Chapter 107: The Puppet

"This is Yi Chen, who will be joining our class starting today. Please welcome our new student!" the homeroom teacher of Class 1-C said with great enthusiasm.

Yi Chen did not introduce himself. Ignoring the expressions and reactions of others, he walked straight toward Lu Yu, who looked stunned.

There was indeed an empty seat next to him. Yi Chen sat down and shoved his school bag into the desk drawer.

Lu Yu was not just surprised that Yi Chen had actually enrolled the very next day. Their homeroom teacher was notoriously snobbish and usually ignored students from ordinary backgrounds.

Lu Yu knew better than anyone what Yi Chen’s family situation was like. The teacher’s current fawning manner definitely suggested something fishy. It was certain that Yi Chen had a backer, but could this backer really be that powerful?

"So many people in one class?" Yi Chen observed roughly. Class C had about a hundred students, packing the room to the brim—it was a lecture hall in every sense of the word.

"The other classes are about the same size," Lu Yu said.

The Ivory Tower had over 60 floors and was originally built by Nanchuan for tourism. Now, each floor was converted to hold four classrooms. After subtracting floors for special functions—such as the infirmary, laboratories, activity rooms, and staff offices—the tower had to hold over twenty thousand people!

Finding a target in such a densely populated environment was a daunting task.

Yi Chen felt a secret sense of urgency.

He was currently relying entirely on guesswork regarding what the enemy was planning and what their motives were.

Although he had successfully entered the Ivory Tower and obtained a legitimate identity, he felt he was facing a meticulously designed conspiracy and a closing trap, with no clear path forward.

Yi Chen clenched his fists. His family had already been attacked once; this time, he had to do something to stop them before the situation spiraled out of control.

Class began. It was an English lesson, and to Yi Chen, it sounded like chirping birds, so he simply tuned out the teacher's incessant droning.

The surroundings were not quiet; students were whispering, many discussing his non-conformist white hair, but he chose to tune that out as well.

He extended his senses, using his roaming lynxes to monitor every corner of the building.

Yesterday, the enemy had eliminated one of his lynxes and even disposed of the body; they were truly meticulous. Yi Chen had hoped to deduce the enemy’s supernatural ability from that, but his plan had failed.

So far, there was nothing unusual. Did they know their tracks were exposed and decide to lay low for a while?

Just as he was thinking this, Yi Chen caught a faint, delicate fragrance. He was very familiar with this unique scent—it was Mu Qing.

He sensed Mu Qing walking from a nearby classroom, her gait unsteady. She passed by Class C, paused for a moment, and then headed toward the elevators.

*Ding-dong*—Yi Chen heard the sound of the elevator arriving and the doors opening.

He felt a bit strange.

It was class time; where was Mu Qing going?

Why did she linger outside the Class C classroom for several seconds? Was she waiting for someone? Who?

Immediately after, he heard two people rushing out of the classroom she had just passed, calling Mu Qing’s name as they ran. He recognized their voices—they were the female companions who had been with her yesterday: one with a ponytail, the other with a bob cut.

However, the elevator doors closed before they could catch up.

Yi Chen stood up abruptly, startling Lu Yu.

He braced his hands on the desk, vaulted out of his seat, and dashed toward the back door of the classroom. With a loud bang, he vanished.

The room was left stunned, everyone looking shocked, unaware of what had happened.

"…Report to the teacher, he suddenly felt unwell and had to go to the infirmary," Lu Yu quickly reacted, lying through his teeth for his friend without a hint of blushing.

But the excuse was so pathetic that Lu Yu wanted to slap himself. A moment ago, Yi Chen had moved with the clean, agile precision of a fierce leopard; he looked nothing like a sickly, frail student.

Yi Chen caught up to Mu Qing’s two classmates in a few strides and asked, "What’s wrong?"

They were busy waiting for the elevator and didn't expect someone to pop up behind them, nearly screaming in fright.

Recognizing Yi Chen, the girl with the ponytail quickly regained her composure.

"Our class was supposed to have a chemistry lab today. Everyone else went to the lab, but Mu Qing suddenly said she felt dizzy, so we stayed behind to accompany her, planning to take her to the infirmary. But she just shook us off and walked out on her own. We couldn't get her to stop; something feels wrong," the ponytail girl said, staring boldly at Yi Chen and explaining the situation in one breath.

"…Also, the infirmary is on the 20th floor, but the elevator is going up. The direction is wrong," the girl with the bob cut added softly.

Hearing this, Yi Chen noticed that the elevator had already reached the 62nd floor—the top of the tower—and was beginning to descend after a brief pause.

Why on earth would she go to the top of the tower? An ominous feeling rose in Yi Chen's heart.

They were currently on the 50th floor; they couldn't wait for the elevator to slowly crawl down!

"You take the elevator!" Yi Chen threw the words over his shoulder and turned to bolt for the stairs. In just a few seconds, he was already racing up the floors. With ordinary people present, he restrained his speed slightly to avoid causing a panic and bringing unnecessary trouble upon himself.

"So cool!" The girl with the ponytail watched Yi Chen's agile, swift movements, her eyes turning into hearts.

"It's over ten floors away. The elevator would still be faster, right..." The girl with the bob cut was not optimistic about Yi Chen's approach.

Once out of their sight, Yi Chen unleashed his full speed, rushing toward the top of the tower like a gale.

He saw Mu Qing.

One of her feet was already over the safety railing. The strong wind whipped her long hair and the hem of her skirt, making her look as ethereal as a fairy.

"What are you doing?!" Yi Chen shouted as he lunged toward her. Mu Qing was not the type of girl to take her own life!

But she was not moved by his voice; instead, she picked up her pace and leaped!

Yi Chen jumped forward right behind her, grabbing her waist with one hand and clutching the railing with the other, dangling in mid-air.

He had experienced this kind of life-or-death situation before.

When fighting the "Crawlers" in the crumbling building, Liang Bing had slipped and nearly fallen. He had caught her with one hand, but at that time, Liang Bing did not want to be a burden and chose to let go herself.

Yi Chen held Mu Qing tightly. This time, the situation was different; there could be no mistakes.

The fact that Liang Bing survived that time had a lot to do with the fact that the building wasn't very tall. The Ivory Tower was over 60 stories high; even if he fell, he would be smashed to pieces, let alone an ordinary person.

Mu Qing’s long hair was flying wildly, her eyes vacant. She was clutching a ballpoint pen in her hand and stabbed it twice at her savior, Yi Chen, but it had no effect.

She twisted her hand and swung the pen, actually stabbing it toward her own neck!

Yi Chen had one hand gripping the railing and the other wrapped around her waist; he couldn't stop her movement. In his desperation, he lunged forward, pressing his face against Mu Qing’s, and forced the pen to stab into his own neck instead.

*Snap*—the pen broke, and the web of Mu Qing’s hand was torn by the force; it was clear she had put all her strength into it!

Yi Chen knew this was definitely not Mu Qing's own intent. Someone was controlling her, determined to see her dead!

*Ding*—the elevator reached the top floor; Mu Qing’s two classmates, the girl with the bob cut and the one with the ponytail, had arrived.

"You're just in time, give me a hand..." Before Yi Chen could finish his sentence, the two girls approached, attempting to pry his hand off the railing.

"You...!" Yi Chen was shocked, only then noticing that their eyes were equally vacant.

They were being controlled, too!