Chapter 266: Anbi Gave a Silent Thumbs-Up

“Brothers, let’s go!”

The rebel captain’s expression remained unreadable; he gritted his teeth and made up his mind.

After all, they were just paid to do a job; retrieving Ren was merely an added task, not worth dying for.

At the captain’s order, the rebels turned and fled without hesitation.

They were rebels after all; if they’d been bandits or tunnel rats, their choice might’ve been very different.

With the rebels gone, Ye Qingfeng finally had time to check on Ren. Perhaps the atmosphere had been too suffocating—she hadn’t dared to move, tears glistening at the corners of her eyes, her pitiful appearance stirring his sympathy.

He knelt to set her down, then tore off the tape over her mouth and whispered soothingly, “Miss Ren, are you alright? I’m Ye Qingfeng from the Hare’s Den. Don’t worry—I mean no harm.”

Ren had short pink hair, a well-proportioned figure, and an overall girlish style.

As soon as she was free from Ye Qingfeng’s arms, her legs gave out and she collapsed onto the floor, her body trembling uncontrollably—clearly, the past few days had left her deeply traumatized.

“Ye Qingfeng? I’ve heard of you from Nico...” Ren’s expression shifted rapidly, fear flashing across her face as she cried out urgently, “Hurry!! Go to the building’s rooftop! There’s no time—the Court of Law’s airship is about to—”

Before she could finish, a thunderous crash came from the ceiling, cutting her off and snapping Ye Qingfeng’s attention. Farther away, Leikain had just defeated the last revenant and hurried toward them.

Meanwhile, the fleeing rebels whispered among themselves.

“Report, Captain—the timed explosives have detonated as planned. Structural scans show the corridor to the rooftop has vanished!”

“Understood!” The rebel captain led the front of the group, sneering, “Even if you reclaim your hostage, the airship’s fate was sealed long ago.”

Ies and Leikain finally arrived at the scene, spotting Ye Qingfeng and Ren in the distance. They quickened their pace, their expressions tense.

“Qingfeng—where are the rebels?” Ling scanned the empty B Building, her gaze finally settling on Ren. “Ren, are you alright?”

“I’m fine... but this isn’t the time! We must get to the rooftop right away!” Ren urged again.

“I’m sorry to bring bad news,” Leikain said. “The rebels planted explosives on the route to the rooftop. That loud bang was the detonation. The fastest path is gone.”

“Wh—what?”

Leikain’s words struck Ren like a sharp blade. Her limbs went limp, tears streaming down her cheeks, her hands gripping the floor as her voice cracked with sobs and regret.

“No... not me...”

“I’m sorry... Miss Ren...” Leikain flustered, introducing Ies. “Actually, this is the legendary Rope Artisan Phaethon. With her, we can find another route to the rooftop.”

Ren stiffened, lifting her head slowly, glaring at Leikain with displeasure.

Bastard—give back my tears!

She’d been threatened, putting the airship’s passengers in danger, and she’d thought all hope was lost.

Leikain awkwardly turned away, feeling the intense gaze, then hung his head in shame.

It was an accident, but making a lady cry—how ungentlemanly!

Ies stood in standby mode; clearly, Ling was searching for another route to the rooftop. Ye Qingfeng, meanwhile, couldn’t help smirking.

Seeing Leikain humiliated was rare—he seized the chance, pulled out his camera, and stealthily snapped a photo.

“Click—”

The shutter clicked repeatedly, flashes of white light blinding Leikain. He raised his hands to shield his face, waiting for the glare to fade, then glared furiously at Ye Qingfeng.

For the sake of the report—I’ll endure it... again and again and again!

“What happened? I don’t know anything...”

Ye Qingfeng turned his head away, pretending nothing had occurred. His feigned innocence made Leikain grit his teeth.

Cold rage!

“Found a route! Near the ground-floor lobby of Bala Building—about seven minutes!” Ling’s expression was grim as she relayed Fairy’s findings. “But the path goes through a high-corrosion zone—there may be high-risk revenants.”

“If we encounter revenants, I’ll hold them off—you go!” Ye Qingfeng’s smile vanished as he turned to Ren. “Can you handle the airship?”

“If you just need to disable the airship’s control and get me safely to the rooftop, I can dismantle the interference device immediately!”

Ren nodded. With her safety assured, her cold, aloof demeanor returned.

“But I heard the rebels say—to ensure the plan’s success—all passengers on the airship were paralyzed. Is there anyone here who can pilot it out of the hollow?”

“That’s problematic...” Ling frowned. “Billy’s still conscious, but he doesn’t know how to fly an airship.”

Ye Qingfeng imagined Billy piloting the airship—flailing hands, frantically pressing buttons—and figured the craft would crash before even reaching the hollow.

“If Miss Ren can regain control of the airship, the rest is up to me. According to our intel, the airship will pass directly over Bala Building—I’ll pilot it.”

Leikain offered the trio a reassuring word.

“Then let’s move out!”

Ye Qingfeng said.

The group followed Fairy’s path forward, clearing revenants with Ye Qingfeng and Leikain working together, then passed through a spatial rift—their destination was right ahead.

“We’re here! The exit is over there!”

Ies pointed to a distant door, scanned the area for revenants, found none, and eagerly prepared to rush ahead.

“Wait—something’s wrong!”

Ye Qingfeng reached out to stop Ies. Just then, the overhead lights flickered erratically, confirming his suspicion.

The revenants we’ve faced so far were all low-tier. Following movie logic, the boss should appear now.

Anbi silently gave a thumbs-up.

Ye Qingfeng, most sensitive to aether energy, felt the surrounding aether surge sharply—he stared straight ahead.

So dark... can’t see anything...

But the revenant is definitely here!

A beautiful, haunting melody began to play. Leikain and the others braced themselves, eyes darting wildly—they still couldn’t locate the revenant.

“That music...” Ling trembled, clutching Ye Qingfeng’s pant leg.

A spotlight flickered on and off, moving from near to far. The nearest beam pierced the darkness, illuminating a figure at its center.

(One more chapter coming later)