Chapter 41

Chapter 41: Daoist Master Li

The first message hit like a cold slap.

Qing You 01: “That friend is you, isn’t it?”

A second followed.

Qing You 01: “I checked your posting record. Two days ago, a user named Chao Qiang Chao posted to recruit people to deal with aberrants. You replied to sign up and mentioned you held an ability card. After that, a giant unknown creature nest was discovered in Jiang Kou City. Chao Qiang Chao has been offline ever since and never appeared again.”

Feng Ling stared, a little stunned.

No wonder he was a reposting big shot. The man’s sensitivity to information was almost scary—he’d traced her tracks in the time it took most people to finish a meal.

She typed carefully:

“Dou Sha Le: Yeah, I signed up.”

Then she added a second line, leaning into the act:

“Dou Sha Le: What do I do now? I’m so scared T_T”

His reply came fast.

Qing You 01: “Don’t be afraid. Pack your things. Get to Yun Hai City as soon as possible.”

“Dou Sha Le: Yun Hai City?”

Qing You 01: “Yes. Yun Hai City and Yan Jing are the safest cities in the country right now. The strongest inspectors are concentrated there, suppressing aberrant activity. Your IP is in Qing Jiang City, so Yun Hai City is the closest safe option.”

Feng Ling’s mouth tightened.

She couldn’t go.

She needed the Maze. She needed idol. She couldn’t leave a corruption level hovering at twenty-nine percent and just hope the world stayed kind.

So she typed:

“Dou Sha Le: Is there any other way? Yun Hai City is so expensive. I don’t have money. I can’t afford food or a place to stay, wuwuwu…”

A normal person might have snapped: Money or your life—pick one.

But Qing You 01’s tone stayed steady.

Qing You 01: “Don’t cry. If you can’t go, it’s fine. Reply in your thread and say you’re going to stay with a friend who works at the Yun Hai City Inspectorate Branch Bureau. It’ll confuse them.”

Feng Ling’s brows pulled together.

So he believed aberrants might be lurking on the Alienstar Forum too.

It wasn’t impossible. Aberrants learned fast. The early ones had lived among humans for half a year; phones and computers wouldn’t be beyond them. Finding a forum, registering, and quietly watching would be easy.

Feng Ling did as he suggested. She returned to her thread and posted at the bottom:

“Dou Sha Le: (^?^) Thanks for the concern, everyone! I already talked it over with big shot. I’m heading to Yun Hai City to take shelter right away!”

Then she jumped back to their private chat.

More messages waited.

Qing You 01: “What information have the aberrants gotten about you?”

Qing You 01: “Do they know your exact address?”

Qing You 01: “Try to move somewhere safer. If money is tight, I can lend you some. It’s not much, but it should cover a few days of rent.”

Then he sent a phone number, telling her to add him so he could transfer money.

Feng Ling blinked.

She knew Qing You 01 was a good person. Collecting, organizing, and reposting intel took real time, real effort. Anyone who did it daily for half a year was basically donating their life to strangers.

But “here’s money, right now” was a different level.

Suspicion rose on instinct. Was he some creep?

Add him, then he’d ask for photos. Then videos. Then, “Let’s talk more privately.” Step by step, like bait on a hook.

Feng Ling scrolled through her own old posts. Online, she did come off a little… split. Cutesy doubled words, sticker spam, profile set to female, twenty. The kind of image that attracted predators the way garbage attracted flies.

Maybe she was being paranoid.

Maybe he really was just… kind.

In the end, she sighed and decided guessing was pointless. She’d add him and see.

She saved his number, added him on WeChat, and sent a cautious: “Hello.”

No reply.

Two full minutes passed.

Then a transfer notification popped up.

Feng Ling’s eyes widened. “He actually sent money?”

She opened it.

1350 yuan.

She stared. It was such a weird amount. People sent 1000, 1500, 1314—numbers with meaning or symmetry. But 1350?

Only then did she notice the sender name.

San Qing Palace-Li Qing Daoist Master (Blessings Divination Talismans): “This is all I have for now. Use it for emergencies.”

Feng Ling’s gaze stung like she’d stared at a bad neon sign.

Aisha: “Are you Qing You 01?”

San Qing Palace-Li Qing Daoist Master (Blessings Divination Talismans): “You’re Dou Sha Le, right? Accept the transfer.”

That name was unbearable to look at. Feng Ling immediately changed his contact note to something she could stand:

Daoist Master Li.

Daoist Master Li sent a long voice message.

Feng Ling tapped it.

The voice that came through was unexpectedly young—low, steady, gentle. Somewhere behind him, birds called out, clear and bright.

“Use that money to rent a room somewhere safer,” he said. “Stock up on food and water. Don’t go out for a while. If you have trouble, contact me anytime. I’ll do what I can. Don’t rush to pay me back. And don’t be afraid—aberrants aren’t as all-powerful as people say online. If you protect yourself, you’ll be fine.”

Feng Ling sat there, phone pressed to her ear, feeling heat creep into her face.

So she really had misjudged him.

Daoist Master Li continued, calm as if he were explaining the weather. “The safest plan is still Yun Hai City. Prices are high, yes, but you can try applying to become an inspector. That would cover living costs and give you protection. I know a few clerks inside the Inspection Bureau—the benefits are good. Since you have an ability card, it should help your application.”

Feng Ling’s first thought was oddly soft: He thinks I can’t fight. He thinks I’m helpless.

And then the second thought hit right after:

Why does a daoist know this much?

Why did he believe her when even Su Yu Qing and Zhou Zhou didn’t know about the hidden Boss? When she posted, everyone mocked her—except him.

Was he just that gullible?

No.

That didn’t fit.

Feng Ling tilted her head, resting her cheek against her palm, and forced her mind to hold still.

Only one explanation made any sense.

Daoist Master Li could see the player forum.

If he could see the player forum, then he knew players were preparing to move against the hidden Boss. That was why he believed her the second she posted. That was why he transferred money without hesitation.

Interest flared—sharp, bright, dangerous.

Careful. Helpful. Generous. No strings, no bargaining. Knowledge far beyond the average person. And possibly holding an ability card that let him see what humans weren’t meant to see.

What did someone like that look like in real life?