Light Energy and Dark Energy at the same time? Who exactly are you?"

Lei quickly regained her composure, unable to resist asking.

Qin Shou turned, crossing his arms as he gazed down at the vast expanse below.

"Who I am doesn't matter. What matters is that you should understand your current situation." His tone shifted back to calm indifference.

Lei's gaze darted side to side. "What situation? A prisoner, of course."

Qin Shou chuckled. "You're still too young. Once you figured out I wouldn't harm you, you let everything slip.

I bet in the Land of Light, you kept your abilities well-hidden because you knew those so-called Light Gods didn't have good intentions toward you. You only revealed your skill to hypnotize Monsters.

After I took you captive, you decided to seize the chance to break free from the Light Gods' control. The entire journey, you didn't cry or fuss, even amusing yourself by trying to read my thoughts."

Qin Shou turned slowly, meeting her gaze. "Holy Maiden Lei, did I guess right?"

Lei's face shifted slightly. Earlier, when she pried into this person's mind, it was all foolish and nonsensical ramblings, making her conclude that he was just a naive simpleton she could easily manipulate. That's why she dared to expose her hidden abilities, hoping to enlist his help in escaping the Land of Light.

But who would've thought this guy was as cunning as a fox, unraveling her secret so quickly?

Even with the ability to read minds, the human heart remains elusive!

At this realization, Lei's delicate features dimmed.

"That's right, you guessed correctly. Though I don't fully grasp what those Light Gods truly are, from what I've discovered, I'm set to become just like them—a monster."

Gathering her courage, Lei met Qin Shou's gaze. "You… you seem to know what those Light Gods are. You must be able to help me."

Qin Shou laughed softly, countering with a question. "Why should I help you?"

"Because you need my help too!" Lei blurted out without hesitation.

Qin Shou stroked his chin, as if weighing his options.

Lei pointed at her forehead. "Relax, I can't read your thoughts right now."

Qin Shou shook his head. "I don't care whether or not you can read my thoughts. If it were someone else who discovered your ability, you'd be lucky to survive three seconds."

The stronger the ability, the bigger the risk—err, wait, that's wrong.

The stronger the ability, well, if someone wanted to, wouldn't you just end up as fusion material?

Of course, Qin Shou wouldn't do such a thing to people he didn't particularly dislike.

His own boundaries had always been fuzzy.

They could exist—or maybe not.

Upon hearing Qin Shou's words, Lei's eyes revealed a hint of surprise.

"You're not afraid?"

"That's right, I'm not afraid!"

Qin Shou squared his shoulders, radiating upright confidence.

"I've lived an honest life and wronged no soul. I fear no ghosts knocking at my door at midnight. I, Qin Shou, have led a righteous and selfless life, conducting myself openly and without deceit. Why should I fear anything?"

Ghosts knocking at midnight?

I'd welcome them.

Single life knows no fear!

Lei was moved by this, her expression filled with disbelief.

What an unabashed man!

Honest and upright?

Then why did you kidnap me?

For fun?

Seeing Lei's expression, Qin Shou straightened his spine even further.

Haha, another admirer.

In the next moment, Lei's face regained its calm. "Mister, I'm discussing serious matters—be serious, stop joking around."

Qin Shou: "..."

Worst of all is when silence creeps in...

...

Dark Country, Royal City.

Qin Shou and Lei walked side by side along the streets of the city. Gazing at the vendors and shops lining the thoroughfare and the hustle and bustle of passersby, Qin Shou gestured toward the scene before them.

"Look, how are the citizens of the Dark Country any different from your Land of Light?"

Lei widened her eyes, astonished by the sight.

"This is the Dark King City?

Where are the red-eyed, fang-bearing monsters?

Where's the grotesque, rotten meat spread across the city?

Are these the same Dark Humans said to devour flesh and children?"

Qin Shou rolled his eyes. "Those stories are just propaganda spread by those with ulterior motives. Back when you lived in the Land of Light, couldn't your ability sense the inner thoughts of the Spine-eating Gu?"

Lei shook her head. "No, I didn't interact much with the Spine-eating Gu you're talking about. When they saw me, they didn't have any intention beyond an uncontrollable yearning to devour."

Just then, a vine ball rolled to her feet, causing Lei to instinctively stop. Her foot pinned the ball in place.

"Hehehe, pretty big sister, that's my ball."

A little girl with twin ponytails ran toward Lei on stubby legs, pointing at the vine ball. Her chubby face burst with innocent joy, and her jewel-like eyes sparkled brightly.

Lei froze for a moment. If not for sensing the faint trace of Dark Energy within the child, she wouldn't have been able to distinguish her from a child of the Land of Light.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.