006 Freeing Nature

In these familiar, homely daily surroundings, within this free air, Li Qingming paused for a moment to appreciate the scene, first soaking up a few mouthfuls of fear energy like dew evenly coating the grass.

People of different characters emit different kinds of fear, just as different ingredients each have their own unique flavor and aroma.

Take, for example, the crew-cut platoon leader, whose fear was like a freshly-cooked pot of oatmeal: though the taste was simple, it was nutritious, clean, and sufficiently filling.

And that big, dumb guy who led the charge to the door was like a piece of duck blood that hadn't fully cooked through, unsightly in appearance but its scalding juice a surprising delight.

Looking further, that male creature sporting a middle-part and exuding the stench of puberty, was like a slightly over-fried chitterling, crispy on the outside and...

Li Qingming suddenly turned grave.

He would find an opportunity to kill him.

Skipping past that filthy piece, Li Qingming's gaze landed on the young man sitting at the back by the window, pretending to be restrained.

He was like a small piece of pan-seared foie gras, maintaining an elegant facade, yet his inner energy had long been bursting. Normally a high-grade ingredient, but he had an excessively high fat content, not only cloying but also dulling to one's wits if consumed too much—a mere taste to whet the appetite was sufficient.

As for the woman sitting in front of him, who had prematurely switched to wearing skirts, she was Li Qingming's least favorite ice cream—sadly wasting that durian flavor, which would have been much better off as hard candy.

After absorbing a round of fear, Li Qingming turned, with great restraint, towards that main dish of the evening.

Crooked ponytail, crooked ponytail, still a crooked ponytail.

All the appetizers were merely a buildup to you, and all the stars dimmed in your presence.

Ah.

Wait...

Why can't I feel her fear energy anymore?

Has she fainted?

I won't allow it!

Li Qingming quickly took a breath and strode forward, tapping on Ji Xiaoxiang's desk with vigor.

"Fainting will result in no piece of you left intact," he said helpfully, "Stay awake for me."

In an instant, Ji Xiaoxiang shuddered and then looked up blankly, her eyes brimming with tears.

'This person is so mean, I was about to faint...

'But in the end, the one to encourage me still showed up...

'Ah... why is it Dr. Hannibal?

'Doesn't he detest positive energy the most? Why is he the first to encourage me...

'Wait... his eyes... they look so hungry...

'And it's that kind of hunger... like a gourmet feast before his eyes, yet he forcefully restrains himself to enjoy later...

'Ah, I see now...

'Dr. Hannibal is certain that he has arrived in a lawless land and has finally unleashed his true nature...'

'In any case, I should thank him for his reminder first...'

Ji Xiaoxiang just stared dumbly at Li Qingming, her mouth struggling to form words.

!

But her expression soon stiffened as she realized a serious problem.

'I've been silent for too long... I've sort of forgotten how to speak...

'Wuuu... how embarrassing...

'Is this being too disrespectful to Dr. Hannibal?

'I should try to cry a little...

'Err... I'm too scared that I can't even cry now...

'Then I should at least struggle politely...

'But I can't muster any strength...

'But if I just lie here without moving, Dr. Hannibal might feel disappointed...

'Wuuu... Dr. Hannibal is still watching me...

'It's over, it's over... he's waiting for me to respond... I can't just keep my head down and mumble my way out of this!'

Whoosh—Whoosh—Whoosh—

At that moment, the fear energy gushed forth like a honey fountain once again from the crooked ponytail.

Only then did Li Qingming breathe a sigh of relief.

Unlike those regular dishes, the crooked ponytail was truly a heavenly gift.

Yet her psyche seemed so fragile, and to continue such high-intensity output might risk a mental collapse, becoming a Creature of the Secret Realm.

For the sake of sustainable fear production, it was necessary to help her calm down first.

Just as bees collect nectar and incidentally pollinate, Li Qingming, while indulging in fear nectar, needed to ensure the crooked ponytail's healthy growth.

Without another thought, he picked up his own chair and settled down with gravity.

In the crisp sound of the wind, Li Qingming was like a towering black wall, standing between Ji Xiaoxiang and everyone else.

"I'll bring you with me, and guarantee you'll only die before me," he said.

Ji Xiaoxiang, on the verge of fainting, shuddered again.

Then, she meekly avoided Li Qingming's gaze, twisting her body towards the wall, segment by segment,

'It's over, Doctor Hannibal has completely set his sights on me.

'That action, that tone, it's no longer just about being hungry...

'It's outright...

'Protecting his food!

'But the very words he just said... they're also a promise, a promise to protect me all the way...

'I'm utterly useless, and I'm a big eater, why would you pick the heaviest burden...

'Ah... wait...

'Doctor Hannibal brings me, I only die before Doctor Hannibal...

'So I am...

'Emergency rations!

'Although it sounds a bit much, it's the only possibility, and it's just too reasonable, no flaws can be found.

'Hmm... after figuring it out, I actually feel a bit better...

'I have become a person of value!'

With this thought, Ji Xiaoxiang strangely felt a bit more at peace, and her trembling gradually subsided.

Li Qingming, watching the rate of fear energy stabilize, appeared increasingly benevolent and kindhearted.

To maintain the skewed ponytail's mental health, he began explaining like a tour guide for a senior group:

"Generally speaking, groups that encounter the Secret Realm will go through four waves of panic.

"The first wave occurs when the Secret Realm breaks out, which has basically subsided.

"The second wave comes with the appearance of monsters, which I think is now. Look at Han Chun; he's already stuffed an entire hand down his throat, though facial tearing and jaw dislocation aren't fatal injuries.

"The third wave of panic normally happens when the first person dies, sometimes ahead of the second wave. Whether we follow this sequence depends on Han Chun's performance.

"The fourth wave, which is the last, occurs when everyone is convinced the Secret Realm is unsolvable and the whole group collapses.

'It starts with one or two people losing their minds, and then it spreads like wildfire, one after another falling into madness, and groups of them turning into Creatures of the Secret Realm.

"Laypeople call this 'blowing up the team,' but the proper term is—panic chain reaction."

"I don't know about your imagination, but this is ten times more desperate than the most hopeless scene you can conjure.

"I can survive until that point, but can't guarantee completing the Secret Realm.

"So if we fall into an inescapable situation, even I can't control, presenting a scene you'd rather gouge your eyes out than witness—

"I can help you end your life without any pain."

Under the baptism of this series of horrific words, Ji Xiaoxiang no longer felt dispirited but even started to remember how to talk.

"End my life without any pain... really?" she asked dully.

Li Qingming frowned, "Are you doubting my professional standards?"

"...Ah... no, no..." Ji Xiaoxiang hurriedly lowered her head, fidgeting with her fingers, "I... I'm not good with words... You know... you can end me now... It would be helping me avoid becoming a monster, make my suffering lesser; I won't blame you..."

Li Qingming wasn't surprised by such a request at all.

He raised his hand gravely, tugged at the skewed ponytail, then tapped his own forehead.

"I told you, you'd only die before me," he said.

Ji Xiaoxiang first blanked out, then lowered her head with a dazed smile.

'That's right, as emergency rations... freshness is key!

'Although it was but a few words, I can already feel Doctor Hannibal's professional commitment.

'Trusting such a luminary in his field, he will surely honor his promise and grant me a peaceful end.

'Yay, suddenly I feel secure...

'I must strive too, to show Doctor Hannibal my worth...'

Thinking this way, Ji Xiaoxiang turned her stiff head, forced a smiling face, and said with a trembling voice, "Actually... you know... I... I might be short, but I'm fat, the flesh is all in places you can't see!"

"Don't belittle yourself," Li Qingming swallowed and said, "Your deliciousness... your excellence is not related to your physique."

"Ah... haha..." Ji Xiaoxiang looked down, somewhat chagrined.

'I really still can't get the hang of conversation, made it awkward again...

'Luckily, Doctor Hannibal not only has a sense of humor but he's also sincere, not hiding at all his perception of my identity.

'With him standing here, others probably won't dare to encourage me either...'

'Ah, relief, finally relief...'

"We have a deal?" Li Qingming asked at this moment.

"Mm!" Ji Xiaoxiang nodded vigorously with her eyes closed, "Making trouble for you... sorry!"