The situation was urgent.
Bai Zihe immediately went to the balcony and called Zhan Tianlong.
"Tianlong."
"Prepare yourself and come to Long County with me immediately."
"Ruoyi is in trouble!"
Upon hearing this, Zhan Tianlong understood the gravity and urgency of the situation and immediately began making arrangements.
In the hall, Bai Zhanhong also sensed something was wrong.
Bai Zihe had called Bai Ruoyi several times just now, but she hadn't answered.
And now he was rushing to the balcony…
Bai Zhanhong immediately took out his phone and called Bai Ruoyi.
No answer!
This made Bai Zhanhong panic. Forgetting about the television, he hurried to the balcony, just in time to overhear Bai Zihe's conversation with Zhan Tianlong, and was shocked.
After Bai Zihe hung up, Bai Zhanhong anxiously asked, "Zihe, has Ruoyi had an accident?"
Bai Zihe had intended to avoid his father and prevent him from worrying.
But since he had already heard, he could only try to comfort him, saying, "Dad, you don't need to worry too much."
"Little sister is in the mountains right now. It's likely the signal is poor, which is why she didn't answer the call."
"I'll go and see what's going on, so you can rest assured."
Though he said this.
How could Bai Zhanhong be at ease?
Just then.
The rumbling sound of a helicopter approached from afar. It was the one mobilized by Zhan Tianlong, landing on the helipad.
Bai Zhanhong, feeling anxious, said, "Zihe, I'll go with you!"
Bai Zihe shook his head. "Dad, leave this to me. Wait for my news."
Saying that, he turned and boarded the helicopter.
Bai Zhanhong knew he couldn't dissuade Bai Zihe, so he could only urge, "Zihe, then go quickly. Contact Ruoyi as soon as possible and report back that she's safe."
Bai Zihe leaned against the cabin door.
"Dad, don't worry."
"I will bring Ruoyi back safely!"
As the words fell.
Bai Zihe got inside and closed the door.
Immediately, the helicopter roared towards Long County, disappearing into the night sky.
"Alas…"
"I hope it's just a false alarm."
Bai Zhanhong sighed and walked back into his bedroom alone, but he couldn't fall asleep.
On the helicopter.
Bai Zihe made several more calls, but to no avail, none were answered.
His sword-like eyebrows furrowed deeply.
During this time, Zhan Tianlong contacted the school and learned the specific route Bai Ruoyi had taken to Long County, as well as her accommodation.
The helicopter then followed the route.
"Young Master, the conditions in Long County are not ideal."
"Miss is camping with classmates outside. We…"
Bai Zihe interrupted him directly, "Fly the helicopter to the vicinity of the accommodation."
"Understood!"
After more than twenty minutes of flight, Bai Zihe indeed saw sparse tents scattered on the mountainside.
"Let's go, down with me!"
Bai Zihe grabbed Zhan Tianlong's arm and descended without a word.
The two landed on the ground and immediately noticed something was amiss.
Logically speaking…
Wild camping would always involve a bonfire.
But there was no bonfire here, only a few cold ashes, long since cooled.
And.
The movement of the two landing should have elicited some reaction.
These tents before them…
Were deathly silent!
Bai Zihe pulled open one of them.
Inside, there was no one, it was empty.
The second, the third…
All the tents were opened, and all the students seemed to have vanished into thin air!
"Hiss… hiss—"
Just then, a strange sound came from behind.
A figure shot out from an unknown location, lunging directly at Bai Zihe's neck.
Sensing danger, Bai Zihe flashed three zhang away and looked back, his brows furrowing even deeper.
The person was wearing a school uniform from Suhang University, a classmate of Bai Ruoyi!
However…
His eyes were bloodshot and red, his entire demeanor listless. Seeing Bai Zihe dodge, he lunged again.
It was as if he would not stop until he achieved his goal.
This was… Gu Transformation!
He had also become like those who took the fake medicine!
"Hiss— Hiss…"
Several more voices echoed. Bai Zihe and Zhan Tianlong were surrounded by the Gu-transformed students.
This time, Bai Zihe did the same.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
The golden light of the Seventy-two Yin-Yang Needles condensed at his fingertips and shot out like meteors, piercing the students' bodies.
Their acupoints were sealed, and they immediately froze in place, unable to attack the two anymore.
"Clap, clap, clap!"
Just then, the sound of someone clapping came from behind.
Bai Zihe turned and his expression immediately turned grim.
The person who appeared was the one with the hooked nose from that day under the locust tree, the one who had attempted to steal his mother's heirloom, the ten-sided prism, and whom he had crippled an arm.
His sleeve on one arm was empty.
The other arm…
Was held around the neck of a person, who was none other than Bai Ruoyi.
Her eyes were vacant and devoid of spirit. Seeing Bai Zihe, there was no ripple in her pupils.
Clearly, she had also become a Gu puppet, under control.
The hooked-nose man stared at Bai Zihe and smiled.
His smile was sinister.
His smile was triumphant.
"Bai Zihe, I admit you are skilled in combat."
"But what good is skill in combat?"
"Your sister is in my hands, and she's a puppet, incapable of resisting."
"If I apply just a little more pressure, her neck will snap, and she will die instantly before your eyes!"
"What can you do to me?"
He said, then looked at Bai Zihe playfully, his face filled with malice.
In his mind, the hooked-nose man had thought of a hundred ways to torment Bai Zihe later, to get revenge for his broken arm.
Bai Zihe's star-like eyes were now unfathomably deep, with an endless flame of rage flickering within.
The hooked-nose man was oblivious, even sneering, "You look very angry?"
"But anger won't solve the problem."
"It will only solve her!"
Saying that.
He reached out and gripped Bai Ruoyi's fair neck, then slowly lifted her up.
Bai Ruoyi's feet left the ground, and she began to struggle desperately.
Soon, she rolled her eyes due to suffocation and coughed incessantly.
At this moment.
The rage in Bai Zihe's heart burned towards the heavens.
But with Bai Ruoyi in the hooked-nose man's grasp, he couldn't act out. He could only suppress his anger and ask in a low voice, "Speak, what do you want?"
His voice was cold as winter snow!
The hooked-nose man's heart was unmoved. Instead, waves of vengeful pleasure surged within him.
He put Bai Ruoyi down and stated directly, "It's very simple, I want the ten-sided prism."
"As long as you give me the ten-sided prism, I'll let her go."
Saying that, he patted Bai Ruoyi's fair neck.
It was a warning, and also a threat!
The ten-sided prism…
In fact, Bai Zihe had guessed his intention when he saw him.
"The ten-sided prism is not with me, it's with my senior sister."
"In that case…"
The hooked-nose man paused, then tossed a black pill to Bai Zihe, sneering, "Then eat this, and have your people bring the ten-sided prism to redeem her!"
Bai Zihe had no choice but to comply.
Under the hooked-nose man's unblinking gaze, he swallowed the pill and then called his fifth senior sister, Yue Rushuang, to bring the ten-sided prism.
"Follow me."
Seeing that the situation was settled, the hooked-nose man immediately took Bai Ruoyi and headed to a hidden mountain cave on the back of the mountain.
Bai Zihe followed them in.
Upon entering and seeing the scenes inside the cave, an uncontrollable surge of anger overwhelmed him.
There were countless staff members busy at work.
Researching…
The very cause of the recent events, the Gu worm pills!