I Can See Experience Points

BANG!

The inn’s main door was kicked open with great force from the outside, revealing Liang Kun and Zheng Peng.

"Stop him!" Lei Yang shouted upon seeing this.

"Alright."

Liang Kun gave a very strange smile, and everyone had a bad feeling.

It was completely out of character. Back when this guy was with the Cleaners, he was always stone-faced and taciturn, no matter when or where you met him.

His sudden smile now was deeply unsettling.

In fact, their premonition was correct.

In an instant, a thin, dark membrane covered everyone present.

Even He Xiaotian was no exception.

The cyan flames, usually so indomitable, were extinguished in an instant.

The Qi Force within his Dantian was locked down tight, impossible to mobilize even a sliver.

Moreover, a layer of frost spread across the floor, freezing everyone’s feet firmly in place.

He Xiaotian had it even worse.

Both his hands and his two iron hammers were covered in frost.

"Huh! What is this?"

"A membrane. I just coated you all with a layer of it," Liang Kun replied with a smile, giving off a bizarre vibe.

"Do you have any idea what you’re doing?" Lei Yang roared, though the black membrane made him look utterly ridiculous.

"Of course I do. As for Zheng Peng, I’m not so sure," Liang Kun said. While they spoke, the old man had already moved to Liang Kun’s side, glaring at He Xiaotian with clenched teeth.

"Sir, I want him dead! My poor grandson... he was hammered to death by him just like that. What did he do wrong? Why did he deserve that? He was just a child!"

The old man bowed to Liang Kun, suppressing his rage as he spoke.

SLAP!

His answer was a slap to the face, delivered by Liang Kun.

"Before they arrived, I told you all to hide properly. And what did you do? To be honest, I’ve wanted to strangle that naughty grandson of yours for a long time! But you’re my subordinate, after all. And it was this masked man who ruined our organization’s plan in Z County.

"So I’ll allow you to torture him viciously, on the condition that you don’t kill him. Remember, as long as he doesn’t die, do as you please. But if he does die, then your life will be the sacrifice instead.

"This guy is a genius, rated internally by the city’s Cleaners as a three-system prodigy. Leaving him alive, bringing him back to the organization for brainwashing, and making him work for us is the best option. I’m sure you don’t mind, do you?"

"Thank you, Sir!"

The old man, Li Wencai, was so grateful he was moved to tears, nearly falling to his knees before Liang Kun.

He had no choice. With Liang Kun laying it out like that, pressing the issue would be suicide.

He knew that Liang Kun was a bit twisted mentally, like someone with schizophrenia.

He Xiaotian felt his head spinning a bit. ’Bro... seriously?’

’How did things suddenly go so wrong? A betrayal out of nowhere?’

’Also, even though your name is Liang Kun, which sounds like Jingkun—that money-grubbing bastard—you don’t have to copy his cruelty and ruthlessness, do you?’

Hearing this, Lei Yang and his group finally understood everything.

Their own teammate was actually a member of some mysterious organization, lying in wait among them all this time.

Not only that, but this organization was also connected to the Mirror Spirit.

"The Mirror Spirit’s escape from the Medical University must have something to do with you, then? I just don’t understand how you did it. Under the surveillance of both instruments and guards, you actually managed to sneak out an evil spirit. I find it unbelievable."

Meanwhile, Li Wencai pulled a bone-chopper from behind the dilapidated counter.

Under the lights, a cold glint flashed intermittently from the blade.

"It was actually very simple. Watch."

Liang Kun blinked at Lei Yang and the others, and then his left eye crawled out of its socket.

"The Dream Eye!!"

"Impossible! If you were carrying it with you all the time, how could the radar on the vehicle-mounted detector not have reacted?"

CLANG!

The bone-chopper struck He Xiaotian’s chest fiercely.

But his peak-level Fire-refined Golden Body and Great Perfection-stage Thirteen Grand Protectors’ Cross Training made the attack completely ineffective.

He Xiaotian could break free at any moment and kill the old man in retaliation.

But to hear more inside information, he chose to endure it.

Killing Li Wencai and Liang Kun would certainly grant him a decent amount of Experience Points.

But it was nowhere near as lucrative as a whole swarm of Mirror Spirits would be.

He was very clear on how to weigh his options.

’It’s not like you can kill me anyway. Go ahead, do your worst!’

"Have you forgotten what my ability is? Membranes. Coating. The seal at the Medical University was developed based on my ability. My membranes can seal evil spirits and also conceal their auras, to the point where not a single trace can leak out.

"I coated them with a membrane, so how could your radar possibly detect them? Lei Yang, I actually didn’t want to make a move on you all so soon. It’s just that kid... he ruined my plans.

"But it doesn’t matter. I’ve captured all of you anyway. As long as I can delay for a few days and successfully complete the sacrifice, the city’s Cleaners will be powerless against me. I imagine the Medical University alone will be enough to keep you busy."

At this, Liang Kun smiled. He looked very happy, his smile exceptionally brilliant.

He seemed proud of having single-handedly run the official organization of paranormals in circles.

"I still don’t understand why you betrayed us."

"Brother Lei, of course you don’t understand. Someone like you, whose initial awakening was the lightning of nature itself—immeasurably powerful. You were naturally valued by the higher-ups, and all sorts of resources were funneled your way.

"And me? Haha, do you know what some people called me behind my back? The Membrane Man! I was promoted to captain because the energy research lab studied me and developed the method to seal the Medical University.

"Many people were secretly unconvinced, but they were afraid of the higher-ups’ decision and didn’t dare to speak out. So, they just viciously slandered me behind my back. But there was nothing I could do, because I couldn’t beat them in a fight.

"Who can I blame? They all came from the Academy for Paranormals. With systematic training and a steady supply of resources, none of them were weak. You know it too—I was directly recruited into the Cleaners. I couldn’t compare to them.

"Even though I participated in many special cases over six months, I was always treated as support staff. My strength never grew much. Until one day, someone found me. Someone who could give me the power to become stronger."

"So you betrayed us?" Lei Yang never imagined that this normally taciturn man had been under so much pressure.

"No, no, no. Even if this is a betrayal, you all betrayed me first. Even if my power wasn’t great, I was still a senior to the newcomers, right? When they were gossiping about me, did anyone speak up for me?

"No. Not a single damn one. Some of them were even gloating. Then, a few days ago, I received a mission from the organization. Using my membranes that can hide the auras of evil spirits, I released the Mirror Spirit and the Dream Eye.

"I immediately used the Dream Eye to hypnotize everyone and successfully brought them out. It’s a pity my own power isn’t strong enough, or I could have brought out even more evil spirits. Those three who died in the residential complex? They were the ones who gossiped about me the most fiercely.

"There, that’s better. Now they don’t have to hide and talk trash behind my back anymore. You probably have no idea what kind of person your team member, Xiaoyang, was, do you? Calling him a two-faced, despicable villain would be a compliment!!

"I got rid of that bastard for you; you should be thanking me. In fact, he was the one who ultimately pushed me to side with the Gourmet Kitchen. I really don’t understand why the Cleaners would recruit scum like that.

"Anyone associated with him is trash. That degenerate I hated so much was the root cause of all this. I wanted to tear him to shreds, and everyone connected to him deserves to die. Including you!"